The Benefit of Failure

Weekly Thought – June 24, 2014

Fred and Mary Alice were married 67 years. Their life together began on June 25, 1937. They rented a room from an older woman and lived there saving money and setting their course. They never lived beyond their means, always choosing to save half their income. Their family has grown to 3 adult children, 2 dear in-laws, 6 grandchildren, and 13 great grandchildren. We remember this marriage with gratitude.

Would you like to be part of a discussion group centered around Leading with Integrity? It would be a 4-5 week commitment using either teleconference or skype formats. If so, please contact us via the Breakfast With Fred group on Facebook, the Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute page on Facebook or emailing brenda@breakfastwithfred.com

The Benefit of Failure

Every multi-millionaire I know has suffered failure. Mike Todd, the movie mogul, was once asked if he had ever been poor. “No, but I have been broke two or three times.” Broke was a temporary financial condition; poor was a mental condition. Most of America’s poverty cannot be solved by throwing money at it. We are distressed by poverty of the spirit, not just the pocketbook.

Financial reversals often impact self-image, and the desire to accomplish. In reflecting on my upbringing, the thought struck me – we didn’t know we were as poor as we were. Our family focused on the art of living, not the standard of living. (more…)

Day by Day

Weekly Thought – June 17, 2014

Fred read slowly and carefully. He carefully digested every line, writing notes in the margins of all his books. Fred perused books for key ideas often outlining them on the inside cover so reviews could be made without rereading. He believed reading, travel, and association were keys to personal and professional success.

Fred’s book Leading With Integrity is a practical approach to a critical topic. An attractive packet of Integrity Cards is now available for a gift of $10 or more to BWF. For more information, please contact Brenda@breakfastwithfred.com They make a great platform for individual or group study.

Day by Day

Life has thrown you a curve and you want to pull the covers over your head. Or maybe you go into a manic “futurism” exercise. The prospects of tomorrow hold much more appeal than the painful realities of today. Where does perseverance fit in?

One of the most interesting little books I repeatedly review is A Way of Life by Dr. William Osler. He admonishes us to live in “day-tight compartments.” This tiny volume is a talk delivered to the students at Yale. He addressed them as “fellow students:” to emphasize the life-long search for knowledge. He told them, “When I was attending the Montreal General Hospital, much worried as to the future, partly about the final examination, partly as to what I should afterwards, I picked up a volume of Carlyle and saw ;Our business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand. It was the starting point of a habit that has enabled me to utilize to the full the simple talent entrusted to me.” Osler showed me today is my only day. (more…)

Time to Repot?

Weekly Thought – June 10, 2014

Fred once said he likes to think of his one-liners and visual descriptions as handles on ideas. Without a handle it is impossible to pass a hot pot from one place to another. He appreciated other thinkers who enabled others get their arms around helpful concepts. Peter Drucker influenced him greatly.

Thank you for supporting the legacy of Fred Smith, Sr. Your encouragement consistently brightens our hearts.

Time to Repot?

Peter Drucker’s power phrase, “repotting,” aptly describes the action of uprooting and continuing growth in another environment. It brilliantly captures the process of changing careers in the middle of life.

I am not a gardener, but Mary Alice loves to plan flowers. I noticed her moving a perfectly good plant from a perfectly good pot to a larger one. Ever curious, I asked her why she would spend the time and money to do that. “It has outgrown the old pot and needs more room for the roots to expand.” That is precisely what my friend Peter is saying.

When things are going great, we hesitate to change. But when things come to a standstill, it may be the best alternative. Your roots may need more room to grow.

Before repotting, take a personal inventory. Think about your gifts, talents, and satisfactions. Peter talks about young people who make the mistake of being driven by their craving for a luxury car, or a status lifestyle. They graduate, choosing whichever direction gives them the most money, the fastest. Taking this direction strictly for material gain will ultimately end in dissatisfaction. The lifestyle grabs and owns them. They hang on for dear life, heading down the wrong road at breakneck speed. (more…)

Direction Matters

Weekly Thought – June 3, 2014

Fred responded to questions about goal setting with the comment: “Direction is more critical than goals. They are the mileposts, but not the destination.” He often asked people, “Are you satisfied with the direction you are going?”

The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute will be hosting conversations with millennials to uncover what they want and need from us. Over these last 10 campus visits in six years we have heard repeatedly, “We need to be with you all.” If you want to engage in these conversations, please let us know. Leave us a message on our Facebook page, email us at brenda@breakfastwithfred.com, or tweet.

Direction Matters

Perseverance in the wrong direction is as foolish as dedicated incompetence. It reminds me of the two men traveling down the road. One said, “Aren’t we going in the wrong direction?” “Yes, but we are making such good time, I hate to turn around,” was the response.

Troubled paths require the right direction. Life issues like a lot job, broken relationship, child with problems, a disease that forever changes the way we face the future all prove we need a strong mind, and a clear direction. They are essentials, not luxuries. But we need to accept direction may be one step at a time, not a bold stride. Forward movement in the proper direction is the goal.

When circumstances necessitate reevaluation, it is key to re-set goals in light of “current reality.” This is one of the crucial principles of my life. I always told our children to keep current on their facts. A map company uses the phrase, “Don’t drive today with yesterday’s map.” Current thinking protects us from “might have been” living. Fantasy and regret are stumbling block for perseverance. We endure and hold strong in the “what is.” (more…)

Back to Basics

Weekly Thought – May 27, 2014

Fred consistently brought our thinking back to basics. He believed in simplicity. His mentor Maxey Jarman taught him the power of the pen for clarifying thoughts. If you can’t write it, you aren’t quite conversant with the idea.

Our Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute season is complete for 2014. We are in preparation for 2015. Please join us in prayer for the teams to assemble, financial and prayer support develop, and the doors open which will promote “stretching and blessing the next generation of leaders…to the glory of God.” As an intergenerational ministry of connection, we see God’s linkage between the millennials and the builders.

Back to Basics

Trouble opens our mind; perseverance opens us to learn. Enduring isn’t natural, but we can train our emotional and mental reflexes. Hanging tough can become a habit.

Tensile strength is the greatest degree of stress possible to bear without breaking apart. The critical dimension of this measurement is the point where the substance still bends, but does not deform. Bridges have load limits and we do, too. Many times we don’t know how much we can handle until we’re called upon to test our strength. Scripture confidently tells us God is with us through the most difficult of stresses. He is the ultimate structural engineer.

We must distinguish between patience and perseverance. One is passive; the other active. Certainly, there are times when we must be patient. There are times when we can do nothing but survive. But perseverance involves action. My friend, All-America, All-Pro Bill Glass, played 22 years of football without serious injury. He attributes this to the fact he was always so aggressive. “The man who gets run over generally gets hurt worse than the guy who is doing the running down,” he says. (more…)

Pressing On

Weekly Thought – May 20, 2014

Fred regarded himself as “delightfully dependent,” in his bed-bound years “I wish I could take a walk” were words spoken without bitterness. He always said, “If you can do something about it, you have a problem. If you can’t, it is a face of life.” His immobility was just that – a fact of life. But he persevered.

The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute is initiating a research project in conjunction with a Southern California group, studying millennials. Research shows that generation connects with those who are 70+. We will begin studying what they want from the connections, best communications systems, and conversational methods.

Pressing On

We live in troubled times. Trouble takes us back to the basics and opens our minds. Perseverance is one life’s fundamentals.
The composer/musician Rod McKuen wrote: “Talent is never enough in any field. It must be coupled with perseverance and recognition.” Effort varies more than talent. Those who lose their tenacity generally lose their position in life.

The great merchant, J.C .Penney believed,” Self-denial is the basic requirement for accomplishment in any field of endeavor. Success comes only to those who will follow the hard road, rather than the paths of ease and pleasure. The road to success is open to those who persevere.

As a boy, Isadore of Seville struggled with his lessons. Doing badly in school, he ran away. He sat down to rest beside a little spring that trickled over a rock. He noticed the great erosion caused by the small droplets of water. Right there, he decided to resume his studies, knowing even his small drops of water could wear away the big rock of education. He became one of the finest scholars of his day. His biographer said, “Those drops of water gave to Spain one of her greatest historians.” Job 14:19 reinforces this principle: “The water wears away the stone.” (more…)

Reverence

Weekly Thought – May 13, 2014

Fred demonstrated a deep reverence for God. His upbringing in the home of a Southern Baptist preacher gave him a Scriptural foundation which was enhanced by his personal relationship through Jesus. He and Mary Alice instilled great respect for the things of God into their three children.

May is the month of graduation. It is a time to pray for the students, faculty, and staff members of our colleges. We especially remember those who have hosted a Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute event: Houston Baptist University, Dallas Baptist University, Lindsey Wilson College, Alice Lloyd College, Emmaus Bible College, LeTourneau University, Asbury University, East Texas Baptist University, Palm Beach Atlantic University, and Taylor University. May these graduates take the power of God throughout the world changing lives and workplaces.

Reverence

I was once known as the man who did “crooked thinking on the straight and narrow.” I guess I did “out of the box thinking” before that concept was even created. In this light, I want to offer a verse which seems strange as a basis for reverence: “How can you say you love God you haven’t seen if you don’t love your brother you have seen?”

Here’s the Smith take on this verse. How can you revere the Creator if you don’t revere His creation? I hear speakers pontificate about reverence for the God then turn around and totally disrespect those He created.

One night I was visiting with Norman Cousins. He told me about a visit to Dr. Albert Schweitzer in Lamberene. As they walked up the hill to his modest house, a hen and her little chicks walked in front of them. Dr. Schweitzer took off his hat, bowed, and said, “Congratulations, my dear, I didn’t know it would be so soon.” His reverence for God’s creatures is great cause for admiration. (more…)

The Necessity of Urgency

Weekly Thought – May 6, 2014

Fred said, “I have never felt pressured by time.” He refused to give in to the press of extraneous demands which took control of his life. He clearly defined his schedule. This did not mean he lacked a sense of urgency. In fact, his ability to prioritize and to take action marked his life. He once asked pro athlete Craig Morton what it takes to be a great quarterback. His answer, “The ability to relax under fire.”

Sharing these bits of Fred-thought each week is a joy and a blessing. Thank you for your continual support and encouragement. We enjoy being part of your Tuesdays and hope the wisdom strengthens you.

The Necessity of Urgency

If you lack a sense of urgency, then you must have nothing important in your life.

Some of my retired friends tell me a problem they face is the flattening out of their priority list — everything becomes equally important. One of the great motivations of life is that things have to be done at a certain time and in a certain way… you develop urgency around them. Without this, you lose zest in life. The study saying executive men have a life expectancy of 19 months past retirement reflects the lack of urgency. Retirees who engage in activities which allow them to insert urgency and prioritization into their lives out live the charts.

It is critical to discipline our urgency. This is the difference between healthy drive and panic which is one of the unhealthiest of our emotions. My entire life I have tried to live with the maxim: “Don’t panic.” This allows me the freedom to operate in tight situations with clarity.

I remember having prepared very intensely for a talk to the Texas Bankers’ Convention. The evening before, I reached into my briefcase for the presentation. To my horror, there wasn’t a single piece of paper in there. I realized I left the file in the trunk of my car which was at the dealership for repair and totally unavailable. (more…)

Wonderment

Weekly Thought – April 29, 2014

Fred never tired of learning. He stayed open to seeing life. Even in his older age, he constantly asked questions, pursued wisdom, and explored the corners of his universe.

These Weekly Thoughts are part of our legacy which is the BWF Project, Inc. We began as a way to “relevantly communicate the lifework of Fred Smith, Sr.” The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute is an extension of that mission by focusing on those coming behind. We thank you for your consistent support.

Wonderment

Early one morning I listened to Carlos Fuentes, the South American novelist. He described the heart of a novel as “amazement.” I stay open to this concept all the time – I call it wonderment. It means looking openly at those things which cause within me a sense of awe and worship. Someone has said that the true mark of genius is not creating awe in others, but in being awed.

Most of us have a tendency to be cynical, closed-minded, disinterested, even bored. Concentrating on our knowledge rather than our ignorance, we lose our sense of awe. I like to think of “making friends with my ignorance.” What I do not know is my future playground. I don’t need to compare what I know to others; I need to compare what little I do know to the vast amount I do not. The more we learn, the more we realize we have to learn.

The more you look for wonder, the more you see. It’s a discipline. Too many people get jaded and say, “so what?” That is not the Biblical spirit. The Apostle Paul didn’t say, “so what?” – he said, “so THAT.” Paul had a vision and a sense of wonder in what God was doing. (more…)

Lilt For Life

Weekly Thought -April 22, 2014

Fred saw humor everywhere. He loved word plays, puns, “corn” as well as sophisticated wit. In his later years of incapacitation and immobility, he entertained himself by running a mental catalogue of punch lines. He had hundreds which he held in his stunning memory. He thought of humor as life’s lubricant. He believed too many people were running without enough oil to keep the friction down and the RPMs up.

The Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute at Taylor University is April 24, 25. Your prayer support for the men and women who bring wisdom, joy, and love for Jesus is greatly appreciated.

Lilt For Life

Life needs continual aeration. When it gets heavy, it settles down on us and needs to be lightened up. People should find inspiration and joy in their faith, not just new layers of guilt and condemnation. Jesus said, “I have come that you might have life.” True, Christ came to convict of sin, but the Christian paradox is that in this chaotic, tragic world, we can enjoy a life of adventure and excitement.

Many people live with deep troubles. Someone estimated that about six out of ten of those who sit in church pews have major hurt in their lives. Therefore, I appreciate those speakers, teachers, and pastors who lift people’s spirits with genuine, inspiration and hope. Of course, spiritual aeration must be the “blessed hope.”

The message of God’s grace lets us know we are forgiven, we are free, we have the fellowship of the body of Christ, and an inheritance immortal soul. (more…)

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