Continuous Improvement
with George Burk
Practical, everyday steps to become a
better person person, friend and leader
Like those of you who will (may) read this article, I’ve Rule is easy to practice. But when people are
had many pleasant, and a few not so pleasant, inconsiderate, demeaning, sarcastic and just plain
experiences and interactions with people I’ve met mean, then as Willie Shakespeare said, “Aye, there’s
along the way. the rub.”
I’m 75 now, I’ll be 76 this July and have had a
plethora of people, joy, and opportunities that have
helped me literally survive and thrive, learn and grow
as a human being and a man. My disappointments
“We have committed the Golden Rule to memory;
let us now commit it to life.” - Edwin Markham
from the choices I made and those lessons from ego-
driven, know it all, loud-mouths, screamers and talk
over you nink-a- poops have helped me learn...what
not to say and how not to act. Note: please be
patient. God’s not done with me yet! I’m still a work
in progress.
Look people in the eye when you talk to them. I’ve
learned to be a “tad,” a “skosh” suspicious about a
person’s character and integrity (or lack thereof) when
they can’t or won’t look you in the eye when they talk
to, not at, you. When I’ve experienced that, alarm
bells begin to sound inside my head; not the bells I
“Patience is not simply the ability to wait-its how
we behave while we’re waiting.” - Joyce Meyer
always hear, those are different ‘bells.’ It’s the
internal warning bells, similar to the Robot in the TV
Series Lost in Space, “Danger Will Robinson,
danger!” The eyes are the mirrors to the soul. Be
Here are a few of the many simple lessons I’ve
cautious of blank stares.
learned along the way and want to share them with
you. “The face is the mirror of the mind, and eyes
Practice the Golden Rule. Yeah, I know. It’s easy to without speaking confess the secrets of the
heart.” - St. Jerome
say but there are times when it’s really hard to do.
Yep, I realize there are people that, for any number of
reasons, don’t deserve it because they haven’t
earned it. Life’s all about choices. You can choose to
put into practice or not use it. In world of zero
gravity, when our life is good, serene and absent
serious physical and/or emotional conflict, and those
around us aren’t “jerking us around,” the Golden
When you meet someone for the first time, check
the color of their eyes. This is a great technique to
really connect with someone and is a learned
behavior. Train your mind to whisper, “Check their
eye color.” Connect and don’t let go. You can check