By Elvin J. Dowling

The Architect of Change™

The purpose of this blog is to serve as a communications medium that allows individuals who are followers myself, Elvin Dowling, The Architect of Change, and those interested in empowering themselves by embracing change and achieving greatness, an opportunity to learn the secrets to living a great life, as outlined in each blog entry.

Make sure that every action you take produces at least some measurable result.

If you go to the bank each week and continue to make withdrawals without having the requisite deposits to cover your transaction, you will ultimately find yourself overdrawn and out of luck. Simpler put: “No Deposit—No Return!” With that thought in mind, the same could be said when striving to produce results that are not only effective, make sure that the actions you take in some part, produce measurable results that you can point to. Just as importantly, having tangible achievements are also an important means of measuring your success, it also helps to remind us of the possibilities when we plan all the way to the end and the execute on that plan. when planning strategically for both the present and the future. After all, anything short of doing what we said we were going to do is simply “talking loud and saying nothing.”

To achieve the desired results you are looking for, start out each undertaking by first ensuring that you haven’t set yourself up for failure. If you are trying to lose weight, for example, then don’t set a goal of losing 100 pounds in one month. It’s just not realistic. Start out with a goal of losing one pound a week and work hard to achieve that goal. I guarantee you that, in setting measurable, achievable objectives, you are well on your way towards accomplishing your overall task of stepping into your dream. Remember: The best way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time.

Be willing to change course if the situation dictates it. .

Flexibility is the ability to “win when you can, retreat when you have to, and roll with the punches.” Perhaps the best way to achieve marked success, particularly as it relates to long term goals, is the willingness to adapt to changes when they occur, while never losing sight of the goal at hand. Bruce Lee once said: “Empty your mind, be formless, shapeless – like water. Now you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup, you put water into a bottle, it becomes the bottle, you put it in a teapot, it becomes the teapot. Now water can flow or it can crash. Be water, my friend.”Being flexible in your approach towards the goals that you set is an important skill to master whenever you attempt to accomplish a task. Moreover, learning the art of being formless so that you can adapt to any given situation is a critical component of your actually becoming the thing with which you are aiming to embody. In short—be just like water.

###

Elvin J. Dowling, The Architect of Change, is an internationally acclaimed transformational speaker, coach, entrepreneur and author of the book, License to Live: A Manual for Getting Past Life;s Roadblocks. He also serves as Chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. To learn more about Elvin, The Architect of Change™, or to become a Change Agent yourself, feel free to visit his website at www.ArchitectOfChange.com. You may also follow him on Facebook, Linked In and Twitter.

By

Elvin J. Dowling

The Architect of Change

This weekend, actor Martin Lawrence will reprise his role as FBI Agent Malcolm Turner (also known as “Big Momma”), a law enforcement crusader who goes undercover as an ever-present figure familiar to most in urban communities, in the iconic movie trilogy: Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. It got me to thinking of what would happen if someone like Big Momma tossed her big red church hat in the proverbial political ring and ran for elected office.

As a political prognosticator, I could certainly see the potential for success in such a movement as Big Momma’s. After all, with the previous election to office of leaders such as Sarah Palin (former Governor of Alaska), Jesse “The Body” Ventura (former Governor of Minnesota), and Jerry Springer (former Mayor of Cincinnati), logic dictates that she would be a cinch for the job.

When it comes to issues of finance and good economic policy, Big Momma would be a welcome voice to the raging debate that appears to lack advocates for the poor and disenfranchised. At least she knows what it’s like to struggle to make ends meet, while balancing a budget and living within her means. Moreover, as my own children face a mountain of unsustainable debt that will surely cripple us as a nation, if we continue on our perilously dangerous economic course, I could align myself with what I believe would be Big Momma’s unique perspectives on the issues that matter most. “Now baby, you might look slow… but you ain’t slow,” I can hear Big Momma saying to kids in the neighborhood, with all of the love that she could muster. “You can’t go to the store and spend $1.25 if all you have is a dollar. Remember, when your outgo exceeds your income—then your upheaval will be your down fall.” Makes sense to me!

On matters of defense policy, for example, she would use a sensible, six-word approach that is employed in hoods all across America and tends to work every time—“Don’t start none, won’t be none!” This, and Big Momma’s other street savvy rule, “Pick on somebody your own size,” would be the only defense policies anyone would ever really need—whether in the hood or in the world. On the other side of the coin, however, if she had to pull off her earrings and take off her wig to “get some straightening up in here,” I am also convinced that Big Momma would never go to a knife fight with anything short of an axe.

You see, I believe that figures like Big Momma represent the best opportunity our country has had in years to elect ordinary, but committed citizens to step up and serve our nation—for such a time as this. For too long, politicians on both sides of the aisle have collaborated to develop a system where only the super-wealthy or well-connected can get elected to public office. It’s created political gridlock, gerrymandered districts and exclusive enclaves that have led to the long national nightmare that is our current political system. Moreover, the higher up the ladder you want to go, the more money you have to have (and favors you have to make), ultimately leaving the average American to fend for themselves—and something has to change!

In today’s political environment, many of our elective offices have unfortunately become personal fiefdoms in which votes are cast, speeches are made and promises are kept solely because of financial access or social standing. In fact, very few of our leaders appear to show care and concern for those who live in the shadows of American society; a growing, silent minority who deserves equal representation as well. Unfortunately, however, in 21st century America, because they don’t contribute to campaigns and they don’t vote—they don’t count.

Well, if Big Momma were in office today, our nation would finally have someone who truly represented the cares of a forgotten community—even if just in the movies!

# # #

Elvin J. Dowling is the former Chief of Staff for the National Urban League. An independent who’s been both a Republican and Democrat, he serves as chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. He also writes at his website ArchitectOfChange.com and on Twitter.

With the recent spate of voluntary retirements announced by departing members of Congress, one can’t help but wonder what’s going on in Washington these days — and whether or not those who are making an exodus are hearing replays of the gambler’s message as they sing their own swan songs.

Just the other day, for example, U.S. Senators Jon Kyl (R-AZ) and Jim Webb (D-VA) announced that they will not be seeking re-election when their terms are up in 2012. Prior to these stunning announcements heard ’round the political world, Senators Kay Bailey Hutchinson (R-TX), Joseph Lieberman (I-CT) and Kent Conrad (D-ND) rang the bell of surrender themselves and announced that they would be leaving Congress as well — effectively flinging open the doors of the world’s most exclusive club, so that anyone with money, a megaphone and a message now has the opportunity to waltz right into the nation’s most deliberative political body. And that’s just on the Senate side of Capitol Hill.

When departures from the U.S. House of Representatives are factored in, such as the shocking resignations this week of Rep. Jane Harman (D-CA), a powerful member of the Intelligence and Homeland Security Committees, who is jumping ship to take a job as president of the Woodrow Wilson Center, and Rep. Chris Lee (R-NY) who announced that he would be leaving the hallowed halls of Congress to “spend more time with family,” (after the world discovered that he had been posting half-naked photos of himself on Craigslist, posing as a divorced lobbyist with “killer abs”), many are beginning to think that there must be something in the water. For Congressman Lee, the only thing more revealing than his unexpected departure, however, is the very real possibility that he and Bishop Eddie Long of Atlanta apparently went to the same school for photography. But I digress…

What concerns me most about the revolving door at the US Capitol is the fact that our government will lose significant and material institutional knowledge with the departure of its long-serving members. Sure, no one is irreplaceable and their exits may well be welcome news to many, but the very real political implications behind their departures cannot be ignored. Make no mistake about it: Many of these departing members have simply deduced that the rise of hardened political factions on both the left and the right leaves no room for them under an increasingly shrinking “big tent.” After all, with litmus tests and wedge issues being used to ferret out friend from foe within their respective political parties, it is perhaps best for those in the middle—or who work across the aisles—to get out gracefully while the getting is good, or risk spending countless hours and millions of dollars on an ill-fated campaign that may ultimately result in their defeat at the primary level anyway.

As some of our government’s most familiar faces climb all over each other to be the first out the door, many are beginning to pucker up, heeding the warning to put their heads between their legs and kiss their political futures goodbye. I just hope they have breath mints.

Elvin J. Dowling is the former Chief of Staff for the National Urban League. An independent who’s been both a Republican and Democrat, he is the author of the newly released book, License to Live, and serves as chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. He also writes at his website ArchitectOfChange.com and on Twitter.

License to Live is where “Heart of Darkness” meets “Chicken Soup for the Soul”. It is my story of achievements and setbacks, tragedy and triumph. It is a heart-wrenching testament to the fact that your past doesn’t dictate your future. With a stirring foreword by Les Brown, one of the world’s greatest motivational speakers, and endorsements from familiar faces and leading voices in American life today, this book is sure to show you how to overcome your overwhelming obstacles through the power of never–ever–giving up!

That’s why I am offering you, my friends and family, an opportunity right here and NOW to get this great book, at a great price, a FULL 20% off of the retail price of $14.99.  Simply use promo code NEWS1 when checking out of our store, and is ONLY AVAILABLE at www.ArchitectOfChangeStore.com.

You must hurry, however, as supplies are limited and (with it being promoted on a nationally syndicated radio show with 10 million listeners) this offer will expire quick, fast and in a hurry!

And remember… “You are destined for greatness!”

Mending Fences?

By

Elvin J. Dowling

 Last night, as countless Americans prepared to watch the “Superbowl Smack-Down” between the Green Bay Packers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, we also had an opportunity to see another “showdown” of sorts when President Barack Obama sat down to an interview with his perennial detractor and Fox News commentator, Bill O’Reily. In agreeing to speak with the host of “The O’Reily Factor” on a station he once called “entirely devoted to attacking my administration”, President Obama seemed relatively comfortable in sparring with O’Reily about everything from the president being a “pretty left-wing guy” somewhat akin to a socialist who wants to redistribute wealth, to how he deals with the hatred being aimed at him from his antagonists. Even still, the president held his own for nearly fifteen minutes as O’Reily called him to task on such issues as the rising tensions in Egypt and the fate of the healthcare legislation which passed by Congress last March and was signed into law by the president.

Last week—for the second time—as O’Reily was quick to remind Obama, a federal judge ruled that the “universal” healthcare law was unconstitutional. Responding to a lawsuit filed by more than twenty-six state attorneys general who placed as one of their highest legal priorities, the elimination of “Obamacare” before it has an opportunity to be fully implemented within American society, this decision surely sent shock waves through the White House and may ultimately end up in the Supreme Court, where conservatives outnumber liberals 5-4. Just as importantly, it will most certainly add a jolt of excitement in Republican enclaves, from Washington, D.C. to state capitols everywhere, as maneuvering for the 2012 presidential race begins in earnest this year. In responding to his healthcare law critics, however, the President has reiterated—over and over again—that he is willing to work with those on the other side who have solutions for remedying the problems he readily acknowledges are present in the current law.

 With this thought in mind, coupled by the fact that the president is slated to speak to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce today, which has been at odds with the president for the past two years on his policies and posture towards the business community—and his very presence on the O’Reily factor itself—has led to talk by many that the president is tacking back towards the political center and is attempting to mend some fences prior to the start of the next election season. Just last month, for example, President Obama signed an executive order to make clear that the operating principle of the US government is to strike the right balance with regulations, neither “placing unreasonable burdens on business—burdens that have stifled innovation and have had a chilling effect on growth and jobs” nor failing to “protect the public interest,” hoping to strike a balance with leaders of power and industry who have often treated the president as “persona non grata” and lined up solidly against the Democrats during the 2010 midterm elections.

When one examines the president’s public pronouncements of late, however, whether it was his labored fence straddling on the “Egyptian Revolution” and his extension of an olive branch to Republicans on taxes, to his hiring of Bill Daley as the new White House Chief of Staff who, in an op-ed piece for The Washington Post in 2009 urged the White House and Congress to “move back towards the center,” its clear that the president is making a concerted outreach to those who may vehemently disagree with him. Two weeks ago, Politico reported that many in Obama’s own party are beginning to lament his lurch towards the middle. “As the president touts spending austerity, deficit reduction and extension of the Bush-era tax-cuts, some democrats worry that Obama will pivot too far away from the party’s core principles and concede too much to the new House GOP that campaigned on destroying his agenda.” To them, the president’s recent re-emphasis on post-partisanship is nothing more than a veiled attempt by the White House to throw them under a big political bus as the presidential campaign begins in earnest later this year.

 No matter what happens, two things remain abundantly clear. As the evolving political narrative continues to unfold, many will be looking to see if the president’s recent political posturing will be one that will help him to solidify the support of a majority of Americans come November 2012, or whether the perceived tire tracks left on the backs of his most loyal supporters are a harbinger of things to come for his own political future. Alas, only time will tell.

 # # #

Elvin J. Dowling is the former Chief of Staff for the National Urban League. An independent who’s been both a Republican and Democrat, he is the author of the newly released book, License to Live, and serves as chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. He also writes at his website ArchitectOfChange.com and on Twitter.

Elvin J. Dowling

The Architect of Change

One of my absolute favorite movies is a great film called “The Usual Suspects,” starring Kevin Spacey, who plays a dim-witted criminal that may not be so slow after all. In an unforgettable scene, Spacey’s character, “Verbal” Kint, states: “The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world that he did not exist.” Boy, was he right about that!

The Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. once said: “A man can’t ride your back unless its bent.” Well, the same can be said of the devil! Having grown up in a relatively religious environment as a kid, I often heard my elders exclaim that we should “shake the devil off” when it seemed as if he was riding our backs. In a secular sense, this concept is certainly applicable when it comes to “shaking off” all of the negative forces that tend to weigh us down. Just as importantly, getting “unstuck” from the mire and clay of life’s never-ending challenges is essential to achieving the overall goal of liberating one’s self from the strongholds that tend to keep us from realizing our dreams.

Today, as you strive to fulfill your destiny, you must never forget that negative energy and forces can be just as powerful and real as the positive forces that you encounter every day. Choose to eliminate negativity in your life by first identifying just what the negative forces are and then driving a proverbial stake through the very heart of the thing that is causing you difficulty. Moreover, you must remember that you can more easily achieve this goal by choosing to remove yourself from the negative situations and people who do nothing but drain your energy and cause you to sink and drown in the problems that you ought to be walking on top of.

In my new book, License to Live, I offer practical tips and solutions for getting past the roadblocks of life and onto the highways of your future. In fact, I use the common experience of learning how to drive as a metaphor for how you, too, can liberate yourself from the shackles of that hold you back. Moreover, throughout my book, I frame the harsh realities of my upbringing as Red Light Challenges. The way I dealt with these obstacles I call my Roadside Responses and the life lessons that can be learned by each of us become Universal Road Rules. Finally, each chapter offers a Real Life Road Map that readers can take to help direct them to their own destinations.

As you strive to live the life you so richly deserve, I encourage you to read this book, take the test, live with passion and change the world. After all, “YOU are destined for greatness!”

# # #

Elvin J. Dowling is the former Chief of Staff for the National Urban League. An independent who’s been both a Republican and Democrat, he serves as chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. He also writes at his website ArchitectOfChange.com and on Twitter.

Inspired by protests that broke out in Tunisia recently, where citizens ousted their longtime leader, President Ben Ali, and now similar calls for the removal of Yemen’s ruler, President Ali Abdullah Saleh, the popular uprising in “the land of the pharaohs” is the latest in a series of democratic outbursts in repressive countries around the world. And, lest we forget the protests that erupted in Iran in 2009 by those who yearned for liberty, it is abundantly clear that a curious phenomenon is taking place all around the world, as oppressed peoples rise up against their oppressors and declare there desire to live in freedom—by any means necessary.

For nearly thirty years, President Hosni Mubarak has ruled Egypt with an iron fist, having assumed power after the assassination of Anwar Sadat in 1981, and imposing a national “state of emergency” that has been in place ever since. Today, however, his own citizens are rising up to finally oppose a dictatorial government — a government that has moved to squelch these protests with water canons, police batons and a complete shutdown of cell phone technology and the internet. Mubarak and his cohorts may be in the final throes of a dying regime, as average Egyptian citizens flout a government-imposed curfew to march in the streets against the status quo in their country.

One thing that is troubling about all of this is America’s apparent lack of support for the student leaders and regular citizens, who have risked life and limb to bring about a government that abides by democratic principles. Just Thursday night, Vice President Biden caused quite a stir when he declared that “Mubarak is not a dictator and should not have to resign,” presumably for fear of upsetting a key American ally who receives more U.S. funding than any other nation in the world except for Israel. This does, of course, fly in the face of President Obama’s declaration just three days ago during his State of the Union address, that “the United States of America…supports the democratic aspirations of all people. We must never forget that the things that we’ve struggled for and fought for live in the hearts of people everywhere.” That is, of course, unless those people live in nations that are strategically important to our own foreign policy interests. In that case, we do our best to walk a fine line so as not to upset our “friends” in power.

Former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Adlai E. Stevenson once said, “A hypocrite is the kind of politician that will cut down a redwood tree, mount the stump, then make a speech for conservation.” As Americans, we have come to expect our leaders to stand up for the rights of those who want to be free—calling on other nations to foster democracy and not to squelch it. This time, however, we need more from the White House than labored fence-straddling between what our national interests and the principles we profess to uphold.

As the world watches and waits for its leaders to do the right thing, I am reminded of the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who said, “In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of our friends.”

For the Egyptian protesters — with friends like us, who needs enemies?

###

Elvin J. Dowling is the former Chief of Staff for the National Urban League. An independent who’s been both a Republican and Democrat, he serves as chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. He also writes at his website ArchitectOfChange.com and on Twitter.

For over an hour, the 44th President of the United States glossed over some of the greatest challenges facing our country in exchange for a feel-good homily that made me proud to be an American. By the end, I just felt disappointed that our leaders continue to bury their heads in the sand, while the rest of us are forced to put our heads between our legs and kiss our fiscal futures goodbye.

Now, don’t get me wrong, President Obama’s speech was, at times, right on point—particularly with regard to the need for our country to come together as one for the good of the whole. “We will move forward together or not all,” the president said, reminding each of the assembled legislators that sitting together and working together are two different things. Moreover, his strong emphasis on investing in education was something that should have been addressed many moons ago. Just as importantly, I agree with the president’s goal of redoubling our efforts to recruit more teachers in the critical areas of science, technology, engineering and math, as well as treating our teachers in the fashion that they deserve.

But after that, Mr. President, you lost me (and I fear millions of others) when you failed to address the big elephants in the room, and I am not talking about the overweight members of the GOP either! Most specifically, what happened, sir, to talk about jobs, the deficit, and gun violence – all of which are foremost on the minds of “Main Street” Americans? While your proposals for investing in our nation’s future were idealistic, noteworthy, and certainly worth striving toward, the immediate problems of joblessness, hopelessness and a looming deficit tsunami were left virtually untouched during your speech. There was nary a mention of the extraordinary level of violence within our society, most of it perpetuated by guns—in spite of the fact that a revered member of Congress is struggling to recuperate from an assassin’s bullet. This left me, for lack of a better term, well—speechless.

As I listened intently to President Obama’s State of the Union address, it felt as if a number of the president’s proposals were, as my friends from Texas would say, “all hat and no cattle.” In short, there was no “there” there, particularly when it came to specificity about how he intended to pay for all those proposals —other than on the backs of the poor, through a regressive freeze in domestic spending, while at the same time escalating war spending by billions of dollars this year alone. What disappointed me the most, however, was the incessant emphasis placed on “winning the future” when countless numbers of our fellow citizens are doing all they can to “survive the present.”

During the 2008 campaign, Candidate Obama continued to remind us that the American people deserved a government that would tell them the truth. Your State of the Union Address, Mr. President, would have been one heck of a good start!

###

Elvin J. Dowling is the former Chief of Staff for the National Urban League. An independent who’s been both a Republican and Democrat, he serves as chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. He also writes at his website ArchitectOfChange.com and on Twitter.

The President’s Speech

By

Elvin J. Dowling

I recently saw the acclaimed film, “The King’s Speech”, based on a true story about the challenges faced by King George VI of England, who suddenly ascends to the throne when his older brother Edward VIII abdicates his kingship to pursue his one true love interest—a still married (once divorced) American woman. Unfortunately, however, for his unprepared younger brother Albert, “Bertie” as he is known to his family and friends, history and fate have forced him to confront the childhood problem he has had of stammering when trying to speak his mind—especially when addressing the public.

 In one particularly gut-wrenching scene, the would-be king chokes royally when delivering a message from his father, King George V, to an assembled stadium of thousands of loyal subjects. Albert begins to work on his “speech problem” with an unorthodox therapist by the name of Lionel Logue who goes on to coach King George VI through some of the most important speeches ever delivered during World War II.

 As an inspirational speaker and speech writer myself, this compelling narrative got me to thinking about our own fearless leader, President Barack Obama, and the State of the Union address he will deliver to the nation and the world.

 And just as “Bertie” suffered from a communications challenge at a most difficult and trying time in world history, many believe that “Barry” is also hobbled by a “speech problem” that ‘s afflicted him since moving into 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

 As a young, vibrant United States Senator, Barack Obama used a gift of communication unseen in American politics since President Ronald Reagan left the national stage some twenty years ago. When Candidate Obama pursued the highest office in the land, he often used lofty rhetoric, soaring oratory and symbolic imagery that captured both the imagination of the American people and 365 electoral votes and the presidency of the United States. Since then, though, many believe that Obama has lost the voice that had endeared him to millions during the magic of the 2008 campaign. To add insult to injury, others have even called him “tone deaf” to the will of the majority, a veritable death knell for any elected official. With rising poll numbers, however, and a string of recent legislative victories that have produced several weeks of good press, it would be premature, at best, to count this president out in the race to 2012.

 The president’s recent successes, however, have helped to reassure his standing with the public, while bolstering his political prospects for the future. Moreover, with his impending speech to the nation, President Obama has, once again, positioned himself as a political phoenix “rising from the ashes”–that is if he can get his “mojo” back with this all important address.

 To that end, were I in the position of coaching him through this speech, as Lionel Logue was privileged to do with King George VI, I would admonish President Obama to remember these three key points as he ambles up to the podium on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives.

1. Tell Us What You’re Going to Tell Us.

Mr. President, as you prepare to address the nation at a time of rising unemployment, consumer confidence at historic lows, and your political opponents doubting your very resolve to stare down evil where you find it, remember that your audience (which includes billions of people around the world), expects you to “tell the truth, shame the devil, and let the chips fall where they may.” As such, you should start your speech by laying out, very clearly, what your aims are for the nation. Be concise and unequivocal with regard to the message you would like to be remembered long after the history books are written. Whether its the issue of jobs, the economy, bipartisanship in Congress, or war around the world, be up front about what you want the American people to consider and don’t back down from your positions. You, Sir, are the President of the United States, and the world’s greatest bully pulpit belongs to you—so use it!

1. Tell Us.

As leader of the free world, the bulk of your State of the Union Address should deal with the broad themes that you laid out both during your campaign as well as your time in office. Just as importantly, this is precisely where you should begin to reemploy some of the same oratorical genius we all had a chance to see and experience during your historic run for office. Use your time at the speaker’s well to harken the nation back to an era where we believed that anything was possible for an America that committed itself to a goal. Just as President John F. Kennedy used his special address to Congress to marshal national support to send a man to the moon and bring him safely back to the earth, you too, Mr. President, have the opportunity to rally the country around an agenda that aims to leave for our children a more prosperous nation than the one that we have inherited. Please, Sir, address the looming deficit crisis that portends to sink the ship of state if we don’t get a handle on it—and fast! No longer can we continue to pile up unsustainable debt that will lead to future generations of Americans being born in perpetual servitude to our creditors. Furthermore, the American people would love to hear from you a realistic plan to get those who want a job back to work, helping them to restore the honor and dignity that comes with an honest day’s labor. After all, if millions of people remain jobless come November 2012, you may very well find yourself unemployed the following January.

1. Tell us What You Just Told Us!

One of the greatest lessons to be learned when communicating to others is the importance of “repetition, repetition, repetition.” Famed American author and businessman, W. Clement Stone, once observed: “You affect the subconscious mind by verbal repetition.” Mr. President, consider the very real fact that most people have to hear a message many times over before it sinks into their psyche. Instead of speaking in the long-handed, professorial style in which we have been accustomed to hearing from you, try short, pithy phrases that underscore the central thesis of your speech. And then, after you have sufficiently driven home the messages you want us to take away from your address, tell us again… and again… and again!

And finally, Mr. President, as you set your writing pen down and prepare to pick up a microphone, never forget the unique role that only you can play in uniting the nation as one—through the power of the spoken word. In doing so, you will be more than prepared to be the recipient of the greatest introduction known to humankind: “Mr. Speaker… The President of the United States!”

# # #

Elvin J. Dowling is the former Chief of Staff for the National Urban League. An independent who’s been both a Republican and Democrat, he serves as Chairman of the Destined for Greatness Foundation. He also writes at his website ArchitectOfChange.com and on Twitter.

By 
Elvin J. Dowling

The Architect of Change™

The purpose of this blog is to serve as a communications medium that allows individuals who are followers myself, Elvin Dowling, The Architect of Change, and those interested in empowering themselves by embracing change and achieving greatness, an opportunity to learn the secrets to living a great life, as outlined in each blog entry.

1.     Help others to achieve their own sense of greatness as you step into yours.

One of the greatest sales authors of record, Og Mandino, teaches in his book, “The Greatest Salesman In the World”  about the importance of increasing one’s value in the marketplace should you ever desire to move to the next level of excellence in your chosen field of endeavor. As you strive to bring out the best in others, thereby building a reservoir of goodwill for yourself and your dreams within the Universe around you, its important to remember that helping others to step into their greatness is one of the most fulfilling things you can ever do during your time here on earth. Noted American psychiatrist, M. Scott Peck, once said: “Until you value yourself, you won’t value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it.” Just as importantly, as you strive to help others to step into their own greatness in order to bring out the best that’s within them and achieve phenomenal success, getting them to discover and appreciate their own sense of value and self-worth goes a long way towards helping them to become the person they are meant to be and making the world a much better place in the process.

After six wonderful years as chief of staff for a venerable Wall Street organization, I decided to walk away from it all, go up to the proverbial cliff, jump off and grow wings on my way down! This, believe me when I tell you, was a tough thing to do. Leaving a six-figure income that provided me a certain lifestyle to which I had become accustomed, as well as the ability to access the highest levels of power and influence, was, perhaps, a gamble in the eyes of many. For me, however, it was a matter of fulfilling my life’s calling and having enough faith to believe that the Universe would respond in kind with positive affirmations and an ability to take care of myself and my family. What shouldn’t be missed in all of this, however, is the fact that I had reached a point in my professional career where my values did not comport with my labor and, as such, I had to make a decision.

Today, as you struggle with your own sense of purpose, self-worth and value in the marketplace, I want to encourage you to never lose faith in the fact that you can achieve your dreams, if only you believe. Do what it takes to become the best person you can be in your chosen field of endeavors and never forget that the God you serve in secret will reward you openly for your continued commitment to helping to make the world a better place.

2.     So… what’s next?

When was the last time you considered exactly what you wanted to achieve in life as well as the plan on how you were going to get there In fact, it has often been said that the greatest motivator that many of us have to encourage us to achieve unrealized results stems from our own personal “why”. In fact, it has often been said: “When your ‘why’ is strong enough, you will figure out your ‘how’.” As an individual who aims to bring out the best in others, as well as ourselves, it is critical that we begin by focusing on those things that we can control, as well as the methods we have at our disposal to make a meaningful difference.

As you consider the things that are important to you in this life, you should start by sitting down to write out a list of the things that you would like to achieve. Are there books you would like to write? Are there dreams you would like to realize? Just as importantly, what are the things that you can do right now to make these goals a reality? After you have written down those dreams, place them in a location that allows you to see them daily. Remember, out of sight—out of mind. Continue to remind yourself, at every waking minute, that there are things you want to do before your number is called and then, go about the business of achieving them right now!

###

Elvin J. Dowling, The Architect of Change, is a Speaker, Career and Life Coach, Author, Entrepreneur, and America’s leading advocate for achieving greatness by embracing change. To learn more about Elvin, The Architect of Change™, or to become a Change Agent yourself, feel free to visit his website at www.ArchitectOfChange.com. You may also follow him on Facebook and Twitter.