All posts by Keith Thompson

It’s not my fault

Career, Life

I have watched and lived the last 100 days as the real estate world has changed (possibly long term) due to the COVID crisis. For the lodging, leisure and travel industry, it has been devastating. It has been devastating because as my friend Dave Akridge likes to say, it is unprecedented.

The one thing I have yet to see or hear is anyone standing up and admitting they were possibly at fault for poor decisions. Everyone it seems wants to blame someone else or something else and nowhere (so far) is the person who simply says, “I was wrong, and it is my fault.”

I remember when I was starting out in the restaurant business and was the director over seven Mrs. Winners that were converting to Wendy’s. I oversaw all operations and the entire construction process. As a young man, it was a little daunting.

I remember once we converted the Ga Tech location to a Wendy’s and the very first month, our cost and expenses were way out of line, and we lost money. The investors I worked for were all sitting around the table and ready to hand me my hat. They expected me (like most people) to blame the situation on this or that event etc. as the reason for the loss. They were so mad they were red faced. I looked at them and told them it was all my fault and if they wanted to fire me, I would understand.

Their steam and anger just went poof and they didn’t know what to say. I told them in detail where I needed to make changes and what the plan was. I left the meeting and they were satisfied on the plan. Had I refused to take blame; it probably would have ended very differently.

The point is, it is ok to take the blame if the mistake was in truth, your fault. It is really the only right answer. In life you will find that people will respect you more and put more confidence in you if they know you are honest. There are so many passages in the bible about this very subject it would take three pages to list them all. In psalms it is referenced as being upright with integrity. The fact is we all make mistakes and not admitting it, generally makes the mistake worse.

Whatever the situation, financial, business, family, relationships, jobs etc. people will think more you if you admit to being at fault. It makes you real, trustworthy, approachable and memorable. In short it tells them who you really are. The world needs more of this. KT

When things happen

Career, Life

Sometimes things just happen in life. They weren’t planned but just showed up.

Years ago, I was flying to a meeting with a guy and got to the airport and the flight was delayed several hours. I was frustrated and anxious about missing the meeting and he said something to me that I have adopted as my own ever since. He said, “when things happen like this, I choose to see it as God protecting me from being in the wrong place at the wrong time.” From then on, when something unexpected happened, I just whispered a silent prayer of thanks for God making me take a pause.

A vehicle GPS is an amazing thing. God’s spiritual GPS is even more amazing. They both have one thing in common. When you miss a turn, they will (if you will listen) try to redirect you to the same planned destination. You will get there but just a little later than expected. KT

Your last day

Family, Life

What would you do if you were told you had only a few weeks to live? Sounds morbid I know. Here is the thing, whatever your answer is to that hypothetical question, is the to-do-list that you hold most dear. They are the most important things you need to do.

I am just spit balling here, but I bet one of your answers was not to spend more time at work. Your answers were probably much more personal in nature regarding your family and the ones you love. You may have answered something about getting your finances in order so the ones you love will have an easier time after you are gone.

Here is a thought, why not do those things now before you are forced to. Why not sit your family down and have that conversation you have been putting off? Why not take a few hours and organize your life and your financial affairs? Why not do the things that are the most important things you need to do. Who knows, maybe the peace that comes from doing those things now will help you rest better, feel stronger, have more hope and maybe even live longer. Just a thought. KT

Health questionnaire

Life

If you need a little reality check, just go any doctor and fill out the required paperwork and you will see what I mean.

I just got back from the dermatologist and had to fill out the updated questionnaire. The first page is the basic name, address etc. but along about page three, you start in with your medical history. On those pages you are supposed to circle all the medical issues you currently have or ever had. I took a picture of the three pages of diseases or conditions and counted 92. They cover everything from a sore throat to the worst health conditions possible. As you read those conditions and hopefully don’t have to circle many of them, you quickly realize how much suffering there is in the world and if you didn’t have to circle half the page, possible how blessed you are.

Very often we take our health for granted and don’t realize how blessed we are until something changes. So, if you can fill out the doctor’s questionnaire without too many circles, take a minute and count your blessings and give yourself a reality check. KT

Some things you just don’t need to start

Life

There are things in life you just don’t ever need to start. When you start some things, you may not be able to stop.

In an earlier bog post, I spoke about having limits in our life and knowing when enough is enough. I used a silly example (eating Cheetos) as a metaphor for serious life issues. . It could also be Fritos which is my personal temptation. Ha. You buy a bag of whatever and you say to yourself; I am just going to eat a few. You eat a few and then eat a few more and before you know it, half the bag is gone. Then you say well, I might as well finish them off, so you eat the whole bag. And before knowing it, you have consumed 4k calories in one sitting because enough was not enough? Ha

Sex, alcohol, drugs, tobacco, gambling, overeating etc. are things that start as a choice and can easily overtake your life. Take gambling as example. I have never been able to understand how a person can become addicted to gambling. There you are, losing money, but you are incapable of walking away. The reason I can’t imagine it is simple. I never started it. It could be eating, drugs alcohol or even speeding. The point is there are certain things you just don’t need to start.

I have a dear friend that is addicted to weight and exercise. It literally consumes this person and It is destroying their life, but they are incapable of stopping. It is like a lot of things, you say I will drink this, try that, experiment with such and such just a little and you quickly find out that the more you do it, the more you want it. One more time is never enough.

Andy Stanley had a bible series titled “guardrails” that was one of the best biblical series I have ever heard. His point was to establish guardrails in advance to keep you from going off the road of life. In blog posts before I have used the Navy Seals as an example. I was in the Navy and watched (from far away) those guys train. I am telling you, there is simply no other group on the planet as lethal as the Navy Seals. The question is, what is the first thing they do when they are dropped into the enemy zone. The answer, exactly what they already trained to do before they got there. It should be that way in our life, that we decide our answers and response way before we get there. If you wait until you get there before you decide, there is a very good chance you will not make the right decision. Additionally, the ramifications of those bad decisions could very well effect those around you that you love. KT