Recently I have focused more heavily on the important meaning of life and of my value in both business and society. What should I do to help others and take a more active role in protecting freedom in light of the changes that are taking place so quickly around us today?
I have so often heard people ask “How much difference can I make?” I am just one person, a small fish in a big pond. The more I think about it, the more it seems clear that throughout history individuals have stood out. While armies and societies have certainly made a difference, it usually comes down to individuals who govern and provide needed leadership decisions. Of course, we are influenced heavily by the little things that happen around us every day. Everybody has an impact. Think how many individuals have significantly changed the course of history, some for the better and some for the worse.
All of us are individuals, and each individual has an impact. Having an impact is not an option, but what kind of impact is. Regardless of your religious beliefs, Jesus Christ was the most influential person who ever lived. Nobody else is within light years. If you believe, as I do, that he is the Son of God, then his importance as a single person is unquestionable. If you believe he is not who he claimed to be, his life still illustrates the point made here.
Every person has an impact on others. It is up to each individual to decide what kind of impact that will be. I have grown to realize that my life makes a bigger impact when I step outside of my comfort zone. By nature, I am fairly timid and reserved, but when I step outside of my natural comfort zone, I seem to make a bigger impact.
In my youth, I took on quite a few leadership roles and hopefully had a positive impact on others. As I grew through my teen years, I realized that I could do more. In college, I met Carolyn, the girl who became my wife. She had an outgoing personality that has had a profound influence on me. She has impacted my life and helped me step outside of my own comfort zone.
Most of what my family and staff have done to help our friends in the pallet industry we owe to our beliefs and our willingness to take actions that were not always natural to us. I have found that over time it is easier to exert myself, and being somewhat outgoing has become more natural. Just the act of writing a letter like this would at one time have been a challenge for me.
Everybody with whom I speak is concerned about the direction our country is pursuing under our new changed government. We seem to be going down a steep path toward destruction. People are starting to speak out; many of us are fed up. But are we going to be heard? Are we willing to step outside of our comfort zones? It is one thing to talk a game of concern, and quite another to take some action on it.
The tea parties that have become popular this year are an example of people willing to be heard, but do we get involved or simply attend and then go home? We are having the energy and much of the financial resources sucked out of us to the point that our ability to resist is compromised. Now is the time to step outside of our comfort zones and become involved.
I will resist any temptation to give a checklist of advice; the actions we should take are as diverse as our lives. But I am starting to take a few actions that are a challenge for me. First of all, developing a habit of more dedication to prayer is proving valuable. We cannot rely solely on our own initiatives. Certainly our current economic times challenge just about any management philosophy and any set of operational experiences. We need the wisdom and confidence that can only come from God.
Second, start focusing more strongly on the truths of our democracy, the things that we had taken for granted. After attending our local tea party, Chaille and I were fortunate enough to hear Glenn Beck in his last comedy tour stop. More than just being funny, what he said was very sobering. He publicly introduced his new book Glenn Beck’s Common Sense. I have since bought it and am reading from it as time permits. It seems that my stack of books to read has grown exponentially, but becoming informed is of increasing value. Our government, economy, and societal structure – all are in a constant state of change. All of us need to become better informed and step out to get involved.
How long has it been since you read the Constitution of the United States? I don’t believe that I have read it since I was in school, but I am inching through it again. We must become better grounded in the truth. How can we expect to stand on it if we do not know it?
I believe that everybody who reads this letter is concerned about the direction that our country is taking this year. Changes are coming so fast and furious that it is mind numbing. Be willing to step outside of your comfort zone. Become more informed and get more involved. I am preaching to myself as well as our readers. Thanks for hearing me.
Are you taking a more active role in our society as well as your company? I want to encourage you to step out, even if it takes you out of your comfort zone. Think about what you can do. Make a list of options if needed. Make some decisions and take some actions.
