Are you about the “walk” or the “talk”?
Monday, May 26, 2008 was Memorial Day here in the US. It’s a day set aside to pay tribute to those who have died while in military service to this country. Like many such holidays in our nation, much of the original meaning has been lost, however, and most of us (myself included) think of it primarily as a day off of work. Fortunately for me, I recently woke up–not just intellectually, but all of me, heart, mind, and spirit–to how unappreciative I have been to those serving in our armed forces.
Wake Up Call
Mark Shields, columnist, commentator, and former Marine spoke with forceful elegance about what WE–yes, I mean all US citizens, not just the president or congress–have created for our soldiers and ourselves. Here are Mark Shields potent words (emphasis mine):
“…we went to war against a country that had never attacked us, that never threatened us, on the bogus claim that that country had weapons of mass destruction which were a threat to us.
And it was not a moral war, and it was not a just war. It was a war in which the United States sullied, stained and repealed one of the great American values, that is that, in wartime, war demands equality of sacrifice.
All the sacrifice in this war has been borne by the 1 percent of Americans who are in uniform and their families. The rest of us have been quietly by, especially those of us who opposed the war, and been moral defectors.
We haven’t protested the fact that this is a war that our children and grandchildren will pay for. We haven’t even — we’ve blithely accepted tax cuts, and no draft, and no burden, paid no price, bore no burden, and accepted leadership that demanded nothing of us, and we’ve demanded nothing of them.”
When I heard these words, they stung. I knew Shields was right. Sure I have been to Washington to march protesting the war. Sure I have written to my elected representatives asking them to come to their senses and stop this insanity. Sure I have sent care packages and prayers to my Army officer family member now serving his 2nd tour in Iraq. Sure I have been working to get Barack Obama elected as president to help bring our country back from this moral abyss.
At the same time, however, I know that I truly suffer no hardship on a day-to-day basis. Unlike past wars when Americans planted Victory Gardens, rationed goods, held drives to recycle materials necessary for munitions manufacturing, bought war stamps or war bonds, this “war on terror” requires only that civilians stay scared and go shopping. Our “sacrifice” is our peace of mind and our credit score. By contrast, our military families pay with years of lost family time, jobs that get taken away in their absence, 
psychological or physical wounds they bring back home, and more.
Actions to Support the Troops
So, while I can’t single-handedly bring our troops home, nor solve the pain they bear, I can put my money where my mouth is (literally). Of course, so can you. Below are ways you can support our troops with more than slogans, prayers, or a fleeting thought. If you know of other organizations that are helping soldiers and their families, please put a link in the comments area.
- America Supports You — lists numerous ways to offer support to troops (includes financial assistance, care packages, family member support, scholarships, support for wounded)
- SoldiersAngels — offers a variety of ways to support soldiers during and after deployment
- Forgotten Soldiers Outreach — allows you to write to soldiers or send them care packages
- AnySoldier — gives you contact info for deployed troops along with their specific requests for care packages
A soldier in Iraq can’t see your ribbon,
Or the flag at your front door.
But a letter they hold in their hands,
To them means so much more.~ Supporter Liam Sweeny (from Any Soldier website)
America’s Future is Up to All of Us
Back in August 2005, I wrote an open letter to America where I spoke about the move away from greatness that we’ve made in our country. We can shift the course we’ve been on these last many years. With inspiration and true leadership, we can reclaim our souls and come back to the heart of what it means to be American.
“Leadership is not a solo act, it’s a team effort.”
James Kouzes and Barry Posner in The Leadership Challenge
Fundamental changes must occur if America, as we hope she can be, as she has been in part before, is to come alive. No one individual—regardless of intellect, experience, age, race, sex, or any other “qualification”—can create this country anew. Such a transformation will happen only through the work of the millions of us who are blessed to call America home.
Barack Obama is the only candidate of either party who understands this because he is the sole contender who really wants Americans to be fully engaged. Attend any meeting of WNC for Change, the local grassroots effort to elect him as president and you’ll see plenty of evidence of how active and autonomous Obama wants us to be. Come to the local Obama for America headquarters (107 Merrimon Ave.) and see how organized and effective a citizen-driven voter registration campaign can be. The other two candidates view us merely as voters, pursuing us to the polling place, coaxing or coercing us to give them our vote before showing their true colors with rehearsed and hollow “thank yous” and the swiftest of departures.
Barack Obama is unique among those aspiring to be president because his goal is to serve and lead rather than to rule and govern. He believes, as Abraham Lincoln described in his Gettysburg Address “that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.” Though other presidents have encouraged civic participation, Barack Obama is one of those rare individuals who understand that true power lies with the people and that “we the people” must be fully engaged beyond election day if transformational change is to take place. Those heading governments and businesses may craft and enact policies hoping to shift the direction of a country or company, but without the support and follow through of those on the ground, policies never come fully to life. By sharing responsibility with campaign staff and ordinary citizens alike, Obama is developing the leadership capacity of his followers and setting the stage for more powerful and sustainable results because success becomes everyone’s personal mission, not simply his own.
If you yearn for America at her finest—a country where your best is wanted and needed every day; where your welfare is equal to the welfare of all others; where your ideas, your voice, and your simple, consistent presence are valued for the irreplaceable gifts that they are—then Barack Obama is the only person worthy of your vote in this year’s presidential process.
Remember, however, that leadership is not the domain of a few gifted women and men, it is the responsibility of all people, not just the duty of our elected officials. If you are ready to be part of the movement that instills faith in those feeling hopeless, courage in those constrained by fear, passion in those who have lost heart, and inspiration in those without a vision, I invite you to join millions of your fellow American citizens who support Barack Obama. With Obama as president and each of us as fully committed participants in this developing democracy, America can fulfill her potential and be the country we know we can be.
Oneness — remembering our divine essence
People see God every day, they just don’t recognize him.
~Pearl Bailey
I sometimes think I’d like to be God. You know, have the power to have things just like I want them, make people do what I think they “should,” prevent the occurrence of things that I believe are unfair, unjust, or unexplainable in a bad way. Of course this desire stems from my own ego that says that I am omniscient and omnipotent.
Other times, I remember that I am God…and you are God…and my cats are God…and Iraqis are God…and Republicans are God…and criminals are God…and trees are God…and so on. This connection to our holiness is not an ego trip, it’s a reminder that we are all divine light and we are all part of an interconnected divine presence.
In the first mode of being, I feel superior, righteous, and apart from others. Its as if my thinking I’m all powerful clouds my brain and numbs my nerves, cutting me off from the truth of life. However, when I’m in the second way of being, I feel intensely connected to all life, see myself as neither above nor below, and actually have an acute sense (physically and spiritually) of the web of life in which I am at home.
I share all this as a preface to this video I found called Becoming Me. I think this story beautifully illustrates what I’ve attempted to say in my own words. I hope you’ll enjoy Becoming Me (which is, of course, about becoming “you” and becoming “we”).
If you don’t know what’s meant by God, watch a forsythia branch or a lettuce leaf sprout.
~Martin H. Fischer
Leadership that inspires
“Leadership is based on a spiritual quality; the power to inspire, the power to inspire others to follow.”
~ Vince Lombardi
I am so grateful to be alive at this day and time. Born as 1971 drew to a close, I have known history’s greatest leaders only from film, the printed page, or the stories that others tell about these amazing men and women. But now I’m privileged to be living as another remarkable leader takes his early steps.
This man is a leader akin to Gandhi, King, Mandela, Kennedy. He is the fire starter for millions around the US, helping us rekindle our own greatness and inviting us to bring our light to shine for all. Rather than telling us he’s here to take care of our every need, he reminds us that we each have a role in caring for ourselves and others — ours is a country founded “of the people, by the people, for the people.”
Yes, We Can!
Thanks to him we are remembering that we are a community, a country, a civilization. As much as we need this leader, he needs us — our destinies are interconnected, our futures arrived at by collective action. All across America people are reawakening to what IS possible, what CAN be, what WE can do, build, start, complete, provide. Thanks to this man, we are letting go of the false stories, the outmoded ideas, the tainted ways that we’ve been relying on. We know that positive change can occur AND we must take part if we want the change to come.
Join me in this worthy cause. Invest yourself in the future that’s possible. Stand up, make your voice heard, and give your gifts to our common endeavor. We have the power to create a new reality. Unite with millions of your fellow citizens in supporting Barack Obama as he seeks to serve as OUR next president. Learn more online via these links:
- Read about Barack Obama’s history
- Fact check what you see, read, and hear about Barack Obama
- Learn where Obama stands on the issues we all care about
- Find out how YOU can volunteer to help Obama’s presidential campaign
- Listen to Obama’s inspiring, rejuvenating speeches
Our collective tomorrow can be much brighter than today and our brokenness can be mended. With Barack Obama as our leader, we can make this journey…together…now…for good!
“Management is getting people to do what needs to be done. Leadership is getting people to want to do what needs to be done. Managers push. Leaders pull. Managers command. Leaders communicate.”
~ Warren Bennis
Go, Obama, go! Go, people, go! Yes, we can!!
Is the US economy a metaphor for our lives?
Downturn. Crisis. Recession. Stimulus package. Tax breaks. Pink slips. Foreclosures. Falling stock prices. Overvalued. Overpriced. Unregulated. These are some of the words being used to describe the current state of the US economy. Words you’re not likely to hear–at least in mainstream media and definitely not from politicians–are greed, lust, gluttony, foolhardy, crazy, unrealistic, unhealthy, disconnected.
Now, in no way am I saying that people deserve to lose their jobs, their homes, or their retirement savings. I know there is much hardship that many are now facing due to the shifting sands of economic fortune. I do think, however, that their are many ways in which we ourselves brought on this reality. Here are a few.
Spending more money than we have to spend. I got my first credit card my freshman year in college. Though I’ve been responsible with how I use it most of the time, I have gotten myself into debt (revolving debt that stayed with me for months) three times in my life (in 17 years of credit card use, mind you). While there are plenty of forces outside of ourselves that encourage us to spend copiously, the true fault lies at our own feet. We are the ones who choose to buy it now and pay for it later. Now we’re finding out what paying for it later can look like.
Confusing stuff with a price tag with stuff of value. Yes, the media tells us that trinkets, toys, and the telltale symbols of the “good life” are what we need, but again, we’re the ones buying that line and filling our lives with many things that ultimately have little to no real value to us. Sure there are material things I’m grateful to have and some items which I truly treasure. The problem for most of us is that rather than spending our lives building lasting value–deep friendships, memories of time shared with loved ones, meaningful work–we busy our lives traipsing after things whose value is fleeting at best.
Seeing continuous growth as the best, and only way, to live. I cringe whenever I hear people tout the many ways we can grow our economy. Is it good to have a market for our wares and demand for our products? Yes. Is it realistic or healthy to believe that growth is always good and should be a constant? No. Last I checked, unchecked growth went by another name — cancer. Life is cyclical. There are seasons of growth to be sure, and we reap our bounty at the harvest. Those times, however, are followed by months when the land is dormant and we allow the earth to regenerate herself in preparation for the next season of growing. Perhaps, living so far removed from the natural ways of life, we have forgotten that “there is a time for every purpose under heaven” and that growth was never intended to be a constant in our lives.
Being unwilling to make some of the “hard choices” in order to create what we truly want. While I don’t believe in suffering or having a mindset that we must deprive ourselves, I do also think that we’ve forgotten how to be discerning in our decision making. We’re currently working to pay off some debt we incurred last year. To do that, we shifted items in our budget to put more of our income toward elimination of the debt. So for a few months, we’ll have less to spend for entertainment or eating out, but I’m glad of it because this choice is enabling me to create something much more important — no debt.
Being afraid that less money will make us poor. I believe that one of the biggest lies in our culture is that money/material possessions equals happiness. By buying so many things and then needing money to maintain these things, we make it imperative that we must work, work, work. So addicted are we that the average US worker has less than 2 weeks vacation in a year, while our brothers and sisters to the north get nearly a month of vacation annually, and our European neighbors enjoy over one full month off from labor every calendar year. The rewards of less work include more time to use as we choose. In many countries, this time is spent savoring relationships, relaxing, and simply taking the time to live life day-to-day. I’ve rarely seen a correlation between money and happiness — in fact, after a certain point, money or material goods add no value at all to our lives.
Keep your life from becoming bankrupt of value
So here’s my advice for quick ways to add value to your life.
- Know what’s valuable to you. Is it more time for yourself? Time to cultivate new relationships? The ability to travel? Don’t let our culture or other people tell you what should be important in your own life. You make that choice.
- Start eliminating whatever doesn’t add value to your life. This might mean selling or giving away some possessions. This could look like changing your work, moving, redoing your household budget or otherwise making shifts in your choices. Again, don’t let the ideas of others overrule your own judgment.
- Be thankful for all you have. Each day remember that you’ve had enough air to keep you breathing and enough water and food to sustain your body. Once you start truly appreciating all you already have, chances are you’ll realize you need less than you once thought.
- Share what gives you value. When we generously offer the value from our lives to others, all of us become richer in the process. You can either give your valuable items away (e.g., donating your money or material goods to charity, allowing your neighbor to have food from your garden) or simply share them (e.g., loaning your favorite books and movies to friends, sharing your lawnmower with your neighbors).
- Live with the end in mind. Unless there are radical new scientific discoveries, we’ll all be leaving our bodily form some day. Envision your life at this end point. What legacy do you want to leave behind? What impact do you want your life to have had? Once you have some ideas clearly in mind, start making subtle shifts now to move toward a successfully fulfilled vision. Start putting money aside to give to a favorite charity. Give heirlooms you never use away to family or friends who will love and appreciate them now. Leave your legacy one step at a time and see how much richer every day starts to become.
If you have suggestions on how to live a rich, rewarding life, please share them in the comments section. I know your wisdom would certainly add value to this post.
Remember love
As we prepare to move into this new year, I want to share a delightful love poem with you. It’s called Do You Remember Love? Written down by James Jacobson, it’s wisdom about love and life from his dog Maui. He’s put the poem to music and has it as a video on his site, so I hope you’ll take the time to watch/read Do You Remember Love? Enjoy!
Mastery in action — Christmas style
I’m mesmerized by awesome artists. Craftspeople so skilled at what they do that they can bring tears to your eyes and a tremor to your heart when you witness their wizardry. I came across such magic today in a video my friend sent me. It features Straight No Chaser, a men’s a cappella group formed at Indiana University in 1996. Here is a video of their performance of the 12 Days of Christmas. Visit the group’s website to watch other music videos or buy their CDs.
Regaining your faith — with one ride on the Internet’s waves
Have you ever felt funky, been blue, or worried whether we’d all make it ’til tomorrow? I know I have. Now, I’m fortunate that I have lots of ways to levitate myself out of the spiritual lowlands. In case you’re looking for a new mood booster or method of spiritual rejuvination, I wanted to share a brief story from my life.
I wasn’t feeling hopeless. In fact, I’d just had a fantastic week–started new work, took the GRE for entry to graduate school, heard some awesome music on the radio (How Glad I Am by The Greyboy All Stars). Nonetheless, I was delightfully surprised to take an inspiring, hope-inducing surf of the net just because I was unsubscribing to a mailing list.
That goal of unsubscribing from a email list took me to the great social networking site, Zaadz.com. While going about my business, an ad for “WePluribus — We the people. No exceptions.” caught my eye. Cool people making conversation-starting t-shirts in an eco-friendly way. From the main WePluribus page I went to their blog where I read about Bishop Carlton Pearson (a man with an amazing life- and faith-changing story; I’ve heard his story on This American Life before–phenomenal!) and found out about an organization called Common Tables whose objective is to “establish 750,000 small dinner groups that overcome barriers, misconceptions, and fear-based thinking about diversity and inclusion to recognize one single truth – we have much more in common than we do in difference.”
Now I hadn’t intended to find any of these sites except Zaadz, but that’s what happened. And because it happened I found out about some really great folks doing good work in our world and I got an unexpected “happiness and hopefulness booster.” So I share this story for to remind us all of two things.
- There is ALWAYS and in all-ways some great stuff happening in this world.
- Being open to taking a path you hadn’t intended to follow can lead you right to the good stuff.
