Is This Country Worth The Sacrifice?
On this Memorial Day, would those who fell in order to secure and maintain our freedom find the sacrifice worth it? Do those families who will look across the table and see an empty seat feel their loss is being honored?
On virtually every issue we are a country divided. From gays in the Boy Scouts to the IRS snooping around in the personal telephone calls of reporters, those who are informed fall squarely into two camps on each issue. But that’s not the division. The real division in our country is those who are informed and those who are not.
Our citizens for the most part are pitifully undereducated. Not in the traditional sense, although many feel that is true as well, no this void of education is in the ways of the world and what is happening beyond our sphere of influence that has a dramatic impact on us. What happens elsewhere has long-lasting, often irreversible consequences.
Sadly, most of our nation is wrapped up in the exploits of Kanye and Kim, the sensational trial of Jodi Arias, and the day-to-day challenges of just getting by. It is truly astounding that the Boston Marathon Bombing story is almost completely forgotten until a person of interest is shot and killed by interviewing authorities. And just as quickly it will be forgotten again. Yet, whether Jodi lives or dies dominates the airwaves as if her story and life will impact any of ours. Let me help you – it won’t. It’s chewing gum for the brain, nothing more.
Which begs the question, “Was the sacrifice of our fallen soldiers and their families worth it?” Is this the country they thought they were defending when they gave their all?
Sacrifice is something our country has forgotten as well. We believe that sacrifice is cruel and fail to recognize the honor and duty in sacrifice. This is the motivating factor for a young man or woman to join our armed forces as it was in past generations. I recently heard a story of a man who served in World War I and the tried to reenlist for World Ward II at the age of sixty. Somehow I don’t think he was the only one. Many of our wounded warriors return to active duty.
We have forgotten sacrifice in part because it is so painful to bear. And we have most certainly decided that pain is unacceptable in any form. Therefore, we avoid the pain of sacrifice at all costs. But we’ve also forgotten sacrifice because we cannot begin to understand someone who would die for us. This is why so many have a problem with Christianity. Why would God send his Son to die for our sins? It makes no sense. Not only are we not worthy, but he’s God! He could do anything he wants.
And there’s the crux of the problem with sacrifice. We know deep down that we couldn’t do it. And yet there they are, the miles and miles of white tombstones in cemeteries across this land, marking the place where a soldier rests. A soldier who died for us.
This Memorial Day, as you chat at the backyard barbecue or listen to the news, whether you find great pride or you find anger and frustration in what is happening in our country, whether you sit in disgust over the behavior of those on the other side of the aisle from you or whether you find amazing collaboration, whether you find yourself unemployed, under employed, employed, or financially blessed, and as you wonder why so many people are so uninformed, you may begin to wonder if their sacrifice was worth it.
But this is what they died for. You have the freedom to speak you mind and the freedom to practice your faith. You have the freedom to learn all you can learn or to be completely uninformed. And you have the freedom to recognize and honor their sacrifice. One way to honor their service is to sacrifice some of your time and become informed. Freedom requires an informed, engaged, and committed electorate that understand the issues, contacts their representatives, and exercises their right to vote.
But particularly on Memorial Day, you can honor their sacrifice by visiting a cemetery or a family who has lost someone through service in our Armed Forces. Perhaps spending some time on line looking up your ancestors would reveal sacrifice in your family tree. Or you could just put out a flag and say a prayer. Do something to enlighten you and your family to the sacrifice made on your behalf. You may have to sacrifice a bit, but it will honor theirs.
Most will celebrate by going to the beach, visiting friends and relatives, a quick dip in the pool, or a cook out. Aside from a day off work they’ll barely know it is Memorial Day, much less the purpose of the holiday. They’ll go about our day with barely a thought of those brave men and women this day is celebrating.
And that’s exactly what they died for. They died so you and I may have the freedom to choose. We can choose to be as informed or uninformed as we please. If you choose not to decide you still have made a choice.
You may think this country isn’t worth the sacrifice, isn’t worth the lives lost, but the brave men and women who died for you and me did and that is what really matters.
Engraved on Your Spirt
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_uTIXYfSdM
Inspiration and encouragement to anyone, but especially to those who are seeking a job. Discovering what is engraved on your spirt is essential.
I delivered this message at Jobseekers on February 1, 2013. I'd love to hear your comments.
Winning at Your Chamber of Commerce – Planning Your Goals and Objectives
Hall of Fame football coach Vince Lombardi is credited with starting each football summer camp by holding up a pigskin and declaring, “Gentlemen, this is a football.”
Success in any endeavor in life relies on understanding the fundamentals. Whether football or networking, understanding the rules and knowing the basics cold are essential to success.
It is amazing the jump in attendance most chambers of commerce will see at programs during the month of January. As we start a new year, what better time than now to reevaluate goals and objectives for attending chamber meetings. Here are a few tips to consider as you plan your year.
1. Determine your ultimate goal for chamber membership. What do you hope to gain through your chamber membership? As with every other type of marketing, determine in advance what success looks like. Who do you want to meet? How many new clients do you need to receive a satisfactory return on investment of marketing dollars and time spent?
2. Know what you expect to achieve by attending an event. Most people who attend chamber programs have no real goal they expect to achieve by attending. Know your outcome before you attend so you may determine your level of success. Determining what you want from each event gives you the fundamentals you’ll need to be successful over the full year of membership.
3. Determine your rate of success for several events. You need to fill your pipeline with qualified leads and referrals to be sure, but you also need to fill your networking pipeline with quality networking partners who can introduce you to new quality leads and referrals. Determine how many qualified leads, referrals, and networking partners you gain from each event you attend.
4. Calculate how many leads and referrals equal a closed sale. You may wish to segment this into: People met, Networking Partners, Leads, Referrals, Presentations, Closed Business. Determine how many people you actually need to meet to get to the number of closed deals you need.
5. Determine the best events to attend to achieve your desired outcome. After sampling all available events and measuring the results of each, choose the one or two different events held each month that are best for you.
6. Attend regularly. Measure results. Achieve success.
If you are like most people, this sounds like a lot of work. It is. But these are the basics for success in attending and being a part of a chamber of commerce if you measure success in business closed. There are many more reasons to join your local chamber to be sure, however those who will flood the chamber in January are likely those looking for new clients.
Armed with a plan for success, you will stand out from the crowd, attract more business, have more meaningful relationships, and have a more fulfilling experience.
Five Things To Consider Before Going Into Business For Yourself
Is one of your New Years Resolutions to fire your boss? Are you ready to take the plunge and go out on your own? Congratulations! Owning a business of your own is one of the best ways you can gain financial freedom and independence. But beware: It's not as easy as it looks. Consider these points before going it alone.
Who will be my target market? All too often people start businesses and mistakenly believe that everyone is a good prospect for their product or service. Nothing could be further from the truth. Start by simply doing an internet search for competitors. If you don't find any, watch out! You may have a unique product or service but it will take time and money to educate people as to why they will need or want it. It's much easier to innovate than to create from scratch. And if your business relies heavily on friends and family you'll likely be disappointed. Leverage them for more contacts but don't rely on them to provide profit.
Make sure you have sufficient capital to survive the start-up and the second phase. While experts will tell you to have between six and twelve months of living expenses, most people starting businesses need the money they hope to make from the business to survive. You'll need to determine how you will fund the start-up phase. Begin by creating simple projections of how many contacts you can make in a day. Then estimate the number of people who will buy. Then determine the price and profit you'll make from each sale. This will give you a projected income per week. Whatever that number is, cut it in half because you'll be far too optimistic in the beginning. Next, determine how you will fund the second phase of your business. This is the jump from post start-up to early growth. Often the place new businesses die is when the sole-proprietor business grows. It is just as important to plan conservatively as it is to decide what you'll do if hyper-growth happens. Have a plan for all contingencies but base budgeting on the most conservative projection. Then pay yourself first. This may sound selfish but if you don't have money to pay yourself you don't have money to pay anyone else either. You're no good to vendors or employees if you can't afford the first employee (you).
Prepare for an emotional roller-coaster. In the beginning you'll be amazed at what a genius you are as often as you'll wonder how you could be so stupid. You are navigating uncharted territory here. There will be highs and lows so be prepared. It is best to prepare by careful planning and a firm commitment that you will succeed. Legend has it that Viking settlers burned their boats upon arrival to remind them there was no turning back. Failure is not an option for you. In addition, you'll change as your business grows but those around you may not. This creates emotional strife when those you spend time with no longer relate to your new persona. Remember, if friends or family members don't support you it may be they don't want you to be hurt but it also may be jealousy or fear. You might loose a friend or two and family relations may become strained.
Don't be fooled by quick changes in your business. In the beginning you'll be desperate to spot trends. Everything good thing will look like a trend and every bad thing will appear to be an anomaly. Neither is true. Trends happen over time and you have very little history to rely upon. Here is a simple rule to live by: If you try it and it works, keep doing it until it doesn't work. If you try it and it doesn't work, don't try it again without making changes. Advertising sales people may tell you that you have to keep advertising to build up brand recognition. Don't be fooled. If the ad didn't work the first time it won't work next time without changes.
And perhaps most important of all: Is this something I am or can become passionate about? Often businesses are started out of passion and they succeed. But often they don't because the passion clouds judgement. Be certain your passion is checked at the door and you make your decisions based on reality. However, if you are starting a business that lacks passion, can you find it? Perhaps you'll be passionate about the lifestyle you are developing or the provision you'll be able to create for you and your family. Maybe you can set aside funds to donate to your favorite charity or church? Whatever drives you, find a way to tie that to your business and keep that foremost in mind when things get rough. And they will get rough. But it will be worth it. Vince Lombardi said, "I firmly believe that any man's finest hour, the greatest fulfillment of all that he holds dear, is the moment when he has worked his heart out in a good cause and lies exhausted on the field of battle - victorious."
The Audacity of Hopelessness
The election is over and nearly 50% of the population feels hopeless. Their dreams for a different America have been dashed and they expect the worst.
And as man allowed his ego, disappointment, anger, and dismay to be shown through his thoughts and actions, God spoke and said, “How dare you?”
“Whether you choose to believe in me or not will not change the facts of your existence. Haven’t I given you the greatest prize at birth by ensuring that you, regardless of what man or woman is elected to lead your nation, were born into the freest, richest, and finest conceived country on the planet? Are you not living today in a nation unlike any other, whereby the sweat of your own brow you can rise from the very bottom to the very top?”
“Did I not provide you with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness by the men who founded your great land through my direction? No one ever said you would be happy mind you, but you are free to pursuit it or not. And are you not free in this land I have provided you to do all you wish or nothing at all so long as it doesn’t infringe on those who share this country with you?”
“Were you not given free and clear the greatest head start of any people by being born into The United States of America? You were born into a land rich with resources. A land full of educational opportunities, with the finest health care system in the world to help you stay well to take advantage of all I’ve given you. You my child have some audacity to feel hopeless.”
“I provided you birth into a land where the bravest men and women in history will live and protect your country and your people, in fact you, so that you may flourish in the opportunity and freedom I have so abundantly provided you. Yet you sit and moan about the election of a few men or women. Do you not know who I am? I am your refuge!”
“And did I not promise you that I would be with you? I would ask if you have forgotten me but I need not, your actions speak. You have forgotten me and therefore you believe that I have forsaken you. How self-centered you are. Yet is it not how it has been since the garden?”
“And because of your actions, did I not have for forsake my only Son to redeem you to me? How, how can you have such audacity of hopelessness when you have been given so much? Yes, indeed it is because of the freewill that I gave you because I loved you enough to set you free. You have distorted my gifts child. I still love you, I have not nor will I ever forsake you, I gave my Son because I loved you, but my child, I am not pleased with your behavior.”
And man said, “Thank you Father. Forgive me for I have sinned again. I am ungrateful and unworthy of the gifts you have given me. I will seek You and your wisdom in my sorrow over our county’s direction. I am hope-filled because of You and I am grateful that I live in a country where I can be disappointed from time-to-time and yet still bask in the joy of living free in the greatest country on the earth. And I will endeavor to honor the gifts you have given me by following You. Thank you Father. Thank you.”