03/15/12 - Not Perfect but BETTER

I am not a perfect person.

Being George Washington has been a great experience so far in order to bring out some of the things that I do really well and also some of my failings.  Failings like trying to promise something that I was unable to do (ie. writing in this journal on a daily basis).  I made a commitment to myself and to you that I would be writing every day and keeping up with the project on a daily basis, and I have not done that.

It's not that I don't think about it on a daily basis and am still trying to live by the monthly teachings of the Being George Washington project, because I am.  Nobody said this was going to be easy, but I must say that I am disappointed that I haven't been able to follow through the way I would have wanted to.

With Diligence, I did a pretty good job the first month, but still fell short with my journal and my writing.  It's hard to say that I succeeded when the entire points was to start something and finish it.  I guess I could say that I actively think about Being George Washington on a daily basis, so in that regard I have made a great deal of progress from the time before I started.  Even through my failings, I know that I still want to be more like George Washington, so I guess that is a big step in the right direction.

Faith, was difficult and probably where I started to get off track.  I have never been a church goer and haven't gone to church on a regular basis since I went to Sunday School when I was in Kindergarten.  Even then, we didn't go to the church services and I was only dropped off for the after service classes.  I still remember those classes though and am now very grateful that I had that much in my life at the time.  I believe that at that young age at gave me my moral center and foundation for the rest of my life.  Since that time however, church has not been a part of my life and I pretty much stopped going all together after an atrocious Easter service where the pastor started preaching predestination.  In the service he said that everything was already predestined by God and used an example that if it was Gods will that a person get an A on a test in school then it didn't matter if the person studied or not, that person would get an A.  The only reason I didn't stand up and walk out was out of respect for my family I was sitting with.

On that note, I DO have a lot of faith.  I believe in God, follow the 10 Commandments and "The Golden Rule" and believe that faith and religion are KEY to having a moral and just society.  A few weeks ago I even went to a memorial service for a good friend of mine at an LDS Church.  I have to say that it was one of the most moving and fulfilling services that I have ever been to.

Virtue is something that I have not actually started yet, but I believe that I follow it very well and I always have.  As I said before.  I always follow the "Golden Rule" and think that it is a good way to express the ideals of being virtuous.  I haven't written out my chart yet, but I am content in knowing that I generally behave in a very virtuous way and have a virtuous lifestyle.

So Being George Washington . . . is hard work.  It almost makes me wish for a simpler time without as many distractions in life to get in the way.  Life doesn't work that way though.  Life IS more complicated today but it just means that we have to WORK HARDER to BE BETTER.

I am not a perfect person.  I have had personal success and failure during this Being George Washington project so far.  One thing I will say is that I know that I am a BETTER person for being on this journey.  So, thank you Glenn and thank you George Washington for being my examples to become better.

02/17/12 - Continuation of my Diligence update

Well, yesterdays update got a little away from me.  Again, three cheers for my friend Ray Conrad and what he is doing.

So I've determined that I am associating with good people but moving on towards the next item I didn't do quite as good.  "Don't speak with malice or envy towards another person".  With everything going on in politics today, it is nearly impossible not to make the occasional comment without a little malice.  Envy, I'm fine with.  No problems there.  Because I am a political junkie however, and I frequently discuss politics with other people,  there is no way I can talk about the Soros's and Obama's of the world and not be a little disgruntled.  I'm pretty sure I've even heard Glenn Beck say (at least once in the past month) "I HATE that guy" when referring to Woodrow Wilson.  But can you blame us for that?

Next on the list was making a goal every day.  This one was pretty hard at first but because of the move it was a pretty easy one to accomplish.  All I pretty much had to do was wake up and make the goal of spending ALL DAY unpacking and organizing my new home.  The goals of writing every day and going to the gym were a little more difficult as I said in my previous post but those I will continue to keep on my list for the future.

I also put on my list to "look every person in the eye when speaking to them and giving them a firm handshake".    The handshake has never been a problem, as my father could have told you (RIP), ever since as a child I shook his bosses hand with one of those squeeze as hard as you can handshakes when I was around 10 years old.  The look people in the eye when you speak to them is a little more difficult.  I'm happy to say that I believe I have accomplished this at every opportunity.  I must say though that I've always felt like I was staring at a person when I've done it in the past and usually looked away.  Now I realize that by looking someone in the eye when I speak to them I am paying them the respect of letting them know I am paying attention to what they are saying.

I also put on my list "Aspiring to Inspire".  I think I've done okay with this but it's not the easiest thing to do on a daily basis.  I believe that by doing my best in everything that I have done this month I have done my best to lead by example and hopefully I have inspired someone in some small way.

The last thing on my list I am VERY happy to say that I have accomplished.  "Say 'I Love You' to my wife" every day for the entire month.  Some things are more important than others but this one I think tops the list and I suggest it to everyone out there.  Don't forget to say "I Love You".

So all in all, besides the gym and the lack of writing, Diligence was a pretty good month.  It's not quite over yet but I anticipate good things.  I haven't started "Faith" yet but will begin on Monday after I have taken the weekend to analyze how I want to approach it.  I've never been a church goer.  In fact, the closest I have usually gotten to church has been listening to "The Jesus Christ Show" on KFI640 on Sunday mornings.  Well, we'll see what happens.

02/06/12 - 02/16/12 - An Update that Turned into Praise for a TRUE Hero

I can't believe it's been 10 days since my last post.  Life has been crazy with this sudden move down to San Diego.  When last I left you, I had just resurfaced on the technological landscape and had internet and cable again.  I was able to get a computer going behind my TV but unfortunately that didn't work out as well as I would have hoped.  The computer is okay for accessing things like GBTV but whenever I tried to multitask the who thing would crash.  It wasn't until late last night that I was able to get my home office organized, find my real workstation and monitor and get everything set up and usable.  It's been a challenge getting things organized to the point of being of any use but I think I'm finally back up and running to where I'll be able to start writing again on a pretty regular basis.

So let's start with a Diligence update.  Unfortunately, it could have been better.  Since the last 2-3 weeks have been in turmoil I have decided to add an extra Diligence month on to my upcoming Faith month.  It wasn't a horrible month but there are a few things I wish I would have been able to continue consistently for the full 30 days.  The number one item I wish would have been more consistent was my daily writing.  I could use the excuse that my computers were packed and the movers ALSO packed my Being George Washington journal, but let's face it, I could have scribbled something down on a pad of paper and continued on a daily basis.

No more excuses.

I also didn't make it to the gym every day but as I said in a previous post, I am counting a lot of the past 3 weeks of packing, moving and unpacking as some serious hard labor.  Unfortunately, with a lack of a kitchen for 2 plus weeks, my eating out, eating habits, have more than made up for the hard work.  I haven't gained any weight but I certainly haven't lost any either.  At least this one I plan to continue from here on out.  No more mister "Fatty Fat Fatso" as Glenn would say.

There are a few things that I think I have done really well at and I have kept at the forefront throughout the month.  "Respect towards others with every action" I have done a good job at with only one or two slip ups.  "Don't be hasty to believe rumors", I never do.  "Associate with good people" I ALWAYS do.  In fact, there is a side story to this one and I'd like to tell it because he started the amazing thing he is doing about the same time I was on Glenn's show for my "Flash Mob" Random Act of Kindness back in May.  I don't know if he was inspired by what I did and it caused him do this or not, but I can sure tell you that I am certainly inspired by him right now.

My good, good friends name is Ray Conrad and he has started an organization called "Bedside Concerts for Wounded Warriors".  I am proud to call him my friend.  His goal is to get professional musicians to perform bedside for our wounded warriors and he has single handedly for the past several months.  He is a solo classical guitarist and plays bedside for our wounded soldiers and veterans in Long Beach, CA.  Many of the people he plays for are so severely handicapped that they are unable to respond yet he sits and plays for them for hours at a time.  One story he told me was of a wounded veteran who had become a paraplegic do to his injuries and was only able to move his eyes in communication.  He described that when he played for him, the soldier would close his eyes to listen and a look of peace would come across his face.  When he stopped playing, the soldier would immediately open his eyes in anticipation of another song.

Hero's and brave people come in many packages.  Some are the soldiers who defend our country day in and day out for the freedom that so many of us take for granted, and some hero's are ordinary people who take hours out of there days to play music and CARE for those same people who have returned to us wounded and in many cases unable to care for themselves.  It takes a hero, and a brave one at that, to be able to enter the room of someone who most would avoid out of pity and embarrassment, and sit and play music for that person, and talk to that person and let them know that we THANK them for their sacrifice.  It takes a hero to be able to walk into that room and let that soldier know that he is NOT forgotten.

Ray Conrad is an inspiration to me and a hero.  I was going to continue with my update but Ray's story suddenly seems more important to me.  He deserves praise for what he is doing and ANY help that anyone can give him.  I'm going to end this post with a plea of help for my friend.  Please go to his website (click here) and if you can help him in his venture and his success please contact him through the site.

I'll continue my update tomorrow.  Thank you.

2/06/12 - Back to Civilization

Wilson? Is that you?

So it's been 6 days since I've had ANY internet access or cable TV.   At times I've felt like Tom Hanks sitting on an empty beach and talking to a volleyball.  I can stand the TV but the internet access has been killing me.  No blogs, no GBTV and all my computers are still packed in some crate and I have no idea where they are!!!  At least I was able to access my media center computer and get online through that.

I'm a bit surprised that upon re-integration with society and the internet there is no new Being George Washington post from Glenn for the month of February.  I have been panicking because I thought I was way behind because of the move but there isn't anything posted yet.  Maybe, since Glenn didn't start the challenge until late in January, he is waiting for the full 30 days to start the next month.

As far as the month of January goes, for the major items I am doing very good.  Unfortunately, because of the move I haven't been able to write or blog as much as I wanted to, but my hope is that now I will be back on track.  Going to the gym has been next to impossible but I am counting the exercise that I am getting during the move as part of my routine.  I don't feel bad in this regard because in the last 6 days I have lost an additional 5 pounds.  It might not feel the same as going to the gym but I assure you that I am getting my exercise in.

Also, the lack of TV and internet has had an additional advantage.  My wife and I have been able to spend more time together and the most important thing on my list I have been able to do EVERY day; and that's say "I Love You".  Some times I think that with the abundance of technological use in society, we forget about the simple things in life.  Saying "I Love You" seems like such a simple thing to do and yet I think that many of us don't do it often enough.  Say "I Love You" to your spacial someone today.  Maybe it's your wife.  Maybe it's your brother, mom or dad.  It really doesn't matter.

I guarantee that if you do say it, it will make your life, and theirs a little brighter.

01/25/12-01/30/12 Upside Down and Inside Out

It's amazing how much can change in the period of one week.  Since my last post, my wife has accepted a job offer which is requiring us to move to San Diego . . . THIS WEEK!  Our plan is to have the packing people come tomorrow and the move to be on Wednesday.  AAHHHH!

On a less stressful note, we found a beautiful condo and the weather is pretty nice down there.  Of course it IS still in CA and now I'll be closer to the border, but oh well.  The ultimate goal is still Texas and we kind of see this as a stepping stone on our journey.

As for George Washington and diligence, I'm doing pretty good.  Although I haven't gone to the gym EVERY day, I have been exercising in other ways, like packing, walking and lifting heavy objects in my house.  Moving is a workout all in itself.  Since this is a crazy time I might not be able to do a daily post but I will try, even if it is short and from my phone.  Tomorrow everything gets turned off at this house and we WON'T HAVE TV OR INTERNET UNTIL MONDAY!!!!!!  THE DAY AFTER THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!  Oh well, it will ive my wife and I some quality time together and I've convinced her that we will have to take a break from unpacking on Sunday to go explore and find the game playing somewhere.  I'm actually looking forward to it and I think we will have a great time.

Anyway, I'll try to update this post with some more info later about my last week and will begin sharing my experiences again soon.  Future George Washington signing out.

01/24/12 - Day 2 of Diligence "The First Setbacks"

So it's only Day 2 of my Diligence chart and already I am finding that some things are easy and some things are harder to accomplish every day.  Here's the way it looks:

You see I missed the gym today and I also didn't make a goal.

This morning I felt horrible.  My back and neck were in extreme discomfort and getting up and going to the gym were the last things on my mind.  Actually, they WERE on my mind because of this chart but I rationalized that I would go later in the day.  Well obviously that never happened.

I'm finding that making a goal every day is kind of difficult too.  What kind of goal should I make?  This seems simple enough but I'm finding it tough.  Should it be something like; Work today at 100%?  Make sure all my boxes are checked today?  Do one random act of kindness?  Anyone reading can feel free to chime in.

01/23/12 - My Diligence Chart

Hello everyone!

Bill Clinton (in black behind the guy standing funny)

What a great weekend.  This weekend I spent time in Palm Springs at the Humana "Bill Clinton" (secretly still the Bob Hope) Desert Classic golf tournament with some great friends and some greater family.  It was a fun filled weekend where we got to watch the players, including Bill Clinton, outside my parents house playing in the tournament.  Here is a picture of the former President, after putting two balls in the lake, chipping on to the green.  I must say that after having such a trying hole, he maintained his poise and good humor throughout and still managed to greet and say hi to the public.  I might not agree with his policies but it was nice seeing a President act presidential again for a change.

It was also a great weekend to start examining my plan for this months George Washington assignment featuring "Diligence".  Here is my plan so far (and subject to additions).

Some of these items are taken from Glenn's "Being George Washington" webpage but I thought they were good items to start living by.  There are a couple that I am thinking about including to this list but Glenn specifically said that if you weren't willing or ready to do them, then don't even put them down.  I know that by the time this year is over they will be there.  You'll notice that this month starts on the 23rd and will last for 30 days and for February I will be starting  month 2 on the 1st.  So for a little while I'll be doubling up but like Glenn said, 30 days makes a habit.

Well this is my start.  I know I might drop the ball on a few of these but hopefully my missteps will be few and far between.