Look for the Sore Thumbs

Idioms are expressions whose meaning is not predictable from their usual definition.  If someone spurts, “Boy you stick out like a sore thumb.“ as I did at a recent trade show, it’s not meant to be taken literal, yet it does signify someone notices they are very different from the people or things around them.

 I arrived to set up an industry trade show for the Arizona State Florist Association EXPO in Phoenix.  This is a gathering of flower industry retailers, wholesalers, growers, and manufacturers who meet yearly to trade, learn and network at a one-day event.

Maybe it was the juxtaposition of 105-degree heat outside and then shockingly cold air-conditioning in the event center that jarred my senses and made me aware of them.   In the trade fair area, several tables down from where I was exhibiting, I noticed something that stuck out.  Unlike all the other flower related companies and manufactures was this “sore thumb,” aching to be noticed.  A company that occupies the space of whipping up tasty meals with simple recipes and pre-measured ingredients delivered to your door every week.  I had to check them out.

Not knowing who they were or why they would be exhibiting at this sort of event I was curious.  I am reminded that “curiosity also killed the cat.” So, I approached, cautiously at first, I did not want to get “tangled in their web.”  I introduced myself and asked what their business was and curious about why they would be here. The lead salesperson shared with me that they were invited by the event organizer because she used their service and since she was always too busy to shop at her local market, she knew her fellow florist friends were always short on time, and they too would benefit from this ready to cook meal service. Ah ha!!! I instantly saw the connection and was intrigued. 

It was explained to me using a well-created app, how it all works. Choose what looks delicious. Let the company shop and deliver the meals.  Enjoy all there is to love about cooking and eating without the hassle of shopping and having too many leftovers. Their introductory deal looked too delicious to pass up and I was sold, “hook, line, and sinker” 

The point of this story is simple. Here was an opportunity that this salesperson was offered and who saw the potential to stick out like a “sore thumb.”  What opportunities are you preparing for and are ready to jump on, like a “dog on a bone” especially when “opportunity knocks.”

Gratitude is a Virtue

What do Fortitude, Justice, Gratitude, Prudence and Temperance have in common?  They are the capstone virtues which are taught at a Public Charter School called Liberty Common School in Fort Collins, Colorado.  A consistent, top ten rated school in Colorado run by former Congressmen, the Honorable, Bob Schaffer who help establish this classical focused school.  Mr. Schaffer is now the Headmaster and he e-mailed me one day to ask if I would be interested in speaking on the virtue of Gratitude with the students.at their Lyceum* which would include his 600 Middle and High School Students. 

I was honored to be asked to do.  As a Toastmaster, I was both fearful and grateful for the opportunity.  Fearful because I knew these kids were good listeners and learners and they would be listening with a critical ear.  Grateful for the opportunity and the experience of sharing the virtue of Gratitude with these students.

It took several weeks to prepare, practice and polish my speech.  I knew I had a good formula when I gathered stories and experiences that I thought would connect with the students and be relevant to their lives.  I included a challenge and a call to action at the end of my presentation that I thought would give the students something to think about and perhaps even do.

I arrived on the appointed day a few hours early so I could take a tour of the school and ask my student escorts lots of questions while visiting the many classrooms we entered while the students were in session.  There were lectures on History and English.  In the practical Sciences I was impressed with the 3D printers the students were working with to build a prosthesis out of recycled plastics.   I saw the creative process in ceramics class and how it related the use of pottery in antiquity.  I was impressed with the level of attention by the students even with my interrupting their class and the amount of learning that was taking place. At the end of the tour I wanted to go back to school because it looked and sounded enlightening and engaging. 

After this visit it was my time to speak and so I did in the school gym.  My 12 minutes of comments and a short Question and Answer session was fun to do.  The elation from the experience was really capped when Mr. Schaffer awarded me a school coin with the capstone virtues and the school logo emblazoned on it as a token of the school’s appreciation for my time.

The moral of this story is this. If given a chance to speak to students, do it.  It’s a humbling and happy experience. And be grateful for the opportunity.

Here is my presentation  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_phkhoil_Q

*A Lyceum, it is a hall for public lectures or discussions usually held in a gymnasium the original near Athens where Aristotle established his school

This was a fun interview to do on behalf of the Optimist Club of Erie and our upcoming Easter Egg Hunt on Moving to Erie podcast https://movingtoerie.com/2018/03/19/bradley-beck-erie-optimist-club/ #optimist #erie

It is a privilege to be associated with the Leadership Program of the Rockies which focuses their efforts on timeless principles and leaders in action. The Annual Retreat is February 9 -10, 2018 at The Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs, CO. I hope you can join me. Oh and my cameo is at :45. #LPRRetreat2018

Observe

My wife Kathy and I spent the Thanksgiving holiday with family in Nashville, Tennessee.  Kathy grew up just south in the historic town of Franklin, Tennessee.  Together, we have visited most of the Civil War battlefields in the area as well as many of the historic homes and museums, yet we never visited The Hermitage, the home of our seventh President, Andrew Jackson.   I had been visiting the area for over 30 years and I never took the time to see this unique property.  I was bound and determined to do so on this trip.   We arranged to take with us our 15-year-old middle granddaughter Shelby, who lives in Nashville.  What a treat the day was going to be.   

I should say I am the history geek and my wife knows that I must read every sign, see every film and gaze on every relic in the historic places we visit.  I did not disappoint her this time as well.   In the museum at the start of the tour I read everything.  Yes, I’m that guy in your family.  Helping to enjoy our time together was seeing everything through the eyes of Shelby. 

We next toured the grounds and waited our turn to tour the historic home which we were told has ninety-five percent of its original furnishing and looks much the way it did when Jackson lived in the home.  The grandeur and practicality of the home as well as the plantation was amazing to experience.  The tomb of Jackson and his beloved wife Rachel are in the formal gardens.  The slave cabin exhibits tell the story of those who lived and toiled to make this place work which were riveting reminders of why we need to continue to learn from their story and strife.  

An additional benefit of visiting on this day was noticing people from around the world.  How did I know this?  Listening to the various languages being spoken and the style of their dress, confirmed this observation on a balmy autumn day.  Shelby seemed to be enjoying her time with us yet she had been to The Hermitage before so my wife thought she was just not as interested in being there as we were. Yet, we were soon to find out otherwise. 

Walking around the grounds my wife posed the following question to me, “When did Jackson die?”  Shelby piped up with the answer,” June 8, 1845,” she replied.  My wife and I both laughed and realized not only was Shelby paying attention, she was taking in and remembering what she had experienced.  I learned an interesting lesson that day.  How one observes the world may not be the same as you. They may not appear to be paying attention, yet they really are processing what they experience.  It just may be differently from you.

Moral: We all observe and learn differently. We just have to be OK with it.

The Flower Song

Boulder THINK

Boulder Creek runs through Eben G Fine Park in the west end of the City of Boulder.  The park is about a block from my office.  I often find myself drawn there for a little mental pause and to eat the lunch which my wife lovely spoils me with each day.  The walk to the park clears my head and allows me time to think, reflect and observe people.  Other people are attracted here to it’s wide, green lawn for playing Frisbee or to watch the kids during summer doing various camp activities.  There are people looking for a cool place to relax and float down the creek in their inner-tubes, often bumping into the rocks that give the creek its name.   The concrete path that meanders along the creek invites runners, walkers and people in conversation to a pleasant place to stroll along the scenic banks.  The park is a wonderful place to disconnect and think.

Finding the time to think is becoming rare. The sound of the water against the rocks of the creek breaks the clutter of my mind and my routine like the rocks break the water from its path.  The rocks divide the liquid over and around in different directions forcing it to move differently than its natural flow.  Like the water in the creek I look for ways to do things different so I can think differently.  I often return from this break, refreshed, refocused and ready for the rest of my day. 

   

I am not sure about you but I have become tethered to my mobile devices waiting for the next bit of news or the next world crisis.  I communicate more via 140 characters or writing a note in a text box than speaking to people directly.  I do these activities sometimes to excess as well.  Yet, I find myself wanting to disconnect, read, listen, talk, discuss, create and to think.  Most people are not as fortunate to work in a beautiful place as I do and do not have the luxury or ability to walk to a nearby park to think.  Yet, everyone can schedule sometime in their morning, noon or in the evening for a few minutes each day to think.  The key to creating something new or producing something new is to focusing one’s energy on positive things and positive activities which allows for positive outcomes.  Think and then think differently.  Some guy name Steve did this and his fruit company changed the world.