Category Archives: Life

When you’re not where you thought you would be

Career, Life

All ages, young and old, have experienced periods in life when you look up and realize you may not be where you thought you would be. Additionally, you see others around your same age that seem to be moving at a faster pace than you are. Take a deep breath and relax because that doesn’t mean the game is over.

First, it is always easy to compare yourself to others. Secondly, it’s not helpful to do so. You are who you are and not someone else. No two people have the same life path. There is a bible story about the parable pf the talents you may want to look up. Basically, the opportunities for the people in the bible story was based largely on one very important factor. What they did with what they had.

I have found that the people who take the small tasks serious and do the very best they can with what they have, are often rewarded with greater tasks and opportunities. In the spiritual sense, if you received a revelation in some area of your life that you ignored, it is likely you will not receive another one until, you complete the first one.

I find it is much that same way in business. If I give someone a lead that they just blow off, I am less likely to give them another one. It is simple human nature to want to give more to the ones who act like they want more. That was the case in the bible parable of the talents.

I have shared the story of the hound dog many times, but it is so very true with the theme of this blog post. When the hound dog is just laying on the porch, he is focused on scratching his fleas (his troubles.) He will whine, howl and bark because he is focused on laying around on the porch. When a dog is in the field hunting, he is completely focused on his job. In life you have two kinds of people. Ones that just lay on the porch and whine about everything and then ones that actually go out in the field and get after it.

Many successful people find their path early in life and then others find their path much later in life. I call them late bloomers. I believe one of the questions St. Peter will ask us all at the pearly gates is “what did you do with what you had?”

If Truett Cathy or Colonel Sanders quit trying because they were old, we wouldn’t have Chick-fil-A or KFC today. Truett was 46 years old when he opened his first Chick-fil-A in a mall and was 65 when he decided to open the first free-standing Chick-fil-A store. Colonel Sanders opened his first Kentucky Fried Chicken at age 62. Ray Kroc first met the McDonald brothers at age 52, Ramen Noodles was invented by a guy 48 years old, Sam Walton opened his first Walmart at age 44 and Leo Goodwin founded GEICO when he was 50.

The point is, everyone has a different life path and age at which they find their calling or the right job. Be patient and pray about it and be careful to not rush at the first thing that comes your way. When you do find your right path, it will resonate in your heart and you will just know. KT

Bury the lies you have been told

Life

This could be the most important thing you read all year. Many of us are still carrying around lies (baggage) we have been told over our life and it is time to bury them.

Some examples are – you will never succeed, you will never make it, your job defines who you are, you will never be like them, you will never be as good as them, they will always be better, you’re not good looking enough, your income determines the person you are, you will realize one day that your dream was never going to happen, you are insignificant, people won’t trust you, people won’t like you, people won’t believe you, look at them-they have it all and you never will. This list could go on for pages.

If you ever hear anything I have said, please hear this. If Satan can get you to believe these types of lies, he has control over you your entire life and you will struggle against these lies all your life. The greatest gift you could give yourself for 2021, is to once and for all, bury those lies you have believed about yourself.

For me personally here are a few doozies I have been told – you will never be salesman because you stutter, you will never be a success, you will never measure up and be as good as them, you need a job where you don’t have to talk, look at yourself-they will always be better, you need an education to compete, why would anyone trust you?, you will always be just Keith Thompson-a nobody.

I remember so vividly when I made the decision to bury the lies, I had been told. It was my second hotel sale (August 1990) when I realized I can do this business. I had never succeeded before in any meaningful way with the restaurant business but when I closed that second hotel sale, (in my mind) I walked through that door and flipped off the light switch on all those lies.

Spiritually speaking (in the vernacular) the old devil stands at the end of your driveway every morning as you leave and reminds you of the lies you have believed about yourself. Too often, we believe those same lies again over and over and that is how we start each day.

My advice that may sound a little silly, take a piece of paper and get by yourself. Start writing down all those lies you have been told and unfortunately believed about yourself. When you are done, take that piece of paper, ball it up and go out in your yard and bury it in the dirt. When you turn around to go back in the house, (mentally) flip that light switch off on all those lies you have been told and close the door. Have a great 2021. KT

Time travel – 5 years

Family, Life

Imagine for a moment you could time travel back five years while still knowing what you know now? What a do over that would be. The only problem is you couldn’t tell anyone you came back from five years in the future or you would lose the opportunity. I promise there is a point to this blog post below.

Keeping in mind that you still know everything now but simply slip back five years ago for a do over. Clearly some people would froth at the mouth at stock values because they would already know the future. They would sell everything at the end of January 2020 and reinvest everything on March the 16th, 2020.

Once you get past the economic side, what else would you do next? This is the point of this blog.

I suspect you would show love to those you know will be gone within the next five years. You would fix relationships, make better choices, spend more time with your children and basically be a more gentle, kind and caring person. You would recognize the special moments as they are happening because again, you already know the future five years. You would listen much more closely and give better advice and take the moments much more serious. You would know the future five-year life path of your children and you would intensely attempt to guide them.

Because you can’t tell anyone you know the next five-year future, you will be limited in how you try to advise others.  You couldn’t just say, “trust me” or “I know what I am talking about” or you have to believe me.” You would need to really think through how to influence those you love.

Here it is – you don’t know the next five-year future, but you do know today, who are the most important people in your life. Like the paragraphs above, listen intently and take the moments seriously and above all things, give the very best you have to those you love. Merry Christmas. KT

Why men are simple creatures

Life

Short answer, men don’t really need a lot.

Clothes – men only need a few pairs of pants, four shirts, three pair of shoes, several sweaters and the occasional mandatory suit and they are good to go

When traveling – a small carry on with one change of clothes is all we need. No need to ever go to baggage claim. No extra shoes because we wear the same ones two days in row. Imagine that. No need for hair products, creams etc. because we use that little hotel bar of soap to bath with, wash our hair with and shave with. Three in one, there you go. It takes us eight minutes to shower, shave, dress and be in the lobby. When we travel, we wear the same clothes all day long, hence the need for only a small carry on.

Other men – We don’t ever have to worry about what other men think about what we wear. The truth is a man could wear the same clothes five days in a row and no other man would even notice, yet alone say anything. Our phone calls last less than a minute and there is never any personal emotion involved. If a person forgets to invite us to something, we can still be friends. Men never RSVP to anything because we really don’t want to go anyway.

Conflict – men are like dogs. Just give us a little pad on the head and we love you again. We just hang out with one mood all day long and just happy to be there. We can get mad with someone and 30 minutes later see if they want to go eat lunch together. Men can generally forgive quickly and move on to the next thing. We can however get riled up if someone tries to hurt someone we love, tries take something from us or lies about us. Then its on.

Relax – all we need is a good meal, our dog close by and control of the TV remote. That’s pretty much it.

Rooms in the house – men own two places in the house. One small closet and the garage (can I get a whoop whoop). The garage is man land and we can design it how ever we want with zero complaints from anyone. I am convinced that most failed marriages start when the control of the garage is subject to interpretation. Ha

Going to the bathroom – men don’t care how nasty a gas station bathroom is because we don’t touch anything. If we really don’t like it, we can just step behind a tree and we are good.

Personal look – wrinkles are fine, gray hair is fine, bald is fine, no makeup, no nips, tucks, lifts etc. Men mostly have the same hairstyle all our life and if the color changes, the style never does. We don’t worry about wearing white shoes after Labor Day because we don’t have white shoes. Although if we did, you can bet we would wear them at Christmas. Nail clippers are the only treatment we need for our fingernails and toenails. Facial hair, no problem. If a man gets a spot on his favorite shirt he wears around the house, he just washes that one spot under the sink. The rest of the shirt is fine. ha

Christmas shopping – about two hours one afternoon and that is only because there might be a line.

When you think about it, given the simplicity of men, it’s amazing that women are even attracted to us. Ha.  There you have it. Why men are simple creatures. KT

infamy

Life

Sunday morning, before 8am on December 7, 1941, Japan attacked and bombed Pearl Harbor. The next day December 8, 1941 Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the nation and said it was “a date which will live in infamy.”  This week was the 79th anniversary of one of the worst events in American history.

Here we are in December 2020 thinking that this year was so bad, and it has been, but put 1941 also in context. The US was already at a full-on war in Europe with Germany since 1939 and losing service members every day in battle after battle. Our military focus was consumed with the war in Europe and then when you thought it couldn’t get any worst, another country (Japan) attacked our blind side in Pearl Harbor and destroyed our Pacific fleet with no provocation or warning.

Yes, 2020 has been bad and the loss of life due to COVID is unthinkable but we are also consumed today with republicans and democrats and social issues like never before. In 1941 with the nation’s security in peril , there was only one team. The US team. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, America for the first time in its history was fearful for its survival. Today even with all the noise, we are not afraid for the nation’s survival. So yes, 2020 has been tough for some and even good for others but it has been far from the anxiety the nation felt in 1941.

It will never happen, but wouldn’t it be great if in Washington there were no different teams and the elected officials represented the best interest of people of the states that put them there? I know this is a pipe dream, but wouldn’t it be great. KT