This Bud’s for You, a slogan once made popular by Beer Manufacturer Budweiser. Well, say it isn’t so as Budweiser announced layoffs recently. Company executives revealed that this plan had been in the works since June. It just seems odd during the Holidays when there are more house parties and office socials that Budweiser would be downsizing.

The President of Budweiser was quoted as saying, “these decisions are a result of a careful review of each department.” Maybe this doesn’t affect you directly. You’re still looking to get dressed-up for the concert. You’re looking forward to getting “footloose and fancy free” or “jiggy with it” depending on your school of music. The Holiday season is a fun time to eat, drink and be irie.

However, if you were to take a page from the President of Budweiser, this might also be a good time to take stock of where you stand. Even with the current recessionary trends this is the time of year best noted for giving. People are busy shopping for their spouse, children and BFF. As you review your holiday giving this is a good time to practice “paying it forward.”

Consider this real life encounter of two women who run into each other at the Department store checkout counter. One makes clothing purchases that rings up in the hundreds. The store has a give-back special where for every $100 you spend you get back $25 in coupon savings. So, as the first woman pays for her purchases and receives the coupons she turns around to the second woman on the line, hands her one of the coupons and says, Merry Christmas! This is just one example of holiday giving.

Have you seen the January ’09 issue of Oprah’s magazine? On the cover it shows Oprah “before and after.” In the before picture she was slim and trim but in the after picture she appears pleasingly plump. Maybe after careful review of her goals Oprah decided she wants to switch that image. After careful review of your goals (in between the giving and the good times) maybe there’s something for which you’d like to reverse the “before and after” results to make you more on point.

Mega successful people like Oprah are able to achieve their goals and live their dreams because they are usually drama-free, ego-free and not hung-up on ideology. This minimizes the issues and baggage that block their dreams, the way clouds block the sunshine. Isn’t that what the good times are all about? Making sure you live your life like it’s golden. So, go ahead and have a blast this holiday. But make sure you take time to review your giving, goals and enjoy the good times as you rise and shine in 2009. Cheers!

P.S.

Rise and Shine in 2009! That’s the way I see it for the upcoming year. If there’s anything I can do to serve your business/career/empowerment interests then give a brotha a holla! In the meantime, Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Kwanzaa… you get my drift. Blessings!

Music Soundtrack – Island Flava “Double-Play” 

Play first audio track here

Play second audio track here