Tag Archives: Benjamin Disraeli

Correct, not Critical

A dinner with family and friends led me the realization of how much I have grown up. A small victory, and I will take it!

I have only met the gentleman sitting across from me on a few occasions. All of them consisting of only a few brief words between us in a way of introductions and greetings. This dinner was the first opportunity to get to know him better.

As our food arrived, I noticed he had a vegetarian sub. So, I dove right in and asked a potentially loaded question. “Are you a vegetarian,” I asked. He said he wasn’t but was thinking about making the change. After watching the Netflix documentary Game Changers, he began a trial to see how he would like it. Of course, the show wasn’t his only reason for giving it a try. He also wanted to reduce the amount of prescription medication he was taking. I applaud any who makes the decision to make dietary changes to improve their health. Well done!

Where is my victory? In the past, a conversation like this could open a deep rift in nutrition ideology. I may no longer adhere to the carnivore diet, but I am still an avid consumer of meat. This admission may be offensive to those on the other end of the spectrum. My goal in the conversation was not to get him to change his mind but to understand his reasoning. It was not to criticize. Criticism often comes from ideological beliefs based on science, or doctrine, that supports those beliefs. This often leads to a shallow knowledge base that highlights a few key talking points while neglecting a complete understanding of the subject. When it comes down to it, criticism is the easy path.

How much easier it is to be critical than to be correct.

Benjamin Disraeli

To be correct, one must dig deeper than the surface. It requires going beyond the thirty second video clips and the social media one-liners that are aimed at garnering “likes” by those in the same camp. Those posts aren’t designed to create understanding. Rather, they are meant to be polarizing. The result is a greater gap between factions. If we want to bridge the gap, we must seek to understand the other’s viewpoints.

So, what is my take on nutrition? It is simple: EAT REAL FOOD. The best thing we can do for our bodies is eat the foods we find in nature. If we can do our best to eliminate an excess of packaged, processed, preserved, chemically enhanced food, our bodies will thank us for it. And if we choose a diet that eliminates vegetables or meat, we must consider what else we are missing. Are we getting all our essential amino acids, minerals, and vitamins? Are we giving what our bodies need to thrive? Instead of critical, we must seek to understand our unique bodies and how best we can fuel it to perform at an optimal level.

Destiny Found in Consistency

I am a big believer in destiny. I have faith that if I really go after something, then I can attain it. It is not a matter of if but a matter of when.

Take writing for example. There are some works that my soul has called me to write, yet they haven’t been completed. I believe they will get done in the future when the time is right (if I am fortunate enough to get to the future). Some may call this a fantasy, that I am living in a fairy tale. And if I was so remiss as to say, “I will get around to it someday,” then those naysayers would be correct. But what they don’t see is what I do daily. These stories are continuously in my mind. And every day, I work toward that end doing the research and honing my writing skills.

A consistent man believes in destiny, a capricious man in chance.

Benjamin Disraeli

There is a chance that these stories will never get written. I could die, become ill, or face some other tragedy. Those are all real possibilities. But writing what my soul has called me to write is no random toss of the dice. Maybe I will get lucky, and they become best sellers inspiring the masses. I hope it does, but that is not my motivation. I write because my soul tells me to write. This, I do every day. If I didn’t, I would not be listening to my heart. In the end, I will have accumulated quite a massive body of work. This I believe is destiny, but it can only be achieved through consistency.

Feature photo by Yannick Pulver on Unsplash

Constancy of Purpose

Success. We hear it all the time. We relate it to winning, which means a lack of success can be equated to losing. Everybody wants to be successful. Nobody wants to be a loser. What does it mean to win? A question like this we can agree on. What does it mean to be successful? That is a little trickier, and there is a good chance our definitions are going to be different.

There are many out there that will happily give you their secret to success. All you have to do is Google what you are interested in, find the experts, sign up to get on their email list, and then hurry up and pay for their limited-time offer into their next online course. Easy-peasy, lemon-squeezy. If you want the shortcut to success, their way is the path that will get you there.

Photo by qi xna on Unsplash

But consider another alternative. Consider:

  • Stephen Curry shooting a basketball,
  • Mike Tyson throwing a punch,
  • Usain Bolt going out for a run, or
  • Lewis Hamilton taking another lap in the car.

Imagine the hours of repetition. Not just one day, but nearly everyday for years and years. There was a constancy of purpose to the skill they were trying to acquire. They didn’t rely solely on genetics or talent. They relied on work and on practice. When we watch them and are amazed by the ease with which they perform at the highest level, we only see the finished product. We don’t see what they did to get there. Their success on the grand stage underneath the bright lights was built when the world wasn’t watching.

There is a secret potion to success, but you won’t find it in a get-rich-quick type of scam. The potion is made of three parts: blood, sweat, and tears. These ingredients must be continually resupplied to the potion and cured over time. It is there if you want it. Best wishes!

Courage 5/9/2019: Prepare for What May Come

I can’t count how many times it has happened in my own life. A chance to buy the “perfect” house, a great deal on a car, the awesome vacation. I couldn’t do it. I wasn’t prepared. I didn’t have the money.

And those were just things. What about missed weddings, family reunions, job opportunities, and all the other things that came up and then got missed? The experiences that shouldn’t be missed but were missed, because I was not in a position to take advantage of the opportunities.

What was wrong with me? I didn’t have the secret of life. I wasn’t ready when the opportunity came. I didn’t do the things I was supposed to on a daily basis in preparation for those future opportunities.

I can’t go back in the past. I can’t change the past, but I can prevent the future from repeating the same mistakes. I can prepare now for what may come tomorrow. I don’t’ know what that may be, and it really doesn’t matter. All I can do is get ready for it.

What does this have to do with courage? It is hard to charge forward when you are not ready. A soldier that isn’t trained cannot win. We must train daily in order to win tomorrow.

The secret of life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes. -Benjamin Disraeli