Why Leaders Must Be Readers

Why Leaders Must Be Readers
by Kelsey Meyer, Forbes.com

If you take only one glance at our professional branding company’s leadership team, you may be surprised by our youthfulness. Our team is young (and looks even younger), but I am confident that the youthfulness of our team is helping our growth. That’s not because I agree with anything stated by Cathryn Sloane in her article that declared that all social media managers should be under the age of 25 – it’s because I believe that our employees’ youthfulness drives their intellectual curiosity. They want to learn, and the most common way they search for new knowledge is by reading articles and books by successful business owners, marketers, and entrepreneurs.

This doesn’t need to apply only to young businesspeople, though. It can be even more important for seasoned employees; leaders must be readers. Reading and learning from peers within, and outside of, your industry enables you to grow as an employee, business owner, and leader in three distinct ways.

Reading Reminds You

I make it a habit to re-read specific books every year because I need constant reminders of the good things they’ve taught me. After my third reading of Gary Vaynerchuk’s The Thank You Economy, I was inspired to work with our team to handwrite every one of our clients a thank-you note. Whether you re-read the same book or article to remind you of concepts, or read content on time management and organization as a constant reminder to work on these things, reading is valuable because it keeps important concepts top of mind.

Move up http://i.forbesimg.com tMove downReading Challenges You

A female co-worker of mine, whom I respect immensely, recently gave me a book and said, “I disagree with about 80% of this, but you should definitely read it.” I loved that she was sharing a book that challenged her opinions, yet felt it was worthwhile reading for the 20% that was valuable. Reading something you disagree with can have a big impact on your ability to think, both creatively and logically.

Reading Gives You Opportunities to Interact with Others

I have referenced articles and books I’ve read in countless conversations, not to sound intelligent or cool (some of what I read would accomplish the opposite), but to relate to those with whom I’m speaking. Here are a few ways you should be making the most of what you’re reading:

Take notes and share them with your team.

• An investor in our company sends me, on average, five articles a day and I always put them in a file that says “To Read.” When I have 10 minutes at the end of the day, I read an article or two, knowing that I can discuss these pieces with him later. It’s a great way for us to share ideas and inspire action in each other.

Spark debates with your team.

• I also like using article topics to spark debate amongst our team members about how we should address a subject. I’ve heard of companies creating book clubs, where employees discuss topics in books that relate to their industry during lunch once a month. Sparking debate and sharing ideas is a wonderful way to use written content as a team-bonding tool.

Back up an idea you have or a decision you want to make.

• You can use an article/book/speech from a respected person in your field to back up a decision you want to make. I’m not saying you should make decisions based solely on what you read, but it does give you more leverage when you say, “I read in So-and-So’s book that he had success with X, and I thought that we could implement this idea in our company by doing Y.” It’s a little more likely to stick than saying, “Who knows if this has ever worked for anyone in the past? But heck, let’s be the first to see if it can work!”

If you’re one of those people who claim you don’t have time to read, then first, I question why you’re reading my measly little article. Second, I encourage you to make time. Time never “appears” for anything; you have to make it. If nothing else, learn how to multitask. Listen to content while driving or walking to work (I suggest “This American Life” and “Intelligence Squared” on NPR – I’m obsessed with both). If you don’t have time to read an entire book, read short articles online. If you’re dying to read a book but honestly can’t find the time, then pair up with a friend and take turns reading and sharing the ideas through short descriptions, or find excerpts of the book online.

If you are a leader, you should be striving to develop knowledge to improve yourself, your company, and the people who work for you. To do anything less is to shortchange your ability to lead.

Kelsey Meyer is the Vice President of Digital Talent Agents, an online PR firm dedicated to helping entrepreneurs, universities, and corporate leaders establish themselves as thought leaders in their industries. Kelsey has been involved with four successful startups and is actively involved in the entrepreneurship community in Missouri.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/85broads/2012/08/03/why-leaders-must-be-readers/

I have posted a list of books that I have read recently on a post titled 'Books' a few days ago.

It may be time to make a choice

Early on in my Christian Life I constantly found myself struggling between wanting to be and live like a Christian and wanting to live the life I used to live that was far from being a Christian.

It was a constant battle and I didn’t know what to do to resolve it. I would go to church or watch a sermon on TV or listen to a talk on tape and I wanted to be more committed to Christ. But then a friend would call and invite us to a party or to a bar and I couldn’t wait to get there and I totally forgot about being a Christian. And I lived the old way.

I felt torn between two ways of life. It was like I was standing over a line with one foot on either side of the line and I was being pulled in both directions.

I knew I had to make a decision but either I couldn’t or I wasn’t willing to.

By being around Christians who were more committed or mature in their faith I decided that it was more important to be like Christ and that inner turmoil eventually left.

I wanted a stronger relationship with Christ because of those people who were stronger and more mature Christians. I wanted what they had, the relationship they had with Christ, the relationships they had with their wives and families and the relationships they had with others.

It was because they knew Christ personally, they prayed, they read the Bible, they attended church and they served others. They weren’t interested only in advancing their own self-interest.

The following excerpt is a good way to explain this.

‘James calls … this condition being ‘double – minded’ (James 4:8). He describes such a person as being like ‘a wave of the sea,’ driven by the wind one minute and backwards the next (James 1:6). It is a life of divided loyalties.’

Most of us know what it is like to be a wave on the sea. We are pulled toward this life of Christ, and yet held back by a secret sin for which we haven’t been willing to renounce or get help. We long for the adventure of following Christ fully, but we’re afraid of the price. We commit to pleasing God alone, only to find ourselves driven to impress others. We go back and forth. It is a miserable way to live.

In Jesus’ words, the secret to life is to pursue one thing. It is to seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness (Matt 6:33). It is an unbelievable relief to be delivered from double – mindedness, to finally decide, to stop being torn.’

-        Excerpt from the book ‘Growth: Training vs Trying’ by John Ortberg, et al. in the Pursuing Spiritual Transformation series, pages 31-32

I encourage you to seek God constantly to desire to be more like him, to associate with Christians who are more mature in their faith and to do the things (Bible reading, praying, associating, etc.) that will help you become a stronger Christian. God has helped me.

How To Manage Thinkers, And Feelers, Effectively

How To Manage Thinkers, And Feelers, Effectively
From Fast Company, By Devora Zack
August 30, 2012

Your management style must flex to accommodate both the thinkers and the feelers in your office--even if their approaches to work are worlds apart.

Your success--and fulfillment--as a manager is neatly encased in one bite-size nugget:

Be who you are, just flex your style to manage others.

Flexing your style means being versatile in how you lead, communicate, and motivate. A tough approach propels one employee; mild-mannered encouragement inspires another. Being flexible requires proficiency in a range of techniques, to draw upon as needed.

This does not require disregarding your own temperament. It means maximizing rapport with others while maintaining your core of integrity.

Flexing your style does not mean holding people to varying standards--accountability remains consistent across the board. All that changes is how you manage and motivate different personality styles, particularly between thinkers or feelers.

Flexing requires customizing your communication to motivate different staff members. If you are a feeler, you need to behave as an off-the-chart thinker at times to accomplish your feeler mission statement. You can become so skilled at impersonating a thinker that an innocent bystander may confidently proclaim you to be a thinker. Yet you remain a feeler at your core, flexing your style brilliantly.

So what's the difference between a thinker and a feeler? And how can you tell who is who on your team?

Listen For Clues

For beginners, the first level is to listen for the frequency with which a staff member uses variations of the words think and feel. In conversation, these words are nearly always technically interchangeable.

As you tune in to the use of these primary words (think, thought, versus feel, felt), you will be amazed at the consistency with which many people favor one over the other. This is a solid clue for those on either end of the thinker/feeler continuum.

Sample words favored by thinkers:

• Fairness
• Analysis
• Consistency
• Validity
• Rationale

Sample words favored by feelers:

• Compassion
• Empathy
• Caring
• Sensitivity
• Intensity
• Harmony

The next step is to practice both languages so you become equally conversant in both, with the ability to speak in thinker or feeler at will. With practice, you can match language in important conversations. For example, in an annual performance review with a thinker, shift into thinker language to ensure your message is heard.

Potential Problems

What comes naturally, with no effort, to those at one end of the temperament spectrum can take much conscious effort for those at the other end. Although one workplace interaction may roll off a thinker's back, the same event may upset or confuse an feeler, and vice versa.

When managing these personality types, keep in mind the potential for the following flare-ups:

Thinkers may:

• lack awareness of the impact of their tone
• make decisions solely based on logic
• be unaware or unconcerned with interpersonal discord
• value what is "true" over what is subjectively best for the team

Feelers may:

• be particularly sensitive to conflict
• make decisions based on relationships
• react with strong feelings to interpersonal challenges
• value what is "good" over what is objectively best for the team

If you are an auditory person, listening for the frequency of thinker and feeler language will be especially useful in identifying style preferences. Another way to identify thinkers and feelers is through visual clues.

Natural Habitat

A good place to collect visual cues about personality style is in the work environment. Begin by taking a peek at a few workspaces as you mosey down the hall.

The natural habitat of a feeler will usually have at least a few photographs, more likely many. It doesn't matter if they are old or recent, family or friends. Feelers are also likely to display certificates earned for one-day trainings or long-outdated events. Often a favorite quote is framed or just taped to the computer monitor for frequent reference.

Thinkers' work environments are quite different. I have entered clients' offices that appear recently moved into. To be more specific, not yet moved into. Any intended wall hangings stand leaning against the wall. There are virtually no personal items whatsoever.

Welcome to the thinker's natural habitat. This lack of decoration can be so extreme that one is tempted to wonder whether this is a shared workspace or the thinker is here only temporarily while his real office is renovated. Go ahead and ask. No worries. The question won't hurt the thinker's feelings. I've fallen for this misconception several times. More often than not, the response will be along the lines of what I heard from a vice president in global development: "No, this is my office. [Laughs.] I moved to this site about eighteen months ago. I keep meaning to put stuff up, just haven't had the time. I'm not in here much anyway."

Don't be fooled. The supposed stuff won't be up for display on your next visit either.

Why such an activity? Because in addition to awareness and sensitivity to differences, building cohesion among coworkers is one of the best things you can do for your team.

Flex your style to meet thinkers and feelers where they are--don't expect others to have the communication acuity to meet you halfway.

Adapted with permission from Berrett-Koehler Publishers, from Managing for People Who Hate Managing: Be a Success By Being Yourself by Devora Zack. Copyright (c) 2012 Berrett-Koehler Publishers.

http://www.fastcompany.com/3000903/how-manage-thinkers-and-feelers-effectively

 

Learning from Ben Franklin

Benjamin Franklin

Wit & Wisdom - Self Improvement
http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l3_wit_self.html

If there was any one theme throughout Ben Franklin's life, it was self-improvement. He was born into a family of seventeen children as the son of a poor candle and soap maker. He had less than two years of formal education and began his young adulthood entirely on his own in Philadelphia. Yet he became a wealthy man by eighteenth century standards and one of the most respected intellects of the Western world.

He was a model for the rags-to-riches story of the self-made man. Franklin's entire life reflected his belief in self-improvement, and from adolescence until his death at eighty-four, he worked constantly to improve his mind, his body, and his behavior.

Mind: Self-education
While apprenticed at his brother James' printing shop, Franklin decided to improve his writing abilities. He created a number of methods designed to make him a better writer. He studied the writings of authors whose style he liked and practiced writing essays in the same style. He would also rewrite essays by famous writers, seeking to improve them. Another method he devised was writing the paragraphs and sentences of an essay on slips of paper, shuffling the slips, and finally attempting to reassemble them in the correct order.

Also during his apprenticeship, Franklin was exposed to a variety of books and read everything that he could get his hands on. Not only was Franklin an avid reader, he loved to discuss what he read. One of the reasons Franklin formed the Junto in 1727 was to have a ready forum in which to explore and discuss intellectual topics. The members of the Junto sought to improve their minds and their world. They helped one another in business and found ways to help others in their community.

Franklin's seemingly endless curiosity helped him maintain a spirit of lifelong learning. He continued his scientific inquiries, he corresponded with some of the greatest minds of the eighteenth century, he met with scholars and scientists in every country he visited, and he even learned French rather late in life.

Body: Physical Activity
When most people think of Ben Franklin, they don't usually think of an athlete. However, Franklin was an early proponent of physical fitness. In an age when few people knew how to swim, Franklin taught himself how to swim. He was an avid swimmer all his life and even contemplated becoming a full-time swim instructor. Benjamin Franklin is the only founding father in the Swimming Hall of Fame.

During his first trip to England, Franklin found work in a print shop where most of the apprentices and journeymen spent much of their time getting drunk. Franklin knew that the mind and body was much more productive when it was not impaired by alcohol. Instead of drinking beer, Franklin decided to drink water and encouraged his co-workers to follow his lead. Although he wasn't successful at convincing all his colleagues to change their ways, Franklin's clear-headed work and productive physical strength (most printers would carry a single tray of heavy lead type; Franklin was known for usually carrying two trays) were recognized, and he was promoted.

Franklin wanted to improve his mind and his health and found a practical way to do both at the same time. Books were very expensive in Franklin's day, and as a youth, he didn't have much extra money. Franklin decided to become a vegetarian. He believed that eating a vegetarian diet was healthier than a diet filled with meat. In addition, meat was much more expensive, so by becoming a vegetarian, Franklin could save money to spend on books.

Behavior: Moral Perfection
As a youth, Franklin didn't always behave responsibly. At the age of 20, he decided to change the direction of his life by embarking on a course of what he called "moral perfection." He created a list of four resolutions to follow. He resolved to become more frugal so that he could save enough money to repay what he owed to others. He decided that he would be very honest and sincere "in every word and action." He promised himself to be industrious "to whatever business I take in hand." Lastly he vowed "to speak ill of no man whatever, not even in a manner of truth" and to "speak all the good I know of every body."

Out of these four resolutions, Franklin came up with a set of thirteen virtues, which he practiced methodically. He wrote each of the virtues down in a book and practiced one of the virtues for a week, trying to perfect it. At the end of the week, he would evaluate his performance. At the end of thirteen weeks, he would start back on the first virtue again.

Centuries before it became fashionable, Ben Franklin somehow understood the importance of a holistic approach to the self. His self-styled methods of personal improvement made an important connection between mind, body, and spirit.

copyright 2002 Twin Cities Public Television, Inc. All rights reserved.

A different view of the 50 shades

50 Shades of Concern

As art often dictates life, novels about violence are concerning.
Published on August 29, 2012 in Psychology Today by Jennifer Hamady in Finding Your Voice
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/finding-your-voice/201208/50-shades-concern

To the question of whether art dictates or reflects life, I find both to be true, as well as important. Artists are visionaries. Music, words, dance, and art can inspire and lead us where we haven’t gone before both individually and collectively. They can take us to places we have yet to dream possible.

Yet art’s ability to lead also has a downside, as its pull is powerful regardless of where it goes. This is true of all media; Angelina Jolie, in her efforts years ago to help young women by sharing her experience with cutting, in fact brought attention to an issue that then grew into an epidemic. The same was true of eating disorders in Japan following the introduction of our western medical model’s view, and the increase of school violence and shootings after the intense media attention on Columbine.

Awareness leads to intrigue, which leads to experimentation. ‘Monkey see, monkey do’, like most clichés, is an expression born of some truth. We are compelled by social and behavioral psychology to learn through observing and recreating that which we behold.

For those who haven’t read the novel or been paying attention to the bestseller lists lately, 50 Shades is the first work in a trilogy of erotic fiction by E L James. But it’s more than that. It is, quite frankly, a novel about sexual and emotional abuse.

In summary, a college student meets a wealthy, successful businessman, with whom she begins a relationship. It’s her first sexual experience, as well as her first romantic relationship. And the only liaisons he has ever had, on both the giving and receiving end, have been abusive. He hits her. She doesn’t like it. She asks him to stop. He won’t. She breaks up with him. But then goes back five days later because she can’t live without him.

He stalks her, knows her address, her bank account number, and has a copy of her birth certificate. He is insanely jealous, demands that she eats certain things, exercises a certain amount, and wears certain clothes. He has her sign a contract that says she won't speak unless spoken to and can’t look him in the eyes unless he says so. Her friendships, with both men and women, are frowned up. He tells her repeatedly that it gives him great pleasure to cause her physical pain. She is constantly terrified. Her friends and family are worried. She cries constantly. She loses weight.

On its own, this could be a case study of an abusive relationship– one hopefully taken in an intake assessment at a battered women’s shelter.

But it’s not. It is a work of fiction. Which means that the author can turn away from reality and create a world of her own. A world in which this abusive, “beautiful, screwed up man” also deeply respects and even loves our heroine, and would never, ever really harm her. In James’ illusion, she is the one actually in control. She is empowered and in charge.

And by book three, they’re apparently in a healthy, loving, and non-violent relationship.

I am all for fantasy, self-expression, and the First Amendment. But as art does so often influence life, I am also concerned that the relationship described in these books– like cutting, eating disorders, violence and so many other trends popularized by the media and splattered across our attention– will start to make an appearance in schools around the country and beyond. Young men and women who read the trilogy and might think ‘wow, that’s hot. Being hit is hot. Being an object is hot. Being punished and prevented from seeing friends and family is hot. Having a partner that is insanely jealous and violent is hot. And if I stay in the relationship, love enough, submit enough, and take the abuse enough, things will turn out OK.”

It might be ‘hot’ in the book. But it is not hot in reality. And I am very, very concerned.

*** A final point: the book explores aspects of the BDSM (bondage, discipline, dominance/submission and sadomasochism) lifestyle, which I am not speaking about or judging in any way. What two empowered, consenting adults choose to do in the privacy of their own homes is certainly their choice.

Yet choice is a tricky concept when it comes to young people– and those of any age– who blur the lines of love, lust, insecurity and the desire for validation. This book blurs those very lines, providing readers with an implausibly happy ending to an unhappy, unhealthy, and all too common tale.

Jennifer Hamady is a voice coach and therapist specializing in self-expression.

Trouble agreeing with this quote

‘It is the duty of a newspaper to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.’  - attributed to H.L. Mencken (see history of this at the bottom)

I heard this quote a little while back used by a radio host who seemed to put a lot of credence in it and indicated that a lot of journalists subscribe to this thought and it didn’t sit well with me. I think it gives too much credit to the media and presents the idea that the media is smart enough to identify who is afflicted and who should be afflicted. Perhaps in Mencken’s day this was the case but I think nowadays this type of judgment is based more on a personal bias of the reporter, or the editor or from pressure by a political party on the publisher to spread a party line.

It is also shortsighted in that it proposes that comfort is a solution for the afflicted. Comfort doesn’t solve problems. It makes people feel better for a short time but it doesn’t look for solutions. A better solution is needed for the afflicted but I think this quote points out that the media can be manipulated or redirected by a platitude or a bromide if used enough.

If the media truly wanted to help the afflicted they would look for ways to get the afflicted back on their feet and not encourage them to live off the government. Seeing welfare related items as a solution is just bringing comfort and is not a true solution. The media should deal in the truth and not continue to promote hearsay or propaganda or opinions that are espoused as a solution by one side.

***************

Source –  Mike’s writing workshop and newsletter
http://mikeswritingworkshop.blogspot.com/2010/03/comfort-afflicted-and-afflict.html

Sunday, March 7, 2010

"Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." - The History

Comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable. “In the 1960 movie Inherit the Wind, an H.L. Mencken-like newspaper editor says, ‘It is the duty of a newspaper to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable.’

Credit for this credit gets passed around. In his 1942 quotation collection, Mencken attributed the saying as ‘author unidentified’ – although Mencken himself is sometimes thought to have been that author. (He was prone to quoting himself anonymously.) Four decades before Mencken’s collection was published, however, Finley Peter Dunne wrote this observation by his philosophizing bartender, Mr. Dooley: “The newspaper does ivrything f’r us. It runs th’ polis force an’ th’ ligislachure, baptizes th’ young, marries th’ foolish, comforts th’ afflicted, afflicts th’ comfortable, buries th’ dead and’ roasts thim aftherward.”

 

Is it something you said or did?

Did you know someone in high school who was a little different? Someone who might have been bright and Intelligent who got along with most of his classmates. Not a loner, not a trouble maker but limited in his social life, to none, by his father and grandparents.

Looking back to those days I can see a guy I knew that tried hard to be accepted but I don’t think he knew how to do that. His dad who was divorced was a strict disciplinarian and I don’t think his Dad provided any training in social skills because I don’t think he had any either.

Well this guy, I’ll call Jake, was my neighbor and we were the same age.  I didn’t talk with him much when we were young because he wasn’t allowed out of his yard to hang out.  I think this was tough on him because there was an alley behind his house where a bunch of us would play as kids and Jake and his brother and sister could see us but weren’t allowed to join us.

He went to a parochial school to grade 7 and I went to public school. In grade 8 he and many of the kids from the parochial school came to the public school and that is where I got to know Jake a little better.

We were usually in the same home rooms, we had some classes together, or might see each other between classes and occasionally we would walk home together. We weren’t best buds but he loved baseball and we would talk about that as well as some of the pranks he would pull in class.

You should know that there were many times when I tried to avoid him because it didn’t help my social status. And at that time that was important to me.

Back then being a geek wasn’t cool and Jake had that look. He was the kind of guy who would read a novel in class, like Guadalcanal Diaries that was not allowed in school due to the language and was not related to the subject, but Jake was still able to pay enough attention to answer questions in class and to spar with the teacher if he was given a hard time. He always did his homework and studied and I’m sure that helped.

I think overall people liked him.

Why do I bring him up?

This year marks a significant reunion for my high school class. I have been trying to find out if there is a reunion scheduled by checking web sites, Facebook, local newspapers and a few other sources with no success

Out of curiosity I dug out my yearbook and started to read the comments from classmates. Most were very similar. Things like: ‘To a great guy, never forget the good times, luck and success in the future. RMA (remember me always). Joe’. Most likely I wrote the same kind of stuff.

When I came to Jake’s comments I was surprised to say the least. Here’s what he wrote: ‘To my best and longest friend, I wish luck and success to a very wonderful guy. Keep smiling. Jake’. I had never considered Jake my best friend.

March 23, 1998. Jake, who was married with either one or two kids, pulled over on his way to work and shot himself. I had not seen Jake for a long time although a number of years before he ended it I had bumped into him and his family at a store and we talked briefly.

I have told people many times that you will make a comment to someone or do something for someone that you won’t remember but they will and it may have a significant impact on them.

This was made so much clearer to me when I was able to put the parts of this story together.

Lord, help me to be more forgiving and accepting of all people as Christ was and wants me to be. Help me to realize it is not about me but about loving you and loving others.

Books

Below are some of the books I have read during the past year or so. I read different books and national newspapers and magazines to try to get some understanding of various topics.

Books read in the last year

·         Man Alive – Pat Morley

·         The Journey – Billy Graham (Re-Read)

·         Your God is Too Safe – Mark Buchanan

·         Fully Devoted – John Ortberg

·         Growth - John Ortberg

·         Iron Sharpens Iron – Howard Hendricks (Re-Read)

·         The Resolution for Men – Kendrick, Kendrick & Alcorn

·         The Measure of a Man –Gene Getz (Re-Read)

·         Little Red Bok of Sales Answers – Jeffrey Gittomer (Re-Read)

·         WAR – Robert Greene (Re-Read)

·         Do More Great Work – Michael B Stanier

·         Point Man – Steve Farrar (Re-Read)

·         Finishing Strong – Steve Farrar (Re-Read)

·         Keeping the Republic – Mitch Daniels (currently reading)

·         The Age of the Unthinkable – Joshua C Ramo (currently reading)

·         Integrity - Henry Cloud

Strength or Weakness

The story below from the Blaze (Report: Russian Nuclear Attack Sub Patrolled Waters Off Gulf for a Month…Undetected) is unsettling to say the least. This report shows what can and does happen when we have leaders who don’t believe in the importance of a strong defense for the US.

I have always thought, and still do, that none of our freedoms matter if we can’t protect our country. There are countries and people who don’t like us and will do whatever they can to destroy us or our influence.

Because you may not have felt the threat of a full scale war between the US and another super power (Russia or China appear to be the only possibilities now) you may have a hard time accepting all this. You hopefully can appreciate that there is a constant terrorist threat and this will be with us for a long time.

If America is not strong militarily and financially then how will we protect our own country and the other countries that may need assistance or protection? The world looks to us for help in all types of situations.

The current administration is working to reduce the military’s budget and to force us to spend huge amounts on social programs and force us into more debt so we will not have the resources for a strong defense. What is the real motivation of the administration?

In addition the US may not be viewed as a super power now. Our administration has been weak in their responses (have you heard the phrase lead from behind? It doesn’t mean wait ‘til another country takes the lead and then help out, as we have done recently) to the problems in Libya, Egypt and Assyria and is afraid to upset the Arab or Muslim worlds by committing to support Israel, one of our few true allies.

This intrusion by Russia is no surprise when you look at the weakness demonstrated by the administration. The number of ships in the US Navy will be reduced by this administration to a record low level according to some recent reports. Watch for more challenges from Russia and China in the future if we don’t act or our actions are insignificant.

The Presidential election this year is very clear cut as to who believes in a strong US and who wants us to kow tow to the rest of the world. This election is more critical to the future of the US than any election in a long time. Everything is perfect only in dreams (like a Utopian society) but this is the real world.

Choose carefully my friend because our freedom is not guaranteed. If we wait too long to respond or don’t respond to these types of events more and more of them will occur and our independence can be in question.

Check out the picture of the sub at the site.

***************

Report: Russian Nuclear Attack Sub Patrolled Waters Off Gulf for a Month…Undetected

Posted on August 14, 2012 at 10:01am by Jonathon M. Seidl at The Blaze

http://www.theblaze.com/stories/report-russian-nuclear-attack-sub-patrolled-waters-off-gulf-for-a-month-undetected/

‘A Russian, nuclear-powered attack sub patrolled the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, off the U.S. coast, undetected for a month, a new startling report from the Washington Free Beacon says.

The sub, the Free Beacon says, is an Akula vessel loaded with cruise missiles and is one of the quietest in the Russian fleet.

From the report:

The stealth underwater incursion in the Gulf took place at the same time Russian strategic bombers made incursions into restricted U.S. airspace near Alaska and California in June and July, and highlights a growing military assertiveness by Moscow.

The submarine patrol also exposed what U.S. officials said were deficiencies in U.S. anti-submarine warfare capabilities—forces that are facing cuts under the Obama administration’s plan to reduce defense spending by $487 billion over the next 10 years.

The Navy is in charge of detecting submarines, especially those that sail near U.S. nuclear missile submarines, and uses undersea sensors and satellites to locate and track them.

The fact that the Akula was not detected in the Gulf is cause for concern, U.S. officials said.’

Principles to Guide Our Relationships

Everyone seems to deal differently with other people. Some seem to do it better than others and some are hesitant to talk with those they don’t know. Many people have learned how to do this from others or from books.

As a way to try to get better at dealing with people I read a book by Dale Carnegie titled ‘How to Win Friends and Influence People’ that has sold over 15 million copies according to Wikipedia. The book has several categories including: Six Ways to Make People Like You, Twelve Ways of Winning People to Your Way of Thinking, Nine Ways to Change People Without Giving Offense or Arousing Resentment, Fourteen Rules for Making Your Home Life Easier.

There is another book that I like better titled ‘The Journey’ by Billy Graham that explains how we can have better relationships with others. The excerpt below, in Italics, is from Chapter 21 titled ‘When Others Disappoint’.

You can use the suggestions from either book or from both or from any number of other sources. I encourage you to use the advice from ‘The Journey’ as it is based on the Bible and it will help you understand how God wants you to treat people. The Journey and the Bible will help to change or transform you to be more like Christ whereas the Carnegie book will only change your behavior.

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 ‘The Bible tells us how to put God’s love into action and we need its wisdom and direction. However, it isn’t just a book of rules, telling us exactly how to react in every situation. If it did, it would be hundreds of volumes long, because every person and every situation is different.

Instead the Bible gives us a series of principles to guide our relationships. Like lighthouses along a rocky shore, they warn us of dangers and guide us toward safe waters.

·         Make it your goal to live at peace with others.

·         Treat others the way you would want them to treat you.

·         Pray not only for your friends but for your enemies.

·         Guard your tongue and use it for good instead of evil.

·         Never repay evil with evil.

·         Don’t only avoid revenge but don’t be a captive to the past.

·         Practice the transforming power of forgiveness.

What relationships need strengthening in your life? Don’t wait for them to grow cold or bitter, but ask God to help you strengthen them by putting His love into action – beginning today.’

Read the book for an explanation of each topic and Bible references that support each topic. I found a copy at a ‘Books-A-Million’ Store for $3.97.