justplainbil

Just Plain Bill

If a tree falls…

Perhaps you’ve heard the question, “If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” That question came to mind recently when a very large tree growing by the lake where I live, Lake Merritt, fell late one windy evening.

This was a very large tree and I imagine that anyone within a half mile of that tree must have heard it fall. But that’s about how far I live from that tree – and I didn’t hear it, so I guess it didn’t make a sound.

Logic tells me though that it must have made a sound as it fell in the darkest of night when absolutely no one was around. It probably not only made a loud noise, but probably shook the ground as well.

You may ask why I am bringing this up, especially as a new year is just beginning. Well, as I start this new year as I’ve started 75 others in the past, I’m going to endeavor to make sure that what I do in the coming year is not only meaningful, but makes a truly great sound – one that will resonate throughout the universe.

Bold? Audacious? Hairy? Yes! And maybe some folks will recognize the phrase “BHAG” as coined by the award-winning consultant and author, Jim Collins. I had the privilege of working with him when the company where I worked, E-Loan, had a building session with him. Our start-up was moving from IPO status to where we’d be “built to last”, to use another of Collins’ terms.

·     Bold – doing more with both what I’ve dreamed about all my life or on to new stuff

·     Hairy –  doing more in areas where I’ve been either too scared or reticent

·     Audacious – taking more chances of possibly failing, especially as I pursue and give life to my in-progress website “Thrive at 65”

·     Goals – to make truly great sounds as each of mine is achieved

So, as Max so eloquently stated in Maurice Sendak’s award-winning book Where the Wild Things Are –

“Let the wild rumpus begin!”