(Editor’s Note – I recommend reading yesterday’s entry first
as it sets up this one.)
“I've known Bob Rumson for years, and I've been operating under the
assumption that the reason Bob devotes so much time and energy to shouting at
the rain was that he simply didn't get it. Well, I was wrong. Bob's problem
isn't that he doesn't get it. Bob's problem is that he can't sell it! We have
serious problems to solve, and we need serious people to solve them. And
whatever your particular problem is, I promise you, Bob Rumson is not the least
bit interested in solving it. He is interested in two things and two things
only: making you afraid of it and telling you who's to blame for it. That,
ladies and gentlemen, is how you win elections. You gather a group of
middle-aged, middle-class, middle-income voters who remember with longing an
easier time, and you talk to them about family and American values and
character… We've got serious problems, and we need serious people, and if you
want to talk about character, Bob, you'd better come at me with more than a burning
flag and a membership card. If you want to talk about character and American
values, fine. Just tell me where and when, and I'll show up. This is a time for
serious people, Bob, and your fifteen minutes are up.”
I left the corporate sector a few years ago because I was frustrated
to the point it was affecting my health.Since then, my health has been fantastic and went on to build a career training
and consulting with companies to help them in the areas of leadership and client
service.The same things that frustrated
me are still occurring in companies and groups everywhere and are further compounded
by a weak economy and loss of jobs.I
created Enliven First with the motto – “Inspire First, Results Will Follow”, as
I have seen both professionally and personally that this is the best way to
reach your goals.
To take this concept further, I have learned that 2 factors
drive inspiration and many times we overlook the second one.I think we all think of inspiration as a positive
circumstance like hearing someone who overcame odds or raising money for a
great cause.Think Babe Ruth hitting the
home run for the sick kid or Scott Brown winning in Massachusetts. This is the “hope” side that drives inspiration.But then we have inspiration that occurs when
people are desperate or angry like the person who summons extreme strength to
lift a car off a loved one.Think about
our founding fathers standing up to England to gain independence.This is the “fear” side that drives inspiration.Both can cause (inspire) people to want to act
and make Choices.
This is where my town, Pelham, New Hampshire is these
days.People are fired up and on the one
side; it is the hope for a new school, fire station and growth of services and
structures in the town for the future.On the other side is the fear that higher taxes will hurt them and the
new buildings will not be worth it or even unsafe (those against the new high
school produced information that it was near dangerous power lines or on poor
land despite opinions from the contrary by consultants).Regardless of the side you were on, there was
passion, Choices and tactics exhibited by many to get people to vote their way.
When it came time to vote, which inspiration had the most
impact?The great news is that hope was
more prevalent over fear as 58% of the town voted in favor of the high
school.But because of a supermajority
(60% votes) needed to pass articles involving a bond, the high school did not
pass.Sadly, there are voters that do
not take the time to learn information to make an informed decision and relied
on what they hear and/or read.Those that
are inspired by hope mostly voted yes and those who were inspired by fear,
voted no.
We are living in uncertain times and many people are afraid of
what shoe is going to fall next.For the
600 people that voted no on grant money to fix roads, shame on each and every
one of them for abusing their civic right and responsibility.For
those who used fear to influence voters, it may have worked this time but just
like it ended in the movie “The American President” from our opening quote,
their time is up!(Click Here) for one
of the greatest clips in (my opinion) movie history.
