A friend of mine (Thanks, Chris!) recently sent me a video of Canadian soldiers disassembling and re-assembling a low-hood Willys Jeep during a holiday event in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Some people simply see a cool and amusing video on YouTube.
Instead, I see something completely different:
I see the physical embodiment of three primary factors necessary in societal and national success:
1. Simplicity
2. Clarity
3. Discipline
First, Simplicity: we have purposely made life way too complicated. We revel in making life too complicated. I submit that we have deliberately done this because Man, by his nature, will and has pushed thoughts and theories to points they’ve not themselves demanded to travel.
Whenever things look grim, whenever things look too complicated, whenever you think things are irreversible and unchangeable — then it’s time to go back to what I call The Basics.
Because, in our personal lives, in our professional lives, in our corporate lives, in our working lives, if we can’t accomplish The Basics — if we can’t build and buttress and support a solid and strong and immovable Foundation upon which all else can be built — then everything beyond that Foundation is pointless.
Second, Clarity: without Clarity we are doomed. Clarity is also known as Truth. If we can’t call things what they are, if we can’t acknowledge words for their definitions, if we can’t admit to ourselves the things as They Are vs the Thing We Wish Them To Be, then we are merely deluding ourselves. We cannot exist isolated in Theory; we must deal with actual Reality.
Finally, Discipline: this is best expressed in our national motto: E pluribus unum.
“Out of many: one.”
It is not the individual that moves the nation. It is the individual working towards a common goal, embraced by freedom, that creates the myriad links providing our unified strength. The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. Or the one.
From many seemingly disparate individuals, we work towards a national unification and sovereignty. We are the United States of America.
And it is Discipline that will get us there. A committed goal and a common vision. Michael Savage expresses it best: Borders. Language. Culture. And not so-called “personal esteem.” And not T-ball or minimized scores or parsed phrases or lawsuits or emotions or fear of failure. But Discipline and striving and risk and daring. And the freedom to make mistakes, to fail, and to let our paths be determined by our work. Our Constitution mentions opportunity but guarantees no outcome. To achieve our goals we clearly require: actual Discipline.
Sometimes the most truthful things are the simplest and clearest things.
BZ
Yep, too bad people don’t realize that, or are willing to DO those things.
Indeed.
Simplicity.
Clarity.
Discipline.
BZ
Do the simple things and the rest takes care of itself.
Galaxies for from atoms, not the other way around.
Individuals form the basis for society by coming together in marriage, society does not create individuals to reside within it.
Governments are an organ of society, not the root nor cause of society.
Individuals buy, sell and trade, which creates markets, the market is not ordained by a government.
It all really does rest upon you.