Has the Time Come?

Tonight I finished reading my copy of "LeaderShift: A Call for Americans to Finally Stand Up and Lead." My blog's purpose is not that of a book review. I don't consider myself qualified for that (I've got way too far to go to be an avid, much less diversified, reader). But I do want to put my thoughts out about this amazing piece of literature. What's more, I actually feel a shift taking place in this very blog entry, transforming my own humble little blog's purpose from that of leadership-related musings, to that of promoting the most important message in this day and age (secularly speaking): FREEDOM.

Ultimately, it's my sincere hope that anyone who comes across word of the book "LeaderShift" will get their hands on it. I hate to state it crassly, but the only group of people who this book isn't for is.........those who don't truly care about the future of our nation. Call that melodramatic, but if you ask me the one thing worse than the actual state of our country is the apathy and ignorance about it epitomized by so many of our citizens (among which I was one of the worst until very recently). But then again, I think many thousands, perhaps millions, do sense how grave things are, and yet they either A) think they have the solutions (but they don't, cuz their ideas are things that have already been tried and failed), B) think no solution exists, or C) want there to be a solution but they're too dizzied by the cacophony of opinions and platitudes on CNN or from their economics professors, or their drinking buddies, or coworkers, and so on... To all of you who do want there to be a real solution....finally....your answer has arrived. You MUST read this book!

Co-authors Oliver DeMille and Orrin Woodward used a captivating and easy-to-read narrative format for housing the delivery of an entirely fresh and profound proposal for the turnaround of our nation. Their thoughts have been guided by decades, collectively, of reading and studying historical accounts, literary works from the founding generation, the thoughts of the Classics, etc. Their intuitions have been impacted by their own personal and professional experiences. Their passion and vision comes from a humility and desire for embodying true leadership in their own lives that they are open to ideas that come from outside the box, and their logic is undeniable. At the end of the day, it's as Einstein said: "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again while expecting different results."

That's why I ask any who read this: Is it possible that we've been doing this as a country? Is it possible we've been banging out heads against the wall for a very, very long time? 

In my opinion, there are varying degrees of blame for that. There's no disguising the fact that, for some, the way our political system has been manipulated over the years is very advantageous. So why would anyone who adopts beneficial roles within such a system want anything to change? Actually, such individuals in power may be the only reason why traction for new ideas that can improve America's standing may be met with resistance. Everybody has heard the saying, that power corrupts. In reality, it's a matter of where the power is that determines the corruption.

What I'm saying - and what, in part, this wonderful book is saying - is: Isn't it time for Americans at large to take back the power? I'm not dressed all in black, cranking a heavy song by a band like Rise Against, promoting the idea of anarchy. Nowhere near that, actually. But what did the founding fathers and their associates do more than 250 years ago? Think about that....

"Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed."

-The Declaration of Independence

From this very poignant quote from one of our country's greatest documents I take 3 main points:

1. Americans have absolutely, no questions asked, undeniably been suffering evils that are impeding on our freedoms, and allowing a form of government to rise up into something that's turning our society away from the original ideals. And we've been suffering it for too long. 

2. It is no longer prudent for us as countrymen to sit idly by, claiming victimhood, and believing that it's not up to us to fix what's broken. For the masses, and each individual, to carry on believing that is to deny what was done once before, that enabled us to be free in the first place. If we think we shouldn't, or can't, abolish the forms to which we're accustomed (yet fed up with), we obviously don't know our history, and we really don't deserve our freedom then either. 

3. The time has come. The hour is getting late. Change must take place. We the people, each of us as individuals, must assume responsibility. 

"Sounds great, Jeff," you're saying? "Sounds so patriotic. I can practically hear the soundtrack to that movie Glory playing in the background right now! But what do I even do or how would it even look to re-enact what the likes of Jefferson, Hancock, Wythe, Harrison, Franklin, Clark, and Adams accomplished oh, so long ago?"

To that I simply reply: Read...this...book. Not only will you enjoy it, but you'll be stimulated in a way that you probably haven't been by a piece of literature before. Frankly, it'll put answers into your mind to those questions we've all been asking for a long time. I hope you're at least curious enough to check out a copy. If you know me personally, ask me for a copy. I bought several when they were released, and I plan on having none left for myself if I can get my way. I want this message out there, hands down.

Next time you step outside on a calm evening, just stand there and take it all in. The skies free of bombs. The streets and fields free of wreckage and pillaging. The peace with which you and your family can just hop into your vehicle and drive to your grocery store of choice, your church of choice, your movie theater of choice, and so forth. Just because these freedoms, and others, remain intact doesn't mean that others that are just as important aren't being dissolved out from under us. In fact, the ones that are disappearing as we all sit around complaining are the foundational ones. What happens to a house whose foundation has eroded, when the big bad storm comes bursting through? Think of your children at that moment, when freedom is the most comforting and sweet in your ears and eyes. Ask yourself if you want there to be any chance that, if things are as bad as some say, that they will inherit disaster, poverty, and collapse when your watch is over. Finally, ask yourself if you can think of anyone you've heard on the radio or seen on TV who's got a comforting solution to our deepest fears for this nation...

Then get this book and read it. Soon. 

Thank you for reading as usual. God bless you all, and God bless America...with leaders who are willing to finally stand up and lead in their own way. That can be you, and that can be me. Let's do this together. 

A Poem: Inspired by Chris Brady's "Obstacles"

Mediocrités

His coaxing hand upon my shoulder

I barely feel the alarm within

His nudge is so subtle as he grows bolder

He loves it when my light’s this dim

His whispering words distract my thoughts

His face looks so kind and peaceful

When he’s near me no wandering is caught

My courage cowers in thought of each woe

His melody of choice is the complaining drone

Yeah, his symphony is the whine of a child

The more we converse his dirge becomes my own

Til every dream I’ve dreamt is defiled

As he tells it, there’s no point to struggling

When there’s comfort waiting behind

As he sells it, his points get to snuggling

And excuses become all too easy to find

Do I know him well enough by now

To see through his devilish game?

Dare I fight the power of his undertow

When he so soothingly calls me by name?

I could choose to place finger upon the wrong

and insist that my dreams aren’t fabricated

Yet his eyebrows lower and wise head shakes so long

“You’re a long shot if God ever made it.”

I don’t want him to be right, I want to believe

That prosperity and peace can be mine

I don’t want to lose this fight, I want my reprieve

And to be free to turn loose the dying

Someone please jerk around this lazy head

And quiet the fool telling me lies

Comfort’s not what I seek, it’s the battle I want instead

And with battle-worn hands to hold the prize

Flee from me now, you who lure me to your dark

I spurn your wiles for wasting another minute

Your call is for a road that won’t see my foot’s mark

Greatness is my path and I will walk tall in it

JPU

5.31.13

Why Entrepreneurism?

Have you ever thought about it? Have you ever asked yourself this question, whether because it’s an idea that’s beginning to make a comeback, or because you heard there might be better ways to try and make a living? Many are curious these days, others are asking it simply out of hunger for a debate… “Why entrepreneurism?”

Allow me to share my humble thoughts as to why this word is a word that should become an everyday-er in your personal vocabulary. Hopefully I’ll be able to sensibly tie it in with my blog’s theme, leadership, as well.

For starters, in answer to the question “Why become entrepreneurial?” I ask a question in return: “Why NOT??” Has anyone else noticed that the old way isn’t working for much of anyone anymore? Have you ever taken serious note of how that success formula many of us were taught growing up (ya know, the one that goes “go to school + get good grades + attend a nice college and get a degree + find the right company where you can climb their corporate ladder + earn benefits = retire at 65 or so and go live comfortably in Florida where you and your bingo buddies can wear funny shorts and play golf) ISN’T working? The statistics are staggering on just how many fields are vanishing, leaving fresh graduates with nowhere to go; or how the standard of living has caught up with us all when raises or ceilings on career earnings can’t keep up with inflation. The American dollar is being massively devalued. The truth about just how bad our national debt is continues to be covered up. (And just how long do we expect China to keep accepting “I Owe You’s”?) Unemployment rates – no matter what the evening news tells you – continue to be alarming. Older folks who have had to cut their losses can’t afford to get off the conveyor belt into retirement (or they do, but go and work in Home Depot or as a greeter at Walmart) are stacking up and congesting the job market, making it harder and harder for younger generations to find openings. The list goes on and on. I won’t even try and tell you actual statistics to persuade you. We all know it and feel it. Conduct a social experiment for yourself and just go talk to people out there. Poll the mall-goers, ask the people you’re interacting with who work the stores and gas stations you frequent. Students, ask your professors about their careers. Some will keep their answers sugarcoated out of fear of injured pride. But build some relationships with some folks, and you find out quick that there aren’t too many “making it” the good ol’ fashioned way anymore.

Well the short explanation to that, quickly, is that we’re in a new age. Pssst….didja get the memo? It’s the Information Age now. There are new rules that many economists and business owners have been trying to get the masses to hear and learn about for the last 10 to 15 years now.

So why entrepreneurism? Because, whenever a country’s economy has struggled, this is the way people have been able to continue to thrive and survive. Contrary to popular knowledge about the Great Depression, during that era, there were about 1/3 of people whose lives became disasters. Another third had somehow managed to get themselves somewhere that they struggled but didn’t lose it all. But another 30% actually thrived by doing things entrepreneurially and became giants of business for the next stage when America collectively got back on its feet. I’m of the opinion that those who think you can never be safe from catastrophe no matter your wealth live out two profound truths: 1) They’ve never experienced wealth (which, by the way, is best defined as abundance of riches and freedom of time to engage in one’s passions and personal pursuits), and 2) They’ve only worked in what Robert Kiyosaki calls the E (“Employee”) or S (“Self-employed”) quadrants. They only know what a paycheck looks like that they labored for with their own limited blood, sweat, and brains. But security is truly far more obtainable for those who seek to be in “B” type business, who are truly entrepreneurs. The difference between an entrepreneur and someone who simply owns their own business is all about leverage and duplication. How dispensable are you at what you do? If your own efforts are handcuffed, or your position is taken away from you, how long can the hours you last worked get you by? For millions in America right now, those questions bring a lump to the throat.

So in other words, economically, 95% of people (according to what’s revealed by most US Department of Labor stats) really ought to consider stepping out on their own, entrepreneurially, to build assets where they can multiply their efforts through the use of a proven business system (see: franchising, like McDonald’s, or big business, like Walmart, etc.) and the power of compounding. After all, what Henry Ford said is true: “I’d rather have 1% of 100 people’s efforts, than just 100% of my own.”

But beyond that practical reasoning, my greater desire is for my fellow Americans to consider entrepreneurism as a great course of action because of its leadership ramifications. Beyond the simple fact that I, myself, have little to no chance in making more than a very modest living in the regular workforce, and thus have decided to learn the way of the entrepreneur, the purposefulness behind it is my greatest motivation. Let me explain.

Nowadays, many people claim to be entrepreneurs, but aren’t. At least not in the fullest sense. As I said, depending on the type of business system one is involved in, they may still really be more self-employed than anything, but they’ll still think they can label themselves “Entrepreneur” on their social media sites, simply because they got into a business they’re doing “alone.” I don’t mean to make any further commentary about others than that, nor do I want to say that I myself am completely on the opposite side of the coin. But I do want to make the point that being an entrepreneur is more than what you do; it’s who you become.

I have been blessed to fall in with a large, and constantly growing, organization of people who are together developing into entrepreneurs. We all share in various levels of commitment to a home-based business pursuit that really, actually, starts out as something that’s meant to become a “B”-type business where one’s success can be multiplied by replacing themselves with other leaders. In the beginning stages, though, it does require some personal hard work (in the smart ways) and you feel a little bit like you’re a normal self-employed person. Over time you move from calling yourself – and studying to be – an entrepreneur to truly being one in every sense of the word, when your business asset has grown into something you can step away from and the system leverages success for you, creating residual, passive, streaming income.

I recommend that anyone who’s curious about the idea of entrepreneurism try out that exact method, by the way. Find the right opportunity, the right group of people, the right niche in the trending markets where you can do good business and make a real impact in people’s lives, and this entrepreneurial way of life can be an exciting way to pave out your future financially. Along the way, you’ll make some awesome social connections, increasing something that’s often referred to as your “social capital,” and you’ll pile more true friendships into your life, from the valuable experiences gained with teammates, than you’d ever dream possible. If it’s all formed around the kind of business opportunity that actually leverages meaningful services into others’ lives, even the most humanitarian of us can find real fulfillment from being an entrepreneurial business person.

Excuse that tangent, but I do wish to drive home my point about why else you could consider entrepreneurism.

Being a Christian man, I have been raised on a principle called stewardship. In other words, we each have been bestowed many physical and intangible blessings and talents from God above. It’s my belief that my best stewardship takes place when I boldly seek to use those things to the good of my fellow man, and to glorify or praise the God I serve. Stewardship, biblically speaking, isn’t really even limited to money. It’s a principle that touches all portions of our lives. Even within the monetary category, I’ve learned some new things over the past several years that have opened my eyes to how I can personally best pursue stewardship. I’ve come to the personal conclusion that to be an entrepreneur is actually to practice some of the best stewardship I can, especially because of the current economic climate.

Let me use the following analogy or story. I’ll actually be making an adaptation on a fairly familiar analogy.

A man and his family watch as terrible storms and rising river conditions sweep into his county and threaten his home. He’s heard that this was going to be perhaps the worst flood season on record, and like everyone else he has enough media sources to know that the rains are going to keep on coming. Soon, almost out of nowhere, the waters surge and his town is engulfed in a flood of massive proportions. The levies break and eventually this man has no choice but to lead his family up onto his roof. Things are looking dire, but surely help has to be on the way. He decides to place his trust in his Maker, to provide a way out. His cell phone calls on the rooftop assure all his more distant family and friends that they’ll be fine, God will provide. Along comes a boat with enough room for him and his wife and kids to hop in, to safety. But, shockingly, he refuses to leave the rooftop and yells to the boatman over the gale winds, “It’s ok, I know God will provide!” With a saddened face and perplexed heart, the boatman eventually moves on to find others needing saving. The waters continue to rise, and soon the horrific flood sweeps the man and his family off their home’s roof and they perish.

In heaven the man approaches God and exasperatedly tells him, “Lord, I trusted in you! Why didn’t you save us?” God looks at him patiently but solemnly, places a hand on his shoulder and says, “My son, I did provide. I offered you opportunity to survive in the form of a boat, and you couldn’t even see your opportunity because you thought you knew what trust looked like. I hoped you’d have the good sense to see a good thing coming, and get your wife, your kids, and yourself to safety. But you didn’t. You squandered your chance, and your life. You thought faith was waiting for me to do it all, and that you wouldn’t have to lift a finger when I gave you the opportunity.”

I, personally, have decided to pursue the lifestyle of an entrepreneur because I believe it’s stewardship – i.e. good usage – of my time on this earth, while in charge of my family. I can see the economic flood waters rising, and even though many logical and well-intentioned folks I know see the waters too, I’m choosing to not just wait for a boat to jump into…I’m building my own. Yes, it means spending a few extra hours in the evening to make sure it’s seaworthy, and yes it requires learning and growing some, so I can build a real boat that will weather the tides. But it’s time and resources well invested, because that will be the means to my and my family’s survival if and when America’s economic calamity boils over. In other words, financially speaking, to be an entrepreneur is to “dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Those who cling to the idea of just working a run-of-the-mill job aren’t stupid; they aren’t unethical; they aren’t foolish…They’re just choosing to build someone else’s well before their own.

My final point is this. If you’re someone who cares passionately about the continued freedoms in our country, or you’re someone who is avidly seeking a cause bigger than yourself, I also strongly suggest entrepreneurism to you. Why? Because many experts, such as Orrin Woodward & Oliver DeMille, who recently launched their co-written book LeaderShift: A Call for Americans to Finally Stand Up and Lead, feel strongly that it will be the rise of a generation of entrepreneurs – not the government – that has any chance of directing America back from the brink our great country is teetering on. The more I read and learn, the more I readily agree. That’s why I am proud to be an entrepreneur. In a great CD recording of a talk given by Larry VanBuskirk, entrepreneurs are called “sheepdogs,” much the same as our military or the civil servants we applaud, like policemen and fireman. Economically, entrepreneurs are able to protect the flock of sheep who aren’t aware of the dangers (at least not enough aware to do anything about it) in society, and they seek to live lives of standing in the gap between calamity and their loved ones and fellow countrymen. When you choose the life of an entrepreneur, you are bound to encounter amazing principles, learn some very selfless and time-honored habits and values, and you’ll grow in your understanding of history, personal finances, and other matters of life that aren’t being given much attention in the formal education system. You’ll contribute more actively to the betterment of your local economies through being a part of business that actually benefits your communities than the ones that are tied to the government by bailouts or regulations, or that are owned by conglomerations. You’ll come to see the value of networking, gaining positive influence with others, and serving rather than mongering. You’ll gain meaningful experiences that can be passed on to the next generation so they’re taught to create value for themselves, and thus preserve their way of life on down the line, instead of just making ends meet for yourself and leaving their destinies to high in the sky, apple pie hopes (aka, our educational system, Obamacare, a vanishing social security fund, etc.). In short, you’ll make a real difference, that will last long past your latest paycheck, working for The Man.

I’m still the project. I’m still a work in progress, with such a long journey to go. But I highly recommend adopting the entrepreneurial approach to your future that I have, which goes like this: “Define…..learn….do.” Decide today what you want your future to look like, and dedicate your highest faculties and greatest energies to seeking out those with the results you desire. Then learn from them and go out and do it for yourself. If Christianity is a part of your foundation, then furthermore dedicate your ways in this kind of pursuit to his blessing, seeking humbly to serve others by your efforts, and knowing that when a heart’s motivation is right, and you’re practicing savvy and great financial stewardship in challenging times, you will be blessed! And who knows, you just may leave a leadership legacy in your wake in the process. One can only hope so. As John Maxwell says, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.”

Thanks for reading. God’s blessings. Always live intentionally for excellence!  

Personal Accountability: The Only Solution

Before I say anything to my point in this entry, let it be known that I fully acknowledge this subject matter to still be a massive work in progress for me, personally. Despite the best efforts of parents, teachers, or other role models, I have a long way to go in fully realizing the extent to which I can and should accept personal responsibility in my own life. I also lack the consistency of applying that on an everyday basis. But, that being said, I have learned something about it in recent years, and have been very encouraged by the idea that one takes more in life under their own "control" when they accept responsibility and choose to be accountable for their results. As leadership expert Claude Hamilton has pointed out (and I'm paraphrasing slightly), "If you choose not to accept responsibility for things in life, you give away all the potential to do something about what bothers you." It's also been said, by Chris Mattis, if not others, that "leaders accept all the blame and none of the praise."

The reason for bringing up this topic - which gives me cause to revisit my blog with a public expression for the first time in almost the full year since creating it - is because the lack of this seems to be everywhere in American society.

It can be found in many areas of life, if you just go around and listen to people speak around you. You'll hear people blame the economy for their crappy job. You'll hear them blame their upbringing for their poor attitude or emotional immaturity. Poor fitness? Oh, it's all those darn fast food places and relentless TV advertising getting me! Unhappy marriage? Well, my spouse does this or never does that...they don't pull their weight at home...they won't hold up their end of the bargain. Poor spiritual life and disinterest in church? Acch, I saw people "do the church thing" when I was growing up and they were a bunch of hypocrites. 

Now I'm not saying that there can't exist some elements in truth to these scapegoats of ours, when we assign the culpability to other factors in our varying demises. Sure, it's unfortunate that on every corner in any major town on the map there are tempting food venues that sell unhealthy options. Yes, you're right that if your home life while growing up was a volatile or abusive place, you've been affected negatively by that. And, absolutely, if a world full of supposedly religious people show no fruit of that faith in their own lives, people will take that as advertising to not live that way themselves. But all these contributing factors are merely stimuli that create opportunity for the development of our attitudes and, ultimately, our worldview.

The biggest example of this lack of personal accountability in America today, however, is, in my opinion, politically. I'm not even talking about whether folks choose to be politically inclined or not - though that's a deep and interesting topic for another time, perhaps. What I mean is, why is it that everyone wants to point their fingers at the symptoms in society when they make an argument for legislation or a certain aspect of the governmental structure. Our most vivid, fairly recent cases in point come courtesy of the fallout from the tragedies in the shootings this past year - the Aurora, Colorado movie theater and the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. I can't tell you how many times I've seen clips online of politicians fielding angry comments from citizens who want guns banned from our midst. They run up against the "We can't violate the constitutional right to bear arms!" argument and they lividly insist that we should throw away such things for the sake of our children's safety.

I just wish that more people understood that, when our world has become as darkened a place as it has, spiritually and morally, there's no stopping the effects of that root cause. You take away the guns, and evil people will turn to explosives from the black market, or even more terroristic methods like chemical releases and the like. What Americans are largely not seeing today is that these horrible things that headline our news almost monthly (sometimes even weekly) cannot be silenced by simply removing the tools of destruction. This mentality makes its way into so many other areas of life, until we get to the point where anyone you bump into on the sidewalk will readily agree that our country's in a bad way, societally - yet so few will quickly follow that up with "We've got to do something as a citizenry to get values and morality back into our midst."

For anyone reading this who is squeamish over the idea of one more sermon from someone who's using the internet as his pulpit for a virtual captive audience, that's not where I'm going with this. I will say, in specific, that morality is straightened out from spiritual peace found in a firm foundation, and that, for me and millions in our country, begins with the Lord Jesus Christ, whose wisdom for living and message of forgiveness is found in the Holy Bible. But, more generally, I just want to make the point that getting back to values as a society is the only way to fight the tide of evil that's been running rampant in our country, resulting in the symptoms of horrifying crimes that wind up highlighting our evening newscasts.

So, what's all that got to do with personal accountability, Jeff? I'll tell you what. It all starts with you. And it all starts with me. The turnaround begins with each individual in this once great nation deciding to take a stand against what's easy, what's lazy, what's wrong ethically, or wrong in whatever way is currently in front of you. While it may seem hard to imagine one person changing a violent and hateful culture that wants to indulge all their dark passions, live out the fantasies of disgusting video games and movies, and simply be a retaliatory figure against all one sees that offends them, imagine instead a whole family choosing to be new in this resolve. Then a whole neighborhood or community, whose awareness increased because of that family's involvement or public intervention and love shown to others. Then a whole region or state... And with that happening in communities or states all across our nation, it can positively affect our country, in time, residually. The point is, this is where it starts. Not with a governor or congressman. Not with a Supreme Court Justice. With you, me, and all the countless people we talk to each day and have the chance to make meaningful impacts on.

How does that look in your own life? I can't possibly make that prescriptive application for you. But would it be a good start for us to take a look at the things that compose our habits and pastimes? Do we engage in uplifting activities, or do we feed drama and use getaways to medicate the stresses of life? Do we come home from that long day at work, sit in front of the tube with supper on a TV tray, and then go tuck the kids in and start over tomorrow the same....? Or do we sit down around that table and have purposeful discussion, carefully and caringly converse with and get to know our kids, passionately showing them we want to know their issues, and imparting to them the principles that bring success in life, and then reinforcing it with quality time? Do we hold a standard on what gets listened to, watched on TV, or played on a video game console? Do we encourage them to build real friendships with their peers and get into sports or hobbies that teach them personal excellence and teamwork?

Basically, do we pay attention to all the items in life that are seemingly ordinary, run-of-the-mill choices, and decide intentionally that the choice will zero in on being a part of the solution? I hope so....Because each time we make up our mind to be excellent, well-informed, and to embody the source of solution and positive influence, we create a droplet that falls into this American ocean. The droplet is small, but ripples will find beaches in all directions.

I hope this has been thought-provoking and inspirational. I hate to say that I still don't live it as much as I want to every day, but I'm a man who burns inside to see this country remain a place of freedom, opportunity, and blessing for the next generations, among which are my own two sons. I, for one, will stick my neck out there every time in efforts to suggest to my world around me how we all can do this right together, and, as Henry David-Thoreau said, "BE the change you want to see." It may sound idealistic, but there was once a time when great ideals were what led our forefathers to break away from tyranny and shed their own blood in the cause of a land of the free, and the home of the brave. Ask yourself, "If we don't try this method, has the alternative (i.e. leaving it all to someone else, government or otherwise) been working?" It's a fight worth fighting, folks. Let's make the tough choices and make a difference in our country!

Thank you for reading. God bless. If this has inspired you, please PLEASE get your hands on a copy of "LeaderShift" by best-selling authors Orrin Woodward and Oliver DeMille. There are real answers out there for all who are ready to try a new solution!

Character Defined

Currently my wife and I are taking part in something called the Mental Fitness Challenge, which is basically the flagship product that's just been launched by the LIFE business. It's a program that's taking 90 days to guide the participant through some practical and structured steps to instill better habits, such as making resolutions on principles in life and following them, and to fortify our ability to learn how to be successful people. Today's activity in the Mental Fitness Challenge, which you can think of as something like the P90X program for your mind, was the last in this week's material centered on the topic of "character."

Orrin Woodward describes character as "integrity times courage" (thinking of it mathematically), and I feel that's a perfect way to describe it. There's a big difference between having integrity to not do something wrong, or bad, or sinful, and having character to actually proactively do that which is right. Let me give you an example: A couple years ago I was sitting in the employee hallway area in Kraft Foods, where I worked. I was on a bench with the rest of my department crew, waiting on our last minutes of lunch break to wind down before all walking back to the time clock to punch back in from break and get back to work. A few of my coworkers were saying some things about a coworker of ours who worked a different shift (so he wasn't there to defend himself), and this guy was a friend of mine. A particular comment was made that I didn't like, something that essentially degraded his reputation (nothing colossal, but nothing very nice either, really); basically it was gossip. Knowing that gossip is wrong, I kept my mouth shut and said nothing to complement that part of the conversation. But my thoughts of contradiction to this wrongdoing stayed inside, and I ended up not saying anything. What happened there? I'll tell you. I showed the integrity to not join in their gossip about my friend. But I failed to show the character to stand up for him and vocalize my displeasure with their bad comments. I lacked the courage to put aside my own comfort and instead was content to know I had at least not joined in. 

It occurred to me while I study chapter 2 (on character) from Orrin Woodward's book "Resolved" that we have a severe problem with this issue of character in our society nowadays. Follow me here, and ask yourself if this doesn't at least somewhat resonate. 

When we judge others' character, or our own, on the surface, what are we basing that verdict on? Aren't we usually making comparisons and judgments based on whether we are guilty of gross and vivid failures in morality? Don't we find ourselves thinking, "Susie is a pretty decent person. She definitely isn't the kind to hold up a convenience store or shoplift" and then deduce that she must have character? Don't we look at ourselves, and consider that we haven't done this or that very obvious malfeasance and then let that be our proof to ourselves that we have character? Now I'm not saying that we are all totally and completely self-deceived. I know many people who are as aware of their sinfulness as I feel that I am. But what I'm suggesting is that we take our understanding of what true character is to a deeper level.

To have character, we need to start with a total honesty with ourselves at all times. When I fall prey to the temptation to buy a Snickers bar while out for my work day, even though I know my wife and I have discussed recently that we're on a spending freeze for the month, it may not be that anyone else but me knows that I just did something I technically shouldn't have. But that doesn't mean that I didn't lack character just then. Let's get even more specific. Leadership expert Dan Hawkins, in one of his recorded success talks, talks about even those things we tell only ourselves that we're going to do, and how failure to follow through on even those things is a lack of character. What takes place when we don't "follow through" is basically that we lie to ourselves, and perhaps to another. To keep with the example of that which stays between myself and me, how about the instance when I tell myself in the morning, "I'm going to go for a bike ride today because I need some exercise" and then I end up wimping out on it later in the day. Nobody else, save God alone, knew that I had committed - i.e. given my word (to myself) - to go exercise that day. But it was still a lie because I deceived myself. 

As we look around and see a society that we can all agree is circling the drain, ethically, let's consider that it's time to lead the way in having personal character. It's been said that, in order to lead others, we must first be able to lead ourselves. We must commit to honing our character, and our resolve to do what's right - and not just feel pious over not doing things that show up in the evening news - so that we can constantly be on an upward climb in personal improvement. This gives glory to God, as we truly do pure good works that others can see and praise our Maker for. This manifests itself in our service to our fellow man. And finally, this proves to ourselves that we are who we say we are, and that we'll never settle for letting ourselves down in the private or "little" things, that all count so much as well. Leadership starts with character, and character requires the courage to hold a high standard on ourselves. Let the words of Winston Churchill echo in our hearts: "Courage is rightly esteemed the first of human qualities...because it is the quality which guarantees all others."

God bless.

Apronstrings to Leadership

As mother's day approaches this weekend, we will all have several things to thank our mothers for, and to thank God for in giving us mothers. Certainly among those things we appreciate on Mother's Day (and always) are the love and nurturing compassion they show, the comfort of their gifts and thoughtfulness, their home-cooking, their constant concern and instincts to give that special word of advice when needed, and more.

But I challenge every one of you this year to reflect on your mothers in light of the concept of leadership. Usually, when we hear that word, it evokes images of George Washington at the bow of his boat, forging ahead across the Potomac River before battle, or the captain of the volleyball squad, or the general manager of a department store, or the governor of a state. But how often do we stretch that umbrella of leadership to fit over our mothers?

The truth is, as John Maxwell said, "Everything rises and falls on leadership." This includes the family. Everyone is called upon at various times or stations in life to be the essence of a leader. Our parents are both just that, as well. Here too we sometimes get hung up on the societal norm (thought it's becoming a lot less of a prevalent standard in recent times) that the father is the leader of the household and family. While it's true that he is the ultimate leader, as his God-given and biblical role dictates, mothers have big leadership impact as well.

Their leadership began in the simple yet toilsome act of birth - i.e. they led you into the world! They typically are the ones at home with their young children in the greatest expenditure of time, leading them through those learning processes like crawling, walking, talking, reading, what to play with and what's too dangerous, and so on. They lead by word all the lives of their children, but also, and perhaps most importantly, by example.

A mother is a leader when she shows her daughter(s) how to respect and honor their father, and submit to his loving and responsible attempts to guide the family through life. She is also a leader when she encourages her son(s) to seek their father's guidance in manly things, that they might define, learn to be, and become the type of person to be that she can't 100% emulate for them. She's a leader when she exemplifies the importance of education and good habits and the importance of faith, as she reads, learns, practices good hygiene and dresses with excellence, and emphasizes the need to attend church and be around those who share their spirituality. A mother leads when she speaks, as she shows her children how to season their talk with grace and humility and gentleness; when she praises and thanks her God and prays to him with her children she shows the beauty of devotion. She leads when she is the first to apologize, the first to forgive, the first to stand up for what's right in the face of difficulty, and the first to serve others' needs.

Let's all stand in awe of the massive responsibility that mothers around the world have in their motherhood. Truly, everyone in the family construct has their own unique ways to lead someone else, and without leadership things fall apart. So thanks to moms everywhere, for their commitment and caring ways of leading as only they can! They are the leadership glue that helps hold our families together. And where the family is strong, so too is the country in which those families live. Leadership, therefore, promotes and protects freedom!

God bless.

Right is Right No Matter the Plight

They have to suit up and go perform their duties on holidays, sometimes missing time with their families. They have to undergo rigorous training all year long to maintain the physical conditioning required to perform at a level that keeps the checks coming in. They have to endure physical abuse and injury, sometimes weekly or even daily, from relentless and vicious opponents. And all in the name of blessing Americans with the gift of entertainment. What sacrifices these professional athletes make in their jobs! What tribulations they must go through! And now, in a case like "Bountygate", players like Jonathan Vilma are maliciously persecuted and unjustly penalized by a tyrannical commissioner, whose thirst for power and division among teams cannot be satiated!

Anyone feeling sympathy right now….? For the record, neither am I.

Actually, in the words of the old Linkin Park song, I’m “one step closer to the edge, and I’m about to break.” Break free, that is, from what’s becoming a sillier and sillier loyalty in my fanhood to professional sports. Stories in the headlines, and the ensuing debate, controversy, and cacophony of whining done by players, media members, owners, and fans are just hammering home the erroneous message that we should pity the circumstances of these beloved star athletes, who are the cogs powering the juggernaut entertainment worlds of sports, the American pastimes, as they say.

This message, whether intentional or subliminal, has got to be contradicted. Why? Not because I feel the need to simply add to the noise, nor because I even care whether American sports fans really understand the proper way to view the myriad of titanically overpaid athletes and entertainers in our country. We have to get our thinking right about these cases, because of the underlying applications to our own lives. The players and other people involved in the NFL, whether in stories of supposed persecution or injustice like those penalized in "Bountygate," or others, are terribly missing the mark in understanding their moral obligations and responsibilities. But worse yet, they and the whole media mess are conveying to the rest of the nation that "situational ethics" is still alive and well as a great personal modus operandi. 

For those of you unfamiliar with the reference, "Bountygate" is the satirical label for the story in recent sports headlines, that at certain points in the last 2-3 seasons in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints football team allegedly used a program of "bounties" (i.e. prize money for injuring opponents in high stakes games) to motivate their defensive players. Head coach Sean Payton was immediately suspended for the 2012-13 season when the news broke, and the defensive coordinator who was supposedly the ringleader of it all, Gregg Williams, was indefinitely suspended - he may never see the light of day in the NFL again. Others have had fines or suspensions handed down, and the debate that's arisen from NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell's disciplinary actions is getting plenty of airtime on radio talk shows, ESPN, and the like. Jonathan Vilma, a Saints linebacker, has thus far been dealt the heaviest blow in it all, being suspended for the entire upcoming season without pay, as his head coach was. Vilma claims innocence of his charges, saying he refused to take part in a bounty program that coaches were instituting on the team. Whether his plea of innocence is true or not remains to be determined.

What spurred today's thoughts, though, was reading an article by long-time sports writer Rick Reilly, who basically lambasts Commissioner Goodell for his actions in handing out any player suspensions at all. His line of argument is what really provoked my thoughts: that the NFL is entirely comparable to the military, in that a coach's orders to do this or that (even if the command could be interpreted as morally wrong) is the same as troops' duty to obey their drill sergeant or captain in battle; and that it's wrong to punish these players who may or may not have participated in the bounty program, because we should all accept that the players follow a code of absolute obedience to their coaches. 

Does anyone else see anything terribly disturbing in this line of thinking? 

Firstly, let's take a time out and clear one thing up. The NFL is most undeniably not like the military. In a few of the surface details that Reilly's column suggested (that they wear uniforms, they have rigorous training, and there's some sort of battle that takes place where brotherhood is needed), there is some small comparison. But in my opinion - one that aims to give much more reverence to those laying down their very lives for the preservation of our freedom - it's not anywhere close in the ways that count. In military training, and in the field of battle itself, a soldier listens to his commander because failure to do so disrupts the cohesiveness of the unit, and it can result in the death of that solider, and his mates. This is hardly what's on the line when a coach says, "Jump, Vilma!" In this case Jonathan Vilma, or any other Saints player, could respectfully decline to participate because his integrity is on the line and the thing commanded of him is in conflict with what is morally acceptable. In this case, failure to obey may mean a demotion or blacklisting in the league. But, as Orrin Woodward says, "What is your integrity worth to you?" 

Reilly wants us to all fall to our knees and weep over the prospect of a player's disobedience to a morally wayward coach resulting in that player being effectively banished to the Canadian Football League, and watching his career take a hit.  But first of all, the millions of Americans who, like I, make barely enough to pay for rent and groceries each month, should not feel sorry for someone whose career consists of a glorified, flashier level of playground activities we all did at recess in school. Considering the millions of dollars that Vilma has made up til now, and will likely make again one day when the dust settles, his life is nowhere near ruined. So he's not going to undergo any real trauma or difficulty, other than what self-pity brings on. Besides that, for a pro football player to sell out his character just to avoid becoming unpopular with colleagues, is to open the door for a habit of doing so in anything else in life. 

Our subconscious mind, which outweighs our conscious mind by 4 billion neurons to a couple thousand (See: "The Ant and the Elephant" by Bill Peet) will notice every occasion that you ignore the right choice for the wrong one - it doesn't give two hoots about your reason why - and will slightly program you to a comfort with doing it again later, until eventually a person is flying down that slippery slope at breakneck pace. It's been said that, if we can't be honest with ourselves, we'll never be honest with others. Rick Reilly is making the argument that, in certain cases such as this, where it's just always been that NFL players abide by the wishes of their coaches, it's "situationally acceptable" for a man to inflict purposeful injury on another. Are we really willing to glorify a professional sport to that extent? Is it so important that we laud and magnify the great NFL and its awe-inspiring players, who are in such extreme peer and authority pressure to join in jumping off the cliff like the rest? What would Reilly say if a story emerged about a different vocational setting with the same plotline? Let's say Bill has Dave violently hip-check Harold into the copy machine in the office, because Bill is worried Harold is about to take his promotion and Dave, his subordinate, has always been his office lackey, the one who keeps the corporate ladder's rungs safe for Bill. Suddenly it doesn't sound so "reasonable," does it? If you call a "wrong" a "right" in one case, how can we possibly know where a "wrong" needs to just be a "wrong"? 

I'm not saying that Rick Reilly is a horrible person. But I am saying that he is, sadly, exhibiting a symptom of what's become an epidemic in American society (and yes, around the world as well) - moral relativism. The post-modern world view, which has as a core belief the idea that there are no moral absolutes, has been creeping into our nation's homes, streets, institutions, and governments for many years already. But it seems to be more prevalent than ever, not only in the fact that Rick Reilly would pine for justice for these players on his line of justification, but, worse, in the fact that so few would balk at his saying so.

If we are to continue on down this slippery slope of moral relativism, saying "Hey man, what's right for you is cool, but I have a different take on that," or "Well, that used to be the way a football player should act, but times have changed," we will watch our country lose everything it has stood for since the days of the founders. How is it that no one anymore challenges this idea, and says "Now wait a minute! If it's wrong to purposely injure someone out in your backyard at a friendly barbecue pickup football game, why is it any different in some professional football league?" It should be clear that the right thing to do is always right, and that, if anything, when we hear in the news that so-and-so went against what was right because it was going to be unusually hard to stand firm, we should be collectively groaning over that tally in the loss column of the scoreboard of life in our nation. 

What's right is right no matter what. To do the right thing in all situations is not only simply the right thing to do and is pleasing to God, who demands perfection of people (even though he is forgiving and merciful when we fail), but it's also another layer of mortar in the foundation that we build all our lives, to make sure the houses we set upon them (such as our families and marriages, our roles in our workplaces, our friendships, our public offices, and so on) can stand and not fall. 

If Jonathan Vilma is telling the truth in his denial of taking part in "Bountygate," let's pray that, whether or not he wins any appeal in NFL courts and is cleared to play and have his status restored, he can ultimately stand tall and proud, and have a sense of conviction and vindication in knowing that the character he chose not to sacrifice was worth far more than a year's salary. May we all choose what's right always, because our character is priceless, and because the example it sets to the world around us is part of a legacy worth leaving.

God bless.