It was three weeks ago when the e-mail hit my in-box.

I’ve been sitting on a business plan for a few years now. It’s a killer concept, driven by irreversible demographics, not trends, and there’s no rush, because the market is so big and so poorly served, there’s room for a lot of players and demand will only explode for decades to come.

But, I never moved forward, because as you guys already know, my dancecard’s been insanely full for quite some time. And, as much as I want to be attached and play a strong role in developing the mission and message, I don’t want to run it.

Ever wonder what the impact is of slowly letting your smart phone do all those things you used to do back in the dark ages? You know, that unspeakable time when Crackberries, Treos and iPhones didn’t exist.

I never really thought about it until my phone ran out of juice the other day and, for the first time in a while, I was forced to do a bunch of the things my phone usually does…and I kind of stunk at them in a way I never did before smart phones came along.

“Next to knowing when to seize an opportunity, the most important thing in life is to know when to forgo an opportunity.”  -Benjamin Disraeli-

So, I’m sitting with a friend at lunch yesterday, who just happens to also be a 7-figure copywriter and internet marketer and, after listening to what I’m working on for the better part of lunch, he reveals…

“Jonathan, you have entrepreneurial ADD!”

It hit me like a ton of bricks. I’d never heard that phrase before, but it was perfect.

So, I am driving my daughter to a friend’s house and she says something that makes me realize kids are a absolute masters in the art of marketing and persuasion.

It was all in the way she framed what she said.

“Daddy,” she shared, “ice cream got on the seat.” Until that moment, I never knew ice cream actually had the ability to do anything. Now I learn it not only has the power to be eaten, but to jump up and get onto things.

How would you finish it?

The question arose the other day, when talking with a friend about setting aside a fair amount of time to just play, goof around and enjoy the people around you.

His comment to me was “life’s too short to screw around all the time.”

And, my reply was, “life’s too short to NOT screw around all the time.” Most people bottle up a lifetime’s worth of play on the promise that later in life, if they make it that far, remain as physically and mentally able as they are now, THEN it’s finally time to play.

Driving home the other day, I was fascinated by an NPR story on the use of cell phones to share pictures at concerts.

While a number of concert-goers phoned in to say how annoying it was to see thousands of small blue screens held overhead and people screaming into cellphones during the show, that wasn’t the real issue.

Turns out, it was the bands who were complaining, but not about what you think…

It wasn’t about stealing footage or intellectual property protection. Or, even putting images and movies of the concert immediately up on YouTube the moment the cell-phone bandit got home. The complaint ran much deeper than that.

I have to confess to having a soft-spot for stories and people who are driven to give of themselves in an effort to not only make their own lives come alive, but change the world along the way.

But, I am also pretty short on time, so when people ask me to read and recommend e-books, I usually take a pass. But, when The Art Of Nonconformity blogger, Chris Guillebeau, asked me to take a look at his new manifesto on world domination, I was quickly drawn in by both his very compelling personal story and his approach to life.

As I watched my 6-year old daughter update her blog this morning (yes, she has a blog, no, you can’t see it, it’s passworded for family only), I noticed her doing something pretty unusual.

Between each word, she’d hit the space bar four or five times.

I’d seen her doing this before and told her she only needed a single hit of the key between each letter, but, for some reason, it wasn’t sinking in.  Until I finally realized what what happening.

She couldn’t get past the finger rule.

To all those who want desperately for me to succeed.

To all those who want me never to experience the pain of failure.

To all those who watch and wonder if I really know what I’m doing.

To all those who stand in judgment, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

To all those who look to me for proof of what’s possible.

To all those who only want the very best for me.

To all those who love me, unconditionally.

I share these words…

Have a little faith.

Ok, someone ’splain this to me.

My daughter goes to public school in New York City. And, while the Big Apple isn’t known for having a super-stellar system, she happens to go to one of the top-rated schools in all 5 boroughs.  We love it, she loves it, everyone loves it.  The parents are massively involved and care deeply about the school, its programming and the teachers.

So, why did the city just cut $250,000 from it’s budget for next year?

That’s 5% of the entire budget and the school already relied upon substantial fundraising from the parent association to keep it humming along.