I believe the sin of racism is founded in the roots of all sin – that is selfishness.

James, the brother of Jesus, wrote in 3:16 “For where you have envy and selfish ambition, there you will find disorder and every evil practice.”

When humans think more of themselves than of others, they are succumbing to the temptation of selfishness. When we think more of others than ourselves, then we are practicing selflessness. Only through an attitude of selflessness and by practicing selflessness everyday, will we rid our nation of racism.

Some people (tired and weary) view their daily lives as just doing a job, a grind, a chore to be completed. Winners on the other hand, see their daily lives as contributing to a better world while serving all humankind.

“An individual has not started living until he can rise above the narrow confines of his individualistic concerns to the broader concerns of all humanity” -Martin Luther King, Jr.

Yes, most of us have a job that produces an income that provides for us and our families. But it’s our attitude about that job the determines our success in serving humankind. Yes a job serves us and our families by providing income, but that same job can be a joy when viewed through the lens of how it serves humankind.

“I am convinced that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can, for the harder I work the more I live. I rejoice in life for its own sake. Life is no brief candle for me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as I possibly can before turning it over to future generations.” – George Bernard Shaw.

If your daily grind seems more like a smoldering ember than a brightly burning torch, then maybe you’re not doing enough for your fellow humans – humankind.

The foundation of a winning attitude is not fame and fortune, although those can be good results. A winning attitude is founded on the Significance of Success.

Anyone can be successful at anything with enough time and money to absorb the cost of failures. But to be successful at something significant requires Purpose. Success alone focuses its energies on fame, fans, and fortune. Significance focuses its energies on friends, family, and faith.

“The purpose of life is a life of purpose.” -Robert Byrne

When you decide to focus your energies on living a life of significance, your efforts will improve the world. Your family, friends, community, and the world will benefit more when you focus your talents on doing something significant instead of just doing something that will get you noticed (fame and fortune).

In any endeavor risks must be taken. To avoid risk is to avoid opportunity. If you are concerned about the risk due to fear, you are not alone. But if you respond to fear with with rational action steps, you can overcome that fear and accept the risk. But if you cower under the fear of failure, you will never take the risk that could lead to greater success.

“It is hard to fail, but it is worse never to have tried to succeed” – Theodore Roosevelt.

You cannot avoid risk, but you can manage it with rational thinking and problem-solving. Learning to manage risk, is like learning how deep the water is and whether or not there are rocks under the surface before diving off a cliff. Rational thinkers don’t just dive off a cliff into unexplored waters, they practice due diligence and investigate what is under the surface before they dive in.

Think about this the next time you are presented an opportunity to do something different, something new, something risky. With a little bit of research and patient study, the reward might be greater than the risk.

As Richmond Common Council President, I got to work on several ordinances last night that will bring significant dollars to our community from both the Federal CARES Act and from new industry.

We approved Tax Abatements for Element 13 to build an aluminum foundry on 15.5 acres of our Midwest Industrial Park at Round Barn and Gaar Jackson Roads. This plant will bring 30 new jobs paying over $20/hour plus benefits. It will also bring $19,500,000 investments in a new plant and equipment.

We approved the appropriation of $250,000 through the Indiana Office of Community and Rural Affairs office from the Federal COVID-19 Response Program. Businesses in the downtown and depot districts will be able to apply for grants to offset loses during the COVID-19 Health Emergency. This grant will be managed by the Center City Development Corporation, a National Trust Main Street Organization – commonly referred to as the Innovation Center.

We approved the appropriation of $1,561,464 for Roseview Transit through INDOT from the Federal CARES Act to support public transportation in our city.

We approved the appropriation of $30,000 for the Richmond Municipal Airport operations from the FAAs CARES Act funds.

We approved the appropriation of $807,385 to rehabilitate the Richmond Municipal Airport’s Taxiway A through another grant from the FAA.

During times of crisis, you can count on us to do everything we can to support our city.