The other day I was accused of being too happy and told I better be careful someone may end up shooting me. Don't get excited - this was not a real threat. It came from one of my best friends that I love like a brother. We often joke and are extremely blunt with each other. From an outsider's point of view listening to our conversations, it may be hard to believe we are such close friends at times. We don't always agree on things, but this does not change how much I care for him, and we would do just about anything to help each other out. He is a true friend, which is something I value greatly.

His comment did make me think about my happiness. If you see me regularly, I am generally happy and in a good mood. The day I saw him, I might have been feeling a little over the top and mentioned I was feeling spectacular, which is not that uncommon and was the truth at that time. I was having a good day, and it was great to see him!

During this pandemic, I have remained energetic and happy - most of the time. This does not mean everything is always going my way, or I am not dealing with some sort of crap in my life. In the last two months, my personal and professional life has been turned upside-down in so many different ways - like my son having emergency surgery, my mother-in-law being diagnosed with cancer and having emergency surgery, suspected staff COVID-19 cases (fortunately none ended up positive), store closures, staffing shortages, inventory constraints, tenant dilemmas, cash flow challenges, sourcing protective supplies for staff, system updates not going as planned and the list could go on. Normal life throws plenty of curveballs, but add a pandemic, and I don't even know what type of game we are even playing anymore or where the next curveball will come from. 

So how do I keep a positive attitude when life has been turned on its head? In my opinion, it all starts with gratitude, and gratitude is attitude. I feel fortunate to be living a life surrounded by so many wonderful people. By taking pleasure in the small things, all the big wins seem extraordinary. I focus and take action only on the things I can control and try to accept or ignore the things out of my control -- this is especially helpful during a pandemic. When something seems bad, ugly, or out of control, I always ask myself compared to what. Most of the time, any situation could be much worse, and the outcome is not as bad as perceived in our head.

It is not always easy, and certain events weigh heavier on me than others, but I make a choice to find gratitude, and that choice almost always changes my attitude to make me a happier person. Most of the time, when I sit and think about the things I'm grateful for, it is just overwhelming, and it is difficult not to be in a good mood. 

Today I am grateful to live in the United States of America and honor those that have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country! 

PS...This is one of my favorite photos of my son and I taken in 2015 by my wife on a family trip to Washington, DC. ​Every time I see it on our digital photo frame I have to stop to look at it for a few seconds.

It is hard to believe it has been 4 years since the big CVS construction project in downtown Lewistown. 

Recently someone shared my time-lapse video of the project and stated Lewistown has been a "ghost town" ever since. That statement really bothered me. Obviously, this person does not spend any quality time in our community.  I am in Lewistown 4 to 10 times per week, and there is always something going on, even during a pandemic. Many wonderful people are working and living in downtown Lewistown. It is actually pretty impressive to watch the transformation occurring with all the new businesses and people deciding to call downtown Lewistown their home.
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I will agree - retail is not what it was in the past, but this is the case for most American towns and is not unique to Lewistown. Consumer and business demands have changed and will continue to change if you shop at Walmart and online retailers over your local retailers. I have not stepped foot in our local Walmart for over five years. I do shop online if the product I am looking for is not available locally out of necessity. Unfortunately, this occurs more than I would like to admit, and I do wish it was different. 

Even with the retail environment being different, our downtown is transforming into something pretty darn impressive. In reality, there is very little vacancy on Market Street in Lewistown. Most of the places that are vacant today are either in need of major repairs to be functional or oversized for most small businesses. Either scenario requires major remodeling and expense to make the property viable for most, especially with today's building codes.

Our downtown is not a "ghost town." Our downtown does not look like it did in the past. Our downtown is transforming. Our downtown is a wonderful place to be! 
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How are you supporting your downtown and all the local businesses in your community?

Last year I was struggling to see things clearly when reading anything right in front of me. You see, my eyes have been slowly changing as I get older, and I didn't even realize it and didn't want to admit it.  
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It took a family trip to New York City for a long weekend to get me out of my normal routine to realize I needed a different set of lenses for a new perspective.

​One night I was paying the bill after a wonderful dinner at a little Italian restaurant, and I was having a tough time reading our bill. My wife said you really need to get your eyes checked. I barked my eyes were just fine and told her it was the poor lighting in the restaurant. Yes...I received one of those looks we all know too well, but I was still not willing to admit I was wrong and needed to see things from a different set of lenses.   

Later that evening, we stopped at the hotel's gift shop for a few things to take back to the room. As I was looking around the shop, I picked up a pair of reading glasses they had for sale, slipped them on, and looked at the receipt I had in my pocket. As I was looking through these new lenses, I said "OH MY" out loud. Of course, my wife turned to see what I was commenting on to see my look of surprise as I was seeing things from a new perspective with much more clarity. 

I quickly conceded I needed reading glasses, and now you will rarely see me anywhere without a pair of glasses on top of my head. I will pull them down in front of my eyes anytime something is not clear. These glasses quickly provide me with a clear view of what is right in front of me. 

In business (and life), it is not uncommon to lose our way because we cannot see clearly. Usually, we just need a new perspective on our surroundings with a new set of lenses to clearly find our way. To do this, you will need to take some time to try on some different lenses to determine which ones are right for you and your business. And over time, you will most likely need to change those lenses, just like glasses.

I find it extremely helpful to look through the lenses of others to gain their perspective to find solutions that are beneficial to everyone involved. If we put blinders on, we will have tunnel vision, and it will be a small world without many opportunities, especially during uncertain times.

Have you tried on a new pair of lenses recently? If so...how has it changed the way you see your business, others, or the world?

PS...My wife snapped the photo at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City before I would admit I needed reading glasses.