I have to preface this post by saying I love my mother dearly.  Now look at the picture to your left.  That is me.  I am seven years old and I feel like I am standing at the gates of hell.

I was reminded of this hideous outfit when I ran across a story that the popularity of clowns is on a HUGE decline.  READ STORY HERE.  Is anyone surprised by this?  Let me point out to you that I am not an agreeable participant in this outfit my mother MADE for me.

This costume that makes me look like the court jester for the Prince of Darkness was constructed by hand.  I remember being dragged to Minnesota Fabrics as my mother picked out the pattern and material to build this uniform of evil.  I would have been happy being a cowboy or a police officer but mother insisted I was to be dressed like a droll to Lucifer.

MY FREAKING SMILE HAD TO BE PAINTED ON!!!  Painted on to make it look like I was having a good time.  I don’t believe she needed to use white make up as a base as I’m sure that the lack of circulation to my face made that sinister smile stand out like Michael Richards headlining a “Night at the Apollo.”

There is nothing funny about a clown.  There is something scary about anyone that wants to BE a clown.  John Wayne Gacy was a clown.  He also painted clowns in his spare time.  He also did other horrible things in his spare time that made dressing like a clown seem normal.

Don’t get me wrong I appreciate the effort my mother put forth in making me a Halloween costume BUT if she wasn’t possessed by Mephistopheles, I think she would have polished my shoes.

I’m a big fan of interviewing.  I love to see how various people conduct a job interview and it’s a great way of keeping your skills sharp. Through networking with others and my personal experience I’ve found three things you should do on EVERY job interview.

1)  RESEARCH:  Find out about the company.  Find out about the management team.  How long have THEY been there?  Where were they previously?  Is the company on an upswing or facing hard times?  Prepare to know more about them than they know about you.  This will put you at ease in the interview and put YOU in a position of strength.

2)  ASK QUESTIONS:  This doesn’t mean DOMINATE the interview.  There will come a time when they will ask you if you have any questions.  If not you’ll be able to sense your opening.  Why is the position open?  What are the short-term and long-term goals of the company?  What opportunities are there for advancement within the company?

3)  THE SECRET WEAPON:  There are many that will disagree with what I’m about to tell ya because many think it’s too bold but I always use the “secret weapon” for a reason.  It will define the character of the person you will be working for.  Ready?  Ask him/her “What is YOUR biggest weakness.?”  Anyone that is a great leader will be able to answer right away.  A very big part of being strong is to recognize where you are weak.  No one is perfect.  We are all works in progress.  Just be willing and able to answer the same question of yourself!!!

People that know me know that I am a HUGE fan of Bret Michaels.  This morning I was watching an interesting video on what he described as his “defining moment.”  CLICK HERE TO SEE STORY.

Life is a learning process.  We can only learn by taking risks and making mistakes.  For quite some time I stayed in a job that was making me miserable.  Don’t get me wrong…I LOVE what I do…I love to win…but I was in a situation where people who THOUGHT they knew what they were doing…truly didn’t.  I then did something I will never do again.  I kept my mouth shut.  I figured it wasn’t worth the effort.  It has become my defining moment.

If you believe in it…do it.  If you think someone is not right…be respectful…but tell them WHY they are wrong.  Life is short.  Don’t play it “safe.”  “Safe” only means you are NOT moving forward.  You are a ship that will eventually be sunk.  If life knocks ya down, pick yourself up, and come back swinging twice as hard.  Just don’t forget who sucker punched you.  Your vindication will be YOUR success!

I think we ALL have worked for at least one idiot.  I once asked on facebook “Do you think stupid people know they are stupid?”  The overwhelming response was “NO!”  So why would you want to lower yourself and your reputation by responding on their level?

An idiot can only hide their lack of intelligence for so long.  Eventually stupidity will shine through like the rising of the morning sun.  No where is it written that YOU have to be the crusader of unveiling those that don’t sip from the fountain of common sense. 

My grandfather gave me great advice when I was ten years old and we were on a canoe trip.  It was fairly primitive but you can apply it to so many things that will happen in your day.  He said “When you are walking on a sidewalk and ya see a piece of dog sh*t, walk AROUND it and not THROUGH it.”  Hopefully I’ll keep that in mind when I step outside today.  🙂