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Do You Keep A Journal? – Day 1

Day 1 of 100 Days of 100 Ways To Rule Your World

DO YOU KEEP A JOURNAL?

If you know me, then you know that I am a History buff. Having played a role in Cold War History, I know the importance of the keeping a journal (a diary). There are numerous reasons people have for keeping a journal maybe just as many reasons that people have for reading other people’s journals/diaries. One reason, I firmly believe is to experience the past the way others lived it. Personally, I cherish the notes, letters, and writings that I created when I was living in Berlin during the mid-1980s. While the notes themselves are NOT great literary works of art they are priceless nonetheless. Priceless to me, at least.

I bet that most people that know me do not know that I have kept some form of a journal since 1985. I have never been 100% faithful to the entry part of keeping a journal but I have been faithful to having a place to write down names, events, exchanges, notes, and what not. For the most part, when I did write I wrote about what struck me as noteworthy on that day. I know some people would be surprised at the level of detail that some of those entries contain. Then again, there are some entries that are quick and to the point such as “September 18, 1986: walked to Andrews with Farrell and picked up two doner kebabs” (it was a Thursday by the way).

So why keep a journal?

There is an old quote from Spanish Philosopher, Essayist, Poet and Novelist: George Santayana in his book “Vol. I, Reason in Common Sense” answers this question: “Progress, far from consisting in change, depends on retentiveness. When change is absolute there remains no being to improve and no direction is set for possible improvement: and when experience is not retained, as among savages, infancy is perpetual. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”

Besides in a hundred days from now you can reflect on what you have learned about me or better still what you learned about yourself over the course of these 100 Days, 100 Ways series of blog posts.

Is it difficult to keep a journal?

At first, it appears to be a daunting task but once you get into it you can you can have a good time capturing moments. 2012 compared to 1985 there are more tools available to you than I had then. Now all of us have almost instant (24/7) access to blogs, video, audio recording options on our smart phones and of course, we still have pen and paper (my journal weapons of choice).

The only difficult part is getting started. Thus the challenge has been made, find your weapons of choice and get started journal-ling! Start recording your place in history. Start now!

Thank you,
David Guerra
—–

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blog Change Entrepreneurship Followership Inspiration Leadership Mentor Motivation Walking Leader

Overcome Fear. Become Fearless. Become Limitless. by David Guerra

14141600_1115135628566862_8264494036368684327_nIf I may take a moment of your time. Today, I want to talk about FEAR.

Fear stops so many people in their tracks. Life is not about being afraid. Life is not about stopping. Life is about living, exploring and finding the next great thing that excites and inspires you. That which makes you grow! Life is about adventure. Unfortunately, there is no adventure when you live a fearful life.

How can you grow if you live in fear? How can you take chances if all you do is worry about the unknown? What can make you thrive is also the same thing that makes approach with caution but NEVER fear (survival). To survive you also have to take that step out of your cave.

The ONLY thing fear does is that it makes you less than your potential. Fear stifles your growth. Fear increases your comfort zone. Fear makes you look at others with jealousy, bitterness, and most of all it makes you look at others with contempt.

Fear lowers your standards to a level that anyone that dares to step above that level is not worth your time except for that moment when you desperately hope they come crashing down to below your level. It makes those fearful people cynical.

Cynical? You had better believe they are cynics. Some wallow in it, others feel that the only way to feel comfortable is to be cynical about those that have no fear when it comes to stepping out of their comfort zone.

If you are one of those that would rather curl up under the covers rather than step out and do something positive about your existence but are afraid. Why are you afraid?

Are you afraid that just like the cynicism you have cast on plenty of others, others will be cynical towards you? Is the fear of cynical people stopping you?

Ask yourself, what have the cynics done for you that they are not already doing to you? If they are already talking about and criticizing others in front of you then please sleep well at night knowing they are talking about, criticizing, and being cynical about you to others.

It is who they are. Maybe you like the noise they were making but once you fell into their trap you found yourself a little too deep to get yourself out.

You probably see no way out. There is a way out. You can make it out on your own.

People make ladders, to get themselves on top of or out of something. Build your own ladder and get yourself out from the pit of cynicism and fear.

If you really truly want to get out of the tiger trap known as FEAR (cynicism included) then please know there is one true secret to building a ladder and using that ladder: Take it one step at a time.

You can get yourself up and out. You can overcome your lowered standards. You can overcome cynicism, criticizing others. You can get away from others that live in creating drama by criticizing others (especially the absent) in front of you.

Overcome Fear. Become Fearless. Become Limitless.

—–
David G. Guerra is a US Army Veteran, Small Business Entrepreneur, and Author (Fiction & Non-Fiction). David served with the US Army Berlin Brigade 110 miles behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. David later spent 17 years working for the State of Texas in the Information Technology field while successfully earning his Bachelor and Master degree in Business Administration. Currently working in the private sector has given David the opportunity to write and publish his first two of three books on leadership; “The Walking Leader” and “Great To Follow” and four historical fiction books set in Occupied West Berlin (“Doughboy City”, “Air Bridge Berlin”, “Spandau Guard”, & “Parade Season”) with more of both genres to come.

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blog Decisionmaking Followership Leadership Leadership in Motion Pictures Walking Leader

Leadership In Motion Pictures #1: “Twelve O’Clock High” by David Guerra

I have been toying with this subject for quite some time and so enough is enough, I introduce you to

“Leadership in Motion Pictures”

The purpose of Leadership in Motion Pictures is simple; to present and show you those unique motion pictures that not only entertain but show leaders in unique situations and how they get themselves out of it.

Twelve O'Clock High with Gregory PeckThe first motion picture is the 1949 classic TWELVE O’CLOCK HIGH starring Gregory Peck as a US Army Air Corp Brigadier General reluctantly is given command of a bomber group based in England during World War II.

When the movie begins the 918th Bomb Group has suffered terrible losses and the commander seems to do nothing to get the bomber groups confidence back. When all seems lost, the upper echelon wants change and that change has to happen now. The war cannot wait for the current commander to get his “mojo” back.

In comes the reluctant Brigadier General Frank Savage played by Gregory Peck. He starts by restoring law and order in an otherwise near chaotic and malaise infested Bomb Group. Savage starts by doing what he must do to restore order on the ground before even considering any changes in the air.

There is resistance to the changes. No one likes his “back to fundamentals approach”. Sound familiar? However, with threats from the pilots and crew of quitting or transferring, the General does not back down. Ultimately, the changes start to make sense for the 918th Bomber group and they start to gel. The pilots, crew, and men of the Bomb Group start to regain their confidence.

While on actual bombing missions, Brigadier General Frank Savage is up there with the group. He is leading them from the front on numerous missions. Then he begins rotating flight commanders among all the pilots in his command.

Throughout the motion picture permeates the sense of battle fatigue, combat stress, post traumatic disorder, and just plain old “bad luck” as to why things are happening the way they are.

War is never easy. When motion pictures stopped glamorizing war (such as those John Wayne type movies) then things could really be told. I understand some liberties have to be take to dumb down war, men in war and the things that happen in war for the general public to consume but the message of leadership also permeates throughout Twelve O’Clock High.

The message is simple. The mission comes first. In this case, the mission is to win the war. The men come second. Use the men as best as they can be used to support the mission which will win the war. The mission, the men and women that perform the mission and the price the men, women and their machines pay to fight in a war is one thing that every leader must remember whether fighting a war in some far off land or the battle is in the accounting department. The mission is and always will be of the most highest importance by their leader or leaders. Get everyone focused on the mission. Hold them accountable to that mission and the rest will take care of itself just like General Frank Savage did in Twelve O’Clock High.

Twelve O’Clock High is currently available for streaming on NETFLIX and on AMAZON dot com.

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