Recommended Reading from HositalityEducators.com| The Buddha Walks into a Bar: A Guide to Life for a New Generation

		The Buddha Walks into a Bar: A Guide to Life for a New Generation by Lodro Rinzler
A delightful message for everyone! ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ The introduction to this book properly positions what is to follow. It states One – this is not a book for your grandparents about meditation Two – it is not going to tell you enough information about what you do to become a practicing Buddhist Three – it does provide reassurance that one does not necessarily have to change their life to embrace the truths identified in the book Four – the author tells you that you will explore the fundamentals of the four of dignities of Shambhala vehicles of traditional Tibetan Buddhism  ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ The book is divided into four sections 1. Part one: get your act together 2. Part two: how to save the world 3. Part three : letting go into space 4. Part four: relaxing into magic ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ The author, Lordom Rinzler, is a 28 year-old Buddhist teacher who states that he is talking to Generation O, which is defined as individuals and college or about to enter the workforce. He tackles the topic of Buddhism in a nonthreatening, easy to understand way. He explains the methodology of meditation, as well as how it might be used in everyday living. One of the things I really like about this book are the discussions about everyday issues, with optional basic meditations that could be used by anyone interested. I find the book to be more about identifying awareness of self and interaction with others, rather than trying to promote a specific religion ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ While the author does address some of the more mystical side (to Westerners) of Buddhism, he delves into into real-world issues facing Generation O such as clothes, relationships, office politics, money, friends, school, making mistakes and a bit of politics. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ My son was born and raised in Tennessee and exposed to Christian teachings and beliefs. When he was 23, he moved to Seoul South Korea to teach English. Over the next five years, he experienced a wide range of religions, including Buddhism, and felt much more at ease in his personal journey of seeking the truth. He has now returned to the U.S. and feels much more open minded about religious freedoms, ideas and methods of seeking a higher power. ♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ I originally ordered this book for my son, but found I enjoyed it as much as I mentioned he will. It is a pleasure to recommend this book. As always, comments and feedback are welcome Dr. John Hogan, CHE CMHS CHA HospitalityEducators HoganHospitality

Reflections….on those who have impacted our lives | Brother Robert Michaud, formerly of Prevost High School, Fall River, Mass

Reflections….

People who made a difference in our lives and impacted our careers

There is one section of HoganHospitality.com that I have begun to  allow me the opportunity to “reflect” on some of those people who have positively impacted my career.  While these reflections will be of people that I have known, I encourage you to think back on the people who contributed to the person you are today.

 

“Our business life is not to get ahead of others,
but to get ahead of ourselves…
to break our own records, to outstrip our yesterdays by our today,
to do our work with more force than ever before.”

Stewart B Johnson

This is a reflection on a high school teacher who influenced me in ways I could not anticipate at the time.

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5. Brother Robert Michaud,

formerly of Prevost High School,  Fall River, Mass

We all are influenced by teachers at some point in our life.  Brother Robert was on the faculty of an all male Christian high school in southeastern Massachusetts when I attended.  My recollections was that this man, while always cordial, was not particularly outgoing and did not interact with many students outside of the classroom. An important fact for me is that I do know that I find his influence remains with me to this day.  As an English instructor, he insisted on sharing writing styles, challenging ideas, thought processing and exposure to many authors, poets and writers of many nationalities and generations.   I still recall the frustration of a high school junior rewriting an essay or term paper because this instructor insisted that I was capable of better and more.  While the frustrations were real,  the resulting better work was also real.

There were other faculty members who influenced and/or inspired me over the years, particularly at the university level, but this one professional who demanded clarity, focus and substance in writing left an indelible sense of appreciation to me in my work as an educator, author, speaker, and hotelier.

I hope and believe that I said “thank you” formally to Brother Robert after I left high school, and I do know that he was an informal mentor to many of my classmates in the areas of writing and communication.  The high school merged years ago with another following a devastating fire that was a total loss and Brother Robert has long since retired.  I will always appreciate his insistence on quality and his tenacity to drive each of us to just a bit more than we thought we were capable of.

Earlier Reflections

4. Roy Dunfey – Dunfey Hotels
3.  Natividad Cruz – Sheraton Boston 
2.   Louise Avery – Ahead of Her Time – Avery Vermont Inns 
1. “Al Wrisley, PhD, Professor in Hotel, Restaurant and Travel Administration at the University of Massachusetts,

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Success in hotels and hospitality does not come by accident or chance.

We can help

John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com or 602-799-5375

  ™

HospitalityEducators.com was created to help hospitality businesses address problems via a training and information resource site to help you increase your Hotel’s revenue, market share and profitability.  With more than 1,000 pages of tips, guides, best practices, strategies, plans, budgets, videos and resources, HospitalityEducators.com is the #1 independent website for hotel owners and managers.  This site can help you solve your problems now!      Read More  

KEYS TO SUCCESS  is the umbrella title for my 2012 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS™, Lessons from the Field™, Hotel Common Sense™ , THE P-A-R PRINCIPLE™  and Principles for Success.

Feel free to share an idea for a column at john.hogan@hospitalityeducators.com   anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense,

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John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events. He is CEO and Co-Founder of www.HospitalityEducators.com , which delivers focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today.
www.HospitalityEducators.com  is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability.

www.HoganHospitality.com
Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations.

 

Questions from HospitalityEducators.com – Where do you stand on the Four E’s (Economy, Environment, Elections & Ethics)

2012 is another year of change, this time with a focus on the Es

1. Economies are still in the doldrums of reality, although not in the words of those looking to be re-elected or and always in the slogans of those looking to unseat the incumbents.  What specific tactics are you taking to improve your business environment?
2. Environmental issues and sustainability  are here to stay – what are we in hospitality doing to demonstrate our conservation, our corporate concern and appreciation for our assets?
3. Elections are held regularly globally; this year, the US will decide on a President, 435 Congresspersons, 33 Senators,  11 state governors and many more local offices.  How many of those candidates will we in hospitality actively take a role in supporting because they offer reasonable approaches to governance, taxes, regulation and accountability?
4. Ethics– it seems unusual to have the term “ethics” follow “elections.  I really should have placed it before the elections E, shouldn’t  I?                                                                  Would it have made a difference?   I am reading an exceptional book on the topic of how elected officials have become so tangled in the wrong issues.  Republic, Lost: How Money Corrupts Congress–and a Plan to Stop It by Lawrence Lessig is a book that will both discourage and inspire readers.  My partner and Publisher @ www.HospitalityEducators.com, Kathleen Hogan, reviewed it and I encourage you to read both her  review and the book.

_____________________________________________________________

Success in hotels and hospitality does not come by accident or chance.

We can help

John.Hogan@HospitalityEducators.com or 602-799-5375

  ™

HospitalityEducators.com was created to help hospitality businesses address problems via a training and information resource site to help you increase your Hotel’s revenue, market share and profitability.  With more than 1,000 pages of tips, guides, best practices, strategies, plans, budgets, videos and resources, HospitalityEducators.com is the #1 independent website for hotel owners and managers.  This site can help you solve your problems now!      Read More  

KEYS TO SUCCESS  is the umbrella title for my 2012 programs, hospitality services and columns. This year’s writings focus on a variety of topics for hotel owners, managers and professionals including both my “HOW TO” articles, HOSPITALITY CONVERSATIONS™, Lessons from the Field™, Hotel Common Sense™ , THE P-A-R PRINCIPLE™  and Principles for Success.

Feel free to share an idea for a column at john.hogan@hospitalityeducators.com   anytime or contact me regarding consulting, customized workshops, speaking engagements … And remember – we all need a regular dose of common sense,

---

 

John Hogan is a successful hospitality executive, educator, author and consultant and is a frequent keynote speaker and seminar leader at many hospitality industry events. He is CEO and Co-Founder of www.HospitalityEducators.com , which delivers focused and affordable counsel in solving specific challenges facing hospitality today.
www.HospitalityEducators.com  is a membership site offering a wide range of information, forms, best practices and ideas designed to help individual hoteliers and hospitality businesses improve their market penetration, deliver service excellence and increase their profitability.

www.HoganHospitality.com
Your Hospitality Resource for the Hotel Owner, Innkeeper, Manager and Hospitality Industry Associations.