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Failing to see the paradox that “youth” has another dimension other than time, can cause us to look outward for something that is inside all of us. Many folks live a life unsatisfied in search of the Fountain of Youth and other external solutions.

Instead, consider that:

It is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions; it is the freshness of the deep springs of life.” Samuel Ullman

It’s no wonder that this poem was a favorite of General Douglas MacArthur. He had a framed copy on the wall behind his desk (in his Tokyo office) while serving as the Supreme Allied Commander in Japan. He often quoted the poem in his speeches and read the entire poem at his 75th Birthday Celebration.

I’ve included it here and in my Leader’s Guide (free sign-up gift). I read it often. Nothing helps me maintain focus, perspective, and courage more than this gift from Samuel Ullman. I hope it will inspire you, too.

May you always pursue your ideals!

YOUTH

by Samuel Ullman

Youth is not a time of life;
It is a state of mind;
It is not a matter of rosy cheeks, red lips and supple knees;
It is a matter of the will, a quality of the imagination, a vigor of the emotions;
It is the freshness of the deep springs of life.

Youth means a temperamental predominance
Of courage over timidity of the appetite,
For adventure over the love of ease.
This often exists in a man of sixty more than a boy of twenty.
Nobody grows old merely by a number of years.
We grow old by deserting our ideals.

Years may wrinkle the skin,
But to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul.
Worry, fear, self-distrust bows the heart
And turns the spirit back to dust.

Whether sixty or sixteen,
There is in every human being’s heart the lure of wonder,
The unfailing child-like appetite of what’s next,
And the joy of the game of living.

In the center of your heart and my heart
There is a wireless station;
So long as it receives messages of beauty,
Hope, cheer, courage and power
From men and from the Infinite,
So long are you young.

When the aerials are down,
And your spirit is covered
With snows of cynicism and the ice of pessimism,
Then you are grown old, even at twenty,
But as long as your aerials are up,
To catch the waves of optimism,
There is hope you may die young at eighty.

Discussion Question:  What is one thing you can do to strengthen an unfailing childlike appetite for what comes next?

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The PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY EVALUATION is my #1 navigation tool for assessing my journey through life. I’ve used it since 1996 and update it every 90 days. I also recommend completing and reviewing a PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY EVALUATION every 90 days. Doing so will reduce the chances of stagnation and promote action, intention, clarity, and innovation in your life. It will also promote your connection to others.

A PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY EVALUATION by Tom Peters

1. I am known for: [2-4 items].
2. By this time next year, I plan also to be known for [1-2 more things].
3. My current project [which is:_________] is challenging me in the following [1-3 ways].
4. New stuff I’ve learned in the last 90 days includes [1-3 things].
5. Important additions to my Address Book in the last 90 days include [2-4 names].
6. My public—local/regional/national/global—“visibility program” consists of [2 things].
7. My principal “resume enhancement activity” for the next 90 days is [1 item].
8. My resume is discernibly different from last year’s on this date in the following [1-2 ways].

How a PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY EVALUATION can assist you

A PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY EVALUATION will help you assess:

• How you are known
• What you are working on
• How your Projects are challenging you
• What you are learning
• How you are growing

Using this tool yourself is of great benefit. However, I also recommend that you use it in discussions with others, both from your perspective and to learn more about the journey of your friends and colleagues. You can learn:

• How others want to be known
• What others are working on
• How their Projects are challenging them
• What they are learning
• How they are growing
• How you can “contribute to an environment where they flourish!”

All of these questions lead to discussions that clarify and reinforce a better understanding of who you/they are (beyond simple stereotypes and reputations). I have also found discussing these questions beneficial to get closer to an understanding of my/their core values and virtues. Try it and see.

This information can assist you as you set out to contribute to an environment where others flourish, right where you are today:  to LEAD FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION®.

Tribute to Tom Peters

Tom Peters is a prolific leader, innovator, author, and speaker. Much of what you read or hear on the subjects of leadership and management will undoubtedly have traces of Tom Peters’ DNA on it. Tom introduced the idea of a PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY EVALUATION in his presentations in 1996 and it quickly became his most requested slide. He later discussed it in his books The Circle of Innovation (1997) and The Brand You 50 (1999).

I was honored to meet Tom at his “EXCELLENCE TO WOW!” presentation in Cincinnati, Ohio in June of 2001. That day and his graciousness formed one of my very distinctive “WOW! Memories”.

Take a look at Tom Peters and his other works… and sign up for Tom’s Quotes.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:  Will you complete your copy of THE PERSONAL BRAND EQUITY EVALUATION and share it with me and others?

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Try answering these four questions every day for just one week and see what a difference it will make… and let us know what kind of results and insights you have below.

Four Questions

The four key questions you should ask yourself every day to Lead From Your Current Position® are:

• What is my primary responsibility as a Leader?
• What is the ONE thing I should create, cultivate, and encourage in my environment?
• What is the ONE thing I should eliminate in my environment?
• Are there additional questions that would give me insight into how I can lead from my current position?

Sign up for the FREE “Leader’s Guide” on my homepage if you haven’t already done so.

Challenge a Friend

Forward this link to a friend or loved one and challenge them to complete the LFYCP® ONE-WEEK CHALLENGE. Ask them to sign up on my homepage to receive the FREE “Leader’s Guide” with “The Top 4 Questions You Should Ask Yourself Every Day to LEAD FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION®” and three free bonus tools:

1. The Personal Brand Equity Evaluation by Tom Peters
2. A Message to Garcia by Elbert Hubbard
3. Youth by Samuel Ullman

LEAD FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION®: What can I contribute to the environment so others can flourish? #LFYCP #Leadership
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DISCUSSION QUESTION:  What did you create in your environment so that others could flourish during the ONE-WEEK CHALLENGE as you set out to LEAD FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION®?

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Leadership — Personal Development — Productivity — Passion

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My First Day in the Devil Brigade (504th Parachute Infantry Regiment)

I was introduced to “A Message to Garcia” very early in my career. In fact, I was given the article the day I reported to my first active duty unit. At the conclusion of my introductory meeting with my Brigade Commander (then Colonel Peter J. Boylan, Commander of the 1st Brigade, 82d Airborne Division), he simply handed me the article and asked that I write a two-page summary of what the article meant to me and to bring it back to the Brigade Staff Duty Officer the next morning. I saluted and departed.

This was the beginning of a busy and memorable day since I was an Infantry Second Lieutenant reporting to my first unit. Next, I would meet with my Battalion and Company Commanders. I was told I would be assigned as Alpha Company’s First Platoon Leader and that I would meet my Platoon Sergeant and Platoon the next morning.

Later that evening, I sat down to read “A Message to Garcia” and contemplate my assignment: the two-page summary. I was moved by the article and it’s theme: Be Proactive. Additionally, I was struck by the fact that it was a First Lieutenant Andrew Summers Rowan that would “do the thing” and later be awarded our Nation’s second highest honor for his actions: the Distinguished Service Cross. I promptly wrote my response.

Since the copy of the article I was given was barely legible (it was a multigenerational copy and making another copy would have been illegible), I went out and bought a typewriter. This was before the personal computer revolution. That evening, I typed a new version of the article. I would make copies and give them to my new Platoon Sergeant and Squad Leaders the next morning with the exact same assignment (after turning my assignment in at the Brigade Headquarters).

I would later use this assignment for the rest of my career with each organization that I was assigned to. It became a leadership litmus test of sorts, meaning that it gave me insight into the professional maturity of the writer. Very similar to the idea that Elbert Hubbard mentions in the article about summoning a clerk to write a memorandum concerning the life of Correggio, how the person completed the task and what they wrote told me a lot about them. As a minimum, it gave me an opportunity to discuss key aspects of leadership with my Soldiers.

4 Key Lessons from “A Message to Garcia”

Be proactive… Do the thing. The majority of the time, the conditions in our circle of influence are ripe for our action and contribution.

Be response-able. Victor Frankl’s life and writings teach us that we have a great deal of freedom, even in the most awful of circumstances. Between STIMULUS and RESPONSE is a huge responsibility for us: the FREEDOM TO CHOOSE. It is our values & virtues, not the conditions surrounding us, that should guide our choices.

Take the initiative. There are several levels of initiative where your judgment and discretion will guide you, but I believe that you will find very few times that there is a real barrier preventing you from being able to simply “do the thing.”

What can I contribute to the environment so others can flourish? Using the framework of Lead From Your Current Position® (Self-Development, Partnership, and Service) and my definition of leadership, can you identify what actions are needed around you? Will you look for them in the future?

What can I contribute to the environment so others can flourish? Using the framework of Lead From Your Current Position® (Self-Development, Partnership, and Service), can you identify what actions are needed around you? #LFYCP
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Did Hubbard put the matter too strongly? Possibly… but today, like 1899, the points he highlights still seem to ring true. Regardless, I hope you can use “A Message to Garcia” to enhance your proactivity and ability to contribute to others.

If you would like, you can read:

• “A Message to Garcia” which includes the Apologia, “A Message to Garcia”, and biographical information
• “How I Carried the Message to Garcia” written by Colonel Andrew Summers Rowan
• About Elbert Hubbard

I’m grateful to Major General (Retired) Peter J. Boylan for introducing me to “A Message to Garcia”, modeling leadership, and creating an environment where I could flourish.

DISCUSSION QUESTION:  What can I improve in myself (my being) to enhance my proactivity?

If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with your friends and be sure to subscribe to the LEAD FROM YOUR CURRENT POSITION® email list!

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Leadership — Personal Development — Productivity — Passion

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