Return on Life: Remember that you're in charge

I hope you had the opportunity to hear President Obama's inauguration speech today. If not, be sure to listen to it soon. In part, it was a great reminder that each of us needs to contribute on our own behalf and that of others in order to achieve what we are truly capable of.

A recent newspaper column by Dr. Richard Shearer (January 14, 2009, Barbour Democrat, Philippi, WV) that made essentially the same point by observing the differences between "worrying" and "being concerned." Dr. Shearer gave examples of worry weighing us down while concern stirs us to action. Worry can cause us to freeze and take no action beyond worrying, while concern can help us think about how to deal with a failure, how to create a right out of a wrong, how to improve rather than get stuck in the negative.

Let's join President Obama in creating a nation of "doers", those who act out of concern, rather than a nation of "worriers" who do nothing to advance the situation. It takes each of us, individually, doing our part. Let's just see how far we can go!