Will Rogers once said, "We're all ignorant, only on different subjects." I maintain that we are also-all gifted, only in different areas. Five of the more important great gifts are as follows:

Henry Ford is credited with saying, "Whether you believe you can or believe you can't ... you're probably right." Add a sense of humor and you have a formula for success. The coat of arms for Australia consists of a kangaroo and an emu. The Aussies claim they selected these two animals because it is impossible for either of them to take a step backwards.

It's also interesting to note that Henry Ford "forgot" to put a reverse in the first automobile he made. It is characteristic of progressive people to charge straight ahead without thought of retreat. The philosophy is rather like the words of the country western song, "As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point the wrong way."

In the early part of this century, in Washington State, there were two major types of salmon, a white variety and a pink one. Everyone wanted the white variety because of its color. Pink didn' t stand a chance in the market because it never got to the consumer. However, pink salmon was by far the most abundant fish. Some clever marketer started canning it and had printed on the label, "Pink Salmon, Guaranteed Not To Turn White." The result is that one can only find pink salmon to date. It's sort of like the story of the two fellows who married identical twin girls and all four of them lived in the same house. Some of their buddies asked the guys, "How do you tell those girls apart?" The reply was always a good-natured, "We don't try to tell them apart. We just let them watch out for themselves."

Obviously, creativity can be as dangerous, exciting, exhilarating and/or rewarding as you care to make it.

The French have a "Lagniappe," the Spanish have a "Pelon." In both languages, the meaning is "something extra or unexpected."

Purchase something from a merchant, for instance, and he/she throws in a little gift without charge. I suppose the closest thing we have to this in English is a "freebie."

A great example of this philosophy is William Perry, "The Refrigerator," a defensive lineman who not only blocks for touchdowns but runs for touchdowns and catches passes for touchdowns.

Few, if any, defensive linemen can make the claim of "going the extra mile" like this friendly (off the field) giant.

The American system has always elevated individuals to a "star" position whether in business or sports. The Japanese, on the other hand, have always de-emphasized the individual and elevated the team to a position of honor. We can argue about the merits of each system, but you might want to give this some thought: Would you rather have a Toyota dealership in Chicago or a Chrysler dealership in Tokyo?

Within the last year, who would have thought that Russia would be broke, the Berlin Wall would be taken down, or that Iraq would have invaded Kuwait? While there has been change and challenge, there has also been opportunity. Russia now loves us, the Berlin Wall is in tiny fragments on coffee tables all across America, and Stormin' Norman will probably go on the lecture circuit, write a book, and run for president.

During World War II, the Second Infantry Division had a motto, "Second to None." On a road in Italy, the giant sign leading to its command post was proudly displayed. A mile down the road, the Third Infantry Division, which had no logo at all proudly displayed a giant sign that read, "None."

The point of this whole article is that we all have a very special gift. There is something that each of us can do better than virtually anyone else in any given group of people. One thing that we can all share in though is the gift of laughter. As one wag once observed, "If you can keep your head while all about you others are losing theirs ... you don't completely understand the situation." If this article, has given you a few smiles, chuckles, grins, or laughs, consider it my special gift to you.

Article Copyright 1999, by James "Doc" Blakely. Reproduction only with the author's permission. Contact Doc at 800-346-3831.

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