business & professional

Don't Be An Old Dog

L

ately, I have found myself pon-
dering the notion that "life is a
tough journey."
There are many reminders. I've
watched (and continue to observe) as
my children undergo that eye-opening,
post-college reality check when young
adults realize that they have to leave the
nest, its security and its funding and go
forward to make their lives. While this
is happening, we find that there is rarely
a week of our 50-something lives where
someone close to us doesn't either pass
or encounter a life-threatening trauma.
We also have to grapple with the dif-
ficult task of making a living amidst
a difficult economy, managing our
finances, paying bills and taxes, caring
for our aging parents and coping with
our personal relationships.
Is life a tough journey? Or am I guilty
for the moment of viewing the glass
half-empty rather than half-full? I often
hear responses such as, "It is what it is"
or "Living the dream." I believe these

responses are a tacit acknowledgment
that, yes, life is a tough journey, but
there is nothing we can do about it. So
don't bitch about it — just move on.
So I ask you (and me), do
we just keep rolling down
the tracks and let the jour-
ney take us wherever we go?
Or, instead, is there a time
or a point where we should
make an objective assess-
ment of our lives and our
journey —identify things
that need to be changed —
and then make a plan and
do it?
Businesses certainly
understand the need to
adapt and change. If they don't, they
perish. Pay telephones no longer exist. If
that was your business 20 years ago and
you didn't change, you're gone. On a per-
sonal level, can you adapt and change
with the times to improve? Do you just
live with the house under water and

take the hit against your net worth and
future retirement? Do you just accept
that your business is less profitable than
it used to be and learn to live with less?
Too often, people offer a reason
why they can't do something.
That, however, is a cop out.
There are always 10 reasons
why you can't do something.
When you respond with why
you can't, you're really saying
you are afraid to try because
you fear you will not succeed.
Can we really argue with
the notion of fixing something
that is wrong? The risk of fail-
ure is false. If you do nothing
then you have assured failure.
Making the effort to change gives you
the chance to succeed. The question
is when do you embark on creating
change? Finding the day is not easy.
Monday is always a hard day because
we're back from the weekend. Tuesday
through Thursday — these are tough

133rd

Snow White

CC)

Angelin Preljocaj artistic director
Jean Paul Gaultier costume designer

Thursday \ April 19 \ 7:30 pm
Friday \ April 20 \ 8 pm
Saturday \ April 21 \ 8 pm
Power Center

It's been more than a decade since Ballet Preljocaj (pronounced

prezh-oh-kahzh) made its UMS debut, but this production

of Snow White, created in 2008, will be well worth the wait.

Angelin Preljocaj has created a work for all 26 dancers of his

contemporary ballet company, setting the Grimm brothers' version

of the fairytale to the most beautiful scores of Gustav Mahler's

symphonies. With costumes designed byJean Paul Gaultier, this

production of Snow White is sure to shake up those who have

grown up with only the Disney version at their disposal.

Please note: Snow White is a grown-up retelling of Grimms' fairy tale. Due to brief
nudity and mature themes, it is not appropriate foryoung audiences.

Sponsored by Gil Omenn and Martha Darling.

Media Partners Metro limes and Between the Lines.

urns Call or click for tickets! 734.764.2538 \

Hours: Mon-Fri: 9 am to 5 pm, Sat: 10 am to 1 pm.

30 April 12 • 2012

www.ums.or

days because we're trying to preserve
the status quo and get to Friday. Friday
doesn't work because we are so happy
to be there we don't want to think about
it. That leaves Saturday and Sunday,
and here we want to enjoy the weekend
in between the difficulties of the week
gone by and the week ahead.
So when do you make the plan and
fix what is wrong? The answer is you do
it today, you do it tomorrow, and you
do it a little bit every day. Get up, brush
your teeth and do something positive
to make your life better. More and more
as we age, we are habitual. So be wise,
and prioritize the need to change what
is wrong and to improve what you do
as part of your daily habit. An old dog
refuses to learn new tricks — so don't
be an old dog.

Ken Gross is an attorney with Thav Gross
and host of The Financial Crisis Talk Center,

a radio program that airs weekly at 10 a.m.
Saturdays on Talk Radio 1270 WXYT AM.

season

urns 11/12