Please say a prayer for my five-year-old nephew, Elan. He was born with a severe congenital heart defect. They believe he is having electrical problems with his heart. He got dizzy and collapsed last night. His heart rate was 200. He will be seen by his cardiologist today.

My sister has a friend who started a group called Congenital Heart Defects Families Association. She lost her son Noah to CHD. Please visit their website at http://www.chdfamilies.org/ . Scroll down to a video called CHD awareness 08. PLEASE watch the video. Elan is not pictured (Beth didn’t send in a pic) but many other children from Elan’s children’s hospital are. It’s a very educational video.

The 10 Cannots

By William J. H. Boetcker
(wrongfully attributed to Abraham Lincoln)

You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.

You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they will not do for themselves.

“What If Your Guy Loses?”
by John G. Miller
Author of QBQ! and Flipping the Switch

Well, every four years in America we vote for the POTUS (President of the United States), and every four years on the day after there is weeping and gnashing of teeth by the losing side. And the truth is, the losing side is just about as large as the winning side. Amazingly, there could be 60 million people who vote for the ticket that does not win on November 4th, 2008. That’s a ton of people who’ll have a choice to make.

The choice to whine, complain, bemoan, and blame – or simply bring personal accountability to their daily walk by asking The Question Behind the Question (QBQ), “What can I do today to move on?” “How can I be my best on the job?” and “What can I do to serve people?” These questions enable those whose candidate remains a U.S. Senator, to avoid the humanness of finger-pointing, victim thinking, and discouragement.

And for the slightly larger winning side, where does personal accountability come into play? Will this group think that now all is right with the world? It’s so easy to give a U.S. President too much power – in our minds – over our lives. It always makes me laugh when, with our massive, ever-changing, and complex economy, we think it’s all about the man in the Oval Office. The truth is, economies go up and they go down – and then they go up again. By their very nature they are cyclical. When they’re strong, the President gets too much applause, and when they slump he’s buried in way too much blame. And so, in that vein, for the winning voters on Wednesday morning November 5, how dangerous these thoughts would be: “Yes! My guy won! Now I’ll have a better job and more income and good finances and perfect health and a happier life and … !”

Really? Does the POTUS have that much power, influence, and control? Would we, in a democracy, want him to? Can he give and take away joy? Will he help me get my personal finances in order? Will his tenure improve my relationships or keep me in shape? Do I really need my guy to be in the Oval Office for me to excel at my work, love and provide for my family, and contribute to the lives of others?

My wife, Karen, gave me a t-shirt that reads: It’s All About Me! I don’t think it was a positive statement the day she handed it to me, but in reality, aren’t my successes and set backs all about me? Isn’t it about me taking ownership for my personal growth; me contributing; me setting and reaching goals?

Me loving life? Me loving my country?

Yes, regardless of who’s in the Oval Office and what political party is in charge of Congress, it’s really all about personal responsibility – individuals making good choices each day, and being accountable for those choices.

And for all of you who vote for the guy who doesn’t make it, I say TAKE HEART! There’ll be another election in 2012 and another round of advertising and debates. And that campaign will begin in January … 2009.

Meanwhile, I recommend using what we call the Ultimate QBQ! – “What can I do right now to let go of what I can’t control?” Remember, no matter who is elected as the next POTUS, for each American there is no debate: The answers are still in the questions, and personal accountability is still the secret to our success.

Edited by Kristin Lindeen
QBQ! speaker/workshop facilitator