CARING FOR OTHERS SUPERSEDES KNOWLEDGE AND WEALTH ACHIEVEMENT

You may have heard the saying, "People do not care how much you know and spend, but how much you really care about OTHERS." Volunteers are gracious enough to give of their precious time, their unique talents, and their limited resources to make a difference in OTHERS' lives. America has had the reputation of givers rather than receivers. How many communities in the United States have been assisted by numerous volunteers who were willing to be unselfish so that OTHERS may have a better quality of life. In some states, the volunteers have established a reputation of being there for those with limited means and limited talents. These heroic acts of generosity have been with no strings attached and limited public recognition. The priceless love given to the outcasts, the homeless, the neglected, the victims of crime, the aged, the lonely, the imprisoned, the disabled, the domestically abused, the disaster victims, and the unemployed and the underemployed.

The swing in the climb up the Ladder of Achievement for those admirable volunteers from "I won't get involved" to "I think I might help if asked" to " I can give of my precious time" to eventually "I am glad that I did it, that I got involved." Yes, from zero percent to more than 100 percent that signifies the American Spirit and the Spirit of '76. When all is said and done by these exemplary volunteers, they have given HANDS UP RATHER THAN HANDS OUT to the very grateful and the most appreciated persons in various communities.

Many famous individuals and almost less famous individuals have made testimonials on behalf of the American Spirit visualized through positive volunteer efforts in many American cities and rural settings. Here are a few of the statements worth sharing to encourage other prospective volunteers to get the "FEVER" for effective and efficient and priceless volunteer opportunities.

"Volunteers...are looking not only for opportunities to satisfy esteem and self-actualization needs, but also for a chance to build relationships and to satisfy love and belonging needs as well." G. T. Berns and Man H. Smith

"A human being is happiest and most successful when dedicated to a cause outside his own individual, selfish satisfaction." Benjamin Spock

"When you are laboring for OTHERS, let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself." Confucius

"Voluntarism flourishes in a free society among individuals who live by the Golden Rule, yet see the need for self-actualization." Mary Lawrence

"Love the beautiful, seek out the true. Wish for the good, and the best do."
Moses Mendelssohn

"It is not fair to ask OTHERS what you are not willing to do yourself."
Eleanor Roosevelt

"Should not the giver be thankful that the receiver received? Is not giving a need? Is not receiving, mercy?" Friederich W. Nietzche

"Community partnerships, nonfinancial investments, and profitable social responsibility can offer companies of all sizes new ways to widen their community relationships. And community involvement is definitely good business." C. William Verity, Jr.

Consider your opportunities to make a difference in your community in expanding your volunteer efforts by networking, partnership, and collaborating with other willing volunteers who have a common cause and a mutually beneficial project that will impact the quality of life for all concerned. Respect Others Awareness Month (R.O.A.M.), September, 2008, gives you that opportunity to discover what may be accomplished and achieved by working as a T.E.A.M. (Together Everyone Achieves More). Be a R.O.A.M. T.E.A.M. advocate during September, 2008.

YOUR VOTE MAY CHANGE YOUR AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE

As the general election date of November 4, 2008, comes closer to closer to registered voters, many life-saving and critical economic decisions are in the balance by those who actually exercise their right to vote. Whatever your persuasion regarding political parties, the philosophical and ethical consequences hang in the balance by how voters view the political candidates for public office. YOUR VOTE DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE!

Since the presidential election hinges on a number of realistic issues and political party's platforms, the registered voters will determine in each state in the Union the outcomes that will be confirmed by the Electoral College. This is a sound procedure set up by the Founders of our Country and the masterminds behind the construction of the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights. The checks and balances necessary to avoid any dictatorship or federalism that would change our economic and political atmosphere and system. IF WE ARE POLITICALLY FREE, WE ARE ECONOMICALLY FREE!

However, even if a voter is confused by the political rhetoric and the campaign promises that are unconfirmed until actual action by the presidential nominees, the voting records and the political biographies are available to compare and to make a sound judgment on the facts rather than the myths that are presented.

Congressional candidates for public office do receive the actual votes from their various states based on their past voting records and their focus on the challenges of the present and the projected future. These political candidates need to be assessed as to their views and their convictions on a number of issues that are valuable to the voter and to the constituency in general.

Here are a few issues for the Congressional candidates for public office to give their support or their opposition in 2008.

ABORTION: Do you support or oppose using taxpayer funds to pay for abortions?

EMBRYONIC STEM-CELL RESEARCH: Do you support or oppose using taxpayer funds for research that involves destroying live human embryos to obtain cells for experimentation?

ENVIRONMENT: Do you support or oppose reducing greenhouse gas emissions by requiring energy efficiency and pollution prevention in order to protect the earth for future generations?

CONSCIENCE PROTECTION: Do you support or oppose preventing federal agencies and states that receive federal funds from discriminating against health care providers who do not perform or participate in abortions?
(Hyde-Weldon Amendment)

EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANCE: Do you support or oppose reauthorizing No Child Left Behind to ensure that all children receive the educational services they need, whether in public or nonpublic schools?

HEALTH CARE: Do you support or oppose reforming our health care system to ensure there is affordable, accessible health care for all, especially for poor families with children and for persons with disabilities?

IMMIGRATION: Do you support or oppose permitting undocumented aliens who have been living in the United States for a number of years and who do not have criminal records to earn legal status by paying fines, paying back taxes, and agreeing to learn English?

PARENTAL RIGHTS: Do you support or oppose providing federal financial assistance to low-income parents to choose the schools they believe are best suited for their children?

REFUGEE ASSISTANCE: Do you support or oppose providing adequate funding for the U.S. Refugee Admission Program to accommodate an increase in numbers of refugees escaping persecution abroad?

Voters may also have additional concerns that they wish to have addressed by the Congressional Candidates running for public office in 2008. The American People have the opportunity to research their candidates and to decide which candidate will best represent their interests until the next Congressional election. AMERICANS PLEASE STAND UP AND BE COUNTED AMONG THOSE WHO ACTUALLY VOTE AND PARTICIPATE IN THE PROCESS. If voters are looking for perfect answers with perfect solutions, they may have to look again in their "crystal ball" and wake up to the reality of a human-based and an imperfect atmosphere. However, American ingenuity has triumphed in the past when "push came to shove." E Pluribus Unum and In God We Trust are still hallmarks of our monetary system and in our UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE 200 VOLUNTEERS....ACHIEVEMENT LADDER AWARD RECIPIENTS

In a special mission to make a difference in a Florida neighborhood, more than 200 volunteers offered their time, their talents, and their treasures to assist a single parent of three children in renovating the woman's home. This domestic violence victim who was effectively raising her three children was given notice that she was being laid off her job. She was repairing her home in a very limited basis from her week-to-week pay. When her neighbors became aware of her challenges, the neighbors decided to band together and give assistance to one of their neighbors in the form of their time, their skills and talents, and in raising funds and obtaining donations to renovate their neighbor's home.

Imagine the secrecy that was necessary by these neighbors to keep from publicly telling the whole world of this single Mother's plight. Behind the scenes these wonderful loving neighbors offered the Mother and her three children an opportunity to go to Disney for the weekend. This was their way of giving a treat to the single Mother as well as give this Mother a change of scenery. Meanwhile back in the neighborhood, more than 200 volunteers were mobilized to complete a renovation in that four-day weekend. What an inspiration to all of us! What love that an American neighborhood would give to another American who was in pain and in distress. Apparently, word leaked out to the local television stations about the great deeds that these dedicated and determined Americans were willing to do to assist their neighbor, a single Mother with three lovely children. Othermindedness overwhelmed these exceptional Americans.

Yes, there are many other examples that happen from week to week of Americans assisting their own without the need of involving governmental interference. There was no need to use this opportunity to gain political advantage during an election year by opportunist's candidates for public office. Providing a HAND UP RATHER THAN A HAND OUT by fellow Americans is admirable and exemplary.

Congratulations to the American neighborhood located in Florida who deemed it necessary to assist a fellow American and her family and to show what American Spirit can accomplish when put to the test. Yes, we should be proud to be Americans and especially proud to hear of the generosity and the perseverance of legalized Americans who really care about their neighborhoods and their American heritage. May we remember to leave off the hyphenated nationality and be happy to call ourselves AMERICANS and yet respect our ancestry heritage and the ancestry heritage of OTHERS.

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ACHIEVEMENT LADDER RECIPIENTS FOR JULY, 2008...the 200 American volunteers who said, "We Did It" out of love for their fellow neighbor and for their fellow AMERICAN!

EMPOWER OTHERS WITH R.O.A.M. T.E.A.M. 2008

In a very challenging world where individuals are attempting to find their identity, their goals, and their reason for living, there is room for many leaders to step up their efforts by encouraging and by motivating OTHERS to do the ordinary challenges in this life in a very extraordinary manner. Taking the next step up the Ladder of Achievement from "I think I might" to "I might" demands positive supporting efforts from those whose patience may be overly taxed by the successful-failures that day- to- day human experiences expects. To strive to the next level of "I think I can" to "I can" means a perseverance to the trivial and the demeaning aspects of human existence. Some individuals worry about the "splinter" in their hand while ignoring the "heavy crosses" that OTHERS are burdened with in their every day struggles.

Empowering OTHERS to advance to more positive levels of the Ladder of Achievement, fosters a self-confidence that is learned by experiencing the challenging and the almost impossible and the improbable. Observing the actions of those who are learning and who are attempting to understand what life really means to them is gratifying when individuals make advancements that appear to be "miraculous." Allowing OTHERS to stand up and to be accountable for their actions and their successes as well as "apparent or qualified failures" builds a positive character that will endure for many years to come. Eventually, individuals who may claim that "I did it" will give credit to many friends, relatives, and strangers who made possible the opportunities to excel beyond their wildest dreams. Success breeds success, and failures lead to successful outcomes if we learn by our personal encounters along the way and up the Ladder of Achievement.

Here are a few honorary achievers' statements who helped EMPOWER OTHERS with their personal touch and genuine concern for the COMMON GOOD OF OTHERS.

"There is no greater joy than giving to worthy causes." Ted Turner

"There never was a person who did anything worth doing that did not receive more than he gave." Henry Ward Beecher

"Doing a 'good turn' may seem a trivial thing for us grown-ups, but a good turn done as a child will grow into service for the community when she grows up."
Lady Baden-Powell Olave

"How can we expect our children to know and experience the joy of giving unless we teach that the greater pleasure in life lies in the art of giving rather than receiving." James Cash Penny

"Youth expects fun in the getting, age reflects on the fun of having given."
Milton Murray

"Whatever good there is in the world I inherit from the courage and work of those who went before me. I, in turn, have a responsibility to make things better for those who will inherit the world from me." Arthur Dobrin

"Don't talk of love, show me!" Miss Eliza Doolittle in My Fair Lady

"I think the most significant work we ever do, in our whole world, in our whole life, is done within the four walls of our own home. All mothers and fathers, whatever their stations in life, can make the most significant of contributions by imprinting the spirit of service on the souls of their children, so that the children grow up committed to making a difference." Stephen R. Covey

BY EMPOWERING OTHERS TO GROW , you will promote an effective, positive learning environment that will last a lifetime. BY EMPOWERING OTHERS TO LEARN, you are encouraging OTHERS to reach their maximum learning goals.

ENRICH YOUR OTHERMINDEDNESS WITH R.O.A.M. T.E.A.M. 2008

As you continue your daily climb up and down the Ladder of Achievement, you many want to remind yourself of ways that you are able to enrich the lives of OTHERS by your encouragement, your example, and your positive support. Imagine a world in which individuals made a positive effort to improve and to really CHANGE the quality of life for OTHER people in their environment. Talk is very cheap for those who fill the air with their hot air, and we observe their motives are very suspect because of their hidden agendas. Giving a positive example by positive action and creating a learning atmosphere where effective renewals and changes are positive without any governmental or authoritarian mandates are extremely rare among greedy and elitist individuals. History has given us many lessons of negative charismatic persons who have lured innocent persons into disastrous consequences. If it is too good to be true, then it is too good to be true. There is nothing that is FREE in this life...someone has to pay for any giveaways. In God We Trust is the source of all true freedoms.

Here are additional testimonials from many individuals who made a point of giving positive example in their respective communities.

"The soul is healed by being with children." Feodor Dostoevski

"The volunteer has become a major force in our lives..because it is not possible for a man to live separated from OTHERS. We are involved in each OTHER'S lives, not by choice but by necessity." Nils Schweitzer

"Giving frees us from the familiar territory of our own needs by opening our minds to the unexplored worlds occupied by the needs of OTHERS."
Barbara Hand Herrera

"Volunteering creates a national character in which the community and the nation take on a spirit of compassion, comradeship, and confidence."
Brian O'Connell

"I have tried to live my life as my mother would have wished. She taught me as a boy that service is the highest duty in the world. I believed her then, and I believe her now. I have tried to follow her teaching." Henry Ford

"Friendship consists in forgetting what one gives and remembering what one receives." Alexandre Dumas the Younger

"As soon as public service ceases to be the chief business of the citizens, and they would rather serve their money than with their persons, the State is not far from its fall." Jean-Jacques Rousseau

"We want to take kids and mold them into leaders and this is going to be a phenomenal opportunity to do it." David Robinson

"To insure the continuity of philanthropy, we must instill in children the values and attitudes that will enable them to see charity as a vital part of their lives."
Mary Leonard

Let us continue to enrich the lives of the children, the adults, and the community members who most need our time, our talents, and our treasures. Let us continue to promote effective, positive learning environments. Let us continue to encourage OTHERS by our excellent examples to reach their maximum learning goals. Let us focus on September, 2008, to be R.O.A.M. T.E.A.M. effective and efficient opportunists to be there for OTHERS for whom we serve.

SUCCEED WITH R.O.A.M. T.E.A.M. 2008

As we continue to prepare for September, 2008, Respecting Others Awareness Month, we are considering some of the many opportunities that are available to the typical person interested in making a difference for themselves and in their communities. Although some communities have very active programs in assisting OTHERS in numerous ways, some other communities are open to individuals willing to provide the leadership for initial programs to be activated. Some of the social activities that assist OTHERS include the following: Alcoholics Anonymous, Gambling Anonymous, Sexual Addiction Anonymous, Drugs Addiction and Awareness Anonymous, Overeaters Anonymous, the Boys and Girls Clubs of America, the Volunteers of America (Meals on Wheels), Habitat for Humanity International (local affiliates assisting with affordable housing), Hospice International (caring for the terminally ill), Reading clubs (for the illiterate), language tutors, mathematics tutors, reading tutors, Coalitions for the Homeless, mentoring programs for the neglected and the forgotten, prison ministries, food kitchens for the hungry and the castoffs, thrift stores to assist the needy, food pantries for the starving, domestic shelters for the spouses and children of domestic violence, etc.

Yes, the list is just beginning for all of the opportunities to reach out and touch someone in dire need. At Christmas time, a very successful program is the Toys for Tots and Food for Tots Programs in collaboration with other supporting agencies. For those going back to school each August, many communities push for the need to help children get the necessary school supplies for their upcoming school year. Many school districts are always looking for qualified and approved individuals who are willing to assist teachers in the classrooms or with the school administrators on special fund raising projects whether in athletics or in the co-curriculum projects that have learning as their measure of success.

Here are some additional quotes from individuals who have been involved with going out of themselves to make a special difference in their communities:

"I don't know what your destiny will be, but one thing I know: the only ones among you who will be really happy are those who have sought and found how to serve." Albert Schweitzer

"We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give."
Winston Churchill

"God has given us two hands--one to receive with and the other to give with."
Billy Graham

"Some tension is necessary for the soul to grow, and we can put than tension to good use. We can look for every opportunity to give and receive love, to appreciate nature, to heal our wounds, and the wounds of others, to forgive, and to serve." Joan Borysemko

"Build your life brick upon brick. Live a life of truth, and you will look back on a life of truth. Live a life of fantasy, and you will back on delusion." Anonymous

"The most enthusiastic givers in life are the real lovers of life. They experience the soul-joy that comes from responding with the heart rather than the head."
Helen Steiner Rice

"The words take on their true meaning when we see them as verbs more than nouns: volunteer, love, God." Sue Vineyard

"A life devoid of service to OTHERS is a life devoid of meaning."
Marianne Williamson

"In nothing do men more nearly approach the Gods, than by doing good for their fellow man." Cicero

"Always remember what you have learned. Your education is your life. Guard it well!" (Proverbs 4:13)

In order to promote effective and positive learning environments and to encourage individuals to reach their maximum learning goals, we need human resources that are committed to OTHERS without any thought of return on investment of time, talent, and treasure. To succeed in any ACHIEVEMENT VENTURE or in any CLIMB UP THE LADDER OF ACHIEVEMENT, we need persons who are selfless, humble, patient, loving, caring, creative, innovative, hopeful, truthful, and joyful. Success is measured in many dimensions and in many formulas. However, the successful person will know without any fanfare the difference that they have made by just being available and willing to serve.
SUCCEED with RESPECTING OTHERS AWARENESS MONTH as TOGETHER EVERYONE ACHIEVES MORE.

AMERICAN MODERN DREAM CHALLENGED GLOBALLY

To be aware of the twenty-first century challenges that the typical American is facing, we need to examine the basics of pure economic thinking and political thinking that are often overlooked. To live locally while being aware of the global impact on our American way of life is essential to revitalizing the innovativeness and the positive creativity that has made the American phenomenon worth competing for to achieve and to enhance in every aspect.

The essence of all understanding of basic economic and political implications is to understand that private ownership and public ownership are in direct proportion as the freedoms that we enjoy or strive to achieve. In one extreme manner, if private ownership is 100 percent of all of the natural and human resources available, then the public ownership is zero percent. This represents the LAISSEZ FAIRE concept that government should interfere as little in the direction of economic affairs. In this extreme position, you will find pure capitalism, which is an economic system in which investment in and ownership of the means of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is made and maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations. WHEN YOU ARE POLITICALLY FREE, YOU ARE ECONOMICALLY FREE!

In the opposite realm of thinking, when public ownership is 100 percent and the individual, private ownership is zero percent, the public ownership controls all natural and human resources and all forms of any type of enterprise. Literally, you are at the mercy of the public owners. This represents the system of communism, which is a theory or system of social organization based on the holding of all property in common, actual ownership being ascribed to the community as a whole or to the state. In addition, communism is a system of social organization in which all economic and social activity is controlled by a totalitarian state dominated by a single and self-perpetuating political party. WHEN YOU ARE POLITICALLY CONTROLLED, YOU ARE ECONOMICALLY CONTROLLED!

There are many variations and combinations of private and public ownership between the two extremes. Most of these economic systems are regulated, nationalized, and bureaucratic in nature. Bureaucracies especially in the public sector or government are characterized by a rigid hierarchy of bureaus, administrators, and petty officials. The public administration is characterized by excessive red tape and routine. WHEN YOU ARE POLITICALLY REGULATED, YOU ARE ECONOMICALLY REGULATED. This atmosphere often hampers the private ownership in establishing an ongoing entrepreneurial that will be successful and effectively competitive especially in the local, state, and national levels. There are more small businesses in number in the United States of America than in any other part of the world. The American Free Enterprise System is often challenged by many bureaucratic officials.

To achieve balance in the public versus private ownership sectors, individuals, investors, government officials, and entrepreneurs need a working relationship that benefits all concerned. When the private sector languishes, the public sector will be affected by reduced budgets because of the limited tax base being tapped. The consumer is still KING AND QUEEN in any economic system, but in the free enterprise system the consumer has more choices and more responsibilities to be involved in the total process. New careers are created at the private level rather than the public level.

When we look at the various countries throughout the globe, we can identify the countries that are controlled, nationalized, regulated, and laissez faire oriented. What is the American consumer's latest challenge? Who are taking away the private ownership opportunities of the American public? Why are there so many foreclosures in private ownership? Why are so many non-American investors seeking to take over the private ownership of once-American enterprises? What are the economic and political policies of these foreign investors? Can we once again reclaim the American Dream for affordable housing even in a declining housing market? Who are the financiers who want to buy out our American heritages and birthrights?

The struggle will continue to challenge the American who is PROUD TO BE AN AMERICAN to resolve to take back their beloved country and regain private ownership whatever the consequences. The future is bright and encouraging as long as we do not lose sight that IN GOD WE TRUST! WE ARE ONE NATION, UNDER GOD, WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL! Let us continue to promote effective, positive solutions to our learning environments and to encourage individuals to reach their maximum goals.