SAL Book: Structural Change vs. Individual Change

A thousand years from now, when historians and philosophers speak of the early twenty-first century in America, it is possible that the primary discussion will not will be about the brutal ideological battles that took place between liberals, conservatives, and moderates; nor will they be heralding the epic political struggles between democrats, republicans, and libertarians.


No. The real struggle of our age is not ultimately a political or ideological struggle; it is rather a tale of misplaced priorities—all of which are undergirded by the dreadfully mistaken notion that there really isn’t any real right or wrong outside of the mercurially unsteady inclinations of the individual.

While there are THREE basic kinds of people in our nation today, it is erroneous to merely categorize the three groups under simple monikers wrought from ponds of political parlance or the inclinations of ideological idiom. Rather, the three categories can be labeled thus:

1. Those who believe real, lasting societal change begins with purifying the minds and hearts of individuals.
2. Those who believe real, lasting societal change begins with purifying structures, systems, and organizations.
3. Those who are fundamentally selfish and therefore don’t care about anything that doesn’t directly impact themselves.

Those in the first group believe that a structure, system, or organization is nothing more than a synergized conglomeration of the individuals that make it up. Therefore, if you purify bad individuals (or purge them from the group) the group itself can begin to heal by virtue of good leadership, morally or otherwise.  The goal of this group is to change individuals, who are then empowered to bring about real and lasting changes in structures, systems, and organizations.  Their view is that if you change the individual, you empower change within the structures.

Those in the second group believe that the structure, system, or organization itself is where the real problem lies, and that if you could only get the larger entity right, then individual purification would naturally follow.  The goal of group two is to perfect systems, which, they believe, will then open up opportunities for individuals to purify themselves.  Their view is that if you change the systems, you empower the individual to change.  

Those residing in the third group don’t really believe in anything except that they themselves are more important than others, and that their desires and inclinations ought to be satiated at any cost. The good news is that in civilized societies, such parasites are usually in the minority. The bad news is that they are always a menacing nuisance to larger groups of which they are part. They produce untold sorrow in the hearts and minds of virtually everyone whose paths they cross. The worse news is that their numbers have been gradually multiplying throughout America since the end of World War II—when America reached its apex of selflessness at the conclusion of an epic war where Americans quite literally rescued the rest of the world from the throes of evil.

There are good people to be found in groups one and two, but only group one possesses the correct mindset for bringing about real, lasting change.  This is because structures, systems, and organizations are made up of individuals, not the other way around.  Macro systemic change without is therefore an outgrowth of micro individual changes within.  You cannot create real or lasting change within a macro system without first reforming its micro constituents--it's impossible; anyone who says otherwise is simply parroting the ideological, and I might add--quite popular--but ultimately erroneous rhetoric of group two.  This rhetoric is popular because it is easier.  Yes, it is much easier to look for and try to solve problems that are "out there" than it is to look for problems inside your own self, family, community, group, culture, etc.  

Despite the self-evident truism that individual change must precede lasting structural change, group two has grown to become both multitudinous and powerful throughout the United States in recent generations. In defense of group two, it is true that many of their leaders and acolytes are decent people who make legitimate points about changes that do indeed need to be made in structures, systems and organizations--most of which are rooted in regrettable past grievances.

The fundamental problem of our age, however, is that such a large sector of society really does believe the untenable myth that structural change prefaces individual change, which, in actuality, is a mathematical and scientific impossibility. You cannot change a structure or system without changing the individuals who make them up; nor can you cleanse a toxic environment without removing the poison that polluted it in the first place.  A box of apples that has begun to rot is not fixed by replacing the box; it is remedied by extricating the bad apples and replacing them with good ones.  It also involves washing off the residue of rot that has begun to rub off onto what good ones remain.

Over two thousand years ago, a man who claimed to be divine, and who dedicated His life to personal sanctification and purification—and then to teaching others to follow His example—both warned of and condemned those whom he called out as, “whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness.” [1]

I am no divine teacher. I am, however, a teacher. I therefore raise my voice in warning about the dangers of putting the proverbial "cart before the horse" by attempting to sanctify structures without first focusing on purifying—and when necessary purging an organization of—those individuals that form the base ingredient of all false, foul, and fiendish structures presently polluting our nation’s organizational systems, both public and private.

Iwo Jima monument

If America is to regain the national unity, honor, and influence it once held after leading the liberation of an entire Planet from a devil incarnate 70 years ago, the time has come to stop spending so much time complaining and crying about the filth of the outer vessel and begin directing our attention inwardly toward the errors engrossed in our own minds, hearts, attitudes, and behaviors.  It is the only pathway that will return us to greatness.

I do not disagree with nor disparage the good intentions of those seeking to change structures and systems when real problems persist therein.  Many structures and systems are flawed, and need to be revisited, revitalized, and reformed. I simply make an earnest appeal to common sense and natural law, which has, does, and always will demand individual change as the prefacing price of real and lasting organizational purification and change.  After all, won't we as change agents be able to better see what actually needs to change systemically once we are more structurally sound ourselves?  I would argue YES!

Let us therefore stop blaming structures, others, and the past for our problems—both individually and collectively. Let us begin instead to seize upon the power of the present and look deeply within ourselves to see where inner purification is needed. Again, in the words of the master teacher, who upbraided the "whited sepulchres" (who sought to stone the adulteress) with the most poignant of all possible rebukes: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.”[2]

Personal Change is often both difficult & painful

The process of personal purification can prove ponderously and perplexingly painful and problematic—and that is why we are all apt to avoid it so vociferously. It is so much easier to find something wrong with someone or something else than it is to humbly confess, "Yep, I'm part of the problem too."  An even more difficult admission is: "It's my responsibility to change." There are many highly intelligent people throughout our nation who have dedicated decorated careers to pointing out, calling out, and openly condemning the sins of others while completely ignoring their own.

Just the other evening I saw a famed professor from an even more famous University make this very mistake while speaking with the host of a well-known op-ed news program. The host was arguing for changing individuals and families while the professor countered with, “No, structures must be changed first.” With all due respect to the very smart professor; he is dead wrong, and the cultural malaise he seeks to remedy will only get worse until intelligent professors and leaders all over the nation STOP putting the cart before the horse and START teaching their folds that real change always, Always, ALWAYS begins within—not without.
 

I love my country. I am concerned about her present and future. After nearly three decades of careful research, observation, and experience, I have come to know both intellectually and viscerally that the best way to make America great again is to change myself—and then teach and influence others to do the same. We will never change systems and structures—must less societies and cultures—until we first change ourselves and shepherd our various flocks to do the same. 

Jordan R. Jensen, Ed.D.

I have dedicated my life and career to changing myself—and then teaching others to do likewise. If you’d like more information on how you can start this journey of self-change -- and of influencing those you lead to follow your example -- and thereby begin the difficult, but oh-so-rewarding process of bringing about real self-change that can, in-turn, improve your family, community, state, nation, and world by a factor of the only being you can actually control—YOURSELF—I invite you to subscribe to this blog and visit our website at...  www.freedomfocused.com 

Click HERE to read about Dr. Jordan Jensen's scholarly work, as well as his OWN painful journey toward self-purification and individual change, click HERE.    

[1] Matthew 23:27 (New Testament)
[2] John 8:7 (New Testament)

SAL Case Study: Felicia's Story: The Unabridged Version

From South Side to Six Figures

Felicia is an African American female in her mid-30s. She lives in a major U.S. city where she works as an operations engineer. Previously, she worked for a Fortune 100 Company, where she commanded a six-figure salary. She was not always so successful or fortunate.

Baby Felicia
in the early 1980s

Felicia’s life is dramatically different now than when she was growing up—and not because she got lucky or had everything going for her when she started off in life. Her life is different, and better, today because of her effective practice of Self-Action Leadership (SAL) over long periods of time. If she wanted to, she could have found plenty of disadvantages to complain about. Instead, she chose to be proactive and focus on what she could control. The results have been inspiring to say the least.

Felicia was born and raised on Chicago’s South Side, which infamously ranks among the most dangerous areas in the United States.

Felicia spent the first 18 years of her life in a small house with her parents and two siblings (an older sister and younger brother). She grew up in one of the worst neighborhoods in Chicago. Her first elementary school was located right in between two project buildings. Nevertheless, Felicia began exercising SAL at a young age, and her actions planted seeds of success that would eventually grow into educational successes.

Teenage Felicia in the 1990s.

She worked hard in school, and graduated from 8th grade as her school’s valedictorian. From there, she started applying to high schools. Because she had good grades, she was able to attend magnet or charter schools, and thereby avoid the rougher public high schools near her house (which, in her words, “were usually really bad high schools”).

Her grades and test scores eventually won her admittance to the prestigious Whitney M.Young High School, which, according to Felicia, “is the best public high school in Chicago.” In high school, she ran cross-country and track all four years. At age 15, she also began working at a variety of jobs, including at her dad’s restaurant, to earn her own money.

During her senior year she became interested in computer programming, and wrote a report on a piece of equipment used in World War II that piqued her interest in the military. She tried to get a full tuition scholarship through the ROTC program at Purdue University in Indiana. Though unsuccessful, her diligent efforts enabled her to procure a few smaller scholarships. At Purdue, she studied electrical engineering technology. With the exception of the few smaller scholarships she received, she paid for the rest of her schooling herself through student loans and by working a part-time job.

In the Navy.       

Before she was accepted into Purdue, Felicia set her sights high by considering applying to the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), the California Institute of Technology (Cal-Tech), and Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech). She explains playfully that her top two priorities in picking a college were first, a quality engineering program, and second, “football.” According to Felicia, the second criterion eliminated MIT and Cal-Tech, so she applied to ACC and Big-10 icons Georgia Tech and Purdue.

At Purdue, she played rugby, worked at a cafeteria all four years, and graduated after four-and-a-half years with a degree in engineering. After receiving a commission in the U.S. Navy, she was posted to bases around the world, including the United Arab Emirates, Australia, Egypt, and Canada. She also spent time on naval ships in the Pacific and Indian oceans as well as the Mediterranean Sea.

At work for a Fortune 100 Company.

After serving her country, Felicia was hired to work for a Fortune 100 Company in a major U.S. metropolitan area. She also lived in Japan for two years as part of a job transfer. She presently lives and works in Austin, Texas.

Felicia attributes her success to working hard and staying focused as a student. Her academic performance empowered her to transcend the rougher schools of her neighborhood to earn a spot in the academically superior magnet schools. According to Felicia, “anyone can go to the magnet schools if they have good enough grades.” SAL empowered Felicia to earn the grades required to go to better schools.

While her middle school had a small Hispanic population, it was not until high school that Felicia was able experience a student body with a significant degree of diversity. Moreover, growing up on Chicago’s South Side gave her opportunities to witness the structural inequalities that existed between different schools and communities in the Chicago area.

"Chicago is very segregated. The South Side of Chicago is about 95% African American. When I was in middle school, I competed in a math game called “24.” This gave me an opportunity to see other schools. That is where I started seeing white students and other races, and in that interaction, I discovered that they had access to more and better resources. For example, they would have matching jerseys and clothes, and food that was provided by their school. You could also tell that they were more groomed than we were. We had practice, but that was all we had. There was no extra stuff.

"We had much better facilities at the magnet school, and parents were much more involved in their kids’ education. The main difference, however, between magnet school students and regular public school students isn’t a lack of intelligence, it’s a lack of focus and parental involvement. Other than that, there wasn’t a big difference in the demographics of the students at the magnet schools versus the regular public schools. There were a few students who you could tell weren’t from around the neighborhood, but most of us were local, and most of us were Black—just like at the regular public high schools."

Felicia did not having many close friends as a teenager, and attributes staying grounded to having a rich inner life.

"I pretty much kept to myself, and my family always made fun of me because I would talk to myself. Don't get me wrong; I was a very friendly person; I got along with people, I was never an outcast, but I just wasn’t into the typical teenage socializing scene—it just wasn’t for me. I’d talk to people and occasionally hang out, but I rarely went to parties. In fact, I can probably count on one hand how many parties I went to my entire life growing up."

Felicia attributes her unorthodox, intrapersonal social approach to helping her deal with adolescent temptations, and explains in detail the tremendous peer pressure faced by inner city youth in the African American community.

"Peer pressure is a big problem with inner city youth. Of course, it is likely a problem with all youth, but I think it’s more intense in the inner city because there is a lot of pressure to be “Black.” The Black stereotype is you don’t care about work, you don’t care about anything except clothes and the opposite sex, and these attitudes are perpetuated throughout the community, so if those things aren’t a high priority, people think there is something wrong with you. Worse still, if you don’t like those things you get talked about, and when I say talked about—I mean YOU GET TALKED ABOUT—you got reamed. You can’t talk about college, and you’re not supposed to like school. My peers would make fun of me for being smart, and they would call me “White girl” because I talked proper and I liked Seinfeld."

Felicia utilized SAL on many occasions to avoid growing angry or bitter at peers who would jab at her. And the more her peers sensed her inner confidence and sense of self, the more they left her alone.

"I didn’t get made fun of a lot because they could tell I wasn’t ashamed. My idea of what to do and what was right was mostly developed internally. I also wasn’t really involved with other people who were concerned with making sure I looked cute for the boys. I didn’t really hang out with people like that, which helped me avoid the peer pressure that so strongly pushed other people in my community to focus so much on clothing and image above education and inner security."

She also discovered that negative reinforcement doesn’t always come just from peer pressure. Sadly, parents can sometimes be part of the problem.

"One of the things I’ve seen hurt many people in the inner city is the pressure to not be successful. You would be surprised at how many parents will jab at their kids and say things like: “you’re never going to be anything, so why do you even try?” Tragically, that kind of stuff is said in a lot of households; there is a lot of negative reinforcement to not achieve goals. The aim is to maintain the status quo, which isn’t anything to brag about. My advice to everyone who faces that kind of pressure and negative reinforcement is to not let others bring you down. And believe me, they will try. Some people will even make it their goal in life to bring you down. Don’t let them do it!"

Developing inner security is an important element in SAL development. But where does it come from and how is it developed? Felicia’s actions give us a clue. To compensate for the lack of meaningful relationships with her peers, Felicia developed a friendship with herself. Stephen R. Covey corroborates the importance of self-worth:

"Intrinsic security … doesn’t come from what other people think of us or how they treat us. It doesn’t come from the scripts they’ve handed us. It doesn’t come from our circumstance or our position. It comes from within. It comes from accurate paradigms and correct principles deep in our own mind and heart. It comes from inside-out congruence, from living a life of integrity in which our daily habits reflect our deepest values." [1]

In Felicia’s own words:

"When you’re a kid, you want to play, so you seek other people to play with, and that’s how you develop friends, but when I wanted to play, I would just play with myself. I didn’t look to other people as much because I had myself. I realized over time that I didn’t really care much if other people thought I was cool or not. I discovered that I was perfectly okay with being alone, and that I am capable of being happy without doing things that other people say I should do." 

Humor can also be a valuable asset in SAL development. President George W. Bush has written, “I often use humor to defuse tension.” [2] Victor Frankl put it this way: “the attempt to develop a sense of humor and to see things in a humorous light is some kind of a trick learned while mastering the art of living.” [3] Felicia used humor as a defense mechanism for bearing up under the scathing salvos of sophomoric peers.

"Rather than get angry or upset, I would just laugh at their mocking comments. It never really upset me because the things they would make fun of me for (e.g. being smart) didn’t bother me. I liked the fact that I was smart, so when people would call me names, I’d just smile about it and carry about my business."

Felicia doesn’t consider herself to be “religious,” but spirituality does play important role in her life. Moreover, as a self-action leader, she strives for self-awareness, and seeks to be in tune with her conscience.

"I’m not religious, but I am spiritual. You might say that my God is the same thing as my conscience. I can feel in my heart the difference between right and wrong, and I try to follow that inner compass. I also feel that I have a high level of self-awareness, so I know when I do wrong things, but I know when I do the right things; and I also know when I’m achieving things that make me happy. I know when I’m being myself, so that self-awareness keeps me from being taken into peer pressure because I know I don’t want to do things just to please other people or look good in their eyes. I really don’t care what someone I don’t want in my life happens to think about me. I also question things before I act. I conduct an immediate kind of subconscious evaluation of what I’m doing."

Growing up on Chicago’s South Side gave Felicia opportunities to understand the realities of structural inequality that often marked her communities when compared to more affluent communities in the north. As she got older, she became increasingly aware of the cultural segregation that exists in the Chicago metropolitan area.

"The first time I remember really noticing it was on the trains. The Red Line and the Green Line run to the South Side of Chicago, but the Brown Line doesn’t even come near the South Side; it runs pretty much from Downtown to the northern suburbs. So I always rode the Red and Green Line trains. One day, by mistake, I ended up on one of the Brown Line trains. It felt like I was in another world because it was brand new and impeccably clean. The Red and Green Line trains are filthy. They smell like pee, the seats are torn up, and graffiti is everywhere. But the Brown Line train looked and felt like the first class train. As I looked around, the metal was shiny—like chrome—and I just figured it must be a new train. Later on, I found out that this was how all the Brown Line trains were because the Brown Line went to the North side, where the White people live, and where the money is. It was definitely the White Train. Chicago is unofficially segregated. I can tell you what area you are in based on who gets off at which stop."

Felicia’s positive SAL worldview empowered her to invest energy on things she could control, rather than on things she could not. Instead of feeling victimized for whatever structural inequalities impeded her world, she confidently and courageously exercised her freedom to choose. As a result, she was able to rise above her circumstances to become very successful.

A natural self-action leader, Felicia is always seeking out insights about the way things really are in the world in an effort to reject victimization to become all she is capable of becoming.

"My friend and I were talking the other day and he made an interesting observation. He said that unsuccessful people tend to see freedom as being freedom from something. For example, some Black people view freedom as being primarily from slavery, an attitude that adversely affects them 150 years after slavery was abolished. Successful people, however, tend to view freedom as being for something, or freedom to do something. People often refer to freedom as being all about having less restrictions, so this person or this thing is no longer holding me down. But that really isn’t what freedom is about. Freedom isn’t about having less restrictions, it is about focusing my energy on what I can do, what I can accomplish, and what I can become. We are talking about two totally different outlooks on life, and there is a big difference between the two in terms of the personal results you are likely to get."

Felicia’s conversation with her friend was more than just a friendly exchange of simplistic ideas; it was the reaffirmation of powerful concepts iterated and affirmed by others, some of which have been published. For example, listen to the words of Haddon Klingberg, Jr., and Stephen R. Covey, respectively.

"Spirituality is in its essence self-transcendence, it brings with it human freedom. But it is not freedom from as much as freedom to. We are not free from our biological nature, whether instinctual drives, genetic legacies, or the functions and malfunctions of our brains and bodies. Nor are we free from the grasp of social, developmental, and environmental influences. But we are free to take a stand toward these, even against them. We are free to do what we will with the cards we are dealt, to choose what response we will make to fateful events, to decide what cause or persons will receive our devotion. And this freedom to carries an obligation to." [4]

Even if you live in horrible circumstances, it is in those circumstances that you will find your call to choose your own response. It is then that “life calls out to us” to serve those around us whose needs we become aware of; it is in so doing that we find our true “voice” in life. [5]

Passionate about her freedom to grow and succeed, Felicia has achieved much in her young life to date. How did she do it? One SAL strategy she has utilized involves mentally turning negative experiences into positive learning opportunities.

"I have been able to view almost all of the negative things I’ve experienced as an opportunity to grow. For instance, when I’ve met someone that I didn’t really like, someone who was a total ass hole, I think, “well, you know, he’s not a great guy, but now I’ve learned about him, and I’ve gained experience how to deal with that kind of person. Next time I meet someone like that I’ll be prepared.” Experiences make up life, and you can either make them ruin your life or help your life, so I just allow them all to help me in some way."

Although a big fan of “just walking away” from peer pressure, Felicia understood that on Chicago’s South side, it isn’t always that simple for everyone.

"In some cases, if you just walk away like I did, they’ll hurt you. Take gangs for instance. If someone proposes an opportunity for you to join a gang and you say “no,” you could be badly beaten or even killed. It can be difficult to walk away, but the good news is that you can claim a lot of personal power if you demonstrate belief and confidence in yourself. I credit my belief and confidence in myself with repelling those who might have otherwise pushed too hard. If those people had at least tried to get me caught up in the wrong things—especially when I was younger—I probably would have said “yes” to do whatever, but as I grew older and more confident, the way I felt about myself seemed to turn them off, and they ended up just leaving me alone. It sent the message to them that I wasn’t weak enough to infiltrate or trick."

Her statement about gangs roused my curiosity, so I asked her if she was ever approached to join a gang. Her response:

"The gangs weren’t that big with girls, but for me, they knew I was different, so gang members’ interest in having me around wasn’t that high. You know, I really can’t describe it, because it’s not like I was an outcast. I still hung out with some people who were either affiliated with gangs or in gangs themselves, but I just wasn’t that close to them, you know. We’d hang out at the park; we’d talk. For example, when I was 14, I technically had an 18-year old boyfriend, yet this boy never tried to do anything with me—never. And it wasn’t because I was literally saying no. He was definitely not a virgin, but he just seemed to sense something about me that communicated to him that I’m not that kind of person."

Felicia with her two kids.

To better confront the many challenges faced by inner city residents, Felicia believes leaders should focus on education initiatives, including after-school activities, which give young people something to focus on after school, which is the time of day when many students get themselves into the most trouble.

"In the schools, we need an increase in the availability and advertisement of after-school activities. Being on the track team is probably something that kept me out of a lot of trouble. I think they should start such opportunities in elementary school. That way, your children are in school; they go to the activity; they come home; and they go to sleep. They have no time to get in trouble. They have no time to be negatively influenced."

Felicia is a tremendous inspiration to me, and others who know her. She is one of the most pleasant and cheerful people I’ve ever met. She also has a remarkable force of character and sense of self. Her capacity for, and dedication to, self-action leadership has empowered her to achieve many impressive accomplishments. I greatly admire who she has become because of it. I hope that many people in the United States and throughout the world will likewise be inspired by her remarkable story and personal example.


Next Blog Post: Friday, February 20, 2015 ~ The Difficulty of Existential Growth


[1] Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, NY: Fireside. Page 298.
[2] Bush, G.W. (2010). Decision Points. Crown: New York, NY. Page 35.
[3] Frankl, V. E. (2006). Man's Search for Meaning. Boston, MA: Beacon Press. Page 44.
[4] From Haddon Klingberg Jr.’s biography of Viktor and Elly Frankl: When Life Calls Out to Us, quoted in Covey, S. R. (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York, NY: Free Press. Page 315.
[5] Covey, S. R. (2004). The 8th Habit: From Effectiveness to Greatness. New York, NY: Free Press. Page 315.

SAL Case Study: The Joe Jensen Story

Read About a Real Educator 

Who is Making a REAL Difference

Politicians, pundits, and other persons of power love to talk about public education in America and point out its many pressing problems.  Sadly, for many, their main concerns with the "system" often involve structural inequality, lack of money, standardization, unionization, and a litany of other issues that have little to do with the heart of the matter--which involves helping the students themselves become good citizens that productively contribute to society.

Make no mistake, structural inequality, lack of resources, and other issues can present real challenges.  They are, however, not primary issues; they are secondary issues.  The root of most educational problems in America virtually always lies in a lack of knowledge, competence, character, and caring on the part of the educators themselves.

Even the most lavishly funded and structurally equitable schools will never realize their full potential if their leaders and teachers lack character--and an understanding of the fundamental principles that lead to long-term student success. 

Conversely, even the poorest funded and most structurally inequitable schools can achieve remarkable things if the teachers and administrators that lead them possess character & competence and really care about their students. 

Dr. David G. Anthony, CEO of Raise Your Hand Texas

In the words of Dr. David G. Anthony, CEO of Raise Your Hand Texas, and former Superintendent of the Cypress-Fairbanks Independent School District (among of 25 largest in the USA) in Houston, TX:

"I look at results that answer the question: how do we best serve kids? The simple goal of education is to make people better. We need to make adults better, and we must make students better. That’s the only goal I’ve ever really had."

Educators like Dr. Anthony are, in my experience, not a dime-a-dozen, and when you find them, they are worth their weight in gold.  I recently came across an article about just such an educator.  His name is Joe Jensen -- soon to be Dr. Joe Jensen -- the Principal of Orem Junior High School in Orem, Utah.

Principal Joe Jensen, who, aside from making big
waves in the world of education,  is also a husband,
the father of six, and an avid athlete who has
finished the elite Leadville 100 mountain
biking race an impressive 7-times.

Joe is one of the finest self-action leaders I have ever met.  His personal capacity, competence, and integrity as a leader and educator have initiated quantum changes at his school.  Even more impressive, his unprecedented accomplishments come at a Title 1 school.    

Freedom Focused exists to develop and promote leaders like Joe Jensen in the field of education and beyond.  If I have anything to say about it, his inspiring story will eventually touch all corners of this nation, which so desperately needs educators like Joe at the helm of our nation's public schools and districts.  I invite you to read his inspiring story and share with your personal network.

Click HERE to READ the Joe Jensen Story.

Next Blog Post: Tuesday, February 17, 2015  ~  The Unabridged Case Study of Felicia Cockrell

SAL Book: Self-Action Leadership Variables

Have you ever faced a debilitating challenge only to hear someone say: “You just need to think positively, pull yourself up by your bootstraps, and make it happen!” Over-simplifying human problems can be as problematic as over-complicating or ignoring them altogether. Self-Action Leadership does not translate into human omnipotence. Other variables, both internal and external, exist to produce a variety of human difficulties and problems, as well as opportunities and potential. There are at least 16 variables that produce limitations and benefits to your human potential. The life experiences of every human being are uniquely impacted by one’s own singular blend of these 16 variables.

1. Forces of Nature
2. Congenital Physical Variables
3. Congenital Familial Environment
4. Genetic & Mimetic Inclinations
5. Initial Opportunities for Education
6. Congenital Social Environment
7. Choices of Others
8. Time
9. Structural Inequality
10. Geopolitics & Macroeconomics
11. Good & Bad Luck
12. Supra-rational Intervention
13. Hierarchy of Needs
14. Self-leadership Intelligence and Talent
15. Self-leadership Desire
16. Self-leadership Will

In explaining these 16 variables, I should note that "limitations" and "benefits" should be interpreted primarily as potential limitations and benefits. Just because a person has a circumstantial limitation or benefit at birth, does not mean it will always exist. You have probably met someone who has, over time, either transcended a limitation or squandered a benefit with which they were born.

1. Forces of Nature

Limitations: Natural disasters of all kinds, heat, cold, etc.

Benefits: Some geographic locations have a more conducive climate to living and working than other areas. 

2. Congenital Physical Variables

Limitations: Congenital defects, disorders, and illnesses. Height, weight, natural physical appearance, lack of athletic ability, and other physical talents.

Benefits: Height, weight, natural physical appearance, athletic ability, and other physical talents.

3. Congenital Familial Environment

Limitations: Poverty, abuse, neglect, broken homes, single-parent families, no parents, etc.

Benefits: Abundance, two-parent families, love, support, safety, encouragement, guidance.

4. Genetic & Mimetic Inclinations

Limitations: Bad habits and inclinations, or learned practices (including laziness, irresponsibility, dishonesty, disrespectfulness, cowardice, bad tempered, etc).

Benefits: Good habits and inclinations, or learned practices (including discipline, focus, hard work, honesty, integrity, love, compassion, emotional control, etc.).

5. Initial Opportunities for Education

Limitations: Limited educational opportunities, uneducated or undereducated parents/guardians/role models, limited educational reinforcement at home.

Benefits: Opportunities for private schooling, tutoring, and/or extra-curricular education, strong educational reinforcement at home, well-educated parents/guardians, role models.

6. Congenital Social Environment

Limitations: Growing up amongst people who predominantly demonstrate examples of anger, hatred, bitterness, abuse, revenge, unfairness, deception, substance abuse, sexual impropriety, etc.

Benefits: Growing up amongst those who predominantly demonstrate examples of respect, empathy, compassion, forgiveness, generosity, fairness, love, emotional intelligence, good communication, conflict management & resolution skills, etc.

7. Choices of Others

Limitations: Abuse, neglect, abandonment, isolation, wasted resources, etc.

Benefits: Love, support, positive role models, well-invested resources, etc.

8. Time

Limitations: Short, poor quality lifespan.

Benefits: Long, high quality lifespan.

9. Structural Inequality

Limitations: Stifled opportunities due to race, culture, religion, or other group affiliation.

Benefits: Expanded opportunities due to race, culture, religion, or other group affiliation.

10. Geopolitics & Macroeconomics

Limitations: Residence in a war-torn or otherwise conflicted area; political/social/economic strife; economic recession; resource dependent economy.

Benefits: Residence in a stable and secure area; relative peace and prosperity; strong diversified economy.

11. Good & Bad Luck

Limitations: Unfavorable circumstances or situations (not of your making) to overcome.

Benefits: Unexpectedly favorable opportunities for action.

12. Supra-rational Intervention

Limitations: Lack of aid from a Higher Power—a Lack of Serendipity. (Open to perception and interpretation).

Benefits: Aid from a Higher Power—the Presence of Serendipity. (Open to perception and interpretation.

13. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs [1]

Limitations: Circumstances that require you to focus on more basic levels of fulfillment (survival, safety, love).

Benefits: Circumstances that enable you to address higher levels of fulfillment (esteem, actualization).

14. Intelligence and Talent

Limitations: Little natural intelligence & talent in a given area(s).

Benefits: Lots of natural intelligence & talent in a given area(s).

15. Desire

Limitations: Little or no natural desire for Existential Growth.

Benefits: Lots of natural desire for Existential Growth.

16. Will

Limitations: An unwillingness to expend effort when you don't feel like it.

Benefits: A willingness to expend effort regardless of how you feel.

As you review this list, you will notice that some limitations and benefits are congenital, meaning a person is born with them. Others depend on what you do after you are born. These 16 variables can therefore be divided into three basic categories.

Category 1: Variables you cannot control:

• Forces of Nature
• Congenital Physical Variables
• Congenital Familial Environment
• Initial Opportunities for Education
• Congenital Social Environment
• Good & Bad Luck
• Intelligence & Talent

Category 2: Variables you may have some influence over:

• Genetic & Mimetic Inclinations
• Choices of Others
• Time
• Structural Inequality
• Geopolitics & Macroeconomics
• Supra-rational Intervention
• Hierarchy of Needs
• Desire

Category 3: Variable fully under your control:

• Will

In reviewing this list, I’m sure you noticed that of all 16 of these variables, you only have full control over one of them. At first glance, it might be disappointing to realize just how much you can't control in your life. Our inability to fully control the other 15 variables explains why bad things sometimes happen to good people. While negative events sometimes occur in life because you are at fault, it is also true that bad things sometimes happen as a result of the actions of other people, events triggered by the omnipotence of Mother Nature, or other forces beyond our control. This is the bad news.

Dealing with disabilities, bad luck, mistreatment, or structural inequality is undoubtedly difficult. Such obstacles can be so huge as to overwhelm and disillusion the best of us. But these things are largely outside of your immediate control and influence, especially with regards to the tasks of daily living. Oftentimes, all you can do is strive to make the best of what you have, and maybe improve the variables to some degree for the next generation.

In many cases, your control over other people and things is either non-existent or drastically limited. Your control over your own thoughts, speech, and actions, however, provides a perpetual opportunity for achievement and Existential Growth. This opportunity may dramatically improve your external circumstances over time, if you take advantage of it. The good news is that you can control the most important variable of all, and the one that matters most in the end--your individual will. How you choose to exercise your will often makes all the difference in the long run. It is also the primary catalyst that determines what you become in the end. Your will is the greatest power you possess for the simple reason that is the only thing you can really control; it is the one variable force that is entirely of your own making. No one else is responsible for it. For as long as you live, you must ultimately call the shots.

FAULTS VS. PROBLEMS

As a high school classroom teacher, when things would get difficult for us teachers, and especially when it came to dealing with issues that were not of our making (i.e., poor parenting, broken homes, negative peer and culturally influenced bad behavior, etc.), administrators had a mantra they would repeat to us as teachers. It went like this:

It may not be your fault, but it is YOUR problem! 

This is one of the best SAL reminders of reality I’ve ever heard. Translation: I didn’t make all of the problems in my classroom, but if the problems are in my classroom, it is my responsibility to work to try and solve them. The same principle applies to you, me, and everyone else in the world. All of your problems may not be your fault, but they are your problems. Life, therefore, is a series of recurring questions that ask the following: What are you going to do about the problems life has presented you with? You can't change who you are, where you started from, or what you had (or did not have) when you came into this world. But we at Freedom Focused enthusiastically affirm that you always have the freedom to do something about it. When the final chapter of your life is written through your actions, will your story be one of victory or victimization?

“Highly proactive people … do not blame circumstances, conditions, or conditioning for their behavior. Their behavior is a product of their own conscious choice, based on values, rather than a product of their conditions, based on feeling … [For proactive persons, their] honor becomes greater than [their] moods.”[2]

– Stephen R. Covey
(1932-2012)

We live in a nation and world of victimization and blame. It seems that people everywhere are eager to find a scapegoat for any and every problem life presents them with. Such people would have you believe that their problems are everyone and everything else’s fault, but never their own. It’s their parent’s fault, their spouses’ fault, their families’ fault, their neighborhood’s fault, their boss’s fault, their coworkers fault, the fault of generations gone by, their communities’ fault, their States’ fault, their Nation’s fault, the world’s fault, the government’s fault, the Republican’s fault, the Democrat’s fault, the Libertarian’s fault, the Stars’ fault, God’s fault, the weather’s fault, their DNA’s fault, the lottery’s fault, etc.

“Henry Thoreau made, last night, the fine remark that, as long as a man stands in his own way, everything seems to be in his way, governments, society, and even the sun and moon and stars, as astrology may testify.”[3]

– Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1803-1882)

Please don’t misunderstand; I am not saying that external forces do not play a role, sometimes a significant role, in the events and circumstances in our lives. Of course they do. Making this point explicit is the primary purpose of this chapter; that’s why I introduced the SAL variables. It is a truism that bad things happen to good people beyond their control. However, even when bad things happen to good people, good people have the freedom to choose what they are going to do next, meaning how they are going to respond to whatever bad things happen to them outside of their control.

One of my favorite high-profile examples of SAL in action over time comes from the media mogul Oprah Winfrey. Oprah is the first African American woman to become a billionaire. She has influenced hundreds of millions of persons as an actress, talk-show host, and philanthropist. Most, if not all, educated adults in the world know who Oprah Winfrey is. She is one of the most influential women on Earth.

What some do not know about Oprah is that she was born into poverty in one of the poorest states in the U.S. (Mississippi) at a time (mid-1950s) when segregation and prejudice against Blacks was still institutionalized. Oprah’s childhood in Mississippi and adolescence in inner city Milwaukee was marked by troubles of all kinds, including sexual abuse. Oprah’s start in life didn’t portend the kind of greatness she would eventually achieve. But give a determined self-action leader like Oprah a few decades of time and the freedom to direct her own thoughts, speech, and actions, and what you get is a beautiful miracle.

The key is effective Self-Action Leadership and time—usually a lot of it. In the meantime, you—like Oprah—must remain persistent, consistent, and determined. In the words of Napoleon Hill, “when defeat overtakes a man, the easiest and most logical thing to do is to quit, [and] that is exactly what the majority of [people] do.”[4] If someone has the opportunity to learn about Self-Action Leadership and the cognizance and health to exercise it, yet ends up in the same place—or worse—at the end of their life, they ultimately have themselves to blame.

“We are responsible for our own effectiveness, our own happiness, and ultimately, I would say, for most of our circumstances.”[5]

– Dr. Stephen R. Covey

(1932-2012)

Notice that Covey says “most of our circumstances.” Not all, but most. It is true that you can’t change where you started out in life. You can’t always avoid every bad thing from happening to you against your will or desires. Life often isn’t fair, especially in the short run, and that’s just the way it is. There is nothing you can do to change your life's beginning—where you started out in life, and with whom. But there is much you can do to shape your life's ending.

Two choices remain after birth for you, me, and every other self-action leader on the Planet. You can do nothing and complain about your lot in life and blame others for your misfortune, or you can choose to take advantage of any and every opportunity you have to learn, and then act on your newfound knowledge.

I eagerly encourage you to take the latter route, even if you have been unjustly treated by individuals, groups, or society-at-large in the past. Oprah didn’t transcend poverty and abuse by merely cursing her abusers and condemning the injustices of American society; nor did Gandhi secure freedom for the Indian people by cursing and condemning King George the 5th and 6th and the rest of the British Raj and Empire. While both could have easily felt justified in doing so, they both were also smart enough to realize that treading the pathway of the complainer would not lead to a better life. The pathway to a better life was in education, personal growth and development, and the cultivation of their unique skills, talents, and leadership capacities. They both chose to work extremely hard, avoid making excuses, and never, ever, ever gave up. The result? They both changed the world in positive ways and left indelible impacts on society that generations to come will admire and learn from.

“Never give in, never give in, never, never, never, never-in nothing, great or small, large or petty – never give in except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force; never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.”

– Sir Winston Churchill

(1874-1965)

“But,” you may say, “Oprah is an outlier. You, Jordan, are simply cherry-picking an unrealistic example to try and make your point. Oprah has ten times the natural talent and ability of most people!” You are right that Oprah is indeed an outlier, and you are also correct in recognizing that Oprah was born with an unusually gifted talent and skill-set. You must consider, however, two essential facts. The first is that, existentially speaking, Oprah is no better than you or me. As such, you have as much freedom to direct your own thoughts, speech, and actions as Oprah. Second—and this is good news—Existential Growth does not mean you are competing against Oprah. You are only competing against your own potential for growth, which (like Oprah's potential) is limitless. This idea of competing with your own potential instead of against other people is called "intrapersonal competition," and will be addressed in greater detail in BOOK THE THIRD.

“Before success comes in any man’s life, he is sure to meet with much temporary defeat, and, perhaps some failure…. Remember that all who succeed in life get off to a bad start, and pass through many heartbreaking struggles before they ‘arrive’”[6]

– Napoleon Hill

(1883-1970)

THE GREATEST OPPORTUNITY IN THE WORLD

Next to life itself, the greatest opportunity each of us possesses is the freedom to direct that life.[7] There is no more important information than the knowledge that empowers you to effectively lead your own life. It is wonderful beyond comprehension to have such liberty and potential for freedom. But as is usually the case, freedom come with a price—a price that must be paid for in taking responsibility for your thoughts, speech, and actions. Whether you like it or not, or know it or not, natural consequence will flow from each thought, word, and deed you ever think, speak, or act out. And regardless where you start out in life, or what happens to you along the way, you are ultimately sovereign over your individual choices along the way. This means, therefore, that…

Nothing goes until you go;
       Nothing works until you work;
            Nothing happens until you start happening.

What will you choose to do with this, the greatest opportunity that Life has endowed you with? I invite you to go to work by reading this book and applying its principles and practices in your life. If you will do that, you life will start to happen in ways you never, or only, dreamed possible in the past. So, with the introduction to Self-Action Leadership now completed, let’s dive together head first into BOOK the SECOND where you may being a serious study of the SAL theory.

SAL Mantra

Nothing goes until you go;

Nothing works until you work;

Nothing happens until you start happening.

Notes:

[1] Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs refers to a model of human progress developed in the early 1940s by the American psychologist, Abraham Maslow (1908-1970). Maslow’s famous theory states that all human beings are motivated by a hierarchy of needs, and that lower needs must be met before higher needs will motivate. His hierarchy is often presented visually as a triangle model with basic human needs forming the base and higher human needs forming the point. His five basic needs include Survival needs (Level One), Safety needs (Level Two), Love needs (Level Three), Esteem needs (Level Four), and Actualization needs (Level Five).
[2] Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, NY: Fireside. Pages 71 & 92.
[3] From his personal journal, October 1842. Ibid
[4] Hill, N. (1960). Think & Grow Rich. New York, NY: Fawcett Crest. Page 23.
[5] Covey, S. R. (1989). The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York, NY: Fireside. Page 93.
[6] Hill, N. (1960). Think & Grow Rich. New York, NY: Fawcett Crest. Pages 23 & 39

[7] This principle was taught in a spiritual context by the religious leader David O. McKay, who, in an April 1950 address entitled, Free Agency … A Divine Gift, said: “Next to the bestowal of life itself, the right to direct that life is God’s greatest gift to man.”