Owning Our Problems- Personal Ethics

On July 31, 2009 my wife and two teenage boys drove me to the Federal Prison Camp in Duluth, Minnesota to start a one year and one day prison sentence for committing mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering against a multi-billion dollar computer manufacturer. My faith and personal ethics were put to the test.

I remember the day clear as a lake without a ripple in it and was greatly troubled by a pending separation from family, friends, and society.

I was scheduled to report by 2:00 PM on that Friday afternoon carrying only cash, driver’s license, wedding ring, reading glasses, and a book of daily faith readings called “My Utmost For His Highest” by Oswald Chambers.

I remember huddling up with my family in the administrative lobby of the prison saying goodbye to them. I don’t recall ever crying harder.

When they left for the drive back to Minneapolis, it all hit me like a ton a bricks or some bolt of lightning. I owned my problem and no one else was responsible.

While my moral compass was invisible, partially existent, or very wobbly back when my crimes took place during January 2001-August 2002, I had since that time reconstructed my personal ethics around a set of morals, principles, and Christian values that would allow me to move forward in a positive direction rebuilding my life.

I vowed to never look back, to do my best every day, and contribute back to a world that I had taken from.

I ended up serving ten and a half months between prison and a halfway house, and never blamed others for my predicament. Most of the 925 inmates at this prison thought they were victims and did nothing wrong.

The failure to own our problems, to conveniently blame others by finger-pointing, and not making personal ethics a top priority in our daily lives is a serious plague in this country.

When I review this past year and see one scandal after another, I have little confidence that we are as humans being responsible, honest, accountable, transparent, and fair in our dealings with each other.

That is our challenge for the New Year and I put it out there for all of you to reflect on. Do your best every day. Don’t take shortcuts and rationalize them. Own all of your problems. Make your personal ethics into an indestructible foundation that allows you to contribute and be happy each day.

I wish all of you a New Year that is blessed with happiness and good health!