Saturday, April 27, 2013
Special Offer - The Faithful Majority
The price on the Kindle version of The Faithful Majority: Common Sense Revisited has been reduced from $9.99 to $2.99 for a limited time.
America - Greatness In The Making
A young woman, age 18, shares her story to a group of people touring the facilities of the Goodwill of Central Texas. Not a dry eye can be seen among this group of about twenty people.
The young woman is a new employee at Goodwill. She briefly shares her past, that she has a two year old son, and how blessed she is to have brought herself to Goodwill to put her life on a new track. And, how grateful she is for the people who have coached and mentored her to be where she is and for the hope she has of continuing her education to become a paralegal. Goodwill serves and encourages thousands of people like this young woman, every day.
Why Is America The Greatest Country?
The next day, a friend shared a video that challenges a question from another young woman to a panel of people for an answer to the question "Can you say why America is the greatest country in the world?" While all the answers carry some truth with them (and they are actors), the final response gets to the heart of the matter and grabs one's soul with a clear message that the time is now for the People of America to reclaim its greatness. To set aside our fears and embrace what it truly takes for America to once again become that leader in all aspects of humanity, family and community.
Where Do You Stand In Your Community?
I have a unique opportunity to witness this greatness in the making. From the young woman at Goodwill to various other community and church organizations offering a hand up versus a hand out. And, I am blessed to know many successful men and women who have the means and the time to also offer themselves as servants to encourage, coach, mentor, lead and work along side others like the young woman at Goodwill.
In spite of all the negative media, scare tactics of politicians and misguided pundits - there are people in all walks of life, no matter their race, beliefs, points of view or status, who are living and working together in ways that was only a dream a few decades ago.
While the media pundits parrot meaningless, divisive declarations and politicians rant, rave and blame others - We The People have been pursuing dreams and visions that have created the cornerstone for America to truly become the greatest nation on earth, once again. And, this is not about becoming the greatest. It's more about America being the model for servant leadership to the world.
This is happening deep within our communities. This cannot come from some new or revived government program. Government has its place, but it is not to be the caretaker for all people. Caretakers are for those who cannot care for themselves and those who are dying. Just the word "caretaker" clearly says that one is taking care of another or from this perspective "taking care away" from another. For America to become great again, people must feel and know the dignity of work and making things happen for themselves and others.
When the People thrive, families, schools, places of worship, the workplace and communities thrive. I clearly see and hear how young and old are coming together, setting aside tired, old rhetoric and prejudices in order to participate and work together to make a difference.
It is happening. Young men and women are listening and hearing the passionate words from the video referenced above. Such impassioned words and the acts of servant leadership they personally witness - give them the hope to believe it is truly possible for them to participate and realize what has been an impossible dream. How are you assisting others to dream and believe in themselves?
I see America's greatness growing by leaps and bounds each day. It is happening through the lives of thousands and thousands of individuals who each day choose to be a better person and pursue a better life for themselves, their families and communities.
Where Are You? Where Do You Want To Be?
Which community do you find yourself and what is your level of collaborative participation?
More about this infographic - Framing Common Sense. (download pdf)
Keep up the great works you are doing,
~Alan
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Middle Class Billionaires
A revealing common sense perspective of how the middle class is better off today than in times past. I highly recommend reading this Wall Street Journal article. And, then notify your favorite politician and encourage them to make decisions based upon the right information versus believing their own sound bites.
Despite assertions by progressives who complain about stagnant wages, inequality and the (always) disappearing middle class, middle-class Americans have more buying power than ever before. They live longer lives and have much greater access to the services and consumer products bought by billionaires. [From WSJ by Donald J. Boudreaux and Mark J. Perry]
~ Alan
Despite assertions by progressives who complain about stagnant wages, inequality and the (always) disappearing middle class, middle-class Americans have more buying power than ever before. They live longer lives and have much greater access to the services and consumer products bought by billionaires. [From WSJ by Donald J. Boudreaux and Mark J. Perry]
~ Alan
Monday, January 21, 2013
It's No Dream... I Have Seen the Future
On this Martin Luther King holiday, it is only appropriate that instead of "having a dream", I'll say, "I have seen the future and I believe it to be an incredible future for humanity!"
Today is also the President's Inauguration and most likely some grand words will be spoken laced with the standard finger pointing, blame and creating fear in the weak-minded. For the strong-minded, who think for yourselves and know what is real and not, thanks for taking some of your valuable time to read my blog.
Now, to the future I have seen and actually experienced. It is a simple story, yet one I have pondered and come to believe will be one of the solutions to the vast amount of waste, inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in government. Bill Clinton's famous declaration the end of big government was over, I believe finally has some legs to it and we will see it come to fruition in our lifetime.
We the People have been rising up for a long time and the time has come. In the midst of some of the most ineffective, leaderless politicians, the Faithful Majority have been hard at work to make some really big stuff happen. Of course, the weakest of the politicians will declare a personal victory while the more mature politicians will acknowledge the People and give credit where credit is due. The ego-driven politicians will seek to be immortalized while we all know they just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The Faithful Majority know a great leader when they see one and the Faithful Majority knows great leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King - and Mr. President, you are no where near being even a leader.
Take a moment to consider not only the vast advances in technology, but how the Internet has made it possible for people to gather in-depth information that has not been filtered and sound-bited by some inexperienced, just writing another column reporter. Or, even worse, by some inexperienced, just wanting to get re-elected politician.
Now, back to the future. Seriously, my wife and I were shopping for another car and I noticed the billboards for a 1.9% auto loans at Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union. We walk into a local branch office, here in Austin, and a nice young man greets us with a warm welcome and asks if we are there to meet with someone. I respond that we want to inquire about the 1.9% auto loan. He asks me to input my basic contact information into a computer console and explains that the information is just for their immediate use. I input my name and check why I am there. The young man has stepped back from the console while I make my input. The moment I click "okay", the young man steps up and says, "Thank you, Mr and Mrs Goldsberry. Please come into my office."
We sit down at his desk and we proceed to answer a couple more questions and he inputs some information into his computer and then instructs us to face a monitor and a young lady in San Antonio appears on the screen that is using a Polycom video link. She sees us and after brief introductions, she explains she is one of the loan officers and will help us with our loan. As we proceed through the process, which is taking just minutes, she gathers the information she needs and then provides our information to a "loan committee", which by regulations, our loan request has to go to the committee. This takes a few more minutes and the young lady on the monitor returns and says, "you have been approved for the 1.9% and the committee would like to offer you a higher amount for your car loan than you requested."
We declined the additional amount, as we already had a car picked out. In the next few minutes a few additional things were signed and the credit union branch manager presents us with a check to use when we purchase the car. We walk out with the check and go buy the car using the credit union check and drive away with the car.
Two weeks later, I receive a call from the credit union that the check has cleared and they need to finalize on the loan. After just a few more minutes, we complete this process and the documents are signed. In the meantime, I have received, by postal mail, the auto registration and new license tags for the car.
Total time getting the loan and buying the car was less than one hour. All the way through the process, we dealt face-to-face or video-to-face with experts who knew what they were doing and everyone was very efficient and focused on making sure we were served with the highest degree of excellence. Yes, even the car sales professional at the dealership. If car salesmen can change, then you have to know the world is changing.
Here's the future I've seen and here's my prediction. Within the next ten years this same process will be implemented across primary governmental agencies. While hundreds of thousands of jobs will be removed, never to be seen again, at governmental agencies, this reduction in jobs will be through normal attrition and retirement.
Take a moment to consider just how much of your life is now transacted through technology. This has been the plan for a long, long time and it is now that technology is being leveraged by people who require much less training to become experts in a required field of service and they can use technology to serve hundreds of people as opposed to the traditional customer service methods. And, there will be plenty more jobs created who will support the customer service experts to be the best they can be.
It is a brand new world and the future is now. And, while the politicians focus on getting re-elected and grandstanding, people like you and me, The Faithful Majority, are changing the world because we see the future and the future is We the People - the dreams and visions of America's Founders, all along. And, they knew the only stumbling block would be the human condition and bumbling politicians.
Believe in God, yourself and the Faithful Majority, who all together are creating a most amazing future!
Download The Faithful Majority: Common Sense Re-Revisited
~ Alan
Today is also the President's Inauguration and most likely some grand words will be spoken laced with the standard finger pointing, blame and creating fear in the weak-minded. For the strong-minded, who think for yourselves and know what is real and not, thanks for taking some of your valuable time to read my blog.
Now, to the future I have seen and actually experienced. It is a simple story, yet one I have pondered and come to believe will be one of the solutions to the vast amount of waste, inefficiencies and ineffectiveness in government. Bill Clinton's famous declaration the end of big government was over, I believe finally has some legs to it and we will see it come to fruition in our lifetime.
We the People have been rising up for a long time and the time has come. In the midst of some of the most ineffective, leaderless politicians, the Faithful Majority have been hard at work to make some really big stuff happen. Of course, the weakest of the politicians will declare a personal victory while the more mature politicians will acknowledge the People and give credit where credit is due. The ego-driven politicians will seek to be immortalized while we all know they just happened to be in the right place at the right time. The Faithful Majority know a great leader when they see one and the Faithful Majority knows great leaders like George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and Martin Luther King - and Mr. President, you are no where near being even a leader.
Take a moment to consider not only the vast advances in technology, but how the Internet has made it possible for people to gather in-depth information that has not been filtered and sound-bited by some inexperienced, just writing another column reporter. Or, even worse, by some inexperienced, just wanting to get re-elected politician.
Now, back to the future. Seriously, my wife and I were shopping for another car and I noticed the billboards for a 1.9% auto loans at Randolph Brooks Federal Credit Union. We walk into a local branch office, here in Austin, and a nice young man greets us with a warm welcome and asks if we are there to meet with someone. I respond that we want to inquire about the 1.9% auto loan. He asks me to input my basic contact information into a computer console and explains that the information is just for their immediate use. I input my name and check why I am there. The young man has stepped back from the console while I make my input. The moment I click "okay", the young man steps up and says, "Thank you, Mr and Mrs Goldsberry. Please come into my office."
We sit down at his desk and we proceed to answer a couple more questions and he inputs some information into his computer and then instructs us to face a monitor and a young lady in San Antonio appears on the screen that is using a Polycom video link. She sees us and after brief introductions, she explains she is one of the loan officers and will help us with our loan. As we proceed through the process, which is taking just minutes, she gathers the information she needs and then provides our information to a "loan committee", which by regulations, our loan request has to go to the committee. This takes a few more minutes and the young lady on the monitor returns and says, "you have been approved for the 1.9% and the committee would like to offer you a higher amount for your car loan than you requested."
We declined the additional amount, as we already had a car picked out. In the next few minutes a few additional things were signed and the credit union branch manager presents us with a check to use when we purchase the car. We walk out with the check and go buy the car using the credit union check and drive away with the car.
Two weeks later, I receive a call from the credit union that the check has cleared and they need to finalize on the loan. After just a few more minutes, we complete this process and the documents are signed. In the meantime, I have received, by postal mail, the auto registration and new license tags for the car.
Total time getting the loan and buying the car was less than one hour. All the way through the process, we dealt face-to-face or video-to-face with experts who knew what they were doing and everyone was very efficient and focused on making sure we were served with the highest degree of excellence. Yes, even the car sales professional at the dealership. If car salesmen can change, then you have to know the world is changing.
Here's the future I've seen and here's my prediction. Within the next ten years this same process will be implemented across primary governmental agencies. While hundreds of thousands of jobs will be removed, never to be seen again, at governmental agencies, this reduction in jobs will be through normal attrition and retirement.
Take a moment to consider just how much of your life is now transacted through technology. This has been the plan for a long, long time and it is now that technology is being leveraged by people who require much less training to become experts in a required field of service and they can use technology to serve hundreds of people as opposed to the traditional customer service methods. And, there will be plenty more jobs created who will support the customer service experts to be the best they can be.
It is a brand new world and the future is now. And, while the politicians focus on getting re-elected and grandstanding, people like you and me, The Faithful Majority, are changing the world because we see the future and the future is We the People - the dreams and visions of America's Founders, all along. And, they knew the only stumbling block would be the human condition and bumbling politicians.
Believe in God, yourself and the Faithful Majority, who all together are creating a most amazing future!
Download The Faithful Majority: Common Sense Re-Revisited
~ Alan
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
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