Languages

For a while now I’ve been thinking about starting a language school and wondering what it would be like to teach French, and to run an organization which leverages Nashville’s cultural diversity.  I see value in encouraging natives of foreign countries to share their culture with Tennesseans.  There is potential for cultural barriers to be broken, or at least bridged, so that foreigners become appreciated and common values shared.

There’s been a lot of thought, but no action.  I need to begin with myself, by honing my teaching skills, finding the proper materials, and getting myself out there with students.  I’m ready to go from conceptualization to proper planning to make this dream a reality.

Virgin has made its name by breaking into new markets and offering great value, superior service, a fresh approach and a bit of fun.  I agree with Richard Branson’s philosophies and will run my school according to them.

1. Customer Loyalty.  Offering customers an amazing experience, a cool place to learn, a fun and engaging environment, fun and interesting teachers and materials, and excellent service, makes customer retention the key to growing my business.

2. Unbeatable Value.  Low prices combined with excellent service in a great location will create value I can be proud of.  It’s important for me not to be greedy.  Creating an attractive price point will simply remove a barrier to potential customers, and will build brand value over the long term.

3. Unique Edge.  In the branding as well as service positioning, my company needs to stand out.  What I offer needs to be different, maybe even something which has not yet been attempted, an original concept.  I think the immersive educational experience, with native speakers who teach not only a language, but a culture, can be the differentiator.  The secondary vision involves building cultural bridges in the community, where diversity can be valued and common values shared.  Nashville is becoming cosmopolitan, so this school will be matching a growing trend.

4. Visibility.  Making Headlines.  Richard Branson credits this for setting him apart.  He constantly puts himself out there connecting with people.  I think this part will be fun, as I’m not afraid to “make of fool of myself”, in Branson’s words.  When it comes to attracting publicity, he has extravagant launches, uses stunts and stories, funny, attention-grabbing advertising.  I will also partner with local business, civic organizations and local government, to host community events and draw people in.  The genius is in finding creative ways to motivate people to action.

Great tips from Richard Branson, on the fundamentals of good marketing:
Richard Branson on Building a Brand for Your Business
Richard Branson: Five Questions on Business Philosophy

Christianity

Today I watched videos on the psychology of religion by Steven Pinker, which explained why the pull towards religion is so strong.  Part 1 and Part 2.  I see now how religion can be beneficial in many ways, regardless of whether or not the creed is fundamentally true.  Just the act of believing is what matters most.  It bonds the group together and gives a sense of belonging along with various other group benefits.

I’m realizing there is perhaps a distinction between believing in Christ - that deep, intimate faith - and a belief in what religious adherence can do to a society and to the individuals within a Christian group, the effects of which are undeniably positive.

Despite what skeptics may say about religions being the cause of all wars, I would hate to see a world without morality.  If Christianity has historically provided us (in the West) with this morality, then why mess with a good thing?

So while I am a skeptic, I can go to Church without practicing or believing, just by being in attendance.  But I can't be a hypocrite and pretend I'm a believer when I'm not. This raises an ethical problem, namely how to belong to the church group without "leading people on" to believe I am a practicing Christian.

Church attendance will benefit my family more than anything.  I don't think there's anything wrong with researching, studying, and documenting my observations on the side. 

Some of the books I would like to read, mentioned in the Steven Pinker clips:
- In Gods We Trust by Scott Adams
- The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins
- papers on fictive kinship by Alan Fisk (sp?)

Clutter

My mind seems to be constantly full of clutter.  My thoughts branch off and I don't seem to have the discipline to keep myself on track until there's any significant action.  I know it's a discipline problem.  I naturally tend to follow every bunny trail I encounter - and there are many.

Mind clutter inevitably leads to frustration.  I can't seem to get anything done, and I feel stuck in a rut.  I have to set priorities and deal with my ideas separately, giving each my full attention for a period of time until I have completely done it justice.  

Organizing my mind and thoughts throughout the day, by prioritizing and following through to completion, should keep me from this crazy thought-wandering.

Things I Like

This is a short list of a few things which I seem to enjoy, or have enjoyed in the past and simply miss, just in case I forget.  In the pursuit of happiness, these things would become integral to my achieving some sort of contentment in life (in no particular order).

1. French life and culture – films, language, the "bon vivant" attitude.
2. Food, particularly bread, cheese, and wine (related to #1).
3. Wood-burning fireplaces, architecture, home aesthetics and design, country life.
4. Cars – what guy doesn't like fast cars?  Fast and fuel efficient, of course.
5. The holiday season and savoring the full spirit of each holiday.
6. Lifestyle design, work-life balance, spiritual development.
7. Personal image, self-perception.
8. Fatherhood and family, meeting all needs.

Performance

Performance is the key to prosperity.  I think we all get upset when things don’t go as planned, or when something or someone doesn’t perform as expected.  When things are not meeting expectations, then there is a problem with performance.

Reaching optimum performance often requires just a slight change or adjustment in technique.  Reaching optimum performance in all areas can make the difference between success and failure.

By reaching optimum performance we are creating something outside ourselves, while reaching the peak of our ability, stretching our skills, and producing a better outcome; we become a part of the process, inseparable from the product itself, the bi-product of having bettered ourselves through learning and experience.

Performance we can rely on, we can replicate; productivity is simply a metric of performance.  We can calibrate ourselves (or be calibrated) to perform within strict parameters, just as a tool can be calibrated to perform a specific task.

Starting this blog

I've decided to keep an anonymous diary.  Nothing for family or friends to see really, not that I care if they ever discover this.  I don't envision myself writing anything extremely controversial.  But I would like it to be a place where I can lay out my thoughts and experiences as I progress through life.  I want everything I say to be authentic, no matter how it may be perceived.  I want to be able to look back from time to time and appreciate what I've been through.  So yes, this is a very narcissistic undertaking, but hopefully it will help me better understand the world around me and find places where I can make a difference.  So I'm just going to dive in.