Consistency

Thank you to my wife for posting the update to the weekend archery competition and her college mixer event with Hannah.  I am learning more about these technological social skills (not about holding out my pinky finger when I drink tea) but could not manage those things as quickly as she and the girls can.  Congratulations to all including middle daughter Ellie who has now won two of the three state titles for her age group!  She wants to try for the third one in early May!

Archery target shooting is not something many people do and that is not what this post is about.  It has taught our family many important lessons that we have all learned together.I would like to focus on one of those lessons:  Consistency,  a key discipline to learn in archery and something that I would like to see practiced in government.  In archery the main goal is to discipline yourself to set each part of your body and stance in the same position for each and every shot.   Not in any position, but there is a correct position to be the most effective.  Then you can adjust your equipment to your body position for the most effective and consistent results.  When there are several hundred people shooting at one time you must stay focused to remain consistent and not be thrown off by the commotion all around you.  You must have follow-through motion at the end of the shot to be consistent, even a small stray movement from your discipline can ruin performance.  When you have practiced this motion and position for many times you can then count on consistent results.

We have learned this all together as a family.  We find that it is true in all of the other aspects of our lives.  If we keep true to our form, relying on the foundation principles of our lives, we can consistently work, grow, achieve, and attain satisfaction and success.  When we stray from the path, even a little, there are consequences.  Depending upon how far we stray from that path, the consequences can grow.  Returning to our foundation as quickly as possible, with no personal excuses for the error, is the quickest path back to consistently fulfilling lives.

This is the consistency that I want to see in how government effects our lives.  There are basics from the national level to the state level to the local level that sometimes our leadership seems to stray from.  There are lots of excuses at times on how to explain why we are ignoring our foundation.  It seems no one in government or politics wants to admit a mistake but finds lots of ways to justify what was done.  Time to change that and relearn as a people, district and state, that consistent governance may not give you everything that you want whenever you want it.  We have to think about the longer term and the larger good, not just what we can get for today.  Local decisions, even though controversial or painful, are best for everyone.  Follow-through is making sure that when actions are taken they are consistent with the basic foundation.  Admitting mistakes earlier is better than later.  Consistency will not only grow a family, but a unified people, district, state and country.