Want to Make American Great Again? Then Get Off Your A**.

I've been pondering this for many months and today I felt compelled to share. Lucky you!

If you are a person who believes we need to make America great again (and even if you are not), then I'm here to provide some marching orders. Get off your chair. Get involved. Get to know your neighbors. Get to know a stranger in your midst. Be a leader by example. Stop shouting rhetoric and start acting GREAT.

So many folks have talked about how America is the opposite of great today. They see it as a political slam. I see it as a personal slam. For the past eight (plus) years, I haven't had time to whine about my country feeling/looking tarnished, I've been too busy investing in my community by:

• working every day to support my family
• volunteering in my child's school
• supporting local non-profits who have a direct impact on the people in my community (and by support I mean that time-tested trifecta of time, treasure and talent)
• helping my neighbors
• organizing regional networking and support opportunities for entrepreneurial businesswomen
• pitching in when needed for my family and friends on a personal level, we all need a little help sometimes

This is not to say that I'm perfect. I'm far from it. But, I wonder how many armchair quarterbacks posting about the dismal state of our country have done the same?

Today my wish is to see more sharing about the day-to-day efforts each of us has accepted responsibility for and less about how much we want to see from a politician who doesn't share our space every day. 

No. More. Excuses. 

Too many times I've heard about our young people and how lazy and uninvolved they are. Its no wonder when they listen to the adults in their lives pander about how (insert any political figure's name here) is an idiot or incompetent or a liar. I value transparency in business and politics (and by transparency I don't mean a flood of shared click bait faux stories about politicians or businesses or celebrities). I also value personal responsibility. Being displeased about something is perfectly acceptable. But, that reaction should spur engagement and involvement, not whining and blaming. 

Teach tomorrow's leaders how to lead by actually doing it in front of them. They won't just grow up to be effective family, community, business, and political leaders on their own. They need those closest to them to show them how. Start small. Act local. But, keep that world view in sight. 

America is Great. The question is: Are YOU?

PS: No Republicans or Democrats or Libertarians, Tea Partiers, or Green Party Followers were harmed in the drafting of this message. Trust me, it's truly non-partisan. Everyone needs to get off their a**.