Winston Churchill – Courageous Optimist

We have finished the edits and design for my new book 8 Attributes of Great Achievers and the publisher has sent the book to the printer. The book will be available for purchase in March. The following is an excerpt from the book:

8 Attributes of Great Achievers
Attribute 1: Responsible
Attribute 2: Creator
Attribute 3: Independent
Attribute 4: Humble
Attribute 5: Honest
Attribute 6: Optimistic
Attribute 7: Vision
Attribute 8: Persistent

Winston Churchill – Courageous Optimist
“On May 10th, 1940, Winston Churchill, then age sixty-six, became Prime Minister of England. This was the time when the powerful German air force was making round-the-clock trips . . . dumping planeload after planeload of bombs on England. No one knew whether the British would be able to hold out for another week or a month.”1 “The outlook was bleak. The Nazis were running over France, Belgium, and Holland. Joseph P. Kennedy, the American ambassador in London, told Washington that Britain was finished.”2

In the mists of the gloom and turmoil and in the face of what seemed to others like impossible odds, Churchill took office with optimism and determination. Churchill wrote of the day he took office, “I felt as though I were walking with destiny that my past life had been but a preparation for this hour for this trial . . . and I was sure I should not fail.”3

“The key to Churchill’s courage was his unbounded optimism. Only an optimist can be courageous, because courage depends on hopefulness that dangers and hazards can be overcome. . . ‘I am one of those,’ he remarked in 1910, ‘who believe that the world is going to get better and better.’ He deprecated negative thinking. In a speech to his officers in the trenches in France in 1916, Churchill exhorted: ‘Laugh a little, and teach your men to laugh. . . If you can’t smile, grin. If you can’t grin, keep out of the way till you can.’”4

On May 13, 1940, Churchill gave his first speech as Prime Minister to the House of Commons. He said, “You ask, What is our aim? I can answer in one word: Victory . . . victory in spite of all the terror, victory however long and hard the road may be . . . with all the strength that God can give us . . . I take up my task with buoyancy and hope, I feel sure that our cause will not be suffered to fail.”5

“The morning after the first night of the Blitz, Churchill drove to ground zero: London’s East End and the docks. An air-raid shelter had taken a direct hit, with dozens killed and more wounded. Church’s car pulled up amid the chaos. ‘It was good of you to come,’ the crowd called out. . . When he called out to the crowd, asking if they were disheartened, they cried back, ‘No!’ Churchill had come . . . to give the people the resolve they would need to face the months and years ahead.”6

“Churchill would not permit contingency planning for failure, knowing it would inevitably leak out and breed pessimism. Just weeks after becoming Prime Minister in 1940, Churchill was advised of a doomsday plan to be implemented in the event of a full-scale German invasion of Britain. The royal family and top members of the government would be evacuated to Canada. Churchill flatly vetoed the proposal adding, ‘We shall make them rue the day they try to invade our island.’”7

“During the last week of October 1940 . . . civilian deaths by bombing exceeded six thousands a month. In one twenty-four-hour period seven hundred aircrafts attacked Britain. . . Churchill’s genius was to find a way to talk about bad news while finding hope in what others might see as defeat. . . In October of 1940 after devastating air raids, Churchill gave a speech about how the cities, ‘would rise from their ruins’ and blitzed homes would be rebuilt . . . When the Nazis sank vital supply ships, Churchill was there to point out that many hundreds of ships got through unscathed.”8

Even during the worst of times, Churchill remained optimistic and confident that they would achieve victory. During a B.B.C. broadcast, Churchill proclaimed: “We are resolved to destroy Hitler and every vestige of the Nazi regime. From this, nothing will turn us—nothing. We will never parley, we will never negotiate with Hitler or any of his gang. We shall fight him by land, we shall fight him by sea, we shall fight him in the air, until, with God’s help, we have rid the earth of his shadow.”9

“Churchill not only saw reasons for hope and confidence in the darkest days of World War II but was able to infuse his unique combination of stoicism and optimism into the very backbone of the nation, the armed services, and his own staff. As Leo Amery, a minister in Churchill’s government put it, ‘No one ever left his cabinet without felling a braver man.’ . . . Great leaders bring out the inner strength that people often do not know they possess.”10

On May 8, 1945, via broadcast, Churchill announced that Germany had signed the act of unconditional surrender. Churchill declared in part, “The German war is therefore at an end. . . From this Island and from our united Empire, [we] maintained the struggle single-handed for a whole year until we were joined by the military might of Soviet Russia, and . . . the United States of America. . . Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. . . We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. . . Long live the cause of freedom! . . . [We should now] give humble and reverent thanks to Almighty God for our deliverance from the threat of German domination.”11

Churchill’s determination to never give in and his optimism that victory would be achieved enabled his country to fight boldly and courageously through tremendous difficulties and also rallied the support of other countries in the cause until victory was achieved.

Churchill died on January 24, 1965. Over 300,000 people passed by his casket and millions watched the funeral proceedings via television to pay their final respects to the man who helped change the course of history. “Churchill’s actions were pivotal in one of the great and most dramatic turning points of civilization. . . He knew that if he could rally the mind, spirit, and heart of the British people, they would eventually emerge victorious. . . Churchill not only saved Britain from defeat but now in retrospect, he saved democracy as a form of government in the world. Here was truly a single individual whose life made a profound difference to everyone on our planet.”12

1. Sterling W. Sill and Dan McCormick, Lessons from Great Lives (Aylesbury Publishing, 2007) p. 31.
2. Celia Sandys and Jonathan Littman, We Shall Not Fail (New York: Portfolio, 2003) p. 3.
3. Winston Churchill, The Second World War, Volume I, The Gathering Storm (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1948) p. 601.
4. Steven F. Hayward, Churchill on Leadership (New York: Gramercy Books, 2004) p. 115.
5. Winston Churchill, The Second World War, Volume II, Their Finest Hour (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1949) p. 24.
6. Celia Sandys and Jonathan Littman, We Shall Not Fail (New York: Portfolio, 2003) p. 174-175.
7. Celia Sandys and Jonathan Littman, We Shall Not Fail (New York: Portfolio, 2003) p. 151.
8. Celia Sandys and Jonathan Littman, We Shall Not Fail (New York: Portfolio, 2003) p. 249, 179-180.
9. Winston Churchill, The Second World War, Volume III, The Grand Alliance (New York: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1950) p. 332.
10. Celia Sandys and Jonathan Littman, We Shall Not Fail (New York: Portfolio, 2003) p. 173-174.
11. Winston Spencer Churchill, Never Give In! The Best of Winston Churchill’s Speeches (New York, Hyperion, 2003) p. 389-390.
12. Hyrum W. Smith, What Matters Most (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2000) p. 33-37.

What Gift Can We Give To Jesus This Christmas?

Christmas is a wonderful time of giving and remembering all the wonderful gifts we receive from the Savior of the world. We give gifts to family and friends but what gift can we give to Jesus. All the possessions we have are actually things Christ has already given or loaned to us. While we should give of our possessions to build the Kingdom of God, is it really a gift if we are simply returning to Christ something that is already His? There is one thing we have to offer to the Lord that is not already His—our will. Our obedience is the gift we can truly give to Christ this Christmas. May we give Christ the Christmas gift of obedience and follow His example when he said, “Father . . . not my will, but thine, be done.” (Luke 22:42)

“The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God’s altar. . . when you and I finally submit ourselves, by letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is truly ours to give!” (Neal Maxwell)

Special Offer
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“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” (Isaiah 9:6)

Gandhi's Experiment with Truth

As I mentioned in my previously newsletter, I recently finished the manuscript of a new book called “8 Attributes of Great Achievers.” The publisher asked me to include more stories in the book which I did and submitted to them. I then received an email from the president of the publishing company saying in part, “I read the original manuscript you had sent Jason and was impressed, so impressed that I wanted more :-) Hence, the request for additional stories . . .” After reading the additional stories the president sent me an email saying in part, “I’ve finished reviewing your additional stories and think they add tremendous depth to your synopsis of attributes. . . you should be very proud of how this turned out. We look forward to working with you on getting it into the hands of readers.”

I too am very pleased with how the book turned out. It turned about better than I imagined. I have felt the guidance of the Lord directing me as to what people to write about in relation to the different attributes and which stories to share. It is a miracle to me each time to see this come together. One of the reasons I love to write is because it is fun to be a part of the process. It is a great feeling to receive such feedback directly from the president of the publisher. It is also a humbling one for though I was the one to put words on the page, I give all honor and praise to God. I was merely an instrument in the hands of the Almighty.

One of the stories I added to the book was about Gandhi. Below is about ¼ of the Gandhi story from “8 Attributes of Great Achievers.

Gandhi’s Experiment with Truth

Gandhi began what he called “my experiment with truth.” He began studying various sources of truth and applying and testing the teachings in his own life. Gandhi said of the truths he strived to live by: “I have nothing new to teach the world. Truth and nonviolence are as old as the hills . . . Those who believe in the simple truths I have laid down can propagate them only by living them.”

Truth 1: “Be the change you want to see in the world.” -Gandhi
“A mother once brought her child to [Gandhi], asking him to tell the young boy not to eat sugar, because it was not good for his diet or his developing teeth. Gandhi replied, ‘I cannot tell him that. But you may bring him back in a month.’ The mother was frustrated as . . . she had traveled some distance, and had expected the great leader to support her parenting. . . Four weeks later she returned, not sure what to expect. The great Gandhi took the small child’s hand into his own, knelt before him, and tenderly cautioned, ‘Do not eat sugar, my child. It is not good for you.’ Then he embraced him and returned the boy to his mother. The mother, grateful but perplexed, queried, ‘Why didn’t you say that a month ago?’ ‘Well, said, Gandhi, ‘a month ago, I was still eating sugar.’” (Blaine Lee, The Power Principle, (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997) p. 170-171) Gandhi knew that to effectively lead others he must first lead himself. Gandhi wrote, “How can I control others if I cannot control myself?”

On another occasion “Gandhi was on a train pulling out of the station, [and] a European reporter running alongside his compartment asked him, “Do you have a message I can take back to my people?” It was a day of silence for Gandhi, part of his regular practice, so he didn’t reply. Instead he scribbled a few words on a piece of paper and passed it to the journalists: ‘My life is my message.’” (Lance H. K. Secretan, Inspire! What Great Leaders Do, (Wiley, 2004) p. 67) Gandhi believed that “an ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.”

Truth 2: “Nobody can hurt me without my permission.” -Gandhi
“As Gandhi hurriedly boarded a train that was beginning to depart, one of his sandals fell onto the tracks, and he immediately responded by taking off his second sandal and throwing it onto the tracks, so that later somebody would find both sandals and have a pair to wear.” (Anna Craft, Howard Gardner, Guy Claxton, Creativity, Wisdom, and Trusteeship, (Corwin Press, 2007) p. 90) Gandhi turned the negative experience of losing his sandal into a positive opportunity for service and giving. Gandhi believed that “experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with what happens to you.”

“H.G. Welles once asked for Gandhi’s views on a document Wells had co-authored entitled ‘Rights of Man.’ Gandhi did not agree with the document’s emphasis on rights. He responded with a cable that said, ‘I suggest the right way. Begin with a charter of Duties of Man and I promise the rights will follow as spring follows winter.” (Keshavan Nair, A Higher Standard of Leadership, (San Francisco: Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., 1997) p. 63)

Gandhi wrote of the harsh treatment, imprisonment and oppression he received, “You can chain me, you can torture me, you can even destroy this body, but you will never imprison my mind. . . The moment the slave resolves that he will no longer be a slave his fetters fall... freedom and slavery are mental states. . . They cannot take away our self-respect if we do not give it to them.”

What O’Clock Is It?*

When I was a young lad, my father one day called me to him that he might teach me how to know what o’clock it was. He told me the use of the minute finger and the hour hand, and described to me the figures on the dial plate, until I was pretty perfect in my part.

No sooner was I quite master of this additional knowledge, than I set off scampering to join my companions at a game of marbles; but my father called me back; “Stop, Humphrey,” said he, “I have something more to tell you.”
Back again I went, wondering what else I had to learn; for I thought I knew all about the clock, quite as well as my father did.

“Humphrey,” said he, “I have taught you to know the time of day; I must now teach you how to find out the time of your life.”

All this was strange to me, so I waited rather impatiently to hear how my father would explain it. . .

“The years of man,” says he, “[are] threescore and ten [70], or fourscore [80] years. Now life is very uncertain, and you may not live a single day longer; but if we divide the fourscore years of an old man’s life into twelve parts, like the dial of a clock, it will allow almost seven years for every figure. When a boy is seven years old, then it is one o’clock of his life, and this is the case with you; when you arrive at fourteen years, it will be two o’clock with you; and at twenty-one years, it will be three o’clock, should it please God thus to spare your life. In this, manner you may know the time of your life, and looking at the clock may, perhaps, remind you of it. My great-grandfather, according to this calculation, died at twelve o’clock; my grandfather at eleven, and my father at ten. At what hour you and I shall die, Humphrey, is only known to Him to whom all things are known.”

Never since then have I heard the inquiry, “What o’clock is it?” nor do I think I have ever looked at the face of the clock, without being reminded of the words of my father. I know not, my friends, what o’clock it is with you, but I know very well what time it is with myself; and that if I mean to do anything in this world, which hitherto I have neglected, it is high time to set about it. The words of my father have given a solemnity to the dial plate of the clock, which it would never have possessed, in my estimation, if these words had not been spoken. Look about you, my friends, I earnestly entreat you, now, and ask yourselves what o’clock it is with you.”

*Benjamin Franklin, The Way to Wealth, (New York: The New York Association for Improving the Condition of the Poor, 1848) p. 11

Walking on Water

As I was researching the topic of faith, several times I came across the story of Jesus walking on the water. The story reads, “Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, It is a spirit; and they cried out for fear. But straightway Jesus spake unto them, saying, Be of good cheer; it is I; be not afraid. And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matthew 14:25-31, KJV)

I read through numerous commentaries on these verses which talked about Peter’s doubt and fear that caused him to sink. As I pondered on the verses, I continually felt that I was missing some key lessons that were to be learned from this story. I began to wonder why Peter would ask to come out onto the water when Jesus was coming to get in the boat. After many hours of pondering, the spiritual impression came to me that Jesus had been teaching and telling the apostles that they were to do all the miracles that they had seen Him do. Matthew 10:5-8 reads, “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying . . . Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out devils: freely ye have received, freely give.” They were to do many might miracles as they had seen the Savior do. He told them that with faith they would be able to perform miracles and that nothing would be impossible to them.

When Peter saw Christ walking on the water, he had faith that if Jesus could walk on water so could he. For Christ had not only told Peter that through faith he could perform miracles but had also commanded Peter to perform miracles in His name. So Peter seeing the miracle of walking on water exercised his faith to perform this miracle also. A key to understanding this story is the phrase, “when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water.” (Matthew 14:29, KJV) Peter walked on water. It is not surprising that Jesus walked on water. He is God. He fed 5,000 with two fish and five loafs of bread, He cast out devils, He raised the dead, and He healed the sick. I believe it is much easier to believe that Christ can perform such miracles than it is to believe that we can perform such miracles in His name. The most amazing part of the story is that Peter, a mere man, walked on water. I wondered why Jesus would have answered, “Come” in response to Peter’s request to walk on the water. What was the purpose? The impression that came to me in answer to this question was that Jesus was showing Peter, the other disciples in the boat, and each of us who reads the New Testament today that with faith in Christ we can each do the mighty miracles which Christ performed. Reading about Peter walking on water should increase our faith to perform miracles in the name of the Lord. If we believe in Christ, signs and miracles will occur, Mark 16:17-18 reads, “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them: they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.”

Jesus is saying to each of us, “If thou canst believe, all things are possible.” (Mark 9:23, KJV) We should each strive to follow the example of the disciple Stephen found in Acts 6:8: “And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people.”

A Da Vinci Code for Success: Forgiveness

Leonard Da Vinci worked on painting The Last Supper for three years from 1495 to 1498. The painting was commissioned by the Duke Lodovico Sforza for the dining hall of the convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Milan, Italy. As the painting neared completion there were still two heads which were unfinished: Christ and Judas. Da Vinci had not yet found an acceptable model for Judas. For the image of Christ, he knew he needed inspiration to depict the heavenly divinity of the Master.

Milanese novelist Bandello, who often visited Da Vinci while he worked on The Last Supper related the following, “I have often seen him come very early and watched him mount the scaffolding—because The Last Supper is somewhat high above the floor—and then he would not put down his brush from sunrise till the night set in, yes, he forgot eating and drinking, and painted without ceasing. Then two, three or four days would pass without him doing anything, and yet he spent hours before the picture, lost in contemplation, examining, comparing, and gauging his figures.”

The days of no painting by Da Vinci offended one of the Priors (ruling magistrate), and receiving no answer to his complaint from Da Vinci, this dignitary who was accustomed to see workmen do their daily task, went to the Duke and laid complaints against the idle painter. The Duke called in Da Vinci and admonished him to paint, but told him he only did so to please the Prior. Da Vinci got angry, and knowing that Duke Lodovico was a sensible and intelligent man, he explained to him that great minds accomplish all the more, the less they appear to work, because their intellect invents and shapes the ideals which their hands afterwards delineate and work out. He added that he still wanted two heads for his picture: that of Christ, for which he could not find a model on earth, and that of Judas because he could not devise a countenance to represent the face of him who, after all the benefits he had received, shamefully betrays his Lord, the Creator of the world. Da Vinci then said that he no longer need to look for a model for Judas for he would use the head of the Prior for his model. The Duke smiled and the Prior feared he would be known as the face of the traitor Judas.

Da Vinci proceeded to paint the head of Judas as the Prior who had reported his idleness to the Duke. Once he completed the head of Judas, Da Vinci began to work on the face of the Savior. Da Vinci made several attempts to portray the face of the Master but each attempt let him with feelings of despair. He was unable to receive the inspiration he sought and needed to portray the face of the Redeemer of the World. Da Vinci then wiped off the face of Judas and sought out the Prior to ask for his forgiveness. It is recorded that on the night following his reconciliation with the Prior, Da Vinci saw Christ in a vision. Da Vinci saw the face of Christ more vividly than he ever saw it in his supreme moments of exalted inspiration, and so lasting was the impression that he was able on the next day to paint the face of Christ we see in The Last Supper today.

References
Adolf Rosenberg, Leonardo Da Vinci, (Bielfeld and Leipzig, Velhagen & Klasing: 1903) p. 68 -70; James Hastings, The Expository Times, Volume XIX, (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark: 1908) p. 427

What Cars Do the Wealthy Drive?

There is a common misconception that the wealthy drive Ferraris, have multimillion dollar houses, and wear extremely expensive clothes. Typically, those who drive expensive cars and wear expensive jewelry have a low net worth. Those with a high net worth are often unconcerned about how they are viewed by others. The prosperous value their financial independence much more than displaying high social status.

Forbes researched the 10 richest people to find out what kind of cars they drive. The results are interesting. “You won’t find a Bugatti, Ferrari, or BMW driven by these billionaires. But you will find a Lincoln, a Mazda, even a Dodge and a Ford. It seems that for the super-rich, a vehicle is seen not as a status symbol but a means to an end in which to get from point A to point B. Status is something that these billionaires need not prove to others. In many cases, the people on our list prefer to live inconspicuously.” (Nate Chapnick, “Top 10 Vehicles Owned by Billionaires,” Forbes) On average, the cars they drive are six years old. Research from the book The Millionaire Next Door revealed that eighty percent of millionaires spent less than $41,300 on their most expensive car. (Thomas J. Stanley, William D. Danko, The Millionaire Next Door, (New York: Simon & Schuster, 1996) p. 113) In 2006, Warren Buffet, the richest man in the world, drove a 2001 Lincoln Towncar with the license plate “Thirty.”


Oftentimes those who display the highest social status (big house, fancy cars, expensive clothes, jewelry) actually have the least in terms of net worth and financial independence. They create the illusion of wealth by greatly leveraging their income to purchase items on credit. A great deal of their money goes toward paying interest, and nothing they have is really theirs—it is the bank’s. The prosperous enjoy the security and independence of owning their possessions more than social praise and status. This paradox is similar to the Indian proverb, “A mango tree loaded with fruit bends to the ground; the one without fruit stands tall.” Or as they say in Texas, "Big Hat, No Cattle."