Nothing is certain (maybe)

They say nothing is certain; there are no sure things. The expectation then is that you can’t count on anything. This can be good or bad, but what people lose sight of is that it’s not about that expectation; it’s how you react when expectations are, or are not, met.

At Freedom, we do our best to set the right budget, hire the right people, approve the good loan, cash the safe check, but as the Scottish Poet Robert Burns wrote, “The best-laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft agley” (the best laid plans often go wrong). Foresight, planning, the best of intentions can all work perfectly or, at times, be in vain and not reap the intended benefit. However, it’s these little hiccups that can also bring out the best in us.

When things don’t go as planned we must have the ability to regroup; to objectively listen to other points of view, heed advice and, as necessary, change opinions, shift priorities or start over. Obviously no one likes to get it wrong, but that does present an opportunity. That’s the key. It’s not about making a mistake, it’s about learning from it and not repeating it.

Monitoring products and processes, evaluating performance, listening to valid feedback isn’t about finding fault. Those things let us build on the positives and isolate the negatives in hopes of becoming better. We will all have occasion to be a mentor and a student, to lead and to follow. We count on each other every day. It is, therefore, the mindset of the individual, the willingness to focus on the good, the desire to improve and motivation to serve others that will drive the ability to switch between such roles and successfully adapt to a changing world. That’s certain.

“Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.” — Charles Swindoll

The Truth Is In Here

I don’t know how many of you are X-Files fans or if you ever even heard of the show, but it was always one of my favorites. I don’t know if it was the story line, the conspiracy theories about otherworldly encounters or the characters themselves. Probably a combination of them all. The tag line of the show, “The Truth Is Out There” was all about the idea that there is more than meets the eye. That we must put aside the things we had believed in to look for a greater truth. We’re not searching for extraterrestrial life at Freedom, but we are looking for a certain truth.

Our truth is our purpose. Something we think we know, but are proving is so much more. The truth about Freedom as a financial institution is that we do loans (mortgages, business, auto, anything, etc.); we provide a variety of saving products and high earning deposit accounts; we have mobile and online banking; we have a nationwide ATM network; and so on and so on. This is obvious to anyone who bothers to look. The deeper truth, our greater purpose, is the service we provide to, and the partnerships we forge with, our members and the community. Moreover, this truth is something we should never stop pursuing.

Banking is what we do, NOT who we are. But don’t take my word for it. Talk to us, do business with us, discover your own truth and experience the Freedom difference. After all, why bank at a Bank when banking is better at Freedom.

Mike

Look the World in the Eye.

Shoulders Back. Head Up.

They say the eyes are the window to the soul. I think there’s truth to that. You can tell a lot about a person by what you see or don’t see in their eyes. You can tell a lot about a person depending on where the eyes look or how they move. The eyes also impact other physical traits that suggest mood and personality. For example, if you’re walking or standing around looking down, often your head is down, shoulders are slouched, your body basically conveys to the world I’m not interested, I’m not comfortable, I’m not strong, I’m hiding, or other negative impressions. It happens to the best of us and often without realizing it. Recently, this became relevant to me.

Walking on the Ma & Pa trail the other day, trying to burn off a little stress, I had occasion to think of my dad. Don’t know why; it just happened. As I trudged along I swear I heard him say, as he often had, “Shoulders back. Head up. Look the world in the eye” and I realized I could tell you where almost every rock, divot or pebble was on that trail, but I couldn’t describe four kinds of leaves on the trees I’ve walked through for days on end. As I continued on, my mind wandered back over the years and I couldn’t recall a single image of my father walking with his head down like I had been. This man lived through his share of trials; the depression, WWII, strikes, even the death of a child, but he always walked with his head held high. Even at the end,lying in a hospital bed, he did the same thing; because holding your head high is about attitude not physical position. His attitude carried him through it all and every image I have is of him looking the world in the eye.

As I kept walking and thinking my back arched, my shoulders pulled back and my head lifted. I looked up at everything in front and around me, and felt a weight lift; that same weight we all feel at times that tries to push us down. After a couple miles I felt something else. The muscles in my neck and shoulders were tight and, after a while longer, ached. This was unfortunate proof that they were not used to this position or duration; I had walked too long with my head down. The thing about muscles though is that if you work them they get stronger; the discomfort won’t last if you make the activity a regular practice. So that is my goal. Oh it’s still important to glance down occasionally to ensure you don’t step in the inevitable pile life can drop in your path, but it won’t be a reaction to the weight of the day. Because on a walk, as with life, you won’t see what’s coming if your head’s down; you can’t smile at people if you don’t look at them and you won’t get anywhere meaningful if you just focus on the steps and not the journey.

What does this have to do with Freedom? Simple. Stuff will happen now and then that try to make you look down. Things won’t always go as planned, there will be complaints, equipment will falter and it just isn’t going to be all sunshine and roses every minute of every day, BUT that doesn’t have to weigh us down when we realize they are the exceptions not the norm. Those things are just some of the steps we take along the way and we have to remember we are on a journey to be better; to be something special. We have to focus on where we’re going and why; so the imperfections become more infrequent and won’t hold us down or hold us back.

So no matter what you’ve been through, what you’re doing, or what challenges lie ahead, remember….Shoulders back. Head up. Look the world in the eye.

Mike