Freedom Focused and FLORIDA Forever

The Jensen Family the day we crossed the State Line
en route to our new home in South Florida.

Well, my friends, Freedom Focused and the Jensen Family have made it to the 1-year mark in our new headquarters in Palm Beach County, Florida.

It has been a WONDERFUL year!

Anyone well acquainted with me knows how much I love the glorious Sunshine State of FLORIDA.

#FLORIDAFOREVER

How incredibly blessed I was back in 2006 to meet one of Florida's finest females with whom I forthwith fell in love... and how much more fortunate I was that Lina somehow, someway managed to fall in love with me... although it understandably took a little longer on her end of things than it did on mine.

Today's post tells the backstory of Freedom Focused's nearly 20-year journey, including how our organization ended up in the best state in the Union (our unbiased opinion), and why Lina and I hope to remain here FOREVER... or at least as long as we serve as the leaders of Freedom Focused.

The story below includes some fascinating details about how God, Nature, Instincts, The Universe, Coincidence, Luck—whatever you choose to call the Serendipity that seems so intricately involved in our lives and careers—planted the seeds of my love of Florida a dozen (12) years before I first crossed the Florida State line, and a full 30 years before I finally relocated to the Sunshine State.

Life is fascinating that way!   

Instead of starting at the beginning and going forward, let's begin at the present and travel backwards in time as follows...  

Before moving to Florida last year in March 2021, we spent just shy of a year in the American Southwest on a unique, 10-month adventure in New Mexico.

Our time in the State of New Mexico—also known as the Land of Enchantment—proved to be a special, unique, and truly adventurous slice of our life. New Mexico is a beautiful state full of wondrous natural variety. From camping in the mountains and hiking in the desert to swimming in lakes and tubing down a river, our family actively took advantage of the opportunity we had to experience something new, fresh, and exciting in a place we had never before lived. And just for the record... Carlsbad Caverns is INCREDIBLE. If it is not on your bucket list, I highly recommend you add it thereto. 

My two oldest kids at play at White Sands National Park
near Alamogordo, New Mexico

In the words of a much-admired Uncle of mine—who lived in New Mexico with his family for a decade...

"New Mexico builds Character!" 

Uncle Steve is right... and his words are especially accurate if you spend time there during a global pandemic. This is true in part because the constraints of a pandemic motivate you to spend even more time in the wondrous outdoors than you otherwise might. Considering we were there for less than a year, it's actually rather remarkable how much of the state—the fifth largest in the U.S.—my family and I saw either walking, hiking, running, biking, tubing, swimming, or driving. 

Character Fortified!

          Mission Accomplished! 

Statue of Sam Houston near Huntsville—
Everything really is bigger in TEXAS!

Prior to moving to Carlsbad, New Mexico, Freedom Focused was headquartered in Conroe (Houston), Texas for nearly a decade. Our time in Texas was very special and important in large part because it was in the Lone Star State that all three of our precious children were born.

There's a saying in Texas employed by emigrants like us and it goes like this:

"I wasn't born here,

but I got here as quick as I could!" 

That's precisely the way I felt about our move to Texas, and I feel the same way about Florida.

In our eyes, Texas is as special as it is BIG, and we will always consider ourselves to be adopted sons and daughters of the largest and proudest state in the Lower 48. You know that citizens are proud of their State when they have their own pledge of allegiance. 

That's right... Texas has its own pledge of allegiance, separate from the United State's pledge. It is something I became quite familiar with because I taught ninth grade English at a high school in Houston during the 2009-2010 school year and students were required to recite it each day after the National Pledge.

I love saying the U.S. pledge of allegiance. Getting to say the Texas pledge in conjunction with the national pledge was a huge honor for a proud Texan and avid Texas Army battle re-enactor like me. Thus, getting to say BOTH pledges of allegiance was one of my favorite parts of each school day. As such, is won't surprise you to hear that one of my life and career goals is to incorporate the same tradition here in Florida... down the road a ways. 

Honor the Florida Flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Florida, one State, under God, one and indivisible. 

You guessed it: it's the Texas pledge—verbatim—with just one word changed!

I don't currently have close connections to the Florida Governor or State Legislature. But someday, when I do, I'm gonna get the ball rolling on that initiative. I imagine that by 2030 or so, Florida students will be following the good example of their Texan brothers and sisters by repeating the Florida State pledge of allegiance each school day following the United States' pledge. Just like early citizens of the United States, it is a good, positive, and productive thing to have pride in one's state as well as one's nation. The only difference today is that we believe national loyalty should ultimately trump state loyalty, not the other way around.

Why?

It's pretty basic, really... because the only way to avoid another round of succession and/or a second civil war is for a majority of the citizenry to put the country's welfare first and their state's welfare second—always within a framework of the national interest. Don't get the wrong idea... Freedom Focused is crazy happy—and very proud—about being located in the Great Sunshine State of Florida—just like we were thrilled to have once been part of the Great State of Texas! We are also very proud of our Southern roots and relish the opportunity to be a Southern Company located in the South. But most of all, we are proud to be an American company. It is, after all, the United States Constitution that serves as a principled template for our own Corporate Constitution.  

At Freedom Focused, we believe that the order of one's patriotic priorities matters. 

God Bless the USA!!!!!

     God Bless the South!!!!

              God Bless FLORIDA!!!

                God Bless Palm Beach County!!  

                     God Bless Palm Beach Gardens!

We refer to this prioritized patriotic practice as the Patriotism Principle.

Newfoundland: One of North America's most beautiful and
best-kept secrets, where Lina and I did a lot of hiking.

To learn more about the PATRIOTISM PRINCIPLE, click HERE. 

We invite citizens everywhere to similarly practice patriotism in this prioritized pattern—no matter what country or state in which you happen to live.

Prior to moving to Texas and starting our family, Lina and I spent a couple of adventurous and magical years in St. Johns, Newfoundland, CANADA. Our move to "The Rock," as locals call their island home, was a result of a work transfer of Lina's. For me, the move provided an academic sabbatical giving me time to work on my doctoral degree in Education. It was in Newfoundland that I began writing my doctoral dissertation—which is where I further developed the Self-Action Leadership Theory, Model, and Philosophy.

Newfoundland is one of the more remote areas of the Western Hemisphere and is essentially the "Ireland of North America." Like Ireland, it is an island gem boasting some of the most picturesque coastal vistas in the world.

Our time in "The ATL" was a wonderful adventure in romance.

Before Newfoundland, we lived in Atlanta, Georgia.

The Peach State was an especially important part of Lina's and my journey because it is where we met, dated, and decided to marry. At our wedding reception, we danced to "Georgia on My Mind." That song will always be a symbol of the special and romantic memories we created together in the Peach State—memories we will forever cherish.

Prior to Georgia, Lina resided in South Florida (Homestead) where she grew up and lived until she graduated from high school.

Before moving to Georgia, I lived in Northern Utah, where I attended college and received my bachelor's degree in English from Utah Valley University in 2003. Freedom Focused was officially founded (and formally incorporated) a couple years later in 2005—in Pleasant Grove, Utah.

I was born in Monticello, Utah, in 1979. When I was seven years old, my family moved to Mesa, Arizona, where I lived for the next seven years, until 1993. It was in Mesa that the seeds of my love for FLORIDA were first planted. Part of my growing fascination with the Sunshine State was spawned by my interest in College Football. Aside from my fascination with national powerhouse programs of the 1980s and 90s such as the Miami Hurricanes, Florida State Seminoles, and Florida Gators, I was further enamored by the annual Orange Bowl played each January in Miami. 

My 5th Grade Chapter Book Cover

Then, in fifth grade, something particularly portentous occurred. 

My fifth grade teacher—Mrs. Bridget Owens—assigned my classmates and I to write a "Chapter Book" consisting of an original story of our own concoction. With the limited experiences and perspectives of a fifth grader, I predictably gleaned a plot from my limited frame of reference.

I have four older brothers whom I all but worshipped growing up. They are between 8-12 years my senior and were all very good and kind to me—making them more like guardian angels or mentoring uncles than brothers. 

Two of my brothers, nine-years my senior, were twins. As a little boy, I often wished I had been born a twin myself, and would sometimes imagine one of my best friends from my elementary school years—Eric Driggs—as my twin brother. Drawing from this conflation of reality and daydreaming, I decided to write a story about twin brothers who decided to play a trick on their teachers and classmates by switching classes. The story chronicles the adventures and consequences that ensued from their petty deception.

From Chapter 1: The Lesson of Two Twins. Copyright 1991

I entitled my story: The Lesson of Two Twins. For the setting, I chose:

Drumroll...   

          West Palm Beach, FLORIDA! 

                    Why West Palm Beach?  

                              Good Question!

I had never been to the State of Florida, much less to the city of West Palm Beach. I knew nothing about West Palm Beach—other than my reasonable assumption that it was near a beach, which painted lovely pictures in my childlike imagination. I did not have any family members, friends, or any other acquaintance in West Palm Beach, or in any of Florida for that matter. I don't even remember where I first heard the words: "West Palm Beach," although it was most likely from reading or watching television, because none of my family or friends had any connections to this locale. 

Publication Date                &                    Dedication

Nonetheless, there was something about the words WEST... PALM... BEACH that were absolutely enchanting to me, leading me to believe that such a place—thousands of miles away from the Arizona desert where I lived—surely must be the coolest and most glorious place in all of America, if not the world.

A South Florida East Coast Beach near West Palm

Little did I know as a fifth grader at Hermosa Vista Elementary School in Mesa, Arizona—in 1991—that 17 years later, I would find myself in West Palm Beach teaching a professional seminar—and floating relaxedly on my back in the glorious aqua-blue waters of the majestic Atlantic Ocean. Nor did I have any idea that I would someday marry a woman who grew up just two hours south of West Palm Beach. Lastly, I was completely unaware that 30 years in the future, my family and I would relocate to South Florida where we would buy a home just blocks away from the north municipal border of West Palm Beach—and that I would raise my children in the shadows of this city. 

Talk about a very long-held DREAM come majestically TRUE!  

Dreams can come TRUE
through SAL and Serendipity

Dreams really can—and do—come true. I am a living witness of this fact and reality in both my life and career. Not only am I married to a woman better than the woman of my dreams and living in the precise location I most want to live, but I am getting to raise my kids as a stay-at-home Dad while pursuing my dream career one-blog-post-at-a-time.

Could a man be any more blessed than I am? 

I do not mention these things to impress you or to brag about how great my life is... although my life really is FANTASTIC. I mention it merely to impress upon you the power that Self-Action Leadership—synergized with Serendipity—has wielded in my life and career over long periods of time.

Indeed, I can say with perfect integrity that over the course of my 42 years in this world, SAL and SERENDIPITY have never failed me. Sometimes they have made me wait an awful long time and suffer a great deal before granting me my reward in full, but make no mistake: S&S always comes through eventually... as long as I endure with the proper mixture of persistence and patience.  

In short, I am who—and where—I am (and with whom) because of Self-Action Leadership and Serendipity. It really is that SIMPLE—not to be confused with easy. 

There is enormous POWER in these two elements and forces of life, the first of which (SAL) YOU and I have an enormous degree of control and influence over. If YOU will but take advantage of the personal power you have been given in your life through SAL, I know that everyone can potentially have a WONDERFUL LIFE—regardless of the adversity, challenges, and difficulty that may come their way due to the obviously imperfect and mortal world in which we now reside.

Everyone faces difficulties in their lives. Everyone experiences PAIN and FAILURE and REJECTION. That is inevitable. But it does not mean that any of us is consigned to an unending misery over which we have no control. Thus, as the famous saying goes: Pain is inevitable, but misery is optional.

Pain is INEVITABLE, but misery is optional.

I know from countless first-hand experiences that this statement is true. As I have amply chronicled in previous blog posts, articles, and books, I have suffered my share (if not much more than my share) of pain, suffering, disappointment, failure, rejection, disillusionment, physical sickness, and mental illness in my life and career. But as a self-action leader, I know that I also possess the power to transcend it all through SAL and Serendipity—if only I will. 

And I have... and I WILL continue to do so until my dying day—and beyond!  

          The question is... will YOU?  

      

—Dr. JJ

March 16, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 256th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 255 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

Statement on the Russian Invasion of Ukraine

National Flag of Ukraine

As our name suggests, Freedom Focused cares a great deal about FREEDOM. That is why everything we model and teach is aimed at promoting, supporting, and expanding the growth and FREEDOM of individuals, organizations, and nations around the world.

Consequently, we are alarmed by events transpiring in the Independent Republic of Ukraine. 

Exactly one month ago—on February 9, 2022—Freedom Focused noted that,"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." In that same blog post, we predicted a Russian invasion of Ukraine was unlikely to proceed until after the end of the Beijing Winter Olympics, but that "Putin [would likely] give the order for his troops to move relatively soon after that."*

* Click HERE to read 2-9-22 blog post: "Historical Events and the Growing Threat of Global Conflict."

February 24, 2022
"A date which will live in infamy."

Sadly, for Ukrainians, and for freedom-loving people all over the world, that is precisely what happened.

In an eerie repeat of Tuesday, August 4, 1914—Germany's invasion of Belgium signaling the onset of World War I—and Friday, September 1, 1939—Nazi invasion of Poland signaling the onset of World War II—Vladimir Putin unleashed the fury of the Russian Army across the Ukrainian Border in the early morning hours of Thursday, February 24th, 2022.

Putin's boldfaced and blatant invasion of an innocent and sovereign neighbor-nation occurred just four days following the closing ceremonies of the Winter Olympics. Thus, like Sunday, December 7, 1941, Thursday, February 24, 2022 will—to quote U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt—forever be "a date which will live in infamy."

"Private JJ" with "General Sam Houston"
following the 2012 reenactment of the  Battle of
San Jacinto, where Texas won its Independence
(on April 21, 1836), thus avenging the Alamo tragedy.

Freedom Focused joins governments and organizations around the globe in unequivocally condemning Vladimir Putin's insidious, tyrannical, and unprovoked aggression into Ukraine. Moreover, we honor the courage and resolve of President Volodymyr Zelensky and the freedom-loving citizens of the Ukrainian Republic who, like Texian defenders of the Alamo in 1836, are standing boldly and bravely against a much larger and more powerful military adversary. Like those intrepid Alamo defenders, many brave Ukrainians are currently being slaughtered—or have otherwise resigned themselves to an uncertain, or even terminal, fate.

Like the ultimately victorious Texians, Freedom Focused predicts Ukraine will eventually have its SAN JACINTO moment—although we do not yet know how far in the future that destined victory lies, nor do we know how many other nations may yet be drawn into the conflict before peace returns to Ukraine.      

For the time being, Putin's ominous order has ignited a powder keg in Eastern Europe that has the potential to escalate into a much broader—perhaps even a third global—conflict. After all, World War I did not officially begin on August 4, 1914; nor did World War II officially
begin on September 1, 1939. Nevertheless, the events of those dates provided the necessary spark that eventually set the world on fire not once, but twice. It is possible history will look back at February 24, 2022 through a tragically similar lens.

The potential for the war on Ukraine to expand into a broader conflict
remains a "clear and present danger" the West should take seriously.

While Freedom Focused is hopeful things never escalate to that degree or extent, we wish to issue a clear caveat to liberty-championing people and nations everywhere: the possibility of armed conflicts spiraling well beyond the border of Russia and Ukraine is a "clear and present danger" that Westerners everywhere should take seriously.

Gratefully, the West demonstrated over the second half of the last century that much can be done to prevent and avert conflicts on the scale currently unfolding in Ukraine. Sadly, the West has squandered countless opportunities in the first two decades of the twenty-first century to preserve that peace, which we now know came with an expiration date of February 24, 2022.   

Click HERE to buy The Fourth Turning

The time for the West to prepare for a wide-range of contingencies, including the current crisis in Ukraine, was yesterday, and more specifically, over the past 30 years. Since many opportunities to prepare over the past three decades have clearly been wasted, the time to refocus our efforts and put our shoulder to the wheel—redoubling our efforts to make up for lost time—is NOW.  

War has been and always will be HELL on Earth. This newest verse in humanity's melancholy dirge of armed conflict is no exception. Stories and visuals of this newest chapter of hell's fury pouring out of Ukraine are devastating, heartrending, and in many cases tragic.

For many years now, Freedom Focused has been warning about an impending CRISIS to come in the early-mid 2020s whose scope and scale would be on par with the First and Second World Wars and the Great Depression of the last century. Rooted in the generational scholarship of William Strauss and Neil Howe—and our own expanding understanding of history—it seems the "Crisis of 2020," marked by the lingering Covid-19 pandemic and the outbreak of a potentially large-scale war in Eastern Europe, is clearly in its opening acts.

Click HERE to learn more about the Crisis of 2020.  

A patriotic American poster from the
Great War era (1917-1918)

Why is it that collective humanity continues to repeat the same old errors of the past? Why is it the "War to End All Wars" (WWI) had the exact opposite effect—planting a seedbed for a conflict twice as disastrous (WWII) a mere quarter-century later?

And why is it that a second World War—which cost some 100 million lives and destroyed much of Europe and Japan—failed to prevent current events so hauntingly reminiscent of Germany's "Rape of Belgium" in 1914 and Germany and Japan's subsequent hostile takeovers of multiple countries in Europe and Asia throughout the 1930s and early 1940s?

At Freedom Focused, we suggest the answer to these questions is two-fold. First, a lack of individual CHARACTER and SELF-ACTION LEADERSHIP rooted in love and morality, particularly among the leaders of nations around the globe. And second, weakness in leadership and the collective will of nations, which have promoted geopolitical strategies designed to appease dictators and maintain the status quo instead of guaranteeing PEACE through STRENGTH.  

Freedom Focused exists to educate individuals,
organizations, and nations in principles of
Self-Action Leadership & Freedom

Freedom Focused is not a political entity; it is an EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION. As such, we will never seek to dictate or influence specific policy decisions among military or governmental leaders and organizations. Our consistent and perpetual aim is to model and promote true (albeit general) principles of thought and action that will foster individual growth and collective peace. In so doing, we steer clear of partisan politicking and the promotion of specific policy directives or initiatives. Such objectives and tasks belong to leaders and specialists authorized to operate in relevant fields. 

Providing specific political or military advice would be a deviation from our appointed lane and duty. Rather than lobbying for various policies or strategies, we remain laser-focused on loadstar generalities, or in other words, on fundamental principles of ATTITUDES, BELIEFS, and ACTIONS aimed at bringing about desired long-term results for individuals, schools, organizations, nations, and the world-at-large.

In this spirit and vein, Freedom Focused WARNS Western leaders and citizens everywhere—generally speaking—of the dangers of weakness and appeasement. 

Lions are safe because Lions are STRONG

The relationship between STRENGTH and PEACE is at least as old as Hadrian's Wall and the Roman Empire. This geopolitical principle and military mantra remains as relevant today as it was then—and in all the intervening years.

STRENGTH  +  UNITY  =  PEACE

It was, after all, united Allied resilience and STRENGTH (bolstered by American military might in 1917-18) that triumphed over the aggressive and invasive Central Powers—led by Germany—in the Great War.

And it was Churchillian leadership, vision, determination, resilience, and STRENGTH (bolstered a second time by U.S. military might from 1942-45) that led the Allied triumph over the AXIS aggressors in World War II.

More recently, the STRONG and steady leadership of U.S. Presidents Kennedy and Reagan averted potentially disastrous nuclear confrontations with the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1980s. And it was the strength of a united front of 35 nations from around the world, led by the United States, that repulsed and reversed Saddam Hussein's unprovoked invasion of Kuwait in 1990. 

However the Present Crisis may evolve—and Freedom Focused bleakly warns of its potential to morph into something far larger and more costly than its present size and scope—there is only one pathway to victory, and that is the pathway of STRENGTH and UNITY. 

The current crisis unfolding in Ukraine should not be a surprise to anyone. Vladimir Putin has been lamenting the loss of the former Soviet bloc and threatening the peace and sovereignty of his neighbors for decades. For those who have been paying attention, his actions over the past 22 years have been unmistakable—and relatively consistent.

Sometimes, EVIL wears a SUIT.

Many in the West call Putin crazy. At Freedom Focused, we suggest "EVIL" is a more accurate description of the man. 

Crazy people usually don't possess the means or power, much less the organizational capacity required to undertake a large-scale invasion of a country the size of Ukraine.

But cunning and evil people sometimes do.

We know Putin is evil because his actions carry all the behavioral indicators of evil, namely: deceit, manipulation, violence, and larceny.

Four (4) Indicators of Putin's EVIL Actions

1. Lies, Propaganda, and other Deceit

2. Manipulation

3. Unprovoked violence

Evil dictators only speak one language:
The language of POWER

4. Forcibly taking things that are not his

Aside from being evil, Putin is also rich, powerful, and relatively organized. In the twentieth century, the West paid a terrible price for underestimating Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, and Emperor Hirohito. Similarly, the West underestimates Vladimir Putin, his ally Xi Xinping of China, and other dictators like them at our collective peril.

Unfortunately, there is really only ONE thing that evil people understand, and that is hard POWER. That is why it is critical Western Leaders show unity and STRENGTH in the face of evil imperial ambitions of twenty-first century totalitarians like Putin and Xi.

In discussing dictators like Xi Xinping and Vladimir Putin, it is important to not conflate their nefarious actions with the character of the Chinese and Russian peoples-at-large. There are, no doubt, millions of honest, hard-working, upright citizens of both countries who do not support the evil objectives and behavior of their iron-fisted tyrants.

The present war in Ukraine is a massive example of
the manifold injustices that exist in this world and life.

Moreover, many (and perhaps most) Russians, Chinese, Iranians, and North Koreans are largely unaware of what is really going on because of strictly scripted intra-national propaganda and State-wide control of the media. Freedom Focused empathizes with these heavily subjugated citizens, and further acknowledges the harm Western sanctions have on countless innocent citizens because of our otherwise noble efforts to curtail the unjust aggressions of their wicked leaders.

I remember back in elementary school when a teacher would occasionally punish the entire class because of the inappropriate behavior of one or two rascals. I recall how unfair that felt to me as a little boy. I am confident there are many Russians who must feel as I did—magnified and multiplied, of course, by about ten thousand times over my own relatively petty and minuscule juvenile experiences with injustice.

I'm sure there are many Chinese citizens who are aware of Xi's Concentration Camps in Uyghur Province and his intimidation of Hong Kong and Taiwan. And I'll bet they feel the same way many Russians feel about Putin's invasion of Ukraine: they don't like or agree with the behavior and policies of their leaders, and if there was something they could do without putting themselves and their family in grave danger, they would take actions to stop them.          

China, with its 1.5 billion citizens,
has been on the rise now for decades.

Speaking of Xi Xinping's China... its rapid economic rise, burgeoning and modernizing military strength, growing global hegemony, genocidal crimes in the Uyghur Province, and sobering saber rattling in the South China Sea have been years in the making. 

China was already a rising world power when it hosted the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing—an occasion I remember well because the Summer Olympics are one of my favorite celebrations of sport and I watched several of the events on television with my new bride on our honeymoon in Scottsdale, Arizona, after being married on 8/8/08—the same day as the Opening Ceremonies for the Beijing Summer Olympics. 

If you've been following the news even peripherally the past 13.5 years, you know Xi and his nation and armed forces have been very busy—and their flurry of activity has not been aimed at allying themselves with Western values or goals. Moreover, Putin's official meeting with Xi on the opening day of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics further solidified a deepening alliance between China and Russia that serves as a capstone to a partnership that took root many years ago and has been evolving dangerously ever since.

Winston Churchill in the 1930s was a
relatively lone VOICE crying in the Wilderness.

Winston Churchill is famous for warning the British Empire and its Western Allies of the imperial (and impetuous) rise of Adolf Hilter and Nazi Germany in the 1930s—years before Hitler's Luftwaffe and Wermacht's fateful pre-dawn assault of Poland on September 1, 1939. Sadly, few bothered to listen to his "voice in the wilderness."

Once again, Great Britain has not been the only nation asleep in recent years and decades. Indeed, the entire Western World (led lethargically by the United States) has been collectively caught dozing at the wheel.

While individual voices, including ours at Freedom Focused, have been sounding the alarm for many years now—and in an array of different ways and means—such voices have done little to change the drowsy status quo. Sadly, the consequences of failing to heed said voices are unfolding in violent fashion (as we speak) throughout the Republic of Ukraine.

It is, of course, too late to go back and change the past. But it is NOT too late to wake up to and embrace present realities in order to better prepare for future challenges that are sure to come. But doing so will take COURAGE, RESOLVE, STRENGTH, ENDURANCE, and UNITY.  

We join Westerners and citizens everywhere who rejoice in, and heap praise upon, the courageous Ukrainian leaders, military personnel, and citizens who have demonstrated so much bravery in defense of FREEDOM. However, we simultaneously caution the West to avoid underestimating the power, capacity, resolve, and growing strength and unity of Putin, Xi, and other EVIL dictators around the world. 

Freedom is not FREE

Make no mistake: The current crisis unfolding in Eastern Europe poses a real threat to FREEDOM and DEMOCRACY—not just in Ukraine, but everywhere. And while the unity among Western Powers seems to be galvanizing in (hopefully) helpful and steady ways in the early stages of this conflict, let us ever be vigilant—recognizing that the greatest tests are likely still to come. As such, lovers and supporters of LIBERTY and FREEDOM everywhere should be wisely and pragmatically preparing themselves mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and where necessary—financially, logistically, and militarily for whatever the future might hold. 

Just as Freedom Focused echoed Strauss and Howe's prediction of the onset of this current crisis, we further echo their optimism that the freedom-loving democratic nations of the world will ultimately prevail in whatever conflicts and disasters may yet come throughout the 2020s, which seem destined to be unusually tumultuous. But victory can come only if we UNITE as morally-grounded and results-focused self-action leaders committed to the cause of TRUTH and FREEDOM.  

STRENGTH through UNITY

One of the greatest by-products of a global catastrophe is its tendency to unite large blocs of leaders and people in a common cause rooted in goodness, freedom, and truth. During times of great crisis, lesser squabbles tend to become relatively unimportant as populaces unite to focus on shared values in an effort to combat more pressing problems at hand.

This is a good thing.

But why must it take a disaster for us to unite? Why can't we choose to be consistently unified so as to circumvent catastrophe in the first place? The answer to these questions is, once again, individual moral inertia and entropy and collective moral decline.

Sadly, history has demonstrated over-and-over-and-over again that human beings are seemingly incapable of uniting indefinitely—speaking collectively and not individually.

Tragically, many Ukrainians have had to leave their
homes and seek safety and peace in other nations.

Gladly, however, history has also demonstrated that glorious achievements are possible when people come together for a common purpose rooted in righteousness. We hope and pray this current crisis will continue to pave the way for past divisions to be healed, that we might, through greater unity, defeat those evil and nefarious forces in our midst that seek to subjugate—or even destroy—us. 

We are not going to sugarcoat current events. The present crisis unfolding in Ukraine is an unmitigated disaster—complete with rising casualties, the commission of heinous war crimes, and a rapidly growing humanitarian crisis marked (at the time this article was published) by more than two (2) million refugees fleeing in utter desperation to any other peace-loving nation that will accept them.

Nevertheless, inside the throes of this catastrophe lie many opportunities for the kind and degree of growth and unity that will pave the way for peace, productivity, and prosperity the likes of which humanity has yet to experience in its history. Thus, despite any and all terror yet to come, Freedom Focused positively and optimistically affirms that the future can remain bright for nations everywhere, and more especially in the liberty and freedom-loving, democratic nations.  

Freedom Focused believes that whatever problems
perplex the present, the possibilities of an
 even greater FUTURE are endless—and real.

In the meantime, and in the inspirational words of Benjamin Franklin, let us "all hang together ... [so we do not] all hang separately." In so doing, we will lay the groundwork of a strong, united, and ultimately victorious defense that has the potential to create a future brighter than any in the past—despite any and all perplexities of the present.

To learn more about Freedom Focused's VISION of the FUTURE beyond the Crisis of 2020, click HERE.    

—Dr. JJ

March 9, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 255th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 254 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

 

RULES for LIFE: Other EXAMPLES

As promised, this week's blog post recognizes some RULES for LIFE from other people.

I was pleased by the response I received to my invitation for others to contribute to this blog post. I express my heartfelt gratitude to those who took time out of their busy schedules and hectic lives to share some of their own life and career philosophies with readers of the SAL Blog.

I hope YOU find the diversity and sincerity of these voices to be as enlightening, inspiring, and uplifting as I did. More importantly, I hope these additional examples motivate YOU to identify and compose your own RULES for LIFE. After all, your LIFE RULES are not primarily for anyone other than YOU. As such, I hope you will take advantage of the opportunity to engage in this meaningful Self-Action Leadership exercise. More importantly, I hope you glean as much benefit from doing so as I (and others) have.   — Dr. JJ

 

Kari Henderson Ginn
Champion Athlete & Entrepreneur

Kari Ginn's 8 Rules for Living

Age 44. Former semi-professional distance athlete.  Entrepreneur and business builder.  Wife and mother of two daughters and a son.  Lives in Austin, Texas. 

1.  Never let others keep you from effortful goal-seeking.  We all think everyone knows more or would be better off if we just got out of the way.  It's just not true!

2.  Know your strengths and start there.  Put your best foot forward.  We've all been given different gifts.  Learn what they are, and then utilize them.  

3.  It takes hard work but your efforts will be consecrated and magnified when you are uplifting and serving those around you.  Don't be afraid to sweat a little.

4.  There will always be obstacles in the way and they will likely slow you down, but don't ever let them make you stop or slip back.

5.  Whether you know it or not, you are an example and people are watching.  You are a leader.  Sometimes you're leading the charge and you don't even know it.  Understand and respect that responsibility.  

6.  Be humble enough to accept help from others.  We all need it. 

7.  Sweat the small stuff.  Details matter.  

8.  Always have Christ as your partner and example.  Lean on Him.  He is the only way to truly see your ultimate potential.  

Kari Ginn's Athletic Resume:

• Transplant Games of America: 6-time gold medalist & two-time American Record Holder (20K bike and 100 meter sprint)
• 2006 South Central Regional Champ (XTERRA Triathlon)
• Completed
• 20 XTERRA triathlons
• Three 70.1 Ironman Triathlons
• 5 marathons
• 10+ half marathons
• 10+ Olympic-distance triathlons
• 5 sprint triathlons
• Countless 5k and 10k road races

Nathaniel J. Williams

LSW, DSW, Ed.D., MBA, MPA, MHS 

Dr. Nathaniel J. Williams' 10 Rules for Success

Age 57. President and CEO. Husband, Father of eight (8) and grandfather of three (3). Lives in Allentown, Pennsylvania.

1.  Communicate with others as often as you can.  Let them know what they mean to you.

2.  Time is never re-earned.  Use it wisely.

3.  Use your recreation time to re-create yourself.  Do something new.

4.  Show that you care and care to show up.

5.  Develop a map of your life as a guide — but be ready to go off course — you will find your way again.

6.  Accept a helping hand — especially if they are holding what you want.

7.  Mental wellness is essential.  Get help if you need it.  You will be better for having done it.

8.  Be the best you can.  Believe you can be your best.

9.  You are on your own — but you are not alone!

10.  Enjoy the dash that is your life!  Let the world know you were here and had an impact!

Nat Williams incredibly inspiring Personal Story was chronicled in a previous FF Blog Article.  Click HERE to access this post, entitled: "From Orphan to Executive: Self-Action Leadership in Real Life." 

Dr. Nathaniel J. Williams has earned an amazing SIX (6) advanced academic degrees (LSW, DSW, Ed.D., MBA, MPA, and MHS).  He has served in founding and/or presiding roles in the following organizations:

HumanWorks Affiliates, Inc. (HWA)

Spectrum Community Services, Inc. (SCS)

ChildFirst Services, Inc. (CFS)

ChildPromise, Inc. (CPI)

Funworks, Inc. (FWI)

Spectrum Social Services, Inc. (SSS)

Phoenix Services, Inc. (PSI)

LifeKnow, Inc. (LKI)

Mom's make the world go round—and keep it sane.
They do it almost entirely out of the spotlight, and
oftentimes that's just the way they like it.

ANONYMOUS Submission from a Stay-at-Home MOM

Dear Dr. JJ,

I've read all of your emails regarding the upcoming "LIFE RULES" blog post and really enjoyed hearing what others have come up with.  It's made me think a bit on what, if any, are my own rules in life.  To be honest, I'm not sure I have a really solid list.  I think I used to maybe, but I feel like my own experiences have shifted my perspective on so many things that I'm taking life one day at a time and just trying to do the best I can to be a good person (wife, mother, human being) and to raise good, kind people.

I guess I've found that "RULES" are little harsh for me in my life right now.  I'm hard enough on myself without them.  So I'm keeping it simple.  I avoid attention and the spotlight like the plague, so I have no desire for my words or thoughts to ever be published.  However, knowing there may be others out there like me who feel similarly, you are welcome to publish these thoughts anonymously.  I think what I am trying to say is that sometimes a "set list" of rules may actually prove counterproductive, at least for personalities like mine.  The principle of "LIFE RULES" is definitely written in my mind, heart, and soul, but in the end, my guiding directive works less like a "List" and more like an inner COMPASS.

Sincerely,

— A Busy Mom just doing her best

Nedra Bunker
Multi-generational educator standing in front of a bench
honoring 80-some years of teaching schoolchildren
by her mother, herself, and her daughter.

Nedra Bunker's 13 Rules for Life

Age 72.  Retired elementary school teacher (39 years).  Wife and mother of three sons and two daughters.  Grandmother of 17.  Great-Grandmother of one.  Lives in Monticello, Utah. 

Rule 1:  Implement THE GOLDEN RULE—

Rule 2:  Stay positive and be grateful—it promotes forward progress.

Rule 3:  Stay healthy to better serve others.

Rule 4:  Pause before purchasing—is it essential or excessive?

Rule 5:  Keep learning by reading, studying, observing, solving and completing.

Rule 6:  Be honest with self and others—bypass the snares.

Rule 7:  Stay focused—on family, friends, Christ, and eternity*

Rule 8:  Don't dwell on the past, ENJOY TODAY, and anticipate each tomorrow as they may be limited.

Rule 9:  Use time wisely—savor spare minutes and cherish spare hours.

Rule 10:  Be an attentive listener and a thoughtful speaker.

Rule 11:  Try my best and be happy with the outcome—view mistakes as a chance to try harder.

Rule 12:  Never allow people and situations to determine my happiness—choose it for myself.

Rule 13:  Allow for a good night's sleep—to enjoy happy and productive "awake hours."

* As I jotted down my rules for life, I found it interesting that #7 happens to fall in the center of my life's rules.  After 72 years of living (50 years of marriage, 49 years of motherhood, 39 years of teaching, and 5 years of retirement) I really feel that by staying centered on that one rule, everything else has fallen into place.  It hasn't always been easy, but definitely worth it!  (#1 and #13 rank high also).

Jim Clawson, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Prolific Author on Leadership & other topics

DR. JAMES G.S. ("JIM") CLAWSON'S  FAMILY  PRINCIPLES

Age 74.  Professor Emeritus of Management at the Darden Graduate School of Business, The University of Virginia.  Husband, Father of three daughters and a son, and Grandfather of three.  Author of "Level 3 Leadership: Getting Below the Surface" and "A Song of Humanity: A Science-Based Alternative to the World's Scriptures."  Lives in Charlottesville, Virginia. 

PRINCIPLES FOR EFFECTIVE, HAPPY LIVING

1.  Work for what you want.

There is no free lunch; no short cuts.  Do the work, expect the reward.  Do your best at everything you do.

2. Clean as you go. 

Leave your "campsite" better than you found it.  Don't plan to come back later and clean it up; do it as you go.  Make your bed, hang up your clothes, dispose of your own trash, and take care of your environment.  Show some pride in your place and person. 

3.  Save and Invest 10%.

No matter your bills, put aside ten percent right from the start and invest in stock.  Live within your means.  Don't borrow; pay from your savings.  Spend less than you make.  You'll be glad you did.

4.  Respect the Rights and Views of Others.

You don't have to accept what they say or ask, but you should listen to, understand, and respect others.

5.  Be Reverent.

Show respect for nature, for beauty in the world.  You have a right to be here, and we all play a small role in the world.  Be modest.

6.  Contribute to your Community.  

Fight collective entropy.  Be a net contributor to your neighborhood; give a little more than you take.  

7.  Read.

If you don't read, you won't have anything to say.  

8.  Find your Resonance. 

This is the purpose of life: To find your resonance, invest in your capacity to recreate it, to enjoy it, and to help others find their resonance.

9. Be Honest with Yourself and Others.

If you can't keep your word, don't give it.  Don't make promises you cannot keep.

10.  Exercise every day.

Healthy body, healthy mind, healthy spirit.

11.  Things change—acknowledge and adapt.  

Nothing stays the same; expect it! 

NOTE: These principles were developed for teaching the four Clawson children: Rudger, Carrie, Caitlin, and Caleigh Su.  

For more information about Dr. Clawson and his work, please visit www.nadobimakoba.com

To see and buy Dr. Clawson's book, Level 3 Leadership: Getting Below the Surface, click HERE

To see and buy Dr. Clawson's book, Song of Humanity: A Science-Based Alternative to the World's Scriptures, click HERE 

Dr. Chris P. Neck
Associate Professor and Distance Runner

Chris Neck's 20 Rules to Live By

Age 57.  Associate Professor of Management at Arizona State University.  Husband and Father of a son and daughter.  Lives in Paradise Valley, Arizona.  

Rule 1:  Put the shopping cart in the parking lot corral.

Rule 2:  Open the door for others.

Rule 3: Send hand-written thank you notes. Emails or texts are less authentic and sincere. 

Rule 4:  Smile even if you don't feel like it. You trick your mind into thinking you are happy.

Rule 5:  Only eat when you are hungry. Don't eat because the clock says it's time to eat or because others are eating. Don't eat to celebrate or to mourn. 

Rule 6:  The five-minute rule to exercising: If you don't feel like exercising, do it for at least five minutes. The momentum you gain in those five minutes might change how you feel.  

Rule 7:  Be humble. Always give the credit to others. Caution: this one is hard!

Rule 8:  Tell your kids you love them everyday... whether they are 3 or 33.

Rule 9:  Tell your spouse you love them everyday. 

Rule 10:  Treat a public bathroom as you would your bathroom at your parent's house.

Rule 11:  Flip flops are for the beach. Don't drive with flip flops or board a plane wearing flip flops.

Rule 12:  Be Nice. You never know what is going on in another person's life. 

Rule 13:  Take Responsibility for your Health. Be informed. Don't just take a doctor's word for it. Remember, there is a reason they call a doctor's office a "Practice."

Rule 14:  If you are talking to someone and you notice they have something in their teeth, let them know it.

Rule 15:  Don't talk in a movie theater during previews or during the movie. Don't just turn off your cell phone; turn off your mouth!

Rule 16:  Never ask a woman if she is pregnant no matter how big her belly may look.

Rule 17:  Always root for the LSU Tigers or anyone who is playing against the Alabama Crimson tide.

Rule 18:  Ignore the critics. Everyone has an opinion and the only one that counts is yours.

Rule 19:  Take Control of your Mind. Remember a situation does not cause stress; your reaction to the situation causes stress.

Rule 20:  Be kind to yourself. You talk to yourself more than any other person in the world, so Be Nice!

David Kibler, MBA
Senior Finance Manager

David Kibler's 3 Basic Life Principles

Age 40.  Senior Finance Manager at Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE).  MBA.  Husband and Father of two daughters and a son.  Lives in Houston, Texas.

Principle 1:  Be HELPFUL

To be truly helpful means helping others without expecting anything in return. This virtue is incredibly underrated in today's world. Most seem to be focused on "what's in it for me" instead of genuinely caring about someone else or their needs. Being genuinely helpful enables me to focus on something (and someone) other than myself, which makes me more humble and appreciative of what I do have.

Principle 2:  Be KIND

Being truly kind to others is a heightened level of love. Kindness is something that can be difficult, especially if you've been wronged. I think the greatest example of kindness is Jesus Christ. While I'm not always the best at it myself, I actively strive to be kind to better show my love to both God and my fellowmen.  

Principle 3:  Do MY BEST 

Doing my best, especially on something I don't really want to do, is hard, but worth it! This simple, but important, personal mantra has helped me both personally, professionally, and as a parent and parishioner. If it's worth doing, it's worth doing right and well!  

Lina Jensen's 10 Life Rules

Lina M. Jensen, PMP
Project Director and Engineer

Age 34.  Project Director at NextEra Energy.  Wife and Mother of two sons and a daughter.  Lives in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida.

Rule 1:  See a need, fill a need.

Rule 2:  Details matter.

Rule 3:  Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

Rule 4:  Take care of those around you and they will take care of you.

Rule 5:  If you see it, you own it.

Rule 6:  Persistence usually Prevails.

Rule 7:  Be Assertive and Brave

Rule 8:  Why not ME?

Rule 9:  Turn all the way... a lesson I learned from a minor car accident I was in as a teenager.  

Rule 10:  Be generous with your time and resources.  Don't hold back because you are afraid of being taken advantage of -- that's on them!

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RULES for LIFE can also correspond directly to RULES for WORK.  Consider our own Corporate Rules at Freedom Focused

Freedom Focused's 8 Corporate Rules

Age 16 (Incorporated in 2005).  Personal Leadership & Character Development Training Organization.  Founded by Dr. Jordan R. Jensen.  Headquartered in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Rule 1:  I am always Responsible.

It may not always be my fault, but if it is my problem, it is my responsibility to take ownership of the situation and create solutions.  

Rule 2:  Integrity is Everything.

I am continually honest with — and true to — others; just as importantly, I am continually honest with — and true to — myself.

Rule 3:  I Want to Be Here.

I work at Freedom Focused because it is where I want to work.  If I ever lose that desire, I am at complete liberty to work elsewhere. 

Rule 4:  I Animate and Personify Self-Action Leadership.

Both inside and outside of the organization, I animate the essence of the SAL Theory, Model, and Philosophy in my appearance, attitude, conduct, and relations.  The SAL Textbook is my secular guide to living and working.  Freedom Focused is a synergistic sum of its parts, and I am a vital part of that sum.   

Rule 5 Elite Followership precedes elite Leadership.

As a FF Agent, I have a deep respect for authority and continually seek to promote, support, honor, and learn from my supervisors at every level of the organization.

Rule 6:  Elite Leadership is Servant Leadership.

FF is a T.E.A.M. of teams.  As a FF Supervisor, I appreciate and recognize the vital contributions and worth of my subordinates.  I promote open dialogue in an effort to seek the input and feedback of subordinates in making wise decisions that benefit everyone involved.

Rule 7:  The Gold Standard is my Standard.

At every level and in every endeavor, my standard is EXCELLENCE and my planning, preparation, patience, and performance is ELITE. In setting expectations, I never overpromise and underdeliver; I always underpromise and overdeliver.

Rule 8:  I am Proud to Be a FF Agent, and I live to Build, Serve, and Teach.

As a FF Agent, my primary motivator is not money or personal aggrandizement.  I value being part of an organization that cares about me and the world-at-large. I take positive pride in my affiliation with FF. As an active expression of my gratitude for the opportunity to be part of this unique company, I live and work to make a positive difference in the lives of those I serve both inside and outside of the organization.  My family, community, nation, and world are better places because I live and work at Freedom Focused.

NOTE: This article is the 17th 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

March 2, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 254th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 253 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

JJ's 13 Rules for Living: A Review

Jordan R. Jensen, Ed.D.
Founder & CEO of Freedom Focused

Over the past several months, I have shared posts highlighting my 13 Rules for Living, which were inspired by Thomas Jefferson's 10 Rules for Life. 

These rules have had a significant influence and positive impact on my life and career. While I have not always followed them perfectly, much growth, progress, and maturity has resulted in making an honest and authentic attempt to live by the principles inherent in their edicts.  

Today's post provides a REVIEW of these 13 Rules, and provides a link to the corresponding article dedicated to each rule. These links are accessible below.  To view the unabridged list of these 13 rules, click HERE.    

JJ's 13 Rules for Living

Rule #1:  Self-Change

Rule #2:  Good, Evil, & Absolute Truth

Rule #3:  The Golden Mean

Rule #4:  Learn from Small Mistakes

Rule #5:  Never Insult or Contend

Rule #6:  Find Your True Voice & Help Others Find Theirs

Rule #7:  Accentuate the Positive & Eliminate the Negative

Rule #8:  The Only Real Failure is to Quit

Rule #9:  Triumph & Disaster

Rule 10:  Be a Creator, Not a Critic

Rule #11:  Be Grateful

Rule #12:  The Wise Use of Time & Money

Rule #13:  I Can't Do it Alone (Humility)

To view the unabridged list of these 13 rules, click HERE.   

Having finished sharing with you my 13 Rules for Life, it is now YOUR turn!

My guess is that you already have certain rules that you live by. But have you carefully, consciously, and conscientiously composed them yet? If not, NOW is the time to do so.

In next week's post, I will share some examples of life rules from others. In conjunction with sharing my own, you will have even more ideas to support your own efforts to establish your own rules for living.

NOTE: This article is the 16th 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

February 23, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 253rd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 252 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

Arizona State's W.P. Carey Business School Interviews Dr. Chris Neck about Self-Action Leadership

Christopher P. Neck, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Management
Arizona State University

Last month, the W.P. Carey Business School at Arizona State University interviewed Dr. Christopher P. Neck—an esteemed faculty member and one of the department's most successful and prolific authors and researchers. 

The purpose of the interview was to explore Drs. Jensen and Neck's most recent scholarly publication on SELF-ACTION LEADERSHIP as it relates to CHARACTER EDUCATION.

Jensen and Neck's PAPER—their fifth peer-reviewed collaboration together—was published last year in The Journal of Leadership and Management.

The goal of Jensen and Neck's newest academic paper on Self-Action Leadership is to position SAL as a go-to curriculum that not only fills a universal character education and professional training need, but that does so in a balanced way designed to unite rather than divide constituencies with vested interests in the EDUCATION of each other as well as our children and grandchildren.

Click HERE to access this INTERVIEW, written by Sally J. Clasen.

***************

About Dr. Christopher P. Neck

Christopher P. Neck, Ph.D., is one of the world's most prestigious and prolific scholars in the academic field of self-leadership. He is the lead co-author (with Dr. Charles C. Manz and Dr. Jeffery D. Houghton) of Self-Leadership: The Definitive Guide to Personal Excellence (SAGE), which serves as the seminal textbook on self-leadership used at colleges and universities around the world. A forerunner of this text—Mastering Self-Leadership: Empowering Yourself for Personal Excellence—was used by Dr. Jordan Jensen during his early college days and served as Dr. JJ's formal introduction to self-leadership in academe.

Dr. Neck earned a bachelor's degree and MBA from LSU and a Ph.D. in management from ASU, where he is currently an associate professor of management. Before ASU, Neck taught at Virginia Tech, where he was awarded the prestigious Students' Choice Teacher of the Year award an extraordinary NINE (9) times between 1996 and 2008. 

Neck has published more than one hundred scholarly works in the form of textbooks, book chapters, and peer reviewed articles. His research specialties include: leadership, self-leadership, employee-executive fitness, self-managing teams, and group decision making processes. 

Dr. Neck has facilitated training seminars for the U.S. Army as well as major corporations such as GE/Toshiba, America West Airlines (now American Airlines), Dillards, Prudential Life Insurance, Busch Gardens, Clark Construction, Crestar, American Family Insurance, Sales and Marketing Executives International, American Electric Power, and W.L. Gore & Associates. His writing has been cited in major news publications including: The Houston Chronicle, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

Neck is the lead author of Management—a textbook for introductory collegiate courses on the subject (Neck, Lattimer, & Hougton; Wiley 2022, 2020, 2017, 2014). Other books authored or co-authored by Neck include: Entrepreneurship (2021, 2018), Medicine for the Mind: Healing Words to Help Your Soar (2007), Fit to Lead: The Proven 8-Week Solution for Shaping up Your Body, Your Mind, and Your Career (2004), The Wisdom of Solomon at Work (2001), and For Team Members Only: Making Your Workplace Team Productive and Hassle-Free (1997). 

Chris is a husband and proud father of a son and daughter. An avid runner, he has completed twelve marathons, including the New York, San Diego, and elite Boston. To date, his longest continuous run in forty miles. 

For more information about Dr. Neck's work and consulting services, or to contact him personally, please visit his website at www.chrisneck.com

***************

Click HERE to view Dr. Chris Neck's Faculty page at Arizona State University.  

Click HERE to view Dr. Chris Neck's personal website. 

Click HERE to watch Dr. Chris Neck do what he does best: SPEAK and TEACH about self-leadership in a presentation to students at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pennsylvania.

***************

To date, Drs. Neck and Jensen have collaborated on FIVE (5) scholarly papers together. Four of these papers were published in The Journal of Leadership and Management. The fifth paper was published in the Journal of Management, Spirituality, & Religion.  These five papers (or abstract) can be accessed by clicking on the links below.  

SAL Theory Paper

SAL Model Paper

SAL Pedagogy Paper

SAL Character Education Paper

The Relation of Spirituality to Time Management: Examining the Lives and Careers of FranklinCovey Co-Founders, Hyrum W. Smith and Stephen R. Covey

 

—Dr. JJ

February 16, 2022

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 252nd Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013. 

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 251 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