Life lessons from Chubby (my dad) and other smart folks I’ve met on the road.

 

My dad, Chubby, was the most focused,
purpose-driven person I ever knew.

He cautioned me often about how easy it would be to fritter away my life.

Chubby’s focus reminds me of people like Joel Osteen. When Osteen was getting started, he devoted 10 hours a day, five days a week, to one singular purpose — writing and rehearsing his 50-minute Sunday sermon each week.

Refining the thoughts. Nuancing each word. Articulating every sentence. Experimenting with emphasis. Evaluating tone.

No calls. No emails. No texts. No news. No nothing. Fifty laser beam hours focused on delivering fifty remarkable minutes on Sunday.

An hour of input. A minute of output. Total focus. Singular goal.

My dad, Chubby, was that kind of guy, too. He knew the world was a sea of oatmeal. He warned about becoming mired in the mush — squandering time, lacking direction, jumping from diversion to diversion. Chubby cautioned,

“The world is a sea of oatmeal. Don’t drown in the mush.”