Tag: longevity

The latest lesson I have learned as an entrepreneur is an expensive one.

Since I first launched The Weaponry, the advertising and idea agency I lead, I have learned a lot of interesting lessons. I didn’t become an entrepreneur for the life lessons. But entrepreneurship has a funny way of teaching you new things, whether you want to learn or not.

The Learnin’

Over the past few months, we have had to replace several computers. The Weaponry’s computers are not cheap. We are all Macs all the time. Like Roni and Cheese.

Many of our computers are supped-up machines built for high-end design, art, and video work. The kind of creative work we do requires serious machinery and significantly more storage than your garden-variety Apples. (Or would that be orchard-variety?)

But with all the computers we have had to replace lately I am not mad, frustrated, or worried. After all, this isn’t a quality problem. The computers were not stolen. And they did not run away to join the circus. (Do computers still do that?)

The reason we are replacing so many machines is the best reason of all.

We simply wore our computers out. We worked them hard. Our Weapons have kept our machines busy with demanding work for a long time. We have been slinging advertising, branding, videos, logos, design and illustration work for 8 years.

Many of our team members have been with us for 6 to 8 years now. All that work has been crushing our equipment. And like that popular TV show from the 70s with those classic hairstyles, it seems that when it comes to computer hardware and software, eight is enough.

Replacing our computers is a sign of success, demand and longevity.

And I am grateful for it all.

Key Takeaway

Businesses require investments in equipment and resources. One great reward of success is staying in business long enough to wear out your stuff. Don’t lament the new expenses. Recognize them as a sign of demand and longevity. You have earned the privilege of replacing your resources because you are still here. Still needed. Still sought after. The same is true in our personal lives. When you have to replace equipment it means you have outlived your stuff. That is a blessing not to be taken for granted.

*If you know someone who could benefit from this message, please share it with them.

+For more of the best life lessons I have learned check out my book, What Does Your Fortune Cookie Say? from Ripples Media.

The key to longevity from my 100 year old Grammy.

Yesterday was my Grandmother’s funeral.

Many people have told me they are sorry for my loss. But I’ve had nothing but gain.  My Grammy, Lillian (Anderson) Sprau, was 100.5. She was a purebred Norwegian saint from Minnesota.  She was the sweetest, kindest person I have ever met.

She was also fun and funny. She loved to travel. She loved a good party. And she loved her family. She was married for 67 years before my Grampy realized he couldn’t keep up with her at 92. She had 9 children, 23 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren (not including those of us regular grandchildren who were also great).

I used to call my Grammy regularly on my commute home from work. We would talk about all kinds of things; from weather to family happenings to politics to travel to world news to sports. I would always spend a part of the conversation talking about our family heritage. I knew that Grammy was my best source of family history, and that she wouldn’t be around forever.

On one of our calls, when Grammy was in her northern 90’s, I asked her, ‘What is the key to living so long?’  She paused a moment, then stated confidently,

‘I think you can’t take everything so seriously.’

That is some great Grammy advice.

The stress we feel when we take life so seriously wears down our machinery. As of 2017, humanic machinery still can’t be replaced. So often we take work, politics, sports, family, school and social interactions so seriously that it takes years off of our lives.

As you go about your day today, remember my Grammy’s words. Don’t take everything so seriously.  Don’t stress yourself out. Don’t let others do it to you either. Have fun. Find the humor in life. Laugh more. And live more.