Aloha ~ Building on my previous post, today's post is far simpler. In fact, it's just a list. On our journey in life, it helps if we accept a few Truths about life...
Aloha, John John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: Aloha ~ As you read through the next few posts in this Ideal Roadmap, you will make a deliberate choice to seek a world where “happiness” is more than a passing state of being. At this point in your life, you are probably very familiar with traditions, transitions, priorities, propensities, and presentations. If you have read any of my previous posts, you have been educated on the allegorical, yet very real, Elevator of Life. And hopefully you have grasped more than a passing glimpse of the loving life that can be lived if you follow a few simple-but-powerful practices. Hopefully, you are sincerely interested in moving past mere ownership of information into the rich realm and realistically based world of the application of knowledge. The application of knowledge is the very definition of being wise. Indeed, you can be the most educated person in the world. But if you don’t use your knowledge, you are knowledgeably ignorant. The pages of my book THE IDEAL provide the knowledge of who, what, where, when, and why you must align your thoughts to a specific pattern of priorities, propensities, and presentations. When you read a book, the knowledge within the book becomes a part of you. The information is literally in you. It is now a part of the living, breathing person that is you. The pages of my book THE IDEAL provide a concise, compact collection and expert education of acute, accurate awareness attributes. When you read the words within, you will have walked a path most people will never seek nor find. You will discover a new awareness. Aloha, John John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: Aloha ~ Today, I am following up on my previous post regarding the concept of expectations. Now, to be sure, expectations are a concept of which we are all familiar. And on our respective journeys along this road in life, 'tis not a random occurrence that these hope-filled words have reached your beautiful eyes. Facing the introduction of the third month of the year, some of us are looking back at shattered (New Year’s) resolutions, broken promises, and perhaps a destroyed goal or two. Accordingly... This week, I am starting a new 10-part weekly series titled “Your Roadmap to the Ideal Life.” Each post will consist of a quick three-minute blog spot, culminating with a challenge and promise to add a little (more) faith and a (lot more) focus on the positive aspects of our respective lives. By doing so, we can achieve the best, most awesome, wonderful thing in the world... We can achieve something called The Ideal Life. Today, I ask you to consider the potential “results.” As the title of this post states, “I Expect Results.” The acronym for the title is simply I-E-R. Together, let’s march into March expecting better results. How? We don’t have to be perfect in our diets, employment positions, or daily dispositions. If we need to lose weight, we don’t need to be suddenly healthy. Instead, let’s be HEALTH-I-E-R… Let’s be healthier… for at least one meal a day, and perhaps by taking a walk every other day. If we want to be less stressed and more forgiving, we don’t need to be abruptly holy. Let’s just be HOL-I-E-R… holier than we were yesterday. Perhaps we won’t save a million dollars over this next year… But we can become WEALTH-I-E-R… wealthier by simply appreciating what we (already) have. Please consider joining me as I Expect Results… I-E-R. Together, we can achieve better results. Aloha, John John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: Aloha ~ It’s been a while since I last reached into the core of who I am to share with the great Yonder. And, as is usually the case, the content is, in my opinion, a tad bit better after such a hiatus. Today, I am sharing the concept of expectations. Now, to be sure, expectations are a concept of which we are all familiar. After all, you expect to be paid fairly for a day’s, week’s, or month’s labor. We expect the sun to rise in the east and set in the west. And today, I expect you to be (at least) a tad bit better than you were this time last year. For some people, health and material wealth may have suffered significantly over the past year; those people are not my intended audience. I am speaking to those of us that can – and should – do better, be better, and continuously look forward to being better. And if you don’t meet my expectation, there’s really no effect to such an unmet expectation. And THAT, my friend, is a problem. Indeed, I fully expect you to not care about my expectations of you. However, to be fair, ask yourself, is it really wrong of me to expect more of you than I did last year? True enough, you and I did not have this conversation last year. But today, my friend, we begin a whole new chapter in this Book of Life. Typically speaking, people tend to wait for a life-changing idea, incident, or other attention-getting event before making and taking their own, specific action toward self-induced change. In the “real world” though, change occurs without our approval. In fact, some may say that the transition between the previous chapter and the next chapter in the Book of Life is as random as the weather on the first Thursday in November. Oh… but is the weather “random”? More on this related topic in my next post. Aloha, John John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: ~ Inspiring a worldwide community of optimistic realists ~
As we begin to transition into another beautifully challenging month, I have decided to share one of my favorite inspirational tales of lore. For me, it serves as a powerful reminder of who YOU (potentially) are: Many years ago, in a time of great wars and much consternation, there was a monastery that had fallen upon hard times. There were few monks left, and they often squabbled amongst themselves. Each monk was convinced his respective path was the right path. Accordingly, the peacefully monastic ways of the past seemed little more than a dream.
In a last ditch attempt to save the monastery, the Abbot sought the wisdom of an old rabbi who was reputed to have great insight and wisdom into the ways of men. When the Abbot told the rabbi of the situation, the rabbi shook his head with great concern and said... "It is imperative that you find a way to resolve this situation before it is too late," replied the rabbi. "For what you do not realize is that among you is the One who will deliver us all from fear into love." The Abbot asked who among them was "The One," but the rabbi would tell him no more. On the way back to the monastery, the Abbot wondered aloud who The One could be. "I'll bet it's Brother Arthur," he thought to himself. And then he continued... "He is kind and good... Or perhaps it is Brother Thomas - he is young but already shows great wisdom. Or could it be... no - I mustn't even consider that it might be me!" On his return, the Abbot shared the news with the other monks. And though they were startled, they knew there was an overwhelming ring of truth to what the Abbot had said: The One was amongst them! As they contemplated which of them it might be, the monks began to treat one another with a special reverence and respect. After all, someone among them might really be The One. And on the off chance that each monk himself might be The One, they began to treat each other – and themselves (their SELF) - with extraordinary respect and reverence. As time went by, the monks developed a gentle, loving quality about them that was hard to quantify but easy to notice. They lived respectfully, in harmony with each other and nature. An aura of respect and reverence seemed to radiate from them and permeate the atmosphere. There was something strangely attractive, even compelling about it. Occasional visitors found themselves deeply moved by the life of these monks. Before long, people were coming from far and wide to be nourished by the life of the monks, and young men were asking to become a part of their community. Within a few short years, the monastery once again became a thriving order - a vibrant center of light and spirituality in the world. ~ Author Unknown = = = = = = = = = The moral of the story? When it comes to resolving issues within your family, field, friendships, or foe... are YOU The One? If not, then whom? If not now, then when? Happy New Year! Every single day is the beginning of a brand new year! John Accept. Adapt. Achieve. ® . . Here in Hawaii, we are blessed with what many have deemed “the best weather on earth.” And after living in or visiting almost every state in the union, as well as countries all over the world, I tend to agree with that statement.
After all, there are not many places in the United States where you can wear a pair of shorts while walking amidst the warm December rain … and then surf the warmer waters of the Pacific Ocean later in the day, just before watching the soft glow of the sun as it slips below the horizon… all while enjoying gentle hugs of the tropical trade winds. Yes… this is paradise. And for the 8 million visitors who will visit the islands this year, Hawaii, with it’s beautiful sandy beaches, shimmering sunsets, and wonderfully rich culture, is sure to please the most demanding of tourists. But alas, a tourist is just that: someone on a tour of a place different than his or her home. A tourist is a traveler, a visitor, a vacationer… a guest. And as everyone knows, when we have guests, we must put on our best behavior. We must exhibit those things that will make us proud. And (yes) we mustn’t purposely show those things that might cause a bad memory or two. Before you go off and think I am leading into a discussion on the lesser side of Hawaii, let me assure you: I love this land, and I have no quarrel with any part of my transitory experience on this beautifully remote family of islands. However, I am leading to an asterisk that must be annotated next to this wonderful destination. Yes… we consistently have some of the best WARM weather in the world. On the other hand, we will never have the recurring beauty of fabulous fall foliage. We will not likely enjoy the magic of making angels in the snow… or the real fun of creating that lovely little fella with a corncob pipe, a button nose, and two eyes made out of coal. No sweet snowball fights in January. No super sledding in February. And no thunderous storms to alert us that March is coming in like a lamb and leaving like a lion. No… the weather we have here in Hawaii is special. But, then again, so is the weather everywhere else… in its own special way. Likewise, for the most part, you and I are both about as unique as “they” come. Yet, underneath the setting sun and pale blue sky of the glorious moon, deep down inside, we all want the same things. And for the most part, whether you are an employee, supervisor, manager, shareholder, or outright owner, we all live by the same great Truths in life:
Today, you are alive. Appreciate Life. Live it as if you were going to die someday soon. (Remember: “soon” is a relative term) Lastly, it seems like so many of us are searching for the “magic formula” for happiness, joy, or how to deal with life. Perhaps there **IS** a magic formula… But no one seems to know that formula. After all, bad things seem to happen to good people. And some of the worst people seem to get the best out of life. But, in reality, underneath it all, the only thing you absolutely KNOW is what goes on in YOUR life. In the final analysis, and in the overall scheme of things… ~ ~ ~ We all want the same things in life. We all seek the same sense of self. We all need the same assurance. We fish… we find… we feed. ~ ~ ~ And sooner or later, we feed from what we seed; we reap what we sow. So the magic formula just might be found tomorrow. But that all depends on what you do today. As an employee, are you doing more than your fair share? If you are doing more than your fair share, be patient… your time will come. Your path is set. As a supervisor, manager, or someone else’s boss, are you going the extra mile to invest in your workforce? What are you doing to defeat their misperceptions? What are you doing to prove (yes: PROVE) that you are the real deal (someone who deserves to serve more people, more clients, more customers, and far more lines within the business)? Underneath the corporate logo, everyone shares the bloodline of the organization. Yet, some people in the organization are parasites, vermin, and poisonous pests that (seem to) get more than their just due. Other employees are true heroes, seen and unseen, vocal and sometimes silent, and they often (seem to) face insurmountable odds. How can this be? How can they launch up the corporate ladder… but not them? More importantly, what can the heroes do to defeat the bloodsucking organisms that seem to plague so many organizations? Underneath this network of stretchy cells we all call skin, regardless of color, credo, or culture, we must somehow come to appreciate that part of our individual self that is far from perfect. We must find a way to accept that part of our self and those people for who they are, where they are, and what they do. For as much as we dislike the leeches of the world, they each serve a purpose. The real question for you is: Irrespective of THEIR purpose, what is YOUR purpose? For the most part, your purpose and his/her purpose are mutually exclusive. Indeed… that person’s purpose may seem wildly out of place, out of character, and even out of this world when compared to your place, your character, and your understanding of the world. In fact, as you well know, we sometimes allow coworkers and supervisors to drive us to the brink of madness with their incomprehensible behavior and decisions (Am I the only sane person here… or… Am I the only INsane person here?). Undeniably, madness sometimes seems to prevail… and we are often at a total loss when it comes to understanding or making sense of the madness. In truth, you should be glad that you don’t understand how someone can be that cruel, that mean, that self-serving, or any of those other horribly selfish adjectives. Be glad because, if you did understand it… then you would likely be capable of the exact same thing. Be glad that you are NOT capable of such horrific things. But do learn from the experience of seeing such vile behavior. Understand that, underneath that wretch of a person, there are beautiful characteristics that they have traded off somewhere along the line. Likewise, underneath the awesome beauty of every person, place, or thing, there are also other, attractive costs that each of us must pay. Like the fall foliage, snow angels, and smiling snowmen that we in Hawaii trade for the trade winds, opportunity costs are evident in every choice we make in life. If we want this, it will probably cost that. If we think we can have this by not doing that, sooner or later, the power of choice will again raise its awesome head. Want more money? Put in more time, energy, and effort – before, during, and after the task at hand. Want more snow? Go where there’s less warmth. Want more great leaders in your organization? Become one. Start with your self. Underneath it all… YOU are the magic formula. In reality, the best way to predict the future… … is to create it! Accept. Adapt. Achieve. ® What do YOU want to achieve? ~ This is a simple suggestion on how to The Ideal Life. ~ Think about the word IDEAL. It is actually a conglomeration of several smaller words, specifically: ~ I ~ ID ~ IDEA ~ DEAL ~ IDEAL ~ In the final analysis, if you can learn to master your Id (as in the ego, id, and superego), you can do some rather amazing things. ~ © 2011-2021 John H. Clark III Want more suggestions on “The Ideal” life? Read “The Ideal: Your Guide to An Ideal Life” (220 pages, BFG Press, 11/11/11) So tell me: What did you dream about last night? Did you dream? I’m sure you did; we all dream. However, most of us don’t remember our dreams. Forgetting last night’s dream is truly a forgettable event. However, forgetting your Life’s Dream? Well, that’s another story altogether. So, in an effort to rekindle your dreamy thoughts, in today’s Dare I offer two short poems to reawaken, revitalize, and restore your superior sense of what can be. Yes: If you can dream it, the possibilities are here (and there) to achieve it. But like the daylight, daily tasks, and daily drama following each night’s sleep, our dreams are often replaced by the hustle and bustle of the “real world.” Today’s post is a reMINDer that your Life’s Dream is as much a part of the “real world” as are your shoes; your socks; your breakfast; your lunch; your email; this blog, and anything else that works its way into that mind of yours. In fact, I would argue that YOUR Life’s Dream is actually a bigger part of YOUR reality than all the other stuff combined. Combined? Yes. And here’s why: Your Life’s Dream is a thought, an idea, and a creation that has been established by the creator that is you. All of that other stuff is the result of someone else’s Life Dreams. And for “them,” and their respective Life’s Dream… life has become a dream come true. Indeed, we are all “living the dream.” The only question is, “Whose dream is it?” This amazing thing called the television is the result of someone’s dream. The movies and sitcoms on TV are the result of someone else’s dream. The simple but amazing concept of a mobile (cell) phone originated in someone’s head some time ago. Your cell phone, your clothes, and the town in which you live… They are all the result of someone’s dream. Interestingly enough, your cell phone, your clothes, and the town in which you live are also the result of YOUR specific dreams. Yes, despite the fact that all those things were created by other people, the one fact that integrates all of them is the fact that each of those things are connected to and by only one specific person: you. You own the dream that has come to be your life. Do you love the dream? If so, keep dreaming, my friend. On the other hand, if you DON’T like the dream you are currently living… Then change the script. How? Simply acquire the faith, fearlessness, and fundamental belief that your (new) dream can come to true. If you seek to acquire the faith, fearlessness, and fundamental belief that your dream CAN come true, there is a significant likelihood that your dream WILL come true. Seeking to acquire the faith of which I speak is a very simple task. But “simple” and “easy” are vastly different descriptors. After all, it’s rarely easy to stare failure in the face, learn from it, and then move on. And yet, Thomas Edison “failed” hundreds of times before succeeding with his invention called the commercial light bulb. Regarding failure, Edison is quoted as saying: "After we had conducted thousands of experiments on a certain project without solving the problem, one of my associates, after we had conducted the crowning experiment and it had proved a failure, expressed discouragement and disgust over our having failed to find out anything. I cheerily assured him that we had learned something. For we had learned for a certainty that the thing couldn't be done that way, and that we would have to try some other way." Edison’s dream came true, but not without significant faith, work, and faith in his work. In one of my all-time favorite speeches, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., proclaimed:
Dr. King’s dream is an ideal just shy of perfection. And though perfection is something that can never be fully realized, Dr. King’s dream has certainly brought us much closer to forming a “more perfect union.” And then there’s this thing called fearlessness… Ah, to be fearless. Me? After being bitten by a couple of dogs (and having the scars to prove it), and seeing a few people attacked by “friendly” dogs, I tend to be somewhat apprehensive and anxious around dogs. Am I fearful of dogs? Well… not FULL of fear, no. But I have my firm reservations. So, what does one do to overcome fear? The popular answer to this question is “get more courage.” However, courage is not the answer to combating fear. The answer may surprise you. The answer is simple. The answer might not be easy… But it’s already in you. The answer is to simply “increase your faith.” If and when you increase your faith, fear becomes an unrelated aspect of your dreams. And when fear is removed from the pursuit of your dream, there is automatically more room, more time, and more energy to invest in transforming your dreams to goals… and then those goals into plans… and then those plans into actions… And the next thing ya’ know… YOUR actions facilitate “a dream come true.” But it all starts with YOUR dream… and YOUR fundamental belief that YOUR dream can come to fruition. And if it can, it will…. But you, my friend, must first wake up from the daily drudgery of living someone else’s dream. One last point: - Fear is created AND destroyed in the same place: your mind. Below are two AWEsome poems that, when fully understood, embraced, and established within the creator that is you… will ignite your dream machine and launch a renewed vigor toward YOUR life’s dream. The poems speak for themselves, but I will add one small comment: It’s all about YOU. But tell me: What’s your role in your soul, your goal, and for whom the bell tolls? POEM #1: "The Winds of Fate" Ella Wheeler Wilcox ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ One ship drives east and another drives west with the selfsame winds that blow. 'Tis the set of the sails, and not the gales, that tell us the way to go. Like the winds of the sea are the ways of fate as we voyage along through life... 'Tis the set of a soul that decides its goal, ...and not the calm or the strife. POEM #2: “Follow Your Dreams” Bruce Wilmer ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ If while pursuing distant dreams, your bright hopes turn to gray. Don't wait for reassuring words or hands to lead the way. For seldom will you find a soul with dreams the same as yours. Not often will another help you pass through untried doors. If inner forces urge you to take a course unknown, Be ready to go all the way... yes, all the way alone. That's not to say you shouldn't draw lessons from the best; Just don't depend on lauding words to spur you on your quest. Find confidence within your heart, and let it be your guide. Strive ever harder toward your dreams, and they won't be denied. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Today, I dare you: ~ Follow YOUR Dreams ~ Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ® John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: Ahhh… the stock market. What is this place of so much prestige, power, and peculiar pangs of price, probability, and prized payments? I’ll tell you what it is: one big, fat, lie. Or is it? In a nutshell, the stock market is a place where belief not only outmaneuvers reality; it’s also a place where belief actually CREATES an entirely different realm of reality. In psychiatry, when one creates a different realm of reality, that person is said to be psychotic, or at least having an episode of psychosis. And yet, there we were in 2008, witnessing the historic downfall of our splendid financial systems: billion-dollar banks were being swallowed up by other bigger-billion-dollar-banks; governments crammed subsequent billions of bucks into the commercial marketplace; and the stock market inspired yet another break from reality. How does this continually happen? Why does it repeatedly occur? And what does the stock market have to do with you, he, she, and me anyway? Quite simply, the stock market is a place where, if enough people think, believe, and act like a stock is worth more (or less) than it is currently valued, then (guess what?) the stock is worth more (or less) than what it is currently valued. If more people desire said stock, the price of that stock goes up. And if more people desire to get rid of that same stock, the price goes down. Now this may be a simplistic explanation of the stock market, given the vast sums of money that flow through the various world exchanges on a daily basis. Nonetheless, it is an accurate description (except for the fact that billion-dollar hedge funds contort the market and actually usurp and undermine the marketplace concept – but that’s for another blog, on another day). So, ask yourself: What happens if and when people are wrong? What happens when people think the stock will appreciate in price, but it subsequently goes down? And vice versa: What happens when people speculate on a decrease in the price of a stock, but the value of the stock actually goes up? Quite simply: one person’s loss is another person’s gain. Therein lies the magic of making money in the market. It’s all based on the outcome. Or, more specifically, it’s based on the outcome of the person who gains the most benefits from the trade. But let’s not forget one critically important fact: Regardless of the outcome, the entire transaction started with an expressions of individual BELIEF. And, truth be told, if enough people simply believed that all the stocks were worthless, every stock would become worthless. If enough people believed the American, Australian, or Canadian dollars were worthless, each of those currencies would immediately become worthless. FACT: Our financial system is based almost entirely on faith. Likewise, the same is true of life outside the world’s stock markets. Right where you are sitting or standing, your ultimate outcome is heavily influenced by your very own beliefs. “Outcome to what?” you may ask. Well, that’s your question to answer. My purpose is to provide you with yet one more Dare. And today, I dare you to… Accept Your Fate. In fact, as we build on Dare #1 through Dare #7 and begin moving toward a higher sense of self, and as I dare you to Accept Your Fate, I am also asking you to get a little crazy and give yourself a break from reality. Yes: join me as we go through our very own path of psychosis. Don’t worry… this won’t hurt a bit. But like the various stock markets (which seems to control the world), this little journey will, indeed, require your profound ability to sincerely believe what I am sharing with you. [And, by the way, in case you haven’t noticed, we have already inculcated ourselves in daily rituals of psychosis, or “breaks from reality.” We now afford ourselves a break from reality every time we tune in to the television, turn on our favorite radio station, or scroll through the smooth little screen on our smartphone (not really “here,” but “there”; not really “there,” nor “here”). And if you don't think this type of behavior is at least a little bit crazy, then you might want to double-back to the last challenge (Dare #7) and “Know Your G.P.A.”] But I digress; we were discussing my dare to Accept Your Fate. I guarantee you: regardless of what you have been told about this word “fate,” today is the day it gains a better meaning for you and for everyone who knows you. This little four-lettered word has so much meaning, and yet it remains mired in so much misunderstanding. To be clear: the textbook definition of “fate” centers on the idea that life is (somehow) predetermined. And perhaps it is. But for me, the word "fate" is a very specific algorithm for achieving blissful balance. And in a connected, yet seemingly disconnected world of, shall we say, wonderful people, I find myself using this algorithm more and more with each passing day. As an author, I am an avid wordsmith. And I enjoy some words more than others. The word “fate” has allowed me to set my daily sights upon a belief that has literally changed the world. I’m not worried about being redundant. So, for emphasis, I will repeat that last sentence: This word “fate” has allowed me to set my sights upon a belief that has literally changed the world. Yes: this one little word has changed the world. For you see, (like the two previous dares), FATE is an acronym: ~ Faithfulness And Thankfulness Everyday ~ Notice the insistence of these four separate yet integrated words: || FAITHFULNESS || When you are faithful, you are not just full of faith toward your committed ideal. You are actually devoid of hopelessness toward the same. You literally have no room for decreased commitment; you are all in on what you believe. The question is: To what are you committed? What are you full of? || AND || Yes, this little word “and” is a very important part of the acronym FATE. No matter where you go or what you do, there is at least one other person who needs you… or who YOU will need. Period. Moreover, You are not just You. By the mere act of reading this, You are now You **and** Me. By my sharing of this essay and its precepts across Facebook, LinkedIn, and several other sites… for days, weeks, moths, and perhaps years to come, You and this newly defined interpretation of FATE are now linked with untold other readers. It is the AND that makes us THIS (whatever “this” may be). It is the AND that makes You much more than who you were. It is also what makes our human problems global, if not universal. || THANKFULNESS || Of course, the simple definition of thankfulness is “full of thanks.” A better definition is found in the act of being “expressive with gratitude.” After all, being thankful is not just about saying, “Thank you,” and then moving on. Being thankful is more about “being the thank you” and then passing it on in the form of being a more appreciative You. And, much like faithfulness, when you are full of thanks -- when you are BEING the thank you -- there’s very little room for any action that is remotely dissimilar or opposite to the action of a person who lives a life of gratitude. I’ll try to be overtly clear: ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ When we are thankful, there is absolutely no room for apathy toward our fellow humans; no room for criticism concerning **our** Creator’s creatures; not enough space for dishonoring our friends and enemies; no extra leeway to disregard human rights; no spare contempt for disrespecting different tribes; no ready reservoir for hatred to be hurled across the aisle, street, or kitchen table; no excess capability for issuing ignorance in place of insight; no idle time for exhibiting indifference to known injustices; no unused hate to fuel insensitivity to the less (or more) fortunate; and certainly no extra room for an overall misunderstanding of men and women by other respective men or women. Take a step back intellectually, and a step forward spiritually to realize that, when we are full of thanks, we are empty of enmity, because we are far too busy counting our blessings, showing our light, and increasing the value of our personal stock. || EVERYDAY || And finally, the last word of this powerful acronym is a tall but accessible timetable for you to follow. I won’t belabor this straightforward point of expectation except to say this: When the day for which you are less than thankful arrives, your fate might already be sealed. So… what is my overall point? After all, I started this essay with a nod toward the stock market, and wound up asking you to commit a tiny but powerful acronym to memory. FATE: Faithfulness And Thankfulness Everyday! (As an author, I tend to be a bit wordy. On the bright side, this post is free! You don’t have to spend cold hard cash buying any of my books!) Anyway… here’s my point: In the final analysis, our existing prosperity is not based entirely upon what we have, but rather on what we believe. To wit, the smartest person in the world is actually senseless without a firm belief in self - and a true application of that belief. These days, it seems most people equate prosperity to economic wealth. Yet, the wealthiest person in the world is not the one who has the most money, it is the person who is fulfilled by the four corners of self. Interestingly, in Latin, the word “prosperity” has the root words of “fortune” and “hope.” So… to be prosperous is to be “fortunate and full of hope.” Are you, he, she, and me actually fortunate? Yes. And if you’re not, flip the switch and watch your fortunes turn. This is to say that, in reality, when we appreciate certain things, those same things ultimately appreciate in value – to us. Thus, we are as fortunate as we are thankful; if we can somehow be continuously thankful, we can more easily see just how fortunate we really are. And if you are grateful for every moment - including the (perceived) good, bad, and ugly moments, then you are most appreciative, most grateful, and most fortunate. Perceptions are most important because, in the reality of today (now - this very moment), there is neither good nor bad… except for how YOU define it and plan to leverage it in the very near future. And that brings us to the little thing called hope… a parallel to “faith.” Faith is the substance of things hoped for. It is the assurance of things not seen. And the truth of the matter is: Going forward, everything is not (yet) seen. So again, the central question is, “What do YOU think; what do YOU believe?” More precisely, “What do you CHOOSE to believe?” If everything forward is unseen (and it is, indeed, ALL unseen and unknown), shouldn’t we CHOOSE to be prosperous – full of thanks and appreciation for what was - and full of hope for what can be? To choose anything else is proactively setting up our personal stock for future failure. Instead of setting our personal stock up for failure, let’s invest ourselves wisely: Every single day, we must be full of faith toward our commitments. Every single day, we must be full of thanks. Actually, we must BE the thanks. If we can do this, we can truly begin to accept our FATE. Accepting such a FATE is perhaps more simplistic than easy. It’s not easy having faith in me, this writer whom you don’t even know… Moreover, it’s not easy having faith in… …your president, prime minister, or powerful political opponent… …these liberals… those conservatives… …this neighbor whom we do not know… …this neighbor whom we might not love. But if we could somehow extend a little faithfulness AND a little thankfulness, every single day, I believe we would all do well to accept just such a fate. Dare I say: We could very well predetermine our very own glorious global fate. Today, I dare you: Accept Your FATE. John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life."
He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: January is gone. And, for most people, so, too, are those awesome resolutions that were made in the first week of the New Year. Some resolutions live on to see another month. Some resolutions didn’t make it past the first week of the year. Today, I offer a much better way to achieve your life goals. Today, I offer a different spin on a well-known acronym: the G.P.A. How long has it been since you thought about your G.P.A.? Today, I ask you to view your G.P.A. as a forward-looking model of success. Instead of reflecting on your grade point average, your new G.P.A. now reflects your goals, plans, and actions. In fact, if you can finish this extended post discussing my latest Dare, you will find a guarantee that will help you reach your goals without using antiquated resolutions. As an appropriate segue into the New Year, I’d like to reach back into one of my previously published pathways and offer two specific recommendations on HOW to view, create, and respond to significant changes in life: 1. Live in daytight compartments; and 2. Be persistent, optimistic, and realistic for a mere 40 days. In reality, your life is actually one specific event. However… The earth rotates on its axis, creating concepts we have been taught to refer to as day and night. Similarly, the earth orbits the sun, creating the concept we have been taught to refer to as seasons. We, mankind, have taken our long, lovely lives and divided those lives into segments according to rotations of the earth itself… and annual revolutions of the earth around the sun. Of course, you already know this. But do you realize the awesome power of using these known concepts to literally change your life? Do you understand the fact that day and night don’t really exist? Do you understand that day and night are just concepts that we have been taught to see, believe, and know how to use in the one, big, long life that we have been given? Obviously, we will never convince the rest of the world that day and night are mere concepts. However, we can use those same concepts as a foundational framework of focused transformation… the context for real, substantive change. We can use the mere concepts of day and night to help us realize that life, as one specific event, can actually be viewed as thousands of connected components. Each of these linked components, (connected only by you - and no one else), is actually interdependently created by you and others. This concept of interdependence must be fully understood before grappling with a major change to an ideal life. Interdependence recognizes the truth in each position and weaves them together. Why is this concept of interdependence so important to the concept of The Ideal? Moreover, what does interdependence have to do with day and night? And how can this concept get you to The Ideal life? The answer to each of these questions is based on the fact that your past has the potential to have almost nothing to do with your future. This fact is actually a double-edge sword. In other words, disconnecting your past from your future can be a good thing or a bad thing for you. You could have been a millionaire last year, and end up financially bankrupt tomorrow. Likewise, you could have been the picture of perfect health last night, and end up on life support in the hospital emergency room sometime next week. It’s true: Literally and figuratively, you could be flat on your back today, and, yet, standing tall just a few short weeks from now. Stranger things have happened. So what’s my point? Though connected by the long life that is you, each one of your individually lived days is totally different, dissimilar, divergent, diverse, and distinctive. You will never have the same day as today. In fact, every single one of your days is so dramatically different and distinctive from the others… it is literally impossible to have the same day twice. Accordingly, each day is a vast ocean of opportunity, unlike anything you have ever seen. Regardless of what opportunities you think you may have missed yesterday, last month, last year, or several years ago… today is so much better than yesterday. Today is the day you accept, adapt, and begin to creatively achieve the framework that goes far beyond the concept of day and night. Today is the day you take a step back, look at your life, and realize a powerful point of truth. There are no days, nights, hours, or minutes; we have been simply taught to live according to the calendar, clock, and watch. And though the calendar, clock, and watch may appear to measure something called time, the only time that has ever existed is now. The only time that will ever exist is now. Accordingly, I urge you to actually leverage the calendar, watch, and clock to measure how well you treasure the most valuable asset you will ever have: NOW. How? First and foremost, you must understand that, regardless of whether or not you like or agree with what “is,” sooner or later you will have to accept the reality of it. By crossing the threshold from denial to acceptance, you can begin to adapt to almost any event. Remember: to adapt is “to change.” To successfully adapt, we must first accept and understand that change is inevitable. And when something is inevitable, it is literally unstoppable. Better yet… It is also PREDICTABLE… Change will occur. If, then, you cannot work to stop change, why not learn how to make change work for you? More importantly, why not increase the likelihood of creating a successful change event by focusing on changing just your self? Use this transition of a New Year to endeavor to stop trying to change other people and their respective perspectives. Instead, focus on finding a philosopher to help seed your desired change. Think about it: This world is filled with a wealth of experience. Some of those experiences occurred last week and last year. Some of those experiences occurred hundreds of years ago. Sir Isaac Newton published notes on many of his brilliant and world-changing experiences, as did Plato, Socrates, Niccolò Machiavelli, Epicurus, Marcus Aurelius, and one of my personal favorites, Jesus of Nazareth. Each of these great philosophers left a profound mark on the world by publicly stating and sharing their respective philosophies. Yet their published works will go unseen, unread, and unappreciated by most people. Despite having a prolific and terrific sense of seemingly supernatural wisdom, these philosophers and many of their teachings will go unnoticed by the vast majority of people. Why? Time and time again, I hear pessimistic people say, “There is no instruction book for life.” Yet, these same people do not seek the instructions of some of the wisest sages who ever walked the earth. In reality, the aforementioned philosophers were more than just wise men; they were mighty mental mentors, immensely informed intellectuals, and tremendously talented teachers. Don’t blindly follow, swallow, or hollow out your own life-learned knowledge. However, once you find your philosopher, use his or her philosophy as a seed to grow your own philosophical garden. By using other philosophies to grow your own viewpoint, you will quickly learn what may have taken years for other philosophers to yearn, learn, and discern. More importantly, by considering other philosophies, you will not only help shape your priorities and presentations, you will also become a lover of wisdom… You will actually become a true philosopher (a lover of knowledge). In the final analysis, we cannot escape the clock, calendar, and continuous watching of the watch on our wrist. Accordingly, as we look to the New Year and our chosen philosopher to follow, I’d like to offer two specific examples of advice on HOW to view any significant change in your life: 1. Live in day-tight compartments. As the Scottish essayist Thomas Carlyle once said, “Our grand business undoubtedly is, not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand.” William Osler took that concept one step further and boiled it down to five little words: live in day-tight compartments. Or, quite simply, “Yesterday has absolutely nothing to do with today.” If you plan to use the new calendar to mark the date, time, and place of the “New You,” remember one important corollary: The New You is (also) created every minute of every day of this great New Year. And if Day 40 Day 140, or Day 240 should happen to reveal a disappointing new start, have the confidence to know that Day 45 and any other day in this New Year (like the first night of this year), will usher in a whole new set of awesome opportunities. 2. Be persistent, optimistic, and realistic in your efforts... for a mere 40 days. I consider myself to be an Optimistic Realist. Accordingly, I tend to be positive and practical when it comes to setting goals. The optimism provides the confidence to effectively deal with a media-infested world of woe. And the realist helps keep me from creating grandiose illusions of grandeur when it comes to setting personal and professional goals. More to the point: Social scientists have long stated that habits take approximately 30 days to take hold of you and your self (it seems that our habits control us; we don’t necessarily control them… or do we?). So… Before you take a great stake and claim victory over the next 365 days, I will share one super-powerful parallelism among Christian, Buddhist, Muslim, and Jewish beliefs: 40 Days. Yes… 40 Days. According to the Gospels, Jesus the Christ fasted in the desert for exactly 40 days and 40 nights, and was tempted by the devil. Buddha also fasted for exactly 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness and was tempted by a great evil spirit. Similarly, in the accounts of Islam, Muhammad is reported to have been praying and fasting in a cave for 40 days. In Judaism, rain fell for 40 days and 40 nights during the Great Flood. And Moses reportedly spent three consecutive periods of 40 days and 40 nights on Mount Sinai. Perhaps most interesting… All these historical accounts appear to be about renewal amidst temptation... or temptation amidst renewal, something of which we are ALL familiar, especially on this last of the last and first of the first (days of the two respective years). So… There seems to be great historical, if not supernatural, support for the possibility that 40 Days is a perfect timeframe in which to change your point of view. Actually, perhaps I should re-phrase the previous line to something more accurate: There seems to be great historical, if not supernatural, support for the possibility that 40 CONSECUTIVE Days is a perfect timeframe in which to change your point of view. Accordingly, today I dare you to resolve to be consistent in applying your GPA: Know your GOALS... Create the PLANS to support those goals... And put forth consistent ACTIONS toward those plans. In reverse: if you commit the effort to take the actions to complete the plans and achieve the goals... those goals are guaranteed to be achieved. Guaranteed? Yes: money-back guarantee. Of course: it is YOUR time… And time IS money, yes? Actually, time is much more valuable than money. One can usually borrow money. Time? Use it once… and it’s gone… forever. Thus, today I encourage you to invest your time to... 1) Dream your dreams; 2) Set goals towards achieving those dreams; 3) Create specific plans to achieve those goals; and 4) Act to complete those plans; invoke your power daily. 2021 is just one short paragraph away from being "The Year of You." This time, let's not focus on a resolution or two. Let's make every day count towards this year's goals. Let's make a plan to achieve those goals. And let's make every action directly or tangentially related to each one of our plans. Indeed… It’s all about YOU. But tell me: What’s your role in your soul, your goal, and for whom the bell tolls? Today, I dare you: ~ Know Your GPA ~ Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ® ============================ Want the next dare delivered to your inbox? Click here to join John's mailing list ============================
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. He believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, "The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life," a teen-focused guide, "Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens," and the Christian-based book, "God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life." He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner:
I served our nation as a man in the uniform of the United States Navy for over 30 years.
Over those three decades, I was blessed with tremendous opportunities and insight into a wonderful world that lay over the horizons of my hometown highways and byways. Over that vast expanse of time, it wasn’t an easy journey. But my career in the Navy helped mold me into the man I am today.
In fact, to help deal with many of the personal and professional challenges, I literally transformed the inevitable negative circumstances into a positive energy and an associated focus point as I became an optimistic realist, authored several books, and subsequently began blogging about realistic solutions to real-life challenges.
Through writing and reflecting, I learned to view events through a different, often conflicting perspective. And, as I have previously posited, it is often a shift, crack, or break in our respective lens that only occurs upon the flowing of our own tears that will ultimately allow us to see another person's perspective. In my opinion, this is a superlative definition of empathy. One of the biggest empathetic challenges we continue to slog through in America is our inability to collectively and successfully deal with race, racial politics, and racial division; all are related, but each one of these race-related issues has a different face, and all have a far-reaching effect on our nation, our future, and our ability to optimize, maximize, and synergize. As many of my readers have noticed, the topics of my blog are usually positively skewed and often interspersed with a bit of irony. Today’s post is definitely positively skewed, with a tiny bit of irony. As our nation moves toward a more perfect union, of you, he, she, we, and me, the conversations are likely to get more uncomfortable, if not more difficult. Yet, we must continue to have a commitment to discuss difficult topics in uncomfortable situations. Indeed, communication may be the key. But I also believe empathy, or the lack thereof, is the lock that must be faced, factualized, and ultimately facilitated, if we are to truly become the Land of the Free. A few years ago, I blogged about “Why You Should Love Diversity.” That post garnered significant feedback across the groups to which I belong on LinkedIn and elsewhere. I opened that blog post with the statement, “It’s been said that the race is long; but in the end, it’s only with your self.” This is an especially true statement for our ever-evolving republic. I also stated, “To be better tomorrow, you need to run faster, think smarter, be stronger, and be (more) different (and diverse) than the entity you are today.”
But how, exactly, does an organization plan to get better than itself,
especially when the organization is often working with, for, and against itself?
Personally, I am a tremendous fan of proactive, solution-oriented planning. Moreover, a simple plan is often much better than a complex and complicated plan.
Accordingly, one of my favorite blog posts references a plan for anything and everything in life. The plan involves, quite simply, “4 Little Questions.” Much more than a fancy way of saying, “Don’t cry over spilled milk,” the 4 Little Questions are the basis for a strategic and tactical plan out of almost any challenging scenario:
In May of last year, I blogged about my communications with the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). More specifically, I blogged about the implications of the NPS Alumni Association’s Advisory Council AND its Board of Trustees having zero minority representation among its members. The Advisory Council, in particular, is comprised of a few civilians and several retired admirals of the United States Navy.
Despite the direct connection to a federally funded military institution of higher learning, both organizations were, in fact, comprised of members who were essentially 100% White. And yet, the Advisory Council plainly stated on the NPS Alumni Association website, “… the Advisory Council is composed of accomplished experts who will offer innovative strategies and DIVERSE perspectives to our Board of Trustees.” Notwithstanding the Council’s inappropriate use of the loaded word diverse, to be sure, whenever one begins to discuss race in terms of “Black” or “White,” people begin to get uncomfortable. Again, as the United States of America moves toward a more perfect union, the conversations are likely to get more uncomfortable, if not more difficult. But the discussions simply must be had; the dialogues need to continue. Great marriage counselors often advise that a marriage devoid of arguments is not only rare; it is potentially unhealthy. The same is true in politics, partnerships, and parents of maturing teenagers. After all, it is often through opposing propositions, points, and positions that we arrive at an overall better solution – but only after significant discussion, coincidental compromise, and a (re)commitment to the original commitment (whatever that commitment may be). Likewise, over the course of my life in the military, we were known to use the phrase, “iron sharpens iron.” Ironically, most of my military brethren and sisters did not know that this phrase has a basis in Scripture. More specifically, it is from the Book of Proverbs, Chapter 21, Verse 17… “As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.” (NIV) Accordingly, to become a better military, we must address what has happened. To become the best military, we must address what has happened, what is happening, and, perhaps most importantly, what we are doing about it.
As investigators continue digging through the literal and figurative rubble of the Capitol insurrection that occurred on January 6, 2021, the military is conducting some degree of self-reflection and (perhaps) some degree of self-inspection. Please note the difference between those two concepts (self-reflection and self-inspection).
Other American organizations are addressing what has become apparent in the ongoing investigation: there seems to be a growing number of violent extremists among American Veterans. KPBS, the National Public Radio and Public Broadcasting System affiliate in San Diego is hosting “a virtual event exploring racial extremism among American Veterans. Military Reporter Steve Walsh and a panel of experts plan to discuss how veterans are targeted and the role organizations could play in deradicalization.” If you’d like, you may participate in the conversation this Wednesday, February 24 at 6pm PST. RSVP for the event via this link: https://kpbs.us/3s4FcZE or simply click on the picture below.
The events of 1/6, and the number of American military Veterans involved seem to have shocked the consciousness of the American citizenry who have never served in the military.
But for many of us who have served… …the insurrection – and the number of veterans involved - were not shocking. In fact, it’s what can be expected to happen when leaders don’t answer the "4th Little Question":
The truth of the matter is this:
We have met the enemy, and he is us.
Related posts and articles:
Official Navy “Task Force One” report Why you Should Love Diversity Leadership and A Few Other Ships
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John H. Clark III believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner: I remember it like it was yesterday... As I look back on an incident that occurred 26 years ago, I now see a moment where I, a person of color, fearfully became “casually racist.” Over the course of a 30+ year career as an officer in the United States Navy, I have, indeed, seen much. In fact, like my Black counterparts, I have experienced “identity politics” throughout my career as a naval officer. Through it all, I ultimately used my skills as a writer and blogger to deal positively and constructively with the quasi-political stress and strife of being a senior officer in the United States Navy. Those who have followed my blogs for any length of time know that I tend to err on the side of the rule to “post things of which I know my grandmother and grandfather would be proud.” And when it comes to blogging about race relations in this country, I know they would both agree with the post I am sharing with my readers today. As a nation, we are culturally and intellectually disingenuous if we imply, impute, or impart the belief that race did not play a role in the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, and other race-related cases. As an American who is also a person of color, I have been racially profiled more times than I care to remember. And, yes: I have looked down the barrel of far too many police pistols… only to be “set free with a warning.” Should I feel lucky? In that sense, I guess I am luckier than Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner. In the United States of America, we take great pride in – and often reference – our founding fathers and this great New World Order in which we live. And all too often, I hear people talk about Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation” of people that lived, worked, and fought through World War II. Well… in a land where the original U.S. Constitution formally acknowledged, admired, and acquiesced to slavery by counting slaves as “three fifths of all other persons,” here we are, two-and-two-fifths centuries later, in the same land where residents of the southernmost contiguous state can not only erroneously determine the outcome of a presidential election, but also validate the racially premeditated stalking and murdering of a Black teenager. Of course, many will say, “Only the jury knows all the facts.” And to that, I say the following: ~ Fact: The “Greatest Generation” stood idly by and even watched as Blacks were lynched continuously, if not ceremoniously, throughout this grand old party of a time… (and let’s not forget that lovely town of Jasper, Texas, and its inhabitants’ lynching of James Byrd in – wait for it – 1998, a mere 22 years ago). ~ Fact: Racial profiling exists today on a level that, if it were done to Caucasians, there would be immediate inquiries and far-reaching repercussions for those perpetrating such a profound breach of civil rights. ~ Fact: to date, 375 people in the United States have been exonerated by DNA testing, including 21 who served time on death row. These people served an average of 14 years in prison before exoneration and release. And, according to the Innocence Project, since 1989, there have been tens of thousands of cases where prime suspects were identified and pursued—until DNA testing (prior to conviction) proved that they were wrongly accused. If Trayvon was Caucasoid and Zimmerman were Black, there is a very high probability this case would have little or no notoriety… and it would have ended in a conviction… maybe a proper conviction… but definitely the conviction of a Black man. ~ Fact: There is a cadre of people regardless of rank, stature, class, or color… who all believe that rank, stature, class, and color matter more than anything. And if you think your organization, social circle, or church is void of these types of people, you are either incredibly dense and dumb, or you are insulated in a deep ditch of denial. If I seem somewhat disappointed and not my usual positive self in this particular blog, it is because the realist in me has control of the wheel today. And if I haven’t made my case that injustice prevails even if you can’t see it, please allow me to share one more fact: While driving with two of my friends through St. Charles Parish in the Bayou State of Louisiana, I was stopped by what I thought was a lone Louisiana State Police Officer. I wasn’t speeding; and I was travelling with two other, thirty-year-old African-American naval officers from Corpus Christi, Texas, to the casinos of New Orleans. As I placed my right turning indicator on, edged over to the shoulder of Interstate 10, deferring to the authority of the "peace officer" sworn to protect and to serve, I wondered if my vehicle’s taillight was inoperative, or if some other mundane issue had occurred with the Honda Accord I was driving. As I reached over to retrieve the insurance and registration papers from the glove compartment, I heard the booming voice over the police car’s public address speaker (in a very heavy “Loo-E-z-ann-uh” accent): “Drivah: get… out… of… the vay-hee-ah-cal – hands up!” For a few seconds, I sat there in disbelief. My mind was trying to make sense of what was going on. Little did I know it was about to get worse. …much worse. I quickly came to my senses, opened the door, and stepped out with my hands up. What I saw next brings chills to my body, even as I share these words, 26 years later. There were at least ten – yes 10 - police cars behind our little Honda Accord. I couldn’t really count the number of cop cars, because all I saw was row after row of red-and-blue lights flashing… and a life-altering semi-circle arc of police officers aiming their 9mm handguns directly at my head. Now, I have to tell you: Over the course of my life, I’ve been in vehicle accidents, and I have been in a fight or two. Hell, I’ve even been deep in the heart of Iraq, in 2004, during the bloodiest part of the war. But I have NEVER felt fear like I felt it on that otherwise ordinary day. Please, please understand: I didn’t have a fear of merely being shot. (Merely?) I had a fear of being shot for absolutely no reason at all... by the state-sponsored police. Moreover, I had a fear of losing everything I had ever believed in. In that one moment, I was less than a common criminal. For as it is, common criminals are guilty of something. Me? I was there as a shining example that, in reality, this is not a country “indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” And if you disagree with me, ask yourself if three White men in a Honda Accord would likely be stopped by police on the interstate for doing… uhm… nothing. In fact, please do not take this as mere light reading. Please stop for a minute and literally ask yourself this one simple question: If three White men were driving a Honda Accord along the highway, would they likely be pulled over on the interstate for doing absolutely nothing? After violating my civil rights and subjecting my friends and me to a full “felony stop,” the police began repeatedly berating us, and demanding an answer to such ridiculous questions like “Tell us: Where are the drugs? Where are the drugs! We know you got ‘em!” And why wouldn’t the police demand answers to these answers? After all, a felony traffic stop occurs when police stop a vehicle which they have strong reason to believe contains a driver or passenger suspected of having committed a serious crime, especially of a nature that would lead the police to believe the suspect(s) may be armed (such as an armed robbery, assault with a weapon, or an outstanding felony warrant for the registered owner).” Of course, as three law-abiding, professional Black men on our way to enjoying a weekend in New Orleans, we did not have any drugs, and we certainly did not deserve to be forced to walk backward - at gunpoint - toward multiple trigger-happy handguns, along the sweltering highway of Interstate 10. And of course, the lack of probable cause did not stop the police from bringing out the drug-sniffing dogs. At this point in the violation of my civil rights, I hovered somewhere between angry, scared, furious, frightened, and just plain defeated. There I stood on the side of Interstate 10, as hundreds of passing motorists watched me with my hands behind my head, being frisked, shoved, and publicly humiliated. Indeed, there I stood – a Naval Officer charged with the duties of defending our nation. However, I was not quite a Free Man in the Land of the Free. Here is the moment when I, a mixed-race, professional Blexican, became “casually racist.” As I stood there along the interstate, under the hot Louisiana sun, I actually doubted my fellow friends. My mind began dancing with paranoia, wondering if my friends actually did have drugs with them. After all, they were, indeed, naval aviators; military pilots who flew throughout the U.S. Navy’s training area over the Gulf of Mexico. Of course, in reality, they most certainly did not have any drugs. But, like me, they were guilty of being non-White… Or, more specifically, we were three Black men, driving while Black (DWB). And even if my friends did not have any drugs on them, with such a grand, law-enforcement production along the side of interstate transportation (and I use the term “law enforcement” loosely… about as loosely as some police use it every day in this country), I began to wonder if drugs would be planted by these police who were, as many would say… “just doing their jobs." But I have digressed… What do the cases of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Trayvon Martin and Eric Garner mean for you, she, he, and me? Well, for those of us forever cloaked in a shade of skin not quite right in the mind of prejudiced and racists people – especially for those of you who never really get a good look in your mirror… the initial and subsequent decisions not to prosecute their killers once again peels back an always mending, but never-healed scar of one of the great foundations of this country: ...being three-fifths of a person. But more than that, it reminds me of the time when I was Director of Security at Oak Court Mall in Memphis, Tennessee. The manager at a certain national lingerie store was shocked when she installed a camera in the back section of the store. After viewing the footage, she was absolutely appalled that (in her words) “White people steal!” Apparently, Black people are the only people to whom she ever paid “theft attention." And with all that great White Privilege, her White customers knew exactly when to strike. Ironically, the "best" time to steal was when Black people were in the store. THEN, it seems employees were preoccupied with real (Black) customers… not the White thieves. As it turns out for many of us minorities, if we are Black, and see a police officer, we know we are definitely in the Land of the Brave. The question is, “Who is braver?” Is it the Black man whose life is in jeopardy for just walking down the street with his hands in his pocket? Or is it the policeman (white, black, or brown), who has unmitigated impunity to shoot first, and (not even) ask questions later. I absolutely abhor the terms “implicit or subconscious bias.” These terms help foster a belief and false narrative that racist people “just don’t know they are being racist” when they do the things they do. Honolulu 2020 - BLM March Zimmerman literally stalked, hunted, and killed Trayvon. Similarly, Travis McMichael, Gregory McMichael, and William "Roddie" Bryan allegedly stalked, hunted, and killed Ahmadu Arbery. A Cleveland police officer literally shot first and asked questions later when he killed a 12-year-old boy who happened to be in the park on a cold Cleveland morning, playing with a toy gun. Moreover, in Cleveland, where the Justice Department has determined that the police department systematically engages in excessive use of force against civilians, there will likely be zero repercussions for all of those beatings, killings, and systematic uses of excessive force. So, whether you are a Black employee with several friends, associates, coworkers, and neighbors of the same or different race… Or whether you are a White manager, supervisor, line cook, student, mother, father, sister, brother, or cousin, please stop and take a look in your mirror… not just the mirror that this country has refused to face for far too long. But also take a look in the rear-view mirror of yesterday, last week, or whenever --and admit that we have a long way to go until we are truly the Land of the Free. In reality, that incident along Interstate 10 in St. Charles Parish in Louisiana is the #1 reason why I live in Hawaii. It’s not a perfect paradise, but my darker skin color is not a liability in this island nation. Back on the mainland, it’s a totally different reality. In fact, I can vividly recall the time when I was with a few other Black Navy Supply Corps Officers, waiting to cross the street in Athens, Georgia. As we stood there, waiting for the crosswalk signal to change, two police officers drove up and instructed us to “move along.” We were aghast with disbelief. For those of you who don’t know, Athens, Georgia, is the college town of the University of Georgia. And on any given (pre-Covid) Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, there are literally thousands of drunken white people stumbling along the main drag, Atlanta Highway. But, alas, they, the drunken white college students, were not the problem that night. Again, it was the five sober Black post-graduate Naval officers (and gentlemen) waiting patiently to cross the street. But the unaddressed grievances don’t stop there. I also remember attending a Navy Leadership Course that was being proctored by a nice Southern gentleman from good ol’ South Carolina; a graduate of the charmingly racist institution known as The Citadel. Well, on one particular day of instruction at the Navy’s Department Head School in Athens. Georgia, that Navy lecturer shared a story about a ship on which he once served. As he told the story to the class of all white Naval officers (except me, the lone person of color), the instructor mentioned the “big black Chief” that also served in his division. Upon hearing this highly descriptive term, I calmly asked, “And the others?” The Citadel graduate/Navy instructor looked at me as if I had just said something in a foreign language. “Excuse me?” he asked in disbelief. I re-stated and re-worded my initial question: “The others,” I said. “What color were they?” “Hunh? What?” he responded incredulously. “Well…” I said calmly. “You mentioned that one of the guys was a ‘big Black Chief,’ so I am just wondering why that detail was so important.” {It wasn’t} At that point, every White person in the room came to his immediate defense. “Of course, the other people in the story were White!” they all exclaimed. “And I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it,” they collectively collaborated, corroborated, and extrapolated with each other upon their very own versions of the truth. Ok; got it. These events may seem totally unrelated. They're not. They are absolutely related. But they should also prove insightful. And, over the summer of 2020, incidents like these also proved "inciteful." Lastly, with so many police still publicly abusing and killing people of color, despite the lenses of multiple cellphone cameras collecting gigabytes of video data, it’s still all about the Red, White, and You… and why so many of us still can’t “back the blue.” ~ Black Lives Matter ~ John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John H. Clark III believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner: AUTHOR'S NOTE: As difficult as conversations like these may appear to be, it's often more difficult to write about them. Yet, we must continue to press forward in an authentic investigation of self if we are to become a "more perfect union."
In retrospect, I remember being brought to tears when it became evident that President-elect Obama was on the verge of making history. At the time, I was leading a men's group of Christian men while living in the D.C Metropolitan Area. Interestingly enough, I was the only person of color in the group, And I vividly remember the clear disappointment among at least one member of the group when we discussed President-elect Obama. To be honest, as the years went by, I became somewhat disenchanted with the manner in which President Obama seemed to handle race relations. In my limited view of things, it seemed as though he only spoke publicly about race when the nation was grappling with a severe "racial incident." And, unfortunately, there were numerous "racial incidents" during the Obama Presidency, including the incident when Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr was arrested on suspicion of breaking into his own home near Harvard. Equally notorious was the incident when George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. President Obama spoke publicly on both occasions. And, in my opinion, he spoke authentically. First in 2009, in his answer to a reporter's question regarding the arrest of Professor Gates, President Obama admitted his feelings and associated response were a little bit biased, primarily because Professor Gates is a personal friend of the Obamas. Secondly, when Zimmerman killed the teenager, President Obama said "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon." This statement, though entirely rooted in fact, incensed so many Americans. Accordingly, many Americans wasted very little time as they pounced and accused him of race-baiting. Indeed, whenever the topic of race was at hand, President Obama found himself in the proverbial Catch-22; a no-win situation... despite being imminently qualified to speak authoritatively on the subject. I adore President Obama. I just wish he would have spent more time discussing race and racial politics in relatively "normal" times. For example, perhaps a better time to discuss race would have been on some random Tuesday morning when racial tensions were not so inflamed. However, in this country... ...we are always a few hours away from a race-related incident.
Absolutely beautiful!
As I stepped out onto the circular track, ready to begin my morning ritual just before sunrise, the smell of the morning dew greeted my awaiting senses. The grass surrounding the track was freshly cut, and I was motivated to get my day started.
And then I felt it. That small… tiny… miniscule pebble somewhere just in back of the arch in my right foot. It suddenly spoke up. At first, all I heard was the soft whisper of the pebble’s voice as I strode along the graveled path. I was not bothered, per se, by the tiny little whisper. After all, I was wearing a nice pair of sweat socks and a great pair of running shoes. Nonetheless, I heard the little whisper from that tiny pebble. “Never mind me,” the tiny pebble seemed to say...
“I won’t hurt you.
I won’t cause any damage. Focus on your meditative walk. You can do it. Don’t listen to me.”
Despite what it said, I listened to that little pebble for the next 1,722 paces… until I finally moved to the side of the track, removed my right shoe, held it vertically (toe-side-up), and watched that tiny morsel of a rock settle into the heel of the shoe.
And then, ...I let it go. Right there along the path of the track, I let that little sapper of energy drop to the earth. Me? What did I do? I stood there, between heaven and earth, attached to the earth by unseen forces, but closer to heaven by virtue of altitude, attitude and the foundation of my faith. And then, I returned the exact same shoe to my right foot. I subsequently inhaled deeply, and began my newly inspired journey in earnest. Back on the right track and no longer listening to the soft-but-steady words of that annoying pebble, I only heard my beautiful inner thoughts and the teachings of heaven. Wow! What a difference it made! I could actually align my thoughts without the occasional aside from the whispering pebble. The nerve of that little pebble! “I won’t hurt you. I won’t cause any damage," it said. But oh! The pebble’s consistent little conversation with me WAS the damage. Now, ideally, I should have never given that little pebble the opportunity to garner my thoughts. Ideally, I should have dispensed with that little bugger and his persistent whisperings as soon as it spoke up... Instead, I had already begun to listen and converse with something so small but certainly significant as it kept me from enjoying the very foundation upon which I was attempting to form a better me. Indeed, ideally, we should all prepare and facilitate the best possible foundation for our journey in life. After all, life is a beautifully meandering journey with equal parts mystery, might, and seemingly minuscule, if not disparate, moments of madness. In reality, we are all somehow, someway connected. And as much as we attempt to prepare for the perfectly planned path, the road ahead can appear to get a tad bit mockingly and shockingly rocky every now and then. Interestingly, we often view the rockiness as solely an outside influence. In reality, you and I know that we, ourselves, often allow things to pester, fester, and make us the court jester in our very own self-created kingdom. The name of one of my books, The Ideal: Your Guide to An Ideal Life, implies the lofty goal of achieving an “almost perfect” life. However, perfection does not exist for us mere mortals. Moreover, the search for an ideal life is a continuous quest; it is not something we someday complete and subsequently cease all effort towards. It is the literal application of a life-long dream. In fact, The Ideal Life is an existence, a lived life, and an alignment of our resources toward an acceptance and eventual understanding that the path of life is definitely not smooth. It can be meandering, unstable, and sometimes jagged, ragged, if not outright tattered and torn with discontent, disdain, and downright damning downpours of one disappointment after another. Yet, the time we share does not stop. The clock of our lives keeps on ticking. What, then, are we to do? We must rejuvenate, folks. And we must do this often. Mealtime, while feeding the body, is the perfect time to rejuvenate the mind and soul. Why not invest a mere 20 seconds and feed all three at the same time? Start your breakfast, lunch or dinner by thinking about how fortunate you are to have what you already have. Need something for which to be thankful? Try starting with your five senses… as well as the great sense of timing you now have. Want to try something even MORE special? Send yourself an email with the subject line “Two Little Pebbles.”
In the email to yourself, simply write two straightforward sentences:
1. Beginning today, I will stop ___________. 2. Beginning today, I will start ___________.
Think about the ONE thing you want to stop.
Think a little longer about the ONE thing you definitely want to start. Complete the sentences by filling in the blanks, and then hit SEND. Tomorrow, forward that one little email to yourself... ...and do the same thing again for the next 5 weeks. One small email is all I am asking of you. One... small... email. This may seem simple, stupid, and shallow. But when it comes to creating REAL change... it works. Laugh at me if you must. But, as the saying goes, don't knock it until you try it. Beginning today, remove those two little pebbles that whisper persistently in your ear, and then get started on living The Ideal life! Why start now? Well, it is, indeed, a New Year. But, more importantly, in work and play… in life, love, and the life-long search for happiness, we all employ a day-to-day philosophy. Starting today, let's improve YOUR philosophy about YOUR life.
Make no mistake:
We all have our own philosophy. What's your personal philosophy? My philosophy is simple: Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ® ~ Aloha ~ John H. Clark III
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John H. Clark III believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner:
The following is an unedited essay that my daughter turned in for an English Class assignment:
“Write something uplifting! I know you can do it. Just try.”
Staring at my computer screen, I was astonished at this outrageous request. Was my teacher serious? We have to write something uplifting in the middle of a pandemic, racial injustice protests, reproductive rights crisis, and general nightmare that is our current world? "Laughable," I figured. What’s uplifting in this world? We’ve got people dying every day; how is anything about that uplifting? Hovering my fingers over my keyboard hesitantly, I couldn’t even think of a place to start. Just try? Eventually, after zero progress, I got sick of the blaring white Google Document in my face, so I switched tabs into my Spotify music application. Then, it dawned on me. Where do I turn when the world seems to be in complete shambles? Where do I begin to express myself in times of trouble? Where do I go when my teacher gives me an unbelievable assignment that results in a massive headache?
Music!
Clicking “Play” on one of my playlists immediately snapped my spirits up. A smile spread across my face as George Michael serenaded me through my laptop speaker. The world around, full of disaster and depression, faded away. I was invincible as David Bowie sang to me, convincing me that maybe, just maybe, everything would be alright.
Inspired, my fingers began dancing across my computer, typing out words faster than my brain could even comprehend. Dozens of typos and grammatical errors flashed on my screen as I did nothing but write - and that was okay. I wrote with a passion and a drive which I never had before I listened to music. I was trying. Amazed at how quickly everything came to light, I sat back and took my work in. How did I do that, man? Sure, I could send out a massive thank you to the Beatles or the Rolling Stones, and, while I am truly grateful for them, they weren’t the ones who got me to do that writing piece. They weren’t the ones who motivated me to get this done. It was my teacher, who told me to “just try.” It’s people like this, people like my teacher, people who push us forward to do what we don’t want to do, who make this world a little bit more bearable. Those people who can guide you to the light at the end of the tunnel, if not be that light themselves. And, in times like this, nobody means more than somebody nudging you, inspiring you, and convincing you to just try.
The next day, my daughter’s teacher responded with four little words:
“You made me cry.”
Please share this post with a teacher today...
© 2020. Gabriella Clark. All Rights Reserved.
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John H. Clark III believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner:
Bad men need nothing more to compass their ends,
than that good men should look on and do nothing. ( John Stuart Mill )
I enlisted in the military in 1986, and, as the picture above reflects, I was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy in 1993.
I retired at the rank of commander two years ago. During that 30-year timeframe, our nation's Navy has changed significantly. However, as I pointed out in a recent blog post, "Our Navy - your Navy - continues to lose incredibly talented leaders, primarily because those same talented leaders do not fit the mean, median, mode, or, most importantly, the mold.” After I shared that blog post “How I Helped Slow Systemic Racism in Our Nation’s Navy,” the response was immediate and unprecedented. Through my website and across the various groups to which I belong on LinkedIn and Facebook, many people reached out to say “Thank you.” They thanked me for having the “courage” to publish an essay about the current state of our nation's Navy, and military, in general. I received thank-you notes from Active Duty personnel, Reservists, and Retired personnel... as well as civilians who have never served in our nation's military. Perhaps the most heartfelt response was from a mother of a service member. Without revealing her identity, I will simply convey what she said in her email:
“As a mom of someone who graduated from the USNA and the Post Grad schools,
I find your comments to be spot on. I just wanted to thank you for your courage and honesty.”
I find it terribly ironic that, the more candid and transparent I am, the more I am seen as “courageous” and “honest.” These heartfelt messages imply that a negative backlash and a war with senior Navy leaders is awaiting me somewhere, somehow, some day... for simply being authentic and sharing a (Capital-T) Truth that is hidden in plain sight.
But to be perfectly candid, I was not totally honest in my previous post regarding my exchanges with the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association and the President of the Naval Postgraduate School. Though I did, in fact, allude to my disappointment with the “unsupportive response from the President of the Naval Postgraduate School and the underwhelming support of senior ‘leadership’ at the National Naval Officers Association...” ...to be honest, I didn’t share the reasons why I was disappointed. Indeed, there were several reasons. And, though I am a self-proclaimed "optimistic realist," I feel compelled to share two primarily idealistic (as opposed to optimistic) reasons why I believe the leadership of these two organizations failed spectacularly in their respective roles. POINT #1. In the week following my request for a Zoom meeting with the leadership of the Naval Postgraduate School and the NPS Alumni Association, the president of the Naval Postgraduate School held an “open dialogue” about racial diversity. (click on the link to read it... or listen to to it). On its face, the “open dialogue” facilitated by the school’s president appeared to be an honest attempt at initiating resolution of the challenge of racial politics in America. However, in the REAL WORLD, the school’s president laid blame and the responsibility to search for a solution at the lap of four Black officers, all of whom were several ranks junior to the retired three-star admiral. Consider the words of the NPS president, the retired admiral:
“I brought together four of our outstanding students to talk about this historically difficult topic with greater urgency and determination, one that must be a topic for all leaders … inclusion, diversity and the issue of race that has been at the center of our nation's pain and anger,” said the president.
“I wanted to listen and explore with them how we in the military, and how we as leaders, can do more to understand concerns they have and discuss ideas together to make real change.” (NPS president ~ see video below)
Here's where the words of the school's president and the REAL WORLD are in conflict:
If inclusion, diversity and the issue of race are topics “for all leaders,” then the president should have included a more diverse panel of naval officers. To be more precise: the president asked four Black naval officers to help solve a problem by which they, themselves, did not cause, but are potentially, if not likely, directly and adversely affected. To be even MORE precise: the president of the Naval Postgraduate School purposefully left White naval officers out of the discussion.
Why?
Wouldn’t it be nice to hear what THEY have to say?
In fact, why not have a subsequent “Open Dialogue About Racial Diversity” with an all-white caste of junior and field-grade officers? (And, yes: I meant to spell caste in the manner it is spelled).
After all, the school’s alumni association appears to be exceedingly comfortable with an all-white Advisory Council (until my attempts at forced integration) and an all-white Board of Trustees (which remains all-white as of the date of this post). Please seek to understand my perfectly authentic point here... Ask yourself... are Black people the problem here? Of course, the answer is "No." However, here, again, these Black naval officers - FOUR BLACK MEN - were being asked for insight into the problem. But here's the thing: our nation - your nation - does not have a history of enslavement, lynchings, victim-blaming, and the well-documented disenfranchisement and ostracism of White men. To be perfectly transparent, honest, and (dare I say it) courageous: our nation - your nation - has a history of enslavement, lynchings, victim-blaming, and the well-documented disenfranchisement and ostracism of Black men. Some of my friends and fellow naval officers still on Active Duty ask me why I, the optimistic realist, have decided to write on this potentially divisive topic (?) Indeed, it takes significantly more effort and extra work to be fully invested in who we are and the associated things we have to say, than to perform according to the muted expectations, false frameworks, and unsubstantiated directives of others. And as I stated in my previous post, for many people, this public investigation of the perspectives of the Black naval officers would likely be an oversight. But for me, it was a formidable slight to which there could be no excuse. In the final remarks of the "dialogue," the president of NPS says, "You have my commitment in making sure NPS is a place that solves problems.” I remain unimpressed. And here's why... In the context of the conversation, the Naval Postgraduate School could be a place that solves racial problems, if nowhere else, within our military... and (perhaps) within our society. Yet... In today’s world, it is absolutely unacceptable for a retired three-star admiral to ONLY “invite” four black military officers to speak openly about something that can absolutely affect the trajectory of their career… Aside from asking these young Black men to lay bare their personal and professional souls, the power dynamic between them and the retired three-star admiral is wildly askew.
In reality, the Black naval officers were likely very circumspect.
In fact (play the video)...
My simple point is this: I wonder how White naval officers at the Naval Postgraduate School feel about inclusion, diversity and the issue of race in our nation’s Navy.
Wouldn’t it be nice to hear what THEY have to say?
Apparently, the president of the NPS didn't think they were part of the solution or the problem.
POINT #2. In the week following my Zoom meeting with the leadership of the Naval Postgraduate School and the NPS Alumni Association, I suggested that the Naval Postgraduate School and its Alumni Association could be - SHOULD BE - at the forefront of initiating creative, bold, and authentic solutions to the military’s conundrum of race, racial politics, and the resultant abysmal level of diversity reflected at the highest levels of our nation’s civilian and uniformed military leaders (as reflected in the below photograph which shows our nation's top uniformed military leaders posing with the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces).
The Memorandum of Agreement between the Naval Postgraduate School and the Alumni Association of the Naval Postgraduate School delineates very specific roles and responsibilities of the Alumni Association, one of which is to “serve as the primary point of contact between the Naval Postgraduate School and the Foundation on all matters relating to the relationship.”
And, in this regard, the Naval Postgraduate School and the Alumni Association are inextricably bound. Accordingly, in at least three separate Zoom meetings, I specifically asked the president of the Alumni Association to convey POINT #1 and POINT # 2 as described above. As one of the premier institutions of higher learning for our nation's military leaders, the Naval Postgraduate School could actually provide a platform for proactively seeking, researching, and (dare I say it) literally learning about the Navy’s apparently inherent challenges of inclusion, diversity and the historical savagery and VERY contemporary politics of race. Accordingly, I offered several suggestions on HOW the Naval Postgraduate School could effectuate such research and learning.
I suggested quarterly seminars for students at NPS.
I suggested brown-bag luncheons at NPS. I suggested, rather idealistically... ...a course on race relations within our Navy, and within the military, in general. The reaction, response, and reply from NPS: ~ SILENCE ~ Let’s all try to remember the absolute power of silence.
In fact, let’s remember who was “invited” to speak at the “open dialogue…”
…and who was allowed to remain silent. ~ ~ ~
AUTHOR'S NOTE: As difficult as conversations like these may appear to be, it's often more difficult to write about them. Yet, we must continue to press forward in an authentic investigation of self if we are to become a "more perfect union."
In retrospect, I remember being brought to tears when it became evident that President-elect Obama was on the verge of making history. At the time, I was leading a men's group of Christian men while living in the D.C Metropolitan Area. Interestingly enough, I was the only person of color in the group, And I vividly remember the clear disappointment among at least one member of the group when we discussed President-elect Obama. To be honest, as the years went by, I became somewhat disenchanted with the manner in which President Obama seemed to handle race relations. In my limited view of things, it seemed as though he only spoke publicly about race when the nation was grappling with a severe "racial incident." And, unfortunately, there were numerous "racial incidents" during the Obama Presidency, including the incident when Harvard professor Henry Louis Gates Jr was arrested on suspicion of breaking into his own home near Harvard. Equally notorious was the incident when George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin. President Obama spoke publicly on both occasions. And, in my opinion, he spoke authentically. First in 2009, in his answer to a reporter's question regarding the arrest of Professor Gates, President Obama admitted his feelings and associated response were a little bit biased, primarily because Professor Gates is a personal friend of the Obamas. Secondly, when Zimmerman killed the teenager, President Obama said "If I had a son, he would look like Trayvon." This statement, though entirely rooted in fact, incensed so many Americans. Accordingly, many Americans wasted very little time as they pounced and accused him of race-baiting. Indeed, whenever the topic of race was at hand, President Obama found himself in the proverbial Catch-22; a no-win situation... despite being imminently qualified to speak authoritatively on the subject. I adore President Obama. I just wish he would have spent more time discussing race and racial politics in relatively "normal" times. For example, perhaps a better time to discuss race would have been on some random Tuesday morning when racial tensions were not so inflamed.
However, in this country...
...we are always a few hours away from a race-related incident.
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John H. Clark III believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner:
Something…
I did something earlier this past year that started out so innocuously.
I received an invite on LinkedIn; there would be a social mixer for the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association here in Hawaii, at a restaurant overlooking historic Pearl Harbor. As a 2003 graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, how could I resist? My wife and I joined the festivities, and we listened intently as the representatives from the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association discussed future plans and asked other alumni if we would like to be a part of the planned growth of the Association. Part of the plans included an exciting new digital periodical titled “Faces of NPS.” “Faces” would reflect the various initiatives of current students, alumni, and all of the terrific things that we had done, were doing, or were planning to do. So, needless to say, I was rather excited when, several months later, the inaugural edition of “Faces of NPS” popped into my email inbox early Saturday morning on May 23rd, just as the COVID pandemic was grabbing the lion’s share of media attention. Upon reading through the inaugural edition of “Faces of NPS” (Faces of NPS, Volume 1), I was immediately struck by the complete lack of diversity in the e-newsletter that purported to focus “on the people of the Naval Postgraduate School.” Not one single person highlighted in the e-newsletter “that focuses on the people of the Naval Postgraduate School” was a minority. No minority students… …no minority staff members… ...and no minority alumni were presented. Now, to many people, this would likely be an oversight. But for me, it was a formidable slight to which there could be no excuse. Accordingly, I promptly responded with an email later that same Saturday afternoon on which I received the email (sent at 2:38 Hawaiian Standard Time on May 23rd). You can read the complete contents of my email HERE, but the specific concerns I shared included the following statement: “Inasmuch as our great Navy has made tremendous strides, advances, and improvements in facilitating (allowing) members of the minority communities to more fully participate in virtually every field available to our military and civilian population, I am somewhat dismayed that the inaugural edition of “Faces of NPS” reflects poorly on those significant headways. If “Faces of NPS” seeks to be a premier **and** inclusive periodical that represents the alumni/alumnae of the Naval Postgraduate School, please make a more concerted effort to include minority personnel as "Faces of NPS" highlights the past, present, and ongoing efforts of its students, faculty and staff. As you are hopefully aware, minorities have been historically disenfranchised and marginalized, despite investing significant, if not all, portions of their careers and lives to the United States Navy and, by extension, the United States of America. And, as I have posited elsewhere, our Navy - your Navy - continues to lose incredibly talented leaders, primarily because those same talented leaders do not fit the mean, median, mode, or, most importantly, the mold.” I closed the email letter with a very specific statement and accompanying request. Specifically: “In reality, if we are not doing something very specific to mitigate, undermine, confront, and overwhelm the formal, informal, and very well-known systems that perpetuate yesterday’s policies into tomorrow, we are, ourselves, mere facilitators of the same. Please do better. Please do something very specific to mitigate, undermine, confront, and overwhelm the formal, informal, and very well-known systems that perpetuate yesterday’s policies into tomorrow.” Unsurprisingly, by Thursday of the following week, I had not received a response to my email. Accordingly, I followed up with another email, directly to the President of the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association. (If desired, read a copy of the email HERE.) Here is a screenshot of the website of the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association Advisory Council, followed by their self-described mission. It's an interesting mix of "diverse" members, right?
Please note the “diverse” members.
I specifically mention the word “diverse” primarily because, as you can see, despite having an all-white cast of characters, the NPS Alumni Association Advisory Council of the NPS Alumni Association had the sheer unmitigated gall to state this on their website:
“… the Advisory Council is composed of accomplished experts who will offer innovative strategies and DIVERSE perspectives to our Board of Trustees.” In my mind, for an alumni association with an (all-white) Board of Trustees and an (all-white) Advisory Council that represents thousands of minority students of a federally funded institution of higher learning, the wording reflected in the aforementioned paragraph is wholly unacceptable, by ANY standard. Unfortunately, the offenses did not stop there. On Friday, May 29th, when I finally received a formal response to my initial email, the President of the NPS Alumni Association said… “The issue you speak to is important and as an organization we want to keep it front of mind in all we do. With regard to the make-up of our Trustees and Advisory Council, the leaders of each have TALKED with me about identifying candidates that are more representative of the U.S. and the military and we have taken that step in updating our prospect list for each.” Please note the highlighted word in the above paragraph: TALKED. Wow! Back when I served in the World’s Greatest Navy, we did not speak highly of people who TALKED about doing things… especially when it took honor, courage, and true commitment to get the job done. Accordingly, I responded with a more urgent appeal. I asked for deliverables. Specifically,
After all, how could an all-white panel provide DIVERSE perspectives? (And don’t get it twisted: we ALL know that the word “diverse” is a loaded word, with strong implications.)
To provide maximum flexibility for the meeting, I made myself available for the subsequent 60 days, and offered to fly to Monterey from Hawaii for the meeting.
One would think this record of events would surely start leaning toward a progressively better status. Unfortunately, the offenses did not stop there. Accordingly, I restated the verbiage of my previous email. Expressly: Please tell me, specifically, what the Naval Postgraduate School is doing to mitigate, undermine, confront, and overwhelm the formal, informal, and very well-known systems that perpetuate yesterday’s non-inclusive (if not racist) policies into tomorrow. Clearly, aligning itself with an alumni association that unabashedly maintains a board of advisors and trustees that are almost exclusively white speaks volumes about the school’s concern for diversity (or lack thereof). I ask you, “From where are the DIVERSE perspectives coming?” Again, I sincerely appreciate your communicated stance on this matter. As an alumnus of NPS, I am committed to obtaining a better understanding of how the two institutions are connected, and what we, as a community, are doing to improve what appears to be abysmal efforts at ensuring minority representation at the alumni association. I also added this interesting historical twist: “I implore you to take this matter more seriously. To be sure, in the intervening days since my first email to your organization (on Saturday, May 23rd), our nation and the world are grappling with – and responding to - the most recent public lynching of a Black man here in the United States of America. Also… Given the recent events regarding retired Captain Scott Bethmann, his position as a trustee with the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association, and his egregious comments regarding people of color this past weekend, I am seeking an expeditious response from you, and the NPS (and the advisory council and the trustees, if necessary).” For you see, my dear friends and associates, a few days after my initial email to the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association, George Floyd was killed by a police officer in broad daylight while being filmed by several law-abiding citizens. And, despite what many people might think, these things are related: an all-white Board of Trustees and an all-white Advisory Council at the Alumni Association of YOUR taxpayer-funded Naval Postgraduate School… and the killing of (yet another) Black man on the streets of YOUR nation. In case you missed it, during the timeframe of the aforementioned emails, retired U.S. Navy Captain Scott Bethmann garnered his 15 minutes of infamy by livestreaming racist remarks on Facebook. He and his wife reportedly used the n-word, and said several racially disparaging remarks while (apparently) unknowingly broadcasting the remarks on Facebook. Interestingly enough, retired Captain Bethmann wasn’t just “any ol’ retired captain”; on the day he made those remarks, he was serving as the Treasurer of the Jacksonville Chapter of the Naval Academy Alumni Association and the National Trustee. Unfortunately, the offenses did not stop there. In a much more formal response to my initial inquiry regarding the lack of minority representation on the Advisory Council and Board of Trustees (on June 10th, 2020), the President and CEO of the Naval Postgraduate School Foundation wrote… “We will explore additional ways to reach underrepresented youth, through STEM events and high school and college internships, and look for new opportunities to assist military organizations, like the National Naval Officers Association.” Take a look at the picture below and understand this supremely important point: This is NOT about “underrepresented youth, through STEM events and high school and college internships.”
This is about RETENTION… of people of color… at the higher levels of civilian and uniformed military organizations.
To be perfectly candid, any attempt to shift the narrative from RETENTION to RECRUITMENT underscores exactly HOW systemic racism continues to reinforce itself as and among the status quo in our nation. For you see, if people of color don’t make it to and through the HIGHER levels of civilian and uniformed military organizations, they will never make it to the HIGHEST levels of civilian and uniformed military organizations. To be clear: I am a “Life Member” of the National Naval Officers Association (NNOA). Conveniently, during this timeframe, the President of the Naval Postgraduate School, a retired three-star admiral from deep in the heart of good ol’ Texas, joined NNOA as a “Life Member.” Interestingly enough, in the retired admiral's post regarding George Floyd, the phrase "death of George Floyd" is used. It wasn't merely a "death"; it was a killing... a murder. Ah, but we must avoid potential pejoratives; we must be more circumspect. We must use euphemisms. Must we? Also, in full disclosure, throughout these developments, I was in consultation with senior members of the NNOA Executive Team. And, again, to be perfectly candid, they were of no help. In fact, considering the fact that one of the executive members is a retired member of the Navy’s admiralty, one could say that one person in particular, being a person of color, was exhibiting some rather obstructionist behavior. But, alas, that, too, is not surprising. For you see, once certain members of the military reach a certain rank, things begin to change. “What things?” you might ask. Well, for starters, Navy admirals (and military flag officers, in general) have a substantial staff of civilian and uniformed servicemembers who serve a number of purposes, one of which is to protect that admiral or general. After a while, the admirals and generals hear less and less of the (capital-T) Truth… and more and more of what their staff think they, the admirals and generals, WANT TO hear. Accordingly, plausible deniability becomes a way of life for admirals and generals. Ultimately, their true character begins to shine... or otherwise wear thin to reflect their true character. If they are genuinely great leaders (and many of them are great leaders) they will shine so brightly that their brilliance will unabashedly influence and imbue others with a strong sense of mission, honor, courage, and commitment. If, on the other hand, they are shady, everyone knows it, but we must avoid potential pejoratives; we must be more circumspect. We must use euphemisms. Must we? Perhaps they won’t get as bad as Rear Adm. Robert Gilbeau or Rear Admiral David Baucom, but please believe me when I say that I have first-hand knowledge of some rather corrupt navy flag officers. The media regularly reports on some of the lesser-known deeds, like what Rear Admiral Heinrich and others did, but the public rarely pays any real attention to these matters. Most people don’t understand the fact that, by the time something like this rises to the level of media attention, much more nefarious things have transpired at some point or another. But I digress… Ultimately, the Naval Postgraduate School Alumni Association did the right things:
In retrospect, though you, the reader, are just now learning about this act of kindness on my part, I am glad to have performed a service. In today’s terms, I am not so sure about publicly sharing what transpired over this past summer. But, alas, it is 100% true. And yet, for some readers, the aforementioned words, pictures, and progress will all seem like much ado about nothing. As I posited in a previous post… “Earlier this past week, you probably saw the same thing I saw. However, we likely feel differently about it. Yep... despite the fact that we saw the exact same thing... ...it all depends on how you see it. Literally everything we do is affected by how we decide to prioritize our day, our week, and our life. Likewise, our propensities (our habits) help to ensure today is quite a bit like yesterday.” And inasmuch as you and I live in the same country, one nation, under God... as a nation, we are more divisible by race than by any other subjectively objective standard. It’s actually in our nation’s DNA... Article one, section two of the Constitution of the United States declared that any person who was not free would be counted as three-fifths of a free individual for the purposes of determining congressional representation. The "Three-Fifths Clause" thus increased the political power of slaveholding states. (thirteen.org) But here’s the thing… as I posited in the previously referenced post… “Whose reality is more correct? After all, when discussing reality with family and friends, there are at least three ways to view life:
Regardless what ANY of us in the U.S. say, take a look at the following picture.
This is the way things really ARE...
Of course, there are many, many more details to this storied evolution of the Alumni Association at YOUR Naval Postgraduate School (you pay for the school through YOUR tax dollars).
For context and clarity, I have condensed and edited several emails and communications. To be candid, I was less-than-pleased with the unsupportive response from the President of the Naval Postgraduate School and the underwhelming support of senior “leadership” at the National Naval Officers Association. But, hey, at least we now have an integrated Advisory Council at the NPS Alumni Association. But again, let's not get history or present-day progress twisted. It is what it is. Here is a screenshot of the NPS Alumni website I grabbed just before publishing this blog post... ...either you love diversity... or you don't.
It was an interesting summer, to be sure.
But here's a question - Please tell me:
What are YOU doing to mitigate, undermine, confront, and overwhelm the formal, informal, and very well-known systems that perpetuate yesterday’s non-inclusive, if not racist, policies into tomorrow?
If you’re not actively part of the solution, please consider looking in the mirror.
You might be part of the problem. And here is one such example of what I just stated: After all of the email exchanges and numerous Zoom meetings we enjoyed, the President of the Alumni Association had this to say about HOW the all-white Board of Trustees and Advisory Council came to be…
“We didn’t mean for it to happen that way.
It just did.”
If you believe that, then a great number of people have all wasted our time this past summer.
Nothing like this happens “by accident.” ~ Nothing ~
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John H. Clark III believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner: Do you see what I see? Interestingly, the only difference between the words “meditation” and the word “medication” are the letters 't' and 'c.' Just for fun, close your eyes for about 8 seconds and think about those little letters 't' and 'c'. Even with your eyes closed, you can see that those little letters can make all the difference in the world. And by referencing "the world," I am referring to those things internal and external to you. But, more importantly, I am stressing your particular, respective perspective. In other words, even with your eyes closed, you can see that the way you see can make all the difference in the world. Your internal world is where EVERYTHING happens. It's where you might need medicine if you don't invest time ingesting an understanding of your truest, highest, most important self. Your internal world is where EVERYTHING happens. It's where you can conquer the world's most menacing enemy, and create the greatest hero you will ever know or need to know: your self. Your internal world is where EVERYTHING happens. It's quite factually the only place in the world where you can literally and immediately change the world with thought. And I'm not just speaking figuratively… When you change your inner thoughts, you change the blueprints and action plans for your next mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional steps in life (especially the blueprints for your physical world outside of your internal self). And when you change the blueprints and action plans for your next steps in life, you change your own direction, dynamics, and dreams that may come true. Ultimately, when you change your own direction, dynamics, and dreams as they come true... you will undoubtedly change someone, somewhere, somehow... some way. And when that person changes, he or she will soon effect changes within or upon someone else. And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how WE change the world. Interestingly enough... this process goes on with or without your knowledge. Day in and day out, you, he, she, they, and I are constantly changing... The question is: To what state of mind, ability, and action are we changing? Are you acting on purpose? Because if you do, indeed, act on (your) purpose, you will, indeed, get there. Come to think of it… what is your purpose? That's the "million-dollar" question. Meditate on that… (please)... and this: * Happy New Year (minus 29)! * Ask your self, "What do I want to achieve?" * Ask, "What are my end-of-year challenges and opportunities." Meditate... don't medicate. Aloha, John John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner:
A note to my Neighbors in the Aloha State... and across the world ~
Aloha Neighbors,
As we begin moving forward with "Tier II" and the associated plan to open up the state of Hawaii for the mass influx of tourists, please remember that we, the residents of this beautiful state, will be here long after the visitors have left. As it was before, it’s still up to us to give Aloha… beginning with each other. With over 200 COVID-related deaths here in Hawaii, and over 220,000 COVID-related deaths nationwide, many of us have lost loved ones… or at least know someone who has lost a loved one to the current pandemic. To be sure, we have all been impacted – even if you have not yet seen exactly how the pandemic has impacted your very own life. With so much stress, strife, and the fight to live an everyday life, many of us have lost a “certain something.” Many of us cannot place our finger on it, but all of us can identify with this certain sense of loss. I’m not a psychiatrist or a psychologist. Yet, I attribute this sense of loss with the sentiment that we have all lost “what once was.” Moreover, many of us have a fear that what once was… will never again “be.” Perhaps that is true:
What once was… will never again “be.”
To be sure, this statement has always been true.
Yet, it is the overwhelming bombardment of facts, figures, and the continuous influx of news regarding second and third waves (of sickness and death) that can leave us frozen in fear by not only anxiously focusing on the fact that what once was will never again “be”; but also forgetting to occasionally FOCUS on what we ARE doing; where we ARE going; and all of the good things that ARE happening in our world today. As we move forward toward a “next normal,” let’s invest a few thoughts grieving for what once was. Whether we are remembering a lost relative, friend, or a well-loved celebrity, we must slow down and perhaps stop to invest time in grieving for our losses. If you have not done so already, I encourage you to set aside 15 minutes or so, thinking about and, more importantly, feeling throughout… who and what we have lost. In the final analysis, death is as much a part of life as is life itself. When my younger brother was murdered several years ago, as one would expect, my entire life changed. His name *is* Jmeil Clark, and he was my best friend. He lived in Michigan, and I lived in Hawaii when he passed away late one Thursday evening in March 2015. After his death, I began to understand what people mean when they say, “I have lost my faith.” Prior to Jmeil’s death, I had always wondered how anyone who believes in God, or any of the other personal Higher Powers could “lose their faith.” But as I went through the stages of grief and began to experience an overwhelming sense of sorrow, I began to lose hope that the next day, month, or year could ever have the same depth of meaning as it did before Jmeil died. Looking back, I can clearly see that my love for my younger brother was overshadowed by the depth of my sorrow and the gaping hole that had seemed to replace him. I didn’t lose my faith in God, per se. But I did, in fact, lose faith in my belief that all things work for the good of those in Christ. Over the years, my faith has returned… ironically stronger than ever. Of course, to this day, I still love my brother. I miss him. I miss him. I miss him! I need him now as much as I ever did. In fact, I think of him often. And yet, what once “was” will never again “be.” In the 5 years since his death, I have learned to accept what “is.”
And, as I stop to think of Jmeil today, I offer a warm sense of Aloha and a collection of beautifully expressive words to our community, our state, and our world as we process our own respective sense of loss in the midst of this evolving pandemic.
Tomorrow will come.
Though seemingly dismissive, it is a fact that, indeed, this, too, shall pass.
To remove the inferred dismissiveness of the previous words, please allow the thoughts of the great poet Kahlil Gibran to help us process what continues to be one of the most challenging times in our lives.
This is what Gibran had to say about sorrow…
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled with your tears
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain.
Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven? And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed with knives? When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy. When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight. Some of you say, “Joy is greater than sorrow,” and others say, “Nay, sorrow is the greater.” But I say unto you, they are inseparable. Together they come, and when one sits alone with you at your board, remember that the other is asleep upon your bed. Verily you are suspended like scales between your sorrow and your joy. Only when you are empty are you at standstill and balanced. When the reassure-keeper lifts you to weigh his gold and his silver... needs must your joy or your sorrow rise or fall.
~ Aloha ~
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner:
There is tremendous power in acceptance.
I recently discovered that one of our teenage daughters made a choice to do something that was not in alignment with the rules of the Clark Ohana. So, today, after breakfast, we had a family meeting.
During our value-added, love-based discussion about choices, actions, and consequences, I was shocked and dismayed to learn that my daughters, who have previously and proudly shared stories about their victorious arguments won in previous “Socratic Seminars” at school, had never been taught what the Socratic Method is, or who, how, and why the Socratic Method was (and still is) a successful method for improving the likelihood of arriving at a validated consensus. Heck, they didn’t even know who Socrates was. Of course, I digressed and led a family discussion on who Socrates was; what the Socratic Method is; and why the Socratic Method works. More importantly, I explained why the current political debates, though initially founded on a derivation of the premise of the Socratic Method, fail miserably at providing any real value. For the most part, the positions of the remaining candidates are well-known by most voters well before the debates. Accordingly, with a failed Socratic Method, we are left with personal and dogmatic attacks; validations of the parties’ respective positions; invective, and hyperbolic histrionics that actually do more to undermine an understanding of the issues than to facilitate a greater consideration of what could or might be a different, if not better, set of discussed and deliberated alternatives. Bringing it all back to family, I will add this: When he was alive, my paternal grandfather would seemingly ramble on and on about many things in which I was not entirely informed and, as such… not entirely interested; yet, as a respectful and uneducated young man, I intently listened. And, just when I thought my grandfather’s ramblings could not get any worse, he would say something amazingly powerful that would connect with me, myself, and my life in a way that I would have never discovered if I did not have the initial respect and regard to (at least) TRULY listen and SINCERELY consider the fullness of what he was saying. As a community of people… As a nation of naturally born or naturalized citizens… We have the same capability and capacity. Yet, we seem to lack real-time consideration and compliance. Accordingly, we have become complicit in a conspiracy and war of which we are unwitting and unsuspecting - yet willing - combatants. Again…
We have become complicit in a war of which we are unwitting yet willing combatants.
At the end of the day, right is right, and wrong is wrong.
And to whom much is given, much is expected. Unfortunately, in the final analysis, the two-party system has devolved into a choice between proactive support for a country that prioritizes CORPORATE welfare or SOCIAL welfare. Both of these concepts and resultant philosophies are unique in how they elevate “entities.” Legally and spiritually, you, he, she, me, and they are real entities. Legally speaking, corporations are entities, too. The major difference? For thousands of years, you, he, she, me, and they have been responsible for taking care of each other, especially when one of us cannot take care of ourselves. In this relatively new experiment called the United States of America, corporate entities have one, singular mission: to literally succeed at all costs. To do this, corporate entities must place the corporate interests above the interests of the people that work for and with the entity. The U.S. “conservative” party loves to place corporate interests above the interests of the people that work for and with the entity. Thus, they love corporate welfare. If you don’t believe or understand this, please don’t attack me. Listen, learn, and then lead yourself in a manner similar to what I did when my grandfather rambled on about SEEMINGLY unrelated matters. On the other hand (or on the other side of the aisle), we have at least tried to do one, small-but significant thing – like provide universal health care – that best exemplify the concern of the health of our nation (literally and figuratively). Concern and the commensurately capable programs for the electorate’s health should be a no-brainer; it’s a form of social welfare that the United States is literally the last advanced nation in the Western World to NOT openly and optimistically offer this option. But, because we, as an electorate represented by politicians, lobbyists, and avatars, seem to lack real-time consideration and compliance with the rules of listening, learning, and leading ourselves to an inclusive conclusion, we have allowed politicians, pundits, and prevaricators to purposefully obfuscate social welfare and make it seem tantamount to socialism. It is not. There… I have purposefully made it equally muddled. Because, in the end, I want to ask this one, simple question:
Do you want corporate welfare or social welfare?
Personally, I prefer a balance of the two. We in the various States united under an evolving constitution haven't figured out how to have a balanced system with proper checks and balances.
Accordingly, in the absence of balance, let’s go with social welfare. The corporations can and will "figure it out." And remember, despite what some united citizens would have you believe: concern for our nation's social welfare is definitely NOT socialism. But as long as we allow politicians to lie, evade valid questions, and pretend like their actions, answers, and associations don’t have consequences, we are making our world worse for my teenage daughters and your children, too. As ageless philosophers have reminded us again and again, we must begin with the end in mind. Accordingly, I endeavor to live by the mantra to {Accept. Adapt. Achieve!®} Indeed, I’ve learned the tremendous power of acceptance. At least three times a week, I tell myself, “I am where I need to be, when I need to be there.” Over the course of my lifetime, I have learned that we, as a species, can accept almost anything. Interestingly enough, we don’t have to understand what we are trying to accept; all that acceptance requires is a specific intention of choice. We choose to believe in the concept of a minute, an hour, and race (as in the color of a person's skin). Truly, the human being is such an amazing creature; we can adapt to almost anything. Accordingly, if we can accept almost anything, and we can adapt to almost anything... what does that say about what we can achieve?
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner:
These are the facts...
1. The local police have been called to a hotel where a man was seen with a gun.
2. The race of the suspected gunman is unknown to Officer Ronald Kerzaya, who happens to be the first police officer on the scene, 3. Upon arrival at the hotel, Officer Kerzaya pleasantly greets an unknown (White) man who is wearing a plain red shirt by saying “Hey, sir. How we doing?” (at :40 into the below video provided by the police) - [Remember - Officer Kerzaya does not know if this person could be the suspected gunman] 4. The (White) man in the plain red shirt is not wearing any identifying hotel or employer clothing. 5. The (White) man in the plain red shirt is apparently a hotel employee who literally tells Officer Kerzaya that THE SUSPECT IS A WHITE MAN. 6. Exactly two minutes later (@ 2:40 into the police video), Officer Kerzaya holds an unknown Black man at gunpoint. The Black man, Mr. Trevonyae Cumpian, is wearing a hotel uniform and completely complies with the directives of Officer Kerzaya, while trying to respectfully engage the officer in a conversation... all while a loaded handgun is pointed directly at Mr. Cumpian's head. The Black employee, Mr. Cumpian, clearly states, "I work here," and he is clearly wearing clothing that validates that fact. 7. Officer Kerzaya tells Mr. Cumpian, “I am responding to someone with a firearm WHO MATCHES YOUR DESCRIPTION.” (@ 2:54 into the video)
Let's review:
As a person of color who has had far too many police handguns aimed at my head for absolutely no reason at all, I find this incident shockingly, disturbingly… ordinary.
Please review the above facts and the associated video with an open mind and an open heart. At least attempt to imagine what it’s like to stare at the dark, potentially life-ending barrel of a gun wielded by a uniformed police officer. And then ask yourself why Officer Kerzaya would say what he said. Notwithstanding the vast number of law-abiding Black men, ALL police officers have absolute license, impunity, and latitude to shoot first and ask questions later. Notwithstanding the vast number of law-abiding police officers, most police officers have absolute license, impunity, and latitude to illegally shoot first and ask questions later… with likely no accountability for the shooting **OR** the answers to the questions asked later.
Interestingly, the man in the plain red shirt could have easily been the gunman.
Imagine if he were, indeed, the gunman... "Hey, sir. How we doing?" ~ BANG! ~ He's dead. Racism affects all of us.
What a strange world it is in which we live.
John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner: I have a dream today. Do you? In a small Michigan city, about 40 years ago, I stood on stage at Ricker Junior High School and recited Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” speech. After weeks and weeks of researching, reviewing, rehearsing, and practicing the speech, I was finally onstage in front of the entire student body, selfless teachers, doting parents, and district administrators. My rendition of the speech came at the conclusion of an afternoon drama-club performance dedicated to many of the major events of the Civil Rights Movement, as well as the great historical achievements of African-Americans. Several of my classmates took turns representing various well-known activists such as Rosa Parks, Medgar Evers, Jesse Owens, Ruby Ridges, Hank Aaron, Thurgood Marshall, George Washington Carver, and Jesse Jackson, among others. In reality, I did not actually recite the speech. Despite my best efforts at learning, memorizing, and practicing the speech, as I stood on stage during the final moments of that Black History program, my mind went totally blank after delivering the first eight lines. But then, something truly incredible happened. The words flowed from my lips as if I were a magic marionette... my voice, my body, and my very soul seemed to be manipulated by the strong, magnificent strings of yesterday, today, and tomorrow. As I stood onstage in front of hundreds of students and teachers, I felt powerlessly authoritative, helplessly confident, and amazingly lucid as I delivered Dr. King’s historical crescendo of words. In a veritable trance, I was mesmerized, paralyzed, and paradoxically invigorated by the words as they flowed from somewhere within my temples, my soul, and the physical synergy of everything happening at that moment. There was no pre-thought… no recall-then-repeat… no actual recollection of words. There was only the speech. Each word flooded the stage as if it were my own. And today, in complete homage to those words, that man, and that mighty time in history… once again… I give you his valid, vivid, and visionary words: “I say to you today, my friends, so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.’ I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood. I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice. I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, that one day right down in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers. I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith that I will go back to the South with. With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day. This will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning, ‘My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrims' pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.’ And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York. Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania. Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado. Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that; let freedom ring from the Stone Mountain of Georgia... Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee. Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi. From every mountainside, let freedom ring... And when this happens.. ...and when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual... ‘Free at last! Free at last! Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!’ Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Lincoln Memorial Washington D.C. August 28, 1963 ~ 57 years ago from the date of this post ~ U.S. Representative John Lewis, another great icon of the civil rights movement who passed away earlier this month, also spoke that day as the president of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee. Of MLK, Representative Lewis said, “Dr. King had the power, the ability, and the capacity to transform those steps on the Lincoln Memorial into a monumental area that will forever be recognized. By speaking the way he did, he educated, he inspired, he informed not just the people there, but people throughout America and unborn generations.” With such a grand dream, many parts of which have come true at some point or another since the death of Dr. King, I have but one question to ask you… What’s YOUR dream? Accept. Adapt. Achieve. ® John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me).
Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and authorize people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. An engaged community advocate and authentic leader, his trademarked phrase is a winner: What do you know...? What a strange country in which we live! I'm an optimist. But I'm also a realist. Thus, I am an optimistic realist. I just donated to the Hawaii Food Bank this past weekend because their “normal” food budget is about four hundred thousand dollars. However, since March of this year, they have spent almost five MILLION dollars providing food for my neighbors. And yet, right here in the good ol’ Aloha State, the state legislature went ahead and approved millions of dollars’ worth of pay raises for thousands of government workers in Hawaii. To some politicians, the decision to approve the pay raises is complex. After all, Hawaii is a very strong union state. And this is, indeed, an election year. Translation: let's all play collective quid-pro-quo; you vote for me, and I will make sure you get a pay raise. In my humble opinion, the politicians who voted for these raises are using money from the citizens of Hawaii in a most irresponsible manner. To be fair, not all of Hawaii’s lawmakers punched the ticket on the train to increase state workers’ pay. SB 785 was passed in the Hawaii State Senate by a 21 to 3 vote. Senators Laura Thielen, Keohokalole, and Riviere voted “no,” but were far outnumbered. Likewise, in the Hawaii House of Representatives, the bill passed by a 51 to 4 margin, with Republican Repsresenttaives McDermott, Ward, Okimoto and Cynthia Thielen voting “no.” But, again, their “no” votes were stood little chance of making a difference against the 51 votes by people who are supposed to represent **all** of Hawaii. To some politicians, the evaluation of whether or not to increase pay among state workers is a complex decision-making process. To other politicians (and most rational people), when the state is on the cusp of what will likely be one of the most austere and financially challenging times in the state’s history, the decision is far less complex. In fact, the decision is quite simple. In a state where literally thousands of residents depend on the tourism industry for their livelihood, the COVID pandemic has had… and will continue to have… a devastating effect on residents who will have to make a decision as simple as “Do I pay the rent… or do I buy groceries?” Why does the state of Hawaii continue to make decisions that will cost its residents more money when the state can least afford it? This is not rocket science. And this is definitely not pono. Sure, with the permanent presence of the United States military, Hawaii has a solid “core” of financial funds flowing into the state. But with closed parks, mandatory social distancing, and citations issued for gatherings of ten or more people, uniformed military personnel and federal civilian workers are not out splurging on the vast number of open tables at the closed restaurants and shopping centers. But before we go too far down the rabbit hole of discussing state spending, let’s take a look at where some of the “stimulus funding” is going. Here’s something I bet you didn’t know: The Federal Reserve said it is buying exchange-traded funds (ETFs) that track the corporate bond market. This is an unprecedented action for our economy; this is a first for the U.S. central bank. I realize many people are trying to make sense of far too many things, and the Fed is literally the farthest thing from most people’s minds right now. But it shouldn’t be. And here’s why… Have you taken a look at the stock market lately? Over the last few weeks, the stock market has literally reached record highs. How can this be? In an economy where many businesses have been closed for a while… and where many of those same businesses will soon close forever, the stock market is still cresting over the previously set high. What a strange country in which we live! The number of unemployed citizens has reached staggering heights. And, though the numbers of new filers for unemployment has begun to slowly decrease over the past few weeks, no one seems to be aghast at how or why the stock market continues to belt out fabulous prices per share. Well, neighbor, when the Federal Reserve starts buying Exchange Traded Funds, they are quite literally, propping up the stock market. What Is an ETF? An exchange traded fund (ETF) is a type of security that involves a collection of securities—such as stocks—that often tracks an underlying index, although they can invest in any number of industry sectors or use various strategies. ETFs are in many ways similar to mutual funds; however, they are listed on exchanges and ETF shares trade throughout the day just like ordinary stock. Some well-known example is the SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY), which tracks the S&P 500 Index. ETFs can contain many types of investments, including stocks, commodities, bonds, or a mixture of investment types. An exchange traded fund is a marketable security, meaning it has an associated price that allows it to be easily bought and sold. (from Investopedia). Moreover, the Federal Reserve is also purchasing Corporate Bonds, a type of debt security that is issued by a firm and sold to investors. The company gets the capital it needs, and in return, the investor is paid a pre-established number of interest payments at either a fixed or variable interest rate. Essentially, by buying Corporate Bonds, the Federal Reserve has become the largest lender to corporate America, skipping banks and all of the United States' programs that were set up to help businesses in desperate times. And, make no mistake, these are desperate times. …but only for SOME people. (read more details at the bottom of this page) For other people… For example, those employees of the State of Hawaii... …and especially those people who have the power to borrow money at borrowing rates near zero… …there is a massively massive mountain of money being created right now. And guess where that ETF and Corporate Bond spending money came from (?) ANSWER: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. That’s right: our Federal government is using COVID funds to prop up the stock market. I will re-state the previous sentence for clarity: The Federal government of the United States of Americ is using COVID funds to prop up the stock market. It gets “better.” To be eligible to sell the corporate debt directly to the Fed, companies must have a rating that is at least Baa3 (from Moody's) or BBB- (from Standard & Poor's). Just so ya know - that’s barely investment grade. In other words, the companies’ debt can be rated as “just above” junk bond status. *THIS*, ladies and gentlemen, is why the stock market is soaring while the nation seems to be hurtling towards one of the worst recessions we’ve seen in a very long time. At some point, all of this debt will become payable and due. And, much like the buzzing commuter trains along the subways of New York City, the slide in the market will become unstoppable. Many economists agree with me. On the other hand, there are some economists who don't quite agree; but they don't disagree either. Why? Because... THIS HAS NEVER BEEN DONE BEFORE! Accordingly, no one knows what will really happen. Now… I’ve explained why the stock market is insanely high, despite some serious business headwinds. The preceding paragraphs, though somewhat convoluted, “clearly” explain how this is happening. As for the raises for Hawaii’s state government workers, there simply is no justification. But remember, Hawaii: you put these folks there; you literally gave them the power to make decisions FOR you. That was the deal when you voted them into office. But there was never a caveat that they had to make GOOD decisions. That was not part of the deal. And the lawmakers know it. And now you do, too. ~ Aloha ~ John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: How the rich get richer... using YOUR money: As reported by Markets Insider in late June, the Federal Reserve purchased $428 million worth of corporate bonds in response to the coronavirus, including companies like Coca-Cola, AT&T, and Berkshire Hathaway.
Think about this fact for a moment: In February of this year, the stock of Coca-Cola was trading near $60 per share. This past Friday (August 14), the price was $48.45. Likewise, earlier this year, the stock price of AT&T was near $40 per share; it closed Friday at just over $30 per share. But get this: In late February this year, the stock price of Berkshire Hathaway was… hmmm… actually Berkshire Hathaway Energy is a PRIVATE company. Forget the fact that the stock prices of Berkshire Hathaway’s other PUBLIC companies (BRK-B) sells for $210 per share; and (BRK-A) sells for (wait for it…) $316,251.00 per share. That’s right, folks… your government is spending COVID money to prop up the share price of a slice of a conglomerate that has a share price of over three hundred thousand dollars! Barely a week later, on July 7th of this year, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, a subsidiary of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc., announced that it had “executed a definitive agreement to acquire Dominion Energy’s natural gas transmission and storage business.” If you have ever wondered how the rich get richer, consider this small subscript in history, as the Federal government uses YOUR money to prop up stock prices. Dominion Energy is an American power and energy company headquartered in Richmond, Virginia that supplies electricity in parts of Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and supplies natural gas to parts of Utah, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. Dominion also has generation facilities in Indiana, Illinois, Connecticut, and Rhode Island (from Wikipedia). Again… this is how YOUR money – OUR money is being spent (via money lent to the Federal Reserve). Other corporate stock purchased by the Fed include: $16.4 million dollars of AT&T debt; $7.6 million dollars of Boeing debt; $6.6 million dollars of Coca-Cola debt; $5.1 million dollars of Exxon Mobil debt; $7.9 million dollars of Ford debt; $8.7 million dollars of Walmart debt; and $6.2 million dollars of Philip Morris International debt. Worst of all, when Congress initially "allowed" this purchasing of corporate debt, the related businesses had to have significant U.S. operations and a majority of its employees in the U.S. As the funds began to flow, that requirement was dropped. So now, the CARES Act is not about "saving American jobs and American businesses." But boy, oh boy! Look at that stock market go! The news is not all bad, though. After slumping to a seven-year low in April, retail sales bounced back to their pre-pandemic level in just a few months. As of July, they were at their highest level on record. But let’s not remove those sad-face masks just yet… The retail rebound has been driven by a few strong categories. According to the latest data, “compared with July last year, sales were up 24.7% at ‘non-store retailers,’ a sector that includes ecommerce platforms. Sales were also strong at building and garden supply retailers, grocery stores and stores that sell sporting goods, hobby supplies and musical instruments.” Of course, these sectors are expected to do well amidst a pandemic, when most Americans are at home, purchasing over the web, and initiating home-improvement and self-improvement projects. Meanwhile, the report showed gas stations, department stores and clothing retailers are still operating far below normal. Here in service-heavy Hawaii, the numbers remain absolutely appalling. ...which makes those pay raises for Hawaii State workers look absolutely ridiculous. ~ John H. Clark III Let us now transition... Oftentimes, it is a shift, crack, or break in our own respective lens that allows us to transition and see another person’s perspective. Interestingly enough, this transition only occurs through the flowing of our very own tears. Ironically, despite having a newly broken, cracked, or shifted lens, we begin to see things with much more clarity, compassion, and creativity. This is the great irony of our "little-t truths" that we live as individuals. But it is the Capital-T Truth – that Truth under which we ALL live collectively – that allows us to shift from independence and indifference…to interdependence and making a difference… to sympathy… and ultimately to empathy. Through a new lens, we now have… Empathy: to understand with compassion; Empathy: to accept another’s truth as the Capital-T Truth; Empathy: to not only tolerate and accept, but to actually embrace and empower. As we continue to press through some very challenging times, I ask that we all take a deep breath and consider a Great Philosopher’s admonition to do two things: Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind; Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. When I think of the tremendous quantity of tears that have been shed throughout human history, I often wonder if that amount of pain-infused water would be enough to fill an entire ocean. And as I think this seemingly terribly thought, I am miraculously reminded of a great human tendency… When we are overwhelmingly happy, we cry tears of joy. And as much as we cry for pain, it is also true that our historical oceans of emotions are filled with thousands of years of blissfully enriched Tears of Joy. Aloha and continued blessings to you, your mother, father, brother, sister, cousin, uncle, auntie, family member, friend, and foe. We have ALL had our share of misery. Let us now begin to focus on not only what we CAN DO to add to our neighbors’ ocean of joyous tears. Let us now transition and focus on what we ARE DOING to add to our neighbors’ Tears of Joy. "Tears of Joy"
Family, friends, colleagues, neighbors, and those who don't know us (yet)…
This has been an incredibly challenging year. Each of us has a respective truth that can only be fully understood by the one person who has seen what we, our individual selves have personally seen.
We can all recount the stories, tell the tales, and share information about our experiences. But only you know your specific truth. I often refer to our individual truths as “little-t” truths, primarily because, although the experiences are real, they are not real for everyone. On the other hand, a “capital-T” Truth is an experience that extends beyond our individual experience. For example, a little-t truth might reflect how great rocky road ice cream tastes. That statement might be true for some people, but certainly not everyone. On the other hand, the fact that we all need food and water to survive is what I would call a capital-T Truth. Notwithstanding the differences between the two types of aforementioned truths, there are occasions when a little-t truth can also be a capital-T Truth. Today, I’d like to share my (little-t) truth that is also a (capital –T) Truth. Throughout the initial and ongoing stages of the pandemic, I have waited to share this truth within a Truth. And as the country and the world allocated much-needed attention onto the complex issues of race, politics, and racial politics, I again waited to share my truth with a Truth. And though these two consuming events continue to evolve, I’d like to shift focus, if but for a minute or three, on the truth that my wife is an incredible gift to me, my family, and our community. Also, the Truth is... In March of this year, my wife, Delia, was named an honoree of the annual Pacific Business News “2020 Women Who Mean Business!” award.
As she stated in her interview with Pacific Business News (PBN), Delia is an educational professional at the Hawaii Department of Education. But more importantly, she volunteers for at least five other schools’ parent groups, spearheading fundraising and community activities.
In fact, Delia has been not only the launchpad for growing a vast, inspirational brigade of engaged, involved, and supportive parents, but she has also set an amazing precedent by simultaneously leading three separate Parent-Teacher Organizations (PTO) – spanning and engaging the entire K-12 spectrum… not for credit or fame that some people may think accompanies such positions, but for the sheer love of our community, and the creative, impactful, and far-reaching improvements that she has been able to facilitate through the years. A former Executive Director of the nonprofit organization Dress for Success, Delia seamlessly leads by professionalism, thought, action, creativity, and patience wherever and whenever she is needed. Ironically, because students, parents, teachers, and staff all move on as they matriculate upward through the various schools of our education system, most parents are unaware of the massive amounts of energy, effort, patience, planning, networking, notifying, creating and codifying that is required to successfully achieve what she has done… and the ongoing work she continues to do. A dedicated educational professional with significant contributions as a community liaison, Delia has leveraged her considerable skills as a community advocate, talented communicator, and an extraordinary network facilitator. Though she is the centerpiece and mainstay of many education-related activities for the Hawaii Department of Education in the Campbell-Kapolei Complex, most of her accomplishments go unheralded by the very communities she serves. Employed in a part-time position as a Parent-Community Network Center facilitator (PCNC) at Ewa Beach Elementary School (EBES), Delia volunteers hundreds of hours every month spearheading community activities at Ewa Makai Middle School, Ilima Middle School, and James Campbell High School, among others. She is an amazing and highly sought-after Hawaii DoE Certified Substitute Teacher, and is a true ambassador… continuously seeking qualified candidates to assist with the dire teacher shortage.
As President of the James Campbell High School Parent Teacher Organization, Delia made a tremendous impact by creating a separate 501c(3) organization to support the myriad student/parent programs.
As President of the Ewa Makai Middle School Parent Teacher Organization since 2017, Delia galvanized, grew and nurtured a parent network from merely 10 members in 2017… to a whopping 300 parents in 2019. Through this network of engaged parents, Delia has facilitated substantial material, physical and financial school support. Inspiring parents to volunteer at every school event, she personally facilitated the fundraising of ~ $40,000 to provide prizes, awards, student transportation, tokens of appreciation, microwave ovens… and other items, directly impacting the school’s mission. As Coordinator for the Ewa Beach Elementary School Parent Ohana since 2014, Delia was lauded by the DoE accreditation council for her creative programs, including:
Notably, she spearheaded a massive increase in parent engagement, starting the Ewa Beach Elementary School Parent Ohana in 2015 with 6 members. Earlier this year, membership stood at 180 parents! In fact, during the last 5 years, Delia has single-handedly pursued fundraisers netting Ewa Beach Elementary School almost $70,000. Specifically:
As a former Executive Director of a Dress for Success chapter, Delia’s core competencies of Project Management, Strategic Planning, Relationship Building, Community Engagement, Parent Engagement, Budget Formulation, Transition Support, Volunteer Recruitment, Program Improvement, Partnership & Coordination, Funds Management, and Workshop Creation have helped her lead seamlessly in the back/foreground wherever and whenever.
Unbeknownst to most of her coworkers, as a member of the Pacific Command (INDO-PACOM) Joint Venture Education Forum, she provided significant insight into the expanded use of Department of Education Transition Centers for every transitioning student in Hawaii. Through consensus building, managing stakeholder relationships, initiating and leading civic projects, and designing successful strategies to increase student and parent engagement at EVERY LEVEL of the K-12 spectrum, Delia is a cornerstone of support for thousands of families as their students flow from elementary school to high school… serving as a touchpoint for over 8,000 students!
Finally, Delia was a critical component of the successful “Honk and Wave” celebrations that were sponsored by our nonprofit organization, TeenBuilding USA. She and her cadre of volunteers helped make the graduation of the Class of 2020 a tad bit more memorable for the students of the James Campbell High School Sabers and the Kapolei High School Cougars. Her tireless efforts behind the scenes are known only by me, but are entirely consistent with her love of our students, our community, and our core belief that when no one cares who gets the credit, we can all achieve some rather amazing things.
I have waited to share and celebrate her recognition by the Pacific Business News, primarily because of the evolving elements affecting our nation and the world. In my work with the community on the Neighborhood Board, School Community Council, and other civic duties, my wife, Delia, is right there with me, directing my path, offering insight, providing a much-needed alternate viewpoint, and literally being my #1 devotee, follower, and leader. In all likelihood, she is probably more responsible for my personal and career accomplishments than I am. She holds me accountable, and she inspires me simply by being her natural self. Of course, my homemade chili tastes slightly better than her version. She likes white wine, and my palette is strictly confined to robust cabernets and hearty zinfandels. She likes her eggs scrambled, and I prefer mine over easy. She is amazingly gregarious and can converse with anyone on any topic better than most presidents. Whereas I like to ponder away at thought-provoking concepts and connect the dots on seemingly unrelated topics. Interestingly enough, she hails from a family of all sisters, and I am from a family of all brothers, with no sisters.
Over the years, as we have aged together, we have learned to dance the intricate waltz of marriage, parenting, and, most importantly, prioritizing our love for each other under the auspices of the love of the relationship we share, along with our daughters.
And it is our ever-evolving relationship that has afforded us the ability to jointly serve our community, state, and nation in a manner that best fits our respective selves. Indeed, she is my truth, my Truth, and my absolute dream come true. Truthfully, she has also been a tremendous asset for the students and parents in 'Ewa and the Campbell-Kapolei Complex. And, Lord willing, she has big plans for our ever-changing community
Notwithstanding the present-day challenges facing our society, please join me in showing appreciation for the Truth that she is truly a gift to our community – to the parents, educators, and staff of Ewa area schools – and especially to today’s students... the future leaders of our nation.
Aloha and mahalo!
POWER! The word "power," in and of itself, evokes so many different overtones, implications, and associations. When we are powerful, we are said to be full of power. When we are powerless, we have less power than we actually need. When there is a power shift, strength moves from one powerful side to the other less-powerful side. And when power is wielded correctly, amazing and wonderful things can occur. In fact, when the tiniest amount of power is employed appropriately, the resulting righteously repercussive ripples reach a resounding roar… loud enough to brighten the darkest of nights. The word power is mentioned over 70 times in my book, The Ideal: Your Guide to An Ideal Life. And as we wrap up the last entry on this e-course titled “40 Days and Two Little Words,” I believe it is appropriate to quote a section from the book. Specifically: "Education is the only asset that no one can take from you. Learn all you can; but be absolutely sure to use your knowledge, or you will risk losing it. Remember: knowledge is not power until it is applied. The definition of wisdom is 'applied knowledge.' Thus, when you use your knowledge, you instantly become wise." The above-referenced section is worth pointing out here because I intend to challenge you with the great asset that you now have at your command. You now have the education and knowledge of the previously posted 39 e-notes. And, as I discussed in the e-note from Day 31 (Forgive Everyone), coherent people never really forget anything. We remember everything we have ever learned; but we are often challenged when trying to recall the knowledge. Newsflash: If you don’t use the knowledge you currently have, you will soon lose access to that that knowledge; you will soon be challenged when trying to recall that knowledge. Indeed, when I say “you will soon lose that knowledge,” I am referring to the loss of the ability to recall specific knowledge. For example… Quickly answer this question: “What’s your telephone number?” You do know your telephone number. However, because you don’t often call yourself, it’s not immediately at the forefront of your mind. Heck… try to think of almost anybody’s cellphone number nowadays, and it’s a chore! Why? …because it’s no longer a necessity that we hold and retrieve the telephone numbers in our head. We simply save them in our cell phones. Likewise, if you don’t regularly use the information in the previous e-notes (and this one), the knowledge in those e-notes will slowly recede to the back of your mind, behind all of those telephone numbers you used to know. So, what’s my point? If you have read some, many, or all of the previous Two Little Word combinations over the last 40 Days, you are now armed with some pretty good directions on how to change everyday situations in a manner that will directly benefit you. If and when you follow these directions, you are guaranteed to have a better, happier, more fulfilled life. How and why can I make such a bold statement about you, your days ahead, and your life? Well, first of all, you are a very powerful and knowledgeable person… especially when it comes to YOU. No one else knows you as well as you do. And, more importantly, no one else has any real power over you. Secondly, we already know that you are magnificent and miraculously unique. And, thirdly, to be sure, there is absolutely an ideal place for you and your dreams in this world. But first you must understand and accept the massive amounts of real power that you have… as well as the absolute absence of power that others have over you. Once you understand these two all-important facts, you can better understand the power of choice. The power to choose our actions is painfully undervalued, underestimated, and underutilized. In reality, you choose every single one of your actions. For example, no one is forcing you to read these words. You are choosing to read these words. Other people may influence you. Family members may influence your behavior. Friends might influenceyour decisions. Other decisions and outcomes may influence, limit, or expand your choices and associated decisions. However… You are the main supervisor of you. You are the ultimate director of you. You are the powerful president of you. You are the earthly god of you. And, yes… you are in control of you. And, as director, president, and god of your S.E.L.F., you have the ultimate power over you. People may influence you. But no one can make you do anything. No one controls you. You control you. But as soon as you think (or believe) that other people have power over you, that thought (or belief) becomes reality… and those other people instantly have power over you. As I leave you with this final post, I sincerely hope I have added value to you, your sense of self, and how you interact with yourself and the world. I sincerely believe in the power of the human spirit, especially when we slow down, get clear on our path forward, set goals, do things on purpose, proceed with thanks but without fear, and live a life with faith (and MORE faith, when necessary). After reading through these 40 Two Little Word combinations, I want you to… BE EMPOWERED. In reality, the best way to predict the future is to create it. And you definitely have the power to purposefully create. But remember: to bake a cake, you have to break a few eggs. Indeed… To create, you must first demolish a few things. But that’s ok. Henceforth and forever more, choose to be a creator. You are the creator of your day. You are the creator. You are… You. Aloha and mahalo for reading this. Continued blessings to you and yours. Aloha, John Forgive. Focus. Find. Accept. Adapt. Achieve. ® John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist.
Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: The penultimate post ~ Our world is filled with a wealth of experience. Some of those experiences occurred last week and last year. Some of those experiences occurred hundreds of years ago. Sir Isaac Newton published notes on many of his brilliant and world-changing experiences, as did Plato, Socrates, Niccolò Machiavelli, Epicurus, and two of my personal favorites, Marcus Aurelius and Jesus of Nazareth. Each of these great philosophers left a profound mark on the world by publicly stating and sharing their respective philosophies. Yet their published works often go unseen, unread, unappreciated, and unused by most people. Despite having a prolific and terrific sense of seemingly supernatural wisdom, these philosophers and many of their teachings will go unnoticed by the vast majority of people. Why? Time and time again, I hear pessimistic people say, “There is no instruction book for life.” Yet, these same people do not seek the instructions of some of the wisest people who ever walked the earth. In reality, the aforementioned philosophers were more than just wise men; they were mighty mental mentors; immensely informed intellectuals; and tremendously talented teachers; and, from my point of view, One of them not only gave us His solution to all of our problems, but He is also THEE Solution to all of our problems. Indeed, the respective philosophies of the aforementioned philosophers changed the world. But what is it about the word “philosophy” and its implied academic doctrine that turns so many of us away from proven, prudent instruction that can positively affect our lives? The answer is usually rooted in fear. As is the case with calculus, cooking, and constant change, many people fear what they don’t understand. Instead of investing a little time to seek and understand philosophy, many people prefer to waste valuable time denouncing the one thing that can change their lives: tested and tried philosophies. And to be sure, we must be very careful when choosing, tasting, and nurturing ourselves on another person’s philosophy. This could be risky. However, to change is to move from one state of existence to another, ultimately arriving at a different state of being. And to move from your current intellectual spot to a whole new mental location, you must be exposed to new methods and manners of thinking, doing, and being. These methods might be as old as Methuselah. Yet, they might be new to you. Make no mistake: We all have our own philosophy. Some of your philosophy was handed down by your parents, ancestors, and extended family members. Portions of your personal philosophy were developed when you learned from your previous mistakes. And still, other parts of your philosophy were created by things you read in books, saw with your eyes, and felt with your heart. Indeed, with vast differences in our respective experiences, we all have a different philosophy. But what exactly is “philosophy”? And how can it help us? The word “philosophy” comes from the Greek φιλοσοφία (philosophia), which literally means “love of wisdom.” But what is wisdom? Wisdom is the application (or use) of knowledge. But what is knowledge? Knowledge is simply retained information; this includes facts, figures, and everything in this series of “40 Days and Two Little Words.” To achieve an elevated state of being, we must learn to learn from others and ourselves. I will re-state the previous sentence for clarity: To achieve an elevated state of being, we must learn to learn from others and ourselves. More importantly, we must do more than merely learn. Yes, we must love the learning. But most importantly, we must love learning how to apply what we have learned. Our purpose is to: Move from (merely) gaining and retaining information… …to using and applying the information/knowledge that we gained… …to loving the wisdom we have acquired by using the knowledge. Re-stating the words above into fewer words below: Our purpose is to move from simply learning; and then… Move to being wise; and then… Move (again) to using a whole new philosophy. In the final analysis, loving wisdom is simply loving what is. This is not to say that we have to love all of the horrible things that have happened or will happen at any time in our lengthy lives (or in the lives of our closest friends, nearest neighbors, and evil enemies). Regardless of whether or not we like or agree with what “is…” sooner or later, we will have to accept it. By crossing the threshold from denial to acceptance, we can begin to adapt to almost any event. To adapt is “to change.” To successfully adapt, we must first accept and understand that change is inevitable. And when something is inevitable, it is literally unstoppable. And when something is unstoppable, it is also predictable. Change will, indeed, occur. If, then, you cannot successfully work to stop change, you must learn how to successfully make change work for you. Moreover, the likelihood of creating a successful change event increases exponentially when you focus on changing your S.E.L.F. What’s one of the best ways to do this? LOVE WISDOM. How can one best do this? Discover your own philosophy. And, if you have to, focus on finding and following a philosopher. Don’t blindly follow, swallow, or hollow out your own life-learned knowledge. After all, applied knowledge is the very definition of wisdom – the very thing we are hoping to acquire by following a philosopher. However, once you find your philosopher, use his or her philosophy as a seed to grow your own philosophical garden. By using other philosophies to grow your own viewpoint, you will quickly learn what may have taken years or even decades for other philosophers to yearn, learn, and discern. More importantly, by considering other philosophies, you not only help shape your priorities and presentations, you also become a lover of wisdom. In other words, you, yourself, become a true philosopher. There is a very specific reason why I saved this particular post for Day #39 of “40 Days and Two Little Words.” In today’s world of near-infinite entertainment on the TV as well as on the phone in our hand, we, as a people, consume massive amounts of information. When we consume this much entertainment, we are actually at the receiving end of a one-way conversation. Essentially, we are the very end of a one-way information superhighway, with our backs to the wall, facing massive quantities of wave after wave of gargantuan amounts of incoming, oncoming traffic. What are we doing with all of this misovercommunication? Indeed, as the United States of America and other nations throughout the world struggle to find the balance between mitigating the spread of the virus while curtailing industrial activities and the associated wages of employees engaged in those industrial activities, we must also consider what we are permanently stamping into our minds, searing into our subconsciousness, and sending into the very depths of our individual and collective souls. Think about it: when our vehicles need gas, we begin looking for a place to fuel up. [Period] There’s no moaning or groaning; no screaming and yelling; no weeping and gnashing of teeth. We simply stop and add fuel to our vehicle’s tank. Likewise, when you are at your wit’s end… when you’ve had it and just can’t seem to take it anymore… you need to figuratively pull over and LITERALLY fill up. But (and this is a BIG “but”), just like the associated actions you initiate when your fuel tank is approaching empty, when you are mentally, spiritually, and physically empty, you first have to look for a good place to LITERALLY fill up. Once you find it, you can then gorge on your own personal fuel. Consume as much as you’d like. The question is: On what are you filling up? On whom, on what, and specifically why are you purposefully drinking the Kool Aid? Are you listening to friends and family members? Are you seeking advice from (dead or alive) philosophers or finicky people who have no idea what they are talking about or who you really are? In your times of despair, (in what seems to be) a life so unfair, and when you need a strong hope on which you can compare, what do you cede in your thousand-mile stare? What are you feeding your mind, body, and soul? Is it the good high-octane stuff that keeps your spirits high and your attitude higher? Or is it that stinky, smelly, leaded gas that will sooner or later ruin your pipes and pipedreams… and the entire world in which we live? You and I have the same type of circulatory, respiratory, immune, skeletal, and muscular systems. Yet, as a system, your subsystems are completely different than mine. We are totally different… yet somehow still connected. How are we connected? You tell me: What is your connection to me? Better yet, what is your connection to the place where you fill up? Where do you go for food for thought and fuel for your soul? Sadly, some people put more thought into where and how much they pay for gas than what they are truly paying when they pay attention to divisive politicians, ill-informed illusionists, or just plain ol’ negative people. But not you; you’re smarter than that, yes? For you see… you and I are now part of a system of positive information exchanges. We are part of a growing movement of people who dare to become their own superheroes. You are one of the few people who understand that all information is simply data. The most important aspects of our lives are what data we choose to consume… and what we subsequently choose to do with the data that is now a part of who we are. This particular post, Day #39 of “40 Days and Two Little Words” is a risky venture for me. I am giving you a part of me. Through all of the previous posts and especially with this one, I am giving you MY data. This is who I am. I consider myself a positive information exchange. Today, I want YOU to understand that YOU, too, are potentially a positive information exchange. What’s the alternative? Well, do you really want to be the one who consistently exchanges negative information? I didn’t think so. Please join me on this quest to grow our numbers. Share this 39th post on this 39th day of “40 Words and Two Little Words” to a few people and ask them to “Fill up on this!” Your mission for today: Forward this little note to 3 friends, 3 relatives, and 3 enemies. Aloha, John Forgive. Focus. Find. Accept. Adapt. Achieve. ® John H. Clark III is an optimistic realist. Principal consultant at The PIE Group, and Executive Director of TeenBuilding USA, [a non-profit 501c(3)], John believes better development of leaders is what we (all) need. And to be better organizations, we need more good leaders, not followers. To build better leaders, we must start with the individual (you, she, he, and me). Described as “an innovative leader,” John teaches leaders, organizations, and individuals how to inspire each other. With a bold goal to inspire a worldwide community of optimistic realists who continuously accept, adapt to, and achieve the bold and beautiful concept of The Ideal Life, John is leading a movement to inspire people to apply his trademarked mantra {Accept. Adapt. Achieve! ®}. An innovative business manager and retired naval officer, John is fascinated by leaders and organizations that make the greatest impact within their organizational culture and within the “real” world — people who “get it.” Over the course of his life as a military leader, corporate mentor, and innovative content creator, John has discovered a wealth of insight about how we think, act and communicate within our respective work/life environments. As a career naval officer, mentor, educator, and optimistic realist, he has devoted his life to sharing insights to assist in our quests to become better at what we all do – live @ work! An optimist with a penchant for writing about realistic solutions to the challenges of everyday life, John is the author of 3 books: a leadership-development insider, The Ideal: Your guide to An Ideal Life, a teen-focused guide, Getting Out: Expert Advice for Today’s Teens, and the Christian-based book, God’s Heartbeat: A Powerful Premise for Leading a Christian Life. He delivers a unique and refreshing point of view to life's seemingly overwhelming situations. Through books, blogs, and everyday conversation, John's message resonates with an empowering blend of ideals that enrich, uplift, and “authorize” people to set and achieve goals far beyond current mindsets. His trademarked phrase is a winner: |
My purposeInspiring a worldwide community of optimistic realists. Archives
April 2024
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