Foundation for Progress

Taking my morning walk in solitude, I continue to appreciate the fact that the most valuable things in life stem from intrinsic qualities. The ability to gain insight through solitude, in my view, is one of man's most precious gifts. 

During my morning stroll through our nature trail here in Orchard Lake Michigan, an abundance of light shine through the trees and illuminate my mind with constructive ideas. These ideas help connect the dots to my strategic action plans that have been earlier drawn up and correlated with results and feedback from actions taken accordingly. 

The whole of my existence is essentially a study on progress, and the purpose of my life is to make sense of it all. To do this, I must understand the nature of progress and its causes. 

My mother influenced me to put forth great effort to achieve some level of progress that can be used as a stepping stone to further progress. Her genuine motivation to strive and obtain a bit of achievement was driven by the socioeconomic struggles she endured as a young adult. As Booker T. Washington so eloquently asserted:

Success is to be measured not so much by the position that one has reached in life as by the obstacles which he has overcome while trying to succeed.

Raising five children as a single mother presented pressuring circumstances that led her to seek economic opportunities through social programs and personal development. During these times, as a young child, I can remember seeing my mother honing in on her studies for medical school, practicing shorthand and typewriting for the employment of transcription. I would rise early morning, excited to help mother with her daily practice. Holding up a book so mother could see the content while she typed, I would press and depress the stopwatch to record her speed. This was truly an amazing experience! 

Although we had little economically, I realized we had a enough for progress. My mother exemplified this notion with her efforts, and later in life I began to realize this powerful lesson: 

One has to establish a foundation for progress to achieve one's full potential.

Thank you mother for bestowing your wisdom and example upon me. For the seeds of your ambition and sense of responsibility has forever directed my path to progress.

Gratefully,

Sidney Jones