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Wisdom Day 11 November 2016: Blessed Blessings

The one who blesses others is abundantly blessed;
    those who help others are helped. (The Book of Proverbs, Chapter 11, Verse 22, The Message, BibleGateway.com)

Veterans Day and Day 3 of the transition to a Trump presidency, a surprise to many and for some a source of anguish, anger, and rage. Among those who read this post will be some who are committed to the principles of Extreme Ownership. For them the challenge is to own even this period of roiling ire. How? To lead by example and to remember it is not what we preach, it is what we tolerate that counts. We start with ourselves. We must tolerate in ourselves and others only words and actions intended to mend rather than aggravate rifts. Were we on the losing side? Focus on constructive thought and action rather than the desire to break everything. Were we on the winning side? Avoid all gloating and arrogance, both in ourselves and in others. Of course, we can not control the words and actions of those around us, but we can be courageous enough to refuse to enter into conversations, actions, and reactions focused on fanning the flames. Rather, defuse the explosive devices by finding a way to bless others, through our words, our acts, the way we look at people. Curses generate curses, but blessings bring a harvest of blessings. Ourselves and our nation surely need to be abundantly blessed, especially now. It is time for a new Armistice Day.

 

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Wisdom Day 21 May 2016: Listening

Chapter 21 of Proverbs had super high impact for me today. The Message translation and the delivery by Kelly Ryan Dolan really grab me every time. Wow! Lots of wisdom! Check it out. Would love to hear what you think. Here’s one stand-out passage:

Simpletons only learn the hard way,
    but the wise learn by listening. (The Message: Book of Proverbs Chapter 21, Verse 11,)

Listening to what? To wisdom! Not to muckrakers, duh! And there’s no lack of muck being raked this campaign season. It’s hard to avoid. The solution? Try Jocko Podcast and snag some wisdom. It’s free.

If you prefer learning the hard way, though, that works, too. Believe me, the school of hard knocks is a great teacher but not cheap, sort of a life-long student loan:

The Moving Finger writes; and, having writ,
Moves on: nor all thy Piety nor Wit
Shall lure it back to cancel half a Line,
Nor all thy Tears wash out a Word of it.
(Quatrain LI, The Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyám)

Loans may be paid back. Some foolishness, though, can never be undone. May we each one think, speak, prioritize and execute in humility and wisdom today. Blessings on you, Jocko bros and sis’.

BTW, I just discovered what seems to be an excellent edition of the Rubáiyát on Amazon. Worth checking out even if you already have another version. As to Proverbs, Chapter 21 from The Message is definitely worth a listen at Bible Gateway.

 

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Own the White House

Your sons and daughters will prophesy,
    your old men will dream dreams,
    your young men will see visions.
(Joel 2:28, New International Version)

Last night, I dreamed I was at some sort of gathering. It was outside. I could see an open grassy area and some trees. It felt rural. I was interacting with some serious adults. It seemed like a political event. I wanted to get Leif Babin and Jocko Willink on the ballot. Someone took me seriously and set off to see whether it would be Leif and Jocko or Jocko and Leif.

I do not often recall dreams this clearly. I can’t remember ever dreaming about politics.  I guess the news coming in from the primaries and the debates is really impacting my psyche. At the same time, the Extreme Ownership “Lead to win” dictum has been resonating pretty powerfully within me over the past couple of  months. So these factors seem to have meshed in my dream.

What would it take for the Leif/Jocko or Jocko/Leif ticket to become reality at this point? I’m not sure, but probably a miracle. Never before have we been in greater need of persons of proven integrity to lead us as a nation and people. I have doubts about all the other folks campaigning, but Leif and Jocko would for sure have my vote. Whatever happens, I hope our new leaders will own up, lean in, and lead to win.

P.S. It actually could happen, according to an article on medium.com by Adam Nicholas Phillips.

It’s right there, hidden in plain sight in the 12th Amendment of the US Constitution:

The person having the greatest Number of votes for President, shall be the President, if such number be a majority of the whole number of Electors appointed; and if no person have such majority, then from the persons having the highest numbers not exceeding three on the list of those voted for as President, the House of Representatives shall choose immediately, by ballot, the President. But in choosing the President, the votes shall be taken by states, the representation from each state having one vote; a quorum for this purpose shall consist of a member or members from two-thirds of the states, and a majority of all the states shall be necessary to a choice.

And Congress can pick whomever they damn well please.

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