The U.S. has recently been hit hard by severe weather.  “Nearly 75 percent of the country’s corn and soya bean-growing regions have been hit by extreme drought”—although the total damage will not be known until the October harvest (Deutsche Welle, August 28, 2012).  Last year, severe storms in the U.S., “caused an economic loss of about $46 billion” (about $25 billion was insured).  Insured losses were more than double the 2010 record (ibid.).

In my younger years, I served aboard a ship of the United States Navy. Navy ships were always in one of three conditions—they were either underway, anchored, or in need of assistance in the form of a push or tow.  This is true of any working vessel. In the commercial world, a ship under power is productive. If it is anchored, it is doing nothing. If it needs assistance, it is usually helpless. Have you ever felt like you were in any of these conditions?

Do you play chess? Are you in the ranks of the great masters of the back row, or do you feel far removed from the “royalty” of chess legend—really not much more than a pawn (most of the time) in someone else’s game? Although some consider chess a bit too competitive, and others may think its intricacy and time-consuming nature tedious, there are some parallels between this not-so-simple game and the all-too-real game of life.

Staying sharp—being aware and honing one’s skills—is essential in today’s fast-paced world. Regardless of one’s endeavor, staying abreast of developments, improving communication skills, and increasing business acumen is very important. With this in mind, several years ago I took the Dale Carnegie course. It was a great experience, and was very helpful in the conduct of my business at the time.

The resource-based Australian economy has greatly benefited from massive iron ore exports which have supported China’s economic boom.  “China takes 25% of Australia’s exports and iron ore accounts for 60% of all the goods Australia sells to China.  One reason Australia avoided recession during the global downturn of 2008-09 was that it had a well-run banking system.