The idiocy of accepting second best

I'm a big fan of positive thinking. Not because it's magical, but because so much of what we hear is negative, and people grow to accept that negative thinking, and begin to think that the world is a negative place.

It's not. These are some good thoughts, from Ted Twietmeyer, at tedtw@frontiernet.net. I encourage you to think carefully about what's said here.


"I have agonized for some time over writing this, but thought it was past time someone did. Much of this essay is redundant for many readers. But it presents new concepts for others.

America was founded by men who never settled for second best. Despite their flaws and imperfections, they were all men of accomplishment and self-study. Thomas Jefferson was personally trained by George Wythe (1726-1806) to be a lawyer, who himself was a lawyer.

It was a time when life was tough for there was no central heating, air conditioning, electricity or running water. Walls in homes were painted with paint made of sour cream, lead and charcoal to provide a grey color. Ancient Rome had running water and central heating in some buildings, but America in the 1700's did not to the best of my knowledge. Even the church where Patrick Henry gave his famous speech is still standing today and can be visited. The people of 1776 had none of these luxuries we take for granted today.

We tend to think in compressed terms that a relatively short time passed between the time the colonies were established and America's Declaration of Independence in 1776 ­ but this is far from true. In 2007 the state of Virginia celebrated its 400th anniversary. When the Constitution was signed, 169 YEARS had passed under the thumb of the king. It was time for a change so American could be free from the tyranny of England. No more subservience for America.

Despite their human frailties, the signers of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution gave their very best in a way that cannot be expressed in words. Today 231 years later, their work and sacrifice still serves as an example to every American.

Through the negative effects of social engineering and modern culture, the majority of people alive today in America are settling for second best or even less, the bottom of the heap. One very prominent effect of these negative influences is to destroy hope and create despair. Second best or making do has become a way of life throughout the entire civilized world.

In China, a strong contrast exists between those hauling water in buckets and living in shacks in the countryside vs. those who live in modern furnished apartments and drive new cars in the city. Most of those in the country have accepted their living standard as their proverbial "lot in life" while others strive for a better life and attain it. Poverty has long been a tool to control the masses.

Under Mao Tse-tung's "Cultural Revolution," China's universities were closed and professors relegated to the fields to farm rice. It was Mao's concept of a "cultural revolution." But it was more like a backward step toward an agri-CULTURAL revolution into an agrarian economy. Why did he do this? Because ignorant dumbed-down masses are far easier to control. Sound familiar? Think that can't happen in America? No one ever dreamed something draconian legislation like the Patriot Act could ever become law in America. But it did ­ and in more than one form, too.

Recently, a wash-out recruit at the Los Angeles Sheriff's Academy stated in an interview before starting training there, that she "just wanted to get by and get through it." She washed out after the first day by resigning. Perhaps now she should has learned that anyone who desires to excel at anything in life cannot hope to do so by just "getting by."

Personal goals for success do not have to be focused strictly on attaining all the personal wealth possible. It's not about "getting by" with what you may have or as our British friends like to call it, "making do." What this really is about is to reach and strive for EXCELLENCE in all you do. It doesn't matter what you do in life. What matters is what you do with what you have, and what your long term goals are.

There are countless personal success stories in America. These are people who made their mark on the world in business, sports or other fields. Each one in their respective field achieved what they set out to do. And I can tell you from personal experience it will be the hardest thing you'll ever do, but well worth the satisfaction in the long run.

It has been said that if you want to succeed at any long term goal, do SOMETHING every day to move toward that goal. No matter how small or big that daily effort may be, do something, anything on it every day. Olympic athletes must do this or they never make it to the Olympics. If you are an inventor, work on your idea EVERY day. Even though on some days you only have time for mental effort. If you do not, don't expect success or even a patent. (Avoid those television patent assistance companies like the plague.) The moment time permits, write down everything you thought about and any people, plans or designs you thought about.

It's far better to over exert yourself toward your goal than to just "get by." Carry a personal voice recorder for those times when you cannot write, such as when driving. Record and write down EVERYTHING, no matter how trivial you think it is. What may appear to be trivia to you now, can suddenly become a critical piece of information you will need to have later on ­ but you may not know that until another day.

There is a story about a man who pushed himself beyond his limit. The year was 1982. Embedded microprocessors were in their infancy, and processors ran at speeds of only 10 MHz. This man was employed in an engineering department in the early 80's at a company which designed and built switching systems. At that time, even many colleges weren't teaching microprocessor technology yet. His company was awarded a contract to build two complex switching systems for one of the intelligence agencies. As the only microprocessor engineer at the company, his task was to design at the chip level a control processor, and write a control and operating system. This task was dumped upon him with no warning.

After analyzing the situation, it was apparent to him that his assembly language knowledge would take far too long to implement. And he knew nothing about C language, which though in it's infancy for embedded system in 1982 would be required. Married and the sole breadwinner with two young children, it truly scared the living daylights out of him. It was a do or die situation. The only other high level language he knew before C was BASIC. This system was required to be crash-proof, since no "software updates" would be allowed where the system was to be installed. Back in 1982, the term "software updates" was never used.

He had to learn C language, write an embedded operating system from scratch, write the software for a long fault tolerant and self-correcting embedded switching control program to run on it, debug it and deliver it for final testing to manufacturing. With just two months to do it all, there wasn't time to go find a college level C course in software engineering. Recompiling the program required about 20 minutes, because microprocessors were very slow 25 years ago.

After considerable overtime it all worked out and the system was delivered on time. This was the first of various NASA, defense and other systems he worked which on numerous occasions made him feel he was sitting out on a tree limb vigorously sawing away at the branch between me and the tree. What these and other experiences taught him was priceless - the more he expected from himself, the more he could accomplish. People will only excel in life to the level they aspire to and no more. If someone sets their sights low, they can expect little or no progression towards excellence or independence.

Sadly, America has become a land where people expect federal and state governments to take care of them from cradle to grave. This is the most foolish expectation anyone can ever have. There is no such promise to Americans as though its some God-given right, as President Kennedy reminded the nation in one of his speeches.

If we focus more on what we can GIVE to family, friends, America and the world rather than what we can take, a far greater feeling of accomplishment is attained. It is far better mentally to be a giver than a taker, even if one isn't a Christian. It's also been proven to be physically healthier, too. Those who live to give already know that life really is as the cliché states ­ What goes around, comes around.

Complacency is the enemy to progress. Accepting "one's lot in life" is only another way to self-erect yet another barrier to progress. To believe "I just can't do better or whine "it's not my fault everything is going wrong" is a symptom of more self-inflicted lies.

Countless real-life examples of those who worked their way out of slums and have succeeded have proven that these axioms are only excuses. Seeing our civil rights taken away angers me just as much as listening to someone utter any of the countless excuses for their problems. Indeed we tend to make most of our own problems, often through the invisible and dangerous desire, greed.

There is a close family member with MS who was already majoring in acting in college when the illness hit her. It angers her to listen to able-bodied adults whine about their lot in life and how poor they are. How would anyone like to have their ability to communicate be intellectually impaired as this lady has? They will suddenly be whining about what they SHOULD have done with their lives, only it would be too late. Why do able-bodied people have to wait for that day to come?

When I completed high school there were no free lunches in education. No Pell grants for a student to live on as "professional students" in perpetuity. No handouts. Not being a minority closed more doors in my face than it opened. Like many of my generation and those before me, I had to do it the hard way without handouts.

Many stumble and stammer their way through life, waiting for someone to "give them a break." Most will be on Social Security (if it still exists) before their "break" ever comes along. A comfortable life without taking calculated risks is merely a boring one. I'm not talking about trying drugs, bungee jumping, sky-diving or other pointless foolish acts of stupidity. What we are talking about here is being an entrepreneur, changing careers (hopefully voluntarily) or some other well-thought-out legal challenge to make one's life better. What's the worst that can happen, it doesn't work out? So what! You can always try again or go in a different direction!

If you don't know how to start or conduct a business, or write a business plan, take a course or seek out those who do in your locality such as retired business people. Look up your local Chamber of Commerce or other county development agency. Every community across America seeks to broaden the local tax base, and has plans to help get you started. If your plan is to retire early, retire on a comfortable income or retire without applying for an income make-up job at a box store, then plan on thinking outside the box.

The American Dream should not be simply about owning a home. It should be about having the confidence to become self-sufficient and independent. Most people have no idea what their limits are, simply because they have never tried to find out what they are. And how do they find that limit? By pushing beyond it, just like those who climbMount Everest must do to make it. All of us must climb mountains in life ­ they are unavoidable. Even the death of a loved one is a mountain in itself. Like climbing Mount Everest, it's not about whether one makes it to the top but the EFFORT put forth into trying to do so. Put in enough effort each day, and anyone can make it to the top.

If someone is in good health today but has never really applied themselves to the fullest, what will they do if sudden illness strikes? How will they feel? Have you strived to find out what your limits are, or just accepted "your lot in life?" Every day we live is really a rental. Everything we own including our bodies is rented or loaned to us - except for the mark on our spirit or soul and the mark we make upon the world, whether it is good or bad. That mark we make on the world is immortal and will outlive us. To hell with mediocre! No one should accept it.

We must reach for the stars, for they are closer than you think."