Eeyore

As I sat to write tonight, I almost panicked. It seems like an eon since I've written, and I thought I might have skipped a day. I know that I have probably lost most of you out there, but bear in mind that a woman with a mission can be someone to reckon with. (I have no idea what I just said, but it sounded good - didn't it?)

God has amazingly whipped me back into shape after feeling sorry for myself yesterday. I always spend too much time face down in a puddle. Even a moment of splashing in the throws of "whoa is me" is too long according to God's watch. I am so grateful that God sees the child underneath the glop.

A dear friend of mine back from the good ole' Diversified days likes to joke around about the Eeyore mentality. His favorite line is, "It's probably going to rain." He and I both have little stuffed Eeyore's on our desks, reminding us not to take life so seriously. Nobody wants to be around a complainer . . . as endearing as Eeyore can be.

This same friend taught me how to throw a football on Friday afternoons, when most companies would be working to prepare for the weekend. "PAC Bash" was our end of the week ritual, where employees would head into the kitchen, or outdoors (if it was nice) for some chit-chat and the top of the line munchies. Sometimes we played games, other times we sang Happy Birthday, or threw the newest mommy a baby shower.

Where was the boss, you wonder? Funny thing is, he was the boss - founder and CEO of the company. His business philosophy was remarkable, adding to their unparalleled success. Diversified was the leader in the software industry - and it wasn't because he worked his employees to death. Lowell had a much higher standard. He operated out of something the world does not understand - that of valuing people.

Some of the greatest memories I have of Diversified, are of Lowell and I sitting in his office chewing the fat. I sat and listened to so many of his life experiences - like the time he drove a cab in New York city, the infamous peanut butter legend, and my favorite of all time was the Oreo story . . . you'll have to ask me about that one.

Who has God placed in your life that has made an impact on you? How has that person's choices affected the way you operate today? What inspires you about that person?

A man driven to succeed - with the customer always coming first. Sometimes the customer was a vendor, or a sales guy. Other times the customer was someone working with the product who needed technical support. And on an occasional Friday afternoon, the customer would be me - a girl with a promising spiral.

God's greatest lessons sometimes come from the example of others. A man who no doubt had his share of the Eeyore kind of days . . .

yet he never let the rain keep him down.