Does it really matter? Does anything?

07 December 2007

You cannot imagine how difficult it is to build and manage a website without a computer.

Well, I guess Dickens wrote while living in a single room with his family of ten kids. And using a quill at that. And think about Shakespeare, who most probably was only fronting for the real author: the Countess of Pembroke. She wasn't able to take the credit for two reasons. Firstly, it was not acceptable for women to write at that time. Secondly, she was nobility and 'work' was only for the lower class - definitely out! Imagine the frustration of having to hide all her passion and talent under Shakespeare's name!!

So, Daniel, stop complaining and produce a masterpiece.

As for if it is even worth the effort...

  • A little girl is walking along the beach. Suddenly a freak wave washes up onto the shore, leaving behind hundreds of thousands of fish gasping and struggling.

    The little girl runs over, picks up a fish and walks down to the water, where she lets it go. Then she hurries back to get another fish.

    A man is watching her rescue the fish. After a while, he calls out to her: "Little girl! Look around you! There are tens of thousands of fish. There are so many - the few you can save just don't matter."

    The little girl picks up yet another fish and hurries down to the water. As she lets it go, she turns to the man and says: "It matters to him."

  • and it matters to little Monstrinho, and Palhaco, and...

    ...and to Igor, foto below. Daniel snapped this, what an extraordinary shot... read his face.

    Join the Clown Club and receive daily fotos and weekly videos not available on the site. Only $10 a month, help Daniel launch more Projects.

    Sign up for a year and gain a $20 discount.

  • Of course it's possible.

    Since we are Daniel, Daniel and Daniel - TripleD - when I met Daniel from Sao Paulo, and Daniel from Denver, and each shared his dream with me, I just had to do this article.

    Daniel from Sao Paulo would like to open a small but classy restaurant. He has been bouncing the idea around for a while, refining it, jiggling the figures.

    My suggestion, which I here share with anyone else who is thinking of doing something similar, is to organise several income streams within the restaurant. Keep these separate, even to giving the responsibilty for each to a different person, with separate goals and budgets.

    It works like this:

    1. Filling the restaurant tables is one income stream.

    2. Each evening, have someone responsible for checking the guests are satisfied, and at that time thank them for their patronage, and inform them that if they return on their birthday, you will give them the window table, free bottle of wine and box of chocolates. A week before their birthday, call them and remind them they are very welcome to dine with you on that day!

    3. Put together a small tray of fingerfood. Send someone to every office building in the area, and leave the tray at reception. Explain that you do very special, upmarket corporate lunches, afternoon teas, Friday afternoon meetings etc. Follow up, of course, with personal visits a week later, two weeks later... Junk the phone, work face-to-face.

    4. Use a side entrance to develop, again, an upmarket take out/home delivery service.

    Each area should, as I said, have its own targets and manager. This is just a simple thought, but can make a huge difference to your restaurant, without interfering with your 'ambience' or costing a fortune to set up.

    Daniel from Denver has a dream to drive a van across America, targeting specific people in need as he goes.

    What makes his idea so powerful, is that he understands to keep it simple. [Like putting a bathroom in each house in our project - simple, but life changing]. Daniel has the perfect mentality for what he hopes to do - there is no "I can save the world" feeling, just the "OK, I'm gonna get my hands dirty and fix this little bit here".

    My suggestion for Daniel, who survived a day in our community, and then three more with TripleD, was first to browse through this site: Extreme Kindness.

    The next suggestion was: START. Ok, ok, I have done that to death in my blog - but HAVE you started? And to start doesn't mean leave home right now.

    The start can be - look around for a van that fits what is bouncing around in your head. Work out how you can afford it. There are many ideas on my 10 easy tips to finance a World Trip.

    How long do you want to travel? What time of the year? Alone or with your mum, your dog... Exactly what/who/where do you want to target?

    This last point is just a START. As you travel along, the universe will flood you with needy people and wonderful opportunities to make a real difference. And also draw into your life all the people who can help you.

    Bounce around my blog a bit, and see what grows inside your head...

    You can read about Daniel's day with TripleD here: Attack of the white sheep

    For both Daniels, it IS possible, and I am sure it will happen. For other readers, take a bit from here, a bit from there, and START moulding your own little piece of Paradise.

  • Popular Blogs