The Judas Goat

The Judas Goat

"The Judas Goat is used to get sheep to walk peacefully and unknowingly to their own slaughter."

• Jeffery Smith
  

There is one sure sign of the Fall Season where I live. It's when a large herd of sheep arrives and begins to devour the last growth of alfalfa in the fields. It's a picturesque scene to be sure; mostly white sheep, with four or five bits of pepper seasoning the flock, combined with a Sheppard's rolling home; the whole panorama guarded by sentinel llama.

One year, with the llama looking on, my friend Jeff Smith stopped to meet the Sheppard. He asked him about the flock and how he could keep count of all the sheep. "That's easy," He said. "All I have to do is count the five bits of pepper and then I know." Sheep will follow another animal without question or thinking individually. Those that own and watch over the herd know that and use this information to their advantage in two ways.

The first way is that they can keep an eye on them quite easily as a whole through the "Principle of Contrast." It's hard to count a thousand sheep when they all look alike, but when you throw in the pepper they simply need to count to four or five and they'll know that the other thousand sheep are all there. Contrast is the first Sheppard's Tool.

The second Sheppard's Tool is the "Principle of Headship" and they use it when it's time for the herd to go to slaughter. They know the sheep will follow each other so they insert a "Headship Conspirator" goat into the herd. Such a goat is trained to walk from the holding pen through a shoot to the slaughter house. The sheep follow the goat into the long narrow enclosure only to be trapped into moving forward to their death, while the goat exits to fulfill his traitorous role again and again. The goat is referred to as a "Judas Goat."

I find it instructive that the sheep live a life based on two simple principles they don't understand and that they could use for their improvement if they could only recognize how to apply them in different ways. They could use the Principle of Contrast to see that there is good and evil so they could choose to embrace the good. They could use the Principle of Headship to select someone they know to be of sound experience and good character to lead and mentor them toward increased life and happiness. But, they're too busy being sheep to make such beneficial changes!

Are you living the life of a sheep? Are you using your heart and mind to use the Principles of Contrast and Headship in ways that will allow you to make beneficial changes to your life? I know you can do it if you'll simply set an annual mark in your mind.

When you see the leaves and weather begin to change each Fall Season let them act as a reminder that you're going change as well. Let the contrast awaken you to changes you want to make in your life. Then assume the role of Headship to blaze the way to doing something new and wonderful in the world. Use this mark again and again to engage these two important principles so you'll remember one simple thing. We're not sheep!

A Lesson in Cow Tipping

"She said, 'we're going cow tipping,' and I said, I don't think so."

• Corrie Norman
  

A Lesson in Cow Tipping

I spent the day repairing the entire west side of my fence because it had become pretty beaten down. Horses can do that over the years. When it was finished I stepped back and admired it. It was back in good condition and I felt great satisfaction in the work. But that satisfaction didn't last more than two days!

I answered my phone about 9:30 at night and the words spoken by the voice on the other end washed all of my satisfaction away like pouring spring rain. It was my neighbor John telling me that my cow, The Pillsbury Dough Girl, had walked through the South fence I shared with him.

He assured me that my cow was fine in kind tones and we discussed a plan to get her back home. We knew it would be a challenge since John has four steers and separating my cow would be more than a two person job. We estimated that it would take at least seven or eight people to get it done so the two of us started counting up the family members we had at home. We were short! My experience in getting a cow herded easily, without the right amount of help, is dismal at best so I began to think of who could help.

I immediately thought of my friends at Alpine Academy and placed a call to my friend Rob to ask for help. He was kind and gracious, as usual, and agreed to bring a few of his students over to help. Everything was going to be just fine! I would receive all the help I needed and the students would be able to participate in a common rural activity as an enhanced community experience.

When the day arrived, I went over to meet Rob and his students and they came over to my house. There were about fourteen of us in total so I had everyone gather in a circle so we could discuss strategy. Then we crossed the fence, spread out in a human chain and in no time had my cow back at home. It was a great success! I couldn't have gotten it all done without their help! But that's not the best part of the story!

Later in the week I was talking with Corrie Norman, Director of Operations for Alpine Academy, and she shared some additional information with me. Before we moved the cow one of the girls came up to her and told her that they were going to go "cow tipping" with me. As you can imagine Corrie was quite surprised because cow tipping is not generally thought of as a positive activity by people who own cows. And, since Corrie knows me pretty well she said, "I don't think so!"

That caused her to follow up with Rob to see what the activity planned really was. And, of course, when she checked with Rob she found out that they were going to help me with cow herding, not tipping. You know the rest of the successful story. But, after I had a good laugh with Corrie I began to think about the importance of good communication and how it makes all the difference. And, after this experience I'll try to keep a couple to things in mind when I'm trying to communicate carefully with others.

First, I'll try not to assume too much. I've found that lots of people just shake their heads up and down not because they agree with me but because they simply want the conversation to be over as quickly as possible. Second, most of us assume that the person we're talking with shares our life experience and so we don't go into as much detail as we should. I know my daughters get annoyed with me when they say, "Do you know what I mean?" and I say no.

Finally, whenever there is a question about information presented it's wise to ask more questions until you get all of the answers you need. Corrie was the perfect example of how to use this approach. She had questions and followed up to find the truth before jumping to conclusions. After all, jumping to conclusions can cause lots of confusion when you're working with a large group to "tip," oops, I mean heard cows.

Remember With Character

"Are you guys ready? Let's Roll"

• Todd Beamer
  

Remember With Character

Flight 93 had left Newark, N.J., at 8 a.m. Tuesday, 11 September 2001 bound for San Francisco. While I wasn't on the flight, I remember the day well. I'm sure you do too.

I was in a deep sleep in an unfamiliar bed when my phone let off a piercing ring awakening me. When I answered, I heard a familiar voice. "Where are you?" my sister asked.

"I don't know." I replied.

"No. Wait a minute. I'm in Modesto." I mumbled.

I had traveled the entire day on the 10^th just to get there. First it was by shuttle, then it was by plane, finally I arrived in a rental car. I traveled a lot in those days and often forgot what town I was in until I got out of bed and looked at my schedule.

I was beginning to wake up. I wasn't feeling well so I had slept in. It was a little after 7 a.m. on the West Coast. I knew now that my office in New York would be calling me any minute so it was clear that I had to get rolling with the day.

"Have you seen the news?" My sister brought me back to the moment.

"No. Why?" I answered.

"You better turn on the T.V." She said.

I did. I watched as much of the landscape around my office was in flames. I began to call my office. Needless to say, it was in vain. My life was changed forever.

My life is completely different now. Not just in what I do for a living, but in a lot of other ways too. I've traded a landscape of airplanes and buildings scraping the sky for a more pastoral setting. But, I'll never forget that day and the feelings I had then. My neighbors haven't forgotten either.

That's why we all gathered on Saturday to put a new mark on the day we refer to as "Patriot Day." We all participated in a "Day of Service." As I stood on the side of the road at the appointed time I marveled at everyone as they came with their shovels, rakes, chain saws, tractors, hammers and gloves. We weren't just a few. We were a neighborhood army out to make a difference for each other. It was a living display of hope, faith and charity.

We all worked together and then we all cleaned ourselves up and had a community dinner. We took time to get to know each other a little better, help each other and to remember.

At one moment I remembered how Todd Beamer demonstrated the way he lived by the way he died; helping to lead a takeover by passengers on United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed Tuesday, 11 September 2001 in Somerset County. It was the fourth plane to go down in that day's terrorist attacks.

"Just knowing that when the crisis came up he maintained the same character we all knew, it's a testament to what real faith means." Todd's wife Lisa once said.

That's the character we were emulating on our day of service. I was sitting in a small mountain valley with green grass tickling my toes, surrounded by my neighbors and I smiled when I heard Todd's words in my mind "Are you guys ready? Let's roll!"

Yes! I said to myself as I viewed what we were doing together. We're rolling forward to show increased love and hope to everyone around us. We're rolling forward to make our community a stronger, better place to live, one person at a time. We're rolling forward showing faith that by joining together we can live a better life by being charitable.

Are you guys ready? Let's roll!

 

Being Your Own Captain

"They decided where to go with the flip of a coin."

• Alan Cohen
  

Being Your Own Captain

Alan and I were in his airplane hangar so we could talk, but as soon as I walked into the building I was struck by the sight of a boat under construction. It seemed to me to be a sort of a magnet drawing me in. Perhaps it was because I was expecting to see an airplane. Perhaps it was because I was surprised to see a large boat being constructed in the middle of the desert! My friend Alan is full of surprises so I love to talk with him. Today was no exception to what I have begun to call "Alan's Rule of Being a Captain." He seems to be able to succeed when and where others have not. And, I think that it's because he came from a family who taught him the right skills and provided him with a great vision of life.

His family immigrated to the United States from Russia in the early 1920s. His grandfather and his brother came to Los Angeles and began to work for a furniture manufacturer there. They worked hard and became very skilled in the art of furniture making. But, when the great depression hit they soon found themselves without work.

"The two brothers sat down together to analyze their situation. They knew how to build furniture, and that people would always need furniture, so their solution was to look at a map of the United States, mark where the furniture manufacturers were and then move to a place where there was little or no competition." Alan once told me.

When the map was completed they could see that there was opportunity in Dallas, Texas and Salt Lake City, Utah. "Since they had never been to either city they decided where to go with the flip of a coin." Alan said. Then, the two families got into one car and drove to Salt Lake City.

When they arrived they went to a local furniture store called "SouthEast Furniture" and met with the owner. They told him that they could build furniture to order and since they were in town they could deliver it quickly and without as much shipping cost. The store owner was interested and wanted to work with them.

The Cohen brothers then said, "We'd love to work for you, but there's only one problem. We don't have any money to start!" As it turned out, it wasn't a problem since the first furniture order from SouthEast Furniture was paid for in advance! The rest is history.

The Cohen family furniture business in now operating in its fourth generation and is one of the last local manufacturers in the region. And, while the business environment continues to change they continue to change. Still, the one thing that hasn't changed is the initial premise of the business. They continue to offer a product that is locally built for local businesses and people. And, at a time when economic conditions are very similar to those that existed during the great depression, when the business was founded, they are still flourishing.

Perhaps that's why I'm drawn to this story like a magnet. I didn't expect to find a business founded by Russian Immigrants in the middle of the desert and I didn't expect its location to be determined by the flip of a coin! While most don't think businesses can thrive in the economic conditions of today the Cohen family business is floating along in profitability.

Alan's new adventure is still under construction his airplane hangar; floating on jacks, getting ready for its maiden voyage. I just hope to be there when Alan flips a coin to decide whether he should launch it on the Great Salt Lake or Bear Lake. After all, both are fine places to begin a new adventure and neither lake has a locally made, hand built boat constructed in an airplane hangar so they're places of great opportunity. The boat simply needs a worthy, experienced captain to guide her.

You are the captain guiding your own boat. Just look for opportunity where others don't see it, work hard, work smart and you too can build an amazing life.