The Scoutmaster Minute Blog Response to "You Make the Call"

Jerry Schleining over at the blog "The Scoutmaster Minute" on November 29 published the post "You Make the Call". Below you will find an excerpt from the post that in my opinion pretty much sums up the topic discussed within the post:

"So you make the call? Have you made a choice to do something with your life?

Have you broken it down to smaller parts to manage your goals better?

Have you given up? Do you have a positive outlook?

And you want Results or keep making excuses?

It is simple, but it starts with you and a choice."

"You make the call."

This post discusses outlook on life and personal accountability, which I struggle with on a daily basis. The reasons why I struggle really aren't important but what is important here is my reaction to this post. My initial reaction was to comment and tell the author how he is wrong and that the situation was more complex than he made it seem. It to me was an attack on who I was as a person and my values. However, before I posted a comment about how the author was wrong, the rational voice in my head took over and told me............."Mark you need to calm down and reread the post before you post something you regret".

Luckily I listened and reread the post. After doing so I realized that even though it felt like a "punch in face" it was something that I needed to hear and to take some time to reflect. After reflecting I decided that this was a time in my life where you need to not take it personally and accept that I am the person that needs to change. This situation reminds of an quote about the truth that I strongly believe in:

"Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they

don't want their illusions destroyed."

~Friedrich Nietzsche

In response to this illusion I hold, I hereby declare:

1. I will make a sincere effort to say 5 positive things that happened each day. These 5 positive things will be logged on my computer and then posted to this blog on a weekly basis. I will do this every week for 12 weeks.
2. I will say at least 1 positive thing to 3 different people each and everyday. If I am not going to leave the house on one day I will write a short message or email to a friend or family member each and every day for 12 weeks.
3. I will not allow myself to see more than 3 days each week as a complete failure or hopeless endeavor.
4. I will hold myself accountable to the two daily and 1 weekly goal by regularly updating the readers of this blog on a regular basis.

I also hereby challenge anyone who has trouble with keeping a positive outlook on life to join me in this challenge. If you choose to accept this challenge I encourage you to log your experience on either a blog you contribute to or on a social networking site you regular interact with such as Facebook or Twitter. Posting this on a blog or social networking site is to help ensure you follow through with this challenge. Furthermore, anyone participating in this challenge should at your discretion inform me of your acceptance of this challenge.

Thank you to all who are regular readers of this blog. I hope through this challenge and several other changes in purpose/programming that I will make an effort to provide regular content updates. As always thank you for your participation or service to Scouting, as without all you members Scouting would not be possible.

Yours in Scouting Service

Mark West

Eagle Scout 

Assistant District Commissioner

Critical Need Unit Team 

Assistant Cubmaster Pack 0125

If you are paid to do Scouting, you are called a Professional. If you are not paid to do Scouting, you are called a volunteer. If you pay to do Scouting, you are called a Scouter.