What is CLASS?

What is CLASS?


Class never runs scared. It is sure-footed and confident in the knowledge that you can meet life head on and handle whatever comes along.

Jacob had it. Esau didn't. Symbolically, we can look to Jacob's wrestling match with the angel. Those who have class have wrestled with their own personal angel and won a victory that marks them thereafter.

Class never makes excuses. It takes its lumps and learns from past mistakes.

Class is considerate of others. It knows that good manners are nothing more than a series of small sacrifices.

Class bespeaks an aristocracy that has nothing to do with ancestors or money. The most affluent blueblood can be totally without class while the descendant of a Welsh miner may ooze class from every pore.

Class never tries to build itself up by tearing others down. Class is already up and need not strive to look better by making others look worse.

Class can "walk with kings and keep its virtue and talk with crowds and keep the common touch." Everyone is comfortable with the person who has class because he is comfortable with himself.

If you have class you don't need much of anything else. If you don't have it, no matter what else you have, it doesn't make much difference.



-Unknown

Words of the Shawnee

Sent to me by a good friend yesterday and fully embodies the life philosophy of those most influential in my life and in whom I've always had the utmost respect.

"Live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart.Trouble no one about his religion.Respect others in their views and demand that they respect yours.Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life.Seek to make your life long and of service to your people.Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide.Always give a word or sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend,or even a stranger, if in a lonely place.Show respect to all people, but grovel to none.When you rise in the morning, give thanks for the light,for your life, for your strength.Give thanks for your food and for the joy of living.If you see no reason to give thanks, the fault lies in yourself.Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to foolsand robs the spirit of its vision.When your time comes to die,be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death,so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more timeto live their lives over again in a different way.Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home." -  --  Tecumseh

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Senate Agriculture Committee Field Hearing at Michigan State University

Senate Agriculture Committee Field Hearing at Michigan State University

                                     Tuesday, May 31, 2011  

The purpose of the hearing was to discuss opportunities of growth for American Agriculture and focused on the reauthorization of the Farm Bill examining agriculture, energy, conservation, rural development, research, forestry, and nutrition policies that affect Michigan.

Panel I Witnesses:  Welcome from Michigan State University

Dr. Lou Anna K. Simon

President, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI

• MSU’s leadership in specialty crop research has yielded USDA awards of $23.8 million in the last three years. This funding is invested in improving the quality, yield, and diseases resistance of Michigan’s main agriculture crops. MSU has begun the process of consolidating to better serve the state within funding constraints that are apparent with the 2012 Farm Bill.

Dr. J. Ian Gray

Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies, Michigan State University

• Support for CREATE-21 should be continued. “Create Research, Extension, and Teaching Excellence for the 21st Century” is requiring more funding of approximately $2 billion per year over a seven year period. Research would make up to 55 percent of the total and integrated programs would comprise the remaining 45 percent. This would allow the USDA to improve university research programs and develop the science that will guide the direction of American agriculture of the future.
• MSU’s research programs are the basis for new applications in agriculture that improve productivity, economic value, nutrition and safety. MSU has been focusing on research that benefits U.S. agriculture in the following areas.

-          Genomics and improved potato breeding

-          Cold tolerance

-          RosBREED project

-          Oil engineering

-          Swine production

Dr. Thomas G. Coon

Director of Michigan State University Extension, East Lansing, MI

• The national on-line presence of the Cooperative Extension, eXtension, continues to grow with investments from Farm Bill appropriations.
• MSUE supports current Farm Bill legislation such as North Central Region Center for Rural Development which is hosted by MSU.
• Federal support for Extension programs under the Farm Bill is an investment that promotes national stability and garners local and state support. Every dollar received from Smith‐Lever and Hatch funding is leveraged 16 times with funds from state, local, and grant sources making  funding given to Extension services though the Farm Bill, a prudent investment.
  
  

Panel II Witnesses:  Michigan Agricultural Production and Farm Bill Principles

Mr. Clark Gerstacker

Corn and Soybean Production; Member, Michigan Corn Growers Association, Midland, MI

• Important for Michigan farmers to have access to affordable risk management tools. 2012 Farm Bill is important because it ensures that the two percent of Americans that comprise the nation’s agriculture sector continue to provide low priced food for the other 98 percent of Americans.
• ACRE and crop insurance absolutely are very effective and cannot be relinquished in the new Farm Bill. Adjusting ACRE program triggers to be tied more closely to the individual farm will protect farmers from repetitive crop losses.
• 2012 Farm Bill should strive to be producer-based not land owner-based. This assures that the land owner who simply leases out the land does not reap benefits but only the crop grower who assumes all the risks.

Mr. Ben LaCross

Cherry Production; Chair, American Farm Bureau, Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, Cedar, MI

·         Young agriculture producers need the 2012 Farm Bill to consist of research, support mechanisms, rural development, conservation, and market access.

·         Value added agriculture is significant driver of Michigan’s and nation’s economy. Processed fruits and vegetables have a significant plane in America’s economy and the 2012 Farm Bill Committee should consider restoring processed fruits and vegetables back into the snack program.

Mr. Ray Van Driessche

Sugar Beet Production and Conservation, Director of Community and Government Relations, Michigan Sugar Company, Bay City, MI

• Key reasons that a strong domestic sugar industry and an effective sugar policy are needed in the U.S.

-          Food security

-         Importance of size and efficiency

-         Restructuring

-         Trade challenges

Ms. Julia Rothwell

Apple Production; Chair, U.S. Apple Association, Belding, MI

·         The economic health of rural communities in Michigan is directly tied to specialty crops such as the apple industry. The most viable 2008 Farm Bill programs that should be continued or developed to protect the America’s specialty crops are:

-         Specialty Crop Block Grant

-         Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI)

-         National Clean Plant Network

-         Market Access Program (MAP)

-         Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops Program (TASC)

-         Tree Assistance Program (TAP)

-         Immigration reform and worker guest programs

Mr. Ken Nobis

Dairy Production; President, Michigan Milk Producers Association, St. Johns, MI

• The Price Support Program disadvantages dairy farmers in today’s dairy industry. The cost of producing a hundred pounds of milk in the U.S. averaged about $17.30 during 2008-2010, and the Dairy Product Price Support Program only supported the price of all milk produced at $10.90.

•  Milk Income Loss Contract (MILC) program is ineffective because recent increases in feed costs have eroded the MILC-fixed price target and have created inequities among dairy farmers based on the scale of their operations. Less than half of milk producers are currently eligible for MILC payments thus rendering it an ineffective safety net.

Mr. Peter B. Blauwiekel

Pork Production; Member, Michigan Pork Producers Council, Fowler, MI

• NPPC has organized a Farm Bill Policy Task Force with the purpose of gathering opinions from producers around the country
• NPPC hopes Congress will consider the following factors in evaluating the needs of the U.S. pork industry

                     -Maintain the U.S. pork industry’s competitive advantage

                     - Strengthen the industry’s competitiveness

                     - Defend the industry’s competitiveness by opposing unwarranted rules

Panel II Questions:

1. Senator Roberts ask Ms. Julia Rothwell to rank the top two most important USDA programs. Miss Rothwell declines.

2. Senator Roberts asks about dairy policy and if the U.S. is still a reliable seller. Mr. Ken Nobis answers that efforts should be focused on international marketing.

3. Chairwoman Stabenow asks about how to build value-added programs.

      Mr. Van Driessche says funding is needed with developing processing.

4. Chairwoman Stabenow asks why Michigan dairies were better of than the rest of the dairy industry.

            Mr. Ken Nobis states, “We have, it’s because we are smarter”.

5. Senator Roberts asks about the ACRE program noting that 6% Michigan farmers signed up. Timing and complexity of payments received are impediments.

6. Chairwoman Stabenow asks what can be done to help beginning farmers.

      Mr. Ben LaCross states that credit access and generational transfers are the       biggest problems.

Panel III:  Farm Bill Stakeholders in Michigan

Mrs. Karen Serfass

Forestry Production; Past President, Michigan Forest Association, Dafter, MI

·         Congress needs to consider enabling new income sources and reducing costs of land management.

1.       Federal green building policies should be revamped that discourage use of wood products

2.       Development of other market-based approaches to conservation such as carbon storage, water and renewable energy

3.       Reduce regulatory burdens on family forest owners such as the potential for new Clean Water Act regulations on pesticide applications and forest roads

4.      Permanent repeal of the estate tax

Ms. Kristen Holt, President

Quality Assurance International (QAI) and Senior Vice President, Food Safety & Quality, NSF International, Ann Arbor, MI

• Programs that impact the organic industry extend beyond the Horticulture and Organic Agriculture title of the Farm Bill to conservation, trade, research, rural development and crop insurance.
• The 2012 Farm Bill committee should focus on areas addressed by the public sector to include long-term research. Programs should be evaluated based on return on investment, and policies should be supported that improve rural incomes and long-term sustainability of soil, water and human resources.
• Full support for the organic titles from 2008 would yield a return on investment equal to 40 dollars returned for every federal tax dollar spent.

Mr. Eric Davis

Director, Food Initiative, United Way for Southeastern Michigan, Detroit, MI

• The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) helps alleviate family hunger. The
  United Way
  pursues opportunities to create better access to affordable, nutritious food and encourages the 2012 Farm Bill committee to ensure that SNAP continues to meet the needs of Michigan and the U.S.

-          Focus should be on strengthening the safety net in rural communities

-          Streamline access through cross-sector efforts ( Michigan Benefits Access Initiative)

        

Mr. Dennis West

President, Northern Initiatives, Marquette, MI

• A restoration of the $100 million of mandatory funds each year to a Rural Renewal Initiative is needed to help create job opportunity in rural America. The utilization of the following programs funded should be prioritized in areas suffering from higher unemployment, low incomes and high poverty.

-          Intermediary Relending Program

-          Rural Micro entrepreneur Assistance Program

-          Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program

-          Water and Sewer Program

-          Water and Sewer Program

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Mr. James Reid

Reid Dairy Farm, Grant Township, MI

• REAP allows operations to implement energy efficiency practices. Total investment cost in installing the solar panels on the Reid Dairy Farm was over $140,000. The reduction in energy costs is estimated to be $5,000 a year. Without financial assistance via the REAP program, the return on investment would  take 28 years as opposed to 4 years under the incentives given with the REAP program.

Mr. David Armstrong

President and CEO, Greenstone Farm Credit Services, East Lansing, MI

• Farm Credit utilizes all available program resources that permit credit to be disseminated among the broadest range of producers. The guaranteed loan program of the Farm Services Agency allows credit to be extended to farmers that do not have as much equity as other producers.

• Credit programs need to be evaluated to ensure that they accurately reflect the needs of today’s farmers. It is necessary that caps on loan size be allowed to fluctuate based on inflation in land values.

• Definition of what an eligible farm is should be made flexible to alleviate risk to corporate structures.

Panel III Questions:

1. Chairwoman Stabenow asks about challenges to organic farming.

       Ms. Holt answers.

1. Branding of USDA organic label most important
2. Cost sharing
3. Conversion funding between organic and conventional producers
4. EQIP

2. Senator Roberts asks if the solar panels provided by the REAP program will ever pay for themselves without REAP.

Mr. Reid answers probably if electricity costs rise and households start using more panels so that the cost per panel declines.

   

Overview of Senate Agriculture Committee's 1st 2012 Farm Bill Hearing: Importance of American Involvment in Global Food Supply

 Senate Agriculture Committee Hearing and First Hearing for 2012 Farm Bill

The purpose of the hearing was to discuss the role, risks and challenges for American Agriculture and the 2012 Farm Bill in meeting the food, fiber, and fuel demands of a growing world.

Panel I Witnesses:

Secretary Tom Vilsack

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary

·         The world’s growing population and incomes in developing countries will add to the demand for food, fuel, and fiber over the next 40 years. The United Nations estimates that the world’s population will reach 9.3 billion people by 2050. Per capita incomes are also expected to be higher which will create middle classes that demand higher quality foods such as proteins. Food demand is estimated to rise from 70 to 100 percent by 2050.

-          The U.S. agricultural sector must remain efficient and competitive 

-          Must meet challenges through research

-          Must focus on trade in addressing food needs and driving prosperity

·         Policy must be tailored to meet future needs. The risks and opportunities that are continually facing farmers and ranchers are always changing and thus policy must be adapted to meet those changes.

-          Enhancing conservation

-          Creating a green and cleaner future

-          Supporting agriculture research

-          Maintaining a strong safety net for U.S. producers

-          Developing new and beginning farmers and ranchers

Panel II Witnesses

Honorable Dan Glickman

Co-Chair of the Chicago Council’s Global Agricultural Development Initiative; former Secretary of Agriculture; Senior Fellow, Bipartisan Policy Center

·         The attention that the U.S. government has given the global agriculture community since 2009 has been instrumental. In the past, this area was neglected, but America’s agriculture institutions are now part of a transformation that addresses the challenge of global hunger and at the same time, supports U.S. food and agriculture interests.

-          Food security contributes to U.S. economic and national security

-          American leadership is pivotal in combating global hunger

-          Much progress in delivery of global agriculture development

-          Future opportunities for U.S. leadership in global development

-          Support for extension services in developing countries critical

         

Mr. Barry Mumby

Senior Member Wakeshma Farms LLC, Colon, MI

·         American must be allowed to produce in a manner that allows them to produce yields better than the rest of the world. American growers can continue to improve crop yields and maintain the high productive quality of the nation’s topsoil in an environmentally sound fashion.

-          World carry out of nearly all grains continues to decline

-          Hard red winter wheat yields hurt by global droughts

-          U.S. farmer has a moral obligation to feed the masses

-          Safety net needed to buffer from weather losses & financial meltdowns

-          Utilize current crop insurance agents but keep premiums low to the farmer

Dr. Andrew Rosenburg.

Senior Vice President for Science and Knowledge Conservation International

·         The agricultural sector is a major driver of rural economic development. Food production from agriculture must not only be improved, but also aquaculture and fisheries and the conservation of the natural systems upon which that production depends.

-          Demand for food from a growing and wealthier population must be met

-          Increase production in an environmentally and socially sustainable manner

-          Ensure that the world’s poorest people are no longer hungry

Mr. Douglas DeVires

Senior Vice President Global Marketing Services, Agriculture and Turf Division Deer and Company

·         Productivity gap must be closed to combat global food demand trends. Failure to do so will result in increased malnutrition, starvation, and faltering world economies.

-          Trade must be enhanced

-          Strategic investments and research needed

-          Focus must be on sustainability

-          Advances in machinery and soft infrastructure important in achieving goals

Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen

H.E. Babcock Professor of Food, Nutrition and Public Policy, the J. Thomas Clark Professor of Entrepreneurship and Professor of Applied Economics
Cornell University; and Professor of Agricultural Economics, Copenhagen University

·         The ability of the world to feed future generations has been questioned. Recent developments may be a short- run blip in the long-run trend of stable food prices or beginning of constant volatile prices of food. There are six issues that should be drawn attention to during the drafting of the 2012 Farm bill.

o   U.S. Agriculture will be a very important source of food for world’s population

o   Large fluctuations in food production and food price volatility leads to increased risk

o   Difficult to estimate exports demands due to international food prices

o   Up to 1 billion people suffer from inadequate intakes of nutrients

o   Trend in low food prices from 1974-2000 has led to complacency towards investments in agriculture.

o   Failure to sustain sustainable natural resources makes it impossible to provide for the world’s future food needs

 

Release of Bin Laden Photos would have Jeopardized American Lives

As the whole world now knows, the mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist’s attacks, Osama Bin Laden was killed by U.S. Military operatives at his home in Pakistan. Ten years later and after thousands more American lives were sacrificed, justice has finally been served on behalf of the victims of 9/11 and Americans can sleep a little more peacefully in their beds at night. Credit should be given to our Armed Forces and both President Bush and Obama for demonstrating the leadership and resolve to bring justice to this terrorist ten years later.

However, in light of this monumental American victory, I am taken aback by all the uproar to release pictures of Osama's corpse. While it is understandable that the victims’ families would want closure of his death, what kind of uncivilized country do we live in to revel in such satisfaction at the expense of uniting those of Muslim faith against the Western world and putting American lives at an even greater risk?

While the killing of Bin Laden no doubt brought justice to almost 3000 victims killed in the terrorist attacks of 9/11, the ten years of military operations in the Middle East, the lives of thousands of American soldiers, and trillions of taxpayer dollars were expended to keep the American people safe in the future, not necessarily bring justice to one man.

To release photos under the pretense of bringing closure to the American people that justice has been served, would compromise the most important reason why began such a costly endeavor; our national security. No, the terrorist movement will not drop their weapons and surrender because their worshipped leader was killed by the U.S. We can expect another such figure to fill Osama’s void in the near future. Releasing photos of Bin Laden’s mutilated corpse will not prove to our enemies anything. Will that deter them from attacking again? Of course it won’t. These terrorists will commit suicide by blowing up their own bodies to kill at least one “infidel”. The pundits that claim these photos will hamper the terrorist’s efforts and resolve are kidding the American people. The contrary would be the case. If history is a teacher, the uprising in Iraq after the execution of Saddam Hussein is sufficient proof. Did terrorists falter or lose faith in their cause? No, attacks on U.S. forces in areas of Iraq increased by 300% within days Saddam’s death.

Imagine the scenario inside a terrorist training facility. Young boys are taken from their peaceful Muslim families and forced to join the ranks of the Taliban and Al Qaeda. At this age, the boys’ minds are moldable and can be easily influenced. The terrorist leaders use propaganda to incite hate into the hearts of these young men. These are the same boys that strap on suicide vest and commit egregious acts of terror at the expense of their own lives. The pictures of Osama’s slain body are unclassified and released to the Arab world; being used to show these young recruits and galvanizing their hatred against the Western world. There cannot be a more effective instrument used to rally resolve and anger in the hearts and mind of the terrorists and terrorists-in- training than their worshipped leader, Osama Bin Laden.

Thousands of American lives have already been sacrificed in this war. Hundreds of thousands more hang in the balance in the combat zones of Iraq and Afghanistan. There are sleeper cells currently living within our own borders. Regardless of the reason why you think the photos should be released in the light if this information and past history, is it really worth the cost of more lives? At a time when the terrorist threat level in the U.S. is the highest it has been in years, would it really be the responsible thing to do to anger the Muslim world by parading and trumpeting their prophet’s death? Not only are such actions short-sighted, but this would hamper the United States efforts to win the hearts and minds of the next generation of Arabs in these war torn countries. Not all of these people can be responsible for the actions of 18 hijackers. The release of these photos would ruin years of progress in these countries in addition to turning this war into a war of revenge instead of conquest. The last thing the fanatic terrorists need is a martyr. We should not advertise the fact that we have given them one because of our craving to satisfy our yearning for justice. Trust should be place in our Commander in Chief and our Armed Forces that they are handling this delicate situation correctly. They understand the intricacies of this situation and the dynamics of its consequences far better than those of us who aren’t involved in foreign policy and national defense.

Thousands of American lives were sacrificed to bring this man to justice on May1st. Let us be content with this sacrifice and not endanger more lives by perpetuating support for the un-classification of graphical evidence.

Brandon West
Vice-Chair Kansas Federation of College Republicans
Veteran Operation Iraqi Freedom V-VII
1st Army Division Soldier of the Year 2008

NBAF Vital to Quelling Bio and Agro Terrorism Threats

The threat to the United States in regards to bioterrorism is a much graver threat than from weapons of a non-biological nature. The extent to which such an attack can harm such a large portion of the population of this country is unthinkably severe. Biological and chemical weapons are two of the most feared and underused weapons of modern warfare. So dangerous are these two methods, that the Geneva Convention prohibited there use. Therefore, terrorists that do not abide by the rules of war anyway, are more apt to use them.

This country has been very fortunate to have avoided such a biological outbreak in the past. Kansas is an agriculture state that is particularly vulnerable to such an attack. With 6.6 million head of cattle, any biological agent that is released into a Kansas feedlot that causes an outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease could be devastating to the livestock industry. This would immediately impact export abilities after thousands or millions of head of cattle would be lost. This would cause long term economic determent to the U.S. which terrorists know impacts our ability to remain a world superpower. A perfect example of this would be the 2001 outbreak of FMD in the United Kingdom from which their economy is still suffering from.

I believe it is imperative that the National Bio and Agro-defense Facility being constructed in Manhattan continue. We should support any lobbing efforts to secure funding from Congress for this facility. Yes, there are some who are reticent about having such a facility so close to Kansas State University and Manhattan, Kansas because of the potential danger of an accident which could cause an outbreak of biological agents. However, the threat from such an outbreak occurring in the state and nation from bioterrorism is much graver and likely than any possibility that a safeguarded facility such as NBAF could potentially be compromised. Kansas was chosen for the site of NBAF for several reasons. The close proximity to Ft. Riley was a major factor in addition to the protected geographical location. Because Kansas is the geographical center of the U.S., it is least vulnerable from overseas missile attacks that could target the facility from the shores of other continents. No, the fact that NBAF is positioned in the middle of a community surrounded by agriculture research facilities is not a positive aspect. However, the national security risks that it would help mitigate trumps the risks associated with its location.

The Four Traits of Effective Leadership

The past Saturday, I had the honor of being invited to a U.S. Air Force dining out ceremony. The occasion was for the Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Detachment 270 at Kansas State University. As prior military, I had attended several of these formals in the past, so it was very reminiscent of my past years in the service as I was surrounded by cadets and officers in military dress blue uniforms.

The honored guest speaker of the night was Chief Master Sergeant (Retired) Bob Vasquez. CMS Vasquez is currently a Course Director at the USAF Academy in Colorado Springs, CO, and is an accomplished author of three books, musician, speaker, life coach, mentor, and parent. Chief Vasquez is also a professor at the University of Colorado and is a certified Franklin Covey coach.

CMS Vasquez’s speech was catered to preparing the next generation of young lieutenants to accept the responsibilities of leading the greatest military force on earth. However, I found it to apply to leaders in any organization and even in one’s personal life. As a prior military leader, I’ve developed my personal leadership style around the principles emphasized in books such as “Colin Powell’s Principles of Leadership” and the “Challenge of Command”. Chief Vasquez’s speech served as a reminder of what I had learned in my late teens and early twenties as I studied for military board selections and leadership opportunities.

He emphasized four main characteristics of effective leaders. First, your leadership, success, and influence are controlled by how you view yourself. One must have confidence in their ability to perform tasks and attain certain levels of success before it can be done. If one views oneself as worthless and incapable of doing much good to society, then one will always fall short and continually disappoint themselves and others. CMS Vasquez pointed to the sharp rise in suicide rates in the military as an example of such people who have a negative opinion of themselves and don’t believe they are capable of anything worthy. In other words, one must have a strong ego. Notice he didn’t say a big ego, just a strong one. One who has to walk around touting his or her achievements or greatness is one who has a big ego. Those who have strong egos and sub-sequentially make good leaders are those who are quite and humble and show their worth by their actions, not their haughtiness.

Second principle was to be aware of how you view others. Your influence among your subordinates or peers in an organization is going to be seriously determined based on how you view them or how you show your appreciation for them. If you look at someone as a dirt bag, they are inevitably going to behave as such. To have low expectations of somebody and to let that perception of them be known by derisive comments or actions towards them or in public will yield negative results. The same can be said of raising children. A child raised by parents who continually ridicule and treat him or her like they will never amount to anything, will rarely have the confidence in themselves to achieve great things. On the flip side, to have faith in ones subordinates and continually emphasize that you expect the very best because they are the very best in your eyes, will result in maximum effort being applied by those subordinates who do not want to lose your faith and admiration.

The third principle was to be aware of how you are viewed by others. One of the best quotes from the WWII General Patton was that “We are always on parade”. In a business and professional setting, we are careful to watch our words, tempers, and behaviors in public. When a member of the public watches a member of an organization, social class, political party, or race make an impolite, unhelpful, or uncouth gesture, they stereotype the rest of that particular group to be the same way. Not only do such actions not help your good reputation as a person or a leader, but they affect the image of your organization, or in this case the military, as well. The two most powerful words in CMS Vasquez opinions are “thank you”. None of us are entitled to help an elderly lady lift her heavy carryon luggage to the overhead bins in an airplane or to hold open a restaurant door for a complete stranger. However, small selfless gestures such as these are taken note of by more people than we realize and are one of the most vivid representations of our true character.

The final principle that CMS Vasquez elucidated to the audience was to perpetuate a positive view of the world. To advance to accomplish great things in one’s life and in society, one must believe that it is a worthy and worthwhile cause and that such effort and sacrifice on your part is a noble one. A person/leader must believe in their heart that they are making a positive difference for mankind and in turn making the world a better place through their influence in leadership positions. After all, what makes a good leader good? A leader must use his position to better those under him and the organization that he represents. Almost anybody can be a manager. However, a true leader has a burning desire to make a positive influence in the lives of those under him or her, and in turn the world around them. A true leader strives for excellence; excellence most importantly from himself or herself, next from those under him or her, and then desires to help attain that excellence in the world around him or her.