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Take Responsibility to Do and Live Right

I teach an online class at a university. Every week we have an online discussion. For what's it worth, I'm using it as a blog entry this week. Here it is.
Last week’s discussion may have been a bit hot concerning the diversity topic. I really appreciate everyone’s honesty, opinions, and this is still the USA where we have freedom of speech. Hopefully you all voted last week to keep this right if you are and American citizen. I was asked to comment on someone’s post in which one student indicated that by what he has experienced so far in his/her life that he has not seen/met a good person from a particular race. Here are my thoughts.
Realize that anything can be considered “offensive” and some of us are more sensitive to such things as others. When I grew up we too had bullies, and were called names. You either accept what others think of you or you build your self esteem and know inside whom you are and what you stand for, and it doesn’t matter what others think of you.
Yes, you can be a racist (or not) and live in this country, this area, and even attend this school, voice your thoughts and not be locked up. You can express your racism against Whites, Blacks, Muslims, etc.; whether right or wrong, it happens every day. Can you do this in other countries; no, you could be killed.
Is it right? Probably not; we should all get along with everyone. Remember the song: “Jesus Loves the Little Children…?” Prejudice means that we “pre-judge” without knowing all the facts, and group everyone together: all Whites, all Blacks, all Muslims, etc.
Think of your last name, mine is “Scott”. I know that I’m not proud of all of my relatives. So it would be offensive I guess if I was included in the bad bunch of Scotts, if “Scott” were a race. I as a “Scott” need to work harder and live better than the other relatives and show the world that not all Scotts are “bad”. We all have this responsibility. The good in any race, culture, or group need to “outshine” the bad ones.
And, no one should think that all Blacks are bad, all whites are bad, all Muslims are bad (and all Scotts are bad). However, when one student in a discussion states that he/she has not met a “good” Black person, two things minimum needs to happen: This person needs to seek out the good in everyone (that is the meaning of diversity) and this includes Black people (or African Americans as they are currently identified) and secondly, “good” people from their race need to step forward and present themselves as “good” and over shadow the “bad” in their culture. It does go both ways.
We also need to know that as Anthony Robbins (see his books on the right side of this page) the motivator’s motivator points out: “Your past doesn’t have to equal your future”. We can all change for the better. If our experience has shown us a group in which they have not been “good” we need to know that they too can change and become better. But, because we can not control or change other people or groups of people, the responsibility to change and get along, has to start with us.
Unfortunately, it’s difficult to even mention someone’s race today in conversation because sometimes we are conditioned to think we should be offended. And, many people from all cultures walk around with a chip on their shoulder. I once spoke to a class of mostly all Caucasians and mentioned that when I was small I was taught how to remember that a red oak leaf has points because the Indians used arrows and the white oak leaf has blunt ends because the white man used bullets. A student told me that that was a racist remark. It was not; it was based on a fact, and I’m also part Native American and I am not offended. I know many Native Americans I’m very proud of and some less proud.
We have to stop walking on egg shells around each other. America is a melting pot of cultures and people who are born here or become legal citizens are American not African American, Spanish American, Italian American, German American, Polish American, etc. just American. Until we look at everyone in our country as “family” and “American” without reference to where we came from (without forgetting, appreciating or leaving everything about our heritage roots), diversity will only be an exercise in futility.
When "Americans" visit other countries we are considered either "good" or "bad" by the citizens of that country. Make it your responsiblity to break any misconcieved notions by being "good".
I hope this helps. We’ll have more discussions to come. Be sure to appreciate others, their thoughts and honesty regardless of “what side of the fence” they are on.

It’s the only way we can learn and become better.

Believe and Achieve

Do you believe that you can achieve?
We all need a reminder that when an idea (of a goal) has come to us, that real attainment is possible. Napoleon Hill stated: “what the mind of man can conceive (an idea came to him/her), and believe (we need to believe that we can attain it), it (the mind) will achieve”. So let’s be open to receiving ideas, believe and let our mind help us achieve it.
Right now in this down economy, with the jobless rate being so high, and everything else that is so “bad” out there, you still can achieve any goal you want. Zig Ziglar once told me: “I’ve never seen a time when it was so bad that some people made a lot of money, and I’ve never seen a time that was so good that some people didn’t manage to mess things up”. It then is up to us to decide which “some people” we are.
It doesn’t matter what our circumstances are right now or have been in the past, I’m talking about the next moment, the next minute, hour, and day, week, month and year that is called the future. Where you will be the very next moment is not up to the economy, the jobless situation, or what anybody else does or says; it is entirely up to you. When we realize that we are ultimately in control of our situation, then we can make progress.
Outside circumstances may slow you down in achieving goals, but if there is a mountain in front of you, be creative as to how you’ll get on the other side. First have the attitude that you’ll get on the other side. Then plan your strategy, and act. The mountain in your life may be not having a job, not having enough money, being in a bad relationship or no relationship at all. Maybe you need a car to get you to that job, to make that money to drive you to or away from that good or bad relationship. There are many mountains in life, and when you get on the other side of this one, you’ll see others waiting for you to conquer! Whatever the mountain, with your attitude in check, your strategy to get to the other side, and action to make it happen, it will happen.
With these 3 major steps, you will climb over that mountain. If that is not an option, you will go around it on the left or the right. And if that still doesn’t work, you will go under it our though it. Perhaps your faith will even move the mountain! Then, maybe after all of this, you’ll find that to achieve your goal, you won’t have to move the mountain after all. But the main thread through all of this is that you’ve stuck to your goal to achieve it; you’ve not given up.
So today, identify the mountain in your life. If you have many, either start with the smallest which will give you confidence to go on to the bigger mountains in your life, or start with the most important, which will diminish the smaller mountains. The choice is always yours. Have the attitude that you know you will succeed in getting on the other side of that mountain to attain your goal, plan and then act.
On this blog page, you'll find a few books by two of my favorite authors on motivation and achieving goals: Napoleon Hill and Zig Ziglar. Study and learn from these masters!

A goal is a dream with a deadline.
Napoleon Hill

Action is the real measure of intelligence.
Napoleon Hill

All achievements, all earned riches, have their beginning in an idea.
Napoleon Hill

All the breaks you need in life wait within your imagination, Imagination is the workshop of your mind, capable of turning mind energy into accomplishment and wealth.
Napoleon Hill

Any idea, plan, or purpose may be placed in the mind through repetition of thought.
Napoleon Hill

Before success comes in any man's life, he's sure to meet with much temporary defeat and, perhaps some failures. When defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and the most logical thing to do is to quit. That's exactly what the majority of men do.
Napoleon Hill

A goal properly set is halfway reached.
Zig Ziglar

A lot of people quit looking for work as soon as they find a job.
Zig Ziglar

Building a better you is the first step to building a better America.
Zig Ziglar

Every choice you make has an end result.
Zig Ziglar

Every obnoxious act is a cry for help.
Zig Ziglar

Expect the best. Prepare for the worst. Capitalize on what comes.
Zig Ziglar