God, Country, Corps

In the Marines we had a motto: “God, Country, Corps” that helped us set priorities and make decisions about our next course of action. Believe it or not, at times we were forced to respond to situations that were not covered in our operations or tactical manuals.  However, the decisions we made were normally made in concert with that simple motto.

First of all our decisions had to keep us connected to our relationship with God. Secondly they had to be beneficial to the security of our country. Finally they had to uphold the honor and tradition of the Corps. After those 3 conditions were met almost anything was possible. However, it was mandatory to make decisions in the order stated.

If you noticed, the word I (or me) occurs nowhere in that decision-making process. I have determined that if we make decisions in a manner that keeps us connected with God (or our moral code), our country and our organizations then our needs will automatically be met.

A dilemma immediately arises because our 1st priority (the voice of God /our moral code) is very difficult to discern in tumultuous times. The reason is that it is a quiet voice and is easily drowned out by the circumstances and situations surrounding us. The importance of this voice is best described in the following poem:

“The Voice

There is a voice inside of you

That whispers all day long,

"I feel this is right for me,

I know that this is wrong."

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend

Or wise man can decide

What's right for you--just listen to

The voice that speaks inside.”

― Shel Silverstein

The next step in this decision-making process is to make sure that our decision is beneficial to society as a whole. Here again we must understand that the decision is not about what's best for me (or the organization) but about what's best for society. It's important to note that I am not saying we cannot profit from our decisions, I'm just saying that the priority for making this profit should not be higher than those priorities already established.

Finally, the 3rd priority determines: “If my decisions are beneficial to the organization.” This is the last priority because organizations are man-made. However if we have created our organization by adhering to the 1st 2 priorities then our decision must support the goals of the organization.

If you have paid attention to the news lately you will notice that individuals seem to be making decisions by reversing these priorities.  First, the organization is their number 1 priority. Secondly, country is their 2nd priority and finally, the voice of God (or their moral code) is there last priority.

This last comment has been borne out by the political bickering of our lawmakers on a local, state and national basis as well as the decision-makers involved in the scandals occurring at various educational institutions around the country.

We can get our country moving in the right direction again by just focusing on: God, Country and Corps (organization). However each one of us must do our part in daily life to make this a reality. If you need help in getting your organization moving in the right direction please feel free to contact me.

Decisions....Decisions

A few months ago I decided to make a few informational videos in order to support my speaking career. After talking with a friend, I determined that there was a piece of software that would allow me to do exactly what was needed, but it required a minimum of 1 GB memory to install properly.

There was 512 MB currently installed on my Windows-based laptop and it was expandable to a maximum of 1 GB. So as I saw it I had a decision to make. I could either upgrade the memory on my current laptop or purchase a new one where I can install 2 or even 4 GB of memory. I decided to purchase a new one.

The question then became whether I should purchase another Windows-based laptop or an Apple MacBook Pro? Understand that in my entire life I probably have no more than 10 min. worth of keyboard time utilizing any Apple computer. However, my research led me to believe that I could accomplish my objectives easier utilizing the MacBook Pro. As a result I made the plunge and took a bite of the Apple (get the joke?).

This decision required that I be totally committed to make this purchase work for me. In making this decision it occurred to me that I utilized a fundamental decision making process. The steps to this process are:

1. Completely understand your environment and the need to make a change.
2. Make a list of possible solutions that will meet your need.
3. List the pros and cons associated with each solution. You do not have to solve the problems at this stage, just itemize them.
4. Make a decision and commit to it.
5. Solve the problems related to your decision as they occur.

This process can be used in either organizations or life in general. I find it beneficial when my life starts to get out of control. This normally happens when I get so distracted by what's going on around me that I start reacting to life. During these times I usually stop listening to my internal navigation system which quietly tries to direct me towards my life's goals and purpose. I have found that my life simply works better when I live in a manner that keeps me connected with my internal GPS.

If you are in an organization, your internal GPS is probably your organization's mission statement. If you don't have one, get one! Review it on a regular basis in order to make sure it is relevant. I have found that organizations can easily falter or get off track when they perform activities or make decisions not related to their mission statement.

Just in case you were wondering, this is my 1st blog created using the MacBook Pro. It was not an easy road, but then nothing really worthwhile ever is. In summary, from time to time, it is important we evaluate our lives and organizations in order to determine if we are moving in the direction of our goals or purpose. If not, please use some form of the decision-making process identified above to make necessary changes.

A Simple Lesson on Leadership

Just the other day while with one of the boys that I mentor, I asked him if he was hungry and like any teenage boy he said “yes”. When asked where he wanted to go eat, he said “McDonald’s!” It was lunch time and the parking lot of the first restaurant we approached was full and we noticed people standing around in long lines at the counter. We decided to find another.

The next McDonald’s that we found was just off the expressway and located in, how shall we say, “The hood”. It was at a busy intersection surrounded by low income housing. Its parking lot was also full but we noticed that there were no long lines waiting at the counter so we went in. As we went in I was struck by the efficiency, cleanliness and friendly atmosphere of this location. I must mention that the employees at this franchise seemed to reflect the ethnicity of the local neighborhood.

It took no more than 3 or 4 minutes from the time we entered into this location, stood in line, placed our order and received our food. When we received our food it was hot, freshly cooked and tasted great. Now I am not a big fan of McDonald’s but I will seek out this particular location when ever I am in the area. The point I wish to make is that this particular location seems to have placed its emphasis on customer service and as a result has earned my continued business.

I am sure that there is a strong manager or management team that runs this particular franchise and that the change did not happen overnight. I am sure this management team could have made more profit if they had reduced the number of personnel that were cleaning the floors and expediting the orders. It takes strong leadership to place principles before quick profit and therefore guarantee the long term consistent profit that most businesses desire.

This business model I described is just as true in our personal lives. We must stop placing Band-Aids over the symptoms and find a cure for our illness. This means that we must start taking responsibility for our own lives and that of our organizations or families and stop looking to blame everything and everyone else for our lack of success. We have to stop looking at what others have and start focusing on what it is that we truly need and then develop a plan on how to obtain it.

I don’t need to tell you that what has been going on in our homes as well as our country for the last 20 years hasn’t been working and has led to our deterioration as a world leader. As leaders we need to get back to basics. We need to spend more time with our families and walking around in our organizations to determine what’s really happening within them. We then need to pray for the wisdom to determine what changes need to be made as well as for the strength and courage to implement them. Let’s begin from wherever we are and remember to be strong and courageous!

Your Word is Your Bond

How many of us know that our word is our bond? By this I mean that people around us listen to what we say and watch to see if our actions match our words. The higher up on the totem pole that we go the more important it is that we are very careful or give significant thought to what it is that we say.

Now don’t just think that I am talking only to the leaders of organizations, corporations and political parties. All of us are pretty high on someone’s totem pole. We could be a single mother with a child who pays attention to every word that comes out of our mouth. We may be a divorced dad who only gets a chance to see his children every other week. Or we may believe that we are alone in this world and that no one really listens to or cares about us. Let me assure you that someone you don’t know depends upon you and listens to your every word.

Regardless of whether it is wrong or right, we are all judged by what we say and held accountable by someone. In the Bible, the book of James says: “Be quick to hear and slow to speak”. If you are speaking to an individual, or a group of people, take the time to make a thoughtful comment or give a reflective response. I can’t tell you how many times someone has told me: “I’ll get back to you on that matter” or “I will call you next week” and I never hear from them again.

Now I know that we all become very busy at times and forget to do things every now and then, but if this becomes a consistent theme in how we deal with certain individuals then it just becomes a matter of time before these individuals stop depending on us or listening to what it is that we say. In Matthew 5:37, the Bible says: “Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one”. I interpret this to mean: “Say what you mean and mean what you say”. Everything else comes from vanity or conceit.

Some of the greatest leaders in my life (and let me remind you that this list includes teachers, sailors, Marines, business leaders, personal friends and clergy) have taken the time to follow up on their commitments to me and be true to their word. If times were tough for them, they would let me know that they could not honor their commitment but they would get back with me as soon as they could. And for these men and women I would gladly march through the gates of hell in support of them.

You see, for these individuals, their word was their bond and I could take their word to the bank and cash their verbal checks. Again I remind you that if you wish to become an effective leader then you must allow your word to become your bond.

Tunnel Vision

Do you know that you will never find the solution to a problem on the same level that the problem exists? This statement is true whether we are talking about our business life, our personal life or just life in general. Have you ever noticed when you are in a crowd of angry people with a problem that a viable solution is never found? They may come up with a plan of action but rarely will that plan of action result in a viable solution to the problem.

Have you ever noticed when you are angry with another person or your group is angry at another group that all you do is focus on blocking the moves of the other person or group? When this happens you become more determined to make sure that the other person or group does not win rather than finding a solution to the problem. The result is a type of tunnel vision that keeps you narrowly focused on the problem rather than allowing you to have the full 360° field of vision necessary to find a solution.

And guess what? When this happens, the other person or group becomes more determined to make sure that you or your group does not win as well as block all of your moves. This results in the escalation of a cycle of conflict which often involves strong emotions. It is often these emotions that act as a roadblock to our finding a proper solution to the problem. It is at this point that we normally start casting blame on the other person or group involved and as we all know problem solving is not about casting blame but more about accepting responsibility.

In addition to applying proper problem-solving techniques, the first step we need to take is to find a serene place or activity which will allow us to contemplate the problem in peace. In order to solve the problem effectively it is necessary that we separate ourselves from the emotions involved. It is in this state of mind where we will be able to identify the problem as well as accept responsibility for any part that we may have had in the creation of the problem. We will also be able to remove the blinders which caused us to have tunnel vision and cast blame so that we may now see from the full 360° field of possible solutions.

I have often been asked what one has to do in order to find the serene place or the activity discussed in the previous paragraph. The answer is as varied as the number of individuals that ask it. For some it is listening to certain music. For others it is working in the yard and digging with their hands in the earth. For still others is some type of repetitive activity such as walking, running or riding a stationary bike. And for yet others it’s nothing more than sitting in their favorite chair and contemplating their navel.

Now here comes the interesting part. Once we have identified potential solutions to the problem, we are going to have to get agreement from the other parties involved for their implementation. And that my friend is a subject for another blog entry. I hope this helps!

When is Good Enough, Good Enough?

Just when is good enough, good enough? For the last six weeks I have been busy creating a set of four audio CD’s which capture the message of my seminar entitled “Straight Talk about Success and Spiritual Growth.” However as I was listening to the final product, I found that I kept going back to change a word here or rephrase a phrase there. No matter how many times I went back, I kept finding something that I could have done better. This activity finally made me ask myself: “When is good enough, good enough?”

In answering the above question, I had to ask myself another. This new question was: “Have I given this project my very best effort?” And every time that I could not honestly say “Yes”, I went back to review my content. However, when I was finally able to answer “Yes”, I stopped all editing of the content and went into the duplication and production mode.

Now I realize that there are people who will not like what I have done. On the other hand, I realize that there are people who will like what I have done. And although their opinions are important to me, their opinions will not change how I feel about my effort in completing this project. The key here is that I have done the best I could with what I had. I think that it is important that we have this same mindset as we go throughout life.

In order to answer the question: “When is good enough, good enough?” we must understand the following two points. The first point is all projects are composed of tiny steps. We must focus on doing the small things right because if we do that then the larger projects (which also consist of small steps) will automatically be done correctly. These projects could be any be any number of things: 1. Doing a report for class, 2. Managing a project for your office, 3. Raising a child or 4. Just living your life. You see it doesn’t matter what the project is, just do the small things correctly.

The second point is, given the time constraints that we have and realizing that we are not perfect, we must always go back and review our work and ask ourselves: “Is this our best effort?” If the answer is “No” then we go back, review and make changes. If the answer is “Yes” then we move on to the next area of our life. If at some future date we find out that we could have done something better, we must learn from the situation, forgive ourselves and recognize that we did the absolute best we could at that time.

It does not matter if you’re in a relationship, raising a child or completing a project for work or for school; your good enough is good enough when:

1. You focus on doing the small things well and
2. You have done the very best that you could do.

If you are interested in purchasing this 4-CD set that provides simple, biblically based tools on how to overcome the roadblocks to success in your life, go to the following link:

http://asapresents.com/Store.html

Peace…Al

If

              Rudyard Kipling
                            If 

If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or, being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise; If you can dream - and not make dreams your master; If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim; If you can meet with triumph and disaster And treat those two imposters just the same; If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools, Or watch the things you gave your life to broken, And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools; If you can make one heap of all your winnings And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss, And lose, and start again at your beginnings And never breathe a word about your loss; If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew To serve your turn long after they are gone, And so hold on when there is nothing in you Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on"; If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue, Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch; If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you; If all men count with you, but none too much; If you can fill the unforgiving minute With sixty seconds' worth of distance run - Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it, And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

 If, ladies & gentlemen, there is something holding you back from taking charge of your life, then you are a candidate for our May 15 Seminar “Straight Talk about Success and Spiritual Growth.”  It does not matter how old or young you are because in this seminar you will discover the steps you need to take in order to gain control over every situation and circumstance that you face.


This seminar will provide a biblical foundation along with simple, effective, time tested techniques which will allow you to begin creating the life you desire in a manner that keeps you connected with God. In this seminar you will be provided the tools you need to live the “Abundant Life” that was referred to by Jesus in John 10:10.  It’s not difficult to do. All you have to do is learn how to do so…..and have the faith of a child!



With the end of the registration period fast approaching, we are so certain this seminar will benefit you that we will provide a money back guarantee of the registration fee if you are disappointed.  Is fifteen or twenty dollars too much to invest for a permanent, positive change in your life? Register ASAP. Do it now! For more information or to register go to: http://Asapresents.com/Seminars.html.