Walking, talking and chewing gum at the same time are challenges for me. However, I can walk and listen at the same time even while chewing gum. So, when I go for my daily 4- to 6-mile walk, albeit slowly, in go my ear buds and I listen to various books. I’m trying to up my game a little bit with my listening selections. I first listened to all 66 books of the Bible, which took me six months of walking 100 miles per month at 22 minutes per mile, or 220 hours. I told you I was a slow walker and now you know I am a slow listener as well. As I remember what I had heard, there was a lot of begetting going on, but the biblical stories are fascinating and prophetic.

Further to my game upping, I am listening to the complete works of Shakespeare. This, too, is going to take me quite a few miles of walking because Shakespeare was a prolific playwright. My only past exposure to Shakespeare was “The Merchant of Vence” play from a high school English class. What I remember from reading and discussing it was that when Shylock threatened Portia, he would take a pound of flesh “closest to the heart.” All of us teenage boys giggled about that.

I am also listening to “Ancient Rome: The Rise and Fall of an Empire,” trying to find any parallels to the intrigues of our world’s political messes today. I haven’t heard any yet, but that’s probably because I am only through the preamble of a 504-page book. But if and when I do find something akin to what has happened, is happening, or maybe prophetically will happen in America specifically or the world’s other political systems in general, you’ll be the first to know.

Do you think there possibly could be any parallels to what I am listening to and the meat and poultry industry in which we all toil? Maybe so. Here are some random thoughts from my walking and listening so far as I try to ferret out any similarities to forewarn and forearm you:

Small defeats big: When a little guy takes a few smooth rocks and a sling to slay an opponent’s giant, it gives all the small guys everywhere hope. We have a few “big” guys in our business and a plethora of little guys. What is the lesson of David versus Goliath for all those little guys? The sling, rocks and careful aim were David’s victory weapons. Choose your slings, rocks and arrows carefully (e.g., unique meat and poultry products) and your careful aim (e.g. marketing tactics and segments) wisely as you, too, can win in those sectors where you can differentiate and dominate.

Feed the masses: You cannot be all things to all people, but you can have differentiated products to meet specific consumer needs. The loaves and fishes parables salved specific needs — doubt and hunger. Your products can do the same — obviously not on as grand a scale, but you must be specific with both consumer segments and unique products needed to be successful.

Ye of little faith: You may not be able to walk on water nor enable others to do so, but you can convince others to realize they can do much more than they may currently believe is possible with your persuasion, effort and example.

Much ado about nothing: Overreacting and making a big deal over something unimportant that at the time may seem monumental is a universal mistake. A little common sense dampens such reactions.

To be or not to be: Hamlet was overwhelmed with his life’s perceived misery making him fearful of the unknown. Fear is contagious, and you can unknowingly communicate it to your company compatriots. Conquer the unknown and its associated fear with planning and the willingness to change when it’s obvious you need to do so. I once had a boss who said, “Plans are firm until changed.” Change was the watch word and we all knew and embraced it.

I have much more walking and listening to look forward to, but so far these are some of my thought parallels.

Lessons learned while walking

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