I adore Aesop fables. So much so, that my friend gave a beautiful edition of the book. I know these books are usually given to children, but they hold truths and morals for all ages. I recently found out that billionaire Warren Buffett, has used the bird in hand fable to offer financial advice. See Forbes Warren Buffet #3 on the Forbes 2010 list.

Warren Buffett, known for his folksy homespun business wisdom, once explained his investment strategy by citing the moral of a famous tale by Aesop: A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush. When deciding whether to invest in the “two in the bush,” or stay with the “bird in the hand,” ask these questions:

• How certain are you that the birds are really hiding in the bush?

• When do you expect them to come out?

• How valuable do you expect them to be then?

Buffett advises people to use this formula to rate the attractiveness of every investment decision they make. As one of the world’s richest people, he must know what he’s talking about. The moral is from the Aesop fable of The Hawk and the Nightingale. This is probably not one of the best fables for children, but there is a good point to it.

I have a version of Aesop fables with beautiful Milo Winter illustrations in hard cover published by Rand McNally & Co. I believe it is one of the best versions there is. Amazon has it in paperback by a different publisher, but the copy should be the same.  The Aesop for Children (Illustrated Edition) (Dodo Press)

Sharing a few thought-provoking quotes. I have gathered these quotes from many sources around the web. The first quote is from an unlikely source, but he reveals himself.* And no one was watching or listening, ”The first time someone shows you who they are, believe them.” — Maya Angelou

 The nature of any human being, certainly anyone on Wall Street, is “the better deal you give the customer, the worse deal it is for you.” —Bernard Madoff*

If you surrender to the wind, you can ride it. —Toni Morrison

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. —Robert Louis Stevenson

I resolved to stop accumulating and begin the infinitely more serious and difficult task of wise distribution.—Andrew Carnegie

If your thinking is sloppy, your business will be sloppy. If you are disorganized, your business will be disorganized. If you are greedy, your employees will be greedy, giving you less and less of themselves and always asking for more. —Michael Gerber

Science does not know its debt to imagination. —Ralph Waldo Emerson

The whole history of physics proves that a new discovery is quite likely lurking at the next decimal place. —F.K. Richtmeyer

Don’t compromise yourself. You’re all you’ve got. —Janis Joplin

You’ve got a lot of choices. If getting out of bed in the morning is a chore and you’re not smiling on a regular basis, try another choice. —Steven D. Woodhull

Toss your dashed hopes not into a trash bin but into a drawer where you are likely to rummage some bright morning. —Robert Brault

What saves a man is to take a step. Then another step. It is always the same step, but you have to take it. —Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

You can only protect your liberties in this world by protecting the other man’s freedom. —Clarence Darrow

Life is not lost by dying; life is lost minute by minute, day by dragging day, in all the thousand small uncaring ways. —Stephen Vincent Benét

In every conceivable manner, the family is link to our past, bridge to our future. —Alex Haley

A baby is God’s opinion that the world should go on.
—Carl Sandburg

The second week of March 2010, I received a short form letter from the Census Bureau stating that I would soon receive a census form that should to be filled out and returned as soon as possible. I do not remember any other information given to me in that first “Here comes the Census Form” letter. My thoughts were the announcement letter was unnecessary, the actual census form with a similar form letter attached would have sufficed. But enough of being a nitpicking drag.

Yesterday, I decided to do an online check to see if there was a hint to what questions would be asked, I typed “what questions will census forms ask?” The first listing was 2010.census.gov. Boy, that was easy, would the form be as easy to complete? I went to the site and was assured that this census form will be“One of the shortest forms in history - 10 Questions in 10 Minutes.” and allows you to download the questions you will be asked. You can find the questions here, along with detailed reasons for the questions.

Be sure to read, why being counted is important to you, your state and the U.S.

You will note the questions are straight-forward and do not require a lot of time or thinking. A postage-paid envelope will be included with the form.

Analyzing your value to the organization can help to protect yourself from being laid off. If you are laid off, getting another comparable job–or a better one–will be far less of an ordeal you can document your contribution to the company’s bottom line.

Ask yourself a few questions to test whether your work makes a difference to your company.

How are your technology skills? Have you taken any new courses to stay abreast of technology? Network with others in your field to identify industry stars to compare yourself with. What skills do they have? What do their job descriptions look like? Search consultants can tell you what organizations demand when seeking candidates for a job like yours. If your job was created specifically for you, you should be sure to keep your tech skills high and broaden your scope. Often when  there is not a market for your specific skills, or you can’t find others who do approximately what you do, you may be in a trouble spot. Expand your skills.

Is your role essential? What impact does your job have on the big picture? Does your work exclusively benefit internal departments? What would happen to your department or division if the company got into a financial bind that forced it to cut back? Would profits or customer satisfaction be damaged if your department disappeared?

Can you be replaced easily? Assume that your managerial and technical skills are top-notch and cutting-edge. Could someone years younger who has the ability to perform equally well as you; and at half your salary take your place? Perhaps. However, if you have something extra, something that puts you steps ahead of the young dynamo, you can secure your place. Make it your business to show that your knowledge is essential. It does not matter what it is, do you have a great memory? Use it to show that you have a full grasp of your company’s history. Are you good with graphs and forms, use that expertise to help remove a cumbersome step in a process. Good event planning may be considered gold at your business. While no one is indispensable, make it harder for your boss to get along without you.

Update your resume. Do you keep your resume up-to-date? If someone wanted to see your resume today, would you be able to pass it on without apology? If you can’t do that, then it is time to update your resume and keep it new updated. A resume should be new employer ready at all times.