Finding Unity Through Common Sense & True Principles

Dear Reader,

As you well know, American Culture in 2021 is often saturated in anger, bitterness, divisiveness, vitriol, and violence. It is very sad because we are capable of being so much better than our present displays—speaking collectively and not individually.  

What is the answer to greater PEACE and UNITY? 

It's certainly not ideology or politics—I think most would agree on that. Ideologues and politicians—however well intentioned—are, in fact, among the greatest sowers of disunity. Moreover, they consistently demonstrate little intention of real change, and most people are sick and tired of it. 

What then is the answer? 

Today's blog explores a potential solution to the problem of disunity (and its many causes) in America and beyond. At Freedom Focused, we suggest that our biggest problems—and the most authentic solutions to those problems—are not rooted in ideology or politics, but in education, natural law, and common sense.

The idea for today's article came one morning a few weeks back as I was listening to the radio while driving in my car. A song called "Love Like Crazy," by Lee Brice, was playing when the following lyrics jumped out at me, striking my brain and heart like lightning...

"Go to work, do your best ... tell the truth ... [and] don't outsmart your common sense."

— Doug Johnson, Tim James, Timothy A. James (songwriters)

Sounds sorta like a classic SAL anthem, doesn't it? The last part of the song especially stuck out to me.

What exactly does it mean to not "Outsmart Your Common Sense"?

We live in a world that is drowning in information. Everywhere you turn there is a surfeit of knowledge, print and virtual media, and so-called "facts" being offered up by everyone and their Uncle Joey's cousin's brother's sister-in-law's colleague's former supervisor.

In the history of the world, information of all kinds has never been more voluminous or accessible than in the 2020s. Despite this fact, it seems human beings are as confused, distracted, bitter, angry, and perplexed as they have ever been—again, speaking collectively and not individually. 

As such, it seems clear that information alone is insufficient in getting us to where we really want to go in the long run. And where do we really want to go in the long run?

I think most people genuinely desire the same basic things in life. 

What are those things?

Answer: Safety, security, peace, prosperity, freedom, variety, meaning, purpose, personal and professional opportunities that engage and excite us, and deep, fulfilling, and lasting relationships with those we love and care for.

Ironically, the pathway to achieving these universal human desires and goals is fairly simple and straightforward (not to be confused with easy). In fact, I would argue that obtaining all of these highly desirable states of being in life is ultimately a by-product of consistently following basic, common sense principles of thought, speech, and actions over time—you know... the principles and practices outlined in the Self-Action Leadership Theory, Model, and Philosophy. In fact, the express purpose of the SAL material is to educate, inspire, and empower men and women, boys and girls, to do just that. 

The problem is that we live in a world where following basic, common sense principles of thought, speech, and actions are not always culturally en vogue and are viewed by many as being unsophisticated, outdated, or outright irrelevant. With more discretionary time on our hands—speaking collectively and not individually—than we have ever had in human history, there is plenty of time for people to get lost in intellectual black holes where neither light nor common sense are able to escape. The result is a cornucopia of ideas, theories, and practices that hinder more than they help, confuse more than they console, complicate more than they clarify, and tear down more than they build up.

What are these ideas, theories, and practices? That is a very good question, but we are not going to answer it for you—at least not specifically.

Why?

Because at Freedom Focused, our goal is not to take sides on specific issues, particularly when those issue are controversial. In fact, our purpose is not even to tell you what is right or wrong in your life. Doing that would, after all, be rather presumptuous on our part in light of the fact that we are neither your parent, pastor, or psychiatrist, nor your personal pen pal.

While we emphatically and unapologetically insist that a real RIGHT and wrong does in fact exist, we will never insert ourselves into your own conscience-imbued decision-making processes or assert that you must do (or not do) x, y, or z.

As an independent, creative, and free self-action leader, that's YOUR job!

Our job—and our sincere intention and goal—is simply to teach correct principles and then encourage individual people and organizations to effectively govern themselves in ways that are discreet, moral, productive, purposeful, and wise according to the dictates of their own consciences. 

Let's face it...

Our nation and world is divided enough as it is. Picking fights with individual persons or organizations on specific issues would, in our view, only add to the present state of hyper-divisiveness that plagues our land.

Moreover, the truth is that common sense gets neglected by persons and organizations on all sides of a given issue, regardless whether the issue is civic, communal, cultural, ideological, or political in nature. No person or organization is perfect. We all make mistakes and all have room to learn, progress, mature, and grow. Pointing fingers at others is always less productive than looking inward to how we can change ourselves; and SAL—as you well know by now—is all about self-change.  

At Freedom Focused, we aim continually for UNITY through
a commitment to COMMON SENSE rooted in TRUE PRINCIPLES

As such, we do—and always will—steer clear of specifics that would only serve to provoke and divide rather than to educate, inspire, and UNIFY. Instead, we focus on teaching general principles that are universal and (we sincerely hope) unifying in nature—and then invite others to make their own wise choices based on the simple, common sense-oriented truisms contained therein.

So instead of summiting our soapbox to give you an ideological or partisan lecture, we simply invite and encourage YOU to do the best you can to think, speak, and act in ways that respect other people and things as you abide by correct principles and uphold common sense. Don't make the mistake that so many in our supposedly sophisticated culture make—DON'T OUTSMART YOUR COMMON SENSE!

I know this formula of "True Principle-rooted Common Sense" works because it has worked in my own life. I was very blessed to be born into a family, community, and culture that valued sincere commitments to common sense living that was rooted in true principles. My parents, teachers, coaches, leaders, mentors, friends, and associates weren't perfect people—no one on this planet is. But they were good people who tried their imperfect best to teach me correct principles and then let me make my own life and career choices. And I love, respect, and thank them for it! The result was the perpetual expansion of my personal and professional growth and freedom and a greater sense of unity with my teachers, leaders, and associates. The formula works. I know it works because I have lived it—and will continue to live it until my dying day.  

Unity in our relationships, families, communities, organizations, cities, states, or nations will never be achieved through extreme ideologies or partisan politics. It will only come as increasing numbers of people choose of their own free will to pattern their lives after principles of truth, common sense, and complete personal responsibility in concert with mutual respect, regard, compassion, and tolerance for one another.

Join us and together we will unify around those things that all reasonable, rational, and realistic persons can agree upon. Let's all focus a little more on the principles and practices that will increase and enhance our personal and professional freedoms and a little less on what angers, embitters, and divides us. As we do so, may that freedom come into greater focus as it expands and flourishes both at home and abroad as a natural extension of flourishing first within our own hearts, minds, and souls.  

Rockin' the Stationary Bike in PBG

Lastly, may I include a quick side note/postscript addendum to last week's post...

This past Monday, I broke another personal record at 10K on the stationary bike, shaving three whole seconds off of my old Personal Record for a new PR of 15:55. I also peddled a mile under 2:30 (2:27) and two miles under 5:00 (4:58) for the first time on the stationary bike I've been riding at Palm Beach Sports Club in Jupiter, Florida.

PR's just keep coming for me here in South Florida.  

     And it feels GREAT!     

-Dr. JJ

May 5, 2021

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

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

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