One important element in the notion of personal freedom is self-responsibility. It may go unnoticed today, but so long as one remains dependent upon blaming another for their misfortunes, they effectively have tied themselves up. There is nothing they can do about it but get even. Thus the bumper sticker, “I don’t get even, I get evener.” The fact is, blame is a bind that wraps us from one end to another as though we had been literally tied up. Blame says, “There’s nothing I could do — it was ... Read More
Assume that you are not personal friends. How would you address a school principal or, for that matter, President Barack Obama? Would it be on a first name basis? If not, why? Now I don’t mean to be Victorian about this so please put yourself in my shoes as I relate a couple of experiences to you, and then decide if it’s my sensibilities gone afoul or a breakdown in manners. This last weekend I visited my favorite lake resort. After enjoying a successful morning of fishing, my lovely bride ... Read More
What does it take to maximize your income potential at a time when the economy seems uncertain? What does it take to secure some cushion of comfort that promotes peace of mind? If you’re like many people today, financial concerns top the list of worries. Why is it some people are successful and some struggle all their lives? Could there be a common denominator that links income security to the inventory of characteristics that undergird the successful person? The answer should come as no surprise for common sense informs us ... Read More
One of the things we see happen with local government is the creation of a master plan. The plan will lay out where development is to take place and what kind. It will anticipate the growth of the community, and therefore the nature of services that will be required. Zoning provisions will follow the master plan, and eventually so will easements, if they require the condemnation of personal property in order to satisfy the greater needs of the community. The goal is a prosperous, safe, and healthy city. Developers and ... Read More
Our expectations can heal us, and they can harm us. Many people are afraid of losing, winning, playing and embracing much that life has to offer. Moving that to a new context — acknowledging our own anticipation while maneuvering it into the zone of practice, trying, learning and waiting with expectancy of success — is one of the grandest endeavors we can undertake. But to do that, we must at times be both the patient and the healer. I’m reminded of an old Sufi story about time and pomegranates that ... Read More
