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Politics and the Economy

Everybody is talking about the economy, and depending upon whose doing the talking, the economy is either improving or deteriorating.  It would seem obvious that, since both views cannot be correct, somebody must be wrong.  And so we are told to examine "economic indicators", such as growth of the gross national product, unemployment rates, new home construction, etc.

But for most of us, we need only look at our own bank statements.  Because although the health of the national, state and local economy affects everyone, the final word on to how the economy is doing is an intensely personal determination.  Do I have any money in the bank?  Do I have a job?  What is my financial outlook?

During the current season of local and national elections, the politicians are telling us that they can either fix a broken economy or that they can ensure the continuation of a recovering economy (again, depending upon whose doing the talking).  And because we want so badly to believe these professional politicians, we rush to the polls and vote for those whose outlook with respect to the nation's economic health mirrors our own.

And to make matters even more confusing, we are forced to rely upon the media for our information concerning the health of the economy and what the politicians are saying about it.  What is reported and how it is reported has a huge impact on how public opinion is formed, and most of us simply don't have the time or the energy to conduct the degree of independent research required in order to come to our own conclusions and escape the influence of the Fourth Estate.

So, what can we do?

Our right to participate in our government through the ballot box is a valuable right that has been defended to the death for over 200 years.  It is not only a right, but a responsibility.  Even though issues such as the economy are so complex that they are beyond our capacity for full understanding, perhaps we should focus our attention more on the personal integrity of the candidates in deciding which candidate is best for the office being sought.  To do that, we need to find out something about the character of those seeking public office.  Inevitably, at some time during any campaign, a candidate will do or say something that will reflect his or her character - either for better or for worse.  And if we are paying attention, the small voice inside all of us will direct us to vote for the right one.

And it also doesn't hurt to check our bank balance from time to time, because even though what may be happening globally is important, what's happening personally is equally important.www.weaverlawfirm.net

Just Another Bankruptcy Lawyer?

The practice of law always has been highly competitive.  However, as more enter the profession and as attorney jobs become more scarce, more lawyers are hanging out their shingles and attempting to attract clients.  Depending upon the area of practice chosen, a lawyer may choose to market his services through television advertising, billboards or more traditional print media.  Almost all lawyers now are vying for position on the most-used Internet search engines.

But the key to successful marketing of legal services is the same as it always has been, and that is in the quality of the legal services being delivered to real clients.  Although there are a more good lawyers looking for clients than there are good clients looking for lawyers, the attorney who distinguishes himself by the quality of the overall service he provides to his clients usually ends up with best clientele.  And that means the successful lawyer must be something more than a good legal technician.

I always have obsessed over my clients, even as a young attorney just starting out.  I used to consider this preoccupation to be a weakness, because it often caused me to lose sleep at night, and it continues to interfere with my ability to engage in casual social conversation.  But the truth is that if I was not so concerned about my clients and their well being, I would not be the lawyer that I am.  And the fact that I care as much about my clients' financial health as they do, themselves, makes me a lot more than just another bankruptcy lawyer.

My concern for my clients extends beyond the final Order of Discharge in their cases.  I want to see them back on firm financial footing, and I have taken steps to make available to them the services of other professionals to help in areas in which I cannot.  I want my clients not only to be able to keep their homes and cars, I want them to be able to afford them, as well.

As a result of the care and concern that I have demonstrated in my practice, I have been honored by attorney and client rating services with the highest marks available (see my listing on lawyers.com and in Martindale Hubbell).  And I am proud of achieving that accomplishment.

Whenever anyone is looking for a lawyer to help in a financial crisis, it is important to remember that the best lawyer for the job is not always the one with the best website, best TV commercial, best billboard, or the best fancy office.  Look for a competent lawyer that cares about you and your finances as much as you do.  You deserve more than just another bankruptcy lawyer.

Knowing When to Shut Up

It's been a while since I have written anything here, and not because I haven't had something to say.  It's just that one of the benefits of becoming a "senior citizen" (other than qualifying for discounts) is that I have lived long enough to have learned the wisdom of restraint of pen and mouth - at least most of the time.

When it occurred to me to post a new entry on my blog, I intended to bemoan the difficulties of dealing with adversity vicariously.  You know, when bad things are happening to those around you about whom you care.  As I mentally began composing my lamentation, I realized that I was just climbing aboard my pity pot.  Poor me.  Bad stuff is happening to people I care about.

Truth is, it is difficult to maintain a positive outlook when those you care about are hurting.  The feeling of helplessness sometimes is overwhelming, and for me, it usually is accompanied by anger.  The important thing that I must always remember is that it is OK to be upset when people I love are facing adversity.  But I should also acknowledge the fact that, in most cases, all I can do is be present and supportive as a son, brother, husband, father, grandfather and friend.

Mostly though, I need to remember to keep my whining mouth shut. 

Paying the Piper

I am home from one of the very best vacations I ever took. Not only was the time away relaxing and refreshing, it was spent at one of the most beautiful places on Earth - Maui - and it was spent with wonderful people -- my wife, my youngest daughter, my son-in-law, and my two youngest granddaughters.

Aside from surviving the famed "Road to Hana" and lounging on pristine beaches, we took in the sights at Lahaina and its environs, made two short cruise excursions and toured the Ocean Center, which has an aquarium that completely encircles you with exotic fish and sea life. Most impressive was seeing the whales, and my wife managed to catch one on film as it was breeching.

But my very favorite times occurred when Maddy, my four-month-old granddaughter, would sit with me and snuggle her head into my chest, and when Lily, my two-year old granddaughter, would play our own made-up game, which consisted of our chasing each other across the room, with the engraved turtle on the tile located at the entry of the condo being "home base".

The miracle of technology enabled me to keep up with the goings on at the office, which I managed to do early in the morning while everyone else was still asleep. At those times, I was able to handle email and correspondence, so that I avoided losing too much productivity during my absence from work. For someone like me, the peace of mind that comes with keeping up with my practice while away enabled me to make the most of my vacation and the limited time that I had to spend with those of my loved ones who live so far away from me.

Ironically, however, I did not always think that taking this much time away from work would be a good idea. Fortunately, I gave in to the prodding of my wife and agreed to go, and I am now convinced that it was one of the best decisions that I ever made.

But it was an expensive decision (Maui is NOT a cheap place to spend a vacation). So now it's time to "pay the piper". Fortunately, my wife managed to put back enough money to see us through, and I have a lot of clients who provide me with plenty to do.

Now that I am rested and refreshed, I am ready to get back to work!

Texas Independence!

It was 176 years ago today that a group of settlers and adventurers gathered in a small house along the banks of the Brazos River and declared their independence from Mexico. On the day before, 32 volunteers from Gonzales, including my great-great-great grandfather, rode through the lines of the Mexican army to join William Travis, Jim Bowie, Davy Crockett and the other defenders of the garrison at the Alamo.

I was born in Texas, and I have lived here my entire life (except during the time I was in the military). I attended Texas public schools, where courses in Texas history were required of all 7th graders. I grew up hearing about the exploits of great Texans, ranging from Stephen F. Austin to Lyndon B. Johnson. I have traveled to many places in the world, but there is no other place I would rather live.

My love for Texas does not mean that there is not much that can and should be improved. Texas' rich culture is predicated upon the idea of rugged individualism; that a person is endowed with a right to determine his or her own destiny. However, as modern Texans look more and more to the government as the solution to all kinds of problems and difficulties, a "culture of entitlement" has arisen. In the process, individual liberties are sacrificed.

Under the Mexican Constitution of 1824, Texans were guaranteed that right. However, sensing pressure from American immigrants, President Santa Anna suspended the guarantees of the 1824 Constitution, and that action gave rise to revolution. Parallels to what is happening today are hard to miss. The only difference is that we, as citizens, in our effort to make sure that we get our slice of the public pie, are standing by and allowing our freedoms to be eroded.

The world is much more complex today than it was for our ancestors in 1836, and the task of balancing individual liberties with necessary restraints for the public good is no easy one. But fundamental change in the minds and attitudes of our politicians and the people who elect them must occur if that task is to be successfully accomplished.

Whenever we ask the question of what might be "in the public good", let's consider the proposition that individual liberty is, and always has been, "in the public good".

Vacation? No Problem!

For most people, the annual two-week respite from work is a chance to get away for a time of relaxation and enjoyment. The day-to-day cares and concerns of the job are put on hold, at least for a little while. Some folks meticulously plan each moment of their vacation, while others simply go on the fly.

For me, as with most lawyers who operate their own firms, vacations are rare and require a considerable amount of planning. Usually, whenever I decide to take a couple of weeks for holiday, I have to block out the time several months in advance. Then, I have to file a notice with the Courts in every lawsuit in which I am involved setting forth the dates upon which I am unavailable and requesting that no hearings or trials are set on any of those dates. Even then, some kind of scheduling problem arises that requires me to make arrangements either to have the scheduled matter attended to by another attorney or to have the matter re-scheduled.

Fortunately, most attorneys are accommodating in scheduling around an opponent's vacation plans. But the time, effort and expense involved in blocking out even a couple of weeks sometimes is immense. And it is for that reason that many lawyers like myself simply don't take a lot of vacation time.

I am less than two weeks away from boarding a plane for Maui. Some months ago, our youngest daughter, with her husband and children, planned a trip to Maui for their annual "R and R". My son-in-law works with the U.S. State Department in Korea, and we thought it would be an excellent opportunity to meet up with them and have a nice vacation with our two youngest granddaughters.

I am looking forward to the trip.

Being self-employed in a professional practice has its benefits. But its biggest drawback is the fact that if I don't work, I don't earn any money. And even if I am not working, staff salaries, rent and other overhead expenses still must be paid. So when I plan a vacation, I have to take into account not only the cost of the trip, but also the loss of income that results from my not being in the office.

I try not to think too much about it, because doing so would only rob me of whatever pleasure I otherwise would derive from the time off in an exotic place.

It's a little easier this time. The thought of having the chance to spend time with Mandy, Gayer, Lily and Maddy makes the time away from work well worth it.

Even so, if it goes the way all of my previous vacations have gone, I will continue to spend considerable time pondering, thinking and worrying about my clients and their legal affairs, and I will stay in touch with my office staff via phone and email.

Aloha!

Reality TV - A Springboard for Has-Beens and Never-Will-Be's

OK, I'll admit it. I hunker down in front of my television set once a week for 16 weeks to watch Donald Trump's latest offering of "Apprentice", or "Celebrity Apprentice", as the case may be.

Actually, I rather more enjoy watching the "never-will-be's" on "Apprentice" than the has-beens on "Celebrity Apprentice". But the ever-increasing prominence of so-called "reality TV" demands comment.

To begin with, there is very little that is "real" about reality television. Reality stars and contestants are selected with specific criteria in mind. Just as game shows once selected their contestants based on their exuberance, personality and enthusiasm, reality TV producers select their participants based on their propensity and willingness to create, perpetrate and escalate controversy among their "co-stars". And Donald Trump apparently has figured out that his already huge audience would grow even more if the juvenile behavior that often is prevalent in publicly vented but often private personality conflicts is demonstrated by persons of some notoriety.

But like the game shows of old, most of the celebrities ultimately selected for participation either are on the fringes of fame and fortune, or their careers are declining. For the lucky few, like Joan Rivers, the 16-week exposure on network television has rekindled otherwise fading careers. For all of them, the show provided at least a brief return to the spotlight. But the cost in loss of public esteem seems too high.

Who among us has the same opinion of Dionne Warwick after her appearance on last year's Celebrity Apprentice? Who knew that Gary Busey was so weird, or that Meatloaf's temper was so volatile?

One thing is for certain. Those willing to publicly display their character flaws and childish behavior now have a career opportunity in television entertainment not previously available. Fashion designers, models and a host of others now can display not only the best of their work, but their petty jealousies, rivalries and disputes, as well.

I can only imagine what the TV executives will come up with next.

The Myth of "The Tough Lawyer"

Most individuals and small businesses are in the dark when they seek a lawyer. And with the advent of lawyer advertising in the mass media, the selection process has become even more confusing than it was when lawyer advertising was illegal.

Whether it's negotiating a contract, appearing in Court, or handling a divorce, a substantial number of legal consumers believe that a "tough, aggressive" lawyer is better than one who is not viewed as "tough" or "aggressive". This belief is grounded in the misconception that adjectives such as "bulldog", "tough", "aggressive", or "obdurate" are synonymous with "competence", "knowledge", "skillful" or "effective".

The simple truth is that a "tough lawyer" is not always a "good lawyer". In fact, some of the very best lawyers that I know - and who also are recognized in the profession as being among the best - are attorneys that few would describe as "tough" or "aggressive". Instead, these elite lawyers are ethical, knowledgeable, talented and competent, and they provide solid representation for their clients. The list of such attorneys is a long one, and includes lawyers with whom I have been associated and against whom I have battled in Court.

But in my profession, like most others, the public's perception of a practitioner's reputation is what gets a prospective client in the door. And too many attorneys spend thousands of dollars advertising their aggressiveness (carefully, I might add, to avoid disciplinary action by the State Bar) while lacking the legal skills to deliver the best representation.

So what can a legal consumer do to improve his or her chances of hiring the right lawyer for the right job? It takes a little effort, but the effort is worth it.

First, the legal consumer can access attorney peer review ratings and client reviews by consulting professional websites like www.lawyers.com. Additional information about an attorney, including information about any previous disciplinary actions, can be obtained at the State Bar of Texas website, www.texasbar.com. Finally, seeking a referral to an attorney by a family member, friend or business associate who has had previous experience with the attorney is useful, as well.

This article is not intended to criticize or deride any attorney who uses the public media for advertising. Many attorneys who advertise in the media are competent in their areas of expertise. Rather, the purpose of this article is to encourage individuals and small businesses to avoid relying solely upon the public perception of the professional reputation of a lawyer in choosing legal representation.

When selecting a lawyer, do your homework. You will be glad you did.

On Being My Valentine

Begging your pardon for my bias, I am not exaggerating when I say that my wife is one of the most naturally gifted and talented people that I know. Only lack of ambition and a hidden shyness (although she is very extroverted among friends and acquaintances) have prevented the general public from being aware of her many and varied talents.

In addition to her day job working for my firm as office manager on a part time basis, she is an ordained clergy in the Episcopal Diocese of Fort Worth, serving as Deacon at St. Alban's in Arlington, and as of last night, she is vice-president of our Homeowners' Association. When she isn't handling the business affairs of my law firm, or performing her ministry in the Church, or dealing with the varied responsibilities required to maintain the integrity of our Homeowners' Association, she is producing commercial quality clothing, knitting complex patterns on blankets and other items she is creating, or visiting with our daughter and granddaughters in Korea on Skype. I have yet to see her do anything that she did not do very well.

Her days are a full 24 hours long, but with all of what she puts into them, they seem much longer.

And so, on this Valentine's Day of 2012, I dedicate this brief post to my wife, the Reverend Nancy S. Weaver. Sometimes crude, sometimes politically incorrect, sometimes funny, and sometimes deadly serious. But always compassionate and always delightful.

Happy Valentine's Day, sweetheart!

Doo-Doo, Fire Drills & The Joy of Being a Grandpa

The best thing about being Grandpa to eight kids ranging in age from 13 years to three months is the chance to be a spectator of their lives.

As a parent, I must have been so busy raising my daughters and trying to get ahead that I either didn't have the time or take the time to really watch as they grew up. I just woke up one day and realized that they were all grown up. So I vowed to not let that happen with my grandchildren.

And with some of the antics they have provided, I have not been disappointed.

For example, my 22-month old granddaughter Lily is beginning to develop a vocabulary and is learning all sorts of new words. She still needs a little work on pronunciation for some of them, but she pronounces "doo-doo" perfectly. Not only that, she knows what it is! It might not seem very funny until you hear a 22-month-old say it. It causes me a chuckle just thinking about it.

My granddaughter Lizzie (who is now 8 years old) came home from school one day after a fireman had given her class a demonstration and casually asked her mom to "set my leg on fire". My daughter quite naturally was taken aback by this request and inquired as to its purpose. In her matter-of-fact way, Lizzie replied, "I want to practice my stop, drop and roll."

Hayley, who is 11 going on 21, has discovered boys. Lucy, who also is 11, told her pre-school graduating class that she wanted to be "an ice cream man" when she grows up. Five-year-old Samantha, who started kindergarten this year, simply did not understand why she was required to go to school every day.

Annabelle hit her terrible twos in January, and she would rather "work" at "Gop-paw's" office than anything else. Lucy, my other 11-year-old, quietly manipulates her little sister and her cousins into trouble while she remains mysteriously aloof and unaffected. Maddy, at three months, has discovered the skill of manipulation by being selective in giving a simple smile.

And Matthew, the 13-year-old patriarch of this motley crew, has become "king of the misfits". It seems that all of the nerdy, non-cool boys at his school and in his neighborhood have gravitated toward him, and he leads them in some of the most imaginative and creative "games" that I have seen.

All in all, it's been a joyous and wonderful experience for me. And every day I wait to see or hear about the ongoing adventures of these remarkable kids.

Setting Priorities

I attend Church nearly every Sunday, and I confess that there are too many times when I don't pay enough attention to the message that my priest delivers in his sermon. But on those occasions when I do pay attention, I almost always hear something useful and inspiring. And sometimes, what strikes me the most is an idea that is not even central to the message that the priest is sending.

A good example of this occurred this past Sunday, when Fr. Joe Scalisi made what many may have considered to be a rather off-hand remark during the preface to his sermon. He said, "What we choose to do with our lives is a direct reflection of what we believe life is all about." I had heard this theme presented in other ways on several occasions, but I never heard it put in such an all-encompassing and comprehensive fashion.

It caused me to think about what I have done with my life. More importantly, it caused me to consider, based on what I have done with my life, what I must believe life to be all about. It was a revealing and not altogether complimentary exercise.

Up until the past dozen years or so, I devoted my life to the pursuit of money, prestige and temporal pleasures. I wanted to accumulate enough wealth do whatever I believed that I needed to do in order to satisfy my desire for comfort and pleasure. Not much else mattered, unless some pleasurable experience could be derived from it.

Even during the past few years, I have found myself from time to time slipping back into this selfish pattern. But my priorities have changed over the years, and although I still recognize the value of earning a living, I have learned that there is more value in contributing to life than in taking from it.

Setting priorities and deciding "what life is all about" has been an ongoing process for me, and my concept of what is most important in life has changed over the years. In evaluating what I have done with my life in recent years, I have discovered that the things that matter most to me involve first my relationship with God and family, followed closely by my intense desire to make a difference in the lives of those people who come to me seeking professional help.

I still fall into some of the old selfish habits that marred my younger years. However, as long as I remember to pay close attention to those Sunday sermons, I can be reminded of what I really believe to be important and what I really believe life to be all about.

It's a Matter of Personal Responsibility

About 27 years ago, I made a decision to leave a large, prestigious law firm where I represented several very large corporate clients to open my own law firm. I was motivated not only by the idea of becoming the master of my own fate by becoming self-employed, I wanted to practice the kind of law that would make a difference in the lives and fortunes of the people and the small to medium sized businesses that I represented.

I admit that there have been times when I thought that I regretted that decision, especially when my bank account was on life support. Nevertheless, I am satisfied with the decision that I made.

Being self-employed in a professional practice has taught me more about personal responsibility than I ever could have learned otherwise. The first hard lesson about personal responsibility was learned when I woke up one morning shortly after I had resigned my position at my previous employer and realized that I was facing a substantial debt and could no longer count on a substantial paycheck like the one that I had been receiving from my employer.

If I was to feed my family and to pay my bills, it was up to me to find clients who would pay me for my time and professional services. At times the learning curve was steep, but necessity forced me to learn about marketing my legal services, which was required in order to attract my clients. And I was driven by necessity to achieve results that my clients expected.

By most accounts, it can be said that I have managed to build a substantial and successful law practice over the past 27 years. Whatever success I have achieved was possible only because I realized from the beginning that it was up to me and me alone to do what was required to succeed.

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with diabetes, and my physician informed me that I needed to adjust my lifestyle and diet. My doctor could tell me what I needed to do, but it was up to me to do it. During the past year, the lifestyle and diet changes that I made have resulted in the loss of 60 to 70 pounds, and my latest laboratory tests indicate that my diabetes is well under control

Space does not permit me to recite the many failures that I have experienced during the past three decades, but for each failure a valuable lesson was learned. And more importantly, those lessons could not have been learned if I had refused to accept personal responsibility for those failures.

Whether facing economic difficulties or relationship problems, each of us can achieve our goals by recognizing that we are personally responsible for how we react and respond to life's challenges. We cannot always control what happens to us, but we alone are responsible for how we deal with the events of our lives. Recognizing our personal responsibility is the first step toward acquiring the courage and skill necessary to create happy and productive lives for ourselves.

It's up to you. It's up to me. It's a matter of personal responsibility.

Better Late Than Never

I never have been the "first on my block" to find out about or to do anything. And being naturally independent and rebellious, I seldom was one for jumping onto anybody's bandwagon, if for no other reason than to avoid being called a "Johnny-come-lately".

But there are certain fads and trends that I simply have been unable to side-step, foremost among them during my lifetime has been the personal computer and the Internet.

When I began my journalism career, I wrote news stories on an old-fashioned Royal typewriter. When my newspaper employer entered the electronic age and installed IBM Selectric typewriters, I purchased my old Royal for $25.00. I still have it (almost 40 years later), and it is still in good working condition. I had begun my legal career before my newspaper moved to the next level of technology by installing word processing.

At the dawn of my legal career, lawyers conducted legal research among the thousands of volumes of books and treatises in a law library, which at most firms required a full-time law librarian just to keep the constant supply of supplemental material current. Now, legal research is performed online, and many more resources are available from online legal libraries than what ever could have been maintained in even the most extensive traditional law library.

In addition, our legal secretaries were required to type our pleadings, correspondence and other documents on electric typewriters, some of which were equipped with "mag-cards" for those documents with established templates requiring only that the blanks be filled in. After a couple of years, the firm where I was employed as a young associate purchased word processors, and from that point the days of carbon paper and clicking typewriters going at 120+ words per minute were numbered.

In 1985, when I first opened my own law practice, I purchased my first computer (for almost $7,000.00), to be used exclusively by my secretary for word processing purposes, because word processing was about the only function that the computer had and certainly was the only function anyone in my office knew how to access and operate.

By the late 1980s, personal computers became more affordable, and the Internet began to gain some traction. A couple of young men, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, had begun development of software programs and operating systems that ultimately would make cyberspace and computer operations available to everyone - even me.

Fast-forwarding to 2012, I can say only that the past 30 years have been a technological whirlwind. Internet advertising and marketing have moved to the forefront for nearly every service industry in the country. Social media sites are beginning to play a huge role in the marketing of goods and services. The development of IP services able to transmit voice and image, such as Skype, have brought distant friends and family closer together. Thanks to this technology, I don't have to wait months (or sometimes years) before seeing two of my grandchildren who currently are residing in Korea and who will be moving to Eastern Europe this summer.

But the technological revolution has had a darker side, as well. New crimes, scams and other fraudulent activities have found a home on the Internet. Identity theft has become a major problem, and an entirely new industry has been developed to provide protection against it.

My wife is fond of saying that I was dragged into the 20th century kicking and screaming, but not before the beginning of the 21st century. I am just now getting used to the 20th century, but I hope to see you all soon in the 21st century.

Beam me up, Scotty.

More Than Just a Name

I have been known by many names.

My wife and step-daughter call me "Bear", probably because of my ability to grow a lot of hair everywhere except on my head. My daughters call me "Daddy". My golfing buddies call me "The Weave". My brothers call me "Bub" or "Bubba", and my mother calls me "Son". Some of my social and business friends call me "R. David", while others call me simply "David". Most of my clients refer to me as either "Mr. Weaver" or "Attorney Weaver", and in a couple of cases, "Dr. Weaver" (after all, most lawyers do hold doctoral degrees, although we seldom use the title).

But the widest variety of names by which I have been called has originated with my grandchildren. I remember that before my grandson was born almost 14 years ago, I gave considerable thought to how I would like for him to refer to me. Having never arrived at a final decision, I simply allowed him to call me whatever he chose to call me, and I have followed that tradition with all of my grandchildren who came after him. As a result, I have been known by names ranging from "Pop-Paw" to "BamPaw" to "Gamp-Paw" to "Grandpa".

Coming from the mouths of my grandchildren, the words are music to my ears, regardless of the name by which they call me.

The name by which others refer to us is one of the most important ingredients of what constitutes our own self-image. Hence, when we engage in "name-calling" of our enemies or opponents, we are engaging in a form of combat designed to injure that person's image of himself.

Our names are of critical importance to us. Being a former journalist, I learned firsthand how folks react when their names are misspelled in public media. It is an old saying and an axiom among publicist: "Say what you may about me, but be sure to spell my name correctly."

Moreover, a good name logically suggests a good reputation. History is replete with examples of those who have gone to great lengths to protect or restore their good names (and, hence, their reputations).

Clearly, a name is more than a label. The names by which we are known say much about who we are, what we do and the relationships we have with our fellows. And although we all are a single person, the names we are called reflect that we are people of many characteristics, traits, relationships and abilities.

Happy New Year - One Day at a Time

Ah, the New Year. It's that arbitrarily selected day on the calendar when we all feel like we are getting a fresh start. A time when we can put the past behind us and begin anew, hoping to avoid the mistakes of the previous 12 months by resolving to do better. But the problem with New Year's resolutions is that they require us to change our behaviors in order to accomplish those things we have resolved to accomplish. And researchers tell us that up to 90 percent of the resolutions we make on New Year's Day have been abandoned before the end of January.

What if every day was New Year's Day? What if, every time we wake up in the morning, we can have the sensation of a new beginning that the new day brings that encourages us to learn from the previous day's mistakes, put them behind us and then resolve not to repeat them just for the day ahead?

As a poker player, most of the serious mistakes I have seen made by players (and at times have made, myself) occur when a player who has been losing tries to "get even". This impulse will cause a player to make unprofitable decisions, usually resulting in increasing his losses and resulting in still poorer play in later hands. One of the world's best poker players once provided me with a valuable suggestion to avoid falling victim to this downward spiral. He said, "Remember, you are even at the beginning of each hand that is dealt. Every hand is a new game, and what happened before that is history."

The same can be said in every area of my life, whether professional, personal or financial. Although there certainly are consequences that must be faced and endured as a result of my mistakes, those consequences and the mistakes of the past that led to them do not have to negatively affect the way in which I conduct myself today.

If I have a New Year's resolution to make, it is that I resolve to treat every new day as if it is New Year's Day. I will try to learn from my past mistakes, and more importantly, I will try to remember that if I continue to do what I always have done, I will get what I always have gotten. And if I want to achieve a different result (whether it's losing weight, acquiring more wealth, becoming a better person, etc.), I cannot succeed unless I do something different. With the beginning of each day, I have a chance to try something new in order to achieve what I want to achieve.

With that in mind, I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous New Year, and more to the point, have a Happy New Day!