David Lewis My Friend

There's a huge hole in my heart this day. My partner, friend and a big piece of what I'm about was shot and killed yesterday. David Lewis: East Palo Alto, California; a champion for disconnected populations. An advocate for men and women in prisons across the country, and a voice for positive change - shot in the back in San Mateo, California.

His legacy will live on, but his presence will be greatly missed from California to New York, and in other parts of the world as well. Those of us who were blessed to spend time with David on the Misouri River in Montana will feel his presence as we reminisce around a campfire for years to come. His dedication to AA and NA found him at meetings in Wolf Creek, Montana! In my 35 years fishing the rivers in Montana, David set a precidence. He's the first fisherman I've met that went to AA meetings during a fishing trip! But that was my friend, David Lewis. He was one of a kind and I will miss him dearly.

Peace,

Gordon Graham

Corresponding with friends by Gordy Graham

Corresponding with Friends
by Gordy Graham

It's unusual when you receive an actual handwritten letter in the mail in today's world of texts, e-mail and cell phones. However, I get mail from men and women in prisons on an almost daily basis. I do my best, along with my wife Eve, to answer each correspondence. There's little I can do other than offer encouragement and suggest that change is possible and it's a do-it-yourself project!

Goal Setting with Gordon Graham

Memorial Day

Memorial Day
by
Gordon Graham


Memorial Day is a reminder to all of us that, “Freedom isn’t free.” Just in my lifetime, thousands of brave men and women have given their lives to preserve our right to live in a free society. We take so many of these freedoms for granted, and yet even today they are challenged by leaders who would deny us the right to choose our own destiny. A free society cannot survive without fair and just laws. Laws that do not discriminate based on gender, race, color, economics or political persuasion.

We should be able to disagree without being disagreeable. However, with the awesome power of technology, talking heads can polarize a country, a community and even a family. We have evolved into character assassination when a misspoken phrase can destroy a candidate’s chance of success. The truth can be slowly buried by airtime, and the bombastic attacks that play in living rooms every day across the country.

When I’m giving a presentation I have a tendency to misspeak, to say something that could be taken out of context. However, I can apologize and move on; the media doesn’t capture the error and play it over and over to make me look like something I’m not!

Television is a great resource for entertainment, news, weather, etc. It has control buttons that allow you to select stations and adjust volume, but the control I really like is the “off” button! So when the vitriol starts I change stations or hit the “off” switch. That really helps my mental health!

One of our most powerful freedoms is to choose, every two to four years, those who represent us in congress. We live in a diverse society. The United States offers the same freedoms, the same rights to all citizens that choose to obey the laws of a free society. We have a responsibility to exercise this freedom with the highest regard for all.

Have a peaceful, thoughtful – Free! - Memorial Day!

Peace, Gordon Graham

The Power To Change the World

The Power to Change the World
by Gordon Graham

The power to change the world? What an overwhelming thought! Who would be so audacious as to even consider such an impossible task? Certainly not yours truly! However, when I started the process of changing myself, miraculous things began to take place. My world suddenly got larger, people seemed friendlier, opportunities were more abundant and I realized that when you change yourself, you change the world.

That is an empowering awareness. For so many years I was stalled in neutral waiting for someone to give me a chance, to find me a job, to discover what a "helluva guy" I am! The phone stayed silent, the doorbell never rang and the mail carried bills and great savings on everything from soap to lawn mowers. How could people be so short sighted? How could they miss such a talent?

I've had many people come into my life who have opened doors for me. They gave me opportunities that few with my background ever receive, but ultimately we make our own breaks. The willingness to take a chance, or perhaps it's courage - either way you've got to reach for what you want. The one absolute truth for me is that friends are the greatest gift that life offers.

I am blessed with a wealth of good friends. They range from C.E.O.'s to convicts. My wife and partner, Eve, brings honesty, integrity and balance to my life. She keeps me from getting too full of myself. So, call an old friend today. Tell someone how important they are to you. You have the power to "make someone's day!"

Peace,

Gordon Graham

Speech: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Phoenix, AZ

I really enjoyed speaking to about 250 members of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers in Phoenix, Arizona on May 21st.

The topic I spoke about was "Managing Change in Challenging Times."

Managing change both personally and professionally can be extremely difficult in today’s fast paced world. Maintaining balance as a spouse, parent, employer, employee, community leader, etc. can get a bit overwhelming at times. I talked about insights and techniques that can add some additional tools to people's tool kit of life.

Gordon Graham on Change in a Global Economy

Gordon Graham:  Change in a Global Economy

Change is the only constant in our world. With the increasing impact of a global economy and the explosion of technology it’s easy to feel out of control. Over the past 30 years I’ve worked with both labor and management, especially in industrial plants. This may be the hardest hit work force in the country. There is no simple solution for men and women who have spent their adult life working in a plant that now has no future. When a plant closes the whole community suffers. It’s hard to imagine the devastation that occurs until you visit a city that was thriving and is now surrounded by empty factories and boarded up storefronts. Automobile plants with 17,000 employees where fathers, grandfathers, sons and daughters worked are now vacant shells.

How do people recover from this kind of setback? The steps a company takes in order to compete are out of the individual’s control. The game has changed! The abilities and skills of the American worker are as good as or better than any in the world; however the playing field is not level. We have companies and organizations competing with others that are not saddled with health care and legacy costs, and that pay workers a quarter of the wages of the American worker.

The good news is that we can still compete by producing quality products and by engaging the hearts and creative talents of our employees. We can develop constructive, high performance cultures that can counteract the seeming disadvantages we face. In order to do this we need to engage the creative ideas and energy of the work force. This requires a compensation system that is more equitable and is transparent. Giving huge corporate bonuses to CEO’s when the company is losing money is unconscionable! When times are tough everyone needs to share the burden, and when times are good everyone should share in the rewards.

A final thought on trust: We need to build a culture where trust is the bedrock. We have gone through a period where greed and corruption have destroyed our trust in financial institutions and in corporate leadership. Talk shows, politicians and the media bombard the airways with character assassinations and accusations of every kind based on someone’s political views. It’s out of control and embarrassing to most average Americans. When “Joe the Plumber” gets more airtime than health care, we need a reality check!

Peace,

Gordon Graham, Change Agent

www.ggco.com 

Gordon Graham: The Real Deal!

 THE REAL DEAL!

by Gordon Graham

 

Today I had lunch with Lou Tice, Chairman and Founder of The Pacific Institute.  It’s always enjoyable to spend time with Louis.  His seminar was the catalyst for turning my life around 38 years go.  We don’t get together as often these days but I always come away with new ideas and am motivated to speed up the process of improving the world I live in.

I was reminded of one of the first questions that went through my mind when I initially went through the Achieving Your Potential seminar all those years ago.  “Why didn’t I have access to this information when I was sixteen?”  Maybe I wouldn’t have listened, but maybe I would have.  Imagine the savings to society, myself, and my family if these concepts had been available to me then.

By the time I was introduced to T.P.I.’s process I had spent 17 years in and out of maximum security prisons, committed a number of crimes, been involved in riots, spent 365 consecutive days on bread and water, been shot, and was recognized as the leader in the prison culture.  I have no idea what all of that cost the taxpayer.  I do know that there’s a good chance that none of these things would have happened if I had been aware of the process that is offered by The Pacific Institute.

Now here’s the good news!  T.P.I. has developed a process for youth called PX2.  I had a chance to preview the content and delivery of this program a couple of days ago.  It’s the real deal!  It reaches young people where they are and with a delivery system that relates to their world. There’s no way to measure the impact that this type of education can have on our youth.  But if it keeps one youngster from taking a wrong turn in life, or gives them tools to live a more fulfilled life, you can’t put a dollar figure on it.

PX2 could be the key to helping change the culture in our inner cities.  It may also keep some youngsters from making the kind of decisions that kept me trapped in a destructive lifestyle for a good part of my early years. Hindsight is always 20/20.  There’s no guarantee that something like PX2 would have changed the course of my life.  However, I would have liked the opportunity to make that choice. Every young person should have that opportunity.  They just might discover how great they really are!

An old Chinese proverb goes, “If you cut an apple in half anyone can count the number of seeds in an apple, but no one can count the apples in a seed.”  When the time is right, the mind is open and the seeds get a little nourishment, great things can happen!  PX2 is full of seeds.  We just need more planters and a little more nourishment to start the growth process.  (See what a lunch with Louis can do?!)

Peace,  

Gordy Graham

www.ggco.com

Gordon Graham: Michael Phelps--Decisions have Consequences

DECISIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES:  A High Profile Example

We’ve all been young at some point, and there’s a good chance that we’ve made a mistake or two in the process of becoming mature adults.  

Some of the mistakes were so serious that we had to learn our lessons the hard way.  

The media frenzy surrounding Michael Phelps' lapse of judgment is out of proportion to the event itself.  Obviously he made a bad decision, but the amount of attention it’s been getting far surpasses that given to Wall Street executives who have ruined many people’s lives by their dishonest acts.  

The daily drive-by shootings and gang violence is generally back page news. 

How fair is it to destroy a young man’s career as a result of one instance of smoking pot?  

His career has been damaged, and the negative publicity has cost him endorsements and great embarrassment. 

It would be much more valuable if we would focus on the gang activity and violence in our communities. 

We all should look in the mirror before passing judgment on a young man who has raised the bar for athletes in this country, and brought great pride to the USA during the Olympics.  

Michael Phelps made a poor decision.  The lesson for him, and for young people in general, is that the decisions we make have consequences.  To decide to smoke dope or commit illegal acts can damage a career, cause great personal embarrassment or worse.  

The short term gratification is never worth the long term pain.

Hopefully, for Michael Phelps, this is a lesson learned.  He knows he made a mistake.  I suggest we all be big enough to let it go at that.

Peace,

Gordy Graham

www.ggco.com

Gordy Graham: A New Way

A New Way
by Gordon Graham

It feels like a new day! The past is a part of history, the future remains a mystery, but the present is what is. We need to deal with “what is,” but the focus should be on what can be.

Every day I become more aware of the rapid changes that are occurring across the country.

Much of the change is driven by technology. In reading, hearing and seeing the political approach to the election of 2008, we have seen a dramatic difference in campaign strategies.

Obama was directly in touch with voters from Oregon to Delaware. His use of the web, Face Book, the Blackberry and all the other internet connections kept him in touch with you and me at the grass roots level. He’s someone that most of us felt could understand our challenges, hopes and dreams. McCain seemed to be a throwback to a different time in history. He seemed to be talking to an audience that wasn’t aware that the world has changed. We are a diverse society, no longer able to fit old solutions to the world’s problems of today; a society that is coming to recognize that diplomacy is at least as important as military strength. McCain’s service to this country is something that every
American can admire. However, it’s a new day and we need a new way if we are to regain our image as a leader of the free world.

I have great respect for Obama. However, I am closer to McCain in terms of technology.

The internet, the web, Face Book, and all the other technological tools are still beyond my abilities. Fortunately I have Cat, Kate and Eve who work to keep me connected to the information highway. Newsletters, blogs and on-line learning are today’s reality. The ingenuity of the high tech world continues to amaze me. The marketing power of the web, and it’s ability to place opportunities in our living rooms is truly awesome. The world is changing and we must choose either to adjust or we will be a memory from “back in the day.”

So with this in mind, we will be offering on-line courses that allow people to sign up and participate in our curriculum on-line. There will be courses to help individuals gain insights and tools for self-improvement, as well as how to deal with the changes we all face. We will offer programs for correctional facilities, parole and transitional services for prison inmates. Another area of focus is union/management relations, and how to build strong companies and organizations right here in our own country. We will continue to add
other courses which will assist individuals and organizations in dealing with change, the only constant we can all count on.

Change has become the driving force for organizations and individuals as we strive to remain competitive in today’s economy. Change has been my personal mantra for the past 38 years. Just when I think I’m on top of things, they change! With a new president and new leadership in Washington D.C., this country has the opportunity to create a change in direction that will benefit not only the U.S., but the entire world.

Change is an inside job. It starts with each one of us. I’m excited about what we can achieve over the next four years. I’m in!

Peace,

Gordy Graham
Gordon Graham & Co.
www.ggco.com

Gordon Graham: First Look at 2009

First Look at 2009 – January 5, 2009
by Gordon Graham

The beginning of a year is always a time for reflection and for making New Year’s resolutions. 2009 looks like it holds some significant challenges, and also some great opportunities. There’s real anticipation for our new leadership to take office, and also a sense of trepidation, depending upon your point of view.

I’m blessed with friends who hold some very different perspectives from Yours Truly. The beauty of friendship is that you can agree to disagree without damaging your relationships, because the basic decency and core values of the individuals involved are generally very similar. A lot of time and energy can be wasted trying to convince people that we have a monopoly on the “real truth,” which can cause a rift in the relationship, or people start to avoid our company.

There are certain things that are best avoided when we are with new acquaintances, they would include religion, politics and government to name a few. We can explore these topics with our close friends, with the caveat that we respect the other’s right to believe as they choose. Some of my best friends hold positions differing from mine on issues that are close to my heart. However, I recognize that they are caring, loving human beings who happen to disagree with my point of view. Life would be quite boring if we only associated with people who always agree with us.

One of my New Year’s resolutions (in addition to my yearly health resolutions!) is to recognize how blessed we are to live in a society where we can express our points of view. We can agree to disagree and then sit down and break bread together, remaining close friends.

2009 should be an exciting time for new beginnings. I look forward to Obama taking office. I’ve read both of his books and admire the depth of his knowledge, and the broad range of his personal experiences. We live in an extremely diverse society and there needs to be a respect for our differences, and a willingness to build on our areas of agreement is an essential component of coming together in unity.

Obama’s understanding of the deteriorating of our inner cities, and the lack of opportunities for young men and women growing up in these environments is encouraging.
He recognizes that there is a connection between the number of young males ending up in prisons and these poor environments. This gives me hope for addressing the problem where it exists, in our inner cities. We live in a great country that has the capability of ending the cycle of poverty and prison. This year of 2009 could be the start of something new, a change that will be of value to all segments of society.


Peace,

Gordy Graham
Gordon Graham & Co.
www.ggco.com