Sometimes, Tomorrow Never Comes

The unexpected departure of a friend.

Sometimes, Tomorrow Never Comes

He’s no longer answering messages; text, email or voice.  It is a sudden and profound silence.

Just a few weeks ago we had lunch together at Table Mesa.  Matt was in picture perfect health then.  We talked about stuff; business, family, hopes, dreams and plans.  Matt Isabell, founder of Tugg Logistics and Moab Companies excitedly expressed his big plans.  Shortly thereafter, we were working together to live his dreams by expanding his businesses to Pennsylvania and Utah, so he could take on new clients and enter new markets.  Then, just as we were reviewing the final draft of the lease, for his proposed facility in Pennsylvania, and beginning negotiations on another building in Utah, he became uncharacteristically uncommunicative.

That’s when I knew something had taken a dramatic turn.  I just didn’t know what that turn was, so I contacted others we were working with in this bold effort.  One of Matt’s sons, Joseph, spoke to me with an assurance that everything was still on track.  His father had entered the hospital for treatment of symptoms related to COVID-19.  He also expressed his confidence that his father would soon be well.  Then, we’d continue forward with our plans for tomorrow.

By the beginning of the next week, it had become clear that the timeline we’d forecast, to usher in the hoped-for-tomorrow, was not fitting into the current reality we were facing. Then, our hoped for, one week expanded into two, three, four, five, and six.  Matt wasn’t making progress in this amount of time, where he was being treated, so the decision was made to transport him to a larger, specialty hospital in Kansas City.  The transfer was to be completed on yet another tomorrow, the next day.

When that other morrow came his attending physicians determined that he was not strong enough to make the trip.  And, upon the next morrow, Matt was transported to another realm, to live with those of us to admired him, no more.  

Yet, Matt has given all of us more gift.  He’s shown us that even though a person goes through a lot in their life, had a lot of things thrown their way, they, everyone, can seek to find the good, while keeping their stuff; business, family, hopes, dreams and plans moving dynamically forward. We can all focus, as he did, on inspiring other people through our love and kindness.

Matt Rascon once wrote, “When you’ve been in rough water, you know and appreciate the calm.”

So today, I’m appreciating the gifts that Matt personally gave the world in his short time living here with us.  He was happy to share his goodness, knowledge and commitment to creating a brighter future for everyone. And he’s still doing so, even now, when he’s no longer answering messages; text, email or voice.  Remembering him and seeing what he created here tempers what otherwise would be a much more disturbing, profound silence.

Just a few weeks ago Matt and I had lunch together at Table Mesa.  Matt was in picture perfect health.  We talked about tomorrow and stuff.  Today, you and I are reminded that sometimes, tomorrow never comes.

Do the Pupper

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.” – George Addair

Do the Pupper

The grass had been bathed in strong rain overnight and the walking path was glistening at the introduction of the rising sun.  Harry Pupper stepped off the trail as soon as he heard the put, put, put of a gas-powered work-cart coming up behind him.  Then, the sound of the cart suddenly stopped.  It had stalled toward the bottom of the hill “The Pupper” had already begun to climb.

The put-put driver looked up and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say, “I have no idea why this thing simply decided to stop!”  Then, he looked down and turned the ignition key.  The engine sputtered.  He turned the key again.  The engine sputtered again and then began to hum.  The driver and his companion restarted their climb up the hill, giggling a little as a result of their needless-embarrassment.  Of course, being a dog, Harry’s tongue lolled out of the side of his mouth, as if was laughing along with them.  And, as soon as the cart puttered past, he shifted his stance toward the upside of the trail and resumed his climb as well.

Just like Harry Pupper, everyone will encounter darkened, windswept days, filled with rain at one time or another in life. And, even when the rain stops, personal progress can sometimes seem to stall, for no apparent reason, when faced with the sudden appearance of an unwanted, challenging hill of resistance.  When that happens, when all of your energy and confidence are destroyed, remember these words from George Addair:

“Everything you’ve ever wanted is on the other side of fear.”

Yes, the grass under your feet may have been pummeled by strong rain overnight and your path forward is still glistening-wet at the introduction of a new-day’s sun.  You may feel as if you’ve stepped off your trail, feeling so weak that it’s as if you could be run over by a small put-put, gas-powered cart coming up behind you. It will be a time when you believe all of your momentum has stopped; all stalled near the bottom of a small hill you’ve unconsciously turned into Mount Everest!

When that happens, do the Pupper!  Shrug your shoulders, as if to say, “I have no idea why my progress has come to a screeching halt!”  Then, turn your internal ignition key!  Let your engine sputter once or twice.  When it does, turn your key again.  If you will, your engine may sputter once more, but action will cause it to soon begin to hum.  That faint humming will give you the confidence to begin your climb up that seemingly insurmountable, high mountain of your own creation.  Each step forward will get easier and you’ll soon be giggling as you recognize your needless-fear!  

Yes!  Do the Pupper!  Let your tongue lolled out of the side of your mouth! Laugh at yourself for your internal doubt, because the view from the top of your now conquered hill will allow you to feel like a conquering hero! 

A couple of hill-side stalls are common to all and will never stop your ultimate success.

Growing Your Pie

“I try to put ingredients and flavors together in new combinations.”  Earl Poon

Growing Your Pie

Earl stood on a spacious wooden deck looking out over a seemingly endless forest as the sun was getting in position to dip below the Ozark Mountains.  He was casually dressed in cargo shorts, a tee-shirt and flip flops.  A surprising view, based on his buttoned-up background as a ranking supply manager in the U.S. Airforce.  Yet, his attire was not the most surprising thing to discover about him while sharing the breathtaking view.

“He’s a baker!” Is the way Robin, his wife, describes her husband.

Earl, the founder of Earl’s Uncommon Pies, is indeed a baker.  But such a commonplace, shortened description falls short of what he really does and who he is.  Magic!  That’s a better, more complete portrayal.  After all, he produces a couple of different kinds of magic.  One a pastry and the other is anthropological.  You’ve heard the saying about being able to make the world more prosperous by “growing the pie,” so more and more people can enjoy the benefits?  That’s what Earl does.  And, this is how he bakes in, what can only be described as, the remarkable.

“I try to put ingredients and flavors together in new combinations.”  He says.  “I could make the more common pies.  You know, like apple or cherry?  But, I work to discover how to combine such common ingredients in an uncommon way.”

When he finds the right combination, he knows it!  “When my taste buds start singing and dancing, I know it’s right.”  He says, as if hiding his genius behind twinkling eyes.  “When people taste my work, they often say they can’t believe they’ve never seen these ingredients used together before!”

Earl says there are times when he looks at a common ingredient and wonders why he hasn’t seen its true potential before; because he’s so familiar with it.  “Maybe it’s because I’ve viewed it in one dimension for so long that I’ve become blind to its true beauty?”  He asks, rhetorically.  “I’ve come to believe in the principle of ‘Dimension Supplementation!’”

Dimension Supplementation means seeing something not only for what it appears to be, for its obvious use.  It means asking, “If I pair this with something else, what can it become?”  Earl elucidates.  That can only happen through careful examination, often combined with trial and error.  Finding additional uses, in addition to what is obvious, is what Earl calls, “allowing the commonplace to Blossom.”  Another, less used, meaning of blossom is growth.

“What I really do is grow pie!”  Earl says.  “My recipe for ‘creating the uncommon,’ grows both the taste and varieties of a specific kind of pastry, the pie.  And, interestingly, these same principles can be applied to both makers of pies, as well as those who eat them.

Anyone can look at the elements composing their life and ask Earl’s important questions to facilitate forging a path toward combing them into the creation an uncommonly good life.  First, what are the common, abundant parts of my life?  Second, how can I combine these components together in an innovative, uniquely “me” way?  Third, if I examine these parts, of my life, can I discover distinctive combinations to make the commonplace blossom into something unexpected and greater than it was singularly?  These steps are Earl’s winning recipe for baking, growing bigger, more scrumptious pies and as well as a magical life.

Magic!  Earl, the enchanted baker, produces two kinds of magic.  You’ve heard the saying about being able to make the world more prosperous by ‘growing the pie,’ so more and more people can benefit?  That’s what Earl does.  And, this is the recipe he follows to creates such magical, remarkable pies as well as a extraordinary lives.

Lunding Forward

“My personal search for meaning lasted an agonizing 3-4 years!” – Tom Lund

Lunding Forward

“I had to apologize to my wife!”  Tom said with emotion in his voice.

This showing of emotion was a new version of Tom.  He’s always been a consummate professional, specializing in sales.  Not a pushy, obnoxious man in his work and professional life. He’s always been polished and studied in his craft.  Perhaps the best way to describe him is knowledgeable, confident and successful.  But, this new Tom?

The current Tom is all of those things, polished, confident, successful and, softer.  Don’t take that to mean he’s weaker in any way.  He’s clearly stronger.  His new strength comes from the completion of a personal journey, having successfully completing a personal search for meaning; a process of questioning his core, his history, his very personal meaning.

“I had to apologize to my wife!” Then he continued.  “I told her I was sorry for putting her through my difficult behavior for the past two years.”

“Two years!  Hardly!”  Gretchen replied.  “It’s been more like three-and-a-half to four years!” 

The welled-up emotion of Tom’s search burst as he recounted his story and the pain he and his wife had lived through together.  It is a recognizable pain for many of us.  After all, who hasn’t gone through something very similar, either personally or with a loved one?  Hopefully, in almost all instances there comes a time when something “clicks” one day and personal, private darkness ends.  Such a breakthrough is sometimes called an opportunity to lunge forward into life’s possibilities again.

Luckily, such a breakthrough occurred for Tom.  And, in retrospect, he’s identified three realizations that he credits with his “Lund Forward” allowing him to live joyfully and hopefully once again.

First.  Tom says, “I did so much internal evaluation that I discovered who I truly am.  While that part of my process was important, it may not have been the most important aspect of my growth.  I think the key, turning the lock within my own heart, was that I finally became comfortable with who I really am!”  He went on to explain that this was vital because it allows him to also give others the same latitude.  Tom says, “This latitude is a sort of freedom allowing me to finally be able to grant individualism to everyone else too!”

Second.  “I have a new understanding that the world is different for everyone.  I call it the ‘Rule of Billions.’”  Tom has been able to simplify this critical perception in another way too.  “Think of it in this way, if a group of people belong to an organization and there are about thirteen members, there will be thirteen sets of eyes, all viewing the same group in thirteen different ways.  And, that’s ok!”  It’s alright to have a different personal reference point, even in situations where the entire group is supposedly bound together in a common belief or effort.  Being comfortable with the Rule of Billions allows a person to naturally become comfortable within the group and within their own heart at the same time.  That leads to Tom’s third rule or realization.

Third, the Rule of History.  Tom says, “Perhaps the Rule of History is more like an understanding of history.  Once I understood that history books and even ancient texts were a record of human mistakes I became much more comfortable with my own mistakes and conversely, with the mistakes of others.  I stopped worrying about being perfect and living a life of perfection!  Now I’m free to simply work to become the best I can be in all areas of my life without apology.”

“I had to apologize to my wife!”  Tom said with emotion in his voice.  “I also had to apologize to myself, so I let go of the fallacious assumptions I’d made about my relationship with the past, my background and other people.

This was the premier of a new, stronger version of Tom.  He’s always been a consummate professional, specializing in sales.  Not a pushy, obnoxious man in his work and professional life. He’s always been polished and has successfully studied his craft.  Perhaps the best way to describe him is knowledgeable, confident and successful.  But, this new Tom?

This new Tom has given you and me three realizations around important life rules that can allow everyone to Lund Forward.