Weeds, Wildflowers and Wordle

What is a weed? I have heard it said that there are sixty definitions. For me, a weed is a plant out of place. ~Donald Culross Peattie

May all your weeds be wildflowers. ~Author Unknown


At this time of year the dandelions take over my yard. I let them. I love the vibrant yellow that they bring, followed by the glorious puff balls that have earned them the nickname of “Wish Flower.” And so dandelions beg the question: weed or wildflower? It all depends on your perspective.

Just like weeds and wildflowers, problems can also be viewed from another perspective. A colleague recently commented that problems are unsolved opportunities. The ability to step into other shoes and look through others eyes is a skill that often provides a business owner with great insight and problem solving that they require. When other shoes and other eyes don’t seem to come easily, Wordle may provide just the shift you are looking for.

Wordle can be found at http://www.wordle.net/. It’s a fun and creative way to look at words and to create word clouds. You provide the words, push the create button, and the cloud that is created highlights words that appear most frequently.

Using Wordle with your marketing may provide you insight you won’t gain anywhere else. Use your text from your flyers and brochures– what do you see? How about text from your website? Need another way to view your professional portfolio, bio or resume? Wordle may show you that your emphasis is not in the areas that you intend. Give it a try – you might just turn dandelions into wish flowers!


A weed is a plant that has mastered every survival skill except for learning how to grow in rows. ~Doug Larson

But a weed is simply a plant that wants to grow where people want something else. In blaming nature, people mistake the culprit. Weeds are people's idea, not nature's. ~Author Unknown

Management Message from the Natural World

Last night I was eating a bowl of pasta for dinner and heard an odd sound coming from the basement that I really couldn't identify. I leave the door from the kitchen to the basement open a crack all day so that the cats have the run of the house. Just as I was about to get up to check it out, the sound changed into one that I could identify - the soft jingling of sleigh bells. I have several strings of them hanging by the stairs and the youngest cat plays with them. (This makes me laugh because I had nicknamed her Ring-ting-tingler before she had ever discovered them.) So I settled back into the chair when another kind of commotion began. I looked up to see a bird flying into the kitchen from the basement being pursued by my two cats. A big bird! I think it was a grackle! The bird had perched up on my cabinets. I leaped out of the chair and was now a couple feet away from the bird, thinking that if I could get the bird into a towel somehow, I could let it free. But one cat was hot in pursuit so the bird flew right towards me - no doubt it was as horrified as I was. I instantly ducked and when I looked up the bird was gone. Where??? I did not know but it couldn't be far. I carefully checked the rubber plant in the corner, but no luck. I headed for the basement to see if it had gone back down, and as I descended the stairs the cats followed me. They must have thought I had the inside scoop on where the bird was. A quick look around the basement revealed no signs of it there. So I headed back upstairs and as I stepped back into the kitchen, the bird reappeared on top of the other cabinet. Smart bird - it had been waiting for the cats to disappear, so I quickly spun on my heels and shut the basement door behind me to keep the cats there. Of course now my dog was excited by all the commotion so I closed her in the guest bedroom. I finished by shutting all remaining open doors to minimize places the bird could go and opened the door to outside. I stood between the kitchen and dining room to encourage the bird to head to the door. First it tried to fly out the closed window by the sink and then hopped onto the counter and behind the microwave looking for escape. Finally it hopped onto the floor and around the refrigerator and saw the open door. Without a moments further hesitation it took flight out the door. I still have absolutely no idea how the bird got into my basement in the first place since I was unable to find any opening from the inside and or outside. I am attributing it to magic.

So what does this have to do with your horse business? Compare it to how you react when an unexpected issue occurs. How quick are you on your feet? Do you start trouble shooting the issue right away? Do you work to minimize other possible complications? When the immediate situation has resolved, do you look for the root cause? And when no rational answer presents itself, can you let go of it and move on? There are many different ways and styles to manage a business, and as a business owner/manager its a good idea for you to be in touch with your personal style. Knowing your style allows you to identify your strengths and your weaknesses. And by knowing this, you'll know when to react and when to ask for help. Self-awareness is one stepping stone towards success.