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We went to Death Valley this past weekend. It was amazing! We took the 5th Wheel and camped in Beatty NV, a town with a lot of history and not much else!
The trip itself was fun and we did get to see most of Death Valley including Badwater (the lowest spot in the US -- about 285' below sea level!) and all the other beautiful sites along the way. The only disappointment was that Scotty's Castle is still closed from a flood in 2015 and isn't scheduled to resume tours until 2019.
Even without Scotty's Castle, we had a great time -- there was no traffic on the way out and very little on the way back. Despite it being January, Death Valley was nearly empty so it felt like we had the entire park to ourselves. The weather too was perfect, about 65 degrees each day, bright blue skies, little to no wind.
It was a lovely weekend -- except for one unusual incident on the way back. As you likely know, hauling a 5th Wheel makes you pretty long on the highway. The trailer itself is 28' plus the length of the pickup.
Dan is always very courteous and runs his turn signal for quite a while before changing lanes but just outside Baker, there was an accident in the median causing the traffic to slow. As we started to change lanes (remember, after running the turn signal for several minutes), some lady in an SUV tried to squeeze between our vehicle and the semi in front of us.
She didn't make it so she honked and gestured rudely and we thought that was the end of it but the minute we got through the congestion of the accident, she raced up beside us, again gesturing rudely, then swerved her SUV in front of us and slammed on her brakes!
Dan tried to move into the alternate lane to avoid her and she swerved with us, again hitting the brakes. Back and forth, from lane to lane, until we nearly hit her. Finally, I grabbed my phone and held it up like we were videotaping her. I made sure she could see the phone in her side mirror and our eyes locked for just a second.
The minute she registered the cell phone, she took off, speeding away from us and away from the risk of finding herself on YouTube.
If it hadn't been so dangerous, it would have been comical. What are people thinking? Beside the fact what she was doing was illegal, it was also pretty stupid as we can't exactly stop on a dime when dragging a house.
You know what went through my mind after the whole thing was over though? I felt sorry for her. Sorry that whatever was going on in her life had made her so angry. Even if we had cut her off, why carry it to such an extreme? Why put herself and her children at such risk?
That's the thing about people's behavior -- everyone reacts based on their own internal perspective and experiences. And knowing that, I try very hard not to take things personally because other people's behavior has everything to do with them and very little to do with me.
It can be challenging to avoid taking things personally. We're hardwired to blame ourselves for everything. We are happy to take the blame - even when it makes us miserable. But you know what? There is an unexpected and glorious freedom when you do actually stop taking things personally.
Once you free yourself from the burden of guilt and false responsibility, your life gets infinitely easier. Someone behaves badly; you just chalk it up to their own baggage and go on your merry way.
I'm oversimplifying and making it sound way easier than it is, but if you consciously strive to avoid taking things personally and are successful even half of the time, you will notice a vast improvement in your happiness.
It just makes sense. Why let the way someone else acts determine how you go about your life?
In the case of the SUV lady, it appears she took our lane changing as a personal affront and let her anger get the best of her. Given her behavior, her day was likely ruined. We, on the other hand, had a few moments of "I wish we had actually videotaped her" and "we really need to get our dashcam hooked up" but then we forgot about her and went back to enjoying the drive.
In the end, life is full of opportunities to take the high road but you don't need to be pious about it. Just stop taking things personally. That's it. It's not about you anyway. Try it and see how free you'll feel. You'll like it!
Oh, and the next time someone pulling a travel trailer or 5th wheel or semi-trailer tries to change lanes, please give them the space to do it. Everybody has some place to be...
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Are you able to take long weekends? Do you delegate chores so you can? If you need more free time to take the road less traveled, give us a call. We are happy to take on all your mundane or routine tasks!
Contact us at 760.898.9604 or send us an email.
We're here to help make your life better!
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Another Happy Client!
We received this email from a client just last week.
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I just wanted to pass along a compliment from my friends (and us too!). My friends stayed with us at the beginning of the month before their rental was available and when they had trouble with the garage door, you responded immediately, for which they were very grateful. They were so complimentary about how clean our home looked, too.
Since then, they have had problems with their rental. First a broken garage door that took 2 days to get repaired. Second, the kitchen faucet is broken -- haven't been able to use the sink for two days and today the owner sent the realtor over with an Allen wrench to fix it, not a plumber or a handyman! Still not sure if that worked, but waiting 2 days to get a response is unacceptable in any case.
My friends have repeatedly mentioned how lucky we are to be working with all of you and we agree. Thanks for all the great work you do!"
This email was signed with X's and O's from our client. How lovely is that?!? It is this kind of feedback that keeps us going, year after year. And you know what? It's easy because we love what we do!
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"Live with Leslie"
Small business owners often travel a lonely road. Working in a vacuum, with no one to brainstorm, it is nearly impossible not to take things personally when most of us are a one-man-band.
But there is a way to avoid carrying so much on your shoulders and without giving up your dreams. Engaging a mentor or business coach can make you feel less alone. And can help you solve problems or challenges that threaten to overwhelm you.
Many people can't afford a coach full time though so that's why we offer helpful tips and solutions every Wednesday in my "Live with Leslie" Facebook Live broadcast!
Due to so many requests for help, I am now answering specific questions from viewers each week. If you have a question -- any question pertaining to operating your business -- email me or call 760.898.9604 and we'll put you in the queue.
My goal is to provide real life examples and guidance for your business based on my 30+ years of corporate business experience.
Live with Leslie is broadcast every Wednesday afternoon at 3pm. And all my videos are posted on Facebook and YouTube. Please join us live or if you can't, then please subscribe to the YouTube Channel so you will be notified when new videos are posted.
I look forward to helping you be your best in 2018!
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The Road of Summer
Every year this desert empties out as the snowbirds hit the road to escape our summer heat. And most of them understand that leaving their homes without proper checking leaves their home vulnerable to theft, pests, water calamities and other problems.
If you are a new snowbird or one who is unsure how best to prep your home for your summer absence, please let us know you need one of our booklets, 'Old Wives Tales -- How to Prep for Summer'.
We have these booklets in e-format or in an actual hard copy and we are happy to email or snail mail you a copy.
Having proper absentee home checks is the best way to protect your investment so you can hit the road with confidence that your home is being monitored.
And don't forget we offer a state-of-the-art proprietary software system that allows you to monitor the activity at your home no matter where the road takes you.
To sign up as a new client or for a copy of our booklet, Executive Errands® is just a phone call -- 760-898-9604 -- or email away. Remember, to Feel At Ease, Leave Us Your Keys!
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The Road to Thank You!
If you are a business owner who would like to say 'thank you' to your customers and clients, we are offering a free gift certificate along with a copy of our booklet 'Old Wives Tales -- How to Prep Your Home for Summer' that you can give as often as you'd like.
The gift certificate includes a place for you to input your business name (or personal name) as the 'from' and comes in a beautiful envelope you can mail or hand deliver. These gift certificates are for two (2) free hours of concierge service. That, coupled with the booklet, makes a nice gift for just about everyone.
Realtors, insurance agents, plumbers, window washers, pool technicians -- just about every industry has taken advantage of this free offer!
To get your free Thank You gift certificates, please email uswith the number you'd like and we'll bring them right over.
You can never say thank you enough. Let us help you showcase your business and honor your customers!
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Confucius said "Roads are made for Journey's, not Destinations" and we believe that wholeheartedly. We try to take a 3-day weekend at least once per month. It's the time we take to release work (mostly!) and enjoy each other.
In business as in life, we are also on a road. We have goals and make decisions that carry us forward along that road. Trusting our judgement and releasing unnecessary baggage keeps us moving toward our dreams.
Most importantly, learning how to avoid taking things personally can significantly enhance our living experiences.
If, when the SUV lady cut us off, we had taken it personally, then we would have been angry too; we might have pushed back, perhaps even hitting her SUV and then our day would have ended up drastically different.
Instead we let it go and resumed our happy lives. Yes, I am recounting the experience here for you but as an example; not because I am harboring any resentment toward it.
There are many roads to take in life and many choices to that dictate where that road takes us. The twists and turns are what keep it interesting.
Remember, we can choose to take the high road or to take the low road. We can choose to be happy or to wallow in misery. We can choose to let other's behavior negatively affect us or we can feel empathy for their misery but not accept it into our lives.
Until next time, take a day or two and consciously avoid taking things personally. See how that feels and whether or not it changes how you go about your life. If you need help with the road your business is on or if you want to outsource your tasks so you can follow your own road towards a less stressful and happier life, give us a call -- we are always here for you and always at your convenience!
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Leslie Spoor
Executive Errands®
CL#944447
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Leslie is a consultant, mentor and author helping small business owners around the globe. She is founder and CEO of two successful companies, Concierge Business Solutions® and Executive Errands®. In addition to her wide selection of training videos and webinars, documentation and forms, Leslie also is the creator of a data collections software system, Essential Elements™ and a Six DVD educational series, How to Start Your Own Business with Leslie Spoor©, available on her website. To work with Leslie or for more information, please visit her website or contact her at Lspoor@executive-errands.com
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For a list of our most popular services, please see our brochure here:
Last year, after traveling to Cuba (another beautiful country!), I wrote a travel guide! To download our
American in Cuba e-book travel guide, please
click here.
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This documentation, including sample applications herein, is provided for informational purposes only, and Executive Errands® makes no warranties, either expressly or implied, as to this documentation or its efficacies. Information in this documentation, including any URL and other Internet Web site references, is subject to change without notice. The entire risk of the use or the results of the use of this documentation remains with the user. This documentation is copyrighted by Spoor Enterprises Inc, DBA Executive Errands®, 2017.
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