What is in Your Toolbox?

Most dads’ have a toolbox. Some fathers actually use their toolboxes and other toolboxes collect dust. Some fathers have giant roll around toolboxes and others have small handled boxes. When you open up a father’s toolbox, the variety of tools varies from father to father.

As salespeople and management, we all have a toolbox so we can “fix” things. Our toolboxes may include:

A Hammer: Hammers are finishers and represent all the things that need to be completed.

A Wrench: All of our relationships have to be adjustable. Are we tightening the lives of those around us (making them better) or loosening them (making them weak and vulnerable)?

A Pair of Needle-nose Pliers: For use with the tough things in our lives that need to be extracted, even from those small crevices.

A Leveler: Is your life level or skewed? As a leader do you add balance to those you lead or imbalance? Do you bring about strain by yelling and fussing or do you build strength and balance in the lives of others?

A Tape Measure: How do you measure with your personal goals? Are you one inch or 12ft from you goals? Are you measuring at all?

A Set of Vice Grips: Useful for holding relationships together while you work on them.

A Paint Brush: Are you painting murals of promise in the lives of others or just colorful graffiti while tarnishing their view of themselves?

Duct Tape: Everything can be fixed with duct tape. When you approach any situation with a smile on your face and a positive outlook, you can "fix" anything.

A Lock: Is your toolbox locked or is it open for others to use as well. Jim Rohn said, “The more you share, the more you learn”. When you share what you know, it takes on its own voice that gets heard over and over. This resonator causes waves of action. When you hoard your knowledge, you begin to market it as a commodity and this knowledge can no longer compound and grow.

I am curious about all these toolboxes out there. Please share with all of us here in this network about the details of your toolbox:

How big or small is this toolbox?
Do you use your toolbox?
If so, how often?
What causes you to break out your toolbox?
What is in your toolbox?
What tool do you use for which task(s)?
What tool do you wish you had in your toolbox and why?

A note of thanks to Marsh Buice for his valuable and greatly appreciate seed planting, input and encouragement.

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Comment by Stephanie Young on June 20, 2011 at 9:18am: My toolbox includes all of the above plus some duct tape (aka my smile). When I approach any situation with a smile on my face and a positive outlook, I can "fix" anything. My duct tape holds everything together while I break out the rest of my tool box to create a lasting solution to the problem. I wish my tool box had a magic wand that made everything easier.

Comment by Stephanie Young on June 17, 2011 at 1:13pm: @Marsh: My father has a huge tool box full of all kinds of tools for "fixing" things, especially when it comes to kids. Even when we girls were teenagers, he knew just how to mend a broken heart, a hurt feeling or embrace being different from your friends. Today, he has taken on that same role with his grandchildren. I am so blessed to have been given the wacky and crazy family I was born into.

Comment by Marsh Buice on June 17, 2011 at 12:46pm: I need to get his one-liners!! He is blessed to have the princesses in his life I know!

Comment by Stephanie Young on June 17, 2011 at 12:42pm: @Marsh: Wow!!! There is a lot of Shrek-in going on in your house. I should give you my dad's email addy. He has the best "negotiational" phrases for children....lol. My father is deaf, so I think he used that to his advantage to survive in a household full of girls. Regardless, he still had a knack for letting us girls know that we might be his princesses but he was still the King (usually followed by a few words from Elvis). I love my Dad!!!

Comment by Marsh Buice on June 17, 2011 at 12:10pm: Brilliant!!!! I love that one and will threaten them. I have watched Shrek 4 twice this morning and going to number 3....whose weekend is this anyway??? As always, theirs

Comment by Stephanie Young on June 17, 2011 at 12:06pm: @Marsh: If they don't you can use my father's favorite line, "You better shape up or I will make another one just like you that is less hateful."

Comment by Marsh Buice on June 17, 2011 at 12:01pm: Thank you!! My kids better serve me breakfast in bed...lol...and a Mimosa!

Comment by Stephanie Young on June 17, 2011 at 11:56am: @Marsh: Thank you!!! I appreciate all your insight on this discussion. I think all of our elder's have said to us at one point, "If you don't use it, you loose it." I know my Grandmother often spoke the words, "You got to use what God gave you." Thankfully we all have had some wise "mature" people in our lives that were willing to share the tools that picked up over a lifetime with us. Happy Father's Day, my friend!!!!

Comment by Marsh Buice on June 17, 2011 at 11:25am: Stephanie, what I love about your analogy is even if you don't have the right tool, someone has it and can share it with you. Tools are only effective only when the box is open and used. We have to learn to use the God-given tools we have, the ones we've acquired along our long road, and not be afraid to ask to borrow someone else's when in need. Excellent analogy for men and women. Great job!