Cows At Christmas

I grew up in rural Minnesota where there were a lot of farms and farmers. My family was not a farming family but we knew lots that were.

People farmed all sorts of things…beans, corn, chickens, pigs…and dairy cows.

I remember having a band rehearsal at my friend Kurt’s house and afterwards drinking a glass of milk as he pointed outside at the cow where it came from.

The cows gotta get milked. Every day.

So when Christmas rolls around it doesn’t do much good to try and explain to them how you’re going out of town for a week. The cows don’t care that it’s Christmas.

But luckily for the cows, the farmers knew this a long time ago when they committed to being dairy farmers. So the cows get milked on Christmas…no complaints, it’s not a surprise, that’s part of the deal.

If you want a different deal, better to sell the farm than try to negotiate holiday scheduling with the cows.

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The Secret Family Recipe

There’s a lot of secret family recipes being whipped up this time of year.

The best thing about the secret family recipe is that it’s called the secret family recipe.

And the point of the secret family recipe is to simply enjoy it, not guess what the secret is.

The secret cookie recipe, the soup, the cocktail, the sweet potatoes…maybe it’s just the recipe on the back of the box or bottle or maybe it’s truly a secret and never been written down and only passed down verbally to the oldest child in the family.

In any case if you have a secret like this, no need to hold onto it for fear that someone might figure it out or steal it. But rather, share it so that others can have the joy of enjoying (rather than knowing) the secret.

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It's The Thought That Counts

Why don’t we just exchange certain amounts of cash at Christmas? It would be much more efficient for everyone.

Because it’s the thought that counts. And the best gifts aren’t concerned with efficiency.

It’s the thought that takes it out of the transactional and into the creative and emotional…i.e. into connection. And as always it’s the connection we long for. To be seen, to be thought of and to be that for others.

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He's Making A List...

And checking it twice.

Might be a good idea to make a list. And if you need to give it a second glance over, go for it.

But remember, making the list isn’t the work. Even though it kinda feels like it.

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Keeping Up

Keeping up with…

News

Instagram

The Jones’

The Kardashian’s

Politics

Fashion

Football

The first couple things to consider are…what is the prize for keeping up? And do you want that prize?

But much more important than ‘what are you keeping up with’ is…

What are you leading the charge for?

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How Well Does It Tour?

It would be amazing if your grand finale involved you jumping through a twelve foot ring of fire…but it’s going to be tough to take that show on the road.

The type of venues that could get clearance for twelve foot fire are the bigger venues. The bigger ones require lots of ticket sales. Lots of ticket sales require big fan bases in multiple markets. And simply advertising the fire stunt beforehand isn’t going to compel enough new people to purchase tickets.

So it’s a great idea but it doesn’t tour well. (Yet)

But let’s back up…why is the fire thing a good idea?

It’s unexpected

It’s dangerous

You have show you’re a little crazy

If it fails it’s still a great story (and hopefully your burns aren’t too bad)

It makes for a great picture and video

The picture and video are worth sharing

There are other ideas that check all these boxes and will fit into your size venue and budget.

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