My Mission
In 1968, when I was 18 years old, I wrote the following:
Advice to Self
Stand out. Stand free of the crowd.
Speak out. Speak your thoughts aloud.
But first –
Know at where you stand.
Know of what you speak.
Stand back. First observe.
Then rise up, speak out, and serve.
Over the ensuing years I have been a continual learner, teacher, trainer, consultant and coach. I have thought about, talked about and written about many of my ideas as a way of service. I have struggled with self-doubt and the imposter syndrome questioning whether I have anything of value to share and whether I want to do so in a more public manner.
My book, The Lost Message, in the works in my head since 1978, has finally come to fruition. It and I are ready to meet the world and the timing seems appropriate. It is time for me – through at least the book – to rise up, speak out and serve.
I have a strong sense that things in our world are greatly off kilter. At least part of that is due to how simple truths continue to be obscured by those in power for their own agendas. The world has become very dangerous as shown by the Doomsday Clock. Whether the risks are nuclear war, climate change or artificial intelligence – or beyond that symbol – relate to racism, immigration, civil rights, poverty, health care, and human dignity. The list goes on.
Like Josh Carpenter in The Lost Message, I don’t claim to have any specific answers and solutions to our many challenges. Rather, I am a curious observer who once in a while asks questions to better understand what different people or institutions are thinking and where their ideas come from. I try to provoke thoughtfulness by which anyone asking questions of themselves or others does so in an open-minded way, suspending certainty, and withholding judgmental responses, even unspoken. The intent is to encourage ourselves and others to seek understanding with empathy, even if we disagree.
Years ago in my professional life as a business consultant, I worked with several large firms who embraced Steven Covey’s Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. As I was facilitating discussions around the second habit – Begin with the End in Mind – my focus was to help each participant gain clarity about who they are, who they want to be, and what they want to do. The objective for each participant was to develop a personal mission statement. When asked what my personal mission statement was, I shared my Advice to Self statement from above. It resonated deep in my soul about who I was and have been.
Yet even today I ask myself who or what am I serving. My Advice is a very general statement. There is no specific focus and that enables me to be broad in my application. As I look back through my personal and professional life, I can certainly point to specific people, institutions, and programs that for a period of time were my focus for standing up, speaking out, and serving.
And now, a new and evolving way to serve has become a major focus in my life. The 47 years of thinking about and writing what has now come to life as The Lost Message is a way of serving to stimulate people’s thinking and talking. This novel captures much of who I am, what I think about, and how I am a curious observer provoking thoughtfulness. The book itself – perhaps along with the discussion questions I offer – will be a way for me to be of service.
Another way will be through this Substack. Periodically I will offer my ideas on a variety of topics to encourage discussion with me and among readers. At the moment I have brainstormed over 50 topics I might explore and plan to publish via this medium. I very much encourage your comments, questions and suggestions.
Welcome.