Relentless Preparation  +   Opportunity    =    Success

“Challenges are what make life interesting, overcoming them is what makes life meaningful!!!”   Joshua J. Marine 

 

Invest in Others this year

2014 ----- Invest in Others

Our society changes daily as the Greatest Generation shrinks in numbers and are no longer around to guide us.

My Dad’s goal was to reach the age of 90. He reached his goal.

He was part of the greatest generation.

He was raised during the depression.

He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a degree in aeronautical engineering.

His professional career was with one company for 36 years – Boeing.

He graduated with his aeronautical engineering degree on June 1, 1942 and was inducted into the U.S. Air Corps on June 2, 1942.

He spent most of his World War II tour on the island of Tinian in the South Pacific.

An island only 3 miles wide and 12 miles long with 100,000 men and hundreds of

B-29’s. Eventually, the Enola Gay launched from Tinian Island and the war soon came to an end.

I can’t imagine the sacrifice my parents and grandparents made during those times.

I can’t imagine graduating from college one day and joining the military the next day.

My Grandfather was a Colonel in the US Army Signal Corps during WW I. His memorabilia are in the archives of the Oklahoma State Air Museum. I know this through my Dad as he talked about his childhood, the depression, and the war.

Talk to a member of the greatest generation and learn their story, understand their pride, and instill their patriotism in the next generation. Invest in others in 2014.

As the greatest generation shrinks in numbers, have you passed along their memories to your children? 

Have you modeled your values after their values?

Did we inherit a better way of life from the greatest generation from when they took control?

Are we following suit or have we changed our way of life to satisfy a few rather than stay strong for the many?

How will our children know what freedom really means? 

We will make our county great again by investing in others and not expect anything in return. Individual greatness no matter how insignificant is better to be passed on to the next generation rather than think our federal government officials have the answer – remember they caused the problem.  

The responsibility of our generation is to teach the next about our own history and the sacrifice made by the greatest generation in preserving our freedom. Invest in others in 2014.

Have we changed our culture to satisfy a few rather than retain values of the many? We need to invest in others in 2014 by passing along what we know as being right and not what is political correct. 

Act rather than React

It is incumbent upon us as individuals to pass along our values, sound principles and lead by example. The federal government is seemingly in our face every hour of the day. Our elected officials are not leading by example.

They spend what they don’t have, on things they don’t need and incur more and more debt. You can’t change a personality so we must elect political officials that reflect our values and principles.

Ronald Reagan:  “Balancing the budget is a little like protecting your virtue: you just have to learn to say ‘NO’”

My saying from the early ‘80’s ----- “Nice but NOT necessary” This is what we should be practicing on a daily basis.

We must not forget that stuff does not define us. It is our faith, family and freedom that can be passed on by us to the next generation. But we have to act.

In 2014, we must take care of our own house first.

With one American at a time we will make 2014 a better year than 2013. 

Act rather than react!

What are your Goals for 2014?

What path will you follow?

What reinforces your values?

Will we continue to be changed by the events that surround us or will we take the chance to change ourselves first?

Will we be better off on January 2, 2015 than we are today?

At least think about this list as you reflect on not where you have been but more so on where you are headed:

Just Being Right                                                      Politically Correct

Goodness                                                                Darkness

Humble                                                                     Arrogant

Trust in God                                                             Gods/Atheist/Agnostic

Personal Responsibility                                         Government Responsibility

Truth                                                                          Distorted Truth

Property Rights                                                       Eminent Domain     

Save                                                                         Spend

No debt                                                                    Debt

Act                                                                            React

Deregulate                                                              Regulate

US                                                                            UN

Individual Salvation                                                Collective Salvation

Manage Your Own Money                                     Let Government Distribute Your Money

Altruistic                                                                  Selfish

Ronald Reagan Quotes:

                                                           

“If we ever forget that we are ‘One Nation Under God,’ then we will be a nation gone under.”

“Wouldn’t it be better for the human spirit and for the soul of this nation to encourage people to accept more responsibility to care for each other rather than leaving those tasks to paid bureaucrats?”

“We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give”

2013 was a year of skepticism, lack of trust, anxiety, and many questions with few answers

2014 will be just like last year unless we accept individual responsibility and make a difference by:

Acting rather than Reacting to events

Being an Optimist

Investing in Others

Living in a State of Gratitude

Practicing Relentless Preparation

Having Strong Beliefs

Will we continue to be changed by the events that surround us or will we take the chance to change ourselves first?

For each one of us, we have to recognize our actions affect our sphere of influence so maybe, just maybe, we will take on 2014 with strong convictions, personal responsibility and concentrate on family, faith and freedom.