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…)

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…)

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…)