Understanding Impact

In my workshops we talk a lot about impact. Your impact might be intentional or unintentional, either way, impact is impact.  The magic thing about impact is that you will never really know the amount or type of impact you have on others. 

I was reminded of this yesterday when I learned a legend in Denver, (where I grew up) had passed away.  His name was Jerry Krantz.  He was the owner of Denver’s historic jazz club El Chapultepec, where he worked behind the bar for five decades. 

I had not thought of Jerry and “the Pec” (as regulars call it) in years.  I’m pretty sure Jerry had no idea the impact he made on me and my many friends who frequented the place.  I won’t bore you with how Jerry and the place impacted me, what I will say is even in my late teens when I first started going to there (sorry about the fake ID Jerry) I knew there was something different about Jerry and what he was creating. 

Now I can see he was living his values.  Anyone who entered the bar could feel his passion for life and jazz. Through sharing his values he created a special place where everyone was equal, if even just for a night.  I thank Jerry for his unintentional impact on me and the community of Denver and the plethora of jazz lovers who experienced the original Pec.

I found a YouTube video that captures the essence of the Pec – no frills, red leather booths, mirrors on the walls and straight up old school jazz.  Thanks Jerry for the impact you made on me, the community of Denver and the plethora of jazz lovers who experienced original the Pec. 

Remember you never know the impact you are having on someone right now.

The Dark Side of Happiness

Talk about happiness is everywhere these days (not just on my blog) and most of the chatter is about the positive benefits of being happy.  This article, Four Ways Happiness Can Hurt You, caught my attention.   Can happiness be bad?   Turns out, as with everything too much of a good thing – even happiness can have a negative impact to your state of being.

Why Not Make Your Next Meeting a Walk Outside?

For anyone that knows me they know that I’ve been known to conduct some of my best meetings walking along the Kirkland waterfront or hiking on a mountain trail in the Cascades. Turns out the folks at Kaiser Permanente in California agree that it is a productive way to have a meeting and improve your health at the same time. Next time you have the chance, try taking the meeting outside and see what happens.  For more on the story check out the NPR  health blog.

Happy People

A fun article on Yahoo today - Surprising Secrets of Happiness has some simple tips for how to create more happiness in your life.  All great, backed by research and easy to do – pick one and see if it boosts your mood!