A Message to Garcia

As the cold of snow in the time of harvest, so is a faithful messenger to them that send him: for he refresheth the soul of his masters. – Proverbs XXV: 13

In 1889, Elbert Hubbard published an article titled, "A Message to Garcia". It detailed the story of Lt. Andrew Summers Rowan of the United States Army. He was given an assignment, deliver this message to General Calixto Garcia the leader of the Cuban rebels fighting to be liberated from Spanish rule during the Spanish American war. The accuracy of Hubbards account of Lt. Rowan's journey has since been challenged, but nevertheless offers a perspective on the character of the type of person we all want on our team.

The story speaks of a man whose commitment to the organization is without challenge, a man who can be trusted, is focused, has the backbone needed to accomplish the task, and is loyal. Hubbard questions why it is so difficult to find people who possess these characteristics and how often we fail to acknowledge and celebrate those on our team who possess them.

He cries out for people who will carry out the task at hand, who are committed to the work handed to them rather than a way to get out of doing the work. These are the women and men who instead of asking why me, why do I have to do it, respond with why not me. These are women and men who are committed to lending a helping hand, being part of a team and stepping into whatever challenge is presented to them. People who understand that all their work provides for an opportunity to lift the organization up and that it in the end, the success of the organization benefits all who are committed to its purpose.

Hubbard challenges workers to step up and be more than status quo, to be exceptional in all they do and to do so because it is the right thing to do, regardless of the wages to be earned or the hours to be worked. The characteristics he identifies as reflective of a person committed to delivering the message to Garcia, are the same characteristics we seek in each of our employees. If you are as blessed as I am, you can list the names of those on your team who can deliver the message to Garcia. Never forget to acknowledge and celebrate them! Just a little advice to go!

Your Output Should Not Exceed Your Intake

I often describe myself as a workaholic, which is a critique of my inability to keep things under control; in perspective. The end result is that I burn the candle at both ends and eventually find my effectiveness faltering. It forces me to sit down and consider what fills me and what depletes me; how do I re-adjust my actions to ensure I am not allowing myself to become depleted.

Family, friends, reading, writing, supper club, a good movie, a good 5K, and church all serve to fill me. Work, school, home projects, and other daily events deplete me. When I take on more at work than I should, which is often, I work more hours and find myself becoming depleted. The end result is more output than intake and that can be dangerous. I become tired, anxious, emotional and feel like things are falling apart. It is a mistake that can lead to serious health problems.

Avoiding becoming depleted means being self-aware, taking note when you start to feel overwhelmed and doing something about it. Increasing the intake of those things that fill you, energize you and make you smile is critical. Greater intake will balance you and make the output more positive, leading to greater success. Take the time to think about what you need to do to increase your intake so as to ensure your output never exceeds it. Just a little advise to go!

The Value of Transparency

Transparency, one’s ability to be transparent according to Webster’s dictionary. I know, never define a word by using the word, as explained by Mrs. Cherry in my 2nd grade class. Transparency means people can see through you to know who you really are, your story. But that can only happen if you are willing to be vulnerable. It requires a great deal of courage, trust, and self confidence. Sharing your story is not easy, particularly if it comes with admitting your hurts and weaknesses. I am not encouraging folks to be transparent with everyone, but to do so with their respective inner circle of family, friends, and confidants.

Speaking about how past hurts, mistakes, and successes have helped to shape you into who you are today provides the opportunity for personal growth and gives others the opportunity to learn from your experiences. That process is never-ending and gets better as you become more confident in your ability to share with others, more transparent. It enables you to release the hurt, discuss the impact of your past mistakes, and share the successes resulting from all your experiences. It gives others a chances to demonstrate that they like you have grown through their hurts, mistakes, and successes. Sharing is caring, caring for yourself and for those within your inner circle. Transparency has helped me be true to myself, family and closest friends. Just a little advice to go!

The Struggle of Choice

Thinking back to my youth, I can recall the struggles of choice. Doing the right thing was not always easy to discern given the peer pressure of those I grew up with. In time, I would choose to believe and trust in God’s guidance for my life. Each of us has the ability to choose, despite what we might think. We can choose to go to work today or choose to stay home. Yes, there are consequences for the choices we make, but the choice is ours. Societal norms place restrictions on our choices and rightfully so, we live as part of a greater community and our choices often impact those who are part of that community. But in the end we still have the freedom to choose.

Some choices may be difficult and thus the struggle of choice. It is in the midst of these struggles that I lean not on my own understanding but on the guidance of God’s word. In my faith, I find guiding principles which help me choose the right path. Faith does not eliminate the struggle of choice but rather helps to make the struggle less intense and with time, easy to move past.  I choose to live a Godly life, I choose to do good, I often choose to put the needs of others ahead of my own, and I choose to remain steadfast in my faith in God. What choices are you making today? How do you navigate through the struggle of choice? What does the struggle say about who you are? Are you making the right choices? Just a little advise to go!

Rejoice In Your Giving

Most of my writings speak to my personal experiences and those of the many people who come to be for advice.  I have worked as a law enforcement professional, educator, missionary, youth minister and with the homeless.  Today I am working with disaster recovery initiatives helping those who have endured great losses because of natural disasters such as hurricane Irma, Harvey, and Maria.  Given the human suffering I have witnessed throughout all of my work life, I can tell you that it is not easy to rejoice.

As a man of faith, I often struggle with the sorrow and misery so many men, women, and children experience each day.  It is difficult to rejoice and celebrate the many blessings I have received when I see the pain of so many.  I am reminded of the scripture in Philippians, Chapter 4:

4Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, Rejoice. 5Let your gentleness be known to all people. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. 7And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

God's peace surpasses all understanding; it is a critical component of living through the challenges I witness each day.  As I pray for so many who are without, I find God's peace and comfort in the knowledge that he continues to move so many people to provide a helping hand.  More than 30 million donated to Salvation Army and 429 million to the Red Cross for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey just to provide an example of the giving hearts of so many people throughout this great country.  Millions invested in our country because of the many churches, non-for-profits, and government funds provided to help the most helpless.  It is up to each of us to give of what we have if we are to impact the joy and peace of those who are enduring hardship.  Find an organization or a church you have confidence and give.  Give to those who are hungry, to those who have no homes, to those who have been displaced by the hurricanes that we have experienced, and to anyone you know who is living a joyless life.  Your gift, regardless of the amount, will not only bless the recipients, but will bless you and return to you in ways that you cannot possibly imagine.  It has for me!  Just a little advice to go.

The Chaos of Isolation

Poet John Donne, proclaimed that no man is an island.  His words speak to the truth of the chaos we often read about when terrible incidents take place.   The perpetrators are often referred to as weird, friendless, and isolated.  Today, isolation is fostered by the various technological tools allowing people to socialize while avoiding actual contact with others.  An article in the Washington Post recently quoted from an American Sociological Review stating “that the number of close friends for adults is declining, with the modal number of close friendship in 1985 being three, while in 2004 the modal number was zero. The percentage of adults who report having no close friends at all has increased from 36 percent in 1985 to 53.4 percent by 2004.”  The gains we achieve through contacts with others, contact more intimate than a superficial hello and goodbye, are fading increasing the likelihood of greater chaos and more divisions.

Overcoming isolation must be intentional, we must make a serious effort to develop friendships with others.  Perhaps the individuals who are most isolated simply need us to reach out to them, to befriend them.  Recently, I was asked to count my inner network of friends and while it seemed an easy task, in reality it was not.  I have many friends, but intimate friendships with people I see and speak to on a weekly basis outside of work, produces a very abbreviated list of friends.  It challenges me to be more intentional about developing an intimate network of friends, friends who I communicate with regularly and who will know they can come to me with any problem.  If each of us focuses on developing intimate friendships, perhaps we can reduce the isolation that often leads to a world of chaos.  Every little bit helps!  Just a little advice to go!

Knowing Better Is Not Enough!

I recently learned about a friend's personal failure and wondered how that could happen. I know this person, taught this person, and they know better than to behave so poorly. Why then does someone who knows better, fail to do better? Experience has taught me that just because you know better, does not ensure you will do better. Doing better, has to be intentional, it requires self awareness and a determination to address those personal areas capable of leading us towards failure.

We have all made mistakes and in some cases the same one more than once. We need to review those mistakes and consider what led us down the wrong path. Identifying those individual characteristics can help us develop a plan to ensure we correct for them. It requires intentionality on our part, a commitment to know yourself and keep yourself in check. This may require a daily conversation with ourselves, a conversation before a meeting, and often a conversation with trusted peers who can help us avoid making the same mistakes.

Today, I not only know better, but am intentional about doing better! Everyday is about making sure I am accountable for my vulnerabilities, keeping them in check so I can focus on doing better. My trusted confidants help me by being truthful and letting me know when I'm exhibiting those behaviors they know are not indicative of who I want to be. It confirms the importance of surrounding yourself with good people who have your best interest in mind. I know better, but more importantly and committed to doing better. Just a little advice to go!