Grace Under Fire

I might have to turn in my "man card", but sometimes I watch figure skating . A friend of mine use to make fun of me. He said, "it might be more fun to watch if someone periodically tossed handfuls of ball bearings on the ice during the routines". Every once in a while you come across a couple who are really good.  The guy skates all around flipping the girl up and around but at no time does either one show the slightest sign of stress.  If "grace under pressure" needed an example, it is in a well executed routine. A routine last about three minutes or so. When its flawless, its excellent.

When I think back on people who impressed me the most, they usually were the ones who didn't panic when times got tough.  I've worked for many bosses in the Army who would "sweat the load" anytime something stressful happened.

I've dealt with employees who panicked when faced with challenging situations.  I've coached supervisors who either scream at troublesome employees or hide in their offices afraid to confront them.  There is something to be said for people who assertively face a crisis head-on and make it look like it's routine. 

How you do that varies by individual of course, but I've found a couple ways to help handle pressure with grace:

1.  Breath deep.  I've heard that breathing deeply increases the oxygen flow to your brain. When you're brain is firing on all cylinders, you'll be able to make a better decision when things are falling apart.

2.  Resist the urge to panic.  Several years ago, I was buying a snack at a 7-11 store.  I heard a woman screaming from the back of the store.  When I ran back to investigate, it was an old lady who was trapped in the beer cooler.  I opened the door and she hugged me proclaiming that I saved her life.  Turns out she panicked back there and rather than push on the door handle, kept pulling it toward her giving her the feeling she was trapped.  Don't be the old lady in the freezer.

3.  Put on a stiff upper lip.  Making the choice to be cool under stress means that you're gearing up for it and will be more equipped to handle it.  Wipe the "drama" off your face and make something happen.  The people around you will feed off of your confidence.

4.  Realize that nobody's going to die.  How bad is the crisis?  If there's not a chance of death, you can recover.  If death is a possible outcome, you have my permission to panic a little, but not until after the crisis is averted. Just don't let anyone see you do it.That's grace under pressure.

Got grace?  I hope so.

Are People Too Stupid to Govern Themselves?

I have never written about politics, but when you feel like you should, you probably should. Though I am registered as a republican, I have always voted for the person I felt was right for the job. I feel it is a travesty we are normally stuck with choosing one of the two major parties.  

You know, the most troubling argument in our national life these days isn’t about economics, or policy at all. It’s about us, as a free people. From a world view, the contention is that we Americans just can’t cut it anymore. Can this be true? Are people too stupid to govern themselves?

Our politicians tell us that we just can’t handle ourselves in this intricate, hazardous world without their kindly protection. Left to ourselves, we might pick the wrong health insurance, the wrong mortgage, the wrong school for our kids; unless they stop us, we might pick the wrong light bulb!

Some contend we Americans are no longer up to the job of self-government. We can’t do the simple math that proves the tremendous cost of today’s safety net programs, or all the government we now have. We always fall for the con job that says we can just plow ahead and someone else will pick up the tab. We will allow ourselves to be pitted one against the other, blaming our neighbor for troubles worldwide trends or our own government has caused.

2012 must be the year we prove the doubters wrong. This is the year we strike out fearlessly not merely to ward off national bankruptcy, but to say to a new generation that America is still the world’s foremost land of opportunity. At the polls speak for those who believe in the dignity and capacity of the individual citizen; who believe that government is meant to serve the people rather than supervise them; who trust Americans enough to tell them the plain truth about the fix we are in, and to lay before them a specific, credible program of change big enough to meet the emergency we are facing.

The record by President Obama is a joke. No American should stand for the things done to them. Does the current administration only rely on those who are too stupid not to vote for them?  Is the message one only stupid people will believe? And while there are too many of those, most Americans shouldn’t be fooled into thinking the country can stand another four years.

Are People Too Stupid to Govern Themselves?

I have never written about politics, but when you feel like you should, you probably should. Though I am registered as a republican, I have always voted for the person I felt was right for the job. I feel it is a travesty we are normally stuck with choosing one of the two major parties.  

You know, the most troubling argument in our national life these days isn’t about economics, or policy at all. It’s about us, as a free people. From a world view, the contention is that we Americans just can’t cut it anymore. Can this be true? Are people too stupid to govern themselves?

Our politicians tell us that we just can’t handle ourselves in this intricate, hazardous world without their kindly protection. Left to ourselves, we might pick the wrong health insurance, the wrong mortgage, the wrong school for our kids; unless they stop us, we might pick the wrong light bulb!

Some contend we Americans are no longer up to the job of self-government. We can’t do the simple math that proves the tremendous cost of today’s safety net programs, or all the government we now have. We always fall for the con job that says we can just plow ahead and someone else will pick up the tab. We will allow ourselves to be pitted one against the other, blaming our neighbor for troubles worldwide trends or our own government has caused.

2012 must be the year we prove the doubters wrong. This is the year we strike out fearlessly not merely to ward off national bankruptcy, but to say to a new generation that America is still the world’s foremost land of opportunity. At the polls speak for those who believe in the dignity and capacity of the individual citizen; who believe that government is meant to serve the people rather than supervise them; who trust Americans enough to tell them the plain truth about the fix we are in, and to lay before them a specific, credible program of change big enough to meet the emergency we are facing.

The record by the administration and congress is a joke. No American should stand for the things done to them. Does the current administration only rely on those who are too stupid not to vote for them?  Is the message one only stupid people will believe? And while there are too many of those, most Americans shouldn’t be fooled into thinking the country can stand another four years.