Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Farnsworth's First Law of Life, Leadership, and Cranberry Sauce

 

Add Zest to Life, Whatever Your Role
As we sit down to a bounteous Thanksgiving dinner this week, we’ll be ooh-ing and aah-ing over a beautifully roasted turkey or tasty ham. There will be a special dressing on the table and perhaps a casserole or two. We’ll be saving room for some spicy pumpkin pie or other traditional dessert.
But as we feast, we mustn’t overlook the lesson of the cranberry sauce.
On most Thanksgiving menus, cranberry sauce is not the star of the show. It’s not the highlight of the dessert course. It’s a humble bit player, barely more than an extra. But that doesn’t stop it from being zesty and colorful. What would Thanksgiving dinner be without the tangy, vibrant cranberry?
Life is like that. We don’t always get to be the belle of the ball. Our name isn’t always up in lights. But that doesn’t mean we can’t make a difference and find fulfillment in a “lesser” role.
The trajectory of history is more often cyclical than linear. As the wheel of life turns, sometimes we’re up and sometimes we’re down. So what? We can choose to give our all regardless of the situation.
When geese migrate in formation, they rotate positions frequently. They seem to understand that the flock can travel farther and faster when different birds take turns flying at the point of the V and the one in front falls back into the group.
“Whate’er thou art, act well thy part” was the personal creed of David O. McKay, a noted American church leader in the mid-20th century. He understood that how we serve is more important than where we serve, and that, as Paul wrote to the Corinthians, the body hath need of every member.
Small and simple acts of kindness add zest and color and make our lives sweeter. We need each one to make the feast of life complete.
This Thanksgiving, let’s relish the “cranberry sauce moments” of our own lives. We can’t always be the main dish, but we can make the most of even the smallest role.
And let’s appreciate those whose tiny but thoughtful service spice up our world and make it colorful and vibrant.

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