I Don't Feel Like It

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. What do you do when you don't feel like it? We all have those weeks. It's important for you not to allow your momentum to come to a halt or even for it to be adversely affected. Allen gives us a few thoughts on how to approach your week.

• I chose to give myself permission to be human.
• I chose to focus on what I can do.
• I chose to focus on what I regard as important.
• I chose to stay close to God and out of myself
• I chose to be wise about my limits
• I chose to lean on others
• I chose to stay positive

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Do Well!

Last week my youngest daughter, Meredith, was married in Malibu. It was a beautiful wedding and a special gathering of friends and family from all over the country. She and her new husband, Sergio, had friends from Denver who came to be with them. One of those friends was Nick, who came with his beautiful wife Sharon and their wonderful baby boy Jack. I had the good fortune of spending several mornings with Nick and Jack at breakfast, as well as moments with Nick and Sharon at the wedding, reflecting on their friendship with Meredith and Sergio among other things.


Nick was from New Zealand where in his history he had played a very competitive level of championship cricket. Having come from a competitive athletic background myself, we had several very interesting conversations. In one conversation about the wedding, I said in parting "good luck". I don't remember about what in specific. But, I do remember what it triggered from him. He said that when he played cricket in New Zealand, he and his teammates never said good luck to one another because, as professionals, performance is never a matter of luck. It is a product of preparation, planning and a lot of hard work. So, they never said good luck, rather they said, "Do well!"


I have thought a lot about that since our trip to the West Coast, and I really think Nick has it right. Professionals cannot afford to leave their results to luck. Of course, we all love to have unexpected things spin our way. We just can't afford to depend upon the unexpected for the success we hope to achieve. We must purpose them. We must anticipate, practice and master the disciplines we represent. Wearing the label of professional should be more than a matter of chance.


So, thanks Nick! I am thankful for having made a new friend from New Zealand, and I am thankful that he brought me a great piece of wisdom from down under. Do well, my friends!

Celebrating Your Day!

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. What would it do for you to have a day to yourself that is celebrated? What if today was your day? What would you be experiencing? Allen shares a few thoughts on what he believes you would experience:

• You have a life worth remembering
• You have a life of relationship
• You have a life of significance
• You have a life of learning
• You have a life of limits
• You have a life with Priorities
• You have a life

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Where Are All Of The Jobs?

I just heard Charlie Gibson report that in the month of May alone over 345,000 people have lost their jobs. That means, he went on to say, that now there are over 14.5 million people who are unemployed in the midst of the most dramatic economic downturn in the nation's history. The report went on to say that companies were not providing new jobs at a pace needed to keep up with the need for those now unemployed and for those graduates now coming into the marketplace looking for jobs.

As I listened to the report, I couldn't help but think about a book I read over a decade ago written by Jeremy Rifkin entitled, The End of Work. In this insightful work, he chronicled the history of the depression era when America lost its jobs to the the force of automation. As a result, our government had to put America to work. So, the dawning of the public sector was experienced. Rifkin suggested that we were headed for another revolution that would hit white collar America hard. He has obviously been prophetic.

So, what is the answer? The answer is not for government to put us to work. We could not afford it then and we cannot afford it now. The answer Rifkin called for was for us to reinvent ourselves. The answer he suggested was for us to create new value and new opportunity. We would need to find the answers. We would need to look no farther than ourselves and our stories.

I think we need to start talking a new talk. I love to talk to cab drivers across this country of ours. Most of them have come to this country from very difficult situations in other nations. When I ask them what they like most about our country their answer is always the same. They always say freedom and opportunity. We need to listen to them. We nee to challenge one another to think new thoughts. What can we create together? What new services can we provide? What new products can we create? What can we do to create new value? We have to find the answers. We have to recapture the pioneering spirit of our forefathers. It really is our only hope. It is a great hope because it is our heritage. It isn't too late. We just need to quit listening to the bad news. It is time for us to start creating some news of our own, on purpose.

New Patterns

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. In the business of selling, life seems to have changed. The patterns aren't the same. They have changed. Allen shares his thoughts that might be good for you to think aout in your world:

• Relationships are everything
• Making connections is the business
• Everyone is a contact
• Business is personal
• Staying young/social networking
• Momentum is essential/consistency/pace

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Striving for What?

Yesterday, I had a long talk with myself. I actually was talking to God. My 8 month old grandson overheard our conversation. It was about striving in life. I was enjoying a time of exercise and recreation and spiritual renewal and personal reflection all at the same time. It was a beautiful day. It reminded me of what it must have been intended to be in the beginning in the garden, walking and talking with God.


Anyway, the subject of striving came up. Striving in my relationship with Him. Striving to be healthy. Striving in relationships period. Striving in my businesses. And the question He raised was why? I found it interesting because it is usually me doing the "why" thing. This time it was Him. Because of His love and grace, He has taken care of my relationship with Him. I believe that's true. So, why strive for something He has already provided? I was enjoying a good, brisk walk that has been determined by the American Heart Association , Dr. Kenneth Cooper, and virtually every other noted health professional weighing in on the subject to be the best form of cardiovascular exercise. So, why strive harder and for more? I was with my grandson who was chilling and loving me, and he represents a family who loves me, and friends and so why strive so hard to please people so they will like me? And then there is this economic crisis and I am reminded that everything I have has been given to me and so I am full circle back to God and His amazing grace and so why strive so hard for things over which I have never had any real control?


It was quite an afternoon. And, Benjamin, my grandson, slept through it all. He was in the present. In his world, there was no striving. He trusted me completely for his safety and for his journey home. I am sure the little people of the world are covertly placed here to be our leaders if we would only pay attention to them. Benjamin taught me to chill. There is no reason to strive. My Father has it all in control. Enjoy the Present. Peace.

Time Out!

Welcome to Tappe Talk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. We have come to the mid-year mark for 2009. It is important for us to be positive and purposed as we complete this year. Allen gives us some thoughts and some questions to ask, before we move any deeper into the year.

• Whose plan are you living and whose plan are you working right now?
• What are you doing to keep your thoughts focused and positive?
• What have you changed and what do you need to change, right now?
• What are you doing to stay connected in your life?
• What is the score and how relevant is your timing?
• How secured and centered are you in the process?

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The Force of Humility

It seems that when we become disconnected from our roots, we move into a slow but sure free fall. Jim Collins, in his book How the Mighty Fall, says the beginning is “hubris” misplaced. In other words, we overestimate ourselves and our contribution to our success.

Why does that happen with such frequency? Smart men and women should know better. Or, at least it seems, we would have learned from history by now. Instead, we just seem to repeat history over and over again.

I believe the problem goes back to our basic insecurity as people. We desperately need to establish our security as human beings. We want to believe that we are standing on our own two feet, that we are independent. We don’t want to need anyone but ourselves. Well, how is that working for us?

The truth is it is impossible to create security for ourselves. We are incapable of being independently secure. Spiritually speaking, we needed a Creator to breathe us into being, and we need grace and love to make it through this life. Professionally speaking, we need people to be successful on any level. There is no such thing as an independently successful man or woman. We need help to get us where we want and need to go.

It would do well for us to remember who and what got us where we are. If we do, we will stay humble. Humility will keep us centered both in life and in work. It is the only force upon which we can successfully depend.



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Humility's Effect

Welcome to Tappetalk, a Purposed Connection podcast by The Tappe Group. In a world of competition, ego, and insecurities, how do we stay securely humble? Allen gives us 6 suggestions on how to remain centered by "humility's effect".

1. I am thankful.
2. I am purposed.
3. I am responsible/accountable.
4. I am urgent.
5. I am motivated.
6. I am excited/enthusiastic.

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