A Message for Independence Day
I grew up at a time when the evening news was 15 minutes in length, with 5 minutes of that devoted to the weather forecast. To say we now live in an era of informational overload barely scrapes the surface of much of the reason that we are seemingly at each other’s throats – especially in an election year. This crossed my mind recently as I learned that a dear 102-year-old friend and member of the Greatest Generation was living out his last days. Pat, a Navy pilot who flew out of a base in Alaska during WW2, lived the kind of life many can aspire to. A hard-working, dedicated man who always gave more than he received. Built two businesses, raised a family, and kept the important things in sharp focus.
It is factual that my own (Baby Boomer) generation was far too pampered and adopted a self-centered attitude as adults. The statistics of broken families are just one element of how we went so wrong. It has only gotten worse. Those who want to shape opinion have leveraged our self-centeredness with fear-mongering in order to gain support for whatever their position or message happens to be. Turning off the 24-hour news cycle is the first step in gaining our freedom. Learn where to find objective sources for the information that shapes your opinions. Thirdly, as we will soon celebrate Independence Day, start honoring the things that have always brought lasting value, including those Americans from the past who made a positive impact on the nation. They deserve our respect for who they were and what they accomplished for us.
It’s been pretty well proven that it takes about six weeks to create a good habit or break a bad one. Doing so is my challenge to you.