Archive for the ‘Turning Struggles into Triumphs’ Category

With all the political turmoil and public contention that has characterized the Healthcare Reform debate of recent months, it might be well for Americans to renew their perspective on the natural struggle that monumental change usually represents. Here is an eye-opening historical glimpse provided by the Social Security Administration.

http://www.ssa.gov/history/briefhistory3.html

Consider President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s message to congress in 1934 as our nation now struggles to bring about healthcare reform in 2010:

“Security was attained in the earlier days through the interdependence of members of families upon each other and of the families within a small community upon each other. The complexities of great communities and of organized industry make less real these simple means of security. Therefore, we are compelled to employ the active interest of the Nation as a whole through government in order to encourage a greater security for each individual who composes it . . . This seeking for a greater measure of welfare and happiness does not indicate a change in values. It is rather a return to values lost in the course of our economic development and expansion . . .”

The initial stages of any transformation are wrought with controversy and uncertainty, but the fact that change is possible is encouraging. Rather than continue the attack on new ideas, we can acknowledge the embryonic nature of what is emerging and work together to shape solutions that might make a difference in time. The alternative is to stand still.

Anybody who has read my blog postings knows I am an optimistic guy. When my view of the world becomes troubled it’s usually because I’ve been watching the news. On one hand, it’s good to know what goes on in our ever smaller world where we are so connected. On the other hand, too much preoccupation with events in far-away corners of the world can distract us from doing the good that we can do in our own neighborhoods.

I was watching BBC News last night and noticed how many pockets of unrest and violence there are around the globe. There’s also the lingering concern over the state of the world’s economy. And there has now been an earthquake in Turkey to follow the devastation in Chile and Haiti. What are we to think? Some have an apocalyptic view of these occurrences. A more scientific view would say that these are normal cycles of political, economic, and geological events. 

What do we conclude? Our planet is beautiful, but it is alive. It has always held both wonders and dangers. We must be prepared for natural catastrophes. We, the people, are prone to both wondrous acts of creativity and kindness while still capable of irrational and inhumane treatment of one another. Life turns out to be all about opposites: light vs. darkness, health vs. sickness, peace vs. war, optimism vs. pessimism. Where there are opposites, we have the opportunity to choose that which uplifts versus that which breeds fear and contention. We have the opportunity to turn a blind eye or to lend assistance to those in need. And, there is always something to learn from adversity and almost always an opportunity to turn opposition into innovation when we put aside pride, anger, and selfishness. Is this being too optimistic? It’s not easy to do. It’s better than the alternative.

As we have watched events unfold in Haiti, we have all witnessed the best of humanity. As the Haitian people pick up the pieces of their lives and communities, we have seen their expressions of faith and hope where there could have been only bitterness and despair. We have seen the generosity of the human spirit in the record outpouring of service, resources, money, and love from all corners of the globe. At a difficult time for America, our nation and our people have been on the frontlines in reaching out to our Caribbean island neighbors. It is all remarkable. It is an ageless truth that the worst of times often bring out the best in people.

Martin Luther King’s message of vision and hope echoes at a very important time. There are two manifestations of hope. One is about “hoping” and basically boils down to wishful thinking. It is not wishful thinking that brings about needed changes. It is the other manifestation of HOPE, which is an expression of faith. This faith motivates action. It is about believing that all things are possible. It is this hope for humanity that we know the world needs in the face of political turmoil, economic setbacks, and the great losses the people of Haiti are experiencing. Faith, Hope, and Charity are timeless virtues that help us to move forward with a spirit of optimism, determination, and generosity.

The catastrophe in Haiti is certainly fearsome. Recently in the news, we also learn that US Intelligence experts are experiencing “palpable angst” about possible new terrorist attacks. Fear is what terrorists love to create. It can be needlessly crippling for some. Yet, facing fear is a fact of life. My dad used to tell me that if everything we fear were likely to happen each day, many of us would never get out of bed. A person could become too afraid to drive a car or preoccupied with the fear of catching the flu or unnecessarily fearful about earthquakes.

The truth is most of what we fear never happens. This is a proven fact. And, often, the fearful things that happen could not have been prevented. What is the answer? Be prepared and respond well when difficult things occur. It may sound too easy to say and difficult to do, but wisdom says, “Be wise, be strong, and prepare for life’s challenges.” Such readiness is about staying in good health, spending money prudently, and setting aside what may be needed for a rainy day, a checkless payday, or an emergency situation. If and when “stuff happens,” be there on the frontlines solving problems and caring for others.

If you want the best reference I know on how to be less fearful, even FEARLESS, read the book by my great friend, Steve Chandler, entitled, Fearless: Creating the Courage to Change the Things You Can.

Last night, “60 Minutes” presented the heart-rending story of the residents of Wilmington, Ohio, who have been clobbered by the “Great Recession.” Their community has lost 10,000 jobs. The story opened with the auctioning of foreclosed homes and the interview with one emotional dad who felt he had let his family down. The mayor of Wilmington indicated that his community is surviving on hope. He said, “If you want to find the Christmas spirit, come to Wilmington.” These good people have been humbled by their struggles, which means they have had to come together to survive. Their Christmas spirit is about community and hope.

I was saddened at the thought that fellow Americans would suffer so while I know other communities, including my own, have weathered the recession relatively unscathed when compared with Wilmington. I believe we need a new kind of “Sister Cities” campaign where the most hard-hit cities and towns could be linked with those cities that are doing relatively well. This would tap the amazing generosity of Americans who would reach out to support their fellow citizens in need. The Quakers have an old saying, “Thee lift me, and I’ll lift thee, and we’ll ascend together.” As one city lifts another, the one will be blessed materially while the other will be blessed spiritually. How can we make this happen across the country? As we do so, our nation will heal more quickly and our recession will be over sooner than later.

Our nation faces very serious challenges. And yet, we are so blessed among nations. 

Our diversity causes us to wrangle. At the same time, our diversity causes us to be especially creative.  

Lots of change coming at us fast can be scary. However, lots of problems means lots of change is needed. 

We tend to become polarized into our favorite ideological camps. However, the best solutions come when we find the common ground, which there is.
 
We’re worried about our future. Aren’t we glad we have one?

Let’s lighten up a little and wrangle a little less. Let us all count our blessings and get on with the problem solving. It’s what we do.

We are at a crossroads in America where we can become more and more a nation of special interests or we can be as one nation committed to the common good. Rather than point fingers at who or what is right or wrong, we should look for the common ground that will let us forge alliances that produce far more creative outcomes than any single institution of government or business could devise on its own. 

This is a time for listening, for thoughtful collaboration, and for reasonable compromise so that we can move forward as a nation. Our economic interests and our social needs can be simultaneously served. In order that we might all enjoy the New American Prosperity, we would do well to be as a nation of entrepreneurs with a collective social conscience. 

Invitation: Listen to both sides of a proposal. Release the positive energy that is inside conflict. Transform opposition into innovation.

My son purchased a used swing set for his children. He asked me to go with him Saturday morning to help dig its posts from the ground, disassemble its many parts, and transport it to his yard. As we journeyed an hour north to where the swing was located, my son and I had a pleasant chat about many things. 

When we reached the swing set, my son began to dig around the posts that were anchored in cement. I began to remove the set screws that held the swing components together: swings, monkey bar, hand rings, trapeze bar, and slippery slide. As I moved the slide, angry wasps emerged from underneath and began to buzz around us. Some of the set screws were rusted in place and would not budge. We sprayed these with those “rust-buster” chemicals. My son and I joined forces to wrestle with the set screws, bending our Allen wrenches in the process.

It became obvious that I needed to go purchase some wasp spray and visit Ace Hardware to obtain more wrenches. The folks at Ace Hardware were friendly and helpful. To make a long story short, I ended up making four trips to Ace as we found it necessary to employ increasingly drastic measures in our attempts to remove the stubborn set screws. As we labored in the hot sun, we became sunburned, the wasps persisted, and we concluded that the set screws had become petrified. 

We packed up and headed home without the swing set. My son and I spent a few minutes venting about the five hours we had just “wasted” and then renewed our father-son chat. Later that afternoon, my son called to check on me and to apologize for the misadventure. Almost simultaneously, he and I acknowledged the good conversation we had enjoyed that might otherwise have never occurred. Thus we made another colorful entry into our books of life—the story of our father-son battle with blazing sun, wasps, and rusty set screws.

Invitation: Share an example of your everyday battles that turn into simple victories.

Cats face many dangers, not the least of which is being chased by pesky dogs. As they eat mice, they could choke. As good as cats are at climbing trees, there’s always the risk of falling. And yet, cats almost always land on their feet. 

This metaphor of cats with nine lives should send a message to all of us. Actually, many humans have nine lives. There may be nine different dimensions to our lives. We may have held nine jobs over the years. And, we may have to re-invent ourselves, our careers, our lifestyles, and, therefore, our outlooks on life as many as nine times. I think most humans usually land on their feet as well. Even though the falls we take can be scary and we may think we’ll just crash to the ground, we do more often than not end up landing on our feet. 

There is much we can learn from the agility and the durability of cats. 

Our Invitation to You: As you join the conversation, tell us how you are meeting life’s challenges in a way that demonstrates how SMART you are and how HAPPY you are determined to be.