Saturday, November 8, 2008

Having just told you about my recent pedestrian auto accident, my mind flashed back to something that happened 41 years ago, on June 01, 1967, when I was 14 years old. I was in the 8th grade at Mary Lyon Junior High School in Royal Oak Michigan. My home room and Social Studies/English teacher was Mr. Schneider. I was in the Boy Scouts. My rank was First Class. Our meetings were on Thursday nights. On this particular evening I had ridden on my bicycle to the scout meeting with a neighborhood friend Art Kowalski. We had to cross one busy street, the intersection of 14 Mile and Campbell roads. That was the dividing line between 4 suburbans in Metropolitan Detroit. Troy, Royal Oak, Clawson, and Madison Heights all came together at that intersection. We called it 4 corners. On my way to the scout meeting that evening, there was nothing unusual about that intersection. The traffic light was operating with normal operation. We just waited until the light turned green, and then we crossed. Foolishly, we rode our bikes in the streets. On the way home, it was already dark. It was after 9 PM. We rode our bikes in the street again, this time on the shoulder of Campbell Road. When we came to the intersection the traffic light was flashing. It had turned into a flasher at 9:00 PM. I remember noticing that it was flashing, and I was anxious about it. Being as careful as I could, I attempted to cross the intersection. I was struck broadside by a car going eastbound on 14 Mile road about 35 miles an hour. I must have been knocked out because I remember waking up, lying on the street, looking up into the face of a neighbor, Mrs. Mapes who lived half a block way on Sheffield. She was asking me if I was all right. I was taken by ambulance to Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital. I stayed over two nights for observation. I had a slight concussion, a sprain, but no broken bones. I guess being on the bicycle protected me. How does this relate to Success and Survival in business? When changes come, and they will, we must be ALERT. and then we must adapt and be flexible to help us get through the changes. Back to the incident I just related; when we were on the way home, and I noticed that the traffic signal had started flashing, I might have avoided the accident entirely by going over to the sidewalk and crossing at the school crosswalk. We must be alert to changes that come. We must slow down, think rationally, and critically. We must be flexible and adapt if we are to survive. I can help you be SUCCESSFUL! THOMAS HAVIS-Detroit, Michigan (313) 516-6043 call anytime

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

FACING ADVERSITY AND PLOWING AHEAD TO FIND ULTIMATE SUCCESS

I have been out of the loop for 6 months. Here's why April 1, 2008 started out as a normal day. I rose at 4:00 am. I read my Bible. I ate my normal breakfast. I showered and dressed for work. I got a lunch together, including a thermos of coffee. I left my apartment at 6:30 am and started walking to the bus stop about 4 blocks away. At about 640 am, about a block away from the bus stop, while attempting to cross the street, I was struck by a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country, which is nearly an SUV. I saw myself get hit. I was thrown about ten feet, and hit the pavement on the femur portion of my right leg. As it turned out, the Tibia of my left leg was shattered, and the Femur of my right leg was severely fractured. Fortunately, a workman who was at the intersection that day, called EMS who took me to Detroit Receiving Hospital. I was in the Hospital 10 days, during which time I had 4 surgeries. I was transferred to a Rehabilitaion Center where I was for 45 days. I lived in an Assisted Living Center for 4 months where I graduated from a wheelchair to a walker; and from a walker to a cane. I am still using the cane, but less and less. Gradually, my life is getting back to normal. God has done a great miracle for me. I owe my recovery to my faith in God; people that prayed for me; my support ;system; and the positive attitude that I carry with me all the time All of us go through adversity at one time or another. It may be in that in building a business, the path to success may be filled wth adversity. It may seem that you are Butting your head against a stone wall. I is in have a positive mindset, faith in God, yourself, and perserverence in plowing ahead that you will eventually SUCCEED!