The Walkout In Wisconsin

How wealthy can everybody in America be? Is the "American Dream" still attainable? Well, maybe. We now have more people working for the US government than we do in manufacturing or construction. I am not saying that we are approaching the existence of an unbounded growth of a governing class that provides for its own affluence at the expense of the citizenry. I just have a question. Are we seeing a development of a new form of class warfare pitting the majority of taxpayers against those whose incomes are tax-dependent? What do the people want? The exercise of democracy is the exercise of what the people want.

Obama And Same-sex Marriage

Barack Obama has determined that the Defense of Marriage Act---the 1996 law that bars federal recognition of same-sex marriages---is unconstitutional and has directed the Justice Department to stop defending the law in court. Obama is a typical politician who wants to get re-elected. I hope this decision backfires on him because I truly believe that marriage is only between a man and a woman, and that the same-sex marriage campaign is an attempt to legitimize perverted conduct. My words have nothing to do with hatred. I refuse to hate anyone. Certain lifestyles are chosen, and I am not one to judge, however, God has declared this conduct to be wrong, therefore it is. Obama opposes same-sex marriage (at least he says he does) but has said repeatedly that his views are "evolving." How convenient. How can you be for something and against something at the same time? Also, How accurate are the words of Rep. Lamar Smith, the Texas Republican who is chairman of the House Judiciary Committee? "It is a transparent attempt to shirk the department's duty to defend the laws passed by Congress. This is the real politicization of the Justice Department--when the personal views of the president override the government's duty to defend the law of the land." The abandonment of the Defense of Marriage Act is an outrageous political move that was legally unjustified. How much power does Obama actually have? Is he the President or is he a dictator?

Leaders And Relationships

As far as I am concerned, every leader needs to be a people person. How can a person be a leader and not be able to communicate and connect with people? This, to me is the most important aspect of being a leader. I would like to share a few quotes from the book entitled "The Servant." The book, written by Jim Hunter, is a simple story about the true essence of leadership. It is powerful, and it has been translated into 9 languages.

"Nature shows us clearly that you are either alive and growing or you are dying, dead, or decaying. Labor unrest, turnover, strikes, low morale, low trust, and low commitment are merely symptoms of a relationship problem. Simply put, leadership is about getting things done through people. When working with and getting things done through people, there will always be two dynamics involved---the task and the relationship. If we focus only on tasks and not on the relationship, we may experience turnover, rebellion, poor quality, low commitment, low trust, and other undesirable symptoms. To lead, you must serve, is the great paradox. Trust me now, understand me later. Management is not something you do to other people. You manage your inventory, your checkbook and your resources. You can even manage yourself. But you do not manage other human beings. You manage things, you lead people."

Reality shows us that the ability to connect with people is a vital ingredient in being a successful leader. I am not saying that the other factors are unimportant. I am saying that leadership demands skill, and the essence of that skill, is being a people person.

Holidays And Life.

A holiday is what you make it. Life is what you make it. Some people, because of their religion, do not celebrate birthdays. What is the justification? Where does it say not to celebrate birthdays? What about Christmas and Easter? Obviously, they are Christian holidays. Some people celebrate them, some people don't. There are many other holidays. Some are just "drinking days." I say that a person's attitude toward life is exemplified in the manner in which he/she celebrates holidays. What does a holiday mean to a person? Is it "just another day," or is it really special and to be celebrated? Of course that depends on a person's cultural standards, religion, tastes, ethnicity, homogeneity, heterogeneity, finances, and motivation. The bottom line is this: A holiday is what you make it. Life is what you make it. If you celebrate a holiday, there are consequences. If you don't celebrate a holiday, there are consequences. A holiday is what you make it. Life is what you make it.

Acquire Some People Skills

Are you afraid of people? Don't be. Talk to people. Ask them questions. Just do not ask the wrong questions. One of the reasons people do not have adequate people skills is because they are too selfish. They need to start giving. They need to give of their time and skills. They need to not worry if they make a mistake. Do not be guilty of having PTPSK. PTPSK will ruin your opportunities to have some beautiful "people experiences." Oh, so you do not want to deal with people? I know, it can be mighty challenging sometimes. Here is your answer: Love people. People are easy to love. What about PTPSK? It means this: PRIDE...THE PEOPLE SKILL KILLER. PTPSK is like a killer whale. Drown the killer whale. Drown it.

Wealth, Health And Hope

I do not remember who it was, but a long time ago somebody said: "If you have lost your wealth, you have lost nothing. If you lost your health, you have lost something, if you have lost your hope, you have lost everything." Time flies. A young man can waste a great deal of time by refusing to grow up and take responsibility. "Man, I'm gonna have a good time." He has his good time. He liked it, but it was not good enough. He wants more. The good time did not satisfy him enough. It just left a good memory. He wants more. He has more good times. He just cannot seem to reach that peak. He keeps on searching for that peak pleasure. Along the way, in his quest for new pleasures, he has done some damage to innocent people, both young and old. He says doesn't care. He tends to drink too much liquor. He uses drugs. His health is starting to fail him. He needs medicines. He makes unreasonable demands to government and any family members who might listen to him. The years he spent in his pursuit of pleasure have turned into decades. He wakes up one day and realizes he is an old man. He blames others because he is not happy. He blames others because he is poor. He blames others because he is not healthy. Since he has lived most of his life in a world of fantasy, his conclusions are permeated by fantasy. He has no wealth. His health (mental and physical) is tenuous. He has one last card. It is called hope. Yes, he messed up. However, he is still able to make decisions. He can hope for the best. He can make the best happen. If he does not believe in miracles, someone can teach him about them. If he has too much pride, he can humble himself. If he wants to find a higher power he can find it. It is available. He needs to look for it. But if he has lost hope; he has lost everything.

Sacrifices

Sometimes you just need to make it hurt. Sometimes you just need to postpone that pleasure. Sometimes you just need to keep your eye on the prize. If you want to succeed, you must make some sacrifices. That is just the way it is. Do you want to satisfy those goals and objectives? Make some sacrifices. Let me make myself clear. I do not refer to pagan sacrifices of self-mutilation or animal mutilation. I refer to hard work. I refer to the need to pursue your goals. Many people out there are unwilling to "pay the price." It is not wrong to love yourself. Here is the rule: You must make sacrifices for the things you love, whether it is football or a woman. You must make sacrifices for the things you love, that is just the way it is. Please do not take a course of action that will cause you to regret, or a course of inaction that will cause you to regret. Jim Rohn sums it up: "We must all suffer from two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret. The difference is the pain of discipline weighs ounces, while the pain of regret weighs tons."