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“Still the question recurs ‘can we do better?’ The dogmas
of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present. The
occasion is piled high with difficulty, and we must rise to
the occasion. As our case is new, so we must think anew, and
act anew.”

- -Abraham Lincoln in his Annual Message to Congress,
December 1, 1862
“Lincoln on Leadership” by Donald T. Phillips

Hurricane Katrina stopped thousands of people in their tracks. Their challenge is to pick up what’s left and begin their lives anew. Taking charge of our lives is a significant challenge for many of us. There is no time to think of the future. We’re so busy dealing with daily challenges and opportunities that we seldom spend time thinking and deciding what we want our future to be. Many of us have given up on the idea and believe that destiny will dictate. Thinking about what we want, however, will allow us to make better decisions that lead to achieving what we want.

This is not to say that we must CONTROL all the events in our lives. We just need to pick a point in the future and set our gyroscopes on it. Then we do the best we can to make decisions that lead in the direction we’ve chosen. This is not a linear process, but a dynamic leaping forward and sometimes looping back to evaluate and think some more.

Often we find serendipities along the way. For example, some time ago while I was an extra in a movie that was filming at Union Station in Los Angeles, I picked up a voice message on my cell phone during one of the breaks. Someone wanted to buy a couple of copies of our book, 101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly. John followed up and the caller bought several books and audio-tape sets. In a later conversation with the caller, I asked how he’d heard about the book. “Jo, you won’t believe it,” he said. He related how he had found a satchel, “like a briefcase,” in the road. In the briefcase were several different books, but no identification of the owner. Our friend took the satchel home and looked at the books. 101 Ways to Improve Your Communication Skills Instantly caught his attention and he read it. Inside he found our telephone number and called. “I’m an immigrant,” he explained, “and I like your book. I can really use it.”

Out of nowhere, a stranger found our book and was influenced by it.
Out of nowhere, things happen to move you toward your destination. If you know where you’re going, you will recognize these “coincidences” and take full advantage of them.

How would you communicate with loved ones in an emergency
Situation? The Homeland Security web site offers a “Family
Communication Plan.” I recommend that you download it and add a caution to remain calm.
Modify it to suit your purposes, including what to do when telephones and electricity are not available. Fill in the blanks and print out the forms. Then exercise the plan—practice to be sure that family members know what to do. Review the plan and keep it current. It could save days of searching after an emergency.

12-STEP PROGRAM FOR RECOVERING WORKAHOLICS

Workaholics are driven. I know. I’ve been one for many years. There’s never enough time to get everything done and there’s always more coming in to be done. It’s not all imposed on us, we reach out for it in many instances. We want to learn more, be more, do more; we don’t see our limits. A year ago I decided to reform—to set limits. When I announced my resolution in my Christmas letter, a friend wrote back that he didn’t know that I had an addiction. He had mistaken WORK-a-holic for AL-coholic. He encouraged me to join a 12-step program and stick with it. After I stopped laughing, I decided to try it.
Perhaps you’d like to try it, too.

1. Set your alarm to go off one hour later—you’re probably getting up too early

2. Go out for lunch, don’t eat on the job.

3. Walk to work—if you work at home, go for a walk before getting to work.

4. Add “reformed workaholic” to your signature block so you can inspire others.

5. Put an alarm on your computer and set it to go off after the computer has been on for 8 hours. Shut it down when the alarm goes off.

6. Throw out all those motivational placards you have hanging over your desk.

7. Go into a joint venture with another workaholic who is not in the 12-step program.
Better yet, marry a workaholic!

8. Buy a home in the country and go there at least four times a year.

9. Go fishing—there’s nothing quite like it. You may think you’ll go berserk the first time, but you’ll get used to sitting and doing nothing but watching the water for the big one to jump and imbibing in a few refreshments.

10. Get a massage regularly and learn yoga.

11. Go to confession often to get rid of the guilt feelings.

12. Sell your car and keep the blinds closed in your house or apartment. Your neighbors will hate you.

True Story
The man looked sad. It was a bright sunshiny day outside the LA airport, but he looked like rain. “It was 10 degrees when I left home in West Virginia this morning,” he said after we were comfortably seated in the shuttle van. “There must have been snow or ice,” I replied. Then, for no reason, added, “I lived in northern Virginia for 16 years and I love the snow. I worked in the Pentagon. Are you visiting relatives here?” “No, I treat myself to one trip out here every year to see a ball game.”

Then suddenly he was talking about returning from Vietnam, landing at the airport in San Bernardino, and getting on a bus to go to Camp Pendleton. He was in the Marine Corps then and he couldn’t understand why people were calling them names and throwing things at the troops. He was looking straight ahead, but cast a quick glance in my direction. “Things I can’t even mention in public.” That hurt so bad, when he got to his room, he cried. “I tried to understand,” he said. “It’s a free country and they could protest. But why the insults? We didn’t do anything wrong. I still think of it sometimes and when it gets so bad I can’t stand it, I go for a walk in the woods. And I cry.”

I told him that I’d written the logistics support plan for the burial of the unknown serviceman from Vietnam. He turned to look at me and was very still. Then he reached over and put his hand on my shoulder and squeezed it slightly. “Then you know what I’m talking about, don’t you.” I nodded, thinking of other Vietnam Vets who had shared similar sentiments. I asked if he had ever visited the Vietnam Memorial. “Oh, no,” he said and sat quietly. His mouth moved and his lips were moist, but he didn’t say anything. I could see the torment in his face. It was too hard to do.

Fred told of his mother and father passing away. “I buried them,” he said, “and I cried. I won’t go to funerals any more. I send wreaths, and cards, but I don’t want to cry again.” I asked him about the facilities for veterans in West Virginia. They have fine facilities, he said. “The psychologists have encouraged me to go in and talk to them. But if I do that, it dishonors the corps. It makes us look less than honorable, don’t you think?” I told him it was okay to get help and that it seemed like he had found a way to cope. “When the first President Bush said the parade for the military coming home from the Gulf War was for all of us, that helped a lot. I thought ‘Finally, we’re getting a welcome home.’”

Fred’s not angry or bitter. He is dealing with vivid memories of his fellow Americans turning on him and his buddies. He seems to be still trying to reconcile his role in preserving our freedoms with having those freedoms turned against him. And when it gets to be more than he can stand, he walks in the woods and he cries. “You understand, don’t you?” When the shuttle pulled up to my place, he stepped down and offered his hand to help me out. He held on, looked me in the eyes, and said, “Thank you for being there for him at the burial.”

Tomorrow is the fourth anniversary of the attack on America, 9/11. Who does not have a horrible picture of that day stamped on their mind? Remember how the country came together and waved the American flag? It was so inspiring to see us united.

Today we’re encouraged to get those flags out again and hang them high. Remember to treat your flag with respect. If it’s going to hang all night, keep a light on it. If you want a real treat, request a flag that’s flown over the US Capitol building from your Congressman or woman. It’s quite inexpensive and special. Just call your Representative’s office and ask for the person who handles the flag requests. That would be a very special gift for a military person.

Harry S. Truman, DTM, IPDG, handed me a citation, a Toastmasters International Presidential Citation onjust before I dashed off to Kelly USA. Harry had accepted the citation on my behalf at the International Convention in Toronto, Canada. The citation is for “outstanding contributions to Toastmasters International and its program of Communication and Leadership.” I am very grateful for this high honor presented by Toastmasters International President, Jon R. Greiner, DTM, Immediate Past International President.

Toastmasters International, as you may know, is a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving oral communication and leadership skills. It has over 200,000 members in countries around the world.

Harry Truman, yes that’s his REAL name, is the Immediate Past District Governor of Distinguished District 55 where I am now a member of the Audie’s Orators Toastmasters Club at the Audie Murphy VA Hospital.
When I joined Toastmasters I was terrified of speaking in public and had actually frozen on one embarrassing occasion! To see why I’m still a Toastmaster, click here

I found him! George Scott, Jr. and I go back a long way. We were Toastmasters in District 27 in the late 80’s and early 90’s. He was dedicated and could always liven up a group. George retired a few years ago and he and Margaret, his wife, moved back to New Orleans and opened a Bed and Breakfast.

I sent George an email–it was returned–old address. I called Toastmasters International to see if they had word. Nothing. I sent an email to the address they had. It came back–out-of-date. I contacted the current leaders in the Washington, DC area–our old stomping grounds. Nothing. I dialed his phone numbers The home phone rang and rang–no answer. Of course, not. They either got out early or were in an evacuee center somewhere. I dialed his business number and it was not in service. I searched the msnbc.com “saved” list. Nothing. Then I posted his and Margaret’s names on the “looking for someone” list.

I was getting more and more worried. George is a good guy. He would help anyone he could and I was afraid that goodness might have gotten him into a situation he couldn’t free himself from. I thought of contacting law enforcement in the area–well, I was getting desperate. I began to look for a photo to post on the web and then I thought I’d try his phone again. Home phone: No answer. Business phone: “Hello.” I almost fell out of my chair!
“George–is that you George?” “Yes ?” This is Jo!”

He and Margaret left New Orlens early Sunday morning. George had been working out of town and returned with barely enough time to get ready and get on the road. I later called him back to see what magic he had worked to get his business phone working. “Nothing to it, Jo. The business number is my cell phone and I had the phone company reroute it to Monroe, LA.”