“And some from among you shall build the old waste places; raising up the foundations of many generations; and be called The repairers of the breach, The restorers of paths to dwell in.”
Isaiah 58:12
“far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.”
1 Samuel 12
There’s always going to be plenty of excuses… If you’re looking for them you’ll find an endless supply of them… There’s takers in life People who wait for some hero to come along … Or you can be someone that is a problem solver… Someone who gives back … Builds up those around them … Someone who takes initiative … Dreams dreams even… It’s ok to understand reality… Yes, it will take longer than you think… Be harder than you want … But the reward is so much greater than you dreamed… You can’t live in a harvest time all the time …but you can sow seed… You can prepare… you can see a need and meet it … You can build back what’s been forgotten… Walk firmly and gently in what you can control … You can give …
“How you do anything is how you do everything.” -Martha Beck
“Get the fundamentals down and the level of everything will rise.”
-Michael Jordan
Get the basics down. Don’t “practice” just live it out… Life isn’t waiting for you…there is no waiting room… Flip the switch… Be about your life, your business, When you’re at work be at work when you’re home be home… But be there… Someone said leaders can’t be tired… Notice they didn’t say don’t get tired … They said, can’t be tired… Show up… Everyday… You set the tone for your home and your team… So it’s going to be hard… Ok… It’s going to be uncomfortable… Ok… Get the basics down … How we do anything is how we do everything… The world will tell you… Dive into your emotions and your feelings and live there … Your happiness is the most important barometer for your life and health … But there’s something stronger than all of that… Pride and respect and responsibility… It rises above the status quo and raises the standard… Get the basics down … Write your personal philosophy and live by it … Lead your family , show them grace and strength… Lead your business…Develop and build, impact your community…
There is so much more than what we have seen and heard…
So it gets hard … You get tired … Flip the switch … Be a leader … There’s something deeper and stronger than what you’ve been sold … It’s a life well built … It’s a legacy … It’s a culture that can’t be bought… In the home and business … It’s rooted in the process… The fundamentals… The small details … Day in and day out … Whether you win or lose … You show up… Living the fundamentals … Raising your sons and daughters … Developing your team… Leading your family… That’s how champions are made … That’s how legacy’s are built … There’s pride in that that can’t be bought or stole. It’s yours.
“Encourage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life. Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won.” -The Cadet Prayer, West Point
I hope you know you can change You can take ownership of your life You can choose a greater good Truth, compassion, courage, dedication, determination, dignity, discipline, integrity, loyalty, perseverance, responsibility, service, and trust… These are virtues carved in stone at West Point Let them be over your heart and life … You can choose and you can build and you can change… Take ownership of your life and where you are going… Anything is possible but not everything And when you fail or fall rise up and stay humble and build back stronger . Life doesn’t happen by accident … Success and sons and daughters prepared for life and equipped doesn’t Happen by accident…choose and lead by example. Maybe it’s not normal Maybe it’s not common But why not now Why not change Why not today… What else is there? -E
Dear, son. It is my belief that the world is active and present…it has many disappointments and horrors and we have to choose to be in it. Every moment in my life up to now was just running with water pistols… Having children, spending days in the hospital, (this) bonding experience… (This) is live ammo… You don’t come out of this the same … You’ll think you know but you won’t … —— You will meet magical thinking … You will meet poetic dreams … You will meet “soulmates.” Remember, the world is here…waiting …you have to choose to be in it… Right now …from the moment you’re born …Until adulthood… Choose… Choose to be successful Choose to build Choose to love Choose to stay Choose your life … And live….
Life is for the living and the bold … There are no short cuts Be courageous Be strong Be patient And choose … You will be fine Take your life and choose it I’m already proud of you…
My son… Life is – building – It’s habits countless routines … Oh maybe We inherit a windfall of perfection or finances … Maybe a new house… 90 days in … Look at it … Your habits… Your standards What is acceptable to you … They are in front of you… The clutter or maybe debt … Account balances … My B… She looked for reasons NOT to be with me… I asked her more than once to date me and more than once to marry me… My consistency paid off on all accounts. But that’s very different from what people are used too… We are told again and again It’s good enough to just show up in life … People and businesses will look for reasons NOT to pick you… Limit those reasons make them as few as possible … Create good habits … Build other successful people … This is your life your standards … Adjust them…edit them…remake yourself …until you get it right … You are building… Oh but you don’t understand We should take it easy Someone will get us out Someone else Some hero Some other election … No… No one is coming to save you… Take ownership… Why do you never see the military in jeans ? The marines standing beside Air Force one …in jeans and a t shirt? Commitment to excellence … A standard … A unit, everyone rises and falls together … We hold eachother accountable to excellence and success … My B… She will send me pictures of dust or dirt that I need to clean… If I left an ink pen on the counter … I know I’m getting a picture of it… Everything has a place and a home … Everything gets cleaned every day… Hold each-other And yourself accountable to success… Build your life … Build people up and help them succeed … Shine your shoes … Iron your shirts… Save your money … Shave with a safety razor … Take the time… Look right be right and do right. You will be very successful in life and at home… Build … This is yours. Take it and grow. -E
Our destiny is made by our choices … Our emotions are not reality We are emotional creatures but our emotions are not reality they are only indications of where our attention is going and where we are headed … Someone comes along and tells us we shouldn’t be happy We should be terrified The world is burning Our future is in ruin Our emotions latch on We look around and we will find things to agree with that … Suddenly we are in the ditch … Why do I believe what I believe ? Where am I headed? Why can’t I ever find what I need? I’m unorganised … Fix it … Be organised Be intentional Know yourself Move forward Build Be constant Consistent Forge ahead And adapt and learn Be self aware and grow What an opportunity We’ve been here before We know what to do History repeats Ask your grand parents Ask the boomers Build What else is there?
Short term debt cycles Long term debt cycles Our habits and our emotions drive us … Consuming for what we want right now Credit and credit cards Increased power to purchase without increased income Betting that our future self will pay it off… Inflation Recession 10 years 40 years The middle class gets squeezed Stops spending money Starts paying off their debts Driving inflation up And recession The poor just try to survive The wealthy have assets So they are still able to get loans etc When the banks foreclose or call on debts They are able to pick up the pieces Capitalism is the consumer…. There is no evil entity 70 percent of our economy is small business and consumer habits… Be intentional Know where you are going and why Control your future Or your habits will control you … —— If you’re calm Constant Consistent Know where you’re going The long nights The early mornings They all will be worth it —— Watch the morning The fall come in Watch the seasons change You’re making your future You’re arriving You built this Together With changing habits —— I’ve been fortunate I haven’t always been the best I could be I was dishonest I lied I drank I wasn’t my best I’ve been forgiven of much I didn’t go to college I worked since I was 14 And with my father before that … But I’ve been given second chances I have a family I have a home I’m building And I’m thankful ….
What does this have to do with you and your goals ? Maybe some days feel a lot like Monday and it feels like the world is off it’s track … Everything is demanding your attention…your comment … What does it have to do with you and your goals? Forge ahead… Someone said I should be angry because my tax dollars … Forge ahead… I should be angry because … Forge ahead … I woke up, purchased more shares, asked about parental leave (turns out I get six weeks leave) and I’ll purchase more shares for my son… Building consistency A legacy… Forge ahead… I know I don’t have the answers I know I’ve made mistakes But the way I see it, The best way to protect and secure the future is to forge it… Be responsible to it … Maybe I came from nothing in material things … But my son will inherit a legacy And we will give back And we will raise a standard of pride and excellence and responsibility To ourselves and our community. What else is there … The world is off its track demanding your comment …
What does this have to do with you and your legacy?
I feel very lucky And I feel very overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility of being a father … Raising a son and sending him off into adulthood… I consider how much I struggled and tried to figure out Even the small things … Shaving, picking out a suit, How to budget, how to invest, how to save …
Gladwell said it takes 10,000 hours to master a new ability or skill…. But in our time… By the age of 21 We’ve clocked 10,000 hours playing a video game or binge watching a tv show …
Psychologist say we’re stuck in adolescence pushing it to 24 … Failure to launch…trial independence ending at 29… How We love the story of the prodigal son… Irresponsible and coming home to a fathers love … Only in our time we have sons waiting for fathers to come home, to take on responsibility…to stop drinking …to stop leaving… —— Is this what we came here for? Young men Stumbling into adulthood Not really quite sure where it begins And what to leave behind What to sacrifice And what to take up as responsibility What the worth is…in living this way… —— Intention —— It’s quiet It’s just knowing the process And trusting it It’s holding eachother accountable to success… To pride and honor To responsibility So we leave no one behind We don’t stumble forward … It’s walking with each other and teaching the processes, how to step into adulthood … So I have this window of opportunity… I have maybe ten years to prepare for this … But if I’m selfish … I’ll miss it… —— I’ll miss it with what is easy… What is comfortable … I’ll miss it… —- Don’t miss it… You only get so much time … 10,000 hours Maybe it’s not enough to just send them out… Maybe it’s more … Maybe it’s showing them how to live How to question How to understand How to fix the broken things How to know the worth of things and not just the cost … How to move into adulthood ….
So I feel very lucky … And I feel overwhelmed by the awesome responsibility of being a father … Maybe we all feel this way … But there is time to prepare If you only take advantage of the opportunity. No it won’t be easy. But it will be worth it. What else is there? -E
This is sober… Almost a year …seven months… This is fatherhood… This is … This is getting your life on track. Getting your health on track Your finances on track. Loving and supporting and being loved and supported. It’s sacrifice, Long days, Long nights, 142 miles a day commute. This is figuring out what you want your life to be… What you want to leave behind What you want your son to see . I was drinking everyday It was easy and most people didn’t know it … I looked terrible I didn’t like the way I felt I didn’t like the way I acted and I didn’t like myself … I was always trying to stop Like trying a budget Or a diet … But that’s not how progress is made… And then I met this girl And we stayed up all night talking about what we hoped our lives would be Our goals were very similar It was things we could pray about I called her one night and told her I was going to go a week without drinking… I felt better I went two weeks … I got a promotion at work The culture at my job was one I could align with And it pushed me to be better and improve and be right and true And tell the truth … I knew I needed order in my life And that drinking was just a short cut It would cost me in my health down the road …and it was costing me in my finances right then. I went a month … I just never picked it back up… I don’t want my son to see me like that… Taking short cuts… I want him to see the work The dirt And the win. The right and true.
Be right and do right. It’s a long road … It’s harder and longer than you think it will be… But it’s worth it. The win is worth it no short cuts… No one can take this from you. This is yours. This life, This future, This here and now. -E
Regarding Samuel 