Don't take life too seriously, you will never get out alive.

I love this quote. It was said in the movie, National Lampoon's Van Wilder. It helps me to justify my attitude on life. There are so many people that I know in the workplace and socially that are wound so tight, that they are on the verge of a heart attack. One thing that I have determined is that the people that can laugh and joke even in tough situations, are the ones that never seem to have as many bad things happen to them as others. Why is this? Simple, because of their attitude.

It is important to understand that some situations call for serious behavior. My wife told me that I needed to be serious for only one day, our wedding. I agreed. Now 7 1/2 years later, she will tell you that I took that statement too literally.

So remember, laughter is nature's candy....or is that raisins, I can never be sure. I end with a challenge to all of you who are a little too serious for your Friday. While sitting at your desk, start singing any disco song that you think of. When someone asks what you are doing, respond by saying; "I think disco is making a comeback and I want to be ready."

think before you eat...at least at your desk.

In cubicle towns, smells travel. The good and the bad, quickly make their way around the office. Aside from certain types of flowers, food can generate some of the most potent smells. So, I have listed below the top five things that you should stay away from if you are eating lunch at your desk.

#5. Tuna.

#4. Cheeseburger with grilled onions.

#3. Burnt popcorn.

#2 . Ensure (OK, there is no smell on this one. But really, if you are at this stage, it is very sad that you still work in a cube)

And the #1 food not be be eaten at your desk is: Anything that will cause you to expel gas!

Remember, Only you can prevent air pollution!

If your motivated and you know it clap your hands

You have all seen motivational pictures. Those pieces of office artwork with images of a man climbing a mountain or an eagle soaring. These pictures have a word at the top like Teamwork, Success, or Perseverance. The intention of the pictures are to motivate and make employees think about their work and strive to excel. Great idea. However, what I find interesting is that you tend to see these pictures in offices that are in desperate need of motivation. It is rare to see these pictures in an office where motivation is high. So, once motivation improved did management take the pictures down?" No, these pictures were most likely never there.

I challenge everyone today to think back to when you graduated. What was your dream job? Money aside, this was the job that you would have done for free if you did not need the money. Now, evaluate where you are now. Are you on the path to get to that dream job? Are you in your dream job? Or, Did you get off track somewhere down the line? I think that we all learn to settle. After all, life is all about compromises. I think that the key is to never misplace your passion. If you are looking at a mortgage, childcare, etc, it is not realistic to drop everything and become a professional Bag Piper. But, that is not to say you should not pursue your dreams. Maybe find a part time job or volunteer in this area to try it out. If you get excited just being there, guess what? You did not need one of those motivational pictures!

Making a career move can be an emotional and financially challenging proposition. My uncle once said while standing on a figurative and actual soapbox; "If you don't like your job, just quit!" Great passion, but thin on a game plan. In 30 years when you are looking back, it would be satisfying to be able to say, I lived my dream. In the words to the great Frank Sinatra, "I did it my way".

Dig up the coffee can in the backyard, you will need something better

I have decided to take an educational direction for my weekend posts. As a father of a 5 month old, I have already started college planning. In today's work environment, a four year college degree is no longer a "looks good", it is a "must have". So will opening up a 529 plan and adding a few dollars here and there get the little one to college? It may get you through one semester, but if you want your child to finish without a large student loan for a graduation present, you need a plan.

The average annual cost of a public 4 year college is $7,020. According to the College Board, this annual cost of college has been increasing at a rate between 6-9 percent per year. So, how many years do you have before your child is heading off to college? Using my daughter as an example, I have roughly 17 years. This means that the $7,020 annual cost today will be $18,903.27 in 17 years based on a 6% annual increase.

So, lets say that you decide to ditch the coffee can and invest for college in a balanced portfolio earning 9%. You will need to make annual contributions of $1,800.15 to hit your goal. The older your child is and the more conservative your investments are, the more you will need to contribute. Good luck and get savings!

Next weekend, I will take this to the next level and we will look at the different investment options for college savings and how to maximize your return without excessive risk.

Hey..What is the adverse weather policy?

When you think of weather on the Cape Fear Coast of North Carolina, most people think of hurricanes. Thess storms which frighten people from other geographical areas, give us a reason to have a Hurricane Party! During the last storm, my wife decided to do her impression of the Weather Channel's Jim Cantore on our porch. She held on to the porch rail and acted like she was getting blown away. I was happy to have caught this Oscar winning performance on tape.

When it comes to snow, the situation is much different. The average annual snowfall in this area of NC is too little to measure for the most part. The winter of 99/00, there was massive snowfall! I think we had 2-3 inches. You would have thought the world was coming to an end. Schools were closed for days, and there was not a gallon of milk in the entire county.

At our office last winter, we shut down early one afternoon for "adverse weather"....snow. It did not cover the grass in my yard. The "official"corporate voicemail script was e-mailed out that morning. The message went something like; "Due to extreme adverse weather, our office is closing early". The next morning I was laughed at by several partners calling from New Jersey that thought this was hysterical.

We are expected to get 2-4 inches tonight. So, if I don't make it to work for the next 4 days, I will claim that I did not feel safe driving in the "extreme" adverse weather. If we all hunker down, we might just make it through.

The day the music died

This evening I had the pleasure of eating dinner with a great group of people. This was a group that I have worked with for the last 4 years. The reason for this dinner was to say farewell to this group as we have come to know it. We will all still stay in touch, however many have already gone their separate ways. I think Robert Frost said it best; "Yet knowing how way leads on to way, I doubted if I should ever come back."

It is nice to remember, but I hope that we never forget. The relationships that I have developed and the lessons learned, I will carry with me forever.

The future for all of us is uncertain. However, our individual success is what we make of it. I am looking forward.

Undercover Boss

I hope that you saw the new tv show following the Super Bowl on CBS called "Undercover Boss". The idea of the show is that a CEO goes undercover as a new entry level employee at their own company. The CEO gets a chance to see their company from the front lines.

This is a great idea. I think this should be a requirement for all CEOs to do at least once every year to truly stay grounded with the company they are leading. Maybe if CEOs all went undercover, they wound better understand that their decisions over the last few years have taken a major blow to their front line employees.

Most employees that are unhappy are not that way because they are bitter. They are unhappy because they feel that they have no voice. Employees that are the face and voice of the company day in and out, want to believe that the company values their opinions as well as their hard work. Ask anyone who works for a company on the "Best Places to Work" list. I guarantee they will tell you that their company truly values them as an employee.