Is This Seat Taken?

This Weeks Summary:

Learned: Be better at sharing

Planning: Plan to be present

Business idea: Conferences are back

Vet Opp: Internships

I met: David Graff

Stoic Quote of the Week

How much better to heal than to seek revenge from injury? Vengeance wastes a lot of time and exposes you to many more injuries than the first that sparked it. Anger always outlasts hurt. Best to take the opposite course.

-Seneca

What I learned this week:

I've saved a lot of seats in my life, and I'm sure you have, too. Sitting at a bar, waiting for Ms. Suzanne or a friend to get there. At the airport at a crowded gate and many other places over the years. I've also been on the other end of the saved seat many times. This week, it was handed to me a couple of times. I attended the Air & Space Force Symposium in Aurora, CO, early this week. This was a massive conference, partly because every airman and space dude (guardian?) from Buckley AFB was there, so it was very crowded for even the massive event center at the Gaylord. The mass of people means there are never enough seats in the foyer, hallways, and common areas.? There were small tables with folding chairs in one hallway and couches and chairs arranged like mini-living rooms in multiple configurations scattered around the area. I wanted to sit for a moment, so I walked up to this group of 3 that were standing near a large couch and chair set up to ask if I could grab a seat for a moment. "No, we're using all these," was the reply. Hmm, I thought, how are they using the seats while standing? I wandered around and found a chair I was authorized to sit on for a few minutes to check my notes. A little later, the same thing happened. One guy at a table that sat six. I asked to sit momentarily, "No, these seats are taken." Off I went again. A couple of things come to my mind when I think of this, like how many times have I been the one guy at the table and turned someone away? I even think of this a bit more towards human kindness. Why can't I say to that person who asks, "Feel free to have a seat until my friends come back." Or "Feel free to sit until our meeting starts in 10 minutes." The other thing that it gets me thinking about is, what was the smart-ass reply I should have said? Who are they to tell me that I can't sit there? They don't own it. That is spite and revenge, and neither of those are worthy of my time and concern. The next time you save a seat and someone asks if they can sit there, consider the options before just saying no.

Planning thought of the week:

I plan every week and every day because I want to be sure that I am in the right place and the right frame of mind for the people I've committed a portion of my day to. That is why we plan. The plan is preparation for the action and activity. I want to be sure that I honor my commitments and that I am in the right place at the right time with the right stuff. If I don't plan, I'm always behind. I'm always playing catch-up with my day and my life. I can never be fully present in the action that I am taking in the moment if I am not prepared for the action. Take the time to plan.

Business idea I heard about or thought of:

Earlier this week, I filled up a couple of 20-lb propane tanks that I use for heat and power at the ranch. Propane isn't any cheaper than gasoline or diesel at this point. The cost was roughly $3.50 a gallon. It was more expensive than gas, cheaper than diesel, that day at least. If you haven't seen how the tank is refilled, the operator screws in a hose to the tank's main valve. Then he loosens a screw in the valve and turns on the main tank. When the tank is full, propane squirts out the screw valve. The operator tightens the screw, off-gasses the line with a valve, and unscrews it—a pretty simple and quick procedure. As I watched him do this with my two tanks, I saw waste. Propane squirting out the screw valve and the line pressure release valve. That waste adds up. Maybe not so much at our Tractor Supply store because of the low volume, but at larger service providers, the waste adds up to several hundred dollars a month, possibly even a week. So, how do we recapture and sell that propane instead of donating it to nature? Are there any fluid dynamics engineers out there?

Veteran opportunity of the week:

Hiring Our Heroes and Wounded Warrior Project have teamed up to provide paid internships to Veteran caregivers, paid. This is an amazing opportunity for anyone who is or was a caregiver for a Veteran. Learn more about the program here, Opening doors to employment opportunities for Veteran caregivers.??

Someone I met this week:

I met David Graff earlier this week at the AFA Symposium. I really enjoyed getting to know some of his Air Force background. What really got me thinking about David is the risk he took to step into entrepreneur life and become a co-founder of an IT and cyber security firm. It's not such a big deal, you think because plenty of people do that from the Air Force. You are right, except the people that do it aren't career fighter pilots, which is as close to a knuckle dragger, see enemy, shoot enemy kind of person the Air Force produces. Good on you, David, to step into this space and dive deep enough to become passionate about the business, what the business is about, and how you help your clients succeed. Check out David's company at RADICL.com to learn more.

Ask

We always love your feedback. We are trying the new summary section at the top. We'd love to know what you think!

?

Link to current 10X Your Team with Cam & Otis podcast episode Shawn Woodman - Nitrolithic Labs | 10x Your Team with Cam & Otis Ep.?#325.

?

Subscribe to 10X Your Team with Cam & Otis on YouTube.

?

You can watch all our podcast videos, full-length videos about our living with intention, and all the #whiskeywords! subscribe

?

Please follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Tribe + Purpose.

Thank you for your support.

PS: If you enjoy this email, please share it with others.