A moment of inspiration: Desiderata

 

Just recently i received this "text poem" from a dear friend and work colleague Todd... remember, no last names on the blog!  we have worked together for years, actually decades, and out of the blue he sent this text to me.  Its rare for me to reference poems in this forum but over the last few weeks/months I keep going back to this text and re-reading with different frames of reference.  

At certain moments I have reflected on it through a lens of a busy ( stressed) business leader.  At other moments I have seen it though the eyes of  parent, or a spouse; regardless of perspective I keep coming back to it and "re-thinking" my take on the poem and finding new points of inspiration and impact. Earlier today, flying west for my work, I read it once again and was struck by a specific set of "stanzas" toward the end of the poem:

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

This admonition to "nurture strength" hit me like a ton of bricks.  I have been on a heavy pull over the past few months ( in honesty almost 4 years since the summer of 2019) and the business challenges that lie ahead need my focus and "strength" now more than ever.  The idea that "many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness" is a truth that I can relate to.... and one that I want/need to work against.  I am part of an amazing team, an amazing family and am part of incredible communities here in California and at home in Atlanta.... I am not alone and need to remind my self, and be refreshed by that important truth.  The admonition to "be gentle with yourself" is so helpful and healthy to "hear."  We all hold ourselves up to very high standards and expectations and we need to remember that we are all "children of the universe," working hard to do our best and we don't always get it all right.... we need to give ourselves some room and space in this crazy walk of life.

A big thank you to my friend and work partner Todd for his sharing this inspiring document.  Take a read of the complete text below and I know you will find some nuggets of inspiration to bring into your life at work or at home... and I will keep it handy for future "re-readings" without a doubt!

Go placidly amid the noise and the haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons.

Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.

Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexatious to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.

Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.

Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism.

Be yourself. Especially do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love; for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment, it is as perennial as the grass.

Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth.

Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.

Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.

And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be. And whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy.

by Max Ehrmann ©1927

A lesson from Donny…

 

 

California has been in the news a lot lately for its incredible stretch of wet/snowy winter weather.  After years of drought, the past few months, really starting in November has kicked into a new gear and the rainfalls and snow totals are incredible.  Kern County, where I work, has seen almost 9 inches of rain over the past few months, with rainfall running 177% to normal as of mid-March and another ½ inch of rain is forecasted for early this week…. It just keeps on coming. The snowpack in the Sierras this year has been incredible as well, with snow levels reaching historic levels.  UC Berkeley runs a “snowlab” at the Donner Pass in the Central Sierras and has recorded 668 inches for the season so far (that almost 56 feet!!) and is on track to likely surpass the historic record of 68.24 ft measured in 1938…. Its absolutely incredible!

 

Being in the Ag business, this extreme set of weather conditions has been very positive in a “strategic”/ long term view, and extremely challenging through a “tactical”/short term lens.  Strategically not only will the rain and snowpack re-fill reservoirs, and break the long-term drought conditions, there will be enough rain and snowmelt to actually “recharge” the aquifers in numerous growing regions, allowing the land to be restored to better more productive levels for future growing seasons.  Conversely the past few months have been incredibly challenging for our carrots to grow, gain size and length, and numerous fields have been swamped and damaged by flood conditions.  It was in the midst of one of those tactically challenging moments that a few “wise words form Donny” really hit home.

 

Donny is a inspiring leader at our company with over 45 years of service, who leads our Farming team.  His level of experience and expertise is unparalleled, and his level of passion and commitment to our company is always incredible!  It was an early rainy Thursday morning, as we “walked the carrot tables” ( see: https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2023/02/put-one-foot-in-front-of-other.html) when the chatter of the group was about the latest atmospheric river to hit California  ( we have had 29 since October 1.)  Donny listened for a moment, then commented to me that “ Remember Bill, you can’t control the weather but you sure can control how you respond to it!”    So true and so wise!!

 

While Donny’s “missive” was focused on the weather challenges facing our carrot crop at that moment, his “nudge” for us to focus on our “response” to it translates to business and life broadly.  We all have faced roadblocks, setbacks, unexpected challenges and barriers in our work AND in our personal lives.  I remember so clearly losing my mom to cancer when I was 13 and wondering how I was going to fare as I turned the corner to high school with my world turned upside down. Those High School years were tough, with many difficult moments… but I found my way.  I couldn’t control my mom getting sick and passing away so early in her life…. but I did control my responses to that tragic event.  While Donny wasn’t around in my world back then, his recent advice was as applicable to that situation (and so many others over the years) as it is today as we face more rain this week.

 

I share this story as an encouragement to all of us as we approach our work and out lives.  We WILL have challenges/issues/problems face us across time and we MUST remember that most of the time we can’t control them; equally true are the words of Donny, and his push for all of us to focus on our responses to those same challenges.  I feel fortunate to have the chance to share this story and very lucky to work in an organization that most often is focused on Donny advice and spends its time focusing on “our responses!”

Here we go…. Again!!

 

Its February and the weather across the country has been a mess…. Intense rain and snowstorms across California where I am now working, with record snow packs anticipated this year once we emerge from a harsh Winter and move in Spring.  In this context its time once again to think/dream/fantasize about a warm southern spring and weeks in mid-April when it will be time to plant the tomato seedlings in the warming soil of the garden.  

 

Now I am one of those gardeners who have always dreamt about having a big expansive garden, filled with different vegetable varieties like my brother Mark, but who have just enough light, space and decent quality soil for about a dozen tomato plants.  For years, and actually many decades, my family (starting with my paternal grandmother MaMa) and I save seeds every year and start our “passed along” tomato seeds from “scratch” …. no seedlings from the hardware/garden store for us!  This year, as you can see the picture above, I have started three different varieties and am already getting excited for this year’s fresh Tomatoes from the garden later in the summer.  There is something about this annual rhythm that is very re-affirming for me… a certain cycle of life/seasons/crops that have nothing to do with business challenges, political strife, global conflicts, or any of the myriad of “stressors” that surround us in 2023… just the simple reassuring tempo of a garden and the potential for delicious fresh tomatoes in the heat of the summer!

 

Now lets talk about the tomatoes!!  Today we would call all three “heirloom varietals”, a phrase that was unknown to the generations of gardeners that have saved and passed along seeds fro centuries /millennium.  Two of the varieties have been grown by our family/friends for decades and decades, and I am proud to have seedlings sprouting again in 2023!!

 

Pictured to the right are a few tomatoes that I had harvested last summer.  The most “famous” for our family is the quirky orange/yellow tomato that was handed down from my grandmother that we have kept going for decades.  When it ripens, it has darker stipes on its ridges and MaMa called them “old stripers.”  A short plant only measuring 5+/- feet tall, the fruit are delicious and make a light, and beautiful pasta sauce.

Another old varietal that has been passed down in a friend’s family since the early 70’s is one I call “Big Pinks.”  My childhood friend Dave and his family raised these tomatoes for years and years and I was lucky enough to get a small packet of seeds from Dave’s dad a few years ago.  These plants will grow to incredible lengths, and put off very large pink tomatoes; while Dave’s dad grew fruit that weighed more than 2 lbs., I have succeeded in growing lots of the “Big Pinks” larger than 1 lb.

Finally I have the “Green Zebras,” a tomato with incredible colors that I have now grown for a few years.  My sister-in-law passed along some “heirloom tomatoes” from a farmers market box and these crazy green tomatoes caught my eye.  When ripe, that are green with dark strips on the outside, but you cut them open and they stipes of red, yellow, and orange running through the INSIDE of the tomato… incredibly beautiful and tasty!!  

 

Just describing them makes me hungry for summer, in the midst of a messy February.  The combination of the annual seasonal rhythm and the connection of each varietal to family and friends make this process precious to me.  I look forward to what might come this year, and maybe, just maybe I will finally raise a “two-pounder” of the “Big Pinks” ….. wish me luck!

 

 postscript: As I head into my 60’s, these “habits/rhythms” are becoming more and more important and more grounding to me personally. I a touchstone to my grandmother, born in 1901, and to childhood friends and their families connects me to the “long pattern” of life          (maybe a title for a future essay?!?) vs the microsecond fading reality of pop culture today… I am thankful for the tomato plants for more than just the great bounty in the summer… is a connection rod to my life and my past.

“The discipline of desire…”

 

 

 

In my business, its extremely common to get email updates on performance issues/budgets/forecasts regularly…. certainly, daily and occasionally, even hourly!  Early this week, one of my key leaders (way to go David!!) sent an early morning forecast update (NOT filled with good news) that included a reference to John Locke to make a point.  On a dark, early February morning in Bakersfield California let’s just say I was not expecting a quote from one of the “fathers of the enlightenment!”  I won’t go into too much detail, but John Locke, a moral and political philosopher lived at the end of the 17^th century, was a contemporary and “pal” of Sir Isaac Newton and had a great deal of influence on the thinking of the “Founding Fathers” of our country.  

 

While not the quote referenced in the early morning email, the note reminded me of one of my favorite John Locke quotes:

 

“The Discipline of desire is the background of character”

 

I have written often in this blog about the idea of the “character” of leaders; specifically commenting on authenticity and integrity ( vs charisma and affectation) as the “foundation” of successful leaders.  ( see: https://fylegacy.blogspot.com/2009/06/authenticity-foundation-of-leadership.html)  While these ideas deeply ring true, Locke’s “nudge” about the “discipline of desire” caught my attention this week and is worth exploring.

 

In today’s landscape of political or business leaders and their impromptu tweets, salacious social media posts, or headline grabbing prognostications, Locke’s concept of “discipline” seems a touch old fashioned or out of step.  

 

Discipline: noun, the ability to control yourself, or other people, even in difficult situations. 

 

In a fast-changing world that in my view is full of “difficult situations,” the ability to “control yourself” is the starting spot.  For me, the past six months have really put this to the test; months that combined challenging business issues exacerbated by intense weather pressures.  I found myself in mid-January absolutely at my wits end and faced an unusual “test” during a leadership mtg that I called and lead.  I had pulled together a group of top leaders to do a “deep dive” into current performance and to rebuild the “big-rocks” that should be our focus for the back half of our fiscal year.  The meeting was intense as everyone started seeing the business trends and challenges in the same stark light that I perceived.  

 

I could tell that my patience and energy were at a low point, after months or very tough business results and weeks of “bomb-cyclone” rains, so instead of hanging around grabbing some pizza with the team, I quietly headed back to my apartment.  This act was out of character for me ( I love to hang with the team!!) but at that moment, in that situation, I knew that if I hung around that night I might have said something, or shared something that I would regret….I was frustrated and tired and thought he best plan was to “control” my situation and head back to the apartment in Bakersfield.  A close friend called a couple of hours later trying to find out “where I went” and I shared that I was down, tired, and needed to crash… nothing dramatic, just needed a break.  

 

While that low point in mid-January is in the rear-view mirror today, I think back to is as a good reminder of the need for leaders to stay in control…to be focused on the “discipline of desire” … as a way certainly to build character personally but as a method of positive impact for their teams.  Think about challenging moments yourselves that you may be facing today, or in the days to come, and find ways to keep your self-awareness high and stay in-control and disciplined as you navigate the “difficult times” ahead.

 

 

 

 

"Put one foot in front of the other" ....

 

The last few months, and more specifically the last six week since Christmas week of 2022 have been some of the most challenging of my career.  Late in the summer of 2022 I took on an expanded responsibility at the company, moving into the role of President and C.O.O. in September.  At the same time business challenges, combined with inflationary headwinds and other industry wide dynamics made the operating pressures very present.  What made the past few weeks exceptionally challenging was the un-forecasted "bomb-cyclone" that brought almost a years worth of rain to our growing regions in just four weeks.  The rains started just after Christmas and didn't really stop til early last week.  I always knew that farming is hard ( now who said "Farming is easy??") and that lesson was driven home with distinction in January.  We harvest more than two million pounds of carrots EVERY DAY, and that dynamic was deeply challenged by the recent rain event.

I share these "woes" as just one of many California ag companies ( and ag employees) who have had a rough ride and are now quite literally digging our way out of the rainy mess.  Its been a tough run and I am  so proud of our team battling the elements to do what they could to plant and harvest our carrots between storms, flooded fields and roads, and cold and wet weather that just didn't stop!  Its been tough, but the team I have a pleasure to work with, shoulder to shoulder, is an inspiring crew that cares about the land, our carrots and our customers regardless of weather forecast.  Its a team of "doers"that inspire me every day and are huge energy driver for me every day. As you can see from the picture to the right, the recently harvested carrots look great, and we are getting back in the fields and the harvest conditions are improving every day!

I don't usually quote song lyrics in my essays, and have never before quoted lyrics from a old Christmas TV special ( "Santa Claus is Coming to Town",) but this jingle and these words kept going through my mind as we faced challenge after challenge these past few weeks:

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you’ll be walking out the door

You never will get where you’re going

If you never get up on your feet

Come on, there’s a good tail wind blowing

A fast walking man is hard to beat

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If you want to change your direction

If your time of life is at hand

Well don’t be the rule be the exception

A good way to start is to stand

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you’ll be walking cross the floor

Put one foot in front of the other

And soon you’ll be walking out the door

If I want to change the reflection

I see in the mirror each morn

You mean that it's just my election

To vote for a chance to be reborn

I know this song comes from a quirky holiday show released in 1970, but the actual words hit home.  I share all of this as a way to suggest that we all are facing challenges in our work and in our communities every day.  While they may not be "bomb-cyclone" driven, or caused by some sort of "atmospheric river," they are real and can feel overwhelming.   These issues and challenges in our lives call on us to respond and take action and as the song suggests, "a good way to start is to stand"!  Hang in there and remember...." you will never get where you are going if you never get on your feet."

A season of hope, peace, love and renewal…

  

 

A quick message this Christmas morning from West Newbury Vermont.  The picture above is from a chilly dawn this morning at sunrise, looking across the “Upper Connecticut river valley looking into the White mountains in New Hampshire.  This beautiful village has meant a lot to Jennie and her family for decades, and I have had the chance to get to know it since I was welcomed into this family almost 40 years ago.  Last night, at the village church (built in 1832, pictured below) we attended a wonderful and moving Christmas Eve service where Jen’s father lead the music and her sisters and nieces sang as part of the service. 

 

 

 It was a lovely, poignant, and moving night and the pastor shared a homily that really touched my heart.  He reminded all of us that Christmas isn’t a single day, but actually a season of twelve days (remember the “partridge in a pear tree??”) where we get the chance to slow down and reflect that this season, regardless of your specific religious beliefs or traditions, is a time for hope, peace love and renewal for all.  A time for all of us to realize how fragile life truly is, and how the world, our communities, our families and ourselves all need more love, peace and hope in our lives and especially in these challenging times…. we have the chance to use this “season” to find that path for “renewal” in our relationships broadly, and as I often quote from Dr. martin Luther King Jr.,

 

I refuse to accept the idea that the isness of man’s present nature makes him morally incapable of reaching up for the oughtness that forever confronts him.

 

I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, filled with the "oughtness" that lies in front of all of us, and a season filled with hope, peace, love and renewal!

Pants for Christmas

 

As many of you readers know, or can certainly pickup from my essays over the past 12+ years, I am extremely proud (and very fond) of our company… Bolthouse Farms.  I will save the professional reflections and appreciations for another essay but suffice it to say that I continually find my time at Bolthouse Farms challenging and inspiring.  The company is based in Bakersfield California, a tough/gritty city in southern end of the San Joaquin valley.  The local industrial base is centered on Agriculture and Oil and the community is relatively poor and faces many challenges.

 

One tradition at the company that I am so proud of is our annual “adopt a family” program during the holidays.  It’s a time where we “adopt” a number of very needy families (this year 40) and we buy the entire “Christmas wish list” for the family.  We don’t just collect money for a financial donation, we actually buy, wrap and deliver the gifts to the families right before the holiday… this year I went to Walmart to buy a bike for a little 10-year-old!  Different departments take a specific family and their “wish list, and as a group pull it all together… it’s pretty incredible.

 

A week or so ago we realized we had one family “left over” that hadn’t been assigned to a specific department/team so Cathy dove in (of course, she always rocks!) and pulled the list for the last family.  It was a family that included a few kids and there was a solid list of toys and goodies for the young ones but the “wish list” for the parents was very slim, and specifically the “Christmas wish list” for mom was a pair of pants… nothing fancy, nothing flashy…. Just a single pair of pants.

 

The ”wish” of  “pants for Christmas” for the mom floored me and ultimately inspired this essay.  When was the last time any of us asked for a pair of pants ( or socks, or an “undershirt”, or a belt….) on a Christmas list??? It made me think about this family…and their needs (and wishes) this holiday and boy did it slow me down.  Forget about the business challenges at work (and we have a few, ha!!) …forget about the challenges of travelling during the holidays…forget about the ”Christmas lists” for families and friends ( none that include a pair of pants)… think about this family on the SE side of Bakersfield and their needs and challenges this year!  Perspective and appreciation often come from unseen corners, at unexpected moments, and this year the “adopt a family” program really stopped me in my tracks!

 

So many families across the world, and in our communities and neighborhoods close to home, are facing challenges this holiday.  We often are too occupied with our “busy lives” to see this reality but it’s there… and its everywhere! I hope this essay will “nudge” a few of you readers to take a moment over the next few weeks and find a way to “share” a little of what you have with those in need; maybe collecting canned goods for a local foodbank, donating to UNICEF or another organization committed to supporting children and families in crisis around the world, or finding your own “adopt a family” program in your hometown…. I hope you all can find a path to give back to others just a little bit more than usual this year.

 

As for “our adopted family,” all the gifts have arrived, (including the pants!) and are wrapped and ready to go to them next week.  The picture below is of a few of our “Santa’s helpers” and one of our trucks filled with all the gifts for all the families ready to be delivered….its incredible!!

 

I am hopeful that these presents can bring some smiles on Christmas morning for all the 40 families in Bakersfield, and maybe your generosity over the next few weeks can bring smiles to many more!

Merry Christmas!