Know Thyself

ready to fly

The other day I was out and about running errands and shopping with my youngest.  When we were returning home he asked: “Papa, why do you tell all the ladies they are lovely and sweet?”  He had a bit of a protective tone in his voice and in my opinion; his query was actually, why was I nice to women other than his mother.   I laughed and said:  “because I am a nice guy.”

I spent a life time in direct sales and in the early years I would sit in trainings where professionals would share their words of wisdom.

 I tried to interpret the pearls of wisdom to the best of my ability:

Hmmm

“The buyer wants to be shown how to buy.”    Show them an easy payment plan.

 “The question is not who is selling, the question is who is buying.”   What ????

“Everyone is selling their story, is yours more believable?”   Talk more about the product features.

With the help of management, hard work and luck, I managed to feed myself but I knew it was more because of luck than skill that I was eating.  

When I had the good fortune of meeting the man who would turn me into a Closer, my life changed for the better.   Dave was a Master Closer like no other salesman I had ever seen.  Dave knew exactly who he was, and what his purpose in life was.  He had a tremendous work ethic and getting him to quit was almost impossible, he was tough minded and would not stop until people saw the world the same way as him. This may seem harsh to some but as they say:  a sale is always being made; the question is who is buying.   A Master Closer knows when there is a possibility to persuade, reframe and define others perception.

what do you see?

Communicating a perception is the basis of closing.  While my son and I were out doing business, he heard me telling the clerks and staff that they were “Smart”, “Friendly”, “Lovely”, and the “Best” I was telling them how I wanted them to treat me.  In essence I was defining who they are when dealing with me.

 When it concerns health and fitness who is defining you?  What is your perception of you in a healthy, balanced lifestyle? Typically life begins as a buyer.  Our loved ones told us how they perceived us and we behaved accordingly.  Eventually we mature and begin perceiving and selling ourselves on what is best for us.  We need to have a vision of where we fit in our perception of a healthy world before it will actualize.

all pumped up to hit the mall

“Know thyself” has been the subject of Socrates, Poets, Philosophers and Scholars alike.  Why has such a simple concept remained a relevant subject for centuries?   Far too great a percentage of people have no idea who they are or why they are doing the things they do.  If you are waiting to be defined then you are waiting for someone else to help you and trust me this does not happen for free.

When our Declaration Rock is anchored to a ball of confusion, it is difficult to stand on it and shout; “On this rock I stand and this is who I am.”    If you do not know what you want you cannot say who you are.

GM concept car

After 30 days of traveling; the hard facts, state I gained weight, increased my fat intake and added size to my belly.  If you read my blog and look at the foods eaten, you will see that I consumed many fats I could have done without and you will see that I made the conscious decision to be who I am; A Fat man in Paradise.  I know and accept who I am and I wish the same good fortune to everyone.  

“Know thyself”

Go have some fun,

Geo

masked

Good Food and Great Times

D's lunch at JFK



 prime rib at Irish pub

For me, good meals remind me of great times with wonderful friends.

When I review my photos from The Great American Tour, the pictures of the meals I had along the way, open a flood gate to positive emotions with memories of bright days, in beautiful places and very special people that fill my heart with peace, love and joy.

Last meal with Donya




Final Burger at JFK


 

NYC gym at day break



food cart notice calorie count



i like this

lunch break with D and Bonnie

a gift from the frogs

                                                

taste better than it looks

snack from the corner store

The king of candy

Turkey loaf Dinner with Bobbie and Bonnie



Fresh fish with tomato base Donya's mishap



GO BRONCOS!

There is no place like home and home is always a wonderful place to be. 

 I have been in Asia for much of my adult life and if I have learned anything it would be; anywhere can be paradise, if you can afford to leave it.

Go have some fun,

geo

Phase V the Final leg State Side

The best way to sum up leg V is “whirl wind”

Thirty days away from home is always an adventure, traveling to the other side of the planet with a predetermined travel itinerary is time effective and trends to blur mental and visual clarity.

We departed JFK on Tuesday morning and by Thursday morning when I arrived on Samui I  knew I had underestimated  the time needed in the USA and could have used another 2 weeks on the ground to insure a satisfactory conclusion to an ambitious plan.



D at the falls.



The perfect song for the USA in my opinion is “America the Beautiful”.  The Lyrics seem to say it all; “O beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain, for purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain”.

got some new gloves

looking for the pot of gold 

Leg four was me returning to my roots with dear friends and family.  Phase V had me returning to New York and the North East.

I felt that it would be unacceptable to not share the beauty of Niagara Falls and Washington DC with my wife consequently I was set for a long haul and hard run.  Departure day from KC began at 3:30 a.m.,  and ended in Auburn NY at 10:30 p.m.,  a 2 hr drive from Niagara.  The next morning we toured the Falls and were on the road to DC by mid day.  We were enjoying a walking tour of the Washington monument, the Lincoln memorial and other sights by 8:30 p.m. eventually bedding down by 11:30 p.m. in Maryland.  

Niagara Falls

The following day we got an early start and decided to return the rental car in NJ a day early so we could enjoy 2 final nights in Manhattan where we arrived around 10:30 p.m., with NYC being a place that never sleeps we were on the streets for a late night meal and cocktail. The following day we did a walking tour that took us to Central park, Times Square, and many points of interest between with one final meal. 



Washington Monument





Lincoln



In previous blogs I wrote about setting one’s own standard and what I believe being healthy means.

 “My view of being healthy is defined in being fit and agile.  When I am able to do and go to all the places that I dream of going, having all the fun I want to have, I am healthy, happy and fit.  To me being healthy and fit means; I am agile enough to walk long distances 5 to 10 miles, climb 150 stairs, sit for long periods of time 5 to 24 hrs, and go sleepless for 24 hrs without severe fatigue setting in”.  

I could have focused more on eating health foods and stayed away from many of the Trans fats I consumed and I could have avoided many of the sweets I enjoyed.  Having said that, if my training program is not solid enough to remove a few extra pounds I gain from enjoying life’s little pleasures, what’s the point of spending my time in the gym?

This journey put my fitness, beliefs, and resolve to the test.  I am pleased to report, I would not change anything I did on this excursion.  I entered the belly of the beast and walked away enriched, enlightened and fulfilled.

Without question the United States of America is a special place and worth the effort and expense to visit.   Wherever you choose to travel, make sure to indulge in the local sights, sounds and cuisine.

Go have some fun,

Geo.

Great American Tour Leg IV Kansas City

Mr Benz buying me lunch at Bryants BBQ

The best word to describe the return home to my roots is “Reunion”.    As I grow in age and reduce in size I realize that there is soulfulness in remaining in contact with the people who know me for where I come from. 

Dave took me to eat Persian

Mike and Bonnie eating Greek

KC has changed in the last 16 yrs. yet it has remained much the same; my favorite Steak House the Golden Ox in the KC stock yards is no longer but the Steak Houses remain plentiful and the corn fed beef is deserving of world recognition.  

The famous Jazz is no more but there is now a Base Ball hall of fame and a Jazz district dedicated to the memory of Negro league greats such as Satchel Page and Charlie Parker.  BAR B. Q. is still as it has always been tasty, tender, plentiful and a KC staple.

Health awareness can be found in most large businesses with incentives directly related to using the company fitness facilities.  The Johnson County Kansas Community Center I visited was well equipped, offering a heated indoor swimming pool, well trained personal trainers, indoor basketball courts and padded jogging track.  I was most impressed with the professionalism of the rehabilitation trainers working with degenerated senior citizens.

                                                            Lil John all grown up

Quality International cuisine is readily available; during my short 5 day stay I enjoyed eating Persian, Greek, Mediterranean and Mexican.    

Eating healthy was a bit of an issue for me in KC, as the end of my time in the USA was near and there were foods, mostly desserts that I cannot get in Thailand. I decided to indulge my sweet tooth and visited Pie Houses, which by the way was the only place I noticed grossly obese people.  Chocolate cream Pie, Peanut Butter Pie, Pumpkin Pie, Banana cream Pie, Blue Berry Pie, and Coconut cream Pie were all on the tasting menu and delicious.



Persian Salad



Greek salad



Persian Rice



Persian Mix grill chicken, beef and veg



prime rib end cut



Grilled chicken



Greek Mix platter lamb, beef, yogurt, veg and chicken



FYI Europe this is a proper pour of whiskey

When summarizing my daily diary, the conclusion is Italian sausages, cream pies, red meat and cheeses resulted in my protein, fats and carbohydrates all reversing in my scheduled dietary plan.  Instead of being on a high protein diet, I was eating more fat than carbohydrates and proteins combined.   I was unable to weigh myself but I am sure the high fat menu resulted in weight gain.    

Visiting K.C, allowed me to reconnect with some of my oldest and dearest friends and family. I toured the city, reminisced about school days and school girls, strolled down memory lane and shared some good heartfelt laughs.

Carrot cake



Pumpkin Pie



At the end of the day, there is no place like Home and when relationships are close we are always near. 

Go Have some Fun,

Geo

KC Fall

     

i