Being Good VS Becoming Good

Today I am feeling compelled to write about a topic, somewhat unrelated to politics, but definitely related to who I am, and who I want to become.  So I hope you will indulge me for a few moments here.  I am actually stealing this idea from a business mentor of mine, Mike Wilson.  I was listening to an educational CD by him yesterday, and it was so enlightening and thought provoking,  I just felt like I needed to share.

He said that there are two types of people, those who want to be good, and those want to become good.  He  said that the problem with a lot of people in our culture is that we want to be good, not that we want to become good.  At first I was really confused because I didn't see what the difference was.  I mean, wouldn't you rather just already be good, instead of having to become good?  All my life I have tried to be good.  Good grades.  Good reputation. etc.

The point that he made was that in the "Becoming good camp" they value the process, the learning, the struggle.  In the "Being good camp" the emphasis is always put on right now.  Who are you right now?  Little thought is put into the value of hard work.  It is all about the achievement.  He said that in the Chinese culture, for the most part they teach their children to become good.  Instead of rewarding them for making good grades, they reward them for studying hard and working towards a worthwhile goal.  It is the difference between going to school to learn, or going to school to achieve something.

I thought he was making a really valid point just from that standpoint.  But the more I let this idea permeate my brain, the more I realized that it is not just an academic or business idea, it is a way of life.  For a long time, especially in school, people put me on an academic pedestal.  I was an achiever, and there were expectations.  Once people believe that you are good at something, then, there is the pressure to always be that way.  There were loads of other things that I wasn't good at.  But I wanted to "be good", so I just didn't do them.  In other words, I spent most of my life just doing what I was naturally good at, so I could "be good", and missed out on, well, everything else!

Obviously, there were a few exceptions, but for the most part, anything I tried that I wasn't good at I quit, because, I wanted to be good, and I wasn't naturally good at them.  Today I began to think of this concept but in relation to who I am spiritually, and my walk with God.  In main stream America today I think Christians often think of the church, as a hotel, or a vacation from "the world", not a hospital for sinners.  And we don't talk about our problems so that we can share and strengthen each other.  We all try to act like we don't have any problems because we want to be good.  Thus, further perpetuating the illusion that we are good, and alienating others both inside, and outside of the church.  However, when we have the attitude that we are working daily to become good, we focus more upon working constantly to better ourselves, rather than hiding our flaws.  We are more approachable, and more relatable to our fellow Christians and others who may want to become good with us.

The more I thought about how becoming good was a way of life, the more I began to understand how important it is to know what camp you are currently in, and what camp you would like to be in.  For all aspects of your life.  At work do you think that you have to be perfect all the time or do you do your best and try to learn how to be better?  When you make a mistake do you try to cover it up lest you be subject to humiliation?  Or do you admit your shortcomings, learn from them, and move on?  I must say, I think I am ready to change camps.  Perhaps admitting that I have spent most of my life in the being good camp is a step in the right direction to joining the becoming good camp.

The older I get the more I realize that I know less than I thought I did.

"We're in the hand-basket my friends. Guess where we're headed." -Jay Anderson

Found by a friend: "If the US Government was a family, they would be making $58,000 a year, they spend $75,000 a year & are $327,000 in credit card debt. They are currently proposing BIG spending cuts to reduce their spending to $72,000 a year. These are the actual proportions of the federal budget & debt, reduced to a level that we can understand." - Dave Ramsey


Need I say more?  I had a dear friend tell me the other day that she was going to vote for President Obama and give him another 4 years because he is trying his best, and all these problems aren't his fault.  And I thought, what is this, social promotion?


So for the sake of this argument, lets just say, he actually is trying his best, and the problems we are facing aren't his fault.  (Although I believe he has certainly contributed, and certainly not done anything to improve the issues.)  Are we going to just sit here and let someone who is that bad at their job sit there and just try to figure it out, while the existence of our country is at stake?  If we were talking about a 4 year old learning to ride a bike without training wheels, that would be one thing.  But would you intentionally get on an airplane with a pilot who had never flown before and just be happy to be patient while he figured it out?  I sure wouldn't!  And that goes for all politicians here, on both sides, not just the president.  


It doesn't take a rocket scientist ( I actually know one of those by the way and he agrees with me.) to see that the proverbially family Dave Ramsey is talking about is headed for bankruptcy.  We would be naive to think that our country isn't headed in the same direction if we don't  have a serious course correction, right now!     

What do you look for in a politician?

My Grandmother sent me this picture in an email.  One of those chain mail email type things so I don't really know who to give credit to but apparently some citizen felt so strongly about his or her dislike for President Obama that they put their hard earned buckaroos behind it.  Maybe they figured it wasn't such a splurge after all once they  figured up the value of their dollars spent after inflation.  Or maybe they considered it an investment in their future.  Spend the money now, hope people get the point and your financial future might not be as grim after 2012.  Regardless, I found it amusing and thought you might too.
But what I really wanted to talk about today is, what do you look for in a politician?  With so many people announcing their candidacy, I am curious to know, what do you look for, and of course, what if any are deal breakers for you?

My list:

Trustworthy
Well Respected
Successful
Proven Leadership
Consistent
Someone who is not afraid to take a stand
Patriot
Someone who believes in a government that is big enough to offer national security, etc., but small enough to leave us alone!

Don't be so naive to think that there aren't candidates who could win with these qualities.  For me a career politician would not be a deal breaker but I would rather see someone like Herman Cain come in who has been successful in other areas with proven leadership abilities.  If they have the right values and moral fiber, lack of political experience isn't as big of a deal.  The keys to success are the same, no matter what you are pursuing.

Take me or leave me, but this is who I am.

I love the call of the big city. The pavement. The people. The lights. It makes me feel like I'm a part of something. It makes me feel like the world is at my fingertips. Suddenly I feel as though I should be singing and dancing down the sidewalk-- my umbrella in my hand and Gene Kelly at my side. It opens my heart to the possibilities of life and I feel like I can do anything.

But then there is that part of me that just loves the country. The peacefulness. The privacy. And the stars at night. The freedom to do, be, and think just about anything that you want. It reminds me of who I am, and what I truly want. I have thought a lot about that sort of thing lately and have reached a much deeper understanding of who I am at heart. Too long I have silently lived in the shadows of my thoughts. I have become too politically correct. I am tired of blending in with the crowd. I am different. I am smart. I think for myself. So take me or leave me, but this is who I am.

I am a red-blooded, God-loving, American Citizen. I am not on the endangered species list yet, but it seems as though every time I look out the window I see more and more of my habitat disappearing. If I listen to the news for more than five minutes I can't help but wonder if the American Dream is dead, or dying. If we don't start standing up for what we believe in soon America as we know it will be down for the count and in serious need of an autopsy.

I really am the last one who would want to go around spreading gloom and doom but anyone who really thinks this through can see that we are in trouble. The USA has already exceeded it's life expectancy and we are currently headed down a path that is not looking too promising. I know that President Obama is asking us to not change horses midstream, and I know that there are some who are buying into that because they want to give him a chance. Well, no offense to those people, some of whom I love dearly, but I can't in good conscience agree to support any politician who thinks the solution to our nation's problems is spending our way out of debt. That doesn't work anywhere else. Why would it work here?

In 2010 our nations debt was 98% of GDP. If you don't have a problem with that, you should. This is also an interesting article regarding the national debt. Notice in the fourth paragraph where it talks about how much we are borrowing. The taxes our nation raises only cover 60% of our obligations. The other 40% we are borrowing. No wonder the national debt keeps growing!

I like to think of this in practical terms. If I can't make it through a year without having to borrow 40% of what I was going to be spending, is there a problem? Probably. Now what if I kept doing that year after year? Then is it a problem? Definitely! Should I consider doing something differently? Should I cut back on unnecessary expenses, and maybe get a second job to start covering my expenses and paying towards the debt? I would hope so!

The above scenario sounds to me like the road to bankruptcy. Is that where our nation is headed? I hope not. It doesn't have to be. Think about where this country is headed because we all have a say. So many people don't vote or get involved because it is too much of a hassle for them. But everyday there are men and women around the world putting their lives on the line so that we can have the right to choose what we want for our lives. Not to mention all those that went before us that have sacrificed their lives fighting for this country, and the American dream. Don't take those sacrifices for granted. The very least we can do is to stand up for our rights before they are just taken away. And that is what I am doing. I refuse to remain silent when I am called to speak the truth.