The whole nation seems to be interested in Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee.  I’ve heard veteran news analysts and political pundants who expressed amazement at the phenomenon.  I believe I understand it.  It’s about Integrity; Integrity with a cause greater than self; the same concept expressed by both John McCain and Barack Obama.

How did she do all of this so quickly?  She demonstrated with her actions that her faith and her family are her most important priorities.  Then she demonstrated that she stood for integrity in public service above personal gain or glory.  While Mayor she randomly called members of the community each week to get feedback on how the city was doing; not how she was doing but how the city was doing.

Because of her popularity she was appointed to be the Chairperson of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.  It was an honor and an important position but she gladly resigned to make a stand for honesty and integrity for all the members.

As Governor she showed by her actions that she really was about reducing costs and making the government serve the best interests of the people.  She negotiated new deals with the big oil companies, increasing their taxes and set about getting a gas pipeline to better serve Alaskans plus the greater interests of the nation.

I finally understood these concepts a few years ago when I hit rock bottom in my personal life.  I had lost many of the things that seemed so very important to me but then I found something much more important; integrity with a cause greater than myself.  That is what my book is about; a Cause Greater Than Self.  That is what I found and how those lessons can work for you and your loved ones.

Jerry W. Willis

www.jerrywwillis.com

I am not primarily about making political comments; I am about trying to help our kids with Purpose in Life principles.  Those principles state that we are each to do the best we can with our ‘Talents’ and our ’Opportunities’ so I conclude that this is part of my purpose.  I am trying to honor my Loved Ones by doing my best to make our world a better place for all. 

I am also using this article as an example of what any of us can do.  We all can and should make our thoughts and feelings known.  We should express our opinions and we should try to help make the world a better place for all.  Your ideas and feelings are part of your ‘Talents’.  And, you make a difference when your ideas are heard by others.

The Democratic position on drilling is confusing to me and I think to a lot of the American people.  Here are the arguments that I see being put forth:

 “Big Oil and their White House allies want you to believe that opening up America’s coasts to offshore drilling will lower your gas prices.  Yet our Department of Energy says that offshore drilling would have “no significant impact” on gasoline prices, and we wouldn’t see those savings until 2025.” -

But, even if it is ‘no significant impact’, which I and a lot of people don’t believe is an accurate statement, every little bit helps.  The other side of that comment is that:  yes it will have some impact.  In addition, there is no evidence at all to support the statement that the oil and gas wouldn’t be available until 2025.

So why not do all we can?  Why not have these sources readily available?  We can use them while we develop alternative sources for ourselves and the rest of the world.

Don’t you agree that whatever the American companies spend drilling here stays in America and provides jobs and the companies and suppliers and employees pay taxes to our government?

Don’t you agree that every dollar we spend for oil and gas here reduces the amount we send to the other countries of the world?

Don’t you agree that if Clinton hadn’t vetoed the Anwar drilling bill more than 8 years ago we would have a significant new American source of oil right now?  Wouldn’t that be reducing the amount of our wealth that we are sending to the Arab states and the dependence we have on them and therefore result in a lower price of oil for us and the whole world? 

Wouldn’t we have sent a lot less money to them over the last few years? 

Wouldn’t the price of oil and gas have been much less several years ago as the certainty of a significant new source coming on line was looming?

And, what is this about calling the idea of drilling offshore or anywhere in America a ‘land grab’ for big oil?

If they pay our government, i.e., US, a big leasing fee to drill, agree to our limitations and restrictions,  pay us taxes on everything that they get out of the wells and the leases expire and can be taken away at the end of the leasing period how can that be a ‘land grab’? 

It seems to me that anyone who thinks about it would agree that it is a very misleading statement and must have some ulterior motives behind it.

If the oil companies will pay for any damages they cause; and they have not had any problems for the last 30 years in the Gulf of Mexico, and they have even better equipment and methods today, it seems that again these statements are at the very least misleading.

Jerry W. Willis

www.jerrywwillis.com

When a child hears that the UPIL, the Universal Purpose in Life™ says that we are to honor our parents and loved ones by the way we live our lives some may say: “But, my dad left us and never even tried to help.  I don’t want to honor him!”.  Or something like “But, my mom/dad was mean to me.” or “My mom/dad did such terrible things and I don’t want to honor him/her!”.So why would we do our best to honor our parents even if we don’t feel like they deserve to be honored?  The answer is you do it to experience some of ‘the best things in life’ and to ‘live the good life’. You do it because that is your Purpose in Life.

But how can trying to honor them help me and what are ‘the best things in life’ anyway? 

Well let’s look at the example of Barack Obama.  His dad deserted him and his mother.  Barack later found that his dad had multiple wives and kids, had been an alcoholic and wasted much of his potential of being a very bright man with great opportunities.  What had he done to deserve to be honored?

The answer is he fathered Barack Obama.  And he fathered other kids who also have the potential to be honorable people and who can also help to make the world a better place because they are here. 

Your parents had you.

And although it may not be Barack’s main goal to honor his dad by the way he lives his life, he is doing that as well as honoring his Mother and Grandparents and his wife and kids by doing and being his best with his talents and opportunities.

True, most of us can never do all the wonderful things that Barack Obama has done or can do.  He is so fortunate to be very bright and have good grandparents with money and good educations and a good lifestyle to help him.

But he is doing just what you can do.   

Each of us honors our Creator and our parents and loved ones best by doing and being our best with what we have.  All we need is to understand the ‘Talents’ and ‘Opportunities’ we really have and how we can fulfill our Purpose in Life while feeling that we truly are living ‘the life of our dreams’.   

 Jerry W. Willis

www.jerrywwillis.com