Cleaning House

"How do we think that we'll be blessed with more, until we prove we can handle what we've been given?"

Oh how we can all look in the mirror on this question as individuals, families, companies, communities, and our nation as a whole.  There is a lot of media right now as of the date of this post (March 9, 2025) where The Department of Government Efficiency (D.O.G.E.) is looking for and trying to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse.  It's interesting who is having a fit about this, and who is cheering for it. When one zooms way out and just looks at the idea of the fact that we have resources, and taking a deep look at where it's all going, and becoming more efficient in the flow of resources,.. Well, THAT's SOUNDS LIKE A GOOD THING TO ME!

I have, over the years, sought advise, counsel, and analysis from those that have an outside perspective looking at my life.  I was given a vision of something so simple that makes total sense to me. 

I'm walking through the mountains of Wyoming.  I'm along the base of mountains that shape the snake river is where my visual experience takes me.  The river flows through the valleys in the meadows that separate the vast bountiful mountains.  As I am observing from the base of a mountain, I see that My Own flow of water exists beneath me.  My own value that contributes to the overall flow of resources.   The abundant amount of water that is flowing from MY WELL is barely even seen.  When my water flow hits the surface, it starts to branch off and split, and fork in so many detours and turns, and most of the water ends up being lost and seeps into the earth.  An abundance of flow, ends up only being a small stream that flows the my real purpose(s). What is an abundant amount of water, only ends up being a small amount of noticeable usable impact.  

The amount of money we generate, ends up being spent, diverted, and spent on the "consumptions of life".  Never being effectively channeled into where we really want it to go.  Frivolous spending, debts, and consumer spending can be looked at as waste and abuse.  It is on us to audit our lives for waste, fraud, and/or abuse.  Our existing flow of talents, energies, and resources could be channeled from its' source in far more deliberate purposeful ways.  

The same can be looked at in any company.  Independent business consultants come into to companies all the time, to analyze processes, systems, and spending.  Hired to look at the flow of works and resources, and prescribe corrective measures to cause better work flow and more efficient spending.  This is smart and something that happens every day in the corporate world.  It is on the owners of any company, to audit for waste, fraud, and/or abuse.  

Oh how some people out there are having a HUGE fit because it's time to do that in The US Government.  As the audit of government agencies and programs is happening, I personally am cheering it on.  Understanding where all of our money is going is a great thing!  I am not here to decide if this program vs that program is better than the other.  (Objective Logic can be used in most cases to identify if a program in question is creating good for a nation, or fostering corrupt and bloated outcomes.)  I am simply shining a light just on the idea of asking..."Where is all of this money going?"  That is a good question to ask, and certainly worthy of an answer.  Then, to develop an agency that is now seeking to answer the question?  This is a good thing!  To improve on anything, analysis is required.  To heal any problem, requires you to identify the problem first.  There is a lot of talk about "healing" in the United States right now on social media.  Healing can only come if problems are identified, analyzed, and corrected.  The United States is being audited on a financial level so its debt can be corrected and its budget can be balanced. Nothing can balance without deep analysis.  Nothing can become "safer" until the current safety measures are analyzed, problems are identified, and corrective action is taken to achieve said outcome.  Logical, obvious, and objective thinking,.. I know.  I am amazed at how much noise is out there about the fact that making corrections in the government will cause people to lose their jobs.  Yes, this is true about correcting any large organization(s).  I just find it interesting that it's ok in once case, yet should not be done in others.  Example:  When Enron (clearly a very corrupt company, that cause tremendous amounts of waste, fraud, and abuse) was shut down and its' employees lost their jobs as the result.  Seems logical that they should go find new employment.  Yet if it is government, or a government sponsored program, committing waste, fraud, and/or abuse,.. Then some people are wanting to still keep it that way and left alone?  WHAT?!  D.O.G.E. is simply shining a light on where the money is going, and allowing this to be seen.  Nobody says its a perfect organization,..and as any organization learns to do a task better as it is in the trenches of DOING IT,... I still cheer it on.  Easy to criticize the fighter in the ring (from the stands)...but the fighter in the ring, is the one doing it!  I say WELL DONE!  I also add a "Thank You" for doing this.  It is LONG OVERDUE!!  

We all agree that we all want to live in nations that offer prosperity, safety, and harmony. We all want to live in homes that offer prosperity, safety, and harmony.  Looking internally (on a national or personal level) is something that should happen.  It should happen frequently and voluntarily, as to stay the course of personal efficiency and honesty.  

My Wife and I make a lot of money between our businesses!  We could always operate more effectively.  Spending energy to take care of what we are being given, opens the doors to be given so much more.  "That which receives energy...GROWS."  Being a good steward in our own personal economies, then breeds better local economies,.. and let this be a model for the national economy.  No, we can not personally control the national economy,  but each of us CAN better manage our own personal economies.  We can also support those (that were elected by THE PEOPLE) on the national level, to take better care of what our nation has been blessed with, so we could then be trusted with more.  This is such a beautiful world, and the nations of the world should frequently look internally to correct where needed, and continue the pursuit of operating efficiently.  GO D.O.G.E. !!!

"... thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things..."

Matthew 25:21

Whether you like D.O.G.E. or not...Let us all put our own homes in order.  We can make goals and take action to do so... TODAY.  

Thank you for reading,.. I welcome your feedback and comments.

I Pledge Allegiance

"I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

The Pledge to be allegiant ... to be loyal, to protect, and I would assume "to take care of" is part of being "allegiant".  Wouldn't you?  It seems to me, that policies in this country can easily be measured against the words of this pledge, and a very easy and logical conclusion can be made, that they do not measure up to standards of this pledge.  

"...and to the republic for which it stands..."  

A republic is a system where the THE PEOPLE have the say.  The voice of THE PEOPLE is what governs.  The government serves THE PEOPLE!  Who are "The People"...?  The citizens of the United States.  These are logical conclusions.  To become a citizen of the United States, there is a process, and set of minimum qualifications.  I do believe in vetting people before they have the privilage and the right to come into this nation and reside as an official citizen of this country.  

Why is government allowing anybody and everybody to come into this country?  If one is pledging allegiance to these words, which the government officials "say" they do...then why is someone (that has not had to go through any sort of minimum due process) allowed to come into this country?  Are our representatives that naïve to the idea that an open southern boarder would not be abused by those with nefarious intentions of this world?  

Why are those that wonder into this country given government provided transportation, $500 per night hotel accommodations, food, and money?  Paid for by We "THE PEOPLE"?  How is this "just"?  Was this ever provided for those that are here legally?  

"...one nation..."

We are all equal.  Nobody is owed anything.  We all have (legally speaking) the same rights and privileges that the other has.  There are so many ways one can offer value, for which one can be compensated and earn in this country.  If you want to make more and increase your pay, then become more valuable in the marketplace.  We are one nation, yet it sure doesn't feel like it at all lately.  We have so many that want to change this country.  This country has a set of rules and ways it's going to operate.  If you don't like it, then go to another country that aligns with your values and views on how government is to run!  If American isn't your flavor, then go somewhere else that is!  With so many options out there,..go somewhere that fits you.  

"...under God..."  Whichever way you wish to worship God, or your version of what God is, then this country allows that and protects it.  We are free to think of God as we wish.  However, we are not allowed to infringe on the freedom that someone else has,  to think of, and worship their God the way they see fit. If there is no God in your belief system, then that is your right.  Accept that we all have our rights in this country to think of Deity (or not think of Deity) the way one sees fit.  I see this as words of gratitude, equality, and humility.  "Under God".  This country and its values,...how easily it can be corrupted and destroyed.  Maybe the admonitions of God are good things!  To be kind, and to love others, to respect others, to have open and civil conversations, to forgive, be tolerant, and value life itself...  Hmmm...aren't these things good?  

"...indivisible..." Wow...

"...with liberty and justice for all."  The two words LIBERTY and JUSTICE.  I think they go hand in hand.  Liberty and freedom.  NOT to do anything though.  Justice must hold the line and cause consequence when ones' liberties have been violated.  Why is law not enforced?  Why is there a budget as to what laws will be enforced or not?  If a law is broken, now there is a monetary measuring stick as to whether or not there will be consequences?  I was shocked the other day when I heard a politician say "The cost to incarcerate someone for 90 days is greater than the monetary amount of what they stole from a store.  So we will not prosecute those crimes."  WOW!!  What sort of behavior do you think this is going to foster and encourage?  Seriously?  A lawless society and a corrupt government.  Lawless at the top, that trickles down to the citizens and non-citizens of this country.  No justice, allows liberties of the individual to be violated.  A store owner has to allow their merchandise to be stollen, and will run the risk of being tried in a court of law if they chose to defend their property and livelihood?  WTF?!  Those in power won't prosecute the lawless criminal?..., yet WILL prosecute the one who is trying to defend ones' own property, family, and/or livelihood?!  Why isn't this country trying to defend the lawless boarder?  

So much to say about this country, both good and bad.  Forget campaign slogans and put those aside.  Just using the full intend of the words...

"Make America Great Again" ... "Build Back Better"

These are GOOD things!!! Yet I don't see anything wrong with trying to make this country great again, and/or build it back better.  Seems to me it's simple when it comes to policy.  Does the existing and/or proposed policy live up to the standards of the pledge of allegiance?  Most that we see today... simply don't!  If they don't,... then the policies should be examined and changed.  We can do better!  

Simple to me.  

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The above was written on Sept 23, 2023 and I chose not to publish it.  

It's time to publish this!  GO TRUMP!!  #change #DrainTheSwamp

Two Lives

"We have two lives, Roy...The life we learn with and the life we live after that."

:  "The Natural" (Movie)

I heard this the other day and it struck me funny.  I've thought about it since, so I decided to break my online silence and start to write again, and share what's in this head of mine. Hmm,...Two lives.

Do we really live two lives?  and then I naturally would ask myself ..."Which one am I in the middle of now?"  I suppose for me, as I think about this, it makes sense that the things we are meant to learn, ARE learned, then we are able to be at peace and live the rest of our life in peace and in harmony having finally learned the lessons we came to learn.  If we DON'T learn them, then we are still in the middle of the circle that causes us to face the same lessons (over and over again) until we finally get it.  As I think about what I want out of my life at this point,.. I can only say that all I want is PEACE right now.  Which actually indicated that I don't feel peace much in my life.  I feel at odds and in conflict a lot of the time.  If there's conflict, then there is pain, where there is pain, there isn't much bliss, where there isn't much bliss, then I have to look in the mirror and change some things that will allow the bliss and the peace to flow again.  

The first life,.. the one that we learn with,..  The silliness of life that we get out of our system.  Becoming an adult and putting away that childish side of me.  That's not the "life we learn with" (to me).  Once those silly things are put away (some people never get there, even in their older years), we then, with our very best efforts and intentions, we still stumble and fall and learn.  Doing our very best, jobs or businesses fail, and things don't always work out.  We learn and adapt.  Relationships, with stars in our eyes and hearts SO full, we try with our absolute best foot forward, and yet still,.. things don't work out all the time.  We turn circles and continue with the same patterns and yet still don't learn the intended lessons.  At what point does the life we are learning with, turn into the life we live after that?  Perhaps there is a flaw in the movie quote.  I would say that we haven't ever arrived, yet we should always continue learning.  Learning is a lifelong pursuit.  Yet I don't thing that's what the quote was talking about.  I think it's painting to two lives where the first we learn our lessons (some never do),...yet then we finally find a balance in life where we are at peace, happy, and settled.  The inner storm isn't there anymore, and we have learned to be at peace inside.  We let go of the mistakes we made, the mistakes others have made, and learn that there just isn't any reason to carry that around with us any longer.  The unnecessary weight of pain, guilt, and shame, that we carry on our shoulders.  Just forgive it ALL and let go.  

Perhaps that is a better to think of it.  The life we lived as we would not let things go, and we would guard our stance and positions with ego and fear,..then finally letting go of it all and then living that 2nd life of freedom from our baggage of "stuff" that we somehow felt so inclined to hold onto.  This person wronged me there, and this other person or circumstance wronged me over there too!  Victim thinking and hanging onto it all.  Justified by our own hurt narrative,.. then finally seeing that it’s all cancer to hold onto those things.  Let them go,.. and then LIVE!  Other circumstances arise,...LET THEM GO IMMEDIATELY!  I suppose we get better at it, because that ol' ego wants to live.  Oh boy does that ego want to live and be the victim.  Let it all go as Michael Singer says in his book "The Untethered Soul"...Chapter 8, which is entitled "Let Go Now or Fall"... Wow,.. how I have been blessed to have this chapter sent to me today.  I was asked to read it slowly with an open heart.  I did as I was invited to do.  With prayer before reading it, and an open heart, I did read it.  It logically yet gently taught me to just let go.  I loved it.  I am so grateful, humbled, and filled with grace and love. 

Perhaps it’s on each and every one of us, to decide when we’ll begin that “2nd life”, which only begins when each of us decides to forgive ourselves, others, and circumstances; when we can finally live that second life.  That one of PEACE that I believe many want.  It’s on US to just decide that it’s time to let go, forgive, and have and experience that PEACE!  

Yes please!