Surfing the news for highlights today I pondered. No word from Donald Trump; he’s probably gone golfing. Covid-19 has drifted into the background, didn’t even deserve a mention. North Korea seems to have faded into insignificance. Nothing new from China, just the usual incompetent bullying and threatening. Reality TV actors’ scandals have been exposed trying to make the shows look more real. The ‘ex royals’ Harry and Meghan telling Oprah what the media, who pays them, wants to hear. That’s it. If this is the worst, most breaking news, we indeed live in a wonderful world.
Deliver the Goods
Cut the bullshit. Talk is cheap, to fulfil a promise is what counts. It seems most politicians have never progressed from their bragging teenage years when the buck stopped with the rhetoric. The Roman emperors provided the people with bread and circuses trying to win their support. Our contemporary politicians withdraw the bread to help pay for more circuses whilst failing to deliver the goods. Pay your debts and don’t excuse crime. Excuses lead to impunity. Impunity creates repeat offenders, from the humble petty thief all the way to the political tyrant. If you genuinely want to do something, e.g.travel, study or join a club, don’t waste your time talking about it. Unless you actually commit to it you are not genuine.
If you run a shop, keep your shelves well stocked. If you run a restaurant, have what’s on the menu, if you are unable to do so, take it off the menu. If you work in the trades, turn up on time and finish the job. Forget the fancy ads and surveys. Most of all, be fair to the customer, your employees and yourself. The written word is powerful, though it only has value once materialised. A teacher or an author who doesn’t do as he/she preaches is an imposter. Philosophy in itself is useless – it only has value once implemented and cultivated.
“Use words only when necessary” (St. Francis of Assisi).