Saturday, August 24, 2013

Take Them As You Find Them

The American democracy faces many challenges for the future: racial tension, a substantial cultural divide, and the prospects of a national, financial collapse are just some of the challenges that daunt us now and have the potential to undermine our future. The statesman will have to be a person that embraces the problems of the republic and makes the most of the resources at his disposal. Few have done this better than the Confederate general Robert E. Lee. Even though Lee lost the war between the states, he made much of the resources available to him. His few words express his philosophy of living. In a letter to his son, he told him, "Shake off those gloomy feelings. Drive them away. Fix your mind and pleasures upon what is before you. All is bright if you will think it so. All is happy if you will make it so. Do not dream. It is too ideal, too imaginary...Live in the world you inhabit. Look upon things as they are. Take them as you find them. Make the best of them. Turn them to your advantage."

Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Precedent President

Anytime a new leadership position is created, the first leader will be important in establishing important precedents for the leaders that will follow him. No one did that better than America's first president, George Washington. In this article, I discuss what Washington did to lay a foundation for future presidents.