Back to the future

"If you think there is no direct and inescapable relationship between personal integrity and a healthy, prosperous society, you simply haven't studied human history.  It is no surprise that America became a 'great nation,' because it was built upon a trust in something higher than one's own selfishness.  It was guided by a map of honor, faith in God, trust, freedom, law and order.  These values resulted in a love, or at least a respect for every individual...our fellow humans.
 
Most recent values in America seem to be: acquire as much money as fast as you can with no regard as to the methodology; urgently and violently fight for economic advantage, power over others, territory, and above all 'security.'  It is no wonder many of our leaders have become unethical, immoral, dishonest, or duplicitous.  Historical and political philosopher, Alexis de Tocqueville, said it best when he wrote at the very beginning of our national life, 'America is great because America is good.  If America ceases to be good, she will cease to be great.'  Indeed, the same can be said of any individual.
 
In order to comfortably move in life, we have to have internal values, live in a culture where we are aware of society's principles, and let our personal and social ethics guide us through life as safely as we can.  Some of these values include: honoring all life in its myriad forms; loving ourselves and others; communicating honestly out of respect for self and others; generosity of heart and material; mutual support; a belief in the 'basic goodness' of humans; a desire to understand and expand awareness; freedom coupled with true justice;
service to mankind.  These are the 'ethics' of our founders.  Can we incorporate these principles and pass them along to our offspring?  If we do not, fear and chaos will indeed become the legacy of each individual American as well as that of our American culture." 
 -- Lloyd Thomas

What can I say, I really admire this man.  He is a beacon in this world.  He is calling us forth as leaders of ourselves and in every role in our lives.  There is so much we can do, in fact must do, right here and now, inside our own marriages, families, businesses, and neighborhoods - to answer his call, regardless of what's going on in the bigger world. 

How can we even think about changing the world, if we can't change ourselves?