Wednesday, September 29, 2021

Dr. JJ's Rule #3: The Golden Mean

There is Beauty in Balance
In a previous article, JJ's 13 Rules for Living were shared. This week's blog post addresses Dr. JJ's RULE #3, which states:

Truth and virtue are rarely found in extremes, but in a balance between (or among) extremes—in the Golden Mean.

The great Greek philosopher, Aristotle, taught that virtue (or "THE GOOD") is not found in extremes, but in a balance between (or among) extremes. This Aristotelian principle of balance has since become known as the GOLDEN MEAN.

At Freedom Focused, our aim is to embrace Aristotle's Golden Mean in everything we say and do.   

The GOLDEN MEAN and POLITICS

In recent years and decades, the United States of America—and other countries around the globe—have seen a growing political and cultural polarization stymie its/their collective social health and systemic functionality. As hyper-partisan candidates and citizens pursue increasingly extreme positions on both (and all) sides, divisiveness has abounded, negatively impacting everyone in one way or another.

Suffice it to say, perhaps nowhere is the philosophy of the Golden Mean needed more than in the politics of the twenty-first century.  

Freedom Focused is a non-political organization and does not endorse political candidates. We do, however, encourage everyone to become involved in the political process—if only to cast a vote—according to your own understanding of the issues and the dictates of your own conscience. We further encourage all citizens to become better educated on present political issues and historical events and political precedents. Doing so will serve to inform your knowledge- and conscience-based participation in the political process.  

I personally am not a member of any political party. However, as a concerned citizen, voter, and patriot who loves my country and seeks to be a good and honorable citizen of my homeland (and world), I strive to follow our advice as stated above. I therefore choose whom I will vote for based on my research, observations, and analysis of current issues, my understanding of past events and political precedents, and my personal priorities and beliefs.

There are times in a two-person race when both candidates are unpalatable to me for various reasons. In such circumstances, I always cast my vote for the candidate whom I believe will—all things considered—do the most good and the least harm in office. 

This "utilitarian-minded" voting approach is rooted in my desire to exercise what little political influence I possess as practically and realistically as possible in the present. I then concurrently seek to exemplify and promote the kind of balanced approach to politics that this article champions—something that politicians increasingly refuse to do themselves. When it comes to "contested issues" I seek to follow the advice of one leader who encouraged citizens to "moderate and unify"* rather than embrace partisan extremities and other tribalistic ideologies and behaviors.    

The GOLDEN MEAN and Everything Else in Life

Everything goes better when the "gears" of your life and
career are properly aligned, balanced, and greased.
The golden mean relates to more than just politics; it is applicable to everything in life. Freedom Focused agrees with Aristotle that self-action leaders ought to avoid extremities of any kind. While there is usually an exception to every rule, the fundamental principal of the Golden Mean is that wisdom is almost never found in extremes; but in a balance between (or among) extremes.

In every life arena—be it spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, social, recreational, etc.—we should strive to live lives marked by balance, discretion, moderation, and wisdom. Even inherently good or healthy things, such as exercise, nutrition, study, work, and wholesome recreational activities can be taken to unhealthy extremes that hinder one's personal freedom and growth and harm interpersonal relationships.

In illustration of this point, I am reminded of one of my favorite songs sung by the contemporary pop star, Bruno Mars. In his famous tune, Just the Way You Are, Bruno croons: "Her lips, her lips, I could kiss them all day if she'd let me."

As is the case with many romantic lyrics in music, they tend to get out of balance in order to underscore a highlighted emotion.  

Don't get me wrong... I love to kiss my wife as much as the next husband (and perhaps even more so), but kissing Lina all day long would not be good for her, me, or our relationship. While I firmly believe kissing is an essential ingredient in a successful romantic relationship or marriage, balance remains a key component in keeping those kisses as meaningful and special as possible. Indeed, too many kisses could in fact be as damaging and dangerous as not enough kisses.     

Aristotle
384-322 B.C.
How many friendships and marriages have been ruined by imbalance!

In a nation and world where legions of citizens are embracing extremes in fashion, style, culture, ideology, politics, fitness, nutrition, and virtually everything else, Freedom Focused champions a different approach that we—like Aristotle—believe is better and wiser in the long-run. This approach is spelled "B-A-L-A-N-C-E" and is illuminated by a philosophy and principle championed over two millennia ago by the great Greek philosopher Aristotle. 

Here's to living a golden life of happiness, prosperity, and inner peace through the philosophy of the Golden Mean.

Huzzah!  


NOTE: This article is the 5th 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

September 29, 2021
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA


Author's Note: This is the 232nd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 231 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:

* Oaks, D.H. (2021) Defending our Divinely Inspired Constitution (speech). 

Wednesday, September 22, 2021

Dr JJ's Rule #2: Good, Evil, & Absolute Truth

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

This week's blog post addresses Dr. JJ's RULE #2, which states:

Accede the reality of good, evil, and absolute truth. Consistently seek out what is true, good, and selfless and eschew that which is false, evil, and selfish by listening—and then hearkening to—the supernal and eternal edicts of conscience.

We live in a culture that often heralds moral relativity over the reality of good, evil, and absolute truth. This collective, postmodern, philosophical preference lies at the very foundation of all of our deepest and most perplexing familial, educational, and societal ills in the West and beyond. While temporarily convenient, any philosophy that puts one's own mercurial will and arbitrary desires above the laws of nature will, in the long-run, painfully punish its adherents.

Determining the color or fashion of our clothes—and other
related decisionsis typically a morally neutral decision.
Many of the choices we make each day are morally neutral. For example:

  • Should I purchase a black suit and striped tie or a blue suit and solid tie?
  • For my cardio routine, should I ride my bike, go for a run, or take a swim?
  • Should I buy or lease my next automobile?
Your decisions in such matters—and others like them—typically have no tangible moral implications or consequences.

Other choices, however, are morally charged. Your decisions in such matters will not only determine your long-term destiny, but are also likely to incur dramatic consequences (for good or ill) all along the way in your own life and the lives of those who are impacted by your decisions.

Simply stated, right choices lead to freedom and growth. Wrong choices lead to bondage and atrophy.   

You may have noticed that Freedom Focused does not delineate specifics in regards to moral matters. In other words, you will never hear us explicitly tell you what to do in relation to a specific moral dilemma. We believe such work is beyond our purview and belongs instead to friends, family members, managers, executives, ecclesiastical leaders, counselors, philosophers, moralists, activists, politicians, and most importantly—the CONSCIENCES of individuals. 

As Educators, our goal is not to tell you what to do;
Instead, we seek to refine your critical thinking skills and
expand your courage & capacity for moral reasoning & action.
As EDUCATORS, our job is not to tell you specifically what to think about, say, or do in your life and career. Our job is to teach correct principles in an effort to encourage and promote wise self-governance. In other words, our goal is to help you learn generally how to think, speak, and behave more honestly, authentically, logically, strategically, and morally in an effort to empower you to make better specific decisions that will lead to higher levels of FREEDOM and GROWTH.

Despite a myriad of diverse voices who will indefatigably attempt to convince you to the contrary, I declare my personal witness and professional attestation of the reality and existence of Absolute Truth. This means that a REAL right and a REAL wrong rooted in Universal (natural) Laws really does exist absolutely and beyond humankind's power to arbitrate, evade, negotiate, or revise.

We are absolutely powerless against Universal Laws of Nature. Our liberty and power lies in our freedom to choose whether or not we will respect these laws, or opt to disregard them. If we select the former pathway (obedience), naturally-occurring consequences will reward us with happiness and inner peace along with an incremental expansion of our own freedom, growth, and maturity over time. If we decide on the latter course (disobedience), naturally-occurring consequences will reward us with misery and despair along with an incremental diminution of the same over time.

This reality is usually obvious and universally accepted for PHYSICAL (scientific) laws like laws of gravity, force, and motion. When it comes to METAPHYSICAL (moral) laws of human behavior, this reality may be less obvious and more contested; but it is no less true. 

Majestic and all-powerful Laws of Nature reign Supreme
throughout our world, solar system, galaxy, universe, and our lives.
The CHOICE is mine and the choice is yours: "Will we obey or disobey Universal Laws of Nature?"   

The purpose of Freedom Focused and Self-Action Leadership (SAL) is to teach, influence, and inspire human beings to choose obedience to Universal Laws of Nature.

We hope that YOU will choose Freedom and Existential Growth over bondage and existential atrophy.

So then, what exactly are the UNIVERSAL LAWS OF NATURE as they relate to our thoughts, speech, and actions as self-action leaders?  

Great Question!     

Click HERE to buy Volume I of the Self-Action Leadership (SAL) Textbook, which covers the SAL Theory, including all the primal Laws and Corollaries of SAL.

SAL invites you to listen and hearken to your CONSCIENCE
Freedom Focused invites you to read, study, and internalize these 13 laws of Self-Action Leadership in conjunction with their 27 concomitant corollaries. 

As you pattern your life after these foundational principles of thought, speech, and action—and allow your CONSCIENCE to carefully guide you all along the way—I promise that you will, over time, reap a wonderful harvest of happiness, positivity, productivity, success, and inner peace.     


NOTE: This article is the 4th 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

September 22, 2021
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA


Author's Note: This is the 231st Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 230 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

Wednesday, September 15, 2021

Dr. JJ's Rule #1: SELF CHANGE

Last week, and in the spirit of Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for Life, I introduced My Own 13 Rules for Living.

Today's blog is the beginning of a 13-week series aimed at further animating these rules in an effort to enliven YOUR OWN brainstorming processes as YOU seek to create your personal rules for living.

This week's blog post addresses Dr. JJ's RULE #1, which states:

The solutions to most of my problems lie inside, not outside of my world. If I wish to change the world, then I must be willing to acknowledge my personal shortcomings and errors and go to work to change myself.*

We live in a world where virtually everything bad or negative is postured as being the fault of someone or something else. No matter the subject or issue, if something arises that is undesirable, unfair, or even inconvenient, it seems that most people are typically quick to point a finger of external blame towards someone or something else.

In other words, nothing is ever one's own fault; everything is always someone or something else's fault. 

In this irresponsible environment and culture, one's own pride, arrogance, ignorance, error, shortsightedness, thoughtlessness, irresponsibility, or flat-out stupidity is never to blame. It's always somebody else's fault and problem. 

Speaking of stupidity...

Years ago, my wife shared with me a quote she had seen on social media that made me laugh out loud. 

The quote read: 

Things always happen for a reason, but sometimes that reason is because you are stupid and make bad decisions.

I laughed out loud partly because this statement is often so true; I know because I've been guilty of my own share of stupidity throughout my life. I also laughed out loud because it is so uncommon to hear something that so clearly and transparently articulates the way things really are in our confused, troubled, and responsibility-free world. In a culture where intelligence and sophistication are often equated not with taking personal responsibility, but rather with a person's capacity to cleverly rationalize, justify, demonize, and otherwise pass the buck of authentic responsibility away from where it belongs (with YOU) to someone or something else, a statement of such obvious clarity and verity did indeed make me laugh out loud!  

As self-action leaders, we can only control
our own thoughts, speech, and behavior
Sometimes fault may legitimately lie with someone or something else. But even in such cases, the fact remains that there is only ONE person or thing that you can ultimately control—and that is YOUR OWN SELF. This includes your thoughts, speech, and behavior

Knowing that SELF-CONTROL is the only real control that anyone ever fully possesses, self-action leaders recognize that they must spend most of their time and energy focusing on what they can do to make a situation better—on how they can Be the Change they'd like to see in the world (Gandhi)—rather than focusing incessantly on how they can blame, shame, and call other people names for their behavior.

It typically is (and probably should be) a cultural faux pas to tell someone else that they are stupid and made a bad decision. It is usually more effective if you can communicate compassionately and constructively in ways that will help individuals come to that vital conclusion on their own. In other words, I don't ever tell other people that they are stupid. Even if it were verifiably true, doing so would be rude, unkind, and most likely unhelpful. However, I have told myself that I am stupid on many occasions, and I am usually right in said self-assessments. Moreover, assuming I apply self-compassion to the mix, said assessments are often quite helpful in aiding my personal growth and change.  

A fundamental GOAL of Self-Action Leadership is to diligently and consistently practice the kind of deep introspection and self-honesty that will lead to self-awareness and personal change. Doing that can be hard and painful work; but it is absolutely indispensable to achieving authentic personal or professional growth and change.  

As far as I myself am concerned, if I am wrong, then I am wrong, and I need to go to work to get things right. If my thoughts, speech, or actions are stupid, or neglectful, or irresponsible, or any other negative adjective, then I need to take  COMPLETE  PERSONAL  RESPONSIBILITY  to do whatever lies in my power to remedy the situation. And if you have any interest in Self-Action Leadership, long-term FREEDOM, or Existential Growth, YOU need to do likewise.  

It's that simple; and it's also that difficult.

It's simple because it's the only way to maximize positive and product results and emotions. And it's difficult because it takes a LOT of time and effort to realize authentic solutions to real problems.

Dr. Stephen R. Covey incisively taught that being responsible means that a person is "ABLE" to choose one's own "RESPONSE" (response - able). Sadly, we live in a world where irresponsibility is thriving; but it doesn't have to be that way—at least not in your own, individual life, career, and world.  

In what ways are you currently being irresponsible, unwise, unkind, unfair, unethical, or even STUPID in your education, career, relationships, or life?

Do you like what and who you see when you look
in the mirror?  If not, what are you doing to
authentically improve that image, speaking
figuratively and not literally or cosmetically?
What can you do RIGHT NOW to start taking an honest look at yourself in the mirror and then going to work to change? 

Whatever that action is will serve as the very essence of Self-Action Leadership in your life. I invite, encourage, and cheer you on to get busy TODAY to move onward and upward in your life towards greater levels of personal and professional FREEDOM and EXISTENTIAL GROWTH.

I am where I am today in large part because I was (and am) willing to be honest with myself when I catch myself being irresponsible, unwise, unkind, unfair, or even STUPID. And you will get to where you most want to be by doing the same thing.

The rewards of exercising such personal courage are deep and rich. 

So... what are you waiting for?   


NOTE: This article is the 3rd 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

September 15, 2021
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA


Author's Note: This is the 230th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 229 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

Monday, September 13, 2021

An Era of Unprecedented Athletic Greatness

Special U.S. Open (tennis) Edition

Last week, I prepared a special blog article in anticipation of Novak Djokovic becoming the first tennis player (man or woman) to win the Calendar Grand Slam in tennis since Australia's Rod Laver in 1969. For this unique and extraordinary achievement, in concert with surpassing Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal with 21 Major titles, I was prepared to pronounce Djokovic as the undisputed GOAT (greatest of all time) of men's tennis.

Then, "The Djoker" did something that surprised me—and that few experts or pundits anticipated.

He LOST.  

The Good News is that I no longer feel compelled to pronounce Djokovic the undisputed GOAT of men's tennis. This is good news because I have long been a Roger Federer fan whose heart has been broken on many occasions by Djokovic's brilliance, determination, and resilience over the years. Such heartbreak occurred most notably (and recently) in the 2019 Wimbledon Final, where Novak pulled a rabbit out of his hat against Roger and somehow found a way to stave off multiple championship points in the fifth set to win the longest Wimbledon final in history—and the second longest final in Grand Slam history. The bad news, at least for Djokovic, is I had to edit my original article to withhold the ultimate piece of praise (confirming GOAT status).

At only 34 years of age, it is quite possible—and perhaps even likely—that Djokovic may yet merit this praise from my pen before he retires. But after losing yesterday's U.S. Open final to Russian up-and-comer, Daniil Medvedev, I cannot in good conscience take that leap just yet.

Thus, for now, the BIG 3Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal, and Novak Djokovic—remain tied at 20 Grand Slam single titles apiece, and at least for me, as a tied trio of GOATS. And while compelling empirical evidence is mounting to suggest that both Nadal and Djokovic may have already surpassed Federer, the fact remains that the elder Federer, in a sense, created both of his younger rivals by his own unprecedented successes prior to their rise on tennis's biggest stage. In other words, had Nadal and Djokovic not had Federer's greatness to chase all these years, they likely would not have risen to their own lofty status. Indeed, the three have very much fueled each other's unparalleled success in the sport. 

Nothing in all of men's tennis history can even compare to the greatness of The BIG 3. Take all the greatest men's stars of the past 60 years—Laver, Connors, Borg, McEnroe, Lendl, Aggassi, and Sampras, and none of them are even in the dust of the BIG 3, at least in terms of Grand Slam titles won.

But in a larger sense, the BIG 3 of men's tennis is emblematic of a host of athletes, teams, coaches, and performances from the past four decades that have accomplished unprecedented things in collegiate and professional athletics. As such, I think it is worth taking a moment or two to pause and reflect on the cornucopia of excellence that the WORLD of SPORT has gifted us over the course of my lifetime (42 years).

I recognize that much greatness was demonstrated before I was even born. Like Jim Thorpe at Carlisle and the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. And the New York Yankees of the late 1930s and early 1950s. Definitely there was the Boston Celtics of the 1960s and Bear Bryant's Alabama Crimson Tide of the 60s and 70s. And most dramatically, we cannot forget the UCLA Bruins from 1964 to 1975. And there were certainly individual outliers like Paavo Nurmi, Muhammad Ali, Mark Spitz, and Nadia Comaneci.

So I get it, and it's not like we haven't been down this road before. 

Nevertheless, it remains clear that in 2021, the road is wider, longer, has been freshly paved, and continues to ascend into mountain heights and summits hitherto untouched by those who went before.  

In past blog articles, I have discussed my disappointment in the mediocrity we sometimes see around us in the United States and beyond. Moreover, I have articulated how determined I am personally, and how driven we at Freedom Focused are as an organization, to influence positive and productive changes to this culture of apathy and underachievement. 

And all that is true, speaking collectively and not individually.

However, speaking individually and not collectively, the exact opposite is true. Indeed, if you do a little "cherry picking," it is not difficult to find examples of unprecedented commitment, dedication, excellence, and achievement coming from all corners of the globe—and it is inspiring! The most salient examples of these "exceptions to the rule" are perhaps most visible in the WORLD of SPORT.

To illustrate this phenomenon, consider the following:


Without exception, each athlete, coach, and/or team listed above has outlying achievements that have seldom (if ever) been matched. And in some cases—such as the BIG 3 winning 20 Gram Slam tennis titles apiece—such accomplishments may never be matched again. And it has all occurred in the past four decades. Suffice it to say, as a sporting enthusiast, I feel pretty blessed to have come of age during the 1980s and 1990s.  

Such accomplishments are a testament to the courage, commitment, and undying tenacity of the human spirit—something that we as self-action leaders can continually learn from so that we might ever move onward and upward in our own personal and professional quests after FREEDOM and EXISTENTIAL GROWTH.  

Click HERE to learn more about FREEDOM as we define it at Freedom Focused, and how it differs from LIBERTY.  

Click HERE to learn more about Existential Growth.  


-Dr. JJ

September 13, 2021
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 229th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 228 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

Wednesday, September 8, 2021

CONSTITUTION Article 13: Dr. JJ's 13 RULES for LIFE

Dr. Jordan R. Jensen
Founder, CEO, and Master Facilitator
Freedom Focused LLC
Last week, I introduced Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for Life.  

This week, as promised, I share my own, personal 13 Rules for Life. 

These rules have developed and evolved gradually over the space of several decades. I composed and refined them after spending tens of thousands of hours studying, practicing, and pondering the subject that we at Freedom Focused refer to as SELF-ACTION LEADERSHIP


RULE 1.


The solutions to most of my problems lie inside, not outside of my world. If I wish to change the world, then I must be willing to acknowledge my personal shortcomings and errors and go to work to change myself.*

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #1


RULE 2. 

Self-action leaders allow one's
conscience to be one's guide
Accede the reality of good, evil, and absolute truth. Consistently seek out what is true, good, and selfless and eschew that which is false, evil, and selfish by listening—and then hearkening to—the supernal and eternal edicts of conscience.

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #2


The goal of SAL
is BALANCE
RULE 3.

Truth and virtue are rarely found in extremes, but in a balance between (or among) extremes—in the Golden Mean.

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #3


RULE 4. 

Self-Action Leaders are introspective 
and penitent before Universal Laws
Avoid costly errors and gross iniquity by learning from small mistakes and petty sins. 

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #4


RULE 5. 

Never insult or contend. Focus instead on facts, positive elements of a situation or circumstance, and common beliefs in a never-ending effort to teach true principles and lift others to see broader vistas and obtain firmer footholds along life's continually treacherous physical and metaphysical journeys.

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #5


RULE 6. 

Find my true voice (discover who I really am) as soon as I can, develop that voice with all my heart, and then sing out shamelessly to the best of my ability and opportunities in a way that inspires and empowers others to do the same.

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #6

RULE 7. 

A Freedom Focused Knight imbued by SAL

Be wise as a scholar, but avoid sophistry and selfishness. Be strong and brave as an elite warrior, but do not profane or be vicious. Be clever as a fox and shrewd as a Hollywood actor or corporate lawyer, but never engage in deceit or manipulation. Be as skilled and precise as a world-class surgeon, but eschew ego. Be eloquent as a polished politician, but let my words ever speak the Truth in the sincere service of all human beings. Be ambitious and successful like the famous, but flee hedonism, concupiscence, and substance abuse. Fight, endure, and win like a world-champion athlete, but never mistakenly view myself a demigod. Use my God-given talents like a proactive and productive genius, but never dismiss, nor forget, the Source from whence they sprang. 

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #7


RULE 8. 

In the end, the only real failure is to quit. Learn therefore to Labor and to Wait.** And remember that it is in my preparation, performance, and patience that I ultimately possess my soul (see Luke 21:19). 

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #8


RULE 9.
 

Develop reasoned responses to life's two great imposters—Triumph & Disaster.***

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #9


RULE 10.


Be a DOER, not a drag; be a CREATOR, not a critic; be an EXAMPLE, not a judge.****

As a token of my commitment to be an example of a doer and a creator, pick up at least one piece of trash each day that I did not throw down, and read, write, recite, or do at least one thing each day that contributes to my own (or someone else's) personal wisdom, freedom, and Existential Growth. 

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #10


Self-Action Leaders everywhere have
so much to be grateful for.
RULE 11.


Take nothing for granted, and in everything give THANKS. 

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #11


RULE 12. 


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

Wisdom is the principle thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. — Proverbs 4:7.

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #12


Cultivating the paradox of my own
insignificance coupled with my limitless potential
:
That 
is the essence of Rule 13.
RULE 13.
 

Always remember that my own best efforts are insufficient to help me become all I am capable of becoming. I desperately need continual help from others and the omnipotent Power and Grace of the Almighty to fully engage the utmost existential transmutation of my body, mind, and spirit.  

Click HERE to access complete article on Rule #13

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


Beginning NEXT WEEK, I will dedicate ONE article to each of these rules. In so doing, it is my sincere hope that you might derive the same light and motivation from them that I have. More importantly, I hope it will get you to thinking about what your own "Rules for Life" are, and how you might animate them as fully as possible in your own education, career, and life.

Speaking of which, why not begin TODAY on a rough draft of your own rules for life? Time is ticking; what do you have to lose to get busy right now on this enormously worthwhile Life Leadership project?

Go for it!       


NOTE: This article is the 2nd 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

September 8, 2021
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA


Author's Note: This is the 228th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 227 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:

*  "You must be the change you wish to see in the world" (Mohandas Gandhi).

**  See Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, A Psalm of Life (last stanza).

***  See Rudyard Kipling's poem, If

****  "Be a light, not a judge" (Stephen R. Covey). 

Wednesday, September 1, 2021

Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules

Looking west toward the Blue Mountains from the golf course
in Monticello, Utah—my hometown, and one of
the most heavenly places on Earth.
I was born in Monticello, Utah, a farming and ranching community at the base of the Blue Mountains in the east-central region of the Colorado Plateau—which makes up a sizable chunk of the Four Corners area of the Intermountain West in the United States.

An obscure little hamlet that has never grown much beyond a couple thousand inhabitants, Monticello is hidden far away from the lights and noise of any big city, making my hometown a peaceful and gorgeous gem of an abode. It is also a unique vacation destination—and in my biased opinion, one of the best kept secrets in all the world.

It was a MARVELOUS place to grow up, and remains an oasis of peace, tranquility, and natural beauty I can escape to as needed to restore my soul.

Dorothy Marie Rasmussen Adams
(1910-1998)
"Restoring one's Soul" was a concept introduced to me by my dear, late, great aunt Dorothy Adams, who, due to her tireless civic service and love of community, is arguably the single most famous citizen in the history of Monticello, Utah.

During the summer of 1997, I had the special privilege of working for Aunt Dorothy at her ranch. Our "Soul Restoring" experiences would go like this...

Occasionally, usually in the late afternoons or early evenings, Aunt Dorothy would take me up to a small balcony in the upstairs room of her ranch house. Exiting the home and entering the balcony, we would proceed to look out at the picturesque Blue Mountains in the distance, inhale a deep breath of fresh air, and gratefully reflect on the glory and majesty laid out in such rich abundance before us. 

Such experiences really were SOUL RESTORING!  

Jefferson's Monticello
Founded in 1888, my town was named after Thomas Jefferson's "Monticello," which is located on the outskirts of Charlottesville, Virginia, home of the University of Virginia—a world-renowned institution of higher education founded by Jefferson in 1819, near the end of his life.

A noticeable difference between Jefferson's home in Virginia and my hometown in Utah is their respective pronunciations. Jefferson's home is pronounced "Monti-CHello" whereas locals pronounce my Utah hometown "Monti-Sello."

Why the difference in pronunciation, especially when one was named after the other?

I do not know the answer to that question, but my best guess is that early town founders—one of whom was my 2nd great-grandfather (George Albert Adams [1864-1935] who also happened to be Aunt Dorothy's father-in-law)—had never personally traveled to Jefferson's Monticello, and in those pre-television and pre-radio pioneer days of the late nineteenth century, had never heard Jefferson's pronunciation of the word.

On the other hand, maybe those early founders were simply following the old grammatical rule that states: "when c is followed by i, e, or y, it takes the soft sound (meaning 's'). Moreover, perhaps Jefferson's love of string instruments led him to pronounce "cello" as the orchestral musician that he was. Whatever the reason for the difference in pronunciation, Adams and his fellow founders admired Jefferson and his legacy enough to proudly take up the name for their new village in the wilderness. And my hometown has proudly borne the name ever since.  

The U.S. Nickel holds a special place
in the heart of all Monticelloans.

Growing up, I would hear my cousins speak of the preeminent place the nickel held in the pantheon of U.S. minted coins.

Why?

Because it had the word "Monticello" engraved thereon!    

Growing up, I lived near the end of a street on the outskirts of town. At the end of Silverstone Lane—catty-corner from our house—was the home of my Aunt Nedra, Uncle Bruce, and their five kids. Unsurprisingly, I spent a lot of time across the street at my cousin's home playing, eating meals, and sleeping over. 

Because of the sheer amount of time I spent in her home—and her endless kindnesses and service to my siblings and me—Aunt Nedra became like a second mother to me, a role and relationship that we have continued to share and cultivate up to the present day.

Over the years, I have grown to greatly admire Aunt Nedra for her endless cheerfulness, boundless love, and inspiring integrity—qualities that have only increased as the years have passed.

With Aunt Nedra and two of my cousins at my home in Monticello,
circa August 21, 1982, on my 3rd birthday.  This event, and
specifically the white cake with green letters that Nedra
lovingly baked, is my earliest recollected life memory.
A retired career educator, Nedra followed in her mother's (my grandmother's) footsteps by teaching hundreds of other people's children to read and write—in addition to raising five of her own. Along the way, and even more importantly, she (like Grandma) instilled within her students (and children) principles of personal leadership, moral character, and life-skills that would serve them well throughout their lives. 

Prior to teaching elementary school, Aunt Nedra and Uncle Bruce built and ran their own preschool. I myself was privileged to be one of her preschool pupils before moving to Mesa, Arizona, where I would attend first through seventh grade prior to moving back to Monticello for grades 8-11.     

Aside from her upstanding character, Aunt Nedra was also an outstanding cook, and I was richly blessed to have a seat at her table for many a sumptuous feast. One summer day when I was about ten years old, I was sitting at one of her barstools when I noticed a plaque hanging on her kitchen wall. On the plaque was a picture of Jefferson's Monticello home in Virginia, followed by a list of ten statements incorporating his personal rules for life.

These statements read:

Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for Life

1. Never put off til tomorrow what you can do to-day.

2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself. 

3. Never spend your money before you have it.

4. Never buy what you do not want, because it is cheap; it will be dear to you.

5. Pride costs more than hunger, thirst and cold. 

6. We never repent of having eaten too little.

7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly. 

8. How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened!

9. Take things always by their smooth handle.

10. When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, an hundred.

Like so many other personal leadership-oriented books, quotes, and related visual reminders I have come across over the years, this list caught my attention and had a positive impact on me as a boy. Countless similar experiences have led me to where I am today, turning me into the self-appointed "SAL Guy."

From the time I was a young student in grade school, I have been fascinated by the Founding Fathers of the United States of America. At one point in third or fourth grade, I fashioned for myself a "study" out in our garage, where I could escape the noise of my home to pore over my books.

I'll never forget one December in the late 1980s or early 1990s when I came across a wonderful biography of Thomas Jefferson. I sat enraptured as I consumed the contents of those pages to learn about Jefferson and his reddish-colored hair (kind of like my own auburn coif as a boy), his capacity for music and the violin, his fascination with studying foreign languages—and everything else for that matter. And then, of course, there was his unparalleled genius in composing what is arguably the most famous document the world has ever known or seen—the American Declaration of Independence.

During the 2000s, I spent a great deal of time drafting, revising, refining, and polishing my own Self-Declaration of Independence and Self-Constitution. During the 2010s, I spent a lot of additional time drafting, revising, refining, and polishing the Freedom Focused Declaration of Independence and Constitution, both of which can be found in the appendices of the SAL Textbook, Volume II.  

In the spirit of Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for Life, I decided to add my own rules for life to the end of the Freedom Focused Constitution. It may seem presumptuous to some that I would include my personal rules in a corporate policy and procedure manual. Nevertheless, seeing that so much of the SAL Theory and Model is derived from a detailed and conscientious autoethnographic study and analysis of my own personal experiences, it seems appropriate to include this list of life philosophies and practices in the Freedom Focused Corporate Constitution—not as an imperative demand upon my colleagues, but as an enthusiastic encouragement and invitation offered up for their individual consideration.

Statue of Thomas Jefferson inside of the
Jefferson Memorial in Washington D.C., USA.
ADHERENCE to my own rules for life—I have 13 of them—is the magic formula that has gotten me to where I am today, both personally and professionally. Similar thoughts, speech, and behavior will be what gets me to where I want to be tomorrow, next year, next decade, etc. 

I'm confident Thomas Jefferson would echo this sentiment with regards to his own 10 rules for living, even though he would likely admit that he followed them imperfectly.

I am no different. In the end, my best efforts are still usually imperfect. Despite this fact, I believe that untold power exists in making an enthusiastic and indefatigable pursuit of IDEALS, however imperfectly our efforts to master them may prove to be.    

Next week, I will share my 13 Rules for Life. Then, in subsequent articles, I will provide additional background information and insights that further frame each rule and the important role it has played—and will yet play—in my life. I hope that doing so will be as helpful, meaningful, and motivational to you as it has been for me.

More importantly, I hope it will get you to thinking about what YOUR OWN "Rules for Life" might be, as well as how you might animate them as fully as possible in your own education, career, and life.

Until next week, I remain—as always—your fellow traveler along The Road Less Traveled.    


NOTE: This article is the 1st 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

September 1, 2021
Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA


Author's Note: This is the 227th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 226 FF Blog Articles.  

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The Power of Personal Experience

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