Blog
-
Sarah Palin-tology
My
question to you on this Thanksgiving is, “Are
you planning to read Sarah Palin’s new
book?” I keep hearing people ask one another
this question as they watch others line-up at
Palin’s various book events. During this
Thanksgiving, I plan to buy and read her
400-page bestseller, and I hope you will, too.
Keep reading…
I remember being taken to task when I wrote here that Palin should be given a chance after Senator John McCain named her as his running mate in the 2008 presidential race. I urged people then not to stereotype Palin and to simply write her off. I still get sharp jabs from people about that blog posting.
After watching Palin campaign and then return to Wassila to resign her governor’s seat, my own views evolved. Indeed, I wrote after her resignation as governor that she should have stayed in office and fought for what she believed; but she chose to give up her office and give in. That’s not the kind of leadership we need.
Now, we are faced with the question of her book. I will read it for a number of key reasons:
1. Palin is a political phenomenon and I want to understand what she has to say;
2. More importantly, she is giving voice to a segment of America that yearns to be heard – I want to know what Palin is speaking to;
3. Finally, Palin is not a bigot, hate-monger, or racist – if she were, we might decide to condemn her, possibly isolate her. But, instead, I believe in this society – especially now, when so many things are at loggerheads – we must see and hear all points of view, especially when we might not agree with them.
So, yes, I am back to a theme I have written and spoken about numerous times, and which I believe is essential to exercise during these tumultuous times. If we choose only to see and hear those people we agree with, then where does that leave us as a society? Moreover, if we create habits that give us permission to turn away from others with whom we disagree, will we have the civic impulse and fortitude to turn toward others who need our help and support?
Isn’t this one of the key underlying questions in the health care debate today? It’s easy to engage in a political debate about various legislative options, but it is yet something else to remain focused on the essence of this discussion: how can all Americans get the care they need? Amid all the chatter we can easily lose the target.
I have chosen to write this particular piece on Thanksgiving week because giving thanks means looking up from our own chair and seeing others sitting around the table with us and being grateful for what we have. But Thanksgiving also means that we have the ability to look up and see beyond our immediate table to see others in our society as well – especially those who may be hidden from our sight, or who voice opinions that differ from our own.
I am not suggesting that you or I necessarily agree with Sarah Palin on political matters or anything else. But what I am saying is that we should remind ourselves that giving thanks requires us to see and hear all people so that we may create a better society. By definition, this will always require engaging with those we do not agree with. How else can a society take shape, exist, and forge ahead? -
How to do good work in hard times
I keep getting asked the same question no
matter the stetting I’m in. People wonder,
“How can I get those I’m working with to
stay upbeat and engaged in such hard times?”
It’s not an idle question. Funding for many
groups has been cut just as community needs
have gone up. Here’s what you can do.
The frustration that so many people feel about these changing times – indeed, even the anger and resentment that I often hear – is real. Many people are struggling with why a foundation funds one effort and not another? Why aren’t funders investing where it matters most? Why have some partners pulled out? People ask, “How can we make progress under these conditions, and does anyone hear my concerns?”
I do. I have heard so many people who are doing such good work express deep concerns about their ability to make a difference in these hard times. They often tell me they’re deeply frustrated with the very people they work with – their colleagues, partners, funders, and others – who seem to be hunkering down to weather the storm, even retreating. What are they to do?
One critical step is to help people come back to the meaning in their work. (This goes for each of us, too.) Now more than ever it’s important to have an open conversation with your staff, with others, about this. The reality is that you may not get the money you need or want, but in the end no one can take the meaning of the work from you. Each of us must stay connected to this meaning.
Importantly, this can only truly happen for each of us when we are with others. For sometimes it is only by hearing someone else’s voice that we can hear and see ourselves; that we can make sense of something we have struggled with internally; that we can find language to go with some felt-unknown. So, here are two basic questions you should ask during this conversation:1. Why do you do this work?2. What could we do that would be a down payment toward fulfilling why we do this work?
The first question will help reveal the sense of meaning people hold, and seek, in their efforts. The second is about how we can make sure we’re on the right trajectory. You see, what’s key about helping people stay attached to the meaning of their work is their ability to hold a sense of possibility about what can be. But be clear: a genuine sense of possibility does not emerge from believing that you can achieve all your goals; rather, it is the belief that you are on the right path. So, while you and others may feel frustrated about current conditions, and you may need to put your biggest goals on hold, the key is to help people see how they can keep moving forward in a meaningful way.
Finally, in these situations, people often want to bring in an inspirational speaker, buy inspirational CDs, or pass out inspirational books – each and all of which can be helpful. But in order to keep moving, to overcome daily obstacles, to hold a sense of purpose and intention, you will need something beyond those efforts. Luckily, it’s what is already within you and others. Together, you must name the meaning that you seek. And by naming it you can also reclaim it and hold it for yourself. It is this inspiration that each of us needs most of all. And it is only this inspiration – that we carry within us – that is durable and lasting.
So, please, take a moment to answer the two questions above, and be clear about the meaning you seek, and how in these hard times you can make a down payment that counts. This we can do. -
Andre Agassi's Redemption
Watching
Katie Couric interview Andre Agassi on 60
Minutes this past Sunday was painful. Agassi
recently revealed his past drug use in his new
book, Open. His admission raises the question
once more for me about when and how does
someone find redemption in their life.
I have vivid memories of Agassi as a player. He always seemed to be living on the edge, pining for people’s attention through his unorthodox play, dress, even appearance. He was a fighter on the court. Now we know that he was fighting internal demons, too.
It was striking just how Agassi answered Couric’s intensely personal questions that probed and picked at his lifestyle, mental health, and drug use. But throughout Agassi never once blinked; he directly answered Couric’s questions, never seeking refuge to hide. What emerged over the course of the conversation was the sense that here is an individual who has taken the time to closely examine his life and account for his actions.
We’ve all seen someone in Agassi’s shoes sweat and stumble during such an interview and steer away from the knotty issues. Watch former presidential candidate John Edwards discuss his personal and political affairs and you’ll know what I mean. There is an intrinsic skittishness in someone like Edwards. With Agassi, on the other hand, you could feel him actually lean into each question, not run away from or dodge them. He seemed to gently surmise the essence of each question and then handle it with profound care. His engagement didn’t seem to be about selling a new book or manipulating some public relations gig; instead, he seems to be someone who is coming to terms with his life and making a choice about how to live it out.
During the interview Couric asked Agassi to respond to comments made by some of his fellow competitors and now friends – such as Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Martina Navitrilova; each one was highly critical of him, damning in their criticism. Here, Couric wouldn’t let up, even smiling while recounting their statements, as if the interview were about some inanimate object, and not about the very person sitting just a few feet away. Agassi looked Couric straight in the eye as she read the comments, his eyes slowly welling up with tears. He said that he understood their concerns and would have to live with them.
But what do we understand? I have come to see that Agassi had a miserable childhood, which is no excuse but at least some explanation. He worked his way into becoming a top-ranked player, generating significant personal wealth. He used drugs, and lied about it to tennis officials. Now he is seeking to come clean via a new book he did not need to write.
Some people might ask why I am choosing to focus on a former tennis player who abused drugs and now asks for people’s support and compassion. I do so because I worry that in our society we can be mightily harsh about others, even trite, to the point that we are unwilling to see and hear someone else’s pain. It is too easy to judge, deplore, and dismiss Agassi as just another celebrity or jock in trouble; but before we wash our hands clean of any prolonged engagement on such matters, there is a need to discern what we believe is happening. Are we too jaded that we cannot find any redeeming qualities in someone else who discovers their own frailties, missteps, and misdeeds, and who seeks to right their course – who may genuinely be seeking to account for them own actions?
One’s redemption is not something for us to determine; each person must look within their heart and come to their own judgment. Agassi seems to have found that. Now, when the moment is right, I want to find room in my own heart for compassion. -
Today's Elections: A referendum on what?
According to pundits we’ll soon know which way the country is “leaning” once election results pour in tonight. But I wonder, is that really true? Exactly what will we know in this crazy time?
Here’s a quick set of questions for you to sort out what’s really happening. Let me know what you think.
1. What if the Republican candidate for Governor wins Virginia the year after President Obama won the state? Does it really mean there’s been some kind of fundamental shift (once more) in the American mood? If so, what is that shift? If not, why not?
2. What if any of the three gubernatorial candidates win in New Jersey after such a horrid, negative race? That’s right, what if one of them actually gets elected! Indeed, what would it say if Chris Daggett, the Independent, holds his own, garnering maybe 10% of the vote?
3. What about the circus-like congressional race in Upstate New York (not too far from my hometown)? The Republican drops out due to pressure from conservatives, only to endorse the Democrat. What does this race tell us about the state of our affairs? Will the results tell us anything more or different?
Take a crack at one or more of these questions and write back. Let’s figure out what this election is really about.
Post your answers and thoughts in the comments.