Tomorrow Is A Better Day: Live Big and Think Bigger!

I tuned in to the local broadcast of the Arkansas Razorback – Texas A&M football game on KCFO (AM 970, Tulsa). Since my wife was in Texas, I anticipated a nice evening of peace and quiet. But listening to the pregame programs, I began having twinges of guilt about needing to clean up the kitchen and house because I kept hearing my wife’s voice on commercials. Okay, the company she owns, The Resume Source (capturingsuccess.com) sponsors Razorback football, and since I was batching you husbands can imagine what the house looked like after a couple of days.

Anyway, I decided to turn off the radio and watch the televised broadcast. Just as I turned the volume up on the television, one of the sportscasters said, “You know, down here in Texas, they have a motto, ‘Live Big. Think Bigger’.” Those words stuck in my head. In these days in which we are living, we need to “live big and think bigger!”

Now, by living big, I don’t, mean that you live beyond your means. Rather, I mean that everyone of us can find ways to live big lives that will produce the inner sense of fulfillment and future that we all so desperately need in these economic times.

Living Big simply means that we realize that life is not defined by the setbacks, disappointments and problems of the moment. Too often we allow these things to shrink our image of who we are and what we can do, and we begin to live small. We begin to doubt ourselves, question our abilities, engage in self pity, criticize ourselves and shrink from putting forth the effort we need to once again become the confident, fulfilled individual we can become.

Living Big means BELIEVING in who we really are, not what present circumstances present us with. I recall reading a true story about the famous early twentieth century writer and the world’s first roving reporter, Lowell Thomas. Before he became known as a roving reporter, he lived large by using his creative ingenuity. For example, he convinced railroads to give him free passage in exchange for articles praising rail travel. When he visited Alaska, he hit upon the novel idea of making movies about faraway places to finance his trips.

When the United States entered the First World War, President Wilson sent him to find material that would encourage the American people to support it. Thomas did not want to merely write about the war, he wanted to film it. He estimated that $75,000 would be needed for filming, which the U.S. government thought too expensive, and so he turned to a group of 18 Chicago meat packers.

Thomas and a cameraman, went to the Western Front, but the trenches had little to inspire the American public. They then went to Italy where he heard of General Allenby’s campaign against the Ottoman Empire. He became accredited as a war correspondent through the British and met T.E. Lawrence, a captain in the British Army in Jerusalem. Lawrence was spending £200,000 a month encouraging the inhabitants of Palestine to revolt against the Turks. Thomas spent several weeks with Lawrence in the desert, Lawrence agreed to provide Thomas with material on the condition that Thomas also photograph and interview Arab leaders.

Thomas shot dramatic footage of Lawrence and, after the war, toured the world, narrating his film, With Allenby in Palestine and Lawrence in Arabia, making Lawrence—and himself—household names. The opening of Thomas's six-month London run, there were exotically dressed women dancing before images of the Pyramids, and the Welsh Guard band played the accompaniment program.

After London, Thomas took his show on the road and in Europe encountered a problem. According to the story, Thomas sent a cable to his backers in the United States requesting funds, but in those days, such things took time.

While waiting for the funds to arrive, he and his companions reduced their expenses. But, according to one of those who travelled with him, he always made it a point to buy his trademark fresh carnation for his lapel every morning. This, according to the source, was a daily reminder to him of who he was and would be again, despite the current situation that required drastic cuts in their daily expenses.

Now, some might say this was an act of ego. But, on at least a subconscious level, Thomas was reaffirming his self-image by finding a way to “live big” even in bad times. Contrast that to what so many people do when they fall on temporary hard times or face momentary setbacks—and we know that in reality, all difficulties are temporary and momentary if we keep on keeping on.
Most people, falling up on hard times or setbacks start berating themselves, putting themselves down and generally shrinking their self-image smaller and smaller, undermining their belief in their God given talents and start living smaller and smaller.

A couple of weeks ago I had a business luncheon at The Petroleum Club. Afterward, the people I had lunched with had to scurry back to their offices for meetings. As I was preparing to leave a group of older businessmen that I’m acquainted with invited me to join their table. Always eager to hear their stories of past successes and failures, I gratefully pulled up a chair and joined them.

For several minutes I listened to them reminisce about their experiences in building their businesses when Tulsa was to the oil industry what Houston has become. The elder statesman of this august think-tank had been listening attentively to the discussion, but had contributed few comments. He cleared his throat and said, “You know the difference between the Tulsa we’ve been talking about and the one we’ve got now?” Answering his own question he continued, “Too many people these days have lost the vision of where they want to be. And anytime we lose our vision we diminish that can-do spirit that built our companies and made this city great!”

Have you lost your can-do spirit during these past few months? Then it’s time you started “living big” and recapturing your vision of what you can do by “thinking bigger” again.

Have a Great and Profitable Week!
Robert Hidde
bob@confidentliving.com