Remembering a Great American

Mark Twain (Samuel Langhorne Clemens) died of a heart attack one-hundred years ago today, at his home in Redding, Connecticut. As he traveled around the growing country of America he left behind a wide range of comments on his observations of life in America. I usually choose to study people who succeed in business and have great insight to share that I can find useful, however, that is not the case with Mark Twain. Twain was not a successful businessman. In fact, after emerging from bankruptcy in 1901, Twain advised, "To succeed in business, avoid my example." Maybe this is where that famous observation started: “Everyone serves as an example, some as an example of what to do, some as an example of what not to do.” Mark Twain was however, a witty and shrewd moralist and critic of human nature and life in that rapidly growing country he lived in, America. All during his life Twain spent much time quietly observing people and things around him so that when he did speak (or write) it was relevant and listened to by the people of his time. Twain provided much insight on Self-Improvement, Management, Encouragement, Courage, Vision, Success, Execution, Ethics, and Communication, all qualities we need every day in business and for a successful life for that matter.
A century after he wrote his last words, Twain still remains relevant. I wonder what I could learn from a man like this?

I'm a passionate guy???

I have been rightly accused of being somewhat passionate about certain issues. In my opinion, Passion is a wonderful thing but we also need to be open to hearing other people's passionate views. In much of American life today, there is a growing tendency toward views being pushed farther and farther to the right and left in media outlets and other venues (like a blog) in an attempt to convince others of the "correct" answer. I sometimes find myself in a quandry as both sides of an argument often have merit. This is usually when I personally am not directly involved in the discussion. I appreciate a willingness to share points of view, but always with respect for the opposing views of others. As much as I attempt to follow this, during discussions where I am personally involved I sometimes still find myself being compelled to continue to push my viewpoint and not stopping to consider what someone else is saying - from their viewpoint - and yet I somehow EXPECT them to see MY viewpoint clearly. Oh well, I suppose I am still a work in progress. I wonder how long it will take for my half-baked side to be finished?

In the beginning........

For the past few years I have been been sending the Rausch Ravings via email to folks who have (or maybe had at one time) expressed an interest in reading them. For many reasons, not the least of which is changing with the times and keeping up with social media, I have decided to post the Ravings on a blog and allow folks to decide if they want to follow or not. I will be starting the postings soon and welcome you to comment or just follow as your heart leads you.
Steve