Special Addition: Lesson Thirteen

And now to close our crossover series on General Colin Powell's 13 Lessons on Leadership.

We have shared them for these reasons.

First, it is true, we don't really miss someone until they're gone and with General Powell's passing a few months back, I'll tell you this. Those that serve in Washington DC should do everything they can to emulate what General Powell lived for. To serve with honor, compassion and respect. For if our elected officials would first and forever embrace those three characteristics, they would be better positioned to serve our country first and not their political agendas.

Second, all of us, men, women, every race and diversity can learn from General Powell's life example and lessons. Please do so.

And third, you decide if you need to start from the beginning (click on this if you do):

https://good2know4us.weebly.com/misc/special-addition-lesson-one

Or if yesterday's lesson is your start: Special Addition: Lesson Twelve . . .

From those and in General Powell's Lesson 13 above, just remember this.

Did you know that we sometimes need a horrible event to wake us up? Consider December 7th, 1941 when the Pearl Harbor attack unfolded. It was a shock, it was horrible but from it,

was the determination and optimism that no matter what, we (our country) can take on an defeat the armies of evil. And as a military man, General Powell learned that the leaders who know how to embrace and to leverage optimism, are the ones who will spread it to their troops. For he learned just as the leaders before him, that if you don't have optimism, you don't have one of the critical keys to success – the motivation that the hardship to endure is worth the ultimate goal. Which then brings everything back to you and me.

Are you optimistic and if you are, you do leverage it, encourage it, spread it amongst those that you work with or lead? If not, why not give it a try?

And if you are not sure how best to get started on this, consider our 'addition' approach.

Each day is a new day (lesson 1) + you're controlling anger (lesson 2) + you're keeping your ego in check (lesson 3) + you know that you can do more than you think (lesson 4) + you're being careful in all of your decisions (lesson 5) + you're working to always do what is right (lesson 6) + good choices made (lesson 7) + understanding of what matters (lesson 8) + sharing the limelight (lesson 9) + your calm and kindness (lesson 10) + your perception (lesson 11) + your strength to overcome (lesson 12) + your optimism (lesson 13) = wisdom.

Because, when we add the positives of life together, we pursue an honorable life.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.

2 Peter 1:5-7