III – Be

15 Maxims for Being Reliable

Steadfast like a rockAre you reliable? Someone who’s trustworthy, dependable, honest, respectable, steadfast? Like a rock?

Here are 15 tenets to make sure you are:

  1. Keep your promises.
  2. Don’t overpromise.
  3. Manage expectations.
  4. Don’t leave other people hanging.
  5. Whatever you do, do it well.
  6. Be consistent.
  7. Finish what you start.
  8. Pull your weight and shoulder your own responsibilities.
  9. Be honest.
  10. Pay back money and return things in a timely manner.
  11. Be punctual.
  12. Be fair and consistent in rewards and punishments.
  13. Don’t let circumstances dictate your behavior.
  14. Don’t collapse in emergencies.
  15. Show up.

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Desmond T. Doss: Example of Stalwart Character

Buy the book Desmond Doss Conscientious Objector: The Story of an Unlikely Hero through this affiliate link with AmazonDesmond Doss (#LiveLikeDoss) was the only man to win the US Congressional Medal of Honor while serving under conscientious objector status. A devoted Seventh-Day Adventist, Doss asked for non-combatant status when he was drafted in 1942, but he was told that he could only serve as a C.O.

Doss trained as a military medic and proved himself a selfless hero during the fierce battle for Okinawa. When 75 wounded GIs were stranded atop the Maeda Escarpment, Doss personally made sure each one was lowered to safety, all of this taking place under heavy enemy fire. During his military service, Doss also received the Purple Heart and a Bronze Star, all without harming another human being.

“He was one of the bravest persons alive, and then to have him end up saving my life was the irony of the whole thing,” said Capt. Jack Glover in a documentary about Doss’ life. Glover had wanted Doss out of the unit when he first joined up.

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Make Your Bed, Change Your World

Buy the book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World through this affiliate link with AmazonAdmiral William McRaven (Ret.) thought commanding the raid on terrorist Osama bin Laden’s compound would be the pinnacle achievement of his 37 years as a Navy SEAL, until he gave his 2014 commencement speech at the University of Texas at Austin that went viral. His topic, a lesson in personal responsibility, spoke to millions worldwide and became the bestselling book Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life…And Maybe the World.

His premise reflects the principles of SemperVerus living: make the right choices every moment of every day, no matter how seemingly minuscule, in order to not deviate from your course; in order to Stay True!

SemperVerus Wristband black text on red

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Leadership Lessons From the Allied Invasion of Normandy

Buy the book Desmond Doss Conscientious Objector: The Story of an Unlikely Hero through this affiliate link with AmazonThe book Agility: How to Navigate the Unknown and Seize Opportunity in a World of Disruption by Leo M. Tilman and Charles Jacoby (Missionday, 2019) includes a chapter examining what the World War II Allied D-Day invasion of Normandy demonstrates about the power and utility of organizational agility (and by extension, SemperVerus living). The authors define agility as “the organizational capacity to effectively detect, assess, and respond to environmental changes in ways that are purposeful, decisive, and grounded in the will to win.” Agile organizations possess both strategic and tactical strengths. The authors identify the three essential competencies that constitute the pillars of agility as

  • risk intelligence
  • decisiveness
  • execution dexterity.

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Important US Dates to Commemorate

[ Read the SemperVerus article, US Presidential Messages on Important Birthdays and Anniversaries ]

January 14th:  Ratification Day
Annually recognizes the ratification of the Treaty of Paris on January 14, 1784, at the Maryland State House in Annapolis, Maryland by the Confederation Congress that officially ended the American Revolution and established the United States as a sovereign entity.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Celebrating 250 Years: Learn About the American Revolution ]

January 16th:  National Religious Freedom Day
Since 1993, the President of the United States has proclaimed January 16 as National Religious Freedom Day, commemorating the Virginia General Assembly’s adoption of Thomas Jefferson‘s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786.

[ Read the SemperVerus article, Free Online Educational Resources to Grow Your Spiritual Knowledge ]

February 1st:  National Freedom Day
Celebrates freedom from slavery and recognizes that America is a symbol of liberty. The day honors the signing by Abraham Lincoln on February 1, 1865 of a joint House and Senate resolution that later became the 13th Amendment to the US Constitution.

March 3rd:  National Anthem Day
Commemorates the day in 1931 the United States adopted The Star Spangled Banner (written September 14, 1814 by Francis Scott Key) as its National Anthem.

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