introspection - Affinitas Publishing

There are two sides to everything.

I happened to be clearing COVID questions before an eye examination yesterday. The “gatekeeper” was decrying the state of the pandemic. I merely said, “Well, we don’t have the black death, dengue fever, yellow fever, scurvy and a few others.” A fellow off to the side, in the sourest way, growled, “Yeah! tell that to all the people who have died.” Ah me, I wish I knew one thing as well as this guy knows everything, they say. I saved my breath and am sure Cicero would have done the same.

We can think of things one dimensionally – my or no way. In other words, we can focus on the downside of our nearly minute-to-minute struggles with obstacles, or we can see the other side. How about beginning your study of how it is to live the Good Life and perhaps reading Cicero on growing old? We can view our eventuality as a horrible prospect with a river of constant fear, or we can see that growing old is a real privilege and not so bad after all. We all do it; how we do it matters. Plan for growing old with vigor and vitality, and you will.

Leadership Techniques: Farmin’ a Little Cotton

I have a friend who “farms a little cotton.” He has over 1,000 acres of his own cotton, beans, and tobacco, and gins for a couple of counties. All this in his multi-million-dollar cotton gin of his own design. A few years ago, in an average year, he ginned a little over 12 million pounds of the white stuff. Yeah, he farms a little. To say he is successful is an understatement. Yes, he has a first class set of brains; yet it is his humility that shines.

One of his leadership techniques is that when something goes wrong, he first pauses and asks, “What did I do wrong?” He really penetrates to the heart of what part he played in a problem. This goes to the heart of character, introspection. And he does it with utmost humility. Thus, he first analyzes and amends how he behaves, then implements those changes and does it over and over. This is a leader!