Suzan Svatek

It’s been an interesting week, beginning last Thursday, Feb. 4^th, 2010.   My sister, brother and I admitted my Mother into the hospital.  For about 2 years she has been declining in her ability to move around.  We thought it was possibly Post-Polio syndrome.  In Dec. 2009 she was in the hospital for 10 days having every test imaginable run to find out why she could barely walk.  The only thing that showed any signs of a problem was hydrocephalus (too much fluid on her brain).  That could have accounted for the problems walking, plus some diminishment in her memory.

That is why she was admitted to the hospital on Thursday.  On Friday they performed a procedure to implant a “drain” through her spine, into her brain.  We were told that she might feel some “pressure”, but that was all.  I guess it is sort of like when they tell you you will have a “little” discomfort during child birth.  My sister and I could here her hollering all the way down the hall.  That went on for 45 min.  It was terrible.  They gave her morphine and a local anesthetic, but it really didn’t help much.

After the insertion of the tube, they drained fluid off her brain every 4 hrs.  That was painless.  However, after the tube was inserted, she began to have “electrical shock” pains in her legs and lower back.  Again, more morphine.

On Monday, they removed the drain.  She was tested, physically and cognitively before the drain insertion.  Then, again after the drain removal to see if there was any improvement, there was not.  We were all disappointed, especially after putting her through all that.  Our next step was rehab.  We took her there on Tuesday.  She seems to be working hard and is content with her surroundings for the time being.

We did have some funny moments.  She is having difficulty with her hearing aids, but we have not had time to get new ones…..a long story.  At one point she was watching T.V.  I called her name, but she did not respond.  I did that 3 times, then gave up.  After about 15 min., I called her louder.  She responded.  I asked her if she knew she was watching a Spanish speaking station.  She had not.  She just thought she couldn’t hear them very well.  We do not speak Spanish.

Another time, she was taken to the bathroom by an aide in a wheelchair.  She pulled down her pants, then sat back on the wheelchair.  The aide began to holler, “No, No!!!  Sit on the toilet”.  Mother was laughing so hard when she realized what she had done that she couldn’t stand up.  She DID make it to the toilet, however.

Taking care of parents and the roll reversal involved is so difficult for everyone.  I hate the idea of being old.  I don’t mind aging, I just dread that time when I have to give up my freedom and become dependent upon my children.  I’ll keep my blog posted as to Mother’s progress.  We are hoping to get her back to where she was 1 year ago…..independent.

Lincoln on Leadership Chapter 4

Lincoln had a reputation of being honest and trustworthy. That description of his character was earned. In the 1830’s he partnered with a man named Berry to open a General Store in New Salem, IL.  Though he was well liked and became the Post Master, the store failed.  Berry died from alcoholism and Lincoln was left with a debt of $1,100, quite a sum in those days. Though it took him many years, he paid back every penny of it.

The term “Honest Abe” actually came about as a campaign slogan, but has remained his nickname for all time. Lincoln’s reputation for honesty and integrity, though challenged, has remained unblemished. These qualities, without a doubt, were responsible for his great leadership skills. According to Tom Peters, honesty, integrity and trust are what hold a successful organization together. Those qualities start at the top and move down through the organization setting a tone for everyone. Values motivate.

In Network Marketing, you must be honest with your customers and team, or you will quickly lose both. Your team will follow your example….duplication. A leader must have strong integrity which develops trust. Always know and understand your Policies and Procedures. Because honesty and integrity begin at the top, “Business Models Drive the Behavior in the Field”. (I have an audio available with that title I would be happy to share.) Without leaders in your company with integrity and honesty, the company is doomed to fail. We have seen 2 large companies fail just in the last 2 weeks. One company was telling its distributors that it was debt free. Distributors were passing that information on to their teams. The company just filed for bankruptcy. It is $530 million in debt.

To check on the leaders in your company, do a Google search of their names and any prior companies, you are aware of, that they have been part of. Put “scam” behind their names. You’ll be surprised at what you will find…..or pleasantly surprised. It’s part of you doing your “due diligence” in making sure the company you are with will be there for you for the long haul. You don’t want to build it only to have it crumble around you and all your hard work with it.

Honesty and Integrity develop trust in an organization. To be a good leader you must possess these qualities. Honesty is always the best policy. To learn more about developing good leadership skills and how to assess a company, download the Network Marketing training manual at: http://suzansvatek.bigmlmlies.com.  It is quite an eye opener.

“Every person is a new door to a different world.”

Wishing you a Life Filled with Joy and Friendships