We are responsible for the outcomes of our lives. This comes from the acceptance of more work and seeking to exceed the expectations for our given task. Going beyond what is asked creates a sense of hope and may inspire others to do the same. Lead by example.
Institutions.
- My frustration with beurocracy was never more than during the past couple of months. One of the COL I was with gave me this quote – “Don’t confuse the people and bueurocracy with the mission.” Institutions are the mission. Institutions provide ritual to stabilize a chaotic world. With growth the mission will become tainted or corrupted. People will bring chaos. All of this will cause an association in our minds between the mission and the chaos. To give up belief in the mission is to succumb to chaos. In response, we must become a light to shine on the path to guide those who come after us.
- Isolation is death because it precludes or ability to pass on. Absence of hope is hell.
Create what you wish someone else created for you.
Friendship is showing up and following through. If you want to be more than friend in name only; fight with them, keep them honest and humble, and keep showing up afterwards.
There are no barriers to thanking someone. We default to telling someone when they made a mistake, but neglect to recognize a job well done. There’s no problem thanking someone more than once.
Whether I’m in the Middle East or Granville, OH – when I consistently eat cafeteria food, I get diarrhea. I suspect the vegetable oil.
It’s easy to get caught up in life. Having known changes will keep you honest. Keep what is useful, throw out the rest, try something new. Change will force you to re-evaluate if something is a value. The problem with work is there is no defined end. This is to our detriment. Creating artificial deadlines or endings forces us to adjust.
Trust but verify. An in person conversation is more powerful than an email. People forget to do things, and may need a reminder or many reminders.
The American Military and government jobs are socialism within a capitalistic society. It’s ironic that a government state is necessary to create and protect “freedom.” Being in the military and working for the government makes me have more faith in the private sector. To believe there are no crooks in the private sector is naive.
Waste continues, because people capitalize on its existence.
To kill employee drive – avoid meritocracy, never acknowledge their actions, hold them to different standards than you hold yourself, treat them as if they are beneath you (even if they are), take away all ability for them to be productive.
Watching the news makes us anxious, reading history allows us to recognize patterns. As a society we struggle to learn and repeat the same lessons. The pendulum swings – reaction, response, reaction, response. We must break the pattern. Kill your TV, support real journalism.
Pattern breaking – to end addiction a pattern must be broken. Addiction means to fall into behavior patterns. This can be relationally, with material objects or substances. The only way to change is to identify the patterns and change them. Thus, the magic of forced change.
Give to those who will never be able to repay the debt.
I love my wife. It’s easy to become complacent in recognizing how our decisions most significantly impact those whom we are closest to.
Not all people have Judeo-Christian values.
When people stop drinking alcohol and walk more, they lose weight.
We live in a class society. We’ve hidden our lower class in ghettos and through globalization. Don’t forget there’s a poor person/family who allow us to live the lives we live.
Eisenhower, Grant, and Sherman all had prolonged periods of failure and stagnation prior to their great contributions to society. All the events of their lives, most importantly their failures, prepared them for the moments that changed history. The difference is unlike most people, they continued on.
Sometimes our families tell us that they love us, without saying that they love us.
People endanger their lives and their families lives on a daily basis to come to the United States of America. If you don’t understand why this is, I suggest you travel more.
Beware the person who says one thing and does the other.
An inventory will tell your current capabilities. This must be the first step in any endeavor. A list means nothing, there must be knowledge of what we have, its location, its accessibility, and its functionality. The more this process is automated the better. This applies in all aspects of life – personal finance, fitness and health, business, and militarily. An inventory is one piece of planning which can broadly be defined as logistics.
Things will not always turn out the way we want them. We are not God and that is ok.
Sometimes people are rewarded for doing the same thing as you. Don’t complain, nobody will care and you’ll look like a bitch.
You can give someone the nicest uniform and equipment, but it won’t change their culture and training. You can give your kids the nicest clothes and equipment, but if you don’t model for them habits and culture it’s unlikely they will be who you want them to be.
The vast majority of our society doesn’t read, doesn’t exercise, and will make the easy choice in the moment. Establishing the daily habits of reading and exercise will make you more financially successful than most.
Watchmen is the greatest story of all time
The key to forgiveness and empathy is the realization that we need both from other people. We believe in redemption when we realize that we recognize it in our own journey.
One bad actor has the potential to ruin the perception of an entire group.
What is the real cost of opportunity? Countless lives have been risked and lost, families broken, finances drained, the evolution of our species, the trampling of the opportunities for others. How can we best utilize the opportunities are given in this life?
If you will not do it, who will?
God is in all things and all people. Our job is to find it.
Seeking Progress 