Kendra

A few years ago I was honored by being asked to address the local high school seniors at their baccalaureate. This was a different venue for me but since I had two decades of leading senior high youth group under my belt, I accepted the challenge with pleasure.

Then came the hard work. What could I say to those 17- and 18-year-olds that would hold their attention and have the potential to actually make a difference in their lives?

Three keys to success

After pondering the possibilities for several days, I finally had the idea for my message. I titled it, “The 3 Keys to Success,” and scribbled wildly as illustrations of those keys popped into my head. My hope was that by making it simple, the teenagers would be able to remember my words after they left the auditorium.

And what were those 3 Keys to Success?

#1 Show up.

#2 Keep up.

#3 Don’t be stupid.

I’m convinced the idea for my message came from raising our kids on the farm. They each had age-appropriate responsibilities that helped them learn those keys and I seem to recall an unmistakable emphasis on #3: Don’t be stupid!

John

Our boys had plenty of opportunities to exercise all three keys and I think Kendra’s memory is correct about #3. I put a great deal of emphasis on teaching and encouraging them not to be “stupid.” It was something I learned from my dad.

He told me not to jump over the moving tumbling rod even though it might seem like fun. Dad didn’t just give me an order directing me to avoid that particular long jump, he also told me why it was a bad idea, and whenever possible he’d refer me to an article about the hazards of some stupid maneuver I could potentially be considering. Dad was consistent in his effort to teach me the third key to success.

I learned not to get in a hurry when I was working around machinery and that I should always put the safety lock in place before I crawled underneath the bean or corn header.

Why would I have even thought of hurrying up or ignoring the safety lock? The answer’s simple. Both of those things took time; time I wanted to spend doing something that would be more fun. Dad, however, knew that not following his instructions could have disastrous results.

It’s interesting to note that I learned those important lessons about the #3 Key to Success – Don’t Be Stupid - while engaging in the first two. I spent a great deal of my growing up years doing #1 Showing up, and #2 Keeping up, as I worked with my dad on the farm. Then years later I passed those lessons on to our boys.

Kendra

Don’t get me wrong. The 3 Keys to Success apply to city kids too, but I’m convinced that country kids learn them earlier and with more at stake. They’re often surrounded by livestock demanding someone show up and keep up and by equipment that could make “stupid” look a lot like a catastrophe.

That’s why the #3 Key to Success is so important for kids on the farm. To quote a very wise 11-year-old in our lives, “There’s a fine line between fun and stupid.” Nathan, you have no idea how many times we’ve quoted you!