A master archer was in the forest with two students. As the students prepared to shoot at a distant target, the master interrupted them with a question; "what do you see?" Cash flow, payroll, supply problems, employee benefits, taxes, risks, market changes, labor issues, recalls, marketing failures... The forest is thick with distraction.

One spring morning, in the Pacific Northwest, I was chatting with a client. The white table cloth had been set with fine china and champagne in crystal glasses. We were just remarking about how fragrant the pink cherry blossoms were when we all caught a whiff of smoke.