Message of the Day - Convicted by Conviction

Good Morning,

 

Staying true to your convictions is a very difficult task. Life has many obstacles to hurl at you to through you off your path. Peer pressure to name but one challenge forces many people to do things that they would not normally do. Why do we succumb to peer pressure…because we want to belong and be accepted by others? If you look at Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, the third and fourth needs are met when we belong.

 

Someone staying true to their convictions will face up to peer pressure and not succumb. They will become less popular, they will be ridiculed. They will become labeled and they will be able to look at themselves in the mirror and know they did the right thing. Being yourself and staying true to your convictions means being passed over for promotions, not picked for ‘the team’ and having others question your values, actions, beliefs and facing a lot of disappointment.

 

Why, then, should we be dedicated to our convictions?

 

Desmond Doss refused to kill, carry a weapon or violate the precepts of his religion. Yet, when World War II came, he volunteered to fight for his nation, while remaining true to his convictions. He was a conscientious objector. As depicted in the movie Conscientious Object www.desmondoss.com Desmond became a medic and performed heroic acts, saving lives even while under fire and injured. He was hated by his peers, yet he did what he felt was right, many of those detractors later loved him for it, because they were saved by the very man who they despised.

 

At a recent military change of command ceremony where a friend of our family turned over the reigns of his brigade, we heard his commanding General tell of our friend and his dedication to his beliefs which have helped make him the best of the best. The General also spoke of a man he saw at Walter Reed Hospital, who was committed to serving our nation, no matter what. The man had lost three limbs and wanted to know if he could still serve. The General told him that there will always be place for people of such conviction.

 

Gary, one of my former team mates stayed true to his convictions, and for his dedication to his belief’s he was passed over for promotion, and relegated to tasks that were beneath his skill level. Yesterday Gary proudly informed me of the promotion he did receive. And what a sweet victory it is.

 

Staying true to your conviction is not easy, but in the end it pays you back many, many times over.

 

There are many more of us out there who are also staying true to our convictions, and I applaud all of you. Remember as the General said, there will always a place for those who stay convicted to their convictions.

 

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford Berenberg

Sanford@berenberg.net

http://sanfordberenberg.blogspot.com/  ß Check out the new Blog site

502-533-9336

 

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