Month: April 2018

Typically, we try discussing….then convincing…then yelling out of frustration. When these steps are exhausted, we march…we hold signs…we join a PAC. Yet many of us ask, “Where are you going?” The number of people standing up to get involved in politics now is higher than I’ve ever seen! It’s really exciting to see our nation moving.

Now we need to help our people define the metaphorical land of Oz and then find the yellow brick road to get there– the pathway to the new tomorrow. We need to help our people find the pathway that allows us to both connect and press forward…together.

But how to do we, as a nation, define a tomorrow on which Americans from both parties can agree? How do we determine what we want to achieve as a collective when we’re so incredibly divisive at the moment?

Step 1: We find, even the most minimal of points, upon which to agree. That’s where we start. Based on the research data, I think most of us might be surprised by how many things we can agree on. Stick to the basics at first:

We want a united nation, a free nation. We want economic stability, an education system that sets our people up for success as adults. We want a happy, healthy nation for both kids and adults. Generally speaking, we can agree on these points.

Step 2: Define each of these terms. What does a united nation look like? What does it mean to be free? Free from what? How do we define economic stability? And how do we help people be happy? Can we? Is it a responsibility of the government? These questions are the ones that become a bit harder to answer but when we define them 20 years from now, it’s a bit far in the distance and you might be surprised to know, that that makes it significantly easier for people to discuss!

Step 3: Define the pathway to achieve these goals. Once you diagnosis the problem and define the issues, the ability to clarify the yellow brick road to success is generally easily defined. This is the planning phase and it’s time to clarify who or which department will be the one to carry out the actions.

Step 4: Execute. Time to act, with a proactive, rather than reactive, plan in hand. The unified, centralized  approach to problem solving leads to not only improved efficiency but also unbeatable effectiveness.

Now it’s time to Identify – Define – Plan – Execute for America!!!

 When we try to solve problems, typically, we focus on solutions for today. We look for ways to end the current suffering. This a good start…but it can’t be all we do. We must simultaneously look at the underlying issues and fix those too. Otherwise, we will simply repeat the issues we just fixed. This is why people often say – study history in order to not repeat the past. But what if instead, we used that information to solve tomorrow’s problems before they start? When I used to see patients, I would often say,

“It’s better to never accumulate credit card debt than it is to pay it off. Because when you have to pay it off, you do so with interest.”

This sentiment can be seen in nearly every area of life. It’s easier to teach children to behave early than it is to fix issues later. It’s easier to never gain the weight than it is to lose it. And it is easier to educate our people for jobs of the future than it is to train them for new jobs when theirs become obsolete. It is easier to plan ahead for anticipated natural disasters than it is to rebuilt after the fact. In short,

It is wiser to be proactive than reactive.

So when it comes to the animosity we are facing in our nation now, it is not enough to tell people we have to get along. We must show them the pathway to do it and raise our next generation to value cohesion.

Therefore, there are several goals for my Camp for America idea:

1. We must build comradery in our people and show them, not tell them, why we need to value our differences
2. We need to share information with our people about the role and processes of government and military – they deserve to know how these systems work and have the opportunity to be part of them – trust between our people and our government is imperative if change is to occur
3. Train our people to be a ready nation – We are more resilient and prepared for any situation if we can grow food and feed ourselves, anticipate the impacts of natural disasters, handle emergency situations with expectation rather than surprise, and be physically, emotional, and intellectually prepared for anything.

Build – Share – Train

These are the goals of for our nation and will transform us from a reactive to a proactive, empowered, inspired, and READY nation!

Photo by Alex Radelich Andre Hunter Toa Heftiba

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – The greatest assets of our nation are creativity and diversity. No single person will ever have all the best solutions – no single person ever could.

So the wisest course of action (for my military friends, COA) is to find a way to capture all the greatest ideas and determine the optimized solution. But in order to do that, we have to develop a pathway to information sharing without emotional overload getting in the way. We have to join together and appreciate, truly, the unique experiences and talents of our people.

Socialism uses the collective society to drive toward average. Capitalism inspires the interdependent society to drive toward optimization….and then shares it with everyone.

This is the point where we have lost our way as a nation. Our far left argues for the sharing of outcomes and our far right for the competition of ideas. AMERICA – we need BOTH. Without the competition and drive for excellence, we regress to the mean. Without sharing with our fellow Americans and world neighbors, we stubbornly create division and predictably incite chaos. Yes, it’s humane to help others but in fact, even without that ethical demand, sharing remains the wisest COA. It is the only COA that results in maintaining a peaceful, healthy society that is mentally and physically able to devote our collective energy toward progress and world leadership.

We need to find a way to capitalize on the ideas, skills, and time of our fellow Americans. We need to create a metaphorical national work space in which competition drives innovation and results sharing leads others to contribute.

Quite literally, freedom – of mind, of body, of life choices – is the secret ingredient of our nation. It is what allows us to put the best ideas on the table without fear of retribution. There is no excuse for us underperforming compared to the rest of the world. We are the nation with the greatest diversity in the world and the most freedom for creativity – if we are not leading in every area, then we are the only ones to blame….and more importantly, the only ones who can change our course. We are in control, we are capable, and we should demand excellence from ourselves.

Why spend time fighting with ourselves when we can spend our energy propelling our nation forward and leading the world?!

Photo by “My Life Through A Lens”, Aziz Acharki