Keep Your Circle Of Inspiration Small

Posted on January 14, 2013 by mattgorman

This week Lance Armstrong is reportedly going to offer an admission to the use of performance enhancing methods during his cycling career. In affect, he will be admitting that he lied to and misled many people and organizations.  As an avid cyclist and one of the last holdouts believing in his innocence, I am often engaged in conversation with others about this.  The opinions I hear really run the gamut – anything from “heck, everyone was doing it” to “he was inexcusably hostile and defamatory towards those who sought to tell the truth” to “huh? what? is he still in the news?”  Most folks I talk to fall in with the second sentiment.  Me, I guess I do too.  It is true that cycling is riddled with these problems (Actually, all sports are – more on that below). I feel that his belligerent attitude over the course of such a long time and the underhanded deeds done to quiet others constitute the more egregious transgressions.
Contrast this with someone like Tiger Woods. We can debate his level of forgivability. Nonetheless, his quickness to show remorse rather than be obstinate helped put him on a path to both inner and outer recovery.  Though his game might not yet be where it once was, his statue on theater stage of golf seems to be as strong as ever.  Perhaps too, we as a society weigh differently when someone cheats in their private life (which is not our business) from when they cheat in their public life (which we do see as our business).  I have my own hypothesis on why this is so. Lest I digress too much, I will pencil that in for a possible future post.
Getting back to Lance Armstong, only a few fortnights earlier, trending commentary suggested that we might never see the day when Lance Armstrong would admit to cheating in part because of the liabilities that would be exposed and also because it is seemingly out of character for him.  Perhaps there is now the realization that an admission is the lesser of two evil paths for him.  The burden on his psyche and legacy vs. the stuff that will hit the fan once he comes clean.  He can choose to be known forever in history as a cheater and a bully or begin to repair the damage now in hopes that the stain is eventually removed – or at least lessened.  Given the longevity of these misdeeds and cover-ups, a long time will be required before he might hope to emerge anew.  On the legal side of his troubles, the statute of limitations has expired on doing time for false claims made in 2005.  On the financial side, well, this is going to get expensive, as it should.
I feel bad on a number of levels.  For the fans who believed in him as well as for the sport and those ensnared in its darker side.  I love cycling and I enjoy following the sport.  It is unfortunate that it has always been pushed so hard that without performance enhancing agents / techniques it is almost impossible to compete at the pro elite level.
I also wonder why cycling is at such a high profile in this area.  Performance enhancing activities exist throughout all major sports.  I also contend that “cheating” at some level occurs anywhere there is fame and fortune at stake – from Wall Street to Main Street and everywhere in between. Human ego can be a wicked thing.  Then there is society as a whole.  We want to bear witness to astonishing results.  In sports, it fills the seats with fans which bring revenue to the business of sport and inspiration to the fans of sport.
The sad realization in my view is that we look far too often far outside ourselves for inspiration from people we don’t even know.  Yes, many great leaders have inspired mass movements for the betterment of society.  But that doesn’t mean all great inspiration comes for such individuals.  We should look inward at ourselves and also at those who mean the most to us for deep lasting inspiration.  That kind of inspiration is always authentic and never cheats.
As always, I welcome thoughts and feedback.
Thanks for reading and have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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Meaningful Sacrifice

Posted on December 20, 2012 by mattgorman

With Christmas only days away, I wish to share what I feel is a very warm sentiment in the spirit of giving.  Recently, I had the privilege to be audience to a magnificent presentation delivered by a true star of public speaking, Patricia Fripp (www.fripp.com).  At the conclusion of her presentation she shared a story about giving and sacrifice. With Ms. Fripp’s gracious permission I share this story with you.
To set the stage, Ms. Fripp is presumably discussing with a client what many would find rather interesting, corporate citizenship.  The task before them was to develop a way to talk about corporate citizenship in a manner that would truly engage the audience. In helping this gentleman, Ms. Fripp asks him to share how he might teach corporate citizenship to his children.  Below is my paraphrasing of an awe-inspiring response.

It was the day after Christmas and I sat my children down and explained to them how fortunate they were. “You have generous parents and even more generous grandparents.” I told them.  Perhaps you would like to take one of your gift certificates or presents and we will give them to the children who have lost their homes.
One of his sons asked,  “How much shall I give?  If I gave away all of my savings, pocket money and presents, it would not be enough to make a difference. So, how much should I give?”
To this the man said, “You never give it all. You just give enough that it hurts a little.”

As a speaking coach, the ostensible intent for Ms. Fripp sharing this story was to illustrate the power of a simple story brilliantly told.  My intent on the other hand, given the Christmas Season, is to share what I feel is a terrific lesson on making sacrifice feel meaningful.  Moreover, I might go so far as to suggest that such a practice be instilled in families this holiday season.  Moreover, I truly feel that such an exercise is just as applicable for adults as well as children.
If you are left asking what does this have to do with ‘corporate citizenship’, my declaration is that if children are taught the essence of giving, they will grow to become better citizens everywhere – in the community, the corporate environment, and the world.
I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did.  I welcome you to learn more about Patricia Fripp at www.fripp.com. (I can only aspire to one day tell a story as eloquently as she does.)
As always, I welcome your thoughts, questions and any general feedback.
Thank you for reading.  Have a Great Day, A Joyous Christmas and Holiday and a Happy, Healthy and Prosperous New Year!
Matt G.

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We All Want A Scapegoat

Posted on December 10, 2012 by mattgorman

Change is indeed the only constant. Interpreting that can easily lead to many outcomes. Perhaps it means that change is always afoot. Or, it could mean that no-thing every really changes. Alternative, it means many other things too. I’d like to focus on the ‘no-thing ever changes’ idea.
In a recent SUCCESS Magazine article Chelsea Greenwood interviewed author John C. Maxwell about his latest book, The 15 Laws of Growth. In the article, Mr. Maxwell reflects on a passage from a book he read in the seventh grade by James Allen named As a Man Thinketh published in 1902:

“Men are anxious to improve their circumstances, but are unwilling to improve themselves. They therefore remain bound.”

As a consultant impassioned for the discipline of change management, I am acutely conscious of many initiatives where change is purported as overarching goal. Sadly, systems, circumstances, and worse still, other people, are the target of these initiatives. Here, failure is certain. Why then, do we still skip over the single most important step in real change management – change of self?
When we set out to change entities external to ourselves and not including ourselves, we establish two things. First are the boundaries of our comfort zone. By releasing ourselves from the change process, we are guarded from learning things about ourselves that are difficult to accept. Moreover, we avoid facing new ideas and beliefs that challenge what we have come to hold as truths. Welcoming both of these confrontations are necessary for personal growth. Without them growth will not occur. Not today, not tomorrow, not ever!
The second thing we establish by excluding ourselves is immunity from blame. If the externalities we sought to change do not change, the “fault” can plausibly – or at least ostensibly – be placed elsewhere. If we stand firm and rigid, the thought goes, it is much easier to defend ourselves. We need that scapegoat.
What I want to leave you with is this: when we do first seek change in self first, our eyes become much more open to many things, not the least of which are the following two. First, greater possibilites emerge by the shear notion that we become more accepting of challenging thoughts. Second, and more importantly in my view, the personal growth inherent in purposeful self-change provides us each with greater self-confidence to not allow blame or shame to overcome us when we have missteps along the path to growth.
If infants gave up walking after a few stumbles, we would all be crawling around on all fours. They see the change they want (to be upright like those around them) and with determination, they become the change they want in the would.
As always, thoughts and feedback are always welcome.
Thanks for reading, have Great Day!
Matt G.

Posted in Business Relationships, Change Management, Leadership, Management, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

We Should Experience That On Which We Opine

Posted on November 10, 2012 by mattgorman

This post is fully attributed to Paul Schiefer. Paul is a friend of a friend of a friend on Facebook and this found its way circuitous way to me.  Being one of those who really jumped in the fray on Facebook election night, I found reading this to be a very grounding experience. It is highly non-political and serves only to help us establish a sense of perspective – something many of us (I include myself) might have relinquished in the days leading to and following the election – if even temporarily.
I do not know Paul Schiefer so at this time the only way I can give credit is to provide his name.  Mr. Schiefer, if this finds its way to you and  you wish your on-line identity be known for any reason such as to drive traffic to any blog or website, please comment to this and I will quickly promote it.  Thank you!
For democracy to work, we need to learn the facts through real experience. Listening to the barrage of opinionated pundits on either side does nothing but turn politics into a reality show with winner, losers, and hurt feelings. We are rapidly moving to a world where we find the facts or news we want to justify our opinion rather than developing opinions through objective facts and listening to many points of view. Government policy may be boring, but without knowledge we can only succumb to the brainwashing of people who are paid to tell us what to think or at best become influenced by our friends, faiths, and identities. Your president will likely never have a beer with you – so forget if you like him or not. What we need are leaders that have the knowledge, work ethic, and intelligence to manage the hardest job in the world. Their religion, race, gender, wealth, and orientation have nothing to do with that.
But above and beyond all – we need to strive to learn objectively and through experience. Policies and government is very complicated, you can’t explain them in a few talking points or a political speech. If you are curious about healthcare, talk to some doctors and nurses and ask them if it is working ok today and what they think of reform. If you want to know what is causing poverty, go work in a shelter or be a big brother/little sister to someone from a low income neighbourhood and determine for yourself if they are lazy or something else may be contributing. Think you don’t need gov’t? Spend some time in India or Mexico and see what a corrupt laissez faire gov’t feels like. Go to China and see what a one party rule feels like too. Are you worried about European-style socialism? Go to Sweden or Germany and experience a public sector that takes care of people effectively and then talk to all the small businesses in those countries that are flourishing through this recession and out competing many of ours. Then go to Spain and see that it isn’t all the same. Do you think high speed trains are a terrible idea? Try one out while you are in Germany and decide if you want to go back to spending all that extra time in airports or in traffic. Are you uncertain if a new business can succeed in the US with all this regulation today? Go to silicon valley and ask some entrepreneurs who are making millions through hard work and innovation. Wonder why we are all getting fat? Go check out our food system – see what people are eating and learn how agriculture is subsided and how your tax dollars are paying for the ingredients to make cheaper cheeseburgers. Are you confused if the globe is actually getting warming? Go talk to some scientists who have spent their whole lives studying it or head to Greenland and ask the locals how much the ice has changed. Do you think Wall Street is the problem? Go ask some bankers how bad the economy was and then go talk to some mortgage brokers and ask if it was really honest what happened there? Do you think there is no consequence to excess debt and government entitlements? Go to Greece and see what happens when a country spend more than it can earn. Are you sure immigrants are hurting our country? Learn about all the immigrants that start businesses, see who the brightest PhD’s are today, or even spend a day picking strawberries and see what you think. Research your own family tree and figure out when your family immigrated here themselves. Do you wonder why the middle east hates us? Read some history books and learn what the west has done to that region in pursuit of cheap oil and ask yourself what would you do if the same thing was done to you and your family. None of these issues needs to be partisan at all – they are humanly created and can be humanly solved.
I hope the lesson in this election, is that we become responsible for our own education. We turn off the endless partisan chatter, stop with the doomsday predictions in both directions, and quit making politics so personal. It’s not about winners and loser but about making our country and ourselves great. Let’s start by being personally responsible for our own lives – it’s way too easy to blame Obama or the Republicans for everything we aren’t happy with rather than take some ownership to fix what we can. Once we do that, let’s get educated. Then we can move to a place where we can debate informed decisions like rational adults, because this current trend of emotional hatred over our different opinions – most based on very little knowledge and experience – will never solve any of our real problems and will forever compromise the great American experiment. Plus I am sick of hearing it on my FB feed!
After living in Europe for 3 years, I have had the rare opportunity to watch my country from afar. What I have learned from the experience is that while we have amazing innovation, culture, music, and people in the US, we also have some of the most dysfunctional and overly emotional politics. And we certainly don’t have an exclusive hold on the right ideas – there are many great people, cultures, political systems, and businesses that are distinctly not American. We are not entitled to anything because we were born in the USA. And furthermore, the world is also getting ready to kick our ass at our own capitalistic game because they feel they deserve the same lifestyle we enjoy and are working their hardest to make it happen. All we seem to want to do about it is either fight, deny, or complain our way to a solution. We can do much better than that as a country. We can be the leaders for the future with a strong economy and a strong social fabric, but only if we gain some maturity in how we decide our joint future together and put in some hard work along the way. I look forward to coming home soon and I hope, for everyones sake, that we enter into a post partisan phase quickly and not let this divisive election further hamper our ability to express our greatest potential.
Thank you again Paul Schiefer and thank you all for reading.
Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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Did Florida Matter In The End?

Posted on November 7, 2012 by mattgorman

Yesterday, I posted a short piece about the Electoral College and it’s apparent disenfranchising of the votes of many.  It appears we have a text book case this year with Florida.  The totals reported on politico.com as of 7:45 AM EST is 303 electoral votes for President Obama and 206 for Mitt Romney. That is a total of 509. The remaining 29 belong to Florida.  Since Mitt Romney was more than 29 below 270, it was all over without Florida. With the electoral process, Florida was a complete non-issue. How would you feel if your vote was utterly irrelevant to the outcome?
Is the Electoral College appropriate anymore?
Comments are always welcome. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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Grace After The Election

Posted on November 3, 2012 by mattgorman

In three days, the United States will decide who resides at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue for the next four years.  In my four and half decades I am not familiar with any presidential election as heated as this one. And I am not talking at all about the candidates. Rather, I am referring to the public at large.  We hold onto our personal values very tightly. When we identify with a candidate closely aligned with them, we dig in our heels defending our choice.
Social Media propagates opinions. And many opinions are quite strong, so much so that I have observed some rather hostile smack-downs on-line. Even among some on of my own Facebook friends, I see banter get out of control in response to comments I’ve made merely expressing a view.  I don’t recall such a degree of verbal hostilities in the past. (thanks Facebook…)
Strong opinions are nothing knew. Many past elections have fueled a highly divisive citizenry.  Today, the divisiveness is both wide and deep.  On Wednesday morning, November 7, a lot of people are going to be disappointed. Many might even seethe for days on end – or for four straight years.  On the other side, a lot will also be relieved while many of those will gloat and carry on with an air of divine validation.
From Polar to Tribal
It has been close to one year since I was preparing for my first trip to the continent of Africa.  I was traveling to Rwanda to help with the creation of a documentary on the 30th anniversary of Marian Apparitions that are widely believed to have foretold of the Rwanda genocide in 1994.  That I was privileged to accompany genocide survivor, author and speaker, Immaculee Ilibagiza is something I will forever cherish.  In preparation for this excursion, I absorbed as much as I could about the history of the genocide.  (At the conclusion of this piece I provide the links to the posts I shared last year about this amazing experience.)
For those unfamiliar with the history, the Rwandan Genocide was, in a nutshell, a tribal war. Well, more of a one-sided slaughter than a war. My summing it up in two sentences is not meant to de-sensationalize the brutality and savagery that defined this terribly sad event in the world’s history.  Rather, I want to point out that at it’s core, it was fueled by the ability of leaders of opposing views to motivate what can be described as mas-insanity.  I realized shortly after this trip that when enough people rally around the flag of perceived injustice, terrible things can happen.  That which separates the U.S. from regions where such volatility seems more prevalent might be thinner than we assume.  What is there really that gives us any immunity to such an uprising?  When breaking points are reached, breaks occur.
I don’t believe the U.S. is at that point yet.  The thing to keep in mind is that in Rwanda, it was spontaneous. One week you were mingling and socializing with those either whom a week later you were slaughtering or by whom you were being slaughtered.  One catalyst triggered it and once triggered, stopping it would be akin to stopping a bomb from exploding one nanosecond after detonation.
The reason I share this is that I want to express my wishes that whatever the outcome, we maintain grace.  There has been enough verbal hostilities over the past several weeks.  Let’s call this done and leave the post-election gloating and complaining to the professional extremists – the media personalities.
I look forward to being “friends” the same network after the election that I have now.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
For more on my trip to Rwanda, I invite you to check out:

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Take the Media Out Of The Decision Making

Posted on October 9, 2012 by mattgorman

We are now thick into the campaign with the debates underway.  I challenge everyone who expects to opine on things after the debates to refrain from listening to, watching, or reading anything put out by the media for 24 hours after each debate.  Instead, listen to what you have to say, not the political wonks.  With more external stimuli coming from third party sources, rather than the candidates themselves, I think it’s fair to examine exactly how much of the ownership of our own opinions, we alone, actually hold.
I recently had the privilege to attend the Business Leaders Forum at the Villanova School of Business.  The Keynote Speaker was Michael Smerconish.  He raised a point that I think many us often don’t realize or appreciate the consequences.  Today, candidates take their cues much more from the media than they do the general citizenry at large. Politics are much more divided than before. Paradoxically the majority of the voters want more centrism then extremism.  The media exploits the chasms and take us, the voters along with them down to their lairs of extremist views (left or right). I share his contention that the dreadful divisiveness is, for lack of more gentle description, the media’s doing.
Why does this happen?  Ratings!  We get jazzed up. That’s great, we get jazzed up about The World Series and The Super Bowl too, but the stakes here are more than a little higher.  (I am from the Philadelphia area so I have involuntarily built-up an immunity to getting too jazzed up about The Super Bowl.)  Their enthusiasm is, by itself, not all that terrible except that it systemically influences things that it should not influence.
To the point behind the title of this post, the media also does much to influence us, the voters, as well.  This is in part why politicians pay say much attention to what the media says – the views of media become our views.  The media is supposed to influence our views on what they deliver about as much as paper with which a book is printed is supposed to influence our views of the book.
Let’s stop this nonsense and put the power of opinion back where it belongs – with you the individual. Let’s watch the debates if so inclined (I encourage you to do so) and rely on you and you alone to render an opinion. Don’t just become a repeater of the opinions of the media.
While around the proverbial water cooler they day after each debate, share opinions that you formulate all by yourself: opinions you own and are not the product of influence by the agendas of others.  It’s your vote and only your agenda that counts. Without the din of outside institutional influences, I truly believe there would be much less animosity. we would still hold different views but I believe we would be much more respectful of those differences.
So once again, I challenge all of us to refrain from listening to the media on anything to do with the debates for a minimum of 24 hours after each debate to allow our own thoughts to process and be the lone (or at least primary) driver of our opinions.
As a closing comment, if you are one of those who couldn’t be bothered watching the debates but would rather wait to hear or read about it, may I suggest you learn who your favorite corespondent is voting for and vote for that person.  Better yet, maybe not voting is (while not civic) the more honest approach.  I don’t mean to mandate watching the debates. Our duty as citizens is to vote. And our duty as free thinking human beings is to formulate our own opinions.  Debates are a great way to hear the candidates juxtapositional to one another without any third-party spin.
Thanks for reading. As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Have A Great Day!
Matt G.

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Sometimes They Want To Hear How The Sausage Is Made

Posted on October 1, 2012 by mattgorman

I recently had dinner with a friend of mine who opened my eyes so wide to something I never contemplated before that I shall forever be in her debt. We were discussing the current state of my professional existence.  Since leaving a well paying position with a large and prestigious consulting firm with a global presence, I have had many ups and downs in forging my own path sans support of a large employer.  A cursory review of my personal balance sheet would suggest the downs have outnumbered the ups.  I still believe that going solo is ultimately better for me for reasons that transcend dollars and cents.
Ok, that is the background for what follows and is the purpose of sharing this story.
We were discussing job searching (something I have very little experience in since every job I had by the time I was 40 was more a result of me being approached with an opportunity, than of me on the active pursuit).  My friend (who requests anonymity) asked me to explain to her where I add value.  As a person who perhaps too much so, sees a rather clear line between intra-company/intra-team relationships, I tend to accentuate the qualitative more than the quantitative. That means my self-touting does not center on numbers.  I have led and inspired teams to positive and measurable results and I have always held that it is in focusing first on people rather than solely on numbers has driven much of my accomplishments. I vehemently hold onto the idea that being people driven can lead to great numbers that can be sustained longer over time than can being numbers driven alone.
So, in trying to describe my successes, I brush over things that I feel are natural decent human tendencies. I have held conversations with troubled clients; I have lifted morale of disengaged employees and so on. I have done these things by having real human-to-human conversations and being fully open to points of view without judgment. In almost all cases a greater sense of harmony emerges through trust and respect. The result: greater productivity and ultimately, more profit. (None of the above is meant to be self-serving but rather to expose a mistake in the way I viewed and communicated my own value proposition and accomplishments.)
Explaining the ‘how’ of going about utilizing such soft skills has, for me, seemed to be as good of a use of time in talking about my accomplishments as discussing the ‘how’ in my breathing.  I assume (shame on me for assuming) such treatment of other people is natural and therefore ubiquitous,  Perhaps out of fear that I will be boring, I have been less inclined to give details about how I deploy the ‘soft’ skills.
What I learned from my friend by her incessant prying is that these details are indeed very important.  People want to learn what you did to achieve your accomplishments. They want to hear how the sausage is made.
In reflection, I believe for some of us, there may also be a self-confidence component afoot here. I might be self-unaware if I did not acknowledge that this was not a bit of what is going on with me too.  That is likely manifested in the belief that things we take for granted based on our own life’s experience couldn’t possibly be so revelational to others.
In contrast, I now believe that perhaps it is those things we each take for granted, because they are obvious to us as individuals, are the very things that have the greatest potential for piquing the interest of others, precisely because those things are not obvious to them.
In closing, this might sound similar to the adage that when people ask for the time, they are not looking for details about watchmaking.  Well, when you have a new way of telling time more accurately, then yes, it just might be appropriate to talk about how you built your watch.
As always, thoughts and comments are welcome.
Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

Posted in Behavioral Influence, Business Relationships, Leadership, Management, thought provocation, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

One Single Idea Please

Posted on September 6, 2012 by mattgorman

A lot of very smart people have a lot of ideas – many have great ideas.  Is there no one left with but a single big idea that is so inspiring that we all – in our own ways – work together to make it real?
I mean an idea so big that the person or people to whom the idea is attributed could not possibly love long enough to see the finished product of their idea. The idea was not designed as a finished product but rather as a path, a way of being.
Examples include a Republic and a Democracy courtesy of the Founding Fathers of the U.S.  Later we have Abraham Lincoln reasserting the founding principles of the U.S. Also Martin Luther King Jr. with civil rights.  An end point was not prescribed nor was it the purpose but rather a way in which society operates.  (With our Founding Fathers, they were prescriptive in terms of a road map: The Constitution.).  Further examples are also plentiful in the axioms of most of the world’s religions. (Again, only path prescriptions exist in their respective sacred texts.)
These are the ‘Single Ideas’ of which I speak.  It has been a long time since I have heard One Single Idea.
Thoughts and comments are always welcome.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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We Led Ourselves To Where We Are

Posted on September 4, 2012 by mattgorman

As the Back to School season is now in full swing, I find myself  pondering the chasms that exists between generations.  (As an aside, I came across this fascinating site that describes the characteristics of generations over the past 100 years.)
Of course only history (or our collective perception of it) will be revealing but I am somewhat concerned about what is not dubbed the “trophy generation”.  In this August 22, 2012 issue of the Wall Street Journal, there is an article title, Firms Bow to Generation’s Demands. Some things jump out at me – many concerning, a few encouraging. One organization profiled promises promotions in the first year.  Exactly what does this accomplish… beyond maybe self-esteem issues?  Of what significance is it when everyone is promoted?  Moreover, growing oneself into a manager or a leader has little to do with titles and everything to do with relationship intelligence and self-awareness.  What is encouraging is their ability and willingness to question the status quo. This is admirable but only if “for the sake of what?” can be answered with something meaningful. If questioning the status quo is done only for its own sake, what social good does it do?
I guess the dichotomy that seems so glaring to me is that which exists between today’s coming of age generation and those that came of age during the early-mid 20th century.  Those of that generation wanted nothing more than the opportunity to work hard in the pursuit of happiness and a better life. Remember our founding right to life, liberty, the pursuit of happiness?  Today, that has been dangerously twisted into the right to happiness, sans any pursuit.  Let me ask a question, does doling out rewards as a matter of procedure really lead to happiness? If it does, we have utterly failed in instilling intrinsic self-confidence in our newer generations.  In our never-ending pursuit to give our children better lives than we had, we mistakenly strived to lesson their need to struggle to the point where we tried to remove it.  We wanted them to enjoy the glories of life without the pains necessary to truly appreciate those glories.
With the U.S. Presidential election in full swing, we are hearing again the tried and tired rhetoric about being better or worse off than four years ago. Sadly, I feel that very long ago we, unknowingly began a journey of gradual decline. Over time, we began to assume that progress was our right and with it came the entitlement of ‘more’, and ‘bigger’.  We passed that along onto the children who are now coming of age.  In decades long gone we shared a common vision for the collective. We now seem to focus more on our own individual dreams without concern for the whole.  This will, in my view, be the fertilizer to social decline in this country.
We used to be the nation of hope and promise for over one hundred years.  Now we are becoming the nation of hubris.  Humility seems to be frowned upon and in a review of history, it is attitudes like these that shepherd in the decline of a society vis-a-vis other societies. History is not lacking for evidence to suggest that such hubris often precedes the downfall of a society.
In closing, I am not writing this to be a doomsayer of the West’s prominence in the world. – though I do hope we never completely abandon at least some humility. I am, however, asserting that without an inward look at ourselves, we are eroding that which made this nation so great in the first place.  The word’s of JFK’s inaugural speech are as full of richness and timeliness now as they were when they were first spoken. “Ask not what your country can to for.  Ask what you can do for your country.”
As always, I welcome your thoughts and comments.
Thanks for reading. Have a Great Day!
Matt G.

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