The USA celebrates Martin Luther King Junior's birthday with a holiday on the third Monday in January (close to his actual birthday of January 15th). His efforts to promote freedom and equality for all people in the USA have really helped the citizens of the USA to recognize the freedoms and rights of others more today than in the times prior to Martin Luther King, Jr. He has made a real difference.
We need to continue this effort--sharing those concepts and applying them to others who are on the receiving end of prejudice. Equality of work and pay among the sexes is still a dream. Many people who are "different" in skin color, language, sexual orientation, political or religious belief, are deprived of the freedoms most of us expect in the USA.
One of the ways we honor Martin Luther King, Jr. is to keep his ideas alive. How are we doing on that day-by-day?
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Showing posts with label freedom. Show all posts
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Legacy of Freedom--Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, Martin Luther King, Jr.--More
Martin Luther King's birthday is a good time to reflect on the legacy of freedom we enjoy as citizens of the United States of America. Thomas Jefferson, primary crafter of the Declaration of Independence and James Madison, a primary crafter of the Constitution of the United States of America along with Ben Franklin, George Washington, and others created a foundation of freedom celebrated in the United States of America since its founding in 1776. Martin Luther King, Jr. and many others helped expand this foundation of freedom to include people of more cultures and races living in this country. Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams, began writing about women's rights in 1776 and they, too, have come a long way.
Each of us today benefits from this legacy of freedom. It is our responsibility to maintain it and to extend it. Discrimination exists in this country for lots of reasons including economics, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, language, and many other ideas people use to distinguish one person or group from another person or group.
We have challenges to overcome--terrorists focusing on destroying American culture and values, natural disasters (such as the earthquake in Haiti) that requires authentic human response to met the needs of victims regardless of any differences we might be aware of.
President Barack Obama has been in office for almost one year. In his oath of office, he promised to preserve, protect, and to defend the Constitution of the United States. He is working hard to live up to his promises and to continue the legacy of freedom for his children and for all of us in the years to come.
Each of us today benefits from this legacy of freedom. It is our responsibility to maintain it and to extend it. Discrimination exists in this country for lots of reasons including economics, race, culture, religion, sexual orientation, language, and many other ideas people use to distinguish one person or group from another person or group.
We have challenges to overcome--terrorists focusing on destroying American culture and values, natural disasters (such as the earthquake in Haiti) that requires authentic human response to met the needs of victims regardless of any differences we might be aware of.
President Barack Obama has been in office for almost one year. In his oath of office, he promised to preserve, protect, and to defend the Constitution of the United States. He is working hard to live up to his promises and to continue the legacy of freedom for his children and for all of us in the years to come.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Freedom, Choice, Priorities, and Streams of Income
As we age, we have opportunities for multiple experiences. My birthday is coming up this month, in fact, it's one week from today. This has been a great time for reflection. Part of my reflection has been about "freedom." The freedom I am referring to is more than the freedom we enjoy as citizens of the USA. That's wonderful in itself. This freedom is about the possibility of making choices and priorities regarding quality of life now and in the future.
Robert Allen has written a series of books dealing with the importance of streams of income. He talks about "money mountains" and that streams of money flow from these mountains. If everyone has three or four of these mountains, then, if the stream slows or drys up from any one, enough money is still coming in from the other mountains. The economy in the USA in 2009 shows the importance of many of these ideas.
Some of these mountains include our employment (jobs, businesses, farms, what we do to earn income). There are several investment mountains (stocks and bonds, residential and commercial real estate to name two). The Internet is another mountain which can add a variety of income generating opportunities. Another area of need is the concept of residual income. Robert Allen suggests that network marketing may be one way to begin to generate residual income, though it is not always easy to find legitimate network marketing opportunities that someone wants to engage in.
Freedom comes when we can make the choices and priorities we want in our lives and have sufficient income to support them.
Birthdays are good times to think about retirement. I know I won't stop working. I love what I do too much. What I want to have the opportunity to do is to choose whom I will work with and to be able to make my fees reasonable and affordable so that I can work with more people and organizations.
An axiom in investment is that high rewards come from high risks. In employment, high salaries usually are associated with high demands and expectations--and less freedom. Often people choose to invest time and energy in high paying jobs today for a better quality of life tomorrow.
As I grow older, my tomorrows are today. I want more freedom in my life and am willing to work for that. The resididual income I have in place from work and experience done "yesterday" and my lifestyle choices today help me balance my freedom to choose what I'll be doing with my life in terms of income.
I need to keep working the "multiple streams of income" ideas to keep my future quality of life as good as it can be. Health care insurance is important to creating this sense of freedom. No matter how much reserve we accumulate, health care needs in our future can consume everything we have. With a good balance of health care insurance as part of our daily quality of life choices, we can preserve our freedom and quality of life in our futures for a much longer time.
Robert Allen has written a series of books dealing with the importance of streams of income. He talks about "money mountains" and that streams of money flow from these mountains. If everyone has three or four of these mountains, then, if the stream slows or drys up from any one, enough money is still coming in from the other mountains. The economy in the USA in 2009 shows the importance of many of these ideas.
Some of these mountains include our employment (jobs, businesses, farms, what we do to earn income). There are several investment mountains (stocks and bonds, residential and commercial real estate to name two). The Internet is another mountain which can add a variety of income generating opportunities. Another area of need is the concept of residual income. Robert Allen suggests that network marketing may be one way to begin to generate residual income, though it is not always easy to find legitimate network marketing opportunities that someone wants to engage in.
Freedom comes when we can make the choices and priorities we want in our lives and have sufficient income to support them.
Birthdays are good times to think about retirement. I know I won't stop working. I love what I do too much. What I want to have the opportunity to do is to choose whom I will work with and to be able to make my fees reasonable and affordable so that I can work with more people and organizations.
An axiom in investment is that high rewards come from high risks. In employment, high salaries usually are associated with high demands and expectations--and less freedom. Often people choose to invest time and energy in high paying jobs today for a better quality of life tomorrow.
As I grow older, my tomorrows are today. I want more freedom in my life and am willing to work for that. The resididual income I have in place from work and experience done "yesterday" and my lifestyle choices today help me balance my freedom to choose what I'll be doing with my life in terms of income.
I need to keep working the "multiple streams of income" ideas to keep my future quality of life as good as it can be. Health care insurance is important to creating this sense of freedom. No matter how much reserve we accumulate, health care needs in our future can consume everything we have. With a good balance of health care insurance as part of our daily quality of life choices, we can preserve our freedom and quality of life in our futures for a much longer time.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
"Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow"
"Do What You Love and the Money Will Follow
" Following this link on http://www.amazon.com/ will lead to a list of books related to the idea of passion and Spirit as a focus of life. When I am engaging in something I find to be worthwhile, I am aware of a sense of joy that I share with the people around me--family, clients, friends, coworkers.
This sense of joy is more important to me that the monetary reward I receive for my efforts--not that I have anything against money. I have found joy in doing work that I was highly rewarded for and joy in work that had little or no money connected to it.
I'm looking for more joy in my life--and if there's good money involved as well . . ., so much the better. :-)
" Following this link on http://www.amazon.com/ will lead to a list of books related to the idea of passion and Spirit as a focus of life. When I am engaging in something I find to be worthwhile, I am aware of a sense of joy that I share with the people around me--family, clients, friends, coworkers.This sense of joy is more important to me that the monetary reward I receive for my efforts--not that I have anything against money. I have found joy in doing work that I was highly rewarded for and joy in work that had little or no money connected to it.
I'm looking for more joy in my life--and if there's good money involved as well . . ., so much the better. :-)
Saturday, August 29, 2009
What do I really want to be doing now and five years from now?
What do I really want to be doing now and five years from now? For the last 40+ years I have been doing the same thing--though for different people and organizations and in ways that have continued to evolve and change and improve. (See the stories pages on the title link.)
I make a difference in the world by helping people and organizations learn to change to improve their quality of (business) life now and for the future.
I did that while working in the U.S. Army for ten years, then as a management consultant, then as a college professor and teacher, and as an organizational change consultant in my own businesses and while working for consulting firms. Along the way I learned to reflect on what I am doing and to capture it in writing so that I can share best practice and research.
I enjoy doing that for businesses and for individuals, for adults and for children, for entire communities and for school systems and colleges and universities. After 40+ years, I am very, very good at it.
Along the way I have earned a doctorate and two masters degrees and have worked with more than 100 organizations in more than 16 separate industries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
I have worked with thousands of individuals ranging in age from 6 months (babies learning to swim) to more than 90 years (adult learners learning to do new things for themselves). I have done this work in English, Spanish, Italian, and French. In some cases English was the only common language the students had in my sessions.
I have done this in one-on-one settings as a performance coach, in small group workships, in large group workshops, and in classes ranging in size from six or eight students to more than 300.
I like what I do and am always looking for more opportunities to do it with new people. I plan to be doing this five years from now as well.
I make a difference in the world by helping people and organizations learn to change to improve their quality of (business) life now and for the future.
I did that while working in the U.S. Army for ten years, then as a management consultant, then as a college professor and teacher, and as an organizational change consultant in my own businesses and while working for consulting firms. Along the way I learned to reflect on what I am doing and to capture it in writing so that I can share best practice and research.
I enjoy doing that for businesses and for individuals, for adults and for children, for entire communities and for school systems and colleges and universities. After 40+ years, I am very, very good at it.
Along the way I have earned a doctorate and two masters degrees and have worked with more than 100 organizations in more than 16 separate industries throughout North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
I have worked with thousands of individuals ranging in age from 6 months (babies learning to swim) to more than 90 years (adult learners learning to do new things for themselves). I have done this work in English, Spanish, Italian, and French. In some cases English was the only common language the students had in my sessions.
I have done this in one-on-one settings as a performance coach, in small group workships, in large group workshops, and in classes ranging in size from six or eight students to more than 300.
I like what I do and am always looking for more opportunities to do it with new people. I plan to be doing this five years from now as well.
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