Accountable Citizens Updates

Part One Of A Reader Request

(Editor's note: A reader asked us to reprint this two-part column posted months ago.)

We normally don't do this. Our web host restricts these blog pages to 500 words, so we'll break this up into two segments.

We make it a point to avoid joining the chorus of self-serving blather that draws focus away from the important baseline truth of any event or circumstance. We'll hold true to that sentiment in this commentary that centers around the "news" stories and soundbites following the tragic events in Minneapolis Minnesota a few days ago as we type this page.

Students in a Catholic school were attending Mass when a deranged individual opened fire through the windows killing two children and wounding many more.

Not too long ago we wrote a page about cause and effect. The link to that page is just below. Keep that title, "Cause and Effect" in mind as you follow along.

Cause and Effect

Once again we're hearing calls for tighter gun controls. "Surely that would stop this type of atrocity from ever happening again." Although gun control laws have done little to stop the flow of ghost guns. And in this case, the guns were legally purchased.

We also hear that if a trained, armed citizen was there, he or she could have stopped this criminal before any innocent lives were lost.

Neither argument speaks to the baseline truth.

There are columns written about the manifesto of the shooter and the motives behind this unwarranted attack. It seems as though there is always a manifesto and the shooters are always "victims" in some form or another and that caused their heinous action. Cause and effect.

None of that addresses the baseline truth. All of these episodes are symptoms. Every supposed "solution" is merely an attempt to treat a symptom. The baseline truth is ignored or just misunderstood.

Our website came about to face up to baseline truths. We have a hole in our souls. Personal accountability for our actions as responsible adults in America has been traded for "Not my fault." Victim mentality absolves all blame. "I am a victim of the system so I'll shoot some innocent children. It's not my fault."

These outrageous events are the most noticed, but the process of ignoring personal responsibility and in fact encouraging that mindset begins in much less deadly instances, but still points to the same core problem.

Government handouts, are a cause and there is an effect. "Forgiving student loans" is a cause. In both cases more irresponsibility is not only accepted but encouraged. After all, it isn't their fault. There will be an effect. The taxpayers are still on the hook for those loans and the universities have already cashed the checks.

Tomorrow we'll go deeper into this baseline truth and the corrupt system that supports it, as well as the apathy that protects it.

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Greed and Envy In Moderation

Guest author T.O. Illustratio uses the unique insight that is typical of the author to share the end result of greed and envy.

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"Read It Again"

I always have to read them twice. Every time. I roll through the guest columns from T.O. Illustratio and after the first time, it seems like my immediate reaction more often than not is, "I don't agree with that!" Early on, my more creative, type "I" personality co-editor who isn't bound by rigid attention to detail, told me, "Read it again. This time think a little more on the 'Could be' side of the coin."

And then I read the column a second time with a better attitude and some expectation of quality as should be accorded to our guest author. We've seen enough of the unique insight in these posts. Our third co-editor offered this observation. "I think these are written in such a way as to intentionally require a second reading. Two times through gets us to think more."

When I read this most recent column about honor, I wasn't aware of the historical facts. At least not in depth enough for my type "C" personality. I did some research. That's what type "C" personality people do. We build charts and search for facts. Often too much searching and too much detail as to lose sight of the initial target. That's why we have co-editors. If you are new to our website and are wondering about different personality types, check out our link just below.

What Is My Personality Type

So I looked up the facts from those Olympics in 1968. When I read the history my immediate reaction was, "They should have been honored to represent our country. They were given top flight training facilities of that era, they were provided excellent coaching, and they were granted an opportunity so few ever get." I read about the blowback after their anthem display and figured that those are the consequences of actions.

After an excess of research I was fully committed to panning this guest column as unsuitable for this website that speaks of honor to country, of being accountable for our actions, of representing true leadership qualities. "Read it again. This time think a little more on the 'Could be' side of the coin."

It's humbling to be shown the error in our thinking. It's also part of representing true leadership qualities. We can speak of honor to country, an honor to be a citizen of this nation, doing the honorable thing. But if we only do such things when it fits our narrative, we're just blowing smoke.

"If it's a right once, it's a right every time for every person in our country. We don't have to like it, but we do have to grant that right." T.O. Illustratio

The second time I read it, those words made more sense. Our nation is supposed to represent something not available in every part of the world. Honor is a hard word sometimes. It's humbling.

Humbling isn't a bad thing. It leads to improved focus and accountability.

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What Does Honor Mean As A Responsible American Citizen?

Some questions can have different answers. But some are absolute. What does honor mean? As an American, there is one answer that is always true.

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Benefits Of Leadership Development Training for Every Person

Don't get scared off by the title. The benefits of leadership development training will help every person in every situation.

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The Law Abiding Citizen Evolving Through History In Fable Form

Follow along as we take you through a journey leading to the evolution of a law abiding citizen from solitary existence to national honor and integrity.

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"The Greatest Miracle In The World"

"Most humans, in varying degrees, are already dead. In one way or another they have lost their dreams, their ambitions, their desire for a better life. They have surrendered their fight for self-esteem and they have compromised their great potential. They have settled for a life of mediocrity, days of despair and nights of tears. They are no more than living deaths confined to cemeteries of their choice. Yet they need not remain in that state. They can be resurrected from their sorry condition. They can each perform the greatest miracle in the world. They can each come back from the dead...”

Days like this are when I wish I had the writing skills of Og Mandino.

I'll use the quote featured today as a launching point for this short essay. It is obvious to me, and maybe many of you checking in to this website, that the sad state of personal accountability in our nation is seen in the first four sentences of that quote.

Why else would they abandon principles and disciplines they know to be true, to instead be such easy marks for the agenda-driven demagogues and instigators who seem to possess the mind control to get their victims to destroy property both public and private under the guise of "exercising their right to protest?" Are these victims of mind control just completely lacking in any understanding of history or have they, "settled for a life of mediocrity, days of despair and nights of tears"

We know why the corrupt politicians stir up the division and destruction. For the money. Even the socialist voices who rail about "letting the government take care of everything" know there are piles of cash coming to them. History teaches us that socialism lines the pockets of those who cry out to "tax the rich."

It's no different on the "other side." The same incendiary rabble-rousing sparked ordinary citizens to become a roving mob that assaulted the Capital of our nation a few years ago.

"They can be resurrected from their sorry condition. They can each perform the greatest miracle in the world. They can each come back from the dead...”

One of the greatest miracles would be a sudden awakening of the too-silent majority in our nation. It's out of control in too many parts of America and it doesn't matter who started it. There's blame all around.

We can be resurrected from our sorry condition. We can teach our own children that trashing property, interfering with police officers and generally acting like idiots is not acceptable. We can teach them to ask questions and question answers. We can vote out the proven failures that rack up more and more national debt and deliver more days of despair and nights of tears.

If we accept it, it's our fault not theirs. They're just doing what crooks and liars do. We know better.

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Habits Of Highly Effective People From The Wisdom Of An Expert

We don't have to reinvent the wheel. Follow this proven wisdom describing the habits of highly effective people.

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More Dixie Cups For True Servants

"Only a true natural servant automatically responds to any problem by listening first." We'll use this quote from Robert Greenleaf to follow up on our last entry in this section.

As we continue on the discussion of dialogue, the truth of that quote is on full display in our nation over the past several weeks. Listening first, has been eroding in our culture for quite a while. Selfish agendas, driven by blind partisanship has pushed servant leadership and rule of law to the shadows of obscurity.

Lets go back for a moment to the previous blog post. Several years ago there was a cascade of false messaging about an unfortunate and unnecessary altercation in front of the Lincoln Memorial. It happened in the later afternoon as some high school students were waiting there to be picked up by their bus. The whole thing was staged to incite reactions and get some camera time. Interestingly, the cable "news" jockeys just happened to be there. Over time, right triumphed and the facts came out. But it didn't need to happen.

I wrote in the previous column that I've taken groups of young leaders to the March for Life. We've never had any problems. We followed the example of the proper way to peacefully march for a cause in which we believed. We followed the direction of law enforcement officers, we didn't break windows, nor did we hurl insults at the street corner agitators that hoped to take focus off the reason for being there.

Before the march our groups were able to tour the District, check out the monuments, the museums, all the history found in the area. Not a big deal, supposedly. Everyone has that right, don't you think? We intentionally took these tours before the march, in the morning.

Why then? There are no slanted agenda cameras present. Just families out walking, checking out the history. The paid agitators, the pawns in that side of the billionaire experiment don't get up that early.

Now understand, both sides of this breakdown in dialogue are to blame. Both sides use blatantly dishonest rhetoric to incite irresponsible, violent altercations. We look back at the history of our nation and wonder how people could allow such atrocities to occur? Why did they not stand up to the acts of barbarity inflicted on human beings? Had we been there, we would have been better! Or would we?

How will history judge our time? How will we look to future generations who read about this breakdown in dialogue and in servant leadership? Will they ask why so many fell for the lies, the cash, the incitement of the partisan puppet masters who are directing the destruction of our cities, all the while shielded from the carnage of their handiwork?

We're right back to the Dixie cup from the previous post. "Only a true natural servant automatically responds to any problem by listening first." Then hand out more Dixie cups.

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Dialogue and Dixie Cups

This is a true story. It involves a concept that when read or in my case in this short column, written, should be automatic. It should be something that just happens, not unlike the change of seasons, the sun rising every day, youth growing into adulthood, and everyday, uneventful, non-dramatic common sense. This story is about dialogue.

This story does involve one of the hottest of hot buttons, at least before the recent tragic events. But the moral of the story while being logical, shouldn't merit a featured topic. That it does, speaks of a growing problem and serves as a cautionary tale, a flashing warning sign,

In Washington D.C. last weekend, several hundred thousand people, most of them young, descended on the District to rally and march in support of all human life. This event has been going on for decades. I've taken groups of young leaders to this event, but that isn't the story. No, the message of today is dialogue.

Years ago, I met a person who was diametrically opposed to our views on this hot button. She disagreed at every level and on every specific point. But she disagreed in a calm, adult manner. She didn't lash out with vile slander or mudslinging.

Regarding the actual March, she told me early on, "I'll give you one thing. They do it right at that march. They don't damage property. They don't exclude anyone. They are respectful. I don't agree with their beliefs, but I do agree with the way they demonstrate them." We've talked a lot over the past years. Just quiet, calm discussion.

We found over time, that our views in the long run aren't as far apart as would be expected. This doesn't hold for every single discussion point, but in so many, such as pre-natal and postnatal care, assistance for the entire family, and allocation of funds, we are very close in agreement.

As I wrote at the beginning, this story isn't about that hot button issue. It's about dialogue. It's about a willingness to listen first, with the intent to understand, then be understood. It's about being adults in the room. I've told our team of young leaders that age is not a measuring stick for leadership ability. We've seen dozens of teenagers become better leaders than the elected and appointed position holders who dominate the cable agenda shows and click bait articles.

Dialogue is being abandoned in favor of incitement.

Ours is just an isolated example of what can be accomplished with calm, adult dialogue. It doesn't fix everything. Not even close. It seems like trying to empty the ocean with a Dixie cup. But if you are checking into this website, you are probably part of the solution. Dialogue is possible if we listen more, shout less, ignore the cable agenda banter and hand out more of those Dixie cups.

We'll dig into that a little more tomorrow.

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"The Righter You Sound, The Madder I Get."

Over the past week or so we've focused on eliminating complaining and whining. Both those negative traits find their despair and hostility from pride and it's usual running mate, ego. We all have those things somewhere within us in varying degrees. How we manage pride and ego determines whether we overcome despair and hostility or serve in a way similar to infectious disease and spread the hostility to everyone we meet.

I have a column written, a column the future of which I haven't decided yet. It has some controversy attached as far as some of the content. The theme is one that should be embraced by everyone, even if part of the essay isn't agreed upon by everyone reading it. My fellow editors have given it the green light because after all, we said from the first day that we would be accountable citizens and share truth.

What I will share today is part of a book we included in our page about the best books on leadership. This volume is included in the section we called the hall of "very good books." Certainly an excellent edition by tremendous authors and worth every second spent reading it. You can find the link to our list of best leadership books just below.

Best Books on Leadership

Here is a snippet from the "The Servant Leader" by Ken Blanchard and Phil Hodges. They titled this section, "Overcoming the Demon of Pride."

"The righter you sound, the madder I get.' Is that a familiar sentiment? That's separation by pride. When the origin of an idea is more important than the idea itself, that's a matter of pride.

During negotiations and times of change, if you can put an idea out there for a while without it's author, then you can work with it and see what happens. But if you get tied into who said it, then the idea loses its effectiveness. Pride has taken over...

Increase your sensitivity to issues of pride. Start to be aware of the things you do as a leader in your business or in your home anytime you are more concerned about promoting yourself than serving others.

If pride is in charge, ask yourself, 'What's hurting you?' Do you really want to make a decision out of pride?

When you make decisions out of pride, know that those decisions are not going to give you long-term results. You might get a mile or so down the road, but such decisions won't see you through the entire trip."

Maybe a simpler, scaled down test would be, "Are we looking for successful outcomes or are we more concerned with who gets the credit?" The first half of that question describes accountable leaders. The latter half is all about pride and ego.

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"The Amount of Work Is The Same"

It's my turn in the writing chair today. I had an idea of where I wanted to go with this column as we are closing in on the end of January. Then I thought a little bit about the quote on our home page today and it seemed to fit with the theme of this short post.

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." Francesca Reigler

After spending time on both sides of the pendulum between happiness and misery, I can unequivocally attest to the truth in that quote. There's another insidious little phenomenon that slinks into our lives if we allow it. We don't always see it coming and for some of us, myself included, we don't recognize the grip it has on us.

That cunning force is distraction. The reason distraction is so powerful is found in the characteristics listed in that previous paragraph. We don't see it coming and sometimes we don't even recognize it is choking the happiness and the drive to reach our full potential.

This is the time of year when many of us let go of the plan. We were so committed last December and into January. But distraction will take our eyes of the resolutions if we let it happen.

We get hooked on reading the daily exploits of politicians on both sides of the aisle as they behave like petulant children, with no regard for the consequences of their actions.

If you read my page about codependency, you know that happiness eluded my for years. Distraction from improving my circumstances kept me locked in toxic relationships. It wasn't anyone else's fault. Just my own.

How To Stop Being Codependent

It's the same problem with abandoning our goals and objectives. What goes into our minds comes out as actions. Happy or miserable, it takes the same amount of time. Goal achievement or goal abandonment takes the same amount of time.

Below this column in the blog lineup is a re-post of our page about the best books on leadership. Time spent putting good advice into your minds will take you to success and happiness. I've been on both sides. Take my advice on this one. Check out our page directory in the right margin for specific skills to use after replacing the distractions.

"Happiness is an attitude. We either make ourselves miserable or happy and strong. The amount of work is the same." Francesca Reigler

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The Best Books On Leadership Along With Some Bonus Suggestions

Introducing our hall of fame list of the best books on leadership along with some included in the "hall of very good!"

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The Law Of Diminishing Returns Is Consistent and Time-Tested

Follow along as this fable imitates real life and the consequences of ignoring natural laws including the Law Of Diminishing Returns.

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Who Is Morally Responsible To Do The Right Things? Look In The Mirror!

When they ask, who is morally responsible, step right up! Integrity and responsibility scares the puppet-masters.

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