One of the most interesting philosophical remarks made to me was when a friend quipped
"Now, take all your opinions, shimmy up a flag-pole and shout them all out as loud as
you can, and see how much difference it makes in the world."
We both laughed because we both fully agreed that when people are reduced to shouting
their complaints and using ploys to get attention, that nothing really tends to get done.
It all becomes about winning and losing, instead of understanding, listening, being heard
and making rational decisions.
After my friend made that remark to me, I actually threw myself a party. The people I
invited thought it was just for fun, The truth, for me, was that it was a party to
celebrate a personal decision I made about my personal goals and standards and outlook in
life. I was 19 years old, and my turbulent family life had left me cynical, a person who
focused on the obstacles of the world as did my parents (where I learned the skill).
I was celebrating my choice to acknowledge the obstacles I saw, as that was my nature
at the time and typically useful, but having absolute faith that there is always a way to
turn it around, overcome or evade the obstacles and rise above them. There are always
possibilities.
I've mused at the idea that if every American would write their own book like this -
taking the time to write a little something about everything they think about and air
their complaints and offer their suggestions we'd have a lot of opinions floating around.
But, even better, we'd all have been able to examine what it is we're really upset
about, how we really feel, and separate the turmoil of the world from our principles and
values just for a moment, just long enough to notice how we all tend to compromise our
principles as we respond to the circumstances of the world as they happen to us.
And then, consider that if the world was more like what we thought it should be, if we
had a picture in our minds of what we agreed it would like when it came true, then
that would truly be the essence of a vision for the future.
Then we'd be able to determine what steps would need to be taken to accomplish it, and
how we could define the steps associated with measurable results throughout the phases of
implementation and transformations.
We've all adopted the idea that the President of the United States is becoming more
like the CEO of a corporation and I fully embrace that idea. And with that, I believe it's
time that the stockholders in America deserve a full accounting of its assets and
inventories.
We need to know what we have, what we don't have, what we need and where we think we're
going. It's the only way we can make the choices and decisions that provide Americans, and
the people of the world, the kind of global society we've talked about for
centuries.
So, that's why I'm creating "Creating the Future: Embracing Possibility". To
express my vision and do what I feel I can do, as a citizen, to forward the conversation
of Democracy, the responsibilities of government and the responsibilities of citizens.
If you find you disagree with my views, you'll find that I welcome your differences.
I won't argue with you, but I am most welcome to hear share points of views and
facts so that we can understand what the conditions for satisfaction in resolving
differences really is.
