For Part One, Part Two, Part Three, or Part Five, click on that part to go there.
Another presidential quote comes upon us in Elder Harold B. Lee's talk "The Iron Rod", in context of having the courage to do what you feel is right despite what others may say. This is the second one I've encountered so far from Dwight D. Eisenhower:
The Quote
"The late President Dwight D. Eisenhower wrote this:
“Any man who does his work well,
who is justifiably self-confident
and not unduly disturbed by the jeers of the cynics and the shirkers,
any man who stays true to decent motives
and is considerate of others is,
in essence,
a leader.
Whether or not he is ever singled out for prominence,
he is bound to achieve great inner satisfaction
in turning out superior work.
“And that, by the way,
is what the good Lord put us on this earth for.”
(“What Is Leadership?” Reader’s Digest, June 1965, p. 54.)"
A magnificent quote!
I went looking for it...and this time I found it!
And then I realized that that wasn't it! Dang!
Then I found another article - a PDF of the article. I skimmed it for the quote above. Nothing. Who decided it was a great idea to scan part of an article???
Apparently I can buy the original Reader's Digest magazine from EBay for 6.99, should I ever choose to.
But looking at the cover of that magazine, like so many covers I remember from my childhood, I also remember going to the houses of my mother's friends, and seeing stacks of these magazines over my young head. My fear of hoarding slaps me in the face (we threw away literally nine tons of junk when my father passed away), and I must resist the inclination to chase down this original quote simply for the sake of having the original source.
I enjoy the content of this tidbit for what it is - a thoughtful pondering on the joys of making something of quality - something that means something to me.
This blog means something to me. It has brought me joy during a dark nebulous waiting time in my life - one of many. It's reassured me that however many views I lack on the work I'm doing are irrelevant as long as what I'm doing has intrinsic value to me, and as long as I'm listening to the Lord and doing the best I can for myself and others, I'm living the life I was meant to lead. I'm a leader, even when I'm mostly leading myself.
And let me tell you - knowing that means everything.
