Presidents Day

My Presidents Day is one day late, sorry nevertheless, lets reach into the distant past to find a president that very few people (save history buffs and professors) know about. On Presidents day many yearn for the days of Reagan and his no nonsense approach  and calm steady hand at the wheel. However there were other presidents  that were very instrumental in shaping the country that we now live in.

Lets move away from Washington, Jefferson, Lincoln, Reagan, to our 11th president. This man came into office with four clearly defined goals. At the time our country was mostly east of the Missippi river and James Polk was poised to dramatically expand it!

Among some of his favorite quotes were: "Foreign powers do not seem to appreciate the true power the true character of our government."  While in that day he was referring to Britain and Mexico, it couldnt be more true today. Our country power and respect has declined in the world, and many will continue to challenge it, not the least of which are the followers of Islam.

"There is more selfishness and less principle among members of Congress...than i have had any conception of, before I became president of the United States. "TRUE AGAIN. human nature hasnt changed at all, there are more self serving, egocentric people in Congress than anywhere else in the world.

Polk believed in being a one term president and stuck to his word,.More Congressmen and woman ought to follow the same lead. Congressmen go into Washington with the idea of changing it, instead it forever changes them!

He also said, "No president that preforms his duties faithfully and conscientiously can have any leisure"  While i do not totally agree with this, his point is clear. His focus was on being a servant to the people, not a demagogue or celebrity to the masses. Today our presidents  recline in luxury and take long extensive vacations, Polk was dedicated to the issues of state.

Among his goals were:

The expansion of Oregon territory, which included California, a vital acquisition for westward expansion.

the expansion of Texas and  New Mexico, He established dominance with Mexico, which went to war with the country over New Mexico and California.

The lowering of tariffs, in the Walker tariff act of 1846, that opened up free trade.

He also consummated the Louisinia Purchase which articulated the "Manifest Destiny" so crucial to the growth of our nation, and the opportunity for each citizen to find his own place in the  West.

These goals were essential to the continous  growth and prosperity of the nation, and James Polk was front and center. He spoke and then delivered on those lofty goals.

Lastly Polk also oversaw some of the events;

The opening of the Naval Academy

The opening of the Smithsonian

The Washington Monument

The issuance of the first postage stamps.

The country by our standards was still raw and untamed, but Polk went a long way to moving America along to the country that it was bound to be.

 On his deathbed he told his wife, Sarah Childress, which lived to be 88, "I love you sarah, for all eternity I will love you." Passing on early due to cholera, he embodied as steadfast love that is become rarer by the day. She never married again, and dressed in black until she died in 1891. Our country could learn something from this man.

We salute James Polk on this President day, long gone but not forgotten.

MENTAL STATES

Learning to speak well in public is a wonderful skill that can pay off handsomely if you use it well. I have made this one of my goals, yet since the start of the New Year have yet to start it. I went with a friend to check it out, and what do you know they ask me to do one of their table topics.

Now I wasnt feeling all that well, and said to myself, this is  not one of those nights i want to give any kind of speech..It is  just hard to flip a switch and feel good and on your toes, when you have told yourself "bad day"  The body follows the mind, so I got up there to opine on FB and had precious little to say and no humor to add with it. I felt awkward and somewhat disappointed with myself...

Learning to deal with your awkward moments is even more important. One of the most important thing to do is to learn how to change your mental state. Not easy but possible. Thinking on your feet and pulling stuff out of the air even when it isnt your favorite topic, is hard, but it i a good exercise.  Instantly i started critizing TM and how they evaluate everything to death. However most of it is positive feedback, and it helps people feel like have a peer group upon which to lean on as they strive for personal and professional growth.

I have felt that awkward moment with sale calls, socializing, and being put on the spot; if we let it spur us on to greater development and mental flexibility we get stronger and more confident in the long run.

Dont let awkward moments where you didnt look the way you wanted, let it be a CATALYST. Tony Robbins has some excellent work on managing your mental states for success.http://www.affirmations-for-radical-success.com/mental-techniques.html

Unstoppable Force!

A small part of the universe exploded in the New Mexico desert near Los Alamos, the explosion of the nuclear bomb. the weapon the ended WW II and kept the major powers at bay. In 1945 man was able to exploit in miniscule form, the mighty  energy of the universe, locked up in the atom. In short the Gamma Ray burst was a microsm of the awesome energy unleashed from a supernova. This dying star has the power of all the energy ever produced by the sun in its 15 billion year lifespan. (evolutionary time scale of course)

Think about that for a moment, and then think about the coming apocalypse when God decides to create a new heavens and a new earth. As he says in Peter that "the elements shall melt with a fervent heart"  He also hints at the intense heat that will plague the earth's inhabitants during the tribulation period. Im no scientist, but in listening to the History channel I am awestruck by the killer radiation that is released by these stars. An unstoppable force is coming to stop Satan  and his principalities in their tracks and Im so glad that I am on the winning side!

Did you know that gamma rays (electromagnetic radiation) are used to kill cancer cells?  The higher end of the electromagnetic field are the gamma rays that emanate from dying stars.  We experience radiation from the sun and have to put on sunblock to protect ourselves. One day man will "cry for the rocks and the mountains" to crush him to hide himself from the judgements from the heavens. (matt 24:29) and Rev 6, as the power of the heavens will be shaken. Dear friends, Christians are not going to be here, but alas for the poor souls that will!! Whose side will you be on?  Are you part of God's family?

As I watched this history channel programhttp://www.history.com/shows/armageddon/videos/gamma-ray-burst#gamma-ray-burst  it became painfully clear that there are forces in the universe that we are just beginning to discover..man is just a babe when it comes to understanding divine power!  If the power of life and death can be tapped by using  gamma rays to kill cancer, and kill human beings (atomic bomb), imagine what will happen when the fury of GOd is unleashed??

Two things came to mind. First I am happy that God has designed this earth the way he has, because most of the radiation and gamma rays from the sun and other stars are absorbed by the earth's atmosphere. ( no accident) However all God has to is explode one star a few million light years away and the earth is vaporized!  Secondly, I am glad that God has given us a way of avoiding the judgement of the seven seals found in Revelation. He gives us a glimpse of the horrors to come to befall the earth's  inhabitants; the earth could literally burn up with radiation, (protection removed) or a star could shower our planet with killer gamma rays, and toast the earth. However God chooses to do it, is up to Him. He has offered a way out of this carnage on planet earth..and stands at the door of our heart knocking.. Rev 3:20.. Will you listen?

Thank God I will be a spectator to witness this awesome display, wher will you be>

Crystal Ball of Change? What will happen in the New Year?

Well here we are at the helm of a New Year, the year 2011, the beginning of a new decade.  I am reminded of what happened this weekend over at my parents place for New Years dinner, one of my nieces comes up to me and complains that the video games that I bought for Christmas, only a week after, had already outlived its usefulness. She had already maxed out the levels and was fairly bored with it. I thought my how things have changed; When I was a kid Tonka trucks, hot wheels, and race tracks were in, and we could derive many hours of fun, from simple things. Things like cowboys and indians, and regular sports. Today kids, get bored and restless if they're not wired into a video game, and that enhances their cycle of excitement and subsequent boredom.  That is an entirely different topic that I could go on and on about it.

What will happen in the new year? Everybody likes to predict, like mini prophets, but change is elusive as it is unpredictable.

In light of the New Year, I wanted to pose a different topic, change, and the cycles of life. All much too vast to cover in a blog post but sufficient to help us as we take on the new year.   Emerson one of my favorite authors had this to say, "The eye is the first circle, the horizon which it forms is the second. This primary figure is rpeated without creed. We are all our lifetime reading th copious sense of this first of forms.

Life is a circle. We progress rise to new heights, and come full circle, then expand. This year I am challenged to dramatically expand my circle. Inherent in that circle is relentless and the incessant beat of change. The only question is whether we can adjust to it. Technology has taken over our society, but do we know how to really harness it to meet our goals, and satisfy our inner longings?

How will this change affect our jobs our occupation and economic security? http://www.coasttocoastam.com/show/2011/01/01

Technology has changed the way we work,the way we network and communicate, and the way we play. Ae you thinking out the implications of this in your business, and personal life? If your job is going to be outmoded by technology have you adjusted to that? I found an good blog that helps us to survive maybe even thrive on that change. Hope you willl go to.http://www.livingorsurviving.com/

We may not have a crystal ball, but we certainly have trends, and those that study  and apply those are personally are apt to benefit the most.

"Our life is a apprenticeship to the tuth, that around every circle another can be drawn. There are no fixtures n nature, the universe is fluid and volatile. Permanence is but a word of degrees"   (Essay First and Second Series) Ralph Waldo Emerson

This year I resolve to use the internet to help power some of the changes in business and networking, I hope you will do the same.

Series on Self Improvement (Concentration)

We live in a world of the 15 second sound bite. Networks demand it, people's attention span is growing shorter and shorter. In general people demand and expect to see more and more done in less time. Employers mandate it, the pace of life has quickened dramatically in the past half century. This is part due to Moore Law, which states that technology  and knowledge doubles very quickly see:

http://www.emory.edu/TEACHING/Report/AppendixD.html

In other words knowledge and technology exponentially grow and imposes expectations upon us to keep up. It is our job to maintain a steady, sane approach to life, and remain within our element. There is nothing inherently wrong with technology, however it should serve us dominate our lives as it so often does.

Case in point: I find myself wandering from one things to another at times, and find others that I talk to, tend to do the same. Those that have mastered a thing, learn to marshall their resources to do one thing at a time and do it well. Yes there are times when we must multi task, but this generation has made it a contest to see who can do it the best.  Concentration often distinquishes the happy and successful from those who are not.




Concentration is the factor that causes the great discrepancy between men and the results they achieve... the difference in their power of calling together all the rays of their ability and concentrating on one point.

Orison Swett Marden

At the end of the day, its not how many things you have gotten done in a day, its the quality of things that you have done that matter the most. For instance I have a business that demands attention; a certain amount of time must be given to filling out paperwork, and checking for compliance and accuracy. Another portion of my time must be set aside for marketing. My effectiveness is compromised if I mix the two. If  I dont fill out the right forms and accurately and on time, I dont get paid. If I dont market, the business dies.

If Ive learned one thing its about concentration, learning to fully concentrate on one item at a time. You must learn to resist distraction, or impulses on doing the easiest thing.

Concentration (44 Quotations)


Any individual can be, in time, what he earnestly desires to be, if he but set his face steadfastly in the direction of that one thing and bring all his powers to bear upon its attainment.

J. Herman Randall

Monopoly on Truth? Dialogue or Diatribe??!!

Recently I was out with a buddy of  mine eating at a local restaurant, I mentioned that I was a believer in the Rapture. We talked about the differing viewpoints and those that felt that all Christians must go through  the "tribulation" period..  I had attended a church only a few months ago that espoused this position. When I asked one of the pastors to explain it to me, they were stand offish about it..saying something like, well if its that big of a deal to you, then you need to find a different church.

At this cafe, a woman apparently overheard me, and got up to leave.As she passed me she said, Well we believe this and in one sound bite, why she believed in the position that advocates no rapture. Well I was ready to listen to her only there was no conversation. She just left ,obviously not wanting to engage me in conversation or find out my views on the subject. I thought well, thats the precisely the problem with a lot of people. Their views are so entrenched they see the forest for the trees. They are so convinced that they are right, they dont even bother listening to other views.In so doing, deprive themself of a learning experience.

I was interested in talking to this lady, but she wasnt interested in talking to me; just spouting off your own viewpoint without so much as entertaining mine. For those interested in spreading the glorious gospel of salvation..a real tip here. Be an empathetic listener, try to understand their view before expressing yours. You might learn something, and they might be more receptive to an angle that they havent heard before.

Christians would do well, to be better listeners and engage rather than rant and rave about what they believe. After all Jesus was a world class engager, He met people at their point of need and avoided steamrolling people by literary or intellectual brilliance.

"People are more interested in knowing that you care, than caring what you might know" 

Pass this to your sons and daughters.!

Every once in a while, a man pens something that trascends time. Rudgard Kipling is not unfamiliar to many Americans. Many remember him in the poem, "The Road not taken."  However Mr Kipling also wrote something that you have to read over and over again to digest its wonderful meaning. This poem is just as appropriate for our age and future generations, as any piece that will be written.

Read it and reflect upon each verse. Read it with an intent on not just picking up the surface meaning. Slowly enjoy it without the  urge to move on to the next thing. If anything is worth framing in your study, or in your office, this is one such gem: the poem "If.".


http://www.kipling.org.uk/poems_if.htm