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11:59 AM
From the Book of Virtures
Perseverance
"The noblest question in the world," observed Benjamin Franklin in Poor Richard, "is What good may I do in it?" "Hang in there!" is more than an expression of encouragement to someone experiencing hardship or difficulty; it is sound advice for anyone intent on doing good in the world. Whether by leading or prodding others, or improving oneself, or contributing in the thick of things to some larger cause, perseverance is often crucial to success.
Drawing on an ancient Chinese proverb, Harry Truman recounted in his Memoirs that being president "is like riding a tiger. A man has to keep on riding or be swallowed." He went on to explain that "a President either is constantly on top of events or, if he hesitates, events will soon be on top of him. I never felt that I could let up for a single moment." Perseverance is an essential quality of character in high-level leadership. Much good that might have been achieved in the world is lost through hesitation, faltering, wavering, vacillating, or just not sticking with it.
Perseverance is also essential to the watchdog's and gadfly's approaches to working for good in the world. Socrates, self-acknowledged gadfly of ancient Athens, was absolutely serious in proclaiming at his trial (as recounted in Plato's Apology) that "as long as I draw breath and am able, I shall not cease to practice philosophy, to exhort you and in my usual way to point out to any one of you whom I happen to meet: Good Sir, you are an Athenian, a citizen of the greatest city with the greatest reputation for both wisdom and power; are you not ashamed of your eagerness to possess as much wealth, reputation, and honors as possible, while you do not care for or give thought to wisdom or truth, or the best possible state of your soul?" Socrates' persistent exhortations proved too much for many Thenians, however, and he was condemned. But there are worse fates, as Socrates himself pointed out: while he had merely been condemned to death, his accusers had by that same act been condemned to wickedness!
"Slow and steady wins the race," runs the moral of Aesop's familiar fable of the tortoise and the hare. Plutarch in his Life of Sertorius recounts how this great Roman soldier, while serving as praetor in Spain in the first century B.C., contrived a demonstration for his troops to the same effect, following which he addressed them in this manner: "You see, fellow soldiers, that perseverance is more prevailing than violence, and that many things which cannot be overcome when they are together, yield themselves up when taken little by little. Assiduity and persistence are irresistible, and in time overthrow and destroy the greatest powers whatever, time being the favorable friend and assistant of those who use their judgment to await his occasions, and the destructive enemy of those who are unreasonably urging and pressing forward."
Like most other virtues, persistence and perseverance cannot operate for good in the world in isolation from practical intelligence. A person who is merely persistent may be a carping, pestering, irksome annoyance, having no salutary effect whatsoever. But given the right context, occurring in the right combination with other virtues, perseverance is an essential ingredient in human progress. Sam Adams saw it thus in the gestation period prior to our birth as a nation. "The necessity of the times,"he proclaimed in 1771, "more than ever, calls for our utmost circumspection, deliberation, fortitude, and perseverance." And the same holds true today.
How do we encourage our children to persevere, to persist in thier efforts to improve themselves, their own lot, and the lot of others? By standing by them, and with them and behind them; by being coaches and cheerleaders, and by the witness of our own example. Modern technology has made some of this much easier for us. Video and tape recordings are convincing evidence of the long-term progress that is sometimes hard to see in the short term.
Elder Garcia
April 21, 2010 11:53 AM
From the Book of Virtues
"We become brave by doing brave acts," observed Aristotle in the Nicomachean Ethics. Dispositions of character, virtues and vices, are progressively fixed in us through practice. Thus "by being habituated to despise things that are terrible and to stand our ground against them we become brave, and it is when we have become so that we shall be most able to stand our ground against them."
Standing ground against threatening things is not to be confused with fearlessness, however. Being afraid is a perfectly appropriate emotion when confronted with fearful things. The great American novelist Herman Melville makes the Aristotelian point beautifully in a telling passage in Moby Dick, where Starbuck, the chief mate of the Pequod, first addresses the crew. " 'I will have no man in my boat,' said Starbuck, 'who is not afraid of a whale.' By this, he seemed to mean, not only that the most reliable and useful courage was that which arises from the fair estimation of the encountered peril, but that an utterly fearless man is a far more dangerous comrade than a coward."
The brave person is not one who is never afraid. That is rather the description of a rash or reckless person, someone who may be more harm than help in a n emergency. It is hard to "educate " such a person on the spot. The coward, on the other hand, the one who characteristically lacks confidence and is disposed to be overly fearful, may yet be susceptible to the encouragement of example.
The infectious nature of strikingly courageous behavior on the part of one person can inspire-and also in part can shame-a whole group. That was one key to the kind of courage inspired by Horatius at the bridge in ancient Rome and by Henry V at Agincourt. It was one key to the kind of courage displayed by those who silently suffered abuse when they joined ranks with Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., in acts of nonviolent protest directed at rousing the public conscience against injustice. Another key to their success, of course, was reason: practical reason delivered with the kind of eloquence that is informed by a real command of one's cultural heritage and that steels the will to take intelligent action. The mere inclination to do the right thing is not in itself enough. We have to know what the right thing to do is. We need wisdom-often the wisdom of a wise leader-to give our courage determinate form, to give it intelligent direction. And we need the will, the motivating power that inspiring leaders can sometimes help us discover within ourselves even when we are unable to find it readily on our own.
If Aristotle is right-and I think that he is-then courage is a settled disposition to feel appropriate degrees of fear and confidence in challenging situation (what is "appropriate" varying a good deal with the particular circumstances). It is also a settled disposition to stand one's ground, to advance or to retreat as wisdom dictates. Before such dispositions become settled, however, they need to be established in the first place. And that means practice, which in turn means facing fears and taking stands in advance of any settled disposition to do so: acting bravely when we don't really feel brave.
Fear of the dark is almost universal among young children, and it provides relatively safe opportunities for first lessons in courage. In families, older siblings are greatly assisted in cultivating their own dispositions in this respect by putting up a brave front before their younger brothers or sisters. "You see? There's really nothing to be afraid of." This is excellent practice, and a fine place to begin. Occasions for being brave on behalf of others-for standing by them in challenging circumstances-are occasions for becoming brave ourselves; that is, for learning how to handle our own confidence and fear, for figuring out the right thing to do, and for mustering the will to do it.
Elder Garcia
Wednesday, April 14, 2010 12:04 PM
I don't have much to say again. Things have been kind of crazy lately. I just want everyone to know that I'll be writing letters more. If you write me one, I will write you back. That way I can have more time on P-Day to write my weekly report. Anyways, my address is:
Elder Artemio Leon Garcia
Utah Salt Lake City Mission
3487 South 1300 East
Salt Lake City, UT 84106
if you lost it.
Also, just to let you know, if you want me to email some pics to you, pics cost money, and I'm poor enough as it is. Hint hint, wink wink, nod nod.
Later.
Elder Garcia
Thursday, April 8, 2010 11:26 AM
Okay everyone, this week is going to be a little different. I'm
writing this first so that I can spend as much time writing to my
friend's mom as possible. This lady seems to think that I am a plague
on this earth that should be disposed of. She thinks that I am a
threat to everything that is good and decent and pure and righteous
about her daughter and that I should go back to Hell from whence I
spawned from.
This is something I need to settle. I did not start this war but I
sure as Heaven am going to try and finish it.
I've met and befriended hundreds of individuals over the course of my
lifetime. I've been adopted into so many families that I've long since
stopped counting (cause the list keeps growing, even out here in the
mission) because I just become one of the family. I've been there for
anyone who's ever needed me and I've put my love into everyone as
though they were my blood family. I don't play with people's lives. I
don't seek to destroy anyone's soul. If I can, I try to embrace
everyone as if I haven't seen them for a really long time, like how I
think Heavenly Father gives hugs.
This is who I am. If anyone out there can call me out on this, please
do so. Because if I am the kind of man this lady makes me out to be,
then why am I even on a mission?
I don't think there is anyone out there who knows me like a brother,
son, or friend who can do so. Not from what I've seen. Not from who I
know.
If I may ask for those who believe this as I do to email me, I would
much appreciate it. Anyone whom I've affected or touched, or helped,
or impressed, or influenced in any way. I get the feeling I may need
the testimonies of others in the near future if after my mission this
woman decides to press charges (and yes, I'm serious).
On a lighter note, I would like to take some time to thank some people
who hardly ever hear it from me starting with my mom.
Mommy, I know that a lot of times it was difficult to raise a child
as... stubborn as I was. I know many times you wanted to just slap me
around if only to knock some sense into me. I know you worried more
often than not about where my actions would put me in the future. I
know you tried so hard to be strong in front of me and tried to never
let me see you cry. I'm sorry I disappointed you on occasion.
But thank you. Thank you for raising me to the best of your ability.
Thank you for raising me in the gospel. Thank you for trying to give
me what I needed most. You've influenced me for the better. You taught
me correct principles. Without you, I wouldn't have so many people who
support me, and care for me, and can't wait for me to come home.
Without you, I wouldn't have even been born!
To sum it all up...
Proud of your boy
I'll make you proud of your boy
Believe me, bad as I've been
Ma you're in for a pleasent surprise
I've wasted time
I've wasted me
So say I'm slow for my age
A late bloomer, okay, I agree
That I've been one rotten kid,
Some son, some pride, and some joy
But I'll get over these lousin' up
Messin' up, screwin' up times
You'll se, Ma, now comes the better part
Someone's gonna make good
Cross his stupid heart
Make good and finally make you
Proud of your boy
Tell me that I've been a louse and a loafer
You won't get a fight here, no ma'am
Say I'm a goldbrick, a goof-off, no good
But that couldn't be all that I am
Water flows under the bridge
Let it pass, let it go
There's no good reason that you should believe me
Not yet, I know, but
Someday and soon
I'll make you proud of your boy
Though I can't make myself taller
Or smarter or handsome or wise
I'll do my best, what else can I do?
Since I wasn't born perfect like Dad or you
Mom, I will try to
Try hard to make you
Proud of your boy
Clay Aiken - Proud of Your Boy
Daddy, I know you've never trusted me to do anything right. I don't
mean that in a negative way. After all, I've never really shown you
that I could do anything right. I've never applied myself like you
wanted me to. I've never shown responsibility of any sort. I don't
blame you for not trusting me.
I know that you've had a different childhood growing up and that
you've always tried to give me what you've never had (sometimes at the
expense of Mommy's anger). I know that you didn't really know how to
talk to me. More often than not, when we tried we would always yell.
So we learned not to talk at all.
I want to tell you that I'm sorry I didn't have enough patience to try
and understand you. I'm sorry I never took the time to get to know
you. I always took, took, took and you always gave, gave, gave. I was
selfish and inconsiderate and I'm sorry.
I look up to you though. I've watched you even when you never thought
I would. I've seen people mock you behind your back and lie to your
face but none of that mattered as long as someone noticed and
complimented you on your talents. You seemed to live for these moments
and I could see you glow when it happened.
Daddy, you've taught me how even though the world tries to bring us
down, we can just ignore it. You were the one who taught me to do
what's right when no one else will. You showed me that as long as we
do the best that we can, we've done more than those that just sit back
and do nothing.
To all those that mock my parents, pardon my language but screw you.
They are some of the greatest people I will EVER know. Without them, I
would not be me or who I am. I know that there are those out there who
will never read this but I state this anyways: if I hear anyone mock
or talk bad about those that I love I will straight up punch you in
the face. I've learned how to do that. NO ONE talks bad about anyone I
care about in front of me. So learn to "Nay Speak No Ill" cause if you
harm me for doing what's right, I've got hundreds of others who will
back me up.
I make this promise: when I get home, I'm going to do a solo for my
dad for my homecoming talk. I also make this promise: when it's in my
means, I'm going to buy a place where my WHOLE family can live and I
will support them if they can't do so themselves (friends included).
Like Gandhi said, "be the change you want to see in the world." Like
it or not, I'm going to change the world, even if it's only one
person's world. I'm tired of waiting for everyone else to change
things. That means I've got to change.
As far as my mission goes, I'm once again in a different area called
the Cannon Stake (don't know where it is cause I'm brand new to the
area). I'm once again back in the English Program (glory hallelujah!)
and my new comp is Elder Shriver. He's my District Leader (I'm DLC or
DLA or whatever you call it. Just not DLB... District Leader's B.....)
He was my DL in the MTC so this'll be an interesting transfer.
I love everyone out there (some of you more than others). Take care,
don't die, live well, eat [healthy delicious foods that will provide
you with energy to last throughout the day]!
Elder Garcia
P.S. Ask my mom if you want my myldsmail (although it shouldn't be too
hard to figure it out since it's also my yahoo and gmail name as
well...)
P.S.S. This is a fish -> >*{{{v===€
I ate him and now I'm sad :*(
(Note from Mom: Son, I could never be disappointed in you. I'm so proud of you and all you have accomplished in your life! I love you for Eternity!)
