Weekly Thought – July 15, 2014

Fred believed we have much to learn from our enemies.  He also believed we are known by not only the friends, but also our enemies.  He also believed in external and internal opposition.  “Sometimes we are our own worst enemy.”

Please pray for BWFLI as we establish the campus schedule for the next two years.  We look forward to seeing where the Lord takes the teams of leading men and women.

Overcoming, not Overwhelming

Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan tells the story of Christian and his trek to the Celestial City.  Along the way are the City of Delight and the Valley of Despair.  He starts on his way, determined to persevere, but the enemies actively pursue him.  Successful perseverance comes by overcoming the enemies cleverly disguised, and customized to fit each traveler and each situation.

Many of our obstacles may be external, but the most serious are generally internal.  When I was a director of the S.H Kress Company, I visited the stores and asked the manager about his problems.  If he described them as externally driven, I doubted his managerial capabilities.  If he discussed the internal problems, I knew we had a manager with potential for progress.  This manager defined situations he could do something about.  Certainly, there were external threats, but most were out of his control.

Each step of the perseverance process comes back to building good mental disciplines.  Fighting the enemies of endurance requires good habits.  Start with a reflex, and then train it into a habit.  Habits are our friends.     (more…)

Weekly Thought – July 1, 2014

Fred loved watermelon!  After he went on dialysis he reduced his fluid intake dramatically.  But summertime watermelons were his nemesis.  A dear friend, Ed Yates, figured out how to make watermelon pie which delighted Fred.  Ed once said, “Put enough whipped cream on anything and it tastes great.”  Each July 4th Fred remembered his days of chicken and watermelon eating contests.

On this holiday week, we celebrate the freedom to practice our faith.  At the Breakfast With Fred Leadership Institute, we gratefully acknowledge the privilege to connect with Christian colleges and universities.

Never Panic

Since childhood I have been interested in automobile racing.  I am fascinated by the driver’s ability to hit the wall and yet steer his car through the traffic into the infield.  He doesn’t quit unless he is unconscious.  He fights to minimize the loss and avoid deadly pileups.  Panic means giving in to the circumstances and giving up all control.  The racer’s rule: keep as much control as possible.

We handle the urge to panic differently.  1) Some are hysterical; explode like a Roman candle, going all to pieces with their hands in the air, mouths wide open, and eyes tightly shut. 2) Others deny loss and assume the ostrich position.  The downside of this stance: those who put their heads in the sand leave an awful lot of backside exposed.  And, people love to kick it. 3) Fatalists placidly surrender to the circumstances, like my friend who convinced himself plane crashes come in threes.  When one occurred, he waited for the next two before flying again.  He created a fatalistic formula that controlled his life.

May I give you a word or two on fatalism?  Sadly, there are those who believe you can’t get comfortable with good things because bad quickly and certainly follows.  They see life as a set of scales which balance between triumph and tragedy.  The illogical extension of this thinking is the warped view that God is poised in vindictive mode, poised for the scales to tip to the “gotcha” side.    (more…)

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…)

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…)