Rules of Life

It was my 13th Spotlight for Vistage (10/17/2019) and I decided the theme would be "Rules of Life".  Inspired by my original thought to have a mathematical equation depicting each rule, instead I performed an audible and had each Vistage member provide their own "Rule of Life".  Stay tuned for a blog about each of those rules once I have interviewed them and got the story behind their rule.

Not willing to give up on my original idea, I did present one equation (a rule of life)  that I hope I have passed on to my girls. 

I have already blogged about this magical equation - the power of compounding principle.  The Urban Myths that Einstein said this principle was the eighth wonder of the world, or the most powerful force in the universe is worth spreading.  I've already blogged about this with graphs included:

Mysterious Compounding and Powers - Growth or Patience  (4/15 &16 2012)

J.D. quipped - "Just like you Garen to make a Rule of Life totally financial".  "No"  I replied.   Delivering an act of kindness or one of your character principles to influence someone else can also compound.  Just change the variables:

P= What principles are you delivering to influence people in your life?
r = What ROL (Return on Life) are you using to grow those principles in others (e.g. what % of the people that you touch receive your gift)
n = How often are you being deliberate about your influence - yearly, quarterly, monthly, daily or continuously
t= Over what time period are you doing this and how much time do you have left?

In a providential way, I happened upon the book "Make your Bed" by Admiral William H. McRaven (U.S. Navy Retired) and discovered it's origin from his May 17, 2014 University of Texas Commencement Speech.  He said what I've always felt about the power of giving to others and changing one individual at a time - in less than 300 words:

"The University's slogan is 'What starts here changes the world". I have to admit, I kind of like it. "What starts here changes the world!"

Tonight there are almost eight thousand students graduating from the University of Texas.  That great paragon of analytical rigor, Ask.com, says that the average American will meet ten thousand people in their lifetime.  That's a lot of folks.  But, if every one of you changed the lives of just ten people, and each one of those folks changed the lives of another ten people - just ten - then in five generations - 125 years - the class of 2014 will have changed the lives of 800 million people. 

EIGHT HUNDRED MILLION people. Think of  it: over twice the population  of the United States.  Go one more generation and you can change the entire population of the world, eight billion people.  If you think it's hard to change the lives of ten people, change their lives forever, you're wrong.

I saw it happen every day in Iraq and Afghanistan.  A young Army officer makes a decision to go left instead of right down a road in Baghdad and the ten soldiers in his squad are saved from a close-in-ambush.

In Kandahar province, Afghanistan, a non-commissioned officer from the Female Engagement Tam senses something isn't right and directs the infantry  platoon away from a five-hundred-pound IED, saving the lives of a dozen soldiers.

But, if you think about it, not only were these soldiers saved by the decisions of one person, but their children yet unborn were also saved. And their children's children were saved.  Generations were saved by one decision, by one person.

But changing the world can happen anywhere, and anyone can do it.  So, what starts here can indeed change the world, but the question is: What will the world look like after you change it?

There's a spiritual message embedded deep inside this mysterious principle of compounding.  Maybe Einstein really did think this was the most powerful force in the universe. What is behind this mysterious powerful principle - who created it and for what purpose?   It is worth spreading - Belief in our Creator, his infinite love, and his gift of salvation.