Understandig your worth! Men and Women

My BFF and I chatted today about the worth and value of women and men. Do you understand that value you bring to any relationship - professional, personal (friends, family and romantic)? I call it your personal value proposition. I think everyone has and should be able to articulate it to the people with whom (s)he has a relationship.

A couple of examples got me to thinking about my worth and value proposition.

1. A gentleman recently "hit on me at a restaurant." I guess that's flattering. I wasn't interested, but asked him what his value proposition was. He was offended. Why I wondered. Surely a 38 year old man could articulate it beyond his career. I really wanted to know why I should entertain his request. How would he contribute to my life? How could I contribute his life? I told that if he had asked me what my value proposition is, I could articulate it. Point is: I am worth so much more than my education, the value of my job (though really nice), my friends (though really super fabulous and successful), the designer threads that grace my body or even the brand of car I drive.

Let's get deeper folks. Just because you have a job and no children does not make you a viable candidate to be my friend or my beau. I'm worth so much more, but more importantly, so are you.

2. My friend recently realized the value and worth of his girlfriend after she broke up with him. We all have 20/20 vision in hindsight. Yes, indeed. I heard all about how wonderful and amazing he thought she was after the fact. I kindly explained to him to tell her and not me. Again, he had been so self-centered that he forgot what a prize person she was and he himself. The story ends beautifully, but again, I wondered...Does he really understand his value and his worth.

This is where I ask you to weign in and share your thoughts on the subject. Inquiring minds want to know.

I wonder what this is worth... Seems like very little until you're hot as heck and tired from climbing a mountain. Suddenly, its value changes!

Located on the mountain side of a Chilean Winery.

Living your highest and best life today: Drop those bags!

I'm living my best life today - well that's the plan...

I am reminded of Eryka Badu's song, "Bag Lady" today and was pondering all the weight we carry around that prevent us from seeing, receiving, giving, loving, feeling, hearing, being free and ultimately living our highest, best lives today. This week was pretty significant for me. I celebrated Yom Kippur (translated the Day of Atonement), the Jewish highest holy day. It was a time of personal, introspective reflection.

I realized I was carrying a few bags too many myself and released them. The bags came in many forms – people (friends, associates and otherwise), worry about things I could and could not change and even some tangible things. But where will they go? Who will pick them up? I first started to wonder and then I was reminded of a popular Scripture from the Bible. I have some blessed Bible thumping friends who love to quote this, "...cast your cares on Him for He cares for you..." Well it did not really matter who picked them up - Jesus Buddha, Allah, the rich man, the poor man, the faceless man. Just someone else take them please.

I felt a point of vulnerability... The truth is I thought I was responsible for the bags, but I really wasn't 100% equipped to carry them. No thank you! And it happened at once. I just DROPPED THE BAGS. One second I was carrying them and the next I wasn't. Quite an exhilarating feeling... I instantly felt like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders and from my mind. The truth is I probably should not have been carrying the bag in the first place.

This release has enabled me, at least for this day to live my highest and my best. What are you doing to live your highest and your best? Remember, no one is promised tomorrow so you may live today like it's your last.

I'm eager to get more tips...

Photographs I shot in Costa Rica that inspired me today:

Costa Rican floppy-eared cows. Serenity!

The bird chills...Not a worry in the world. Just trying to get a worm for the day. This is clearly his highest and best for the day.

Shooting what inspires me...

Images from a beach in Jamaica I shot and wanted to share...

Abandoned Beer Stand...

Future of Marketing Series: Part 2 Mandates for Marketing Organizations

o what should marketers be doing these days to stay ahead of the dynamic space.

Mandates for marketing organizations in a digital-enabled world

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• Industrialize tools and media to enable JIT marketing and decrease operational costs. Offer consumers whatever content they desire at the time they want it and in the medium in which they want to consume it.
  
  
• Evolve from joining and creating communities within social networking to targeting the influencers of such communities as they grow their networks.
  
  
• Understand new technological capabilities within the digital space and anticipate end user behavior and adaptation such as apps, mobile apps, widgets, augmented reality.
  
  
• Prepare for enhanced personalization and content specialization. Consumers have become self-centered and want marketers to not only speak to them directly, but also dispay the preferences of people in their respective networks.
  
  

• Evolve direct/email marketing to leverage social functionality and recommendations from those in the community.
  
  
• Converge content across mediums from television to audio to web to phone.
  
  

Keep metrics and data collection fluid and dynamic so that they provide insight and direction for subsequent marketing activities. Metrics in some instances will become more important than others e.g. pull opt ins and widget downloads should be monitored more frequently.