“Life is not a matter of holding good cards, but of playing a poor hand well.” - Robert Louis Stevenson
Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars..... Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet
Tuesday, March 31, 2020
Saturday, March 28, 2020
Be....
Quit aspiring to be; Simply Be….
Being disciplined is hard. What’s even more difficult
are the consequences of an undisciplined life. Creating and sticking to a plan
can be painful. However, having to come up with a plan in the middle of chaos
can be downright agonizing. Developing real leadership will certainly test one’s
fortitude. On the flipside, having to follow a lackey because you left your
fate to another will almost certainly result in an unbearable albatross.
Things are hard right now. Our world’s been
flipped on its head and our leaders are struggling to shepherd effectively. Throw
in the fact that recent times have observed an unprecedented challenge of
authority and bipartisanship of all types, and we appear to be on the brink of
anarchy.
However, for what it’s worth, I see something
different emerging. A reversion back to the mean of sorts….
It’s sexy to be different. Challenging the status
quo has become, well, the status quo. Begging for forgiveness instead of asking
for permission has become standard. And, for the most part, this approach works
when starting out or creating something new. It especially works when life is easy,
simple or a previous path has already been blazed in the direction you are
heading.
Nobody wants to be told what to do, especially
when they’ve been taught to not respect authority or to only respect those in
leadership positions who agree with the way you’ve been trained to think (and
yes, you’ve been trained to think that way, regardless of how special or how
much smarter you’ve been told you are than the rest of us).
This isn’t a plug for any person, political party
or methodology of thinking. Mistakes have been made at the medical, political, world,
national and local levels. Some of the best and worst decisions have been made
by dictators, presidents, Christians, Muslims, Hindus, republicans and
democrats. And despite how bad this situation is, I continue to hear folks on all
sides of the aisle support those their trained thought process tell them to, regardless
of how bad their ‘leaders’ have performed, as well as condemn those they’ve
been trained to disagree with. Political parties are spending billions of
dollars on television and internet adds to repute those on the other side at a
time when our hospitals don’t have adequate amounts of ventilators and our
doctors don’t have vaccines or even a treatment for Covid-19.
I have a personal plan. I’m not saying it’s the best plan,
but I’ve found that having one to stick to makes life a lot easier when things
gets hard. Every day I wake up and immediately ask my creator for guidance. I look
to His word, as well as the words of others (by way of books, podcasts, etc.) who
have been successful. I think of 3 things I am grateful for as a way of
realizing how good my life really is in a world that continually wants me to
think it isn’t. I work out daily and ensure that most of what I put back into
my body provides optimal fuel and recovery to keep me healthy and capable of
defending and providing for those entrusted to my care (thanks, Chad Howse). I
live on less than I make and save/invest the rest (thanks, Dave Ramsey and Chris
Hogan). And this gives me the opportunity to do something that gives me an even
greater peace of mind: Give. Because much has been given to me, I give of my
time and resources to others, including supporting causes I believe in, like
Habitat for Humanity, The Mission Continues (Veteran-led), my local American Legion
and my Church. I also help out as individual needs arise, whether it’s a Church
member moving or a bill that’s causing more stress to someone than it’s worth.
I try to make every day a success by noon (thanks, Gary Keller) and I know that
the 5 people I hang around most and the last 5 books I’ve read will likely reflect
who I am as a person (thanks, Jim Rohn). I tell those I live with and those close
to me how much I love them regularly, including Kadar, who calls me early every
Saturday morning to hold me accountable. I meet with Lee once a month for our
long mountain hikes, but more important, our conversations, which always leave
me aspiring to be more like him. The end of each month and quarter also
requires me to report to my accountability group via email as to how well (or
poorly) I am sticking to my quarterly goals. Each evening ends with self-reflection
and thanks to my creator for allowing me to make it through another day. It’s
also where I most realize how un-special I am and how questionable what I’ve
been taught over the course of my life actually is. I catch myself reaching
back to those gone (My father and Grandma the most, although others know who
they are) for guidance, as theirs tend to be suited to any time and situation.
These are the moments (during evening retrospective moments) where I realize
that my being special isn’t about me challenging authority or being different;
it’s about the fears, inadequacies (and similarities) I share with the rest of
my fellow citizens. It’s when I’m most vulnerable, relying on God and those who
have gone before me for future direction. Strangely, it’s also when I feel most
powerful, drawing on those same energies for guidance to lead those I’ll
someday leave behind, who carry my DNA, making me somewhat immortal.
I spoke earlier about a reversion to a mean….
It’s easy to be an investor during a bull market.
And when the economy is good and you’ve been provided a decent upbringing, it's
not all that difficult to find your way in a free market, capitalist society. Finally,
everyone’s an expert and no one needs help (or leadership) when you’re young, healthy
and surrounded by peace and prosperity.
However….
·
There are no atheists in a foxhole (I’ve been
there – this axiom is true)
·
You always find out who’s swimming naked when
the tide goes out –(thanks, Warren Buffet)
·
Crises don’t build character. Crises reveal
character.
Because of this universal tragedy, people are
coming back to the middle, where the majority of us actually reside. Political parties,
ideologies, etc. are being shown for what they actually are: divisive entities.
We have far more in common than is atypical. We all seek shared truths: ‘What
do we come from?’, ‘Who are we?’ and ‘Where are we headed?’
I’m seeing a lot more collaboration than
disagreement. I’m hearing a lot more discussion than arguing. I’m experiencing
a lot more giving than taking.
Our better angels will prevail. They always do. Our
collective wisdom always overcomes our trained disagreements. Our Creator is
always in control, despite who we think/wish/hope is in charge.
Keep your head up. Remember that people are
watching you right now. Be the person you always said you would be when things
get tough.
Friday, March 27, 2020
Mitch Albom Quote....
“Sacrifice is a
part of life. It's supposed to be. It's not something to regret. It's something
to aspire to.” ― Mitch Albom
Thursday, March 26, 2020
The Martin Luther Approach...
I totally borrowed this from the Southside Church in Newnan,
Georgia (thanks for sharing, Tim!):
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Wednesday, March 25, 2020
Teddy Roosevelt Quote....
“It is not the
critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or
where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the
man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and
blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again,
because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually
strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who
spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph
of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while
daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid
souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Coolidge Quote....
“Knowledge comes,
but wisdom lingers. It may not be difficult to store up in the mind a vast
quantity of facts within a comparatively short time, but the ability to form
judgments requires the severe discipline of hard work and the tempering heat of
experience and maturity.” – Calvin Coolidge
Monday, March 23, 2020
Emerson Quote....
“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every
good thing that comes to you and give thanks continuously. And because all
things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in
your gratitude.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
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