Get Up!

Get up, stand up; stand up for your rights! Get up, stand up; don’t give up the fight! -Bob Marley (1945-1981), Jamaican singer, song-writer and lead singer of The Wailers.

What do you do when you get knocked on your tail? What goes through your mind? Is it, “See I knew I couldn’t do it!” Or is it, “I have to get back up and try that again, I think I almost did it!” How do you feel when somebody says something that you don’t agree with? Do you cower in the corner and play the silent resister, or do you stand up and shout, “I don’t agree at all!” ?

This week , I’ve seen firsthand how passionate people can be.  After making reference to the events in Hyannisport with the passing of Senator Kennedy (in spite of the fact I never mentioned politics), people came strong with their opinions…and I like it! Some sympathetic and some downright hostile!  And what’s wrong with that? Nothing!

Stay Away from Politics and Religion

The first warning we all hear is stay away from Politics and Religion! Why? Because they are two subjects that stir us to the bone. We have passionate debates about what we believe and beliefs are everything! They have changed the world for better or for worse! Napoleon Hill, after spending 20 years of his life studying some of the most financially successful people of his time, came to a very simple conclusion that serves as the root of life: “What the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”

As a fan of the saying, the the world is run by those who show up, I’m wondering if we’re showing up enough! The barriers to entry to speak your piece are virtually gone! All you have to do is get on the internet and get after it. Say what’s on your mind. Let people know what’s deep in your soul.

Be prepared for what you’ll find, because it aint always pretty. Sure you’ll find compassion and empathy from those that agree with you, but really look for those that don’t!  They’re the ones making you think. They’re challenging your foundation and making you question your direction.

What’s The Evidence?

I’m not advocating that you bend like a blade of grass in a hurricane when somebody doesn’t agree, I’m just compelling you to think. If you disagree, think, then respond. Whenever possible, base your argument on evidence. Don’t get all frustrated and mad. Think, plan and make your case.

Why do you think so many people have successfully advanced their beliefs?  I would argue it’s because they first conceived, then owned those thoughts by making them unshakable beliefs and built their case. Many of them were great orators who used momentum to convince the masses.  Of course many of them had evil intentions. Need I remind you of Hitler?  Do your homework and you’ll see that he had a belief system that he owned and then created a plan to advance it.  He used the dissatisfaction of the German people, who by the way, were some of the smartest and most culturally advanced people of their time, to propel his agenda in very short order.

Churchill knew Hitler’s nature!

I read that when Churchill spoke up against Hitler early on he was chastised. So the rally cry this time is to the dissenters. I applaud you for speaking your mind. I admire you for standing up and suffering the taunts of the masses or the easily swayed, because there is always a place for freedom of thought and speech.

I’m fortunate to live in a part of the world that allows for that freedom to exist. I often think, what would it be like to live in a world where we were punished for our thoughts as we spoke out? It happens every day throughout the world. “The powers that be” strike down the dissenters every day, but where would we be without them?

Are you locked in mental slavery?

Would we be dumbed down to the point of mental slavery?  Would we be a broken people that simply followed the laws and the rules of those who were strong enough to seize control?  What kind of existence is that? After all, the difference between people and animals is the ability to think!  What would we be if that were taken away?

I grew up in a part the country where people became so frustrated that they took action and fought for those freedoms, but why does it have to get to that extreme so often?  Not many people really believe that war is the best solution, but instead of protesting against it, what are they doing about coming up with an alternative? They’re already late after the war starts!

Who needs experience?

So here’s the rally cry! Get up well before that! First of all, don’t let anybody get control of your mind. Always think! It’s no big surprise that the foundation of self-esteem is self-efficacy; simply, it’s our belief that we are capable of handling anything that comes our way, even when we have zero experience.

You have to first believe that you are capable of expressing what’s on your mind. So what if you’re not a great speaker?  Say it slowly and clearly. Who cares if you’re not a good writer? Work through your rough drafts and keep it simple. But the most important component is to get it out there.

When you do that, something amazing happens. You get responses, for and against. Which in turn makes you think more, research deeper, learn more and make finer distinctions.  Now you return to the forum stronger and more prepared. You’re advancing. You’re feeling good because you’re involved.

Maybe you’re wrong?

There is always an underlying caveat that Napoleon Hill warned about: inaccurate thinking.  Beware of the law of consistency. We would rather be consistent than right. We often lock into a belief and never leave room for flexibility. We stop learning and that’s dangerous. We get too emotionally involved and ultimately stop considering the evidence that we once held on to so dearly.

So be real.  Consider the evidence.  Stir it around.  Consider its source.  Question its credibility.  Do the homework.  It’s just too easy to accept something on face value and advance it. But most importantly, say what’s on your mind. Put it on people and see what happens.  It just might take you in an exciting direction you never thought possible!