“I am persuaded there is among the mass of our people a fund of wisdom, integrity, and humanity which will preserve their happiness in a tolerable measure” ~ John Adams

I wonder what John Adams would think of the current state of the fund of wisdom, integrity and humanity bequeathed to us many generations ago? Is it like that of the Social Security Trust Fund or perhaps the United States public debt? Our country is running a terrible deficit on many accounts yet I have confidence that the balance of the fund of wisdom, integrity and humanity can overcome the lethargy, depravity and gluttony of the remainder of the mass of our people if we steward it wisely.

An ounce of wisdom and integrity weighs more than all foolishness and dishonesty combined. Maliciousness and tomfoolery appear to be formidable forces in the earth today, but they exist on borrowed time. Their lifeblood is stolen from life itself, and they live only to the degree that they are fed by the thoughts and deeds of those who ignorantly or deliberately fail to reveal their highest and finest in every situation.

Every time you give your the highest and finest of which you are capable, you make deposit in the fund John Adams described. Each and every time you express less than that, you make a withdrawal. The fund is collective, yet we each possess and maintain a sub-account, one that is funded on exactly the same basis.

As I was putting my sons to bed this evening they asked me about the game of soccer. My youngest, now four, remarked that when one person scored a goal the whole team got a point. That is exactly the point I am seeking to make to you today. When you score a goal the whole team gets a point. Your contribution and participation counts no matter how insignificant you may feel in relation to the whole.

Never underestimate the power of your contribution and participation.