The Key to Success

I was asked the following by an associate: What is the key to success: Persuading a person or Making a person cooperate? Well here is my Honest opinion:

The key to a successful enterprise is neither persuasion or forcing cooperation. The true key to cooperation is Teaching. If you have persuaded a person to follow your lead or do your bidding, they are more likely to question their own actions. Is this the best thing for me? Should I be doing this? Is there something better? All these questions and more will slow, if not stop, their actions.

If you are forcing cooperation you will have to continue applying that force until you get what you want. The person will not whole heartedly work with you. They will resent you. They will attempt to regain their own freedom.

Teach a person and they will freely give themselves to your cause. Lay the information out for him/her. Show him/her the logic of your thoughts. Let him/her taste your passion and catch his/her soul aflame. Let him/her take that final step to the only valid conclusion: Your way is right.

Your most powerful advocate is the converted. Careful though, this is not for the person that is incapable of examining themselves. If you can not reach someone with your message you should re-examine it yourself.

Philosophies of Life

Honest Thoughts:

Without understanding and acceptance mere tolerance will ultimately lead to chaos and strife.

What is your response to these quotes?

There are many philosophies that govern our individual lives. Some conflict while others seem not to conflict at all. Here are a few statements/questions that you should consider and apply if appropriate. There will be more to follow, but for now give some Honest thought to these:

What of value is actually tangible?

Do not meet the standard, be the Standard that others should try to match.

Sorry about the absence of Blogs

To those of you that check my site, I would like to apologies for the absence of blogs recently. I am currently participating in a challenge to write a novel during the month of November. It has to be 50,000 words long by midnight 30 Nov 04. So far I am only at 18,547 words. With barely 11 days to go, I want to give an Honest effort at finishing this book. What can I say, it was a great chance for me to write about what soldiers are currently going through in Afghanistan and Iraq. Wish me luck!

A Salute to our Veterans

No matter where you are from in the world you can always find veterans around you. You may not know it from looking at the man in the suit or the person stacking food on the store shelf, or the homeless person down the alley. We all owe a lot to our country’s veterans. Here is an Honest Thank you on this Veteran’s Day, 11 November 2004:

Today’s military is a volunteer one. While all of the fighting that the US military is involved in is not to everyone’s liking, most people fulfill their duty to their country and their fellow soldiers. Veterans of yesterday and today’s wars have put their lives on the line over and over again while hearing thank you only rarely. It does not matter whether they had and a part in direct hand-to-hand combat or an admin position. They have gone where most have not. They have sacrificed more than most. Their families have said goodbye with only a hope that they will see their loved ones ago.

Take time to say thank you to those Veterans that have had to: say goodbye to their families; say goodbye to their friends and fellows that have lost their lives; live with the knowledge that they could lose their lives at any moment; know that someone just lost their life; see their injured fellows that wished their lives were lost instead of the physical and mental agony that they currently suffer; live with those that have never tried to understand.
To all those that have served not just their country, but also their families, their friends, their fellows, and the unknown masses, to my brethren I say: THANK YOU.

The Election is over: Get over it

Okay, one of the most contentious elections in the last 100 years is over. Now what are you going to complain about? Here is some Honest Talk about bad behavior:

People have called the Bush administration evil. Others have called those that spoke out against President Bush traitors. Well, both sides are wrong.

Bush may be properly called any number of things that you shouldn't say in front of my young son, but evil is not one of them. That implies that he is more intelligent than the people that call him evil give him credit.

Those that speak out against Bush are exercising their right to free speech and should not be yell at for a right that most people hold close to their heart. If you take away their right (an example would be arresting a non-violent protester at a Bush rally) than the entire country would be closer to the countries that the US has envaded in recent years.

Everyone has a right to their opinion. The key is not agreeing with someone else, but respecting their right to disagree with you.

Time to VOTE!

Time to exercise that right that makes America great. If you don't you risk your voice not being heard. Ready for some Honest Talk?

Being a voting age citizen of the United States allows you the chance to effect the destination of the country and the world. If you don't at least try to exercise that right, we don't need to hear your complaints. The power has been placed in the hands of the people, yet many refuse to use it. Is it laziness or just a true lack of caring. With people giving their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan you might think that people would care what direction the United States is heading. But, no matter how people complain about the war in the Middle East it is still an abstract concept.

Without personal involvement as a family member of a soldier, or as a soldier themself, most people have the war as an abstract political concept.

I encourage all of you to take a stand against complacentcy. Get personally involved. Do more than just talk. Grab life by the horns and participate. Vote. If you don't at least make the effort, don't complain.