Historical Events and the Growing Threat of Global Conflict

The Iron Cross: an historical symbol of the German Military 

On the fourth of August, 1914, the Imperial German Army belligerently crossed the Belgian border with three-quarters of a million soldiers.

The invasion that followed—which has since become known as the "Rape of Belgium"—took the lives of 30,000 Belgian soldiers. Along the way, thousands of Belgian civilians also lost their lives as collateral damage in the violent and destructive rampage that desolated the Belgian homeland.

Germany's subsequent invasion of France was similarly bloody and destructive. Penetrating deep into the heart of Northern France, the Germans progressed to within 25 miles of Paris before finally being halted by French and British troops at the Battle of the Marne in September 1914. 

Aerial view of World War 1 trench systems

The ensuing stalemate led to the construction of 500 miles of intricate trench networks that began at the English Channel in the north and extended southward all the way to the Swiss Border. The violence and death that would follow on the Western Front and beyond would prove unprecedented in the annals of human history. Sadly, this "War to End All Wars" proved to be anything but, and instead planted the seeds of an even greater conflict to come a mere quarter century later.    

Thus, in an eerie repeat of history, Germany's Adolf Hitler ordered upwards of two million soldiers across the German border into Poland before dawn on Friday, September 1, 1939, commencing one of the largest military invasions in human history. Less than two years later, Hitler gave the same order to nearly FOUR (4) million Wermacht soldiers, directing them to invade the largest nation on Earth (the Soviet Union) in the most expansive invasion in world history. No military campaign has ever been waged on the scale of Operation Barbarossa—before or since.

In addition to Poland and the Soviet Union, Nazi Germany also invaded Austria, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Norway, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Yugoslavia, and Greece. Few others in history (i.e. Alexander the Great, the Romans, and Napoleon Bonaparte) had undertaken such an ambitious conquest of Continental Europe. And no preceding conquerer had ever proceeded with such an evil aim of genocide roiling in his heart, mind, and soul.   

 

The threat of a a major land invasion once again looms large in Europe.

The prolonged series of cascading calamities that accompanied these invasions was unprecedented and has been well chronicled along the historical timeline of World War II—the deadliest armed conflict in humanity's long and colorful history.

In consideration of the fateful events of 8/4/14 and 9/1/39—and others like them throughout history—any thoughtful observer of history is understandably alarmed by current events transpiring along the Ukrainian border in Eastern Europe and off the coast of Taiwan in the South China Sea. 

It is no secret that history tends to repeat itself, at least generally speaking. And while individual historical events rarely presage future occurrences precisely, the foremost purpose of studying history is unquestionably to inform current issues and infuse them with wisdom to avert future disasters. Sadly, this recurring harvest of collateral wisdom is too often ignored by power brokers in the present, thus leading the human race into calamity-after-calamity that could and ought to have been avoided. Indeed, it seems as thought the temptation for a dictator to think he is "different" or "special" compared to conquered conquerers of the past is all-too-often too great to resist. 

Queen Victoria of Great Britain
Grandmother of King George V
and Kaiser Wilhelm II.

In 1914, the power brokers were Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany, King George V of England, and Tsar Nicholas of Russia. Amazingly, all three of these monarchs were first cousins, with the former two being grandsons of Queen Victoria (1819-1901) of Great Britain. The ensuing calamity brought on (in part) by the strained relations of these three cousins resulted in the Great War (World War I), which claimed the lives of 10 million soldiers, another 10 million civilians, and wounded another 20 million combined (40 million total casualties).  

In 1939, the aggressors were Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito of Germany, Italy, and Japan, respectively. To a lesser extent, Joseph Stalin of the Soviet Union was also an aggressor when he invaded Poland from the east, thereby carving up the country after Hitler invaded from the west. However, Stalin later joined the Allies after Hitler predictably reneged on their alliance and invaded the Soviet Union.

The Allies were led by Winston Churchill and King George VI of Great Britain, and Franklin Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower of the United States. The ensuing calamity was twice as costly as the First World War in terms of human deaths, to say nothing of the unprecedented material destruction.

In 2022, the power brokers on the aggressor side are Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Xinping of China, and the tyrannical regimes in Iran and North Korea. Those defending democracy and freedom include a quasi-united front of Western Allies spanning the balance of the globe from the Ukrainian border all the way to Australia in the South Pacific and Southern Indian Oceans. 

Have we not seen this story and sung this song before... more than once?

          Will the third chapter/verse of this story and song be different than the first and second?

                    Is World War III imminent? 

The answer to the first question is unquestionably "YES."

The Winter Olympics may be the last thing standing in the
way of Vladimir Putin's well-chronicled imperial ambitions.

The answer to the second question is: We do not presently know for sure. If I were a betting man, I'd wager good money that Putin will not pull the trigger on any kind of major invasion or minor incursion into Ukraine until after the close of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. Any action against Ukraine before the closing ceremonies of the XXIV Olympiad would upstage Putin's ally, Xi, something that is not in either of the rulers' interest. Chances are, however, that Putin will give the order for his troops to move relatively soon after that.

Although I'm sincerely hopeful Putin will choose to pull back his troops and abandon his imperial aims and designs, history suggests that such an abandonment is unlikely. 

The answer to the third question is: hopefully not! 

Nevertheless, the threat of such a dire calamity remains, and citizens of nations everywhere should recognize the growing threat inherent in events transpiring along the frontiers of Eastern Europe and the shores of Southeast Asia.

Initially speaking, a Russian invasion of Ukraine will no more bring about World War than Germany's invasion of Poland. After all, it took 21 additional months before Germany invaded the Soviet Union, and 27 more months before Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, turning a bi-regional conflict into a full-fledged, multi-fronted world war. Broader conflicts do not materialize overnight. They develop incrementally over time. That is why NOW is the time for Western Leaders everywhere to take clear, strong, wise, and united actions aimed at preventing present events from entering the slippery slope that leads treacherously and inevitably toward global conflict.  

There are different opinions about what Vladimir Putin will decide to do. Some say his troop buildups are a bluff intended to obtain leverage and other gains without having to invoke military action. Hopefully, such voices are right. Unfortunately, history is scant when it comes to stories of massive troop-buildups that all-of-a-sudden pull back and disregard their well-laid out dreams, plans, and hopes of conquest.

On the other hand, history is replete with examples of the foolhardiness of attempting to appease bullies without invoking clear and strong RED LINES and then inviolably defending them.

Perhaps the most famous historical example of appeasement involved Great Britain's Neville Chamberlain signing the infamous "Munich Agreement" with Hitler in 1938. Chamberlain flew back to Great Britain with the signed treaty and a smile, claiming he had secured "Peace for our Time." In reality, he merely handed over Czechoslovakia to Hitler while emboldening him to accelerate Nazi imperial ambitions by turning them towards the West, imperiling France... and then endangering Great Britain itself. 

Neville Chamberlain (forefront/center) with Adolf Hitler (far left).

After Chamberlain's return to England, Winston Churchill famously scolded him by saying: "You were given the choice between war and dishonour. You chose dishonour and you will have war." 

Churchill was right.

Chamberlain's appeasement strategy was well-intentioned—Europeans were understandably loathe to incite a fight after enduring the horrors of the Great War just one generation earlier. Nevertheless, history has judged Chamberlain dishonorably and war indeed came to Europe... in a fashion twice as devastating as the previous world war he trying to avoid replicating.  

For this—and other historical instances like it—Freedom Focused recalls Winston Churchill's warnings of the 1930s and ECHO'S them clearly and distinctly to all Western Leaders in the 2020s. Appeasing Putin and Xi will only further imperil the very PEACE you are trying to protect.

This geopolitical caveat is not complicated. It is something even kindergartners must learn on the playground: if you don't stand up to bullies, bullies feel empowered to continue (and extend) their bullying.

That's just the way things are in this war-weary world of wayfaring woe.   

I learned this lesson myself in middle school, and my life forever took an empowered trajectory toward greater confidence and peace because I chose to stand up to my bully. Fortunately, I was able to solve things diplomatically (through my parents and school administrators). Obviously, diplomatic solutions should always be exhausted before resorting to brute force. But, if a bully will not respond to any other stimulus, force is (sadly) necessary to terminate the bullying and ensure the peace moving forward.  

Last Friday signaled the beginning of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, China. Sadly, the global harmony that has often marked Olympic Games in the past seems like a distant memory, as these games have been badly stained and soured not only by Russia's aggressive behavior against Ukraine, but also by a variety of human right's abuses coming out of mainland China; and that is to say nothing of the CCP's (China's Communist Party) ongoing military buildup in the South China Sea and the looming threat of a Chinese military invasion of Taiwan. Highlighting these ominous events was China's Xi Xinping and Russian's Vladimir Putin's much publicized meeting the day of the Opening Ceremonies, aimed at further solidifying their own alliance while amping up their united rhetoric against the West.

Make no mistake, Putin and Xi have their eyes and hearts set on commandeering their weaker neighbors just as surely as Adolf Hitler and Emporor Hirohito had their eyes and hearts set on Europe and Southeast Asia in the 1930s. Both are driven by historical legacies that affirm global hegemony for both the Russian and Chinese nations and peoples. After all, what did Vladimir Putin label "the worst geopolitical catastrophe of the 20th Century"? Answer: the Fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. Ever since that famous fall from power, Putin's every thought, word, and action has been channeled toward one, focused objective: right that perceived wrong by re-establishing the lost legacy of Soviet dominance in the East—and beyond.  

It is worth noting—and vital to remember—that the calamities of 1914 and 1939 did not begin in 1914 and 1939. The Great War's roots stemmed back nearly half-a century to France's defeat in the Franco Prussian War in 1870-71, and Germany's subsequent unification, advancement, and armament.

Nazi flag flies over Paris in 1940

Likewise, long before Adolf Hitler had any power or influence in Germany, the seeds of World War II were planted the moment the Armistice was signed on November 11, 1918—in French General Ferdinand Foch's personal railway car. Less than 22 years later, Adolf Hitler would receive the surrendering French leaders in the exact same railway car following the fall of Paris to the Nazis. It was the perfect revenge for the former German Corporal who felt "stabbed in the back" by his own nation's leaders and was rancorously bitter about Germany's defeat in World War I. 

The roots of the current crisis go back to China's humiliation by Japan in World War II, and more recently, to the fall of the Soviet Union and the dismemberment of its 15 satellite nations, of which Ukraine is one, in the early 1990s.  

Anyone who follows geopolitics knows that China—and to a lesser extent, Russia—has been modernizing and strengthening their military for many years now (much like Germany in the final quarter of the nineteenth century and then Japan and Germany [again] throughout the 1930s). Moreover, Putin's incursions into Georgia and his outright annexation of Crimea in the last decade remain a fresh memory in the minds of the geopolitically-informed. 

As much as virtually everyone throughout Western Civilization would like to avoid another global military crisis on par with the First and Second World Wars, the indelible pages of history paint an ominous picture of unfolding events, which are so strikingly portentous of crises to come. 

In the SAL Textbook, I touch briefly on a subject known as the "Crisis of 2020," which is a term employed by generational scholars William Strauss and Neil Howe* to describe an impeding worldwide calamity that they predicted (back in the early 1990s) will occur in years surrounding the year 2020.

When the COVID-19 pandemic broke in March of 2020, it seemed evident that we now knew just what the "Crisis of 2020" would entail. But... is it possible the pandemic is really just a relatively mild precursor (a warm-up or opener of sorts) to the main act, which is still yet to play out in coming years as the buildup of Chinese and Russian power and aggression finally comes to a head?

We don't know the answer to this question... yet.

Like the original 13 Colonies in their fight against the British in the
18th Century, Western Nations must ally themselves together in the
fight against Communism & Tyranny in the 21st Century.

But this much we do know: if Western Civilization—and the principles and values of democracy it claims to cherish and champion—is to prevail in the face of this newest threat to individual liberty, personal freedom, and government of the people, by the people, and for the people,* then we better be prepared to abandon the divisiveness that has so cancerously cankered our politics in recent decades. We do not know for certain what the future will bring. But this much we do know: when confronted by any serious foe, be it internal or external, we must, in the words of Benjamin Franklin: all hang together, or many of us will undoubtedly hang separately.  

In 1860, a political outsider and prairie lawyer named Abraham Lincoln became his party's unlikely nominee and victor of the U.S. Presidency after building his campaign on the universal principle and premise that, "A House divided against itself cannot stand." Lincoln was right then, and his rightness (and righteousness) steered our nation through our greatest crisis, maintained our Union, and brought liberty to the captive souls of four million enslaved persons. We would do well now to embrace the same aphorism—which originates in none other than The Good Book—as a panacea to the divisions that have so deeply fractured our nation.  

Click HERE to buy a copy of Generations

According to Strauss and Howe:

"We project ... the Crisis of 2020 [will last] ... from 2020 to 2029. ... [It] will be a major turning point in American history and an adrenaline-filled moment of trial. At its climax, Americans will feel that the fate of posterity—for generations to come—hangs in the balance. ... Sacrifices will be asked, and given. America will be implacably resolved to do what needs doing, and fix what needs fixing." (1)

Why is it that Freedom Focused, and by extension, I personally, take so much interest in this subject known as the Crisis of 2020? 

Part of the reason stems from my personal passion for history, current events, and leadership. And part of the reason stems from the fact that I personally was born at the crossroads of two generations (GenX & Millennial) that Strauss and Howe predict will play consequential—and even pivotal—roles in the Crisis of 2020. 

On the one hand, I am one of the youngest members of Generation X (or 13ers, as Strauss and Howe refer to those born between 1961 and1981). According to Strauss and Howe, my generation "will see, and evaluate, the Crisis of 2020 with the sharpest eye of all living generations. [Moreover], by lifecycle position and peer personality, they will have the most capacity for maneuver and can be expected to produce the Crisis era's most colorful leaders and stigmatized traitors—reminiscent of... [Civil War] commanders ... [and] the managers of D-Day ... as well as isolationists and fascists." (2)

On the other hand, I am married to a Millennial (born 1982-2000), and am almost young enough to qualify as one of the eldest Millennials myself. Like the G.I. soldiers of World War II, the Millennial generation will serve as the primary generation combatting whatever horrific realities arise from the Crisis of 2020. Put the two together and those born in the late 1970s or early 1980s are—for better or for worse—destined to play prominent roles in the ensuing drama.

In addition, the Baby Boom generation (born 1943-1960) will assist Generation X as leaders, coaches, mentors, and other vital role-players throughout the crisis. Strauss and Howe underscore the unique contribution that Baby Boomers and Generation X-ers (13-ers) are destined to make, and provide counsel to both generations, as follows:

The West needs LEADERS like Washington & Lincoln for Crises ahead.

"Two generations have especially important roles in the drama ahead ... [as] the vortex of history is inexorably moving toward the Boom and 13th [GenX]. No less is riding on them than once rode on Franklin and Washington, Lincoln and Grant, or Roosevelt and Eisenhower. [In order to meet the challenges of this crisis] Americans must rely on aging Boomers to build a very unyuppielike ethic of community responsibility and principled self-sacrifice. Where[as] their G.I. parents were heroes young, history warns Boomers to expect their greatest test in old age. Similarly, future generations are counting on 13ers [GenX-ers] to graduate from Liar's Poker and mellow into midlife cautionaries, guardians of family life, and protectors against ... excess. ... Just as we are all heirs to ancestors we mostly admire, so too are we all ancestors to heirs whose admiration we should wish to earn ... [a reminder] of our sacred obligation to act as kindly toward the future as ancestral generations once did toward us." (3)

While Strauss and Howe acknowledge the reality that "any crisis with a bad ending could bring unprecedented tragedy" (4) they are ultimately optimistic about Western Civilization's capacity to triumph over whatever crucibles lie ahead. Freedom Focused concurs with this optimistic outlook.

Why?

Because we believe that in the end, goodness, rightness, and TRUTH—in which collective liberty, personal freedom, and existential growth are rooted—always win. Nevertheless, we shudder to think of the individual and collective prices that may have to be paid to claim the ultimate victory for posterity. 

Freedom & Democracy vs. Tyranny & Communism  

Make no mistake: What happens in coming days, months, and years in Ukraine and Taiwan—and beyond—will reverberate around the world for years and even decades to come. And regardless what shape and scope the fight ends up taking, it will pit tyranny against LIBERTY and dictatorships against DEMOCRACIES.

Let it be known here and now, far and wide, that Freedom Focused stands immovably, unshakably, and inviolably in solidarity with democracy and against all forms of tyranny.

As our name suggests, we are eternal supporters of LIBERTY & FREEDOM and forever pursuers of TRUTH... and if necessary, we will defend all three to the death.  

Freedom Focused holds no grudge against, nor do we bear any ill will towards, the Chinese and Russian people (or any of their allies' citizens). Indeed, we believe that most Russians and Chinese individuals are intelligent, industrious, and productive peoples who want to do the right thing. 

However, we stand definitively and unequivocally against any and all imperialistic policy aims fueled by the aggression of their misguided and power-hungry leaders.

We further oppose the communistic and dictatorial forms of government that grant such unbridled authority and power to the few or the one. While we will always remain non-partisan in our message and approach, we will never demure from our strong stance in support of democratic-republicanism and its ideological embrace of collective liberties, personal freedoms, and the supporting TRUTHS rooted in Universal Law that uphold them.    

Freedom Focused stands FOR liberty, freedom, truth, and democracy.

May God Bless the United States of America—and all of Western Civilization in this fight against totalitarianism, tyranny, and aggression, and for liberty, freedom, and truth.

May God further bless Freedom Focused to stand as a beacon of strength upon the defensive watchtower of righteousness and truth for however long said conflict(s) may last.

Lastly, may God bless each one of us to stand up for, speak out in support of, and defend unto the death those principles of Liberty, Freedom, and TRUTH upon which we mutually pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor.   

—Dr. JJ

February 9, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 251st Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 250 FF Blog Articles.  

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to learn more about Freedom Focused

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan Jensen

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks

Notes:

* Final phrase of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address.

1. Strauss, W. & Howe, N. (1991). Generations: The History of America's Future, 1584 to 2069. New York, NY: Perennial. Page 382. 

2). Ibid. Page 415.

3). Ibid. Page 427.

4). Ibid. Page 426.

Dr. JJ's Rule #12: The Wise Use of Time & Money

Your use of time & money
determines your CHARACTER

In a previous article, Dr. JJ's 13 Rules for Living were shared.

Click HERE to access JJ's 13 Rules.

This week's blog post addresses Dr. JJ's RULE #12, which states:

Spend all my TIME and MONEY on things that will either directly or indirectly contribute to the acquisition of wisdom and Existential Growth, the accumulation of worthy experiences, memories and relationships, and the proactive pursuit of meaningful service to others.  

Wisdom is the intelligent application of knowledge

Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.  

—Proverbs 4:7

In the Good Book, it reads: "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also." Another way to posture this principle is: "Where your treasure is, there will your time (and expenditures) be also."

The way you spend and/or save money speaks volumes about what and who is most important to YOU. It also says a lot about the value you place on the short-run versus the long-run of your life and career.  

You cannot save time. It is always on the move
You must constantly choose how you will spend it.

The same can be said about how you spend your TIME.  

Time is arguably the most valuable commodity to which any of us has access in this life. Time is also a great equalizer in the sense that each of us is allotted the exact same amount of time each day—24 hours—not a second more and not a second less. It doesn't matter who you are (or aren't), how much money you have (or don't have), or what other privileges you are blessed with (or not), EVERYONE gets the same amount of time to spend each day.

The question is not whether you have time; we all do. The question is: how are you choosing to spend your time?

America's first great time management expert—Benjamin Franklin—famously wrote: "Dost thou love life? Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of."

Benjamin Franklin—and Founding Father—of the United States
had many wise things to say about how to spend both time & money.

"Dost thou love life? 

Then do not squander time; for that's the stuff life is made of." 

—Benjamin Franklin

To illustrate and illuminate the power and value of time, consider the following...

Everyone who has ever lived in this world has accomplished what they did and became who they were because of the way in which they chose to use their time. And while time expenditure alone is not the only variable impacting the results we obtain in life, it is, without any doubt or question, a key component and driving impetus for all RESULTS. Moreover, an argument can be made that it is, without any doubt or question, the most important variable in the sense that it is the only variable over which we have direct, significant, and lasting control.  

The use of time is akin to the use of money. The ways in which you choose to spend and invest money will determine the proliferation or atrophy of your financial portfolio over time. Similarly, the ways in which you choose to spend and invest your time will determine the proliferation or atrophy of your personal and professional happiness, peace, success, and growth over time. 

Consequently, self-action leaders are as careful and conscientious with their time as they are with their money—if not more so. They further recognize that their allotments of time in this life and world are finite—and that unlike money or other material possessions, lost (wasted) time can never be retrieved. As such, each moment really is precious.

Rule #12 is designed to serve as a personal cue to use my own time wisely. It further serves as a reminder of what matters most to me in my life, namely: the continual nurturance of positive interpersonal relationship and the never-ending quest after personal knowledge, wisdom, capacity, growth, and inner peace. Staying laser-focused on these life objectives empowers me to go where I want to go and become who and what I most desire in the long run.

Life and Career Management begin with Time Management

I invite you to read the following questions and then thoughtfully reflect on the answers as they relate to your own life and career.  

• How are you currently spending your time (and money)?

• Are your present expenditures of time (and money) consistently aligned with your deepest-held values and goals?

• In what ways is your current use of time (and money) contributing to future growth and happiness?

• In what ways is your current use of time (and money) contributing to preventable illness, calamity, and pain down the road?

• How is your current use of time (and money) helping your relationships?

• How is your current use of time (and money) hindering your relationships?

• In what ways do you waste time (and money)?

• What could you do beginning TODAY to start using your precious allotment of time (and money) more wisely?

NOTE: This article is the 14th in a series of 22 articles on the subject of LIFE RULES.

Click HERE to access quick links to the other 21 articles.   

—Dr. JJ

December 29, 2021

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 245thBlog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 244 FF Blog Articles.  

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to learn more about Freedom Focused

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan Jensen

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks

Our Vision & Mission at Freedom Focused

Sir Winston Churchill
Two-time Prime Minister of Great Britain

Winston Churchill Inspires a Young Man, Who, in-turn, Motivates a Mere Boy

At the tail end of his long life, Winston Churchill gave a speech in England.  In his address, he told his listeners how he had always been motivated by a compelling desire to make a difference in the world.

Sitting in Churchill's audience that day was a young American missionary in his early twenties named Hyrum W. Smith.

Deeply touched by the aging Churchill's words, Smith realized he felt the same burning desire to "make a difference."

Nearly 20 years later, Smith served as one of the key originators of the world famous Franklin Day Planning system.  Ten years after that, Smith's company, FranklinQuest, went public on the New York Stock Exchange.  In 1997, FranklinQuest acquired the Covey Leadership Center to form the world famous training company, FranklinCovey.    

Hyrum W. Smith
Co-Founder of FranklinCovey

While in England, Hyrum Smith met my Dad, who was also in Britain doing missionary work.  Later, after both had returned to the U.S. to attend college, Hyrum introduced my Dad to his little sister.  Romance blossomed, and in 1966, Rex Jensen married Pauline Smith.  Thirteen years later, I was born.

Just a few short years later, in 1983, Uncle Hyrum started the Franklin Institute.  Age age eight, I attended my first Franklin Day Planning seminar -- taught by Hyrum himself.

At ages 12 and 14, I worked as a manual laborer on Hyrum's Southwestern desert ranch.  From this obscure vantage point, I observed my uncle summit a significant pinnacle of success as one of the greatest time management and personal development gurus in the world.

Concurrently, I began to recognize with increased clarity that I possessed the same deep desire that had driven both Sir Winston and Hyrum.  This desire was further enflamed by a relatively unremarkable incident that occurred one day at Hyrum's ranch home in 1992 -- the same year FranklinQuest went public on the NYSE.    

One Sunday afternoon at the ranch, we ranch hands were eating Sunday dinner with the Smith family.  Hyrum was home for the weekend.  At the conclusion of a delicious taco dinner (the Smith's Sunday tradition), Hyrum elevated his powerful orator's voice several decibels to make an announcement everyone could hear, whereby he proclaimed: "All right everybody, I'm offering five dollars to anyone who will do the dishes."

Without blinking or thinking twice about the work involved or whether the amount was worth the time investment, I quickly volunteered before anyone else, to which Hyrum approvingly replied, "Jordan, you are an entrepreneur; you will be a wealthy man someday."  I was only 12 years old, but this experience left a lasting impression on me.  

Dr. Jordan R. Jensen
Founder & CEO of Freedom Focused

I doubt Hyrum remembers this exchange, or that he even thought much about it five seconds after he said it.  Nevertheless, that simple statement has deeply resonated within my being throughout intervening years.  I suppose that in a sense, it became something akin to Hyrum's own "Churchill" moment, where one great man unknowingly passes a torch to a young boy who has plenty of potential and ample "fire in the belly."

Becoming wealthy for wealth's sake is not a primary motivator for me.  Making a difference, however, and leaving a positive legacy emblazoned in what I believe is the noblest career ambition of all (education), has been an incessant -- even an obsessive -- driving force in my life the past two-and-a-half decades.  As such, it was my potential to make a difference, not merely to become wealthy, that really burned in my bosom that day at the Ranch when Hyrum spoke out loud about my possibilities.

Despite this and other powerful life influences along the way, it took me several more years to gain clarity about specifically how I intended to "make a difference" in the world.  But by the year 2003, I had a pretty clear vision of my how.  Ever since that time, I have been on a MISSION to actualize that VISION.

Today's blog post shares the vision and mission of Freedom Focused, both of which are anchored firmly in the principles set forth in the Self-Action Leadership Theory & Model.

I invite anyone who believes in the importance of Leadership, Character, and Life-Skill Education to seriously read this article, and then share it with your personal and professional networks.   

Our Vision at Freedom Focused

What is a vision?  Simply stated, it is a clear picture of what the future looks like.  What does the future look like to us at Freedom Focused?

Let's begin with a story...

The widely read M. Scott Peck, M.D., (of The Road Less Traveled fame) once wrote about his relationship with his Grandfather.  His memories of this relationship consisted mostly of a monthly visit to his grandparent's home in New York that included three double-feature shows at the movie-house.  While going to-and-from these cinematic excursions, Peck's Granddad would often garnish their conversations by sprinkling in some of the wise old proverbs.  For example: "'Don't cross your bridges until you've come to them,'" or, "'Don't put all your eggs in one basket.'" 

In Peck's own words, his Grandfather "was not a particularly smart man, and his speech was seldom more than a series of cliches."  Despite this, it was evident to Peck that his Grandpa loved him by virtue of all the time he was willing to spend with him, and in time, the old fellow's words ended up making a real difference in his life.  As Peck explains:

"It was on the walks with my grandfather, back and forth to the double features, that I was able not only to hear but to digest and absorb his proverbs, and their wisdom has stood me in very good stead over these years."  

As he reflected over the simple wisdom he gleaned from these very basic lessons learned from his grandfather, Peck lamented the loss of the old proverbs in today's educational processes (especially public education).  He further opines:

"I've often thought that it would be saving if we could develop some program of mental health education in our public schools ... [and] I hope someone will start instituting such a program [and] I hope it will be done soon.  For as my grandfather would have said, "'A stitch in time saves nine.'" (italics added) [1]

Years ago, I was in Eastern Canada on a small little plane flying to teach a seminar somewhere in New Brunswick.  It was during my flight that I first read these words.  As I did so, my heart was filled with a deep impression that I was that someone that Peck was talking about, or at very least, I was one of them.  Since then, I have been even more invigorated in my efforts to realize this hope held by Peck--and countless others throughout the last three generations.

The troubled period of time in America that began in the 1960s, and has been labeled historically as the "Postmodern Period," has been marked by dramatic departures from traditional educational approaches that focused as much effort on teaching and modeling principles of leadership, character, and life-skills as they do on 'reading, 'riting, and 'rithmetic (and technological science).

Click HERE to learn more about postmodernists and the postmodern period.

Click HERE to learn more about the AGE of AUTHENTICISM that has begun to eclipse postmodernism in the 21st century.    

1858-1919

The Quality of the Individual Citizen is Supreme

In 1910, shortly after leaving office, President Theodore Roosevelt delivered a famous address at a University in Paris, France (The Sorbonne).  In this speech, Roosevelt proclaimed that, "The quality of the individual citizen is supreme" when it comes to building strong, self-reliant, and collectively prosperous republics.  In this address, Roosevelt taught that:

"Under other forms of government, under the rule of one man or very few men, the quality of the leaders is all-important. ... But with ... us [as Americans] the case is different.  With ... us .. in the long run, success or failure will be conditioned upon the way in which the average man, the average woman, does his or her duty, first in the ordinary, every-day affairs of life, and next in those great occasional cries which call for heroic virtues.  The average citizen must be a good citizen if our republics are to succeed.  The stream will not permanently rise higher than the main source; and the main source of national power and national greatness is found in the average citizenship of the nation.  Therefore it behooves us to do our best to see that the standard of the average citizen is kept high; and the average cannot be kept high unless the standard of the leaders is very much higher."

Roosevelt went on to identify how to develop the kind of "quality citizens" of which he spoke.  His answer?  Education!  Again, in his own words:

"Let those who have, keep, [and] let those who have not, strive to attain, a high standard of cultivation and scholarship (education).  Yet let us remember that these stand second to certain other things.  There is need of a sound body, and even more of a sound mind.  But above mind and above body stands character -- the sum of those qualities which we mean when we speak of a man's force and courage, of his good faith and sense of honor.  ... Education must contain much besides book-learning in order to be really good.  We must ever remember that no keenness and subtleness of intellect, no polish, no cleverness, in any way make up for the lack of the great solid qualities.  Self-restraint, self mastery, common sense, the power of accepting individual responsibility and yet of acting in conjunction with others, courage and resolution -- these are the qualities which mark a masterful people.  Without them no people can control itself, or save itself from being controlled from the outside. ... I pay all homage to intellect and to elaborate and specialized training of the intellect; and yet I know ... that more important still are the commonplace, every-day qualities and virtues."

At Freedom Focused, we share President Roosevelt's vision of a robust educational culture that embraces a concrete commitment to skillfully teaching and effectively modeling the weightier matters of leadership, character, and life-skill education in conjunction with typical core curricula.

As such, our vision of the future is that of a nation where many, if not most schools, explicitly offer -- and even require -- students to take courses in subjects such as: 

* Self-leadership, self-reliance, & self-control

* Emotional intelligence

* Interpersonal relationship management

* Personal financial management

* Mental health

* Character development 

* Leadership

* Life skills
* Positive Mental Attitude
* Persistence and Determination
* Endurance

You know exactly what I am talking about -- all of the things students really need to learn and develop if they are going to be authentically successful over the long run -- in conjunction with core academic competencies that are already taught.  

When I published my first book in 2005 (a personal leadership guide for high school and college students), an esteemed leadership guru named John H. "Jack" Zenger was kind enough to provide the following endorsement quote for my work:

"The old paradigm of separating core academic curriculum from leadership, character, and life-skill education in America's schools is gradually beginning to shift.  The time is coming when classes in leadership will be equally as important as those in mathematics, biology, or English; and from a career standpoint, possibly more important."

At Freedom Focused, our vision of the future is a society where the "shift" spoken of by Dr. Zenger has become a reality, with cultural mores and educational paradigms widely embracing explicit instruction in leadership, character, and life-skill education.

Click HERE to view Dr. Jordan Jensen's groundbreaking speech entitled, A Twenty-First Century Vision of Education in America.  

The Mission Behind the Vision

At Freedom Focused, we comprehend the reality that this vision will be as difficult to realize as it is easy to conceptualize.  As such, where does one begin to tackle a task so monumental and daunting?

I have been asking myself this very question in great earnest since 2003.  In the intervening 12 years, I have spent literally tens of thousands of hours immersed in reading, pondering, studying, researching, collaborating, and writing (including doctoral level work), to develop "A CONCRETE PLAN" that can serve as a fundamental starting point for anyone and everyone interested and willing to engage processes that get us closer to realizing the grand vision of a character and leadership-based educational curriculum and culture.

This plan is outlined in the Self-Action Leadership Theory & Model, both of which serve as universal constructs aimed at providing a firm foundation for any and all character-centric or leadership-based educational initiatives of any kind in any organization.   

What does the SAL Theory & Model offer to YOU?  In short, it means that whether you are a Civil Leader, Business Owner or Manager, Educational Administrator, Teacher, or Coach, Parent, or Individual seeking a curriculum or textbook offering a holistic range of fundamentals, it is now available.

In the words of Dr. Christopher P. Neck, an esteemed Associate Professor of Management at the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University:

"Jensen has accomplished a task that is very difficult for any author to achieve, and that is to produce a single text that is highly relevant to multiple audiences at the same time. Because of the universal applicability of basic self-leadership principles, his message is germane ... to civic leaders, business professionals and workers of all kinds, educators, students, athletes, parents, and children—in short, to everyone. Indeed, I do believe that virtually anyone who reads this book will be able to take something away from it that will improve his or her life in a significant way. As an author myself, I am amazed at Jordan’s achievement in writing one book that carries the potential to reach such a wide variety of people—and that is the beauty of it."

Click HERE to read Dr. Neck's entire Foreword to Self-Action Leadership: The Key to Personal, Professional, & Global Freedom  

The Self-Action Leadership (SAL) Theory

The Self-Action Leadership Theory, or just "SAL Theory," for short, is rooted in an atmospheric and astronomical metaphor that compares an individual to a rocket ship seeking to travel throughout the dangerous and challenging levels of Earth's atmosphere into Outer Space and beyond.  The SAL Theory draws distinct and concrete analogues from the different layers of the atmosphere to the various "Stages" of personal growth we all must face and endure throughout our life's journey if we are to successfully realize our fullest potential both personally and professionally.  

The SAL Theory explains why other people often say and do things to make your journey more difficult, and what you can do to rise above the negative pressure exerted from these "Existential Crabs."  Furthermore, it prepares you mentally for difficulties that inevitably lie ahead of you as you traverse future adversity.  Perhaps most importantly, it awakens your awareness of the full extent of your personal and professional potential, opening up vistas of possibility you never dreamed existed.  

The 9 Levels (Layers) of Earth's Atmosphere.

The 9 Levels (Stages) of the SAL Theory

The Self-Action Leadership (SAL) Model

With the philosophical strength that comes with an understanding of the SAL Theory in tow, you are prepared to begin the incredibly exciting and engaging journey of designing and then constructing your own life and career as a self-action leader.

Rooted explicitly in a construction metaphor, the SAL Model shows you how to be the architect, builder, inspector, trouble-shooter, and fine-tuner of the metaphorical structure that is your own life and career.  

The Four Stages and 21 Sub-Steps in the Construction Process

The 4 Stages and 21 Sub-Steps in Building a Successful Life & Career

The excitement of the possibilities held in the SAL Model are perhaps best captured by the poet, George Washington Doane, who once eloquently penned:

Chisel in hand stood a sculptor boy
With his marble block before him,
And his eyes lit up with a smile of joy,
As an angel-dream passed o’er him.

He carved the dream on that shapeless stone,
With many a sharp incision;
With heaven’s own light the sculpture shone,—
He’d caught that angel-vision.

Children of life are we, as we stand
With our lives uncarved before us,
Waiting the hour when, at God’s command,
Our life-dream shall pass o’er us.

If we carve it then on the yielding stone,
With many a sharp incision,
Its heavenly beauty shall be our own,—
Our lives, that angel-vision. [2]

What are YOU going to do with the "Marble Block" of your own Existence?

My enthusiasm for creating something magnificent out of the "Marble Block" of my own life began in part while attending my Uncle Hyrum's time management seminar at age eight.  It grew steadily from that point on.  It was further bolstered when, as a freshman in college, I drafted a "Personal Leadership Statement" in a leadership course I was taking at Brigham Young University.

Utilizing the Genius of the Founding Fathers to
Realize Personal & Professional Success in YOUR Own Life

Unlike most assignments or projects you do in school and then quickly throw away and forget about, I kept working on my Personal Leadership Statement.

Over time, this statement of personal vision, mission, values, goals, etc., evolved into my "Self-Constitution," and "Self-Declaration of Independence," two vital documents that a self-action leader drafts during one's study of the SAL Model, and which have become key cornerstones of my present confidence and success.

Click HERE to watch Dr. Jensen teach the principle of writing a Self-Declaration of Independence and Self-Constitution.  

The idea that I could become an "architect of [my own] fate" (Longfellow) has always intrigued me deeply.  It has motivated me to write down careful "blueprints" for my life in the form of a Self-Declaration of Independence and Self-Constitution.  More importantly, these documents have served as a concrete impetus for successfully carrying out my plans.  Even though my life's journey remains imperfect, having carefully laid out plans (mission) complete with a clear and compelling goal (vision), has dramatically empowered my capacity to realize both.

The Builders [1]

By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882)

ALL are architects of Fate,

   Working in these walls of Time;

Some with massive deeds and great,

   Some with ornaments of rhyme.

Nothing useless is, or low;

   Each thing in its place is best;

And what seems but idle show

   Strengthens and supports the rest.

For the structure that we raise,

   Time is with materials filled;

Our to-days and yesterdays

   Are the blocks with which we build.

Truly shape and fashion these;

   Leave no yawning gaps between;

Think not, because no man sees,

   Such things will remain unseen.

In the elder days of Art,

   Builders wrought with greatest care

Each minute and unseen part;

   For the Gods see everywhere.

Let us do our work as well,

   Both the unseen and the seen;

Make the house, where Gods may dwell,

   Beautiful, entire, and clean.

Else our lives are incomplete,

   Standing in these walls of Time,

Broken stairways, where the feet

   Stumble as they seek to climb.

Build to-day, then, strong and sure,

   With a firm and ample base;

And ascending and secure

   Shall to-morrow find its place.

Thus alone can we attain
   To those turrets, where the eye
Sees the world as one vast plain,
   And one boundless reach of sky.

“Cynics do not contribute, skeptics do not create, [and] doubters do not achieve.”

~ Bryan Hinckley

Self-Action Leadership: The Key to Personal, Professional, & Global Freedom

The SAL Theory and Model are both outlined in great detail in my new book, Self-Action Leadership: The Key to Personal, Professional, & Global Freedom.  

Lee Ellis, Founder & President of Leadership Freedom is a former Colonel in the United States Air Force.  Colonel Ellis spent five years as a prisoner of war in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" during the Vietnam War.  Ellis provides the following endorsement of this comprehensive work on self-leadership:

"In Self Action Leadership, Jordan Jensen has assembled a leadership masterpiece anchored steadfastly in true principles of philosophy and human behavior. In wonderfully written prose, Jordan reminds us of who we are and what it takes to live and lead with honor. Moreover, he challenges us to live up to the high calling of being human beings with a special mission on this Earth. To accomplish our mission, we must do two major things: grow in our sense of personal responsibility, and in turn, care for others and help them to do the same. I grappled with these two areas in a primal way during more than five years as a POW in Vietnam. Now I’m thrilled to see how Jordan has laid out SAL by using the vehicle of story to illuminate his own, unique journey of transcending adversity. In so doing, he has inspired us all to become who we are capable of becoming. Bravo!”

~ Colonel Lee Ellis (retired)
U.S. Air Force, Vietnam POW Survivor (Hanoi Hilton), author of Leading With Honor: Leadership Lessons from the Hanoi Hilton, and President & Founder of Leadership Freedom LLC and FreedomStar Media

The express PURPOSE of this book is to serve as either a primary or supplementary textbook in any educational setting where leaders and teachers intend to teach any subjects related to leadership, character, and life-skill education.

In other words, all of you who share our vision, but feel frustrated because there don't seem to be any textbooks to serve your desired purposes, can now rest easy.  The textbook has been written!  All that is needed now are leaders and teachers to read it, become trained on it, and then use it to teach their own students/employees/constituents.

What will this book do for you and those you teach?  in the words of Dr. Christopher P. Neck:

"This book will do much more than just teach you about Self-Action Leadership. It will cause you to think deeply about how you are currently living your own life, and how you could better lead yourself to achieve the results you most desire in the long-run. More importantly, Jensen’s compelling story and courageous personal example, combined with his percipient ability to effectively teach the corresponding self-leadership principles, will inspire and motivate you to actually do something about what you will learn. In the process, it might even touch emotions in your heart that will move you to joy and tears. It takes a talented writer to do all of these things, so I know you’ll enjoy reading this book. More importantly, I know you’ll come away a wiser person with an increased motivation to begin taking action to realize your own Self-Action Leadership potential, an opportunity we can all take full advantage of, if only we will."

Click HERE to read what other experts are saying about Jordan Jensen's book, Self-Action Leadership.

If you are a leader or teacher reading this article right now, you may be asking yourself, "How exactly do I use it?"  That is a good question, and  I will answer it in the next section.

How to Use the Self-Action Leadership Textbook

There are three basic steps to using the Self-Action Leadership Textbook for a given audience.  Depending on who you are and what your situation entails, you may choose to take one or more of the following steps, depending on your group or organization's individual needs.

STEP ONE: Read the Book YOURSELF

There is great danger in lazily judging a book by its cover, or by a blogpost--even if that blogpost seems really comprehensive (as I hope this one does).

There are over 700 pages in the SAL book.  If you don't actually take the time to read it for yourself, you will know very little about what is actually contained therein.  You will remain "in the dark" with regards to the mountains of golden educational nuggets you could be sharing with your audience and teaching to your employees/students.

We also encourage you to complete the SAL Master Challenge contained inside the book.  The SAL Master Challenge consists of 25 specific assignments that accompany your study of the material.

Experienced teachers and administrators may have already completed personal development homework analogous to the SAL Master Challenge.  If so, you may choose to focus your efforts on immediately challenging your employees or students to undertake the challenge and then supporting them as they work through this work-intensive and time-consuming, but wildly rewarding process.

Click HERE to download the SAL Master Challenge Requirements

Click HERE to download the 25 SAL Master Challenge Assignments/Exercises

STEP TWO: Get professionally trained on the SAL Theory & Model

While you will surely mine many wonderful nuggets of insight from reading and studying the book yourself, you will derive much additional benefit from being professionally trained on the SAL Theory and Model from Dr. Jordan Jensen himself.  Doing so allows you to both learn from and tap into the mind and heart of the educator who painstakingly developed the material himself--over the course of more than a decade of reading, researching, pondering, collaborating, and writing.

Click HERE to view the Self-Action Leadership Training Overview and Consider Seminar Options

STEP THREE: Imbed SAL concepts into your organizational culture through rote learning and continual training over time.    

Once you have read the book and been professionally trained, we strongly encourage you to continue to teach and reiterate the principles contained in the SAL Theory & Model to ALL of your employees and students (IN-HOUSE) in an effort to create an organizational culture over time that both understands and embraces the concepts contained in the SAL Theory & Model -- including the all-important concept of EXISTENTIAL GROWTH (holistic personal growth spanning the spiritual, mental, moral, physical, emotional, and social realms of each of our natures).

One of the most vital "Old Proverbs" to use Dr. Peck's terminology, is: "You get out of something what you put into it."  I have invested 12 years of my life to ensure the veracity and efficacy of the SAL Theory & Model, as well as to guarantee the quality of the corresponding training material.  Likewise, the return that YOU and your students/employees get out of the material will be commensurate to the time and effort you invest therein.

To maximize the value of the material, you must be willing to commit to interweaving the concepts into everything your organization does.  For those so willing, the results will be astronomically astounding.  I know because I have tested it out in the laboratory of my own life, career, and relationships, and the results have exceeded even my very high expectations.  As a result, my personal, professional, and relational lives are all in a highly desirable position -- with the best yet to come.  And the cool thing is that there is nothing inherently special about me or anyone else at Freedom Focused; but everything is special about SAL Principles.  As such, you and your colleagues, employees, and/or students will likewise reap growth and a myriad of other benefits commensurate to your desire and willingness to work hard to learn and apply the same principles.

To buy Jordan's Book, Self-Action Leadership, Click HERE.

To bring a SAL Seminar Training to your organization or school today, call 832-618-5451.   

To learn more about Freedom Focused and our Vision and Mission, visit:

www.freedomfocused.com

Click HERE to view Dr. Jordan Jensen's Complete 1-hour Self-Action Leadership Seminar for FREE

Click HERE to view Dr. Jordan Jensen's groundbreaking speech entitled, A Twenty-First Century Vision of Education in America.

Note: Freedom Focused is a non-partisan, for-profit, educational corporation.  As such, we do not endorse or embrace political figures.  We do, however, comment from time-to-time on historical or political events that provide pedagogical backdrops to illuminating principles contained in the SAL Theory & Model.

Click HERE to learn more about the SAL Theory & Model.

To receive weekly articles from Freedom Focused & Dr. Jordan R. Jensen, sign up with your e-mail address in the white box on the right side of this page where it says "Follow by E-mail."

Click HERE to buy a copy of Dr. Jordan Jensen's new book, Self-Action Leadership: The Key to Personal, Professional, & Global Freedom.

Click HERE to read more about Dr. Jensen's book, Self-Action Leadership, and to review what experts in the leadership field are saying about this groundbreaking new personal development handbook.

Click HERE to learn more about Dr. Jordan R. Jensen.

Notes:

[1] Peck, M.S. (1993). Further Along the Road Less Traveled: The Unending Journey Toward Spiritual Growth. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster. Pages 141-144.
[2] Doane, G.W. (1920). Life Sculpture. In R.J. Cook, Ed., One-Hundred and one Famous Poems: With a Prose Supplement. (Google Books version). Chicago, IL: The Cable Company. Page 136.
[3] Longfellow, H.W. The Day is Done, reprinted from The Poetical Works of Longfellow (1912). Henry Frowde, Oxford University    Press. Page 186.