Reflections from Good to Great and Beyond Great, part 5 
Last time we talked about man's "search for significance." We continue in that vein today.
Some societies and cultures encourage people to pursue tangible/physical dreams. In the United States there are expressions such as “living the American dream.” This phrase boasts that people can dream of accomplishing things for themselves and their family, and in the USA there is the freedom to work hard to accomplish it. It is a powerful motivator. Sometimes people flee from one country to another simply to have that kind of freedom and opportunity.
These types of accomplishments alone though, even with their powerful motivation, come up short in terms of eternal significance. Chuck Swindoll, Pastor of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, Texas, recently spoke about the spiral of pursuit that can trap us in earthly dreams.
He warned:
“We work hard.
We earn more.
We spend more.
We climb higher.
We work harder.
We earn even more.
We spend still more.”
And the cycle repeats. It can leave us simply exhausted, and at the same time frustrated with the lack of meaning and significance—“chasing after the wind.”
A Dallas business man, Bob Buford, illustrates that some people, after accomplishing “greatness” in business, fight to find a fulfillment in the second half of their lives. He authored a book called Halftime[1] that focuses on this.
He personally decided to leave his position as CEO and owner of a highly successful television cable service company so that he could pursue “meaning” on another path. Bob founded and now leads “The Buford Foundation and Leadership Network.” They support churches with leadership resources. The Christian Management Association awarded Mr. Buford its most prestigious award in 2005 to recognize the accomplishments of his “second half.”
Buford has now written another book that tells the stories of some 60 professionals who have accomplished significant things in their second career-life. That book is called Finishing Well[2]. The point is that no matter the riches and earthly accomplishments, some professionals are now making dramatic, life changing transformations in their careers and lives in order to find and pursue something of significance.
Some of us are moved in a direction of transformation due to "pain." Next time we will consider that circumstance.
Many thanks,
Larry Meeker
President, Advanced Team Concepts
[1] Bob Buford, Halftime: Changing your Game Plan from Success to Significance (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994).
[2] Bob Buford, Finishing Well: What People Who Really Live Do Differently? (Nashville: Integrity Publishers, 2004).
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