The Same Old Issues

In response to yesterday’s entry on Change, BCR made a comment:  once the newness of mere transactions wears off, a person is left with the same old issues.

It’s funny BCR raised that issue, because I’ve been wondering, “How long have I been dealing with the same old issues?”   

Regardless of how many “transactions” I make — or even if I make none at all — has any real “transformation” taken place?  Or am I still locked in?

Like AG suggested, until we are ready to undertake a disciplined and rigorous effort to re-program our deeply-rooted habits and mindsets, we may make superficial changes, but we soon have to confront THE SAME OLD ISSUES!

I’m currently engaged in a personal effort (more like a crusade) to get to the root of some of my long-standing issues.  I’m determined to make the necessary adjustments so that the issues of my youth are not the same issues I deal with for the rest of my life.  Quite honestly, if I must have issues, I’d like some new ones.

How Did I Get Here?

On my post yesterday, AG commented that one of the steps necessary in effectively managing our lives involves examining the actions and behaviors that got us to our current state of affairs.

Many of us find ourselves in such a rush to “get somewhere”, that we fail to honestly determine how we got where we are.  Yet, those who fail to understand history –including our own– are destined to repeat it.  In other words, until we identify and understand the issues of our past that may have derailed us, there’s a high likelihood that those same issues will derail us again in the future.

I will engage in the difficult task of evaluating my past actions and behaviors.

I will not blame others for my poor decisions.  I will take responsbility for my own actions.

And then…I will move forward!

Beneath the Surface

I recently had dinner with a medical doctor… 

(If you’re like me, you’ve already begun developing a mental picture of the scene:

Medical Doctor.  Highly trained.  Highly Skilled.  Highly compensated.  Disciplined.  Organized.  Composed. 

In my opinion, those are all fair assumptions.  And they were made simply based on the fact that I said “medical doctor”.)

Well, we got into a conversation about our childhoods, and the impressions and assumptions I had went completely out of the window. 

Apparently, she had a pretty rough childhood, and talking about it conjured up a lot of pain.  All those emotional and psychological issues and wounds, buried beneath the surface of this charismatic, sophisticated professional, came bursting out!  And it wasn’t pretty.

But here’s what I learned…people are people.  And regardless of what people do for a living, NO ONE is exempt from the challenges in life that somehow find a way to confront ALL OF US.

Others may not have the same problems you have, but trust me, EVERYBODY HAS THEIR ISSUES!

What do you think?

Who are You Voting For?

My friend, and former teammate, Tyoka Jackson, sent this to me.

It’s a tool to see which Presidential candidate your views are most closely aligned with.  Let’s use it as a kick-off for a discussion on politics and voting.

Complete the exercise and then come back to leave your comments.  (It’s only 10 questions.)

www.votechooser.com

Thanks,

She Set Herself Ablaze for a Cause

I’m not sure what to say!

A woman of Congolese origin set herself on fire as an act of protest against racism in Luxembourg City last week.  (Read article)

This was a married woman in her 40s, mother of 3 children–not the typical profile of a martyr.  However, this is not the first account we’ve heard of someone willing to die to bring attention to a cause.

I’m left asking myself this question, “What would drive a person to literally sacrifice his/her own life for some broad social issue?”

I strongly believe that people, Americans in particular, have gotten so comfortble in our lifestyles that we demonstrate very little passion for issues or causes.  In fact, unless a specific issues threatens their private comfort, you probably won’t see any public outcries.

Trust me, I believe life is too precious to literally take your own.

But I have to ask you…Are there any issues that you are so passionate about, that you’re willing to commit your life to correcting that issue?