The Second Act Man

I don’t learn in a straight line.  Wish I did. But I don’t.  Lay out a road map for me and I’ll make wrong turns and wander down backroads.  That’s just how my brain works.  Some days it can be a curse. Most days it’s not.

For example.  I like the song, “Better Be Home Soon” by Crowded House.  I download it and then more of their songs. Then I buy the lead singer’s solo music. Then his brother’s. Then I find out the bass player’s brother has a band called Hunters & Collectors.  I buy their music. Then I discover one of the backup musicians had a band in the 90’s that I like called The Mutton Birds.  I buy their music.  It’s how I roll.  And yes, it confuses me, too.

People ask me if I follow my cousin Dave’s teachings.  Let’s just say his advice is treasured — he is very good at pointing me in directions I need to go.  A prime example of this is a book he handed me by Andy Andrews.  When I was up in Nashville visiting his team, Dave handed me a book called The Final Summit. Andy is a NY Times Best Selling Author, nationally known speaker, dad and has spoken to four Presidents.  He’s a master storyteller who I’m glad to have gotten to meet. Why? Because he really has opened my eyes.

In The Final Summit,  he tells a life tale through historical figures.  One of those figures is former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill — who tells the lead character David Ponder about how to be a “Second Act Man.”  On page 57, Churchill reached off the page and slapped me back to my senses.

The gist of the tale is this:  Many people have a taste of success and then have something happen that caused them to fail.  And in that dark period, people focus on their failure, wallow in the dark time and never learn the wisdom that can help them make it to their second act. A second act that could be even more glorious than the first one.

It was an idea that lifted me up last week after one of my worst weeks professionally in years. And has sent my mind off in another direction.  A direction that will help me launch my second act.