Candor:
The trouble with most of us is that we would rather be ruined by praise than saved by criticism.
– Norman Vincent Peale
There are times when I love to drive. Long drives on open roads are some of my favorites. I like to have my music turned up and my seat pushed back. I enjoy uninterrupted views for miles.
But, there have been those moments when the ride changes. Like when I drive into a bank of fog. Everything changes. Continue Reading…
Courage is a buzzword I defined previously as: To act without regard for perceived or actual personal risk.
Is there anyone alive who does not wish to be courageous? For courage to be part of my character, I must develop to the point where I am habitually acting in a courageous way in both the big things and the small. I have written that character:
Based on this premise then, the first step in developing into a person who habitually acts in a courageous way, I must begin by thinking about what courage looks like in practice. Continue Reading…
Headline: West Point, The Best Public College in America — US News and World Report in 2011.
My alma mater opened in 1802 as an engineering school. In 2011 it was ranked third in the nation for undergraduate engineering, still lockstep with its 200-year-old original purpose. But at its heart, West Point is a leadership school.
The primary mission of West Point has been to provide leaders of character for our nation.
The question, “Can character be developed?” is answered every May when a new group of 1,000 second lieutenants complete four years of character development. In June of 1984, I began my journey from typical high school graduate to trained Army officer four years later. West Point changed my attitude about what the word character means.
Direct TV warns us: “Don’t have a grandson with a dog collar.” While I am tempted to blame my issues on the cable television industry, especially their “customer service centers”, I believe my issues, particularly my character issues are internally derived.
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