III – Be

Why We Shouldn’t Just ‘Do Something’

It’s a common belief that US President Teddy Roosevelt said, “In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.” However, according to the Theodore Roosevelt Center, “this statement is often attributed to Theodore Roosevelt, but no known source can be found to verify the attribution.”

Even so, TR was devoted to action. He didn’t shy away from making a decision and acting upon it. The important detail is that the decision must be based on what is right.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Every Small Decision Leads to Winning or Losing in Spiritual Warfare ]

The fifth element of the five SemperVerus components is DO, which emphasizes the importance of combining the previous four elements in order to engage in accomplishing what is needed in the moment. Neither procrastination nor neglect is an option. The SemperVerus principle reads:

V. Do: resolving to intentionally and skillfully act to accomplish positive and fruitful outcomes.

A recent commentary by John Stonestreet on the Colson Center’s Breakpoint podcast stresses that ambiguity is not the answer when action is called for. Merely choosing to do “something”—especially if it’s misguided—can be inappropriate, nonsensical, and even an obstruction to beneficial outcomes.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Be Like Ernest Shackleton ]

Here are a few excerpts:

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The Door of Leadership Swings on the Hinge of Character

Four-star Admiral James Stavridis served as the commander of US Southern Command, US European Command, and Supreme Allied Commander at NATO, and served for five years as the 12th Dean of The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He is currently Partner and Vice Chairman, Global Affairs of The Carlyle Group, and is Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Rockefeller Foundation.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, What a Leaf-Sweeper’s Answer Teaches About Personal Leadership ]

In his book, Sailing True North: Ten Admirals and the Voyage of Character, he explores—through the lives of some of the most illustrious naval commanders in history—how personal character is the driving force behind successful or failed leadership.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness Self-Defense: Seeing Temptation as a Threat ]

None of the admirals in this volume were perfect, and some were deeply flawed. But important themes emerge, not least that serving your reputation is a poor substitute for serving your character; and that taking time to read and reflect is not a luxury, it’s a necessity.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, How Does Your Character Measure Up? ]

“The big door of leadership can swing for good or for ill…the hinge upon which that big door of leadership swings is called character; the human heart,” says Admiral Stavridis. “What’s in that heart, what kind of character a leader has is what will determine how that big door of leadership will swing for good purpose or for terrible evil.”

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Every Small Decision Leads to Winning or Losing in Spiritual Warfare ]

Here are a few of the lessons taught in the book:

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The Bible TL;DR? Try The Concise Bible !

The English Bible is comprised of 31,152 verses, which take about 75 hours to read.

You know the Bible is an important cultural icon and you’ve heard people who’ve read it say it’s changed their lives for the better. But, with your busy days and all you have to do, do you find yourself saying “too long; didn’t read” (TL;DR)?

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Spiritual Fitness: How Long Does It Take to Read the Bible? ]

Here’s your answer: try reading in only about 4 hours The Concise Bible, published by Initiative.Global, available in print, online, app, and audio, and in 7 languages:

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Spiritual Fitness Self-Defense: Seeing Temptation as a Threat

The 2nd element of the five SemperVerus components, and the resulting 6th element—from the sum total of the previous five elements—are AWARE and SELF-DEFENSE respectively.

Being AWARE means heightening your daily attentiveness to be alert to—and anticipate—dangerous potentialities and temptations, as well as edifying opportunities.
 
Practicing SELF-DEFENSE is the strategic, tactical, and intelligent ability to responsibly protect yourself from menacing spiritual and physical threats.

Notice the inclusion of the spiritual aspect that is often overlooked when considering awareness and self-defense.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Situational Awareness: Spiritual Self-Defense ]

We must not prepare ourselves merely for physical dangers, but also for situations that endanger our moral standing and the strength of our soul; that lead us away from uprightness and down into dishonor. Those situations begin, perhaps innocently enough, with temptation.

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