April Blog
This month we will discuss:
- How do address turbulent times?
- Quotes
- Chesapeake News
How Do We Address Turbulent Times?
There was a time when I believe my stepfather, Ray Carswell, was very anxious about life and the world and country in general. It was during the Cuban Missile Crisis. He once called my mom and said, “if I call and give you the word grab the kid (me) and head to Richmond,” and that he would be okay. He worked for the government printing office and evidently was in a position to see many of the documents. Many decades later he confided that President Kennedy was not bluffing and we were on the brink of nuclear war. Not long after that, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. And then the guy that killed him was murdered while in police custody. I was a sophomore in high school. When I arrived home from school, I saw my stepfather in tears for the first time. Ray was a man’s man and to see him weeping was discerning. Perhaps my stepfathers fear was of the unknown. The guy that ran Russia at the time had banged his shoe on a speaker’s podium pledging he would “bury the United States.” He was a scary fellow that ruled a large and dangerous country. There seemed to be internal strife and a foreign threat at the same time.
My friend John O’Neill recently published a book, “The Dancer and the Devil,” where he highlighted two dangerous men in the world today – Putin and Xi. I recommend the book – in addition to being a bit scary it if a fun read and informational.
I feel a bit like my stepfather and perhaps some of his feeling of helplessness on the inability to do anything about what I see is a clear and present danger both domestically and abroad. It is during times like this that your leadership needs to shine and improve. Here is what I am going to attempt to do:
- I am not going to focus on nor worry about (worry is the opposite of faith) things that I cannot control. I do not control the behavior of our elected officials and government workers. I do not control whether the dollar remains the world’s standard. I do not control the economy –I must live with the results of those that do control it, but I have no control other than my vote.
- I am going to double down on staying focused on my 2023 Personal Planning Document. Each year I try and review the previous year and develop action plans going into the next 12 months or so. If I am successful, I will have the greatest positive impact on my family and my sphere of influence.
- I am going to work on renewal efforts to become a better leader, spouse, friend, and mentor.
Part of developing and working a plan is to understand why you exist specifically for this time. I am convinced it has something to do with you playing a role in working God’s agenda which is:
- Bringing hope to those who have none.
- Wisdom and guidance for those in authority—parents, spiritual, government and work-related.
- Caring for the poor and marginalized
- Unity and love
- Justice
- Freedom for those in bondage
- Helping others accomplish their purpose.
This blog is a little odd and I would expect some of you to reach out with some questions or perhaps some additional information on personal planning. By all means do so – it might help me accomplish #7 on my list so we both win.
Quotes:
- Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought. Albert Gyorgyi
- Character is a by-product; it is produced in the great manufacture of daily duty. Woodrow Wilson
- Things won are done; joy’s soul lies in the doing. William Shakespeare
- Plans are nothing; planning is everything. Dwight D. Eisenhower
- Life must be lived on a higher plane. We must go up to a higher platform, to which we are always invited to ascend; there, the whole aspect of things changes. Ralph Waldo Emerson
- One does not discover new lands without consenting to lose sight of the shore for a very long time. Andre Gide
- We don’t receive wisdom; we must discover it for ourselves after a journey that no one can take for us or spare us. Marcel Proust
- It is a good thing to demand liberty for ourselves and for those who agree with us, but it is a better thing and a rarer thing to give liberty to others who do not agree with us. Franklin Roosevelt
- Nobody can acquire honor by doing what is wrong. Thomas Jefferson
- Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall. Confucius
- I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. Patrick Henry
- They know enough who know how to learn. Henry Adams
Chesapeake News:
We are excited about beginning a new project with the Tuscaloosa County 911 Services. We are honored to add value to those in our community that care for us.
If you are in the market to add value to some of your folks via training please give us a shout to discuss possibilities. We would love to help you.
John Covington