Never Stop Learning

By Fred Stephenson

Success, happiness, love, appreciation, and respect. During the course of my 80-year life, I cannot remember meeting anyone who didn’t want to obtain each of these goals, collectively a fulfillment of their lives, an affirmation that their lives really made a difference and meant something, and that their efforts were worthwhile. At the same time I know too many people who feel just the opposite, that they, compared to others, have been unsuccessful. And they are not as happy as they hoped to be. My purpose in writing this book is to uplift and help them.

Never Stop Learning is a collection of 21 stories that I originally wrote for my 10 grandchildren, as helpful guidance to assist them in navigating life more easily and successfully. Subsequently, I became convinced that if my stories could help my family, then they could help many other people. This book is the result. Each story’s purpose is to teach lessons defining the keys to unlocking success, happiness, love, appreciation and respect.

Who should read this book? Truthfully, the ones who could get the most benefit are 16-35-year-olds because they have the most time left, maybe the greatest need, plus they are going through the years where they are making many key decisions in rapid order about education, careers, jobs, and perhaps marriage and children. But I truly believe anyone from 8 to 100 would learn from the book’s lessons. I state this because some of my reviewers in their 80’s told me so.

This I know. None of us will ever know everything about most anything. We still have plenty to learn. Personally, I am never going to stop trying to learn. Like me, others still have that hunger for knowledge and understanding. I hope more will join us in that pursuit. Never stop learning. You won’t regret it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Mar 14, 2024
• ISBN: 9798823023405

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© 2024 Fred Stephenson. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

Published by AuthorHouse 03/13/2024

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2342-9 (sc)

ISBN: 979-8-8230-2340-5 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2024904822

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Contents

Dedication

Acknowledgements

Foreword

Introduction

Reflections on My Love of Learning and Life

Looking Out the Window

Remembering Pop

Luck, Opportunity, and Happiness

Baffled

Overcoming Human Limitations

Best Presents

Always Thinking

Balancing and Setting Life’s Priorities

My Good Friend, Allen Xi Beals

Counted On

Five Points Tire & Automotive

My Confession of Faith

Removing Barriers to Happiness and Success

Books

Opportunity and Encouragement

Empathy

The Why and How of My Book Writing

Fishing With Papa

Creative People

Redefining Success

About the Author

Wisdom is found in those who take advice

Proverbs 13:10

The Bible, New International Version

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let them show it by their good life, by deeds done in the humility that comes from wisdom.

James 3:13

The Bible, New International Version

Dedication

Dedicated to our grandchildren Haley, Sydney, William, Gray, Brooke, Charlie, Jenny Ruth, John, Reny, and Keller, and every one of my students, each of whom encouraged me to learn, taught me, and enriched my life. Thank you. You have made me feel special, blessed, happy, and loved.

Acknowledgements

This book was made possible because of the following individuals who motivated and encouraged me to write these stories and who reviewed and provided suggestions and advice on how to improve the book’s value to readers: our children (Katie Spicer, Jeff Stephenson, and David Stephenson), our grandchildren, and Ross Cook, David Labbo, Paul Taylor, Ronn Hodkinson, Dan Baker, and Dick Hill. Thank you. Additionally I am grateful to the Holy Spirit who guided me through the whole process.

Especially I want to recognize and thank Jill Munz Mitchell and my wife Sharon. Jill is one of my former University of Georgia students and a national award winning college teacher who reviewed and edited the entire manuscript, contributed excellent feedback, and graciously wrote the foreword to this book. Sharon, my most trusted partner and counselor, reviewed the entire manuscript and made honest, insightful, corrective recommendations helping improve my stories and messages. I will always love you, Sharon. You have always been there for our family and me. You are my rock.

Foreword

If faced with a tough decision, would you be embarrassed to tell your grandmother what you did? At first glance, this seemingly simple life lesson appears to be a quaint anecdote, yet upon deeper reflection, it reveals itself to be a powerful tool in ethical decision-making. This lesson has echoed in my mind countless times throughout my life. Dr. Fred Stephenson imparted it during one of his many lively marketing lectures in a large auditorium of 300 students at the Terry College of Business at The University of Georgia (UGA). Within these pages, you will find not only practical advice for making difficult decisions but also profound insights into the essence of what it means to lead a purposeful, honorable, and fulfilling life.

Dr. Stephenson is a Christian, husband, father, grandfather, son, veteran, patriot, teacher, friend, mentor, coach, author, researcher, advisor, student, reader, listener, transportation expert, fisherman, artist, hiker, photographer, comedian, baker, and dishwasher, and in my opinion just one of the best all-around humans. Dr. Stephenson, a craftful storyteller, has drawn on his life experiences to curate a treasury filled with invaluable life lessons for both young and old.

Dr. Stephenson has influenced my life in so many ways. I will forever call my teacher Dr. Stephenson, someone I have revered for over half of my life… I just can’t call him Fred out of respect. Sorry, Doc. I was his student for one semester. Then, I volunteered at his annual (and very successful) Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference. The last time I saw him was when he generously gave his time when I, the president of an honor society, invited him to be the keynote speaker at the awards ceremony. So, how does one person who was in my life for such a brief period make such an impact? Lucky for you, as you read this book, you will benefit from his stories of a respectable life well lived… just like I have benefitted.

About seven years after I graduated from UGA, I transitioned from a career at a Big 4 accounting firm to teaching accounting at a community college. Funny enough, when I embarked on my own teaching career, it wasn’t an accounting professor or partner at my firm I turned to for guidance—it was Dr. Stephenson, my marketing professor. His ability to infuse practical wisdom into his lectures, often punctuated by photos and stories of his own family, inspired me. So, I reconnected with him. I wanted all of the advice he could share because I wanted my students to feel the same way he made me feel. Then, I used his book Extraordinary Teachers: The Essence of Excellent Teaching as the instructional manual for teaching. I didn’t want just to be a good teacher; I wanted to be a great teacher, one who could truly make a difference in the lives of my students. Teaching is a privilege and a great responsibility. Many years later, I was humbled to be recognized for my teaching and received several state and national awards. When asked to give keynotes, I shared Dr. Stephenson’s stories of integrity, humility, responsibility, and compassion, which were powerful illustrations of the timeless truth he sought to impart to his students. To know that I may have played a small part on my students’ big journeys is the best award I could ever receive. But, Dr. Stephenson didn’t just play a small part on my journey.

Throughout my career, Dr. Stephenson’s advice has shaped my approach to teaching and mentoring. For example, his love for Adam Sandler’s The Waterboy taught me the importance of injecting humor into the classroom to keep students engaged. As a current faculty member at the McIntire School of Commerce at the University of Virginia, my students often ask me for book recommendations. And, you guessed it, I pass along many recommendations that Dr. Stephenson shared with me. In fact, in his story Books, you’ll learn about these meaningful books and how reading can offer the best education. Ultimately, upon reading the stories in this book which you are about to read, I drew parallels to my own life and to my teaching philosophy, which is based on the tenets of honor, opportunity, and professionalism (and his stories provide powerful illustrations of each):

Honor - In Remembering Pop, the touching eulogy for his father, a WWII Navy veteran, you’ll be inspired by the lessons Pop taught his children, including being humble in success, sticking to your word, standing by marriage vows, honoring commitments, devotion to hard work, and being unselfish with money and time.

Opportunity –In Opportunity and Encouragement, little Fred was just given a chance in sports. …people need an opportunity. They can’t accomplish anything if you don’t put them in the game. Give them that task and trust them to get that job done well.

Look for things in people they don’t see in themselves. Be sincere and encourage them; they may become extraordinary because you gave them that opportunity.

Professionalism – In Empathy, you’ll learn about the power of grace and his approach to balancing the zero empathy perspective and the Golden Rule, as well as how to be an effective listener, which every professional needs to develop skills in to be an effective communicator and leader. Also, he taught me to do little extra things… they lead to the big things.

When the time came for our son to explore colleges, it felt serendipitous that we found ourselves considering the very institution from where my favorite teacher graduated and had once served as the class president. That was just the memory that I needed to reconnect with my teacher once again. Just like in Best Presents, you’ll learn the importance of gratitude and how it is never too late to say thank you to someone. Students come and go in the lives of teachers, and we never really know if we made a difference. I hope that story will inspire you to reflect upon those who made a difference in your life.

Now, as Dr. Stephenson shares his life lessons with the world through this book, Never Stop Learning, I am grateful for his impact on my journey. His wisdom, humor, and genuine care for his students have left an indelible mark on all who have had the privilege of learning from him. To readers from young to experienced, I offer this book as a beacon of guidance and inspiration in navigating life’s challenges with grace and integrity. Dr. Stephenson’s words remind us that true success is not measured by accolades or achievements but by our impact on others, our character, and the legacy we leave behind.

May Dr. Stephenson’s wisdom serve as a guiding light, illuminating your journey with clarity, courage, and compassion. May you, like so many before you, be forever changed by the teachings of a master educator whose influence knows no bounds.

Jill E. Mitchell, CIA, MS, MEd

Lecturer

McIntire School of Commerce, University of Virginia

Introduction

I am an 80-year-old who late in life began writing short advice pieces, lessons I have learned that I could share with my grandchildren to guide them through the inevitable challenges ahead. My thinking went like this. If a person can learn something new every day in their lives – one of my goals – then there certainly ought to be some very good ideas to pass on to younger folks. My 29,000+ days have been very instructive. I love my grandkids and want them to experience the most satisfying and meaningful lives possible.

Thus, papers began accumulating. Something would trigger a thought, like a situation where someone showed no empathy for another, that told me I needed to address the importance of having empathy for others. On another day I received a thoughtful letter from a former student who expressed gratitude for my mentoring, and I was motivated to address the power of thoughtfulness and the blessings of reconnecting with respected, appreciated people. In time I wrote about 30 pieces on a wide variety of topics. Each made me reflect deeply on the meaning of things and how I could teach those lessons to my family. The problem was that this collection was doing no one any good just sitting in my filing cabinet. The papers needed to be read. But how? All I knew was that I wanted to encourage my granddaughters and grandsons. Then the thought occurred to me, why stop with just my grandkids? Why not reach out to as many people as I could? And this triggered my thoughts of putting the best of those papers into a small book of hopefully big messages. In your hands is the result.

So let me keep this short. The 21 papers in Never Stop Learning cover what I believe are the more important topics among those papers I wrote. Some appear as speeches I gave to college students and parents. Others are stories, hopefully amusing, but more so instructive of what life taught me both good and bad. I have been on top of a few mountains, success stories, but also have been humbled by my shortcomings, failures and mistakes. There are real benefits in reviewing openly and honestly good and bad experiences, which this book does. Two of the talks I gave at memorial services honoring people I loved are included. They portray the values and worthy character traits my dad’s and friend’s lives exemplified. Some papers try to jolt people into action to address human shortcomings, such as the growing need to open our minds and hearts more fully and to learn the significant difference between getting a diploma and truly getting educated. Just know that there is a broad mix of topics and a variety of ways messages are delivered. Each paper, though, has a purpose and is solutions-oriented.

Another of my goals was flow, the best sequential delivery of information. Consequently, I have tried to piggyback one paper off another as much as I could. Think of it this way: one paper delivers something like my philosophy of life and love of learning; the next applies the principles.

Young people between the ages of 16-35 are the primary target of the contents of this book. Why? Because they have the most time left, maybe the greatest need to consider the book’s suggestions, and would, I believe, benefit the most from the contents. But I am confident that most people regardless of age who read this book will find useful messages and advice inside. Many of you will relate to my stories and described situations because you, too, have experienced