Bits and Pieces

Cycle of Life: New Year’s Day reminds us of new beginnings. The lesson is well known and learned over the years. We learn it when very young and are reminded annually of the lesson. In later years, however, we are startled to learn that life has cycles with related other cycles extending outward like ripples on a lake. Cycles. Circles. Intersections of circle edges. Overlaps. Interaction endlessly moving through time with an expanding circle of cycles and intersections.

What is old is new again. What is new has been around for centuries. Distractions are the culprits to losing sight of the cycles.

Hidden Obvious: dealing with daily details of life usually distracts us from the simplest of solutions. The answer to many problems is staring us in the face. I know this doesn’t seem accurate, but my work with entrepreneurs starting up their new businesses teaches me this over and over again.

The answer is normally logic. Break the problem down into its component parts and handle each of those separately unless there is an obvious connection. If so, one solution may solve several related problems at one time.

Another observation, we tend to think of marketing operations as sales oriented. It is much more than that. it also benefits recruiting new volunteers, free leadership help, even pro bono consulting services. At the same time marketing also is helpful in spreading the organization’s visibility which helps with fundraising and client recruitment. Marketing also builds audience for our business simply by educating the public about the need for our services. Many people don’t need our help but they sure like knowing our help is available for others. This is also true for retail products.

It Happened Again: someone attempted another fraud on my debit card, so the credit union killed the card. We are unaware how this happens; am I doing something online that attracts these attempts? At any rate, I am now waiting for the new card. This time the previous re-issue backlog is gone, and I should have my new card before the end of next week. Meanwhile, however, I will need to visit various businesses and pay cash or check for services normally paid automatically by debit card on file. A real nuisance, but hopefully for only a week. Last time, six weeks ago, it took four weeks to get the new card.

January 3, 2023

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