I’m reminded of a favorite little story about a career naval officer who finally got his four stripes, became a captain, and then was given command of a giant battleship.

While on maneuvers in the Atlantic, during the darkest part of the night, the officer of the deck was cautiously piloting the warship through fog-shrouded waters. With straining eyes he scanned the hazy darkness, searching for dangers lurking just out of sight, when his worst fears were realized. There in front of them was bright light straight ahead on a collision course with the ship.

The sleeping captain was immediately summoned from his quarters to the bridge and told about a signal light in the distance. To avert disaster he quickly told the signalman, “Signal them to bear ten degrees starboard.” To the captain’s amazement however, the foggy image did not move, but instead, sent back a signal saying, “Bear ten degrees starboard.”

Appalled at the audacity of the message, the indignant captain, insulted by the blatant refusal to respect his rank as a commander of a battleship, the biggest thing afloat, and the pride of the fleet said, “Signal that light again and tell them that this Captain orders them to bear ten degrees starboard now.”

A second time the oncoming light did not budge. “With all due respect, Captain,” came the signal again, “I am a Seaman First Class and I order you to alter your course immediately ten degrees starboard!”

Angered and frustrated that this impudent sailor would endanger the lives of his men and crew, the captain signaled back, “Seaman, I can have you court-martialed for this! For the last time, I command you on the authority of the United States government to alter your course ten degrees starboard! I am a battleship!”

The seaman’s final transmission was chilling: “Captain, sir. Once again with all due respect, I command you to alter your course ten degrees starboard! I am a lighthouse!” The battleship moved.

Just as the Captain of the battleship, people all through the world often find themselves faced with changing and unknown conditions, resulting from circumstances that are often brought on by things beyond their control. And In the twinkling of an eye, they are left to deal with a notion that everything they know is wrong.

At such moments, the need to change one’s thinking is critical. As it is often the flexible individual, in good times or bad, who rises to the top and history is replete with examples showing how those who changed and adapted to the new market conditions were the one’s who ultimately achieved success.

Simply clinging to the seeming success formulas in one era, and expecting them to work in all times, often leads to ruin. We must first accept that we are infallible and are not the fount of all wisdom because it is often our pride or ego that prevents us from the harsh acceptance of reality. Thus, the long proclaimed warning that pride goeth before a fall.

Instead of letting selfish personal vanity get in the way of success, we need to step back and consider how things operate now. Periodic reassessment of current practices, and the possible changes in the world and business climate, is a healthy exercise for anyone. It’s especially important when change is taking place all around you.

But be prepared to admit that everything you know is wrong. It could be the first step toward making your life and business turn out right.

A man found a cocoon of an emperor moth. He took it home so that he could watch the moth come out of the cocoon.

On the day a small opening appeared, he sat and watched the moth for several hours as the moth struggled to force the body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it could go no farther. It just seemed to be stuck.

Then the man, in his kindness, decided to help the moth, so he took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The moth then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the moth because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the little moth spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the moth to get through the tiny opening was the way of forcing fluid from the body of the moth into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Freedom and flight would only come after the struggle. By depriving the moth of a struggle, he deprived the moth of health.

As a caring society, we are called to rescue the perishing and to provide a helping hand to the brother in need. Yet unfettered compassion can actually do more harm than the intended good if it results in a careless cutting of one’s natural cocoon.

Sometimes in our interventions, we ignorantly interfere with Providence’s design. There are some burdens that shouldn’t be carried for others and in some cases. It can actually be an unloving act to help those who are able to help themselves, because we actually allow them to remain immature and weak. Professional counselors and addiction groups refer to this innocuous behavior as “enabling” because it insidiously allows an individual to take freedom from the consequences of choice or the physical restrictions destined to make them free.

It is an interesting balancing act that requires a great deal of wisdom to ensure that people are allowed to emerge from their cocoons and become what Providence intended.

God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; courage to change the things I can; and wisdom to know the difference.

Strength does not come from physical capacity, it comes from an indomitable will.
Mahatma Gandhi

Destruction’s path has ended
Strewn with chaos and debris
Mournful desolation
Is all the world can see

We will rise among the ashes
Our spirits pushing free
Past all life’s disappointments
As we strive for unity

Atop a mound of rubble
Look closely and you’ll see
A tiny little seedling
Struggling to be free

The drive for life was planted
For life is meant to be
Ever moving forward
In pursuit of liberty

Flowers grow and they remind us
Of nature’s plan for you and me
To conquer all life’s challenges
In the quest for us to be

We will rise among the ashes
Our spirits pushing free
Past all life’s disappointments
As we strive for unity

© 2007 Thomas H. Fairbanks
 

A modern day little red hen may not sound like or appear to be a quotable authority on economics but then some authorities aren’t worth quoting….

About a year ago I imposed a little poetry on you. It was called “The Incredible Bread Machine” and made a lot of sense with reference to matters economic. You didn’t object too much so having gotten away with it once I’m going to try again. This is a little treatise on basic economics called “The Modern Little Red Hen.”

Once upon a time there was a little red hen who scratched about the barnyard until she uncovered some grains of wheat. She called her neighbors and said ‘If we plant this wheat, we shall have bread to eat. Who will help me plant it?’

“Not I, ” said the cow.

“Not I,” said the duck.

“Not I,” said the pig.

“Not I,” said the goose.

“Then I will,” said the little red hen. And she did. The wheat grew tall and ripened into golden grain. “Who will help me reap my wheat?” asked the little red hen.

“Not I,” said the duck.

“Out of my classification,” said the pig.

“I’d lose my seniority,” said the cow.

“I’d lose my unemployment compensation,” said the goose.

“Then I will,” said the little red hen, and she did.

At last the time came to bake the bread. “Who will help me bake bread?” asked the little red hen.

“That would be overtime for me,” said the cow.

“I’d lose my welfare benefits,” said the duck.

“I’m a dropout and never learned how,” said the pig.

“If I’m to be the only helper, that’s discrimination,” said the goose.

“Then I will,” said the little red hen.

She baked five loaves and held them up for the neighbors to see. They all wanted some and, in fact, demanded a share. But the little red hen said, “No, I can eat the five loaves myself.”

“Excess profits,” cried the cow.

“Capitalist leech,” screamed the duck.

“I demand equal rights,” yelled the goose.

And the pig just grunted.

 And they painted “unfair” picket signs and marched round and around the little red hen shouting obscenities.

When the government agent came, he said to the little red hen, “You must not be greedy.”

“But I earned the bread,” said the little red hen.

“Exactly,” said the agent. “That’s the wonderful free enterprise system. Anyone in the barnyard can earn as much as he wants. But under our modern government regulations productive workers must divide their products with the idle.”

And they lived happily ever after, including the little red hen, who smiled and clucked, “I am grateful, I am grateful.” But her neighbors wondered why she never again baked any more bread.

This is Ronald Reagan. Thanks for listening.
Radio Broadcast Aired November 16, 1976

This modern day parable seemingly reflects the human tnedencies Arnold H Glasow so elloquently warns us about, “Expecting something for nothing is the most popular form of hope” and “All some folks want is their fair share and yours.” 

When Allan Bellamy returned home from the Korean War, his mother invited him to join her in a “Mom & Pop” grocery store. Allan says that it was so small that when you opened the front door it bumped against the meat counter – which was located at the back door. Business was good – real good for Allan and his mother in Pine Bluff Arkansas. (Not surprising as any mother who can raiser her family from the dirt floor of a tent, when left on her own during the depression, and give them an education, has a lot going for her.)

A salesman told Allan that it was madness to buy neck bones for 15 cents a pound and sell them for 10 cents, but Allan reassured him it was all right because he was the “Mad Butcher” and the name became his permanent attachment. Allan says he was raised on the “someday we’ll make it big” philosophy and wasn’t the least bit bashful about talking to the banker about a loan to expand the store. With limited capital and unlimited enthusiasm he persuaded the bank to loan them $95,000 to build a supermarket. Opening day was chaotic and highly successful, in spite of the rain on the unpaved parking lot.

His business grew and prospered, and then word leaked out that Pine Bluff, Arkansas was the place to build a supermarket. During the next six months, ten major chain competitors opened a store in the area. Every opening took a little more of the Mad Butcher’s business. Pretty soon Allan was doing less business in the big store than he had in the little one; and things looked pretty bleak. Then Allan and four of his people signed up for a public speaking course which placed considerable emphasis on the right mental attitude. The fifth session was on enthusiasm which is, after all, an attitude. After that night Allan decided he and his people would be five times more enthusiastic as ever before. Now everyone knew he was mad. His customers were met at the door with an enthusiastic welcome and the entire attitude from top to bottom and front to back changed dramatically – and so did the results. In just four weeks the business jumped from $15,000 per week to $30,000 per week – and the business hasn’t fallen below that amount ever since.

Pine Bluff did not suddenly increase its population nor did the competitors close their doors, although several have since thrown in the towel. The only change was the addition of enthusiasm. Since it worked so well on a temporary basis, Allan decided to leave it in permanently. Since that date, the Mad Butcher has expanded into multiple successful stores. In 1974, in the face if a declining economy, The Mad Butcher, Inc. had the largest dollar and percentage increase in its history.

The enthusiasm was so contagious that personnel turnover was practically zero. Since people are the prime reason for any business success or failure, Alan Bellamy – The Mad Butcher – is enthusiastically in the people building business. He believes - as most successful business people - that if you build your people, your people will build your business.

Zig Ziglar – See you at the Top

Zig Ziglar provides us with a good example in the following story: Mr. B was not satisfied with the way things were going in his company, so he called a meeting and announced, “We have to get organized. I’ve noticed that some of you come to work late and some of you leave early. Some of you do not even accept full responsibility of your jobs. As President of the company I am going to do something about it. From now on, I will be here early, I will stay late. In everything I do, I intend to be an example and you’ll be expected to follow it. We have a great company with a positive future if everyone will simply do there best.”

Mr. B’s intentions were good, but a few days later he became engrossed in a conversation during a luncheon and forgot about the time. When he finally realized that he would be late getting back to the office, he made a mad dash for the parking lot, jumped into his car and sped off. As he was traveling down the freeway at about 90 miles per hour, he was pulled over by the highway patrol and given a tongue lashing along with a rather expensive ticket.

Mr. B was furious. Muttering to himself, he said, “Here I am a peaceful, tax-paying, law-abiding citizen, minding my own business, when this guy comes along and give me a ticket, when he should be out looking for the criminals. This just isn’t fair, just because I was going a little fast doesn’t mean I was reckless. This is ridiculous.”

Averting attention from the fact that he was late, Mr. B called his sales manager in, when he got back to the office, for a conference. Angrily, he asked if the Armstrong sale had been finalized. The sales manager reluctantly replied, “Mr. B, I don’t know what happened but we lost the sale.” Now, if you think Mr. B was upset before, you should have seen him now. He hit the ceiling as he read the “riot act” to the sales manager. “You know, I’ve had you on the payroll for eighteen years, during that time, I’ve depended on you to produce business. Now, at last, we have am opportunity to make the big deal that would have enabled us to expand out product line, and what do you do? You blow it. Well, you are either going to replace that business, or I’m going to replace you. Just because you have been here fro eighteen years doesn’t; mean you have a lifetime contract.” Oh boy, he was really upset.

But, if you think Mr. B was upset, you should have seen his sales manager. He charged out of the office muttering under his breath. “This is really something. For 18 years I’ve given this company 100% of effort. I’m the one responsible for the success and growth of the company because I’m the one who creates all of the new business. I’m the one who holds this company together and keeps it functioning. Mr. B is just a figurehead. This company would go down the tube in nothing flat if it weren’t for me. Now just because I miss one sale, he threatens to fire me. This just isn’t right.”

Still muttering to himself, he calls his secretary in and demands, “Did you finish those five letters I gave you this morning?” She said, “No, don’t you remember, you told me the Hillard account took precedence over everything else? That’s what I have been doing.” The sales manager exploded. “Don’t give me any lousy excuses. I told you I wanted those letters out, and if you can’t get them out, I’ll get someone who can. Just because you have been here for seven years doesn’t mean you have a lifetime contract. I want those letters mail today.” Oh, was he ever upset.

But if you think he was upset, you should have seen the secretary. She blew her stack as she stomped out of the sale manager’s office mumbling to herself. “How about that? For seven years I’ve give this job my very best. Hundreds of hours of overtime work and never a dime in overtime pay. I do more work than any three people around here. As a matter of fact, I’m really the one who keeps this company together. Now, just because I can’t do two things at the same time, he threatens to fire me. This just isn’t right. Besides, with all the things I know about him, who does he think he’s kidding?”

The secretary then walked out to the receptionist and said, “I have some letters I want you to type. Now, I know that ordinarily this isn’t your job, but you don’t do anything anyway except sit here and occasionally answer the telephone. Besides, this is an emergency and I want these letters mailed today. If you can’t get them, let me know and I’ll get somebody who can.” Oh the secretary was upset and she let everyone know it.

But if you think the secretary was upset, you should have seen the receptionist. She just about hit the ceiling. “This is really something,” she said, “Here I am, the hardest working member of the staff and the lowest paid. I have to do four things at once and they don’t do a thing in the back but drink coffee, gossip and talk on the telephone. Every time they get behind they call on me to bail them out. It just isn’t fair. This garbage about replacing me is really a joke because I’m the only one who has any idea about what is going on around here. If it hadn’t been for me the company would have gone down the tube long ago. Not only that, but they know that they couldn’t find anyone to do my work at twice my salary.” She got the letters out, but she was really burning as she did.

When the receptionist got home, she was still fuming. She walked into the house, slammed the door and proceeded into the den. The first thing she saw was her 12-year-old son lying on the floor watching television. The second thing she saw was a big rip across the seat of his pants. Angrily she cried, “Son how many times have I told you to put on your play clothes when you come home from school? I have a hard enough time as it is supporting you, sending you through school and running this entire household. Now, you go upstairs right now. There’s going to be no dinner for you tonight and no television for the next three weeks.” Oh, she was upset.

But if you think she was upset, you should have seen her 12-year-old son. He stomped out of the den saying, “This isn’t fair. I was doing something for mother, but she didn’t even give me a chance to explain what happened. It was an accident, and could have happened to anybody.”

About that time the family cat walked in front of him, which proved to be a mistake. The boy kisks with his foot, catching the cat and sends it flying out into another room as he says, “You get out of here! You’ve probably up to no good yourself.”

Zig Ziglar points out that the cat was the only principle involved in the series of events that could not have altered the events. He concludes the story with this one simple question, “Wouldn’t it have been much better if Mr. B had just gone directly from the luncheon to the receptionist’s house and kicked that cat for himself?

Maybe a far more important question is, “Whose cat have you been kicking?”

“I’m in real trouble” he says. “My neighbors across the road are going on vacation for a month; and instead of boarding their dogs they are going to keep them locked up and a woman is coming to feed them, if she doesn’t forget. Meanwhile they’ll be lonely and bark all day and howl all night, and I won’t be able to sleep. I’ll either have to call the SPCA to haul them away or I’ll go berserk and go over there and shoot them and then when my neighbors return, they’ll go berserk and come over and shoot me.

Patting a delicate yawn the lawyer says: “Let me tell you a story, and don’t stop me if you’ve heard it because it will do you good to hear it again.”

“A fellow was speeding down a country road late at night and BANG! He blows out a tire. When he gets out and looks in the trunk of his car he discovers that he has no jack.

“Thinking to himself he says, ‘Well, I’ll just walk to the nearest farmhouse and borrow a jack.’ Looking down the road he sees a light in the distance and says, ‘I’m in luck; the farmer’s still up. I’ll just go down and knock on the door and say I’m in trouble; would you please lend me a jack? And he’ll say, why sure, neighbor, help yourself, but bring it back.’

“As he walks on a little farther the light goes out and he says to himself, ‘Great, now he’s gone to bed, and he’ll be annoyed because I’m bothering him so he’ll probably want some money for his jack. And I’ll say, all right, it isn’t very neighborly but I’ll give you a dollar. ‘

“And he’ll say, do you think you can get me out of bed in the middle of the night and then offer me a dollar? Give me five dollars or get yourself a jack somewhere else.’

“By the time he gets to the farmhouse the fellow had worked himself into a lather. He turns into the gate muttering. ‘Five dollars! All right, I’ll give you five dollars. But not a cent more! A poor soul has an accident and all he needs is a jack. You probably won’t let me have one no matter what I give you. That’s the kind of guy you are.’

“He soon finds himself at front the door pounding angrily. The farmer sticks his head out the window above the door and hollers down, ‘Who’s there? What do you want?’ The fellow stops pounding on the door and yells up, ‘You and your stupid jack!’”

When the man stops laughing, he starts thinking, and asks, “Is that what I’ve been doing?” “Yup,” says the attorney, “and you’d be surprised how many people immediately go to a lawyer for advice, and instead of calmly stating the facts, they start building up a big imaginary fight; what he’ll say to his partner, what she’ll say to her husband, or how they’ll tell the Old Man off about his will. So when they come to me I simply tell them the story about the jack and pretty soon they cool off.

“The next time I hear from them, one tells me that the partner was glad to meet him halfway; the gal says she can’t understand it, her husband was so reasonable she thought she must have gotten somebody else on the phone; the relatives found out the Old Man had already been asking a lawyer how he could give everything to them before he died, to save them inheritance tax.”

The man thinks about it for a moment and says, “How true! Most of us go through life bumping into obstacles we could easily bypass; spoiling for a fight and lashing out in blind rages at fancied wrongs and imaginary foes.”

“And we don’t even realize what we are doing until someone startles us one day with a vivid word like a lightning flash on a dark night.”

Not long after his discussion, he is driving home from the city. He’s late for dinner and hadn’t phoned his wife. As he crawls along in a long line of cars, he becomes more and more frustrated and angry. “I’ll tell her I was caught in the heavy weekend traffic”, he thinks and then he imagines that she’ll say, “Why didn’t you phone me before you left town?”

“Planning his defense he says to himself, ‘What difference does it make anyway, I’m here!’ He then considers her response, ‘Yes, and I’m here, too, and I’ve been here all day waiting to hear from you!’ Ready with his response he thinks, ‘I suppose I haven’t anything else to do but call you up every hour on the hour and make like a lovebird!’ Knowing that she’ll reply, ‘You mean like a wolf, but you certainly wouldn’t be calling me!’

By this time he’s turning into his driveway he has worked himself up into another lather. Just as he jumps out of the car and slams the door, his wife throws open the window upstairs.

“All right!” he shouts up to her, “Say it!”

“I will,” she softly coos, “Wanna borrow a jack?”

Author Unknown

I’ve learned—that you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I’ve learned—that we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I’ve learned—that either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I’ve learned—that regardless of how hot and steamy a relationship is at first, the passion fades and there had better be something else to take its place.

I’ve learned—that heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I’ve learned—that money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I’ve learned—that my best friend and I can do anything or nothing together and have the best time.

I’ve learned—that sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you’re down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I’ve learned—that sometimes when I’m angry, I have the right to be angry, but that doesn’t give me the right to be cruel.

I’ve learned—that true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I’ve learned—that just because someone doesn’t love you the way you want them to doesn’t mean they don’t love you with all they have.

I’ve learned—that maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you’ve had and what you’ve learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you’ve celebrated.

I’ve learned—that you should never tell a child their dreams are unlikely or outlandish. Few things are more humiliating, and what a tragedy it would be if they believed it.

I’ve learned—that your family won’t always be there for you. It may seem funny, but people you aren’t related to can take care of you and love you and teach you to trust people again. Families aren’t necessarily biological.

I’ve learned—that no matter how good a friend is, they’re going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I’ve learned—that it isn’t always enough to be forgiven by others. Sometimes you are to learn to forgive yourself.

I’ve learned—that no matter how badly your heart is broken the world doesn’t stop for your grief.

I’ve learned—that our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I’ve learned—that just because two people argue, it doesn’t mean they don’t love each other And just because they don’t argue, it doesn’t mean they do.

I’ve learned—that we don’t have to change friends, if we understand that friends change.

I’ve learned—that you shouldn’t be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I’ve learned—that two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I’ve learned—that no matter how you try to protect your children, they will eventually get hurt and you will hurt in the process.

I’ve learned—that your life can be changed in a matter of hours, by people who don’t even know you.

I’ve learned—that even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you, you can find the strength to help.

I’ve learned—that credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.

I’ve learned—that the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon.

I’ve learned—that it’s hard to determine where to draw the line between being nice and not hurting people’s feelings and standing up for what you believe.

I’ve learned—that you can keep going long after you can’t.

I’ve learned—that you should always leave loved ones with loving words. It may be the last time you see them.

I’ve learned—that it’s taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

BUT I’M LEARNING . . . .

Author Unknown 

Candid Conversations with Great Americans, co-produced with Bryan Hickox, a 45-year television veteran, will profile influential people who may or may not be familiar to most Americans. Representatives from a variety of fields: sports, business, politics, the military and the arts, each one sharing their deep and personal values that order their lives and provide for their success.

The concept was derived from the personal background of co-producer Matt Daniels, whose father abandoned his family when he was two years old and shortly thereafter his mother was left a disabled from a violent crime. Left without any positive male role model in his life, Daniels sought and discovered role models outside his family who taught him the noble ideals and aspirations that led to his success.

Beiler believes, “a lot of people have role models in their lives, but no positive ones. We’re re raising a generation of kids without parents who are becoming parents themselves. And many of them are not ready for the responsibility of being a parent. These kids need to see role models who have integrity and a sense of morality.”

Steve Notestine, another backer of the series, says that Americans used to see more examples of this kind of character analysis in the media. Even though there are plenty of programs that mention character today, not nearly enough of them describe and depict what these character traits are. After all, there is a big difference between studying a list of good character traits and learning them from the example of a real life personality.

Donald “Bubba Cathy, senior vice president of Chick-fil-A and a fervent support of the series concurs. “The American people need to hear more about the people behind the faces.” Hopefully, this series will give us an opportunity to explore what made some of these great Americans who they are and what gave them the drive to do good.

To view the pilot preview with General Norman Schwarzkopf visit http://www.greatamericans.com/

The above was adapted from Philanthropy September/October 2006

Countless biographies reveal this one fact: Those who have accomplished and achieved great things spent considerable time in dreaming, hoping, wishing, desiring, planning and preparing before they achieved their desired purposes.

The story is told of a woman who rushed up to the famed violinist Fritz Kreisler after a concert and said, “I’d give anything to play as beautifully as you do!” Kreisler looked at the woman and said, “No, you wouldn’t!” The embarrassment the woman indignantly replied, “I would, too give anything to play the violin as you do.” Then Kreisler said, “You’d give anything to play as I do, except time—except the one thing it takes to accomplish the fact. You wouldn’t sit and practice, hour after hour, day after day, month after month, year after year.”

It has also been said that, “everything has a tradeoff”. To get something we want in life almost always seems to require us to give up something else. A father may have to postpone (tradeoff) completing an assignment in exchange for attending a child’s baseball game or band concert. The preparations for future retirement may require the investment (tradeoff) of the money that could be used to pay for a newer car, nicer home or other luxuries. The ability to perform well, as a musician or student, may require the tradeoff a fun night out for the possibility of a successful future performance.

Indeed, all of life is a tradeoff, especially for those who are already busy, as tradeoffs often come in the form of a sacrifice. There just is not enough time to do everything we ought to, or should do. Not to mention everything we are expected to do. When we are observant, we find ourselves making tradeoffs everyday, because everything we choose to do is a choice NOT to do something else.

Some tradeoffs are worth making, the real question is, was the tradeoff you made this week for something else you believe in worth it?