Tag: poems

Optimism

I believe you need a kind of optimism in life…

Not that things will just work out …

But that you control your own destiny …

Your decisions matter…

Social media and newsfeeds and still, others…

Would say otherwise …

But these places work off of the extremes of the individual response …

That’s the algorithm…they are not speaking for the rest of us…

That’s all the algorithm understands…

I recently left social media for that reason…

Where else but here and now ?

Are we able to humble ourselves before Divine Providence and take on our day

Unleash the power of the individual…

To create our own lives …

Our own outcomes …

Now, as a father, as a leader….

Who would want to be lead by a critical negative doomsday sayer?

We must lead …

Having the courage to begin

The optimism

To cast a vision

Yes, understand the reality

Of where you are

But we are not staying here

We are moving forward

And we are building a life we can be proud of

We control our own destiny

Our own outcomes

Why wait?

begin

Our sons and daughters are watching

Our history compels us

Those who came before us

And opened shops and invested their time and savings

And turned that into industries

Railroads

Retail

Lives that were built with courage and sacrifice …

These stories are our stories …

Still today …

Move forward

Lead

What else is there?

The future is too great

We’ve been blessed so much

We must be good stewards

Me must lead

We must create our lives

Begin

What else is there?

-E

What got you here …

What got you here won’t get you there…

a known phrase in business…

also applies to life I believe.

You want to see someone wilt in front of you, become defensive, and just shut down…

criticise them.

It’s been called a lot of things,

Nagging, henpecked, micromanaging…

But what about the voice used when talking to oneself?

I was good at this one thing …

But what got me here won’t get me there…where I aim to be and where I’ve set my goal…

I must become good and go from good to great and this means growth…

I have to undertake difficult things…uncomfortable things…

——-

Everyday there’s countless distractions, grooming us on how important we are…and how much more we deserve …

We have the best economy in the world, the global 1 percent is us…30k something a year and that’s the GLOBAL 1 percent …

We’ve never had it better…

But am I aware or am I just coasting on autopilot?

Just showing up …waiting for my annual raise …

Just showing up …

Waiting for my annual vacation

Just showing up waiting on my “passive income.”

Just showing up …

Like I did in baseball

Knowing I’ll get a photo and a trophy at the end of the year …

Just show up …

Where’s the burden ?

The weight

The work …

Hard conversations …

The practice field where the sweat and the blood and the scars and the bad habits are broken and new ones formed…

Practicing basics …

so well understood …

That we don’t move or compromise on them …

This is where values are forged

This is where we don’t compromise

This is where we look at ourselves and we understand …

Life is a series of stages …

What got us here won’t get us there…

We must be growing …

What else is there?

– E

Legacy

The book of James says, “The prayer of a righteous person has great power as it is working” (5:16b ESV). Other translations say, “the prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective” (NIV) or “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (KJV)

Pray…
There’s still an old way
It’s a calm quiet way
It is held by a calm faith and assurance …
To lead and raise your family and build a legacy of faith…

“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.”

“far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD by failing to pray for you.”

“Why did you wish me milder? Would you have me false to my nature? Rather say I, play the man I am.”

— Coriolanus

God is not shaking his head and trying to figure out what to do with you or your life …
Banks may fail and rivers flood…
But he is not surprised …
Marriage is hard and raising children harder…
Being leaders of our homes is a responsibility but it is worth it…
We are called to be fathers and husbands and be active and present …
To raise up an old foundation …
A sober foundation …
Of faith and love.

-E

Repair

“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 …

  • E

Lead

“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.

-E

Change

“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

My son

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…

-E

Life

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

Intentional

History repeats itself …

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 else is there?

-E