Jun 20, 2025
Playa Caracol, Panama

“Hmm – those hot pools don’t look too clean. And not very warm either!” 

(Can’t read the full email – click here for the online version.)

We were told the power would be out for most of the day starting at 8:00 AM. So we decided it would be a good day to run a few errands and do a small road trip. 

One of the errands was printing some documents and getting them couriered to the city. There is a small, national company that will deliver packages from one of their locations to another. They don’t deliver door-to-door. You have to arrange for the receiving party to pick it up. The advantage of this service is that you can get pretty much anything sent overnight, for a low price.

The disadvantage, naturally, is that the receiving party must make arrangement to go to the receiving location to pick up. 

Our destination after our errands had been completed was a short half-day trip to the small and picturesque town of El Valle de Anton. 

This little place is not even 50 km from the courier store, but it takes about an hour to drive. Once you leave the Pan-American Highway and head north and up – the small, yet well paved road, winds and twists its way first past fields and small villages, then ever steeper and sharper switchbacks.

El Valle itself sits in the middle of the crater of an ancient volcano and thus is itself surrounded on all sides by sheer cliffs and towering peaks. The climate is cooler due to the elevation of close to 2000 feet. 

We had visited once before, very briefly and found it charming enough to make a return trip. The town has a wide variety of restaurants and shops, and an excellent market of fruits and vegetables plus stands of crafts and jewelry made by local artisans.

The real reason we came, however, was the promise of some hot springs nearby

The thought of immersing our bodies into natural hot springs then jumping into a cool stream running next to them was very appealing.

Unfortunately, our expectations were too high. 

One of the spots, run by a reputable resort, was extremely busy and the water did not look very clean. The second one, which seemed more appealing due to its “natural” location, was not “hot”. Its water temperature was running at best 33C – warmer than the air to be sure but not "spa-worthy".

Nice, no doubt, but hardly worth the price of admission. 

We were a little chagrined by the discovery that the ‘famous’ “Aguas Termales en El Valle de Antón” were not ‘great’. Nonetheless, as we took a different route back to the Pan-American highway, with even steeper and sharper switchbacks than before, we were certainly pleased and enjoyed the day’s adventure in our new homeland.

This reminds me of the old quote about a glass half-full, or is it, half-empty?

You remember. The pessimist sees the glass as half empty. The optimist sees a glass half-full. The realist sees a glass. 

Then the opportunist comes in and drinks it. 😊

In coaching terms, we ask; “Are you above, or below the line?” Are you acting like a Victor or a Victim? 

Are you an Opportunity Seeker or a Failure Magnet?

Do you P.R.O.V.E. yourself worthy of success or are you one who B.E.N.D.S. to the pressure of defeat?

Here’s an illustration of what this looks like:

For Victims everything is a challenge, and no problem is ever resolved.

The key to being a Victor, in my mind, is to take personal responsibility for your situation and then be proactive in moving yourself to where you want to be.

Now, even the best of us can act and be below the line, some of the time. The key is to identify this behaviour and take action quickly to move yourself back above it.

What will your choice be?

Until next week, 

Stay healthy and focus on profit! 

 - Hugh 
The “Profit Accelerator” Expert

P.S: Did you know that even tiny improvements of 1-3%, in just 12 fundamental areas of your business could give you 100% and more improvement to your bottom-line? Test out my new Profit Acceleration Simulator^TM  and discover the true impact of a conservative estimate of strategic initiatives on your business and see for yourself. (https://streetsmartsmba.pro/simulator)

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