Luke: “I’ll try.”

Yoda: “No!

Try not!

Do, or do not.

There is no ‘try’”

(Jedi Master Yoda)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q3hn6fFTxeo

In a followup to my post, What would Patton do?, let me make my point another way, a more direct way. Part of the frustration that exists in the populace today comes from our leadership’s handling of these wars. Lincoln once said to McClelland something like “if you’re not going to use your army, do you mind if I borrow it?” McClelland was a ditherer, the problem is that we have no Lincoln in the White House, we have Jimmy Carter’s second term. (Bush didn’t do any better in this regard, by the way) Weakness. Lack of resolve. before you label me a war-monger, may I point out that we won WWII in four years against the most modern, powerful militaries on the planet. We have been fighting this war for eight years against an army from the 14th century! And we are losing?

Either win or get out. What could be more compassionate towards the troops? These people suffer and die and their kids are growing up without them while the commander shoots hoops and plays golf. Shame on you!

Either win this damn thing now, or surrender.

If you study history, the tactics of a winning military consist of movement. Action. You do not take up fixed positions, you do not win by fighting defensively, you go on offense. You kill Taliban in mass until the few remaining have lost their desire to be Taliban.  Or we should come home. Do, or do not. Please, enough trying…

Please let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.

Absurd? “I have to have a job!”

Perhaps I can show you another way. With the official unemployment rate at 10.2%, and the real rate probably around 18%, many people have a new reality thrust on them, but I also speak to the ones who still have  jobs, such as they are. You should be working on retiring from the traditional “job” and start living your life! First of all, jobs are killers. I ran across several articles today (easiest way is see what I Tweeted @10MinutePayroll) about how not only does your job make you sick and more likely to have a heart attack, but people who retire feel 10 years younger. What could you do with better health and rolling back the years?

Secondly, I think we all now know that there is nothing secure about a traditional job. In fact, in many people’s minds, it just isn’t worth the price you have to pay. So what do I suggest as an alternative?

Decide today that you are no longer going to be a slave- to anything or anyone. Own yourself, your talents, your friends, your personality, and the rest of your life. Declare your independence. Start a business. Don’t talk to me about money! You don’t need money to start a business! What are your talents? Build a business around what makes you happy to do, those things where you become “lost in the moment” and lose all track of time. Have you never thought about these things? Have you spent all your adult life being paid to work on someone else’s dreams?  Today there is unlimited opportunity to build a business around your unique life, the Web has made buying, selling, websites, blogs, networking, information, educating yourself, all free and available, if you will just look and learn. Start building your own security instead of seeking out someone else’s company to hand it to you. Start a business! How will I advertise? You won’t want to. Pick up a copy of a new book called “Inbound Marketing” and read it 2-3 times until it sinks in. Start living! Jobs are where people go to die, to turn over their lives, their freedom, their sacred honor to another set of people that but for their being connected, would not be in your circle of friends. You say you can’t do it all at once? That’s OK, just get started and do not let another day of your precious life pass without doing something that advances you, Inc. Nulla dies sine linea, Latin for not a day without a line, in other words, not a day without something done. It may take weeks and months but gain a little freedom each day. Stagnation is death. Start by opening up your mind to what it is that resonates at your core, my guess is that you have never even thought such thoughts, you just took life as it came to you, like a plant that is tethered to a spot that has to accept for food what passes close to it only. Time to hunt! Time to explore, time to re-awaken the spirit that makes you alive!

Let me know what you think by leaving a comment below.