171st Edition
Models of Success
One of the most effective ways for an individual to succeed, despite hardships, disadvantages, or man-made obstacles, is to have a model of success to follow. For anyone who doesn’t think they can be successful, or who has been told by others that success is beyond their reach, a model of success can be transformative.
Think back to the beginning of your career. Did you have a model of success that inspired you? How many young people today don’t have one? My sense is that the percentage of young people lacking inspiration is relatively high. Why is that and what can we do about it?
Jason Riley, in his recent essay, “A ‘Community Activist’ Who Listened to Communities” tells how the late Robert L. Woodson, a renowned community activist, took a different approach to poverty compared to other leading activists. In a nutshell, Woodson looked to identify and elevate success stories, while others advocated for more government programs and additional entitlements to solve problems related to poverty. The latter approach is based on promoting class warfare, contending that there are basically two groups: the oppressors and oppressed, or the haves and the have-nots. This approach tries to convince the have-nots that they are victims, that the only way they can be rescued is by the government, and that success through their own initiative is virtually impossible. History over the last fifty years or so, has proven that this approach has been a profound failure. Yet, notwithstanding government waste and corruption, and despite the growing interest in socialism and state control, our country continues to produce amazing success stories by courageous individuals who achieved success independent of government handouts. Most of them remain off the radar screen of the mainstream media, as well as those advocating for more state control. Wouldn’t it make more sense to elevate these extraordinary people, and encourage them to serve as mentors and role models for others to follow? Could it be that many of these successful individuals would gladly share their story but are fearful that they will be labeled and attacked as an oppressor? Or told that they didn’t build that?
Both sides of this equation are fearful. Those advocating for more state control are fearful that they will lose whatever power they have and that people will figure out that totalitarianism, however it is labeled, destroys individual freedom and has resulted in death and suffering wherever it has existed throughout history. Meanwhile, individuals who value freedom of opportunity are fearful of a dishonest, bureaucratic state and the institutions it now controls – namely entertainment, academia, and the mainstream media. To these individuals, it seems much safer and prudent to remain off the radar screen. Professor Robert George calls us all to be “relentless truth seekers, and courageous truth speakers.” Are we doing the first part but are reluctant to do the second part?
In Riley’s essay, he highlights an interesting quote from Woodson – “The victimizer might have knocked you down, but it is the victim that has to get up.” I know dozens of successful people, and every single one of them was knocked down at some point in their journey. Why do some get up and others embrace victimhood and look to the state to rescue them?
Teaching resilience and perseverance should begin at an early age, and reinforcement of these essential character traits should never stop. At some point, we have to stop believing in the basic lie of the statists that equality is achievable but only through government control.
There is no such thing as a level playing field. Everyone has some advantages and some disadvantages. No two people have the same talents, abilities, or personality. Nor are they exposed to the same environmental influences. Some people will set lofty goals they have no chance of ever achieving, yet the character that they develop while striving to achieve them will have a profound impact on their life. Others will fail in every way, only to find a loving Savior at some point along the journey. God created all of us uniquely and in His image. Only by understanding who God is, and who we are individually in relation to God can we eliminate the fixation with class warfare. Despite what the statists contend, we aren’t haves and have-nots. We are brothers and sisters. Each unique. Each unconditionally loved by God. We all struggle in unique ways. We can all find joy in extraordinary ways, as well. Through it all, we all decide how we handle our accomplishments as well as our failures. God calls us to be in community, connected to each other in countless ways, and to ignore those who implore us to remain distrustful and separate.
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Michael Kayes
*These views are my personal opinions and are not the viewpoints of any company or organization.