Imperfect Land of Liberty
We are a work in progress.
Beware of social media today. Avoid the posts and comments that suggest this is the worst country on earth. The fact that Americans have luxuries like the internet and freedoms like being able to voice their opinions proves how wrong those kinds of posts are.
This is an imperfect country. Past treatment of individuals has left an indelible blemish on our land. Social and economic chasms persist. Guns and violence make headlines every day.
Healing takes time. Looking only at the past makes us angry because we don’t recognize how far we have come. It didn’t happen overnight, and other positive changes we need to make won’t happen overnight either. Chances are good that some of the improvements we envision won’t occur during our lifetime.
Instead of being depressed or angry, we should be inspired. Rather than inflicting self-punishment on ourselves for what people before us did, we should know that the country belongs to us now. We can make up for the wrongs by doing what’s right. We are a work in progress. We’ll never be perfect, but we can keep striving for that.
Happy 4th of July. God bless America.
Continuous Positive Improvement Plan
1) Appreciate, Articulate, and Celebrate progress and strengths
2) Reflect, Assess, Analyze, and Make adjustments
3) Repeat
Speak Bitterness and Nurture Grievance Plan
1) Focus on Negatives emphasizing flaws and mistakes without acknowledging positives
2) Point out culprits and punish them
The Chinese under Mao used the latter eroding trust and cohesion leading to a toxic and murderous environment.
We need to choose our approach wisely.