Shame On Me

I did it again. I promised myself I wouldn't, but I did. I suppose I haven't had enough punishment yet. When will I learn? Maybe next time I'll know better. These thoughts ran through my head yesterday as I sat in a local restaurant. I'd been in that restaurant countless times, which usually ended with similar laments oozing out of my pores. Each time, I say to myself, "This is the final straw!" Yet, there I was, subjecting myself to a level of torment I clearly deserved.

Some places deserve our business, and some don't. This one doesn't. Bad food, lousy service, poor cleanliness, long waits, and terrible ingress/egress. My miserable experience was capped off by waiting 9 minutes for a car in front of me to get the courage to take a hard left into dangerous and speedy traffic. Just getting in and out is a torturous endeavor.

I'll take 100% of the blame for this one. After all, I knew exactly what I was getting into.....and as a result, I got what I deserved. However, there's something bigger at play. This restaurant doesn't deserve my business, or yours. They don't value their customers, and they certainly don't value their employees. The poor service is, in large part, due to management's unwillingness to adequately staff it. Yet, I'm part of the problem. I'm willingly giving money to this place when countless alternatives deserve my patronage. Every time I visit this place, I'm encouraging, supporting, and perpetuating a clear abuse of people, food, and power. It's exploitive, and I'm to blame. Shame on me.

This is where I draw a line in the sand. I'm apologetic for my role in this, and I hope others feel the same. Instead, I need to be more intentional about giving business to those who value me, their craft, and their people. I want to invest in those businesses. Those are the businesses that have earned the right for me to return again and again.

We need to choose wisely. When we give someone the right to serve us, they must earn the right to do it again. Some do, some don't. I think we need to honor the purity in this approach. It's simple, but difficult. It's easy to say, hard to do. I failed in this example, but it won't happen again. There's someone more deserving to serve me next time.

Finding Your Craft

I just spent the past 30 minutes on TikTok watching a barber in Rome shave random men’s faces with a straight-blade razor. Not sure how I got there, but it was quite satisfying! A few things stood out to me as I was watching him:

• He is brilliant at his craft. He confidently operated with excellence. The process was smooth and the finished product was outstanding.

• He carried himself with a sense of passion. I could tell he loves what he does. Every action showcased in the videos illustrated his love for the craft.

• He’s adding value to people’s lives. The men in his chair were relaxed throughout the service and were genuinely pleased with the results. Their smiles spoke for themselves.

When I see things like this, I often wonder to myself, “how in the world do you wake up one day and decide you’re going to be an expert at _______?” I know absolutely nothing about this barber, but I admire him for spending his days doing something that clearly aligns with his gifts, passions, and opportunity to make a difference in this world.

Each one of us has the opportunity today to do the same. It’s probably not using a straight-blade razor to shave facial hair, but yours is just as unique and just as important. I hope you find it, I hope you do it, and I hope you enjoy it.

"Excellence is Always Its Own Reward"

For the last few years, I’ve been in a book club of sorts with a handful of close friends. We all serve together on the board of directors of an international organization. While we may be geographically scattered around the world, technology allows us to come together to accomplish good work, encourage one another, and build meaningful relationships. This group has sincerely been one of the great joys of my adult life.

Every few weeks, we’ll get on a Zoom call and discuss the most recent reading. The meeting times are always inconvenient, as everyone has to make a sacrifice due to dramatically different time zones. However, it’s always valuable and it fills my tank. We’re currently reading From Strength to Strength, by Arthur C. Brooks. The book focuses on how we can find success, happiness, and deep purpose in the second half of our life.

As I was preparing for last night’s meeting, one quote stuck out to me. “Devote the back half of your life to serving others with your wisdom. Get old sharing the things you believe are most important. Excellence is always its own reward, and this is how you can be excellent as you age.”

I have to admit something. As the youngest member of this group, I initially treated the content as something I would someday apply to my life, when (far down the road) I started to age. However, I’m starting to recognize this book is indeed talking about me, too. The signs are there….I just don’t always like to admit it. Where I sit today, there’s nothing more fulfilling to me than serving others with my wisdom. Whether it’s public speaking, one-on-one coaching, podcasting, partnering in businesses, or being a youth group leader, nothing provides more satisfaction than serving others with whatever wisdom I have to offer. Some people think I’m an idiot and wouldn’t listen to a word I said if I was the last person on earth. Others pay me a pretty decent sum for my wisdom. Life is funny like that. We serve those who wish to be served.

As much as I’d like to believe I’m still a wide-eyed kid fresh out of college, I’m not. I don’t mourn what I’m not….I celebrate what I am. Today, I’m someone who serves others with my wisdom. Sometimes it pays well…..often it pays nothing. That’s not the point. Excellence is always its own reward!