Something Smells Funky!

The nose knows.

In the third installment of my “keep your body parts fit” series, I’m tackling olifactory intuition. I just made that phrase up.

But basically what it means is that if something smells funky in business or in life, the chances are pretty good that it IS funky. I’ve lived through more than a few situations over the years when I just sensed that something was a little rotten (like that yogurt that’s been in your fridge a few days past expiration, but you can’t help but try that spoonful, only to discover it IS nasty). But my heart overrode my nasal passages sometimes, and then I ended up getting burned.

But you can’t go through life throwing out yogurt (metaphorically, of course). So, how do you know if something is really rotten in the state of Denmark?

• Look for patterns. Is the thing you’re suspecting just a one-off or have you seen something similar before?
• Ask around. For example, if you’re hiring a new staff member or vendor, be sure to thoroughly check references. And dig as deep as you can. People with bad stuff in their pasts get very good at hiding it.
• Make Google your best friend. I once ignored something rotten I found online, but it turned out to all be true. Yes…the web contains a lot of fiction, but you can sometimes find clues there too. (Can you tell I was named after Nancy Drew?)
• Trust your gut. And your shnozzola.

And please remember to eat that yogurt before it expires!