Passion, Persistence and Direction...

I was totally dumbfounded as I read the formal announcement that he was no longer with us!

I guess that I shouldn't have been surprised...he was not an employee...and refused to be...he always took consulting or contracting roles...and worked diligently to eliminate his position...and always suceeded!

He always dug deeper than he should have and found skeletons that organizations could not face!

This often times helped his leaving...but even gone...his bringing them out made the company better!

I was going to miss him more than one would ever know...

I walked down to his office...to bid adieu...but it was already empty...

He knew this was coming and...DIDN'T TELL ME!

I walked back to my office...decided that I would take the rest of the day off...and left...

I drove directly to his condo...and found him sitting on his patio, with 2 glasses...one started and one waiting!

He smiled, when he saw me walk around the corner...

"You are right on time!"

You knew and you didn't tell me!

Now what are you going to do?

"Rest and take care of things that I have left remiss for way too long...then come back to work!"

"Do a little fishing..."  "Ride my bike"


All I heard was "come back to work..."  Do you know something that I do not?

"This is the 7th time that I have done this for your company...they always find a reason to bring me back...do you think that this time it will be any different?"

Are you going back to Greece to wait this out?

"No, I think that I will stay here...I have grown fond of this area...lots of things to do...besides...I own this place...my place in Greece has people taking care of it...this place doesn't."

"You own places all over the world...it doesn't make sense that you'd stay here!"

"OK...I'll say it...I want to hang around here with you!  I have gotten used to having someone that likes my rum as much as I do..."
 I smiled I just needed to hear that!  I had gotten used to him too!  Nothing was going to stand in the way...I would give him half of my salary just to help him out...seriously!

 "So why does this happen time and time again?...I would think that you'd learn!"

"You are assuming that this is a bad thing!  Perhaps it took years of learning to be able to do this!"

He always had a twist, and this one was making sense...when you took him and his work in the proper perspective.

He was a man of Passion...

He was Persistent to a fault and...

He knew where he wanted to go...he has a keen sense of Direction...

There was no stopping him!

He found a way to make things happen and kept at it until the world around him willingly gave in!

"I hope that you never get so tied to an organization or a career that you can not drop it in a instant!"

"That is not healthy for you...or a foundation for success...being tied to a job that is..."

How can you be Passionate about something that you do not care about losing?

"I can see that you are pretty upset today...because you are not thinking globally...let me explain..."

"People make the mistake of thinking that there is only one type of passion..."


"They through the word around without knowing what they are really saying or meaning..."


"That, my friend is a dangerous thing..."


"I have found that there are many types..."


"Some are good and some are destructive..."


"There is a passion that springs from complete dedication to something or someone..."


"There is passion that grows out of fear..."


"There is passion driven by insanity..."

"There is passion that is driven by love..."


"There is passion driven appreciation..."


"There is passion driven from indebtedness..."


"I could go on for a long time...you get the picture..."


"There is no single reason for passion..."

"You have to be disciminating about the passion that you exude!"

"DO NOT blindly follow anyone who says that you should be a person of passion...without getting a clear understanding of the type of passion that they are referring to!"

"You could be making the same mistake that a country did in the 1930's"

WOW!  You are passionate about passion!  I laughed...

"Passionate people are magnetic...and the thing is that if you hang around them too long...the passion that they exude takes over..."

"YOU MUST be selective about what you are passionate about...and why..."

"Passion is a driver and it be Good, True and Beautiful...based in morality and NEVER self-serving"

"Otherwise it will turn on you like a wild animal!"

While he talked...the phone rang...

Aren't you going to go and answer it?

"Heck no...that is what I bought an answering machine for!"

"Besides...you are one of the only ones who call me...it must be a wrong number..."

"When you are passionate...you will become honestly persistent...and will know exactly the direction that you must follow..."

"These characteristics are like dominoes!"

"They are sequential and linked..."

"First Passion..."

"Then Persistence..."

"Then Direction..."

"I need a refill...do you?"

"Let's finish this thought before we have another..."

"I like your focus and persistence!"

"This is what I am talking about!"

"When you are passionate about someting...you will not be detracted from it, its course and its achievement!"

 "The uninformed seek passion for what they think it will give them...they use it as a means to an end..."

"Passion is the reason for which you do something that show itself in the manifestation of your every action..."

"That is why I am passionate about it!"

"I am so mad at the company for ending your stay..."

"Be careful...that can become a passion...and it will drive your behaviors..."

"You will never know the entire reason for events..."

"I have never let a single event (except for the Mrs leaving) ever get to me..."

"One event never makes a person...life is a series of events..."

"Take this event for what it is...a chance to change directions..."

"A chance to assess my direction and zero in what I need to do next..."

"My passion for what I am doing is undetered..."

"My persistence is unwavering..."

"We'll see what direction this takes me next!"

"You can do the same..."

"RIGHT?"

"Let's go get that refill...you're off the clock and so am I..."

As I poured...he went over to the answering machine and pushed replay...

I recognized the voice...it said..."Hey...just wanted to let you know that he resigned...you were right...give me a call...I have another challenge for you!"

"Do you need some help moving back into your office?"

"I'll let this sit for a couple of weeks...I have some things to do!"