Eric Wilson - 2014
Eric Wilson Axiom #127 – “There are only two things you can change: yourself and how you react.”
Eric Wilson Axiom #127 – “There are only two things you can change: yourself and how you react.”
politics, the education system, and other larger targets, if you read enough of what I write, most things seem to boil down to faith, family, friends, and self.
Don’t get me wrong, though. I am not saying “you” are the only issue and only places for change. What many of us do – not for ourselves but for our community and nation – are vital, and I myself challenge many systems and the status quo directly. But, this saying I coined over twenty years ago keeps coming back to me, and we must understand with clarity that the simpler things are just as important…if not more.
You see, like most things in my life these past five years have been part of a journey taking me to where I am today.
I started off working to try help fixing things at the national level. I called and met with my Congressmen and Senators. I joined with millions of my closest friends and patriots in Washington DC to demand reform. I am even at the forefront and part of a high-profile legal case still ongoing today where I am suing the IRS, Justice Department, and the United States of America. Unfortunately, none of my efforts have met with much success yet.
I have worked to try help fixing things at the state level. We spearheaded a nearly successful Tenth Amendment resolution and are currently working to try to help push back “Common Core” in our state. I served for over four years as the director of a statewide organization and helped coordinate regional “liberty conferences.” I was the campaign manager for a State Senate race to help run a primary against one of the more entrenched “Establishment Republicans” in our state. Unfortunately, none of my efforts met with much success yet.
During this same time but a lot more lately, I have worked to prepare my home, family, and community. I continue to educate myself and devour books that help challenge my views and support personal growth. Our family has refined our thinking and prepared to the point that we have moved to a more suitable homestead and begun additional measures. We have challenged systems in education, healthcare, and party loyalty – even throwing off labels and allegiance by registering as independents. In our community, we have organized with friends and neighbors to discuss what we can do here at the root and how we can come together when needed. Fortunately, all of our efforts have met with much success.
The journey that has gotten me back to where I am may not be that un-similar to many of yours. At least if I believe my axiom it will be journey we will take together. As people continue to put their trust in politicians and parties and insist that the next election is our last bastion of hope, what happens next December when the winter still comes? What happens when things begin to break down at the federal level? When societal transformation is left ignored and people cling to an election or policy to change things? What happens when there is no more foundation to build upon? What happens next when the state has become so dependent on the federal government? What system can you count on?
Ultimately, things come back to the foundational common denominators of faith, family, friends, and self. As I mentioned, all things come back to the simplest things: you. What we learn when what we try to change or control slips away - “There are only two things you can change: yourself and how you react.”
Please hear me, though. I am not saying that efforts within your state or at higher levels are futile and should be abandoned. Oh, we should mourn the day that we must say that! What I am saying, however, is all things come back to the simplest thing: you.
For the individuals that fully grasp the realities facing the nation, this means shifting their paradigms from trying to change the world to changing the two things that are in your control. It is about “you” – knowing who you are and standing on principles. It means becoming more self-reliant and severing the ties of dependency and bondage. It is about what “you” impact – protecting and preserving your family and having the loving bond. It requires one to ground themselves and their families at the intersection of faith, reason, and personal responsibility. It is about where “you” live – strengthening local communities by working self-sacrificially alongside neighbors and creating a network that stands on its own and is prepared to help take care of its own.
