Be the Lucky Platypus

It's amazing where you can find inspiration. For those of you who don't know me I am the proud dad of 2 young children and live by the adage "sleep is overrated". One of my favourite times of day is pre bed story time, it is genuine quality time I get to spend with my children after whatever my work day did to me.. or maybe it is because it's just before the house finally falls into peaceful slumber, that parents around the world love.

MAYBE it's because I REALLY enjoy these books, the morals, the learning and the style of writing appeals to me no end.

For the last few years I have been bringing these stories into my day to day life occasionally annoying my work with analogies and stories... but tonight reading an old favourite I thought.. why not!? And if it goes OK it could become a regular post of mine, sounds fun to me... we have heaps of books.

One of my favourites is "Platypus and the Lucky Day". A few years ago I photocopied every page and gave a copy to my immediate team (if you are a copywriter reading this.. please blink over this bit).. I liked it that much. I got strange looks, but the message was received.

Brief synopsis:

Platypus wakes up one morning in THE BEST mood, he knows today is his lucky day.... (see business globally start of 2008), then in his joyous mood he steps out into the world. It is here that things start to go wrong, the string on his kite breaks, the tree branch he is climbing snaps, the painting he is doing is rained upon and blows away... After a number of these negative events... Platypus wipes a tear from his eye, gives up and decides it best to go back to bed. (fair enough too! See business globally at the end of 2009).

When he gets back to bed, he finds a banana (or sandwich) he'd been looking for, a teddy he thought he'd lost forever, a billy cart he forgot he had, and found things in a closet to help him fix it.... and his lucky hat! His day is getting better!!!

He takes his newly fixed billy cart outside, with his lucky hat on, and takes it to the top of the closest hill... sets off down the hill..... all of the sudden he loses control and crashes his billy cart into a tree, and all looks bad with the day again.... then suddenly into his lap falls his kite from the tree. Ahhhh what a great ending.

OK my link... With the "War for talent" in full swing, Recruiting was one of THE professions to be in, it was exciting to get out of bed, you could tell you were going to make a huge difference and that your worth as a professional was getting increasingly valued... the it all turns.... the Economic crisis hits globally, downsizing is the word of the day, and the need for Recruiters decreases. Here's the bit I love.... Do you give up and go back to bed and not try? Or do you keep your eyes open for opportunities? be flexible enough to capitalise on them and make your own fun again. Do you go out there again and have another go.... accepting that something else goes could go wrong, whilst also acknowledging that another piece of "luck" could come your way. What's the old saying? "You gotta be in it to win it"

Be the Lucky Platypus people! All is not lost, there is always opportunity, you just have to be open enough to see it.