Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies.
The robber baron’s cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience. C.S. Lewis
www.stopthewaronsuccess.com
While the Saints just officially won the Super Bowl, can’t you just hear the discussion inside the West Wing…
“The Saints displayed unfair drive, ambition, work ethic and therefore have created for themselves an unfair advantage resulting in a victory that could have gone to an equally deserving Colts team. The unexpected and innovative on-sides kick to begin the second half caused an emotional disparity that lead to an uneven quality of play for the Saints. Government should step in immediately and create some regulations that even things out a bit. Maybe we can make this new legislation retroactive.
And let’s not stop there. Let’s abolish the worn out notion of ‘losing.’
Never again will there be so many teams who have to watch the Super Bowl from home. We should be inclusive and bring more teams, all teams under the tent of the Super Bowl…
In the NFL, we should all rise and fall together!”
TROPHIES FOR EVERYONE!!
GOOD GRIEF
If we are not aware of them, or worse yet, we choose to ignore them, the principles of life tend to be equal opportunity destroyers. Take gravity for example. If no one ever explained the nature of gravity and we accidentally stepped off the two story deck at our neighbor’s home, we’d all go straight down, never up. It wouldn’t even make a difference if we were in a protected demographic class and had special rights; we’d still go down. That’s how natural law works. It is incapable of discrimination, which is, I suppose, why social engineers harbor such antagonism toward it.
When we align our life with timeless principles or Natural Law, we experience a surge of confidence, competence, and unparalleled optimism for the future. But the responsibility for learning about these principles and then living in a manner consistent with them is completely up to each of us as individuals. We cannot take the default position of simply making up our own little pet laws of life. We see the destruction and despair all around us; the natural consequence breaking Natural Law. As the old saying goes, “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.” We can break man-made laws and frequently escape without a penalty.
Timeless principles have a way of tracking us down and serving us with the unpleasant consequences despite our ignorance or best intentions. If we are serious about developing all the potential within us, we must avoid the trendy “principe du jour” mentality that has smothered our society. Be on the lookout! It is common for current political leaders to use the word “principle” in lieu of other less appealing words like “idea, notion, theory, program, and whim.” However, I’ve been coaching entrepreneurs for nearly twenty years and it has become abundantly clear to me that when an individual’s life or business is off track, it is inevitably the result of drifting from proven principles.
When entrepreneurs recalibrate with authentic principles, their business or personal life becomes more successful, productive and harmonious. It is no mystery. It is not an accident. And it is the same for our country as a whole.
Principles matter most.
The socialist believes the state is supreme and the individual is subordinate or secondary to priorities of the government. This is a shame because American virtues begin with the individual. This perverse outlook causes all sorts of friction and hostility because a nation is really nothing but millions of individuals seeking to express their uniqueness.
Nonetheless, this is the classic statist and by extension, socialist tenet. The truth, however, is that God made each of us a unique, one of a kind work of art and we are enormously valuable in His eyes. To God, each one of us is an unrepeatable miracle.
As parents, we can identify with this assessment based on experience with our own kids. Each and every one of our own children is priceless and irreplaceable. We’d never think of sacrificing the dreams and ambitions of even one child for the greater good of the family unit. Ayn Rand aptly noted that, “The smallest minority on earth is the individual. Those who deny individual rights cannot claim to be defenders of minorities.
Psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor, Viktor Frankl recognized the sanctity of every individual life when he wrote, “Everyone has his own specific vocation or mission in life; everyone must carry out a concrete assignment that demands fulfillment. Therein he cannot be replaced, nor can his life be repeated, thus, everyone’s task is unique as his specific opportunity to implement it.
One of the main reasons we have been as richly blessed as a nation is that our system of liberties, rooted in free-will, has allowed individuals to flourish, to come alive as artists and athletes, as entrepreneurs and entertainers, as school teachers and firefighters, as corporate tycoons and political leaders. This is a good thing. God made us, not as a group, but as purpose-filled, individual souls, as one of a kind and distinct.
Let’s keep it this way.
Let’s stop the war on success.
Dear Nicholas,
This is being written as a part of the American Dream Campaign and is meant to share my thoughts as to the opportunities presented to us because of the freedoms we enjoy as Americans. As you are well aware, these freedoms are the results of much forethought, bravery, and effort on the part of the country’s founding fathers, as well as the sacrifices made by countless others through wars, economic turmoil, and political unrest.
Though these opportunities are available, it is up to you to take advantage of them… to decide what you want to achieve, accomplish, and create. As George Bernard Shaw said, “People are always blaming where they are in life on circumstance. I don’t believe in circumstances. Those who get on in this world are those who find the circumstances they want. And if they don’t find them, they create them.”
Your grandfather is a living example of this. Having grown up poor in Florence, AL, he enlisted in the Marines for WWII, fought his way through the Pacific, and returned with a new sense of determination; that is, he determined he would be successful.
After graduating from college, he began creating his career. Soon, not satisfied with his circumstances, he created his own by starting his own company and went on to distinguish himself and become a leader in his field. But nothing was given or expected. He earned it through planning, hard work, and sacrifice.
Others like him, these members of the “greatest generation,” create an example and legacy for us to follow: that your future really is up to you. No excuses, no blame. It will be built on your personal commitment to your dream. It will not be easy and there will be numerous obstacles. Will you have the grit and determination to overcome them? Will you see the obstacles for what they are… opportunities that will stop others and allow you to separate and prove yourself? Will you demand yourself to fully develop the talents and abilities God has given you and refuse to fall short of your dreams? Will you create the circumstance you want, rather than accepting and settling for those put in your path?
Truly, your future is up to you. You are in a country that, despite those who seek to socialize our achievements, still rewards individual excellence. It is up to you. What future will you create?
With much love and hope,
Dad
FROM SCOTT BROWN’S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
“I will work in the Senate to defend our nation’s interests and to keep our military second to none. As a lieutenant colonel and 30-year member of the Army National Guard, I will keep faith with all who serve, and get our veterans all the benefits they deserve.
And let me say this, with respect to those who wish to harm us, I believe that our Constitution and laws exist to protect this nation – they do not grant rights and privileges to enemies in wartime. In dealing with terrorists, our tax dollars should pay for weapons to stop them, not lawyers to defend them.
Raising taxes, taking over our health care, and giving new rights to terrorists is the wrong agenda for our country. What I’ve heard again and again on the campaign trail, is that our political leaders have grown aloof from the people, impatient with dissent, and comfortable in the back room making deals. And we can do better.
They thought you were on board with all of their ambitions. They thought they owned your vote. They thought they couldn’t lose. But tonight, you and you and you have set them straight.
Across this country, we are united by basic convictions that need only to be clearly stated to win a majority. If anyone still doubts that, in the election season just beginning, let them look to Massachusetts.”
George Gilder wrote beautifully and accurately about America’s economic catalyst, “Entrepreneur: He casts aside his assurance of 40-hour weeks, leaves the safe cover of tenure and security, and charges across the perilous fields of change and opportunity. If he succeeds, his profits will come not from what he takes from his fellow citizens, but from the value they freely place on the gift of his imagination.
Now is the time to act.
Truth, history, and principle are on our side! Principles matter most. We have accomplished too much to leave a legacy of liberty lost. We must not bequeath this kind of mess to our children and grandchildren. Thomas Paine wrote, “A generous parent would have said, ‘if there must be trouble, let it be in my day, that my child may have peace.”
John Adams wrote, “Posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it.” Those who seek to break the bond we have with our first principles must not be allowed to frame the debate. It is no longer satisfactory for us to simply defend the cause of individual freedoms; we must become the champions of it.
Are you ready to stand up and speak out?
