It's all about me

"It's all about me!" What are the first thoughts that come into your head when you hear that phrase. Is it the self-absorbed teenage girl depicted on most of today's sitcoms, or someone in your office who has the mistaken idea that they are at the center of the universe?

For just a minute I want to throw a positive spin on focusing on yourself. What if it's all about me = personal responsibility. If I want to get ahead in this world, make a difference, or leave a legacy then it's all about me. I can no longer blame my boss, my spouse or some cosmic forces in the universe for the bad things that happen, or my inability to transcend adversity.

Let me give you a simple example most of us can understand. I want to lose some weight and get in better shape this year. I have used all the excuses most common to the failed dieter. "I am too busy to exercise" or "we keep too much junk food in the house" or "I don't get any support from my friends and family." No, it falls on me. I have plenty of time for my favorite television shows. It is possible to push away from the table, or avoid the pantry at 1:00 AM and my weight and health are my responsibility. Help and encouragement are great, but I can't use others as a crutch for my own failure to act.

I am going to try an experiment this week and see what happens. This week it's all about me!  It's about the decisions I make, the choices in life, and the discipline to put best before better and better before good. It is a very busy week and I have more to accomplish than I care to think about, but I am committed to make this week all about me and take responsibility for whatever comes my way.

The Best and the Worst

With all of the devastation that hit Nashville this weekend, it is easy to be overwhelmed by the loss of life and property. Major sections of our city remain underwater, people are displaced from their homes and it will take months, maybe years to restore some of the historic centers of our great city.

However, this weekend's storm reminds me of why I came to Nashville (the quality of the people who live here). There are two stories that are going relatively unreported: 1) With all the damage, people abandoning homes and property - the city is getting almost no reports of looting the stricken areas (compare that to New Orleans); 2) There have been a few reports of heroism in saving the lives of children and the elderly, but as one commentator put it, for every story we hear, there are hundreds of others who are  helping their neighbors, rescuing those stranded and giving back to their city.

I recently heard Mike Huckabee discuss why morals impact our economy and our society. He was absolutely right. In Nashville (a pretty good place to live), good people are already making a difference, changing the lives of others and pursuing the common good. Churches are opening their doors as shelters and communities are coming together to help those who were hardest hit. It is refreshing to see the best of people demonstrated in the worst of time.