Chapter 3 Inspiration... The good word about The American Way is mixed... mostly good, with too much bad news mixed in with all the good... and the timing couldnt be worse. All hell is breaking loose in The Middle East and because of Socialist Italy, Spain and Greece- the World Economy is on the brink of disaster and the signs from America getting the most attention around the world these days are the signs from protesters Occupying Wall Street... and at times violently Occupying Oakland California, making it clear to the rest of the world that Capitalism only works for the top 1% of The People in America. Not only is that a bad sign... its also a bold faced lie. American style Capitalism has had better days, but no idea has ever done more good in helping build True Equality among all the people of the world... and thats the message that needs to be heard loud and clear coming out of America these days. But its not. Today we know its not right when college students burdened with tuition and credit card debt choose a first job for the purpose of paying down their debt. Predictably, too many perform poorly in positions that barely hold their attention and are forever limited by their unimpressive dreams and resumes. And what about the high tech engineer... highly educated and skilled. She knows she can do more, a lot more as she waits patiently for her boss to be promoted or to recommend promotion when the opportunity presents itself. But dont we really need her time and opportunity to be right now? Can we really afford to keep her ambition at bay? And what about... the factory worker who ensures excellence and precision day after day as he endures never ending rumors and threats of job layoffs. With his attention on financial fear he never seriously considers organizing his own ideas... and his co-workers into a company of his own. Just imagine how many jobs he could create if he wasnt so preoccupied with saving his own job and putting food on the table or saving his home from foreclosure. And somewhere in America... A Teacher wakes at 3am. With eyes wide-open she reaches for a sleeping pill instead of the pen and paper that would open her eyes to the idea trying to see the light of day... each night. And a Security Guard dreams of airtight port security but instead of writing his ideas down and backing them with research and attention he thinks to himself Too bad I didnt go to college, no one will ever listen to me. So he turns his thoughts to Seinfeld and away from the needs of his Nation. And... Somewhere in America a Pharmacist complains to his wife about his boring life. In the shower before work, Inspiration visits him with an idea for senior prescription cost savings and he responds by mumbling under his breath I dont have the time. And a woman enters a Mosque and prays for peace. When she leaves the Mosque she feels a calling to bring people together. Too afraid to take the next step, the peace that she seeks... remains beyond all our reach. What have right now in America and around the world is tremendous unrest, high unemployment rates and painful political, economic and social divisions. What we need, more than anything else is a robust Philosophical Solution and for everyone to see that Our Ancestors released the magical power of The Philosophers Stone into the world on July 4th 1776 when they gave US... The Idea of Equality for All. In case you didnt know... The Philosophers Stone is a mythical alchemical substance with great healing qualities that is also thought capable of turning base metals, especially lead, into gold. In other words, The Philosophers Stone turns common resources into something rare and very valuable... just like The American Dream. Why is this Uniting Philosophical Solution so important? Because somewhere in the mind of a person like you is the idea for an American Dream or two and in these troubled times... We need to be able to depend on the college student, the engineer, the factory worker, the teacher, the security guard, the pharmacist, the believer and of course You... To do more than anybody thought could be done. Thats the secret behind The American Dream! The dark forces that conspire to rip America apart have grown strong and wont cede power until We force them to loosen their grip. If You... like me, dont like what you see coming from the people running America these days then it might be helpful to think about all the unrest and fire this way... Democracy, Military Power, Capitalism, Family, Faith, Equality, Moral Authority and a Level Playing Field are the essential beliefs at the center of the magnetic force that attracts people from all over the world to pursue their hopes and dreams in America. When magnets get dirty they lose their power... so do Core Beliefs. Not long ago, I watched the comedian Jon Stewart tell his audience that all Americas financial problems would go away if only we would just raise taxes on the rich. Today I woke up thinking about the haves and the have nots and about how much trouble we are in as a nation when Americas largest employer... General Electric, didnt pay any federal taxes on 14 billion dollars of corporate profits in 2010. Today I cant stop thinking... Thats not right. And reports out of Chicago tell a story about public schools that dont allow parents to send lunch to school with their children and thats not right. And 1 in 7 Americans are now on Food Stamps and thats not right. And over the past few years, millions of American homeowners who could afford to pay their mortgages just stopped paying their mortgages and gave the keys back to the bank because they owed more money on their loans than their homes were worth and thats not right. And high school drop-out rates are at an all time high and thats not right. And this generation of Americans will likely be the first generation of Americans ever to do less than their parents and thats not right. We are just getting it wrong in too many places right now. America suffers from a multifaceted, generational leadership crisis and the real danger lurking just out of our sight is America losing faith in the ideas that made America great. Our money problems are just the most obvious symptom of the leadership void and it just doesnt help when political and media elites who know better... try to blame one group or another for all of Americas problems when there are so many people who deserve a share of the blame and the shame. America... We have all the advantages: A history that we are proud to be born into, rich natural and cultural resources... and top notch education, health care, high-tech and financial industries. Our people are smart, courageous, talented and diverse in all the best ways. Yet the divide between the people who are making it in America... and the people who are not has never been larger. And thats a problem that in one way or another all of The World shares. If together we can fix this problem and export that solution... well, thats a vision of a future that we can all be proud to call one of our own. Unfortunately, the social fabric that holds America together is tearing and We... are in a very deep hole right now and there is no way to make our way out of this economic mess by tax increases on the rich or spending cuts alone. Yes, Americas tax system is broken and we borrow far too much money and spend too freely and a great deal of that spending comes from political entities that have sold their soul to the desires and interests of the special interests. Yes many, many cuts do need to be made but once we head down that path it wont take long to see that some of the cuts we face if made will change the fundamental Good Nature of America and thats one cut America can never afford to make. Americas political and social culture is on a very slippery slope and a very scary ride is likely heading our way and there may only be one solution that is still left. America MUST work her way out of this mess one American Dream at a time and that means its going to take time, maybe lots of time and its going to take lots of blood, sweat and tears. For some the cause of the blood, sweat and tears will become a difficult and painful burden to bear... but for others, it will be the cause of a lifetime. A cause that gives special purpose and meaning to every breath they take. Political differences aside Americans are united by this... Our joined truth: Americas potential is diminished less the precious contribution of ANY one person... and Only After the potential of each person is reached will we as a nation be able to ensure that each American is Safe... Fed... Educated... Insured and Secure in Old Age. What if it was possible for expectations driven by renewed hope and vision of a full and meaningful life to be yours again... Would you be ready this time? Regardless of decisions and circumstances that appear to stand in your way, a chance to summon the freedom, faith and courage to pursue your best and most inspired ideas is right before you. Do not be concerned if your vision can’t be supported by logic and if your experiences and resources make your best ideas seem implausible... never lose hope... Because there is always a Way. Your life is filled with many controlling interests for your attention and abilities and because of this… getting to your “best” thoughts is easier said than done. Do you wonder why fate is clearly on the side of some, yet not on yours? If you wanted to change your fate would you know how? Countless men and women before you have also wondered why and how. As they did fleeting impulses of thought raced through their minds giving them quick but magnificent glimpses at personal and societal changes. Most people respond to Inspiration by doing nothing... because their life circumstances dont support taking financial and emotional risks. So they ignore their inspired ideas or spend more time thinking about why something couldn’t be done instead of developing plans for proving that it could. But a few, those we call inspired... have learned to trust their ideas enough to begin working on them, and because they did they created value which was rewarded over time by money and personal satisfaction. Guided by a strong sense of purpose these individuals may appear to the casual observer to possess qualities and resources which the “uninspired” require to begin. But they do not. Be assured at times they too felt great dissatisfaction, hesitancy, restlessness and uncertainty about the role fate plays in a persons life... just as you do, but at a personal crossroad they realized the energy stirring these emotions from within could either be the source of their accomplishment or the burden of a lifetime. These fortunate souls finally learned to trust the importance of their inspired ideas and because of this began to believe that their life was on Purpose. Perhaps more to the point, over time, they began living a life that they came to believe was right for them... no matter what other people thought. Getting your life right…It’s an amazing concept isn’t it? You are not alone if you struggle with the idea that maybe your life just isn’t right. That somehow you need to be doing something else or you need to become someone different. Do you have a sense of what that something or who that someone is? If you do, then what’s holding you back? If you don’t know... why dont you? Do you search for your purpose and wonder if there is there a higher plan? Do things really happen for a reason? These are big questions to be sure. Questions that no one including me can answer for you. Yet your personal truth depends upon how you decide to answer these questions… inevitably determining your odds for “getting your life right”. You might wonder… can you really change the course of your life? And if it was possible and you wanted to… how would you start? Well… have you had an idea that seemed important when it flashed into your head and caused you to become excited and you begin to think that maybe you could…? ...This is Inspiration. But most likely (and unfortunately for you), the “realities” of your life reveal too many obstacles and burdens to make this vision anything more than a tease at what could have been if only… …But if all great people, ideas and accomplishment are born of Inspiration why would you ignore yours? This next passage briefly highlights the experience of one young woman who like most people had every reason to turn her back to Inspiration as the conditions of her life didn’t support taking chances or pursuing unrealistic dreams. By 25 Joanne’s interest in writing had provided her with no financial success having started two novels only to abandon them both. As a single mother her responsibilities were enormous and made the pursuit of her passion difficult to defend. But still she persisted. Joanne recalls the moment when she embraced her inspiration: “It was the weirdest feeling. I was on the train, and it seemed liked the idea was just floating in my head. It was like the idea had been floating around waiting for someone to write it, and it chose me. It was like an explosion in my head. It was like magic, I know that sounds corny, but it was like pure inspiration. You can always tell when you have had a good idea when you are writing because you get this physical response to it, a surge of excitement. You can normally tell the good ideas from the bad because of that gut feeling and you get physically excited. I never felt such excitement. Ive been writing for years, and I just felt that this one would be so much fun to write.” - Kaitlin Bolger and J.T. Sprague, Newsday It took six years from the moment of inspiration to the publishing of her first book. During those years Joanne cared for her daughter, worked as a teacher in the afternoons and evenings and wrote in the mornings. You can imagine that through those years she endured many challenges including a period of time spent on public assistance. Yet in the face of it all she knew that pursuing that single idea was the right thing for her to do. That knowing changed her life and contributed to the lives of millions of people throughout the world. You see Joanne is J.K. Rowling the author of the Harry Potter franchise of stories. What if... J.K. Rowling chose to ignore this inspiration that was in such stark contrast to the realities of her life? You can be sure that it wasnt easy for her to decide to commit so much given her responsibilities. Logically there were certainly more reasons not to dedicate her time, thoughts and energies to writing about the wizard boy. And you can also be quite sure that she faced criticism and skepticism from people that were close to her for not better supporting her daughter, but still she kept going. ...What if Inspiration visits us all and is a part of our human condition? What if... You never embrace the inspiration and ideas that float in your head? Perhaps at this very moment you are taunted by an idea that seems always present. Or like many other people you have another feeling that doesnt seem to leave you, instead of an idea there is a void. In your life something is missing and you dont know for sure what it is. No matter who you are, where you come from or where you thought you were destined to go... the journey of a lifetime is available to you when you make a single decision to turn your back to a life driven by memories of the past that diminish your expectations and decide to embrace your own personal path of Inspiration. It isnt a lack of magnificent ideas, possession of skills, opportunities and resources that separate average people from the artists, inventors and leaders who have embraced their inspiration and made a life out of it. What divides the lives of inspired people from the rest of society is a determination to turn their thoughts into reality. Just as you do, they had self-doubt and were consumed by skepticism and fear in the beginning. Their enthusiasm greeted with criticism from friends and family members and their path lined with obstacles just as yours is. In the beginning they didnt possess the resources or the skills to see their mission through but they did possess a developing faith in the outcome of their efforts. The tragic flaw for any individual is their failure to recognize and embrace the ideas and thoughts that are the result of their own inspiration. Throughout our lives we are all touched by inspiration. Do not doubt this truth as it is the basis for what is possible for all men and women especially those who may be unsatisfied with their place in life. All men and women are created equal with a gift of self expansion... and an inclination towards self-defeat. It is within the thoughts and beliefs of men and women where social and economic separation resonates and insight for advancement is born. The choice is always ours and so are the consequences when we choose poorly. Not long ago I re-watched Novas show on Saving The Founding Documents. Funny how seeing the same thing again after your experiences have changed makes for a new lens for seeing the same thing in a different sometimes more powerful way. Seems Im not the first person to attempt to re-brand America... Lincoln already did it by re-seeing The Declaration of Independence and The Declaration of Equality in a different more powerful way. Lincolns second look at this Founding Document gave Americans a new lens for re-seeing their Better American Self. Seems he couldnt find what he was looking for in the United States Constitution or the Bill of Rights so he kept on looking. He was looking for the moral solution to Why We Fight The Good Fight and why we stay together. And Lincoln found his solution in The Declaration of Independence and so did Martin Luther King... And so will we. I thought about these two great men and how they were men who became great... because they understood a great truth about mankind and used a single great idea to create Americas moral solutions when America needed great leaders to get US off the destructive path we were on. I also thought about America needing great leaders today as we try and re-build our economy and win the war on terror... but our leaders arent even trying to be great or win anything but the next election. Their only course for America is charted by the Science of Words and their guiding Purpose is Power... and time after time they prove the only solutions they care enough to seek are to the problems of financing their next campaign. And the people who have all the answers to those problems are the ones who have enough money to fill campaign coffers and Think Tanks... which have become One Stop shopping for Candidates to shop for money and words. Amazingly its now more fashionable to join a think tank and advance a well-financed and pre-conceived objective than to discover the truth that you might be in part wrong or that someone with a different orientation might be needed in part to make you... completely right. Just ask those who conceived the Iraqi war plan whether they might have given more thought to the armoring of vehicles if they intended to take the ride after the invasion. If you dont believe them capable of giving you a truthful answer then ask the newlywed widow what truth means to her and if other opinions at the planning table might have made for a more complete right course of action for her version of The American Dream. The simple Truth was and always has been The Whole of US... represents the better and lasting promise of US all. This is the binding principle that Lincoln and King died trying to defend. Remember This: The Civil War and The Civil Rights Movement... were think tanks of a different sort.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Sep 2014 10:52:37 +0000
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