Thanksgiving 2019

Mistakes That Profit

If I have learned anything from my involvement in the Scouts, it is the old saying, "Leave it to the experts."  Who are the experts?  The boys are.  Scouting is meant to be a boy lead program.  I have seen many events, projects and games, lead by adults, fail miserably and end up not very fun at all.  I have also seen young boys, some only between 11 - 15 years old, teach, lead and demonstrate difficult tasks and make them fun and exciting.

                So why is this true?  Is it because the boys make no mistakes and know exactly what they are doing?  Not at all. Boys are likely to make many more mistakes than adults.  Here is the difference, when a boy makes a mistake, they learn from it, correct and are not afraid to go back and do it over.  They do not expect perfection from themselves, nor is perfection expected from the other boys.

“The successful man will profit from his mistakes and try again in a different way.”

– Dale Carnegie

(1888-1955)

Author / Speaker

                Adults, on the other hand, think we have to get it right every time.  It is essential that everyone believes we know what we are doing, and to make a mistake is to show you are weak, lacking and dumb.  Where do we get these silly ideas?  For the Scout, the essential things are learning something new, doing it right and having fun.  For the adult, it is mostly ego and power.

                Success-minded people have much to learn from the young.  Those who are learning for the first time, those who are discovering their abilities and talents, and those who are willing to fail to achieve the results they want.  Scouts learn that to do their best is more important than being the best.  A lesson we all need to apply to our daily lives.

                Spend time with kids and learn from them what matters in life.  Learn that a mistake is only a lesson in doing things differently.  Learn that you can be the best by doing your best, not the other way around.  Learn that there is fun in every task, discovery around every corner and an adventure waiting for you each morning.  Do this, and you will have real success in life.

You matter! You matter to the world and to yourself. Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown, and change your world.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2019 John Patrick Hickey

SOU 1972 Plan A

Whistle a Happy Tune

Sometimes happy people can make you wonder. There are those people who are happy all the time, no matter what is going on in their life. What is up with that? Some may think that these people have a screw loose or that they do not face reality. The truth is, they are the ones facing reality. They know that whether they are happy or sad, it is their choice. They choose to be happy.

                Facing the world with an attitude of happiness is not a denial that bad things are happening. Happy people choose their attitude and take control of their lives. People whose moods change as their circumstances change allow the world to control them. It is easy to feel bad and to let stress and sadness control your life. You have to be strong to be happy. Only those who believe that they have the power to control their feelings can face life with a song in their hearts.

                The eighth point of the Scout Law is that a Scout is cheerful. That means they have chosen to face life with a positive and happy attitude. They do their work with excellence because they are happy to do it. When you decide to meet each task, challenge or situation with a positive attitude, you can always do better and be better. But when you see each task as an unpleasant effort and each challenge as a personal attack, you never do, and you sure don’t feel well.

“A Scout smiles and whistles under all circumstances.”

– Sir Robert Baden-Powell

(1857-1941)

Founder of the Boy Scouts

                How does one get this power? First, you have to make the decision that you will not allow life to get you down. Happiness is not a fleeting emotion; it is always a decision we make. We are not happy that bad things may happen, but happy in spite of it. When you choose to see the positive in life you will be amazed at just how much positive there is to see. Life is full of adventure, discovery, and wonders that, when paid attention to, will thrill your heart.

                The simplest way to enjoy a happy life is to act like it. Keep a smile on your face. You can keep happy by developing the habit of standing up straight, look up and not down and keep a smile on your face. Mark Twain once said, "If you keep smiling you will feel better, and others will wonder what you are up to."

                Lastly, keep your thought positive and creative. Face each day as a new opportunity to succeed and to move closer to your dreams. In short, happiness is in your control. Others cannot give it to you, nor can they take it away. Be happy just to be you. Share that happiness with others, and you will see it grow. If you have the choice - and you do - choose to be happy. It's more fun!

You matter! You matter to the world and to yourself. Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown, and change your world.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2019 John Patrick Hickey

SOU 1971 Doing Right

It's Good to Be Odd

I have always found it interesting that the harder we work at being different from everyone else, the more we are the same. I grew up in the '60s when the way we proved we were "nonconformist" was to conform to every other "nonconformist." Even today, people claim they are not part of the pack and will tell you they are their own person, yet other than their name, you cannot tell them apart from the next guy.

                There are those who are different and unique. I like to call these people, success-minded people. Rather than feeling they must prove their uniqueness by piercing every available part of their body to taking rudeness to the level of an art form, these people naturally be the best they can be. Success-minded people are people who believe that character, integrity and doing the right thing is always the best way to go. They understand that doing what is right and being truthful is not a case of following the crowd but of individual choice. A choice they make with understanding and passion.

                This willingness to be unique and different from the crowd is one of the things that draws me to Scouting. For the adult, that success-minded person, it may be challenging to be different and stand out from the rest, but for a young person, it is close to impossible. It is essential for young people to feel accepted and part of the group. When they decide to do right and to live a good life that helps others and stays out of trouble, they many times are rejected by the group. For an adult, deciding to do right is just a choice; for the young, it takes courage.

“There suddenly appeared in my world - I saw them first, I think, in 1908 - a new sort of little boy - a most agreeable development of the slouching, cunning, cigarette-smoking, town-bred youngster; a small boy in khaki hat, and with bare knees and athletic bearing, earnestly engaged in wholesome and invigorating games up to and occasionally a little beyond his strength - a Boy Scout.  I liked the Boy Scout.”

– H.G. Wells

(1866-1946) Author

                Somewhere in this crazy society, we started to believe that to be angry, rude, self-centered and displaying bad behavior was somehow cool or fashionable. Success-minded people understand that it is in doing right and standing for the right things that we become our own person. Likewise, the Scout knows that doing right, because it is right, can mean rejection or be criticized by friends. But they will do it anyway. Anyone can exhibit a bad attitude or wrong behavior. As the late Corrie ten Boom once said, "Any dead fish can float downstream." 

                It is time that we make the decision to be different. We choose to stand out from the crowd and be the example, not the attraction. It takes courage and determination to be trustworthy, loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient, cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent. These are not the qualities you see encouraged in our schools or government. It takes a person who can think for themselves and have the guts to stand alone if they must.

                Be a different breed than the rest. Be an example of what it means to not follow the crowd or to give up your ability to be you. Be positive, pleasant, and encouraging to all you meet. Others will take notice. As Mark Twain said, "Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest."

You matter! You matter to the world and yourself. Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2019 John Patrick Hickey

SOU 1970 Wisdom of Age

1996 True Success

It's Possible

If I were to list all the assets that help me to succeed in life, at the top of my list, I would have to put my ten grandchildren and being a Scout leader.  Why?  Because that much contact with children has revitalized my ability to believe in the impossible.  Young people do think that they can become anything they choose to be and that the mysteries of life are theirs to discover.  It is when we "grow up" that we begin to think the impossible is impossible.

                I first become a Scout leader when my grandson entered Cub Scouts as a Tiger Cub.  I have wanted him to be a Scout since the day he was born.  I love Scouting and believe in the program.  He is now a Boy Scout, and I am too.  It is his burning goal in life is to be an Eagle Scout and to earn all 137 merit badges.  That is a big goal for an adult, let alone a teen, but not impossible for him to achieve.

“Scoutmasters need to enter into boy's ambitions.”

– Sir Robert Baden-Powell

(1857-1941)

Founder of the Boy Scouts

                Young people are like that.  They have the passion and the courage to dream big.  It is the adults in their lives that too often step on their dreams and convince them that they are impossible.  Have you ever wondered where we would be today if we never stopped believing in the impossible?  What could we have achieved as individuals or as a society?  The possibilities are endless.

                My wife and I recently watched a program on the space program forming in the 1960s. It seemed like a time when we were all full of courage and the wonder of discovery. I am not sure what all went wrong, but something did. We were willing to take risks to back them. The examples of men and women who were not only ready but excited to place themselves in danger to discover the unknown. Some tragically died in the process, but it did not stop the next group from coming forward. Today, people are fearful of words and pictures, so afraid they need “safe spaces” and therapy to get through the day. What happened to us?

                American poet, Theodore Roethke said, "What we need is more people who specialize in the impossible."  I fully agree, and I desire to be one of those people.  The young people in my life give me hope that I can be.  These Scouts believe that they will become great and do wonderful things.  I believe they will too.  I will work hard to be sure they never doubt that or stop believing in the impossible.

                If my only achievement in life is to inspire one young person to reach out into the unknown and to do what has not been done before, then I have lived a life worth living. The spirit of the old space program is not dead. It might be hiding somewhere, but that is why we have Scouts. A Scout is brave. A Scout can and will go where others are afraid to go and take the risks that all discoverers have taken. They will make the world exciting again.

                Take some time and get into the thinking of a child.  Visit some Scouts or pay more attention to the Scouts in your life.  Scouts are trained to believe in the impossible.  They are given the opportunity to become anything they choose to be.  One-hundred and thirty-seven merit badges is a lot of work, but we can do it.  Yes, I said we.  My grandson, my Scout has allowed me to take this journey with him, and I will not miss a moment of it. 

You matter!  You matter to the world and yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2019 John Patrick Hickey

SOU 1963 The Slave

Getting the Right Size

When we look at the task before us to be successful in Scouting, business or life in general, we can quickly be overwhelmed.  Our dreams and goals should always be impossible so that we reach and grow in their pursuit.  At the same time, those impossible dreams can be more than we know how to handle.  This brings us to the adage, "How do you eat an elephant?  One bite at a time."

                When we are pursuing any goal, it is always best to cut it down to size.  By that, I mean to plan it in doable segments.  No matter how big the goal may be, you will get there one step at a time.  Never any faster than that.  So why try to do it all at once?  Tackle your goals, just one step at a time.

“Scouting is a man's job cut down to a boy's size.”

– Sir Robert Baden-Powell

(1857-1941)

Founder of the Boy Scouts

                As Scouts work on projects, whether they be badges, ranks, or something a big as an Eagle project, they learn to plan things out, step by step, and take it on with focus and determination. The point is never just getting it done. I know that is a battle for all of us. We all look to “Just get this done.” But Scouts learn that the process is as necessary as the finished project. What we do with excellence does not have to be redone. As coach John Wooden used to say, “If you do not have the time to do it right, how will you have the time to do it over?”

Here is a simple exercise you can do to help you grasp this process.  Sit down and write out your goal as clearly and in as much detail as you can.  Now answer this question: "What is the first thing I have to do?"  If this does not come to you right away, try working backward.  Look at the achieved goal and see what you did just before you realized it, then what was before that, and so on.

                When you have the first step written down, do that.  Then go to the next step and so forth.  

Soon you will learn that anything is possible, one step at a time.  The full goal will always be and should be more prominent than you can handle, but when cut down to size, it is a journey you will be excited to make.  As Dr. Robert H. Schuller, founding Pastor of the Chrystal Cathedral said, "Yard by yard everything is hard.  Inch by inch, everything a cinch."

                When we take on something in big steps that overwhelm us we find discouragement and frustration. Take that same task and do it in easy to manage bits, you firn excitement, and progress. Never set yourself up to fail. Never hide from the difficult. Take that elephant and start one bite at a time. You will not only eat the whole thing in time but find he did not taste that bad.

You matter!  You matter to the world and yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2019 John Patrick Hickey

SOU 1969 Sing a Happy Song

1999 Where is Happiness

SOU 1968 Just One Word

A True Purpose

Author Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) made this statement: "An aim in life is the only fortune worth finding, and it is not to be found in foreign lands, but in the heart itself."  Every person has a purpose to fulfill.  Every business, church or organization has a mission or purpose to achieve.  Humankind was created in such a way that without the awareness of our purpose in life, we become disorientated and discouraged.  Many have lost their will to live because they found nothing to live for.

                Have you ever written out a personal mission statement?  A mission statement is a short, yet descriptive statement of what you believe you are meant to do in life.  In business and organizations, mission statements are commonplace, but even then, do people know what they are.  Think about it.  Can you, right now, without searching for it, recite the mission statement of the company you work for, the church you attend, or the organizations you belong too?  How can you achieve their goals if you do not know what they are?

“The Boy Scouts of America will prepare every eligible youth in America to become a responsible, participating citizen and leader who is guided by the Scout Oath and the Scout Law.”

– Boy Scouts of America Vision Statement

                Above, you see the vision statement for the BSA. Every leader in the Scouting organization should know and follow this statement. A clear vision statement allows us to understand where we are going and just how we intend to get there. As you can see, the BSA statement is a tall order, but it is one that can be achieved.

                Even more important is your own mission statement.  What is it that you believe you are here to do?  If you allow me, I would like to share my personal mission statement with you.  I designed this several years ago after attending a seminar where this principle was taught.  It took me many days to get it right, but I have not changed it, and I strive to achieve it every day:

"To be a consistent example and teacher of personal excellence and leadership skills.  To live a life that will show the reality of Jesus Christ in the life of a believer."

                When I am setting goals, creating action plans, and looking at my future, this is my starting point.  If I stray from this, I know I am heading in the wrong direction, no matter how good it may seem.  Your mission statement is your anchor and your roadmap.

                If you have not made a personal mission statement, here are some tips on doing this.  First, please understand, you will not do this in a few minutes.  This can take days, maybe months to get it right.  What is right?  Right is where you know inside that this is what you are meant to do.  It is creating something narrow enough to give you direction and guidelines, yet broad enough to allow you to be creative and expand in the future. 

What do you love to do?  Your purpose will not be something you hate.  It is your dream, your passion, and your life.  You may not have been in a place to do this yet thoroughly, but you still can

What are your strengths?  Do not waste time trying to be strong in areas that you are weak.  Find where are you already strong and build on that.  What do you do well? 

How will this affect others?  Remember, your purpose is not just to make you feel good and give you the things you want.  You are here for others first.  If your mission does not make the lives of others better, you are missing the point.

                On your first try, you may have a full paragraph or even a page.  In the end, you want to bring it down to one or two sentences.  You can use the two statements above (mine and the BSA) but do not copy them.  This must be your purpose, your statement.

You matter!  You matter to the world and yourself.  Remember to be your best, love God, have good manners, achieve the unknown and change your world.

Scouting Out of Uniform is a personal blog based on the lessons learned from Scouting that relate to personal development and success principles and is not an official site of The Boy Scouts of America. John Patrick Hickey does not represent or speak for the Scouting program; however, he does completely support and encourages Scouting for both young and old. John Patrick Hickey is an author, speaker, Personal Development Coach, and proud Scouter. To read more from John Patrick Hickey or to get his books, training and book him to speak to your church, business, or group, visit our website at www.johnpatrickhickey.com.   © 2019 John Patrick Hickey

SOU 1967 No Whinning