All any of us deserve is a chance. It’s a gift, a bonus, if we also find help, friendship, and love.

In good times and bad, our call is to do our best with our callings, gifts, and talents. Our best-selves is the goal. Seeking significance is a higher value than success. To fulfill our callings is a key part of the purpose of life.

Callings and choices. One of the key choices is to be good stewards of our chances. We need to have purpose. We need to try, persist, and succeed at contributing to society as well as our own needs as often as we can.

When we fail, we can bounce back. When living out West, I learned the phrase “Cowboy Up!” We can get tougher. When we hurt, when we fail, we can heal, restore, try again. We can have “post traumatic growth.” We can restore trust in self and with others keeping promises.

Our country seems to have too many people feeling and acting “entitled.” We need more self reliance fulfilled in cooperation with others. More of us need to do our part and go beyond to help those who truly need assistance. Too many people are making excuses, expecting government assistance in the form of disability income when they can work, unemployment income when then they could find work if they tried more, even if that meant needing to improve attitude, skills, and knowledge.

All we usually get is a chance. Be productive with time and energy. Plan your life. Write it. Seek to discover your callings. Make good choices, discerning priorities. If you see someone who truly is not capable of sustaining themselves, help them. Even the most capable often need assistance for awhile.

Our society was established based on 90% supporting themselves and the 10% who need assistance. Some of those expecting government to pay for them need to work as much as their mental and physical energies will sustain–if not “full-time.”

America is challenged economically. We are at war with terrorism. We must do our part. True patriots do their best–even under stress.