"By 20, know something. By 30, be something. By 40 have something. By 50 share something…."
Bennie Fowler, Vice President for Global Quality at Ford Motor Co.
I found this quote over the weekend while reading the Detroit Free Press. It caused me to pause and think if I had actually met Mr. Fowler's blue print for a happy and productive life. It turned out to be a pretty funny reflection because by 20 I realized I didn't know as much as I had hoped, in my 30's I'm still discovering what I am capable of doing, I'm nervous for my 40's because everything I'll have will still be on loan at the bank, and my 50's, well, I try not to think that far ahead. I don't know if Mr. Fowler's advice is appropriate for everyone or not, but I do know that the fact he appeared to have a plan puts him well ahead of the game. It seems that the only thing which causes human beings to actually take themselves seriously is a true sense of urgency. We don't change our diet until we have a stroke or can't fit into our favorite clothes. We don't stop playing with a ball in the house until our parents reached for a belt, branch, shoe or other disciplinary weapon of choice. We don't change our attitude or mind set until we receive feedback that our attitude is precisely the reason we can't get ahead. We don't even change our behavior at home until we're at the brink of being alone. Why does it take us so long to take ourselves seriously? Most people have a person they go to when they need answers to life's most difficult questions. In the Star Wars episodes, Luke Skywalker and the Jedi had Yoda. Bo and Luke Duke had Uncle Jesse. For me, I have my 6 year old daughter Trinity. I asked her what motivates people to change their behavior and she said, "…daddy, I'm not sure. What does motivate mean?". And just like that, I had the answer. Its not that we don't know what we need to do that causes us to delay necessary action, but the fact that we honestly don’t know what motivation is. In my opinion, we confuse motivation with self preservation all the time. If we are standing in the middle of the road and a car is headed for us, its self preservation not true motivation that causes us to move.
My challenge to you this week is simple. Dust off your dictionary and look up the words 'motivate' and 'preserve'. Reflect on your professional journey and see which word applies to your pattern of behavior. Meditate on the opportunities that exist for you to alter your behavior and rediscover a life plan for yourself. There is no magic to the numbers that Mr. Fowler uses in his quote. We don't achieve instant wisdom during every decade of our lives. We do however risk the future of our children if we continue to demonstrate that life without plan and corresponding action will still turn out ok.
Alonzo Kelly
President
Milwaukee Urban League Young Professionals
