In 1600's and 1700's British Coffee houses where places where for the price of a cup of coffee...a penny...customers could engage in stimulating conversation and learn from a diverse range of people. The age of enlightenment occurred during this period. I intend that this group, especially during coffee hour, to be a place for stimulating conversation and a place where we can all learn from each other. I loved going to coffee shops especially in my twenties. and I still schedule meetings at them. As we build this community and as you develop your own...keep in mind the Penny University mindset...learning from a diverse group of people, during stimulating conversations....Heaven.

Just enjoyed good conversation with Crispin about our weight! When I retired 10 years ago I almost immediately lost 28lbs: no more working breakfast/lunch/tea/dinner. More time to focus on priorities rather than trying to meet too many demands. My weight has stayed pretty steady but I still consume too much information, read too many emails, am surrounded by too much stuff. I am reminded of a scriptural encouragement to follow Jesus “…laying aside every sin and the weight that clings so closely, let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us looking to Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross…” Heb 12:1,2). What are the weights that hold me back? What is the ‘sin that clings so closely’? Help me to lay them aside. Slimmed down practice for a slimmed down and ageing frame 🙂

I surveyed over a hundred business owners and entrepreneurs from around the world to identify what they considered the most important barrier to address on the subject of business organization. Their answers revealed a shocking surprise, and, the solution to it was not a business organization tool or tactic in the Business Organization services I had developed to that point. Their answers revealed that the most important barrier to business organization was: Executive Function and Self Regulation. It does make sense, but did come as a shock to me, because I had identified and innovated a huge list of business organization and business administration principles, tools, strategies and tactics to help business owners succeed, but this discovery exposed the fact that I had neglected the underlying problem that business owners really face. I had to go back to the drawing board, if I was really going to help business owners with the true underlying problem to their success. As I developed materials to address the underlying problem of executive function and self-regulation, I arrived at a practical definition for it. I define executive function and self regulation as the ability to identify a negative situation, and determine the steps to take to resolve it, or to identify a way to make a positive advance and determine the steps to achieve that positive advance, and the self-discipline necessary to see the steps through to the intended results, or better, whatever comes up, that would otherwise hinder achieving them – distractions, upsets, personnel changes, tactical changes – despite whatever comes up, you are able to successfully resolve the negative situations and achieve the positive advances. Essentially this is the ability to get things down, no matter what happens. In order to train people to develop their executive function and self-regulation, I arrived at an underlying purpose: to establish a proactive operating state. I identified seven channels that could be worked on separately to address negative, often reactive behaviors and train in positive/proactive behaviors that would achieve or maintain a proactive operating state.

Having had some success with a monthly meeting with family and a family relation, I want to extend an invitation to the Ways Forward Membership to a monthly coffee hour. Any drink, including Tea, is accepted. These meetings will be held on Zoom on the third Wednesday of the Month at 7:30 Central Time - check your time zone.

1. Personal Enhancement 2. Professional Development 3. Community Development 4. Business Development What are your thoughts on these? Will these help us and our communities advance?