I had a captain that taught that we as people should always invite council from those that come from different backgrounds into our trainings as we will always default to what we know when the time counts. He was introducing his platoon of newly minted lieutenants to the principles of indirect fire.
Most of us grew up on video games and movies showing that direct fire weapons were used in eliminating the enemy. While it seems this does happen, the kill ratio proves it is not the most efficient method - in the battle for Fallujah, the US averaged 250,000 rounds fired per insurgent killed.
There aren't any statistics for it, but the kill ratio for indirect fire is much more efficient. Essentially, direct fire is used for holding the enemy in place, and then you lob an explosive over their cover. That is modern warfare tactics in a nutshell.
The point to this tangent is that most people would not think of such a strategy based on their cultural training from media. This thought process must be learned and refined through technical knowledge and proficiency training.
Ironically enough, the Marine Corps trained me in the value of investment more than anything else. Being a supply officer, I was not in the business of taking life, but of sustaining it. It was for me to translate the priorities of the unit commander into monetary controls. I denied good requests that were needed - sometimes urgently - but were not in line with where the unit priorities were.
Now that I have left the Corps, I continue this training of what I know - I fund what my wife and I care for. We want to be free from debt and to enjoy family vacations. As result, we do not eat out much or see movies in the theater - we don't even pay for cable TV. We keep a car that we own and hate because we own it. Our house seems to shrink each year, but we are firm with staying put.
Recently, I have thought about the concept of the life through a financial view. Each of us has purchased a life and it will cost us death. We left the eternal realm of Father's to come to this corner of His creations to experience mortality. It was always to be temporary, so death was the liability levied against our revenue of time.
What we choose to expense our time on while we are here is up to us. I know many people that make more money than I do, yet my wife and I seem to have more buying power than them. We certainly travel more regularly with our children - and soon that travel will include international expeditions. We have set a list of priorities and goals for our family and spend accordingly. There is nothing wrong with how other families spend their money, but it proves the point that a focused expenditure can result in spectacular results.
Back to the view of time, I am not a sports fan. There are many reasons for it, so I will leave it at that. I have never been nor will I ever appreciate the hobby of watching sports. I do enjoy learning, writing and developing my hobbies. When I published my first book (self published) many exclaimed that they could not understand how I found the time. The answer is rather easy for me, I do not know anything about any of the many teams or athletes that those I associate with can rattle off about for hours.
I have not found some secret method of unlocking more hours in my day, I simply expend them differently. I can go on about legal precedence and constitutional implications of politics - I can reiterate lessons learned from empires long gone in the next breath. The names, dates and places slide off my tongue with ease - but I cannot tell you the name of the actor in my favorite TV show. Often times, I can't even remember the character's name the following day.
I read a wonderful article the other day from "The Art of Manliness" about how a man achieves maturity. To sum it up, when a male produces more than he consumes, he has achieved manhood. If only we as society viewed our time in this way, but instead, we seek pleasure without end - of course this is the end state of Marxism.
The truth is, one day we will all stand to be judged of how we spent our time here on Earth. We will have to publicly review our decisions and actions through the lens of eternal impact. At that day, I wonder how it will feel. I certainly hope that at that day I shall not be found wanting. I hope that my actions will have developed power through honor and integrity by the investment of my time into fulfillment of duties and creation of good.
Entertainment is needed, as is sleep and lulls of productivity. All of these provide us a rounded view in life and increase our capacity to appreciate success and absorb the stress that comes with it. The key is that we do the fun things with that intent as opposed to doing the hard things only to enjoy our off time.
We must accept that the price of our life is death - it is up to us to determine whether or not it is worth the purchase.
Most of us grew up on video games and movies showing that direct fire weapons were used in eliminating the enemy. While it seems this does happen, the kill ratio proves it is not the most efficient method - in the battle for Fallujah, the US averaged 250,000 rounds fired per insurgent killed.
There aren't any statistics for it, but the kill ratio for indirect fire is much more efficient. Essentially, direct fire is used for holding the enemy in place, and then you lob an explosive over their cover. That is modern warfare tactics in a nutshell.
The point to this tangent is that most people would not think of such a strategy based on their cultural training from media. This thought process must be learned and refined through technical knowledge and proficiency training.
Ironically enough, the Marine Corps trained me in the value of investment more than anything else. Being a supply officer, I was not in the business of taking life, but of sustaining it. It was for me to translate the priorities of the unit commander into monetary controls. I denied good requests that were needed - sometimes urgently - but were not in line with where the unit priorities were.
Now that I have left the Corps, I continue this training of what I know - I fund what my wife and I care for. We want to be free from debt and to enjoy family vacations. As result, we do not eat out much or see movies in the theater - we don't even pay for cable TV. We keep a car that we own and hate because we own it. Our house seems to shrink each year, but we are firm with staying put.
Recently, I have thought about the concept of the life through a financial view. Each of us has purchased a life and it will cost us death. We left the eternal realm of Father's to come to this corner of His creations to experience mortality. It was always to be temporary, so death was the liability levied against our revenue of time.
What we choose to expense our time on while we are here is up to us. I know many people that make more money than I do, yet my wife and I seem to have more buying power than them. We certainly travel more regularly with our children - and soon that travel will include international expeditions. We have set a list of priorities and goals for our family and spend accordingly. There is nothing wrong with how other families spend their money, but it proves the point that a focused expenditure can result in spectacular results.
Back to the view of time, I am not a sports fan. There are many reasons for it, so I will leave it at that. I have never been nor will I ever appreciate the hobby of watching sports. I do enjoy learning, writing and developing my hobbies. When I published my first book (self published) many exclaimed that they could not understand how I found the time. The answer is rather easy for me, I do not know anything about any of the many teams or athletes that those I associate with can rattle off about for hours.
I have not found some secret method of unlocking more hours in my day, I simply expend them differently. I can go on about legal precedence and constitutional implications of politics - I can reiterate lessons learned from empires long gone in the next breath. The names, dates and places slide off my tongue with ease - but I cannot tell you the name of the actor in my favorite TV show. Often times, I can't even remember the character's name the following day.
I read a wonderful article the other day from "The Art of Manliness" about how a man achieves maturity. To sum it up, when a male produces more than he consumes, he has achieved manhood. If only we as society viewed our time in this way, but instead, we seek pleasure without end - of course this is the end state of Marxism.
The truth is, one day we will all stand to be judged of how we spent our time here on Earth. We will have to publicly review our decisions and actions through the lens of eternal impact. At that day, I wonder how it will feel. I certainly hope that at that day I shall not be found wanting. I hope that my actions will have developed power through honor and integrity by the investment of my time into fulfillment of duties and creation of good.
Entertainment is needed, as is sleep and lulls of productivity. All of these provide us a rounded view in life and increase our capacity to appreciate success and absorb the stress that comes with it. The key is that we do the fun things with that intent as opposed to doing the hard things only to enjoy our off time.
We must accept that the price of our life is death - it is up to us to determine whether or not it is worth the purchase.
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