THINGS YOU CAN LEARN FROM A GEODUCK

-- Or, what doesn’t have web feet, feathers and can’t even quack? --

By Truman Tockhole III, a casual observer of alien artifacts, odd orifices and strange stuff found underwater, below ground, in refrigerator, or beneath one’s bed

What does one do with an empty calendar?

The simple answer is to fill in blanks with all manner of really important things to do. Or, if you’re like some folks, (with neither a calendar nor a “to-do” list), it’s your lucky day to engage in diddly squat, or if you prefer, zilch.

But, if perchance you have a curious gene in your blessed body like yours truly, you may want to learn some rather important lessons of life from a “geoduck”.

With a mere 39,000 websites devoted to this longest living creature on earth, you’d think everyone would know a thing or two about this little gem that lives in a shell beneath sea.

Okay, so you're not up to snuff on humble geoduck. Trust me, being an edible, five-pound clam from Pacific Coast does have certain advantages.

-- For one thing, it’s a dandy little handle to have, but few can pronounce this seven-letter word correctly (it’s “gooey-duck” if you really want to know).

2. Laughter boosts morale while stress erodes staff morale. It is in best interest of any business to invest in happiness of its employees. Laughter is an effective barometer of just how happy your people are.

3. Keeping things in perspective tends to boost morale and humor helps us keep things in perspective.

4. Humor helps facilitate change. Change is inevitable and people who laugh well and often tend to be more flexible and adaptable.

5. Communication improves when humor is used appropriately. The timely use of humor can get a point across effectively and assists in process of problem solving.

6. Laughter and humor relieve boredom and increase creative energy.

7. Humor builds confidence. When we laugh at ourselves we are less rigid and more spontaneous. We tend to bounce back more quickly when negative things happen. Humor also makes us less fearful of making mistakes and more confident about overcoming setbacks.