Hope you liked the pie…
By Barbara L. Roose

Can you see me now? Really. Good. If you are the average American, you gained five pounds at the Thanksgiving table and you aren’t able to get as close to the café counter as usual. That extra little pudge in the middle means that you are reading this month’s Toledo Business Review a little farther out than usual. Perhaps you aren’t as comfortable as usual, we seriously appreciate your effort.

Now, I’m not finger-pointing at anybody. Last week, I ate a few thousand more calories than usual, so I just got off the treadmill myself. It’s not like I’m trying to look like a supermodel, I just don’t want to look like I’m hiding one behind me.

Did you know that most adults should consume around 2,500 calories a day, yet we shovel in close to 10,000 on Thanksgiving Day, so it’s not surprise that by the time you are reading this editorial, you’ve already gained five pounds. Add a few more post-Thanksgiving binges to the mix and not even your comfy poly/cotton blend with spandex will be able to save you. Hope you liked the pie.

Wake up! You’ve still got work to do. It’s the last month of the year and for many of you, this is your bread-n-butter time of the year. Many retail and service-based business will do between 30-50% of their business in the six week period.

One of the biggest traps we fall into during the holiday season is neglecting to take care of what we really need. When we fail to take care of what’s most important, we become susceptible to making foolish mistakes. And, it’s those stupid mistakes that end up costing us more time and money that we were planning to spend or allocate.

For decades, Alcoholics Anonymous has used a simple little acronym to instruct and assist alcoholics in fending off the urge to drink. This acronym, called The Rule of HALT, stands for Hungry, Angry, Lonely and Tired. It’s a nifty little way of reminding ourselves to nip some of our most intense desires in the bud before those desires drive us to do or say things that would be out of character or against our interest.

As far as hungry goes, this time of the year means that there are sugary treats or salty snacks within reach just for the taking. However, that constantly bloated feeling from overeating doesn’t lend itself to good decision making. Repeat after me: “There will always be another cookie later.”

The opposite of anger is happiness and when I think of happiness, I think about thankfulness. A few weeks ago, I heard Patrick Henry Hughes speak in person. He’s the young man born blind and with limited function in his limbs. He is a musical genius and his father pushes him through the marching band formations at the University of Kentucky. Rather than being angry about his lot in life, Patrick made a resolve to thrive, not just survive. He chose to trade anger for achievement and believes that the challenges in his life have made him a better person. He’s one cool dude.

For some of you, the holiday season isn’t filled with family and friends. You are dreading four more weeks of solitary dinners and lone winter nights. Maybe you aren’t lonely, but you are a harried professional, trying to meet everyone’s needs, yet too exhausted to meet your own. I have a suggestion for those who are lonely and tired: do something nice for someone.

There’s nothing more palliative in life than helping someone else. Serving others has the remarkable ability to shift a lonely heart from self-pity into fulfillment. During this time of the year, the serving opportunities are almost endless. Organize a food drive, collect gifts for one of Toledo’s non-profits or read at a nursing home. There’s nothing like knowing that you’ve made a difference in someone else’s life rather than just our own.

Finally, we are in the closing weeks of 2007 and I want to thank you for making Toledo Business Review a part of your routine. We’ve celebrated one full year and the community’s response to our paper has been great. Of course, TBR is great because our stories are about you, our local business owners and your stories fill our pages. Any success we’ve enjoyed at Toledo Business Review is because you let us tell your stories to area readers and they have responded to those stories.

We look forward to seeing you in the near year. If you know a great business owner, let us know. Check out our website for past issues. Most of all, know that we value each of you and are thankful for support of Toledo Business Review.