PREPARE YOUR EARS TO LISTEN AND YOUR HEART TO RECEIVE, AS YOU TAKE IN THE WORDS THAT ARE BEING PROVIDED AND SPOKEN TO YOU.
Congress passed the first military conscription act in 1863 during the Civil War which allowed President Abraham Lincoln to draft men between the ages of 20-45. The second military draft law went into effect in 1917 and gave President Woodrow Wilson the authority to gather men for World War 1.
On September 16, 1940, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed into law the Selective Training and Service Act, which was known as “The Draft”, until 1973 when President Richard M Nixon signed legislation officially ending it.
Initially, it required males from the ages of 21-35 to register with their local draft boards and if selected, they were to serve for 12 months. In later years, this bill was amended to extend the term of duty beyond the 12 months and make men from the ages of 20-44 liable for military service. It also required men from ages 18-64 to register with their local draft boards. Can you imagine not having a choice to serve your country in a foreign land with the possibility of not returning? Can you imagine working as a slave and not having the opportunity to say no without being beat?
Now the military is an all volunteer force and the men and women who enter a recruiting office do so on their own free will and know what they are signing up for. On June 19, 1865, all enslaved were set free which has resulted in the opportunity for all of us to make choices about our lives that will affect us positively and negatively.
Think about that nice looking man or woman and both of you choose to be entangled in a relationship with each other. What about when you saw that dream car or house and you just had to have it. Maybe you were searching for a job that possibly paid well, was within your commuting distance, and it allowed you to use the skills that you were taught. With all of these choices and decisions that we have to make, we feel confident in knowing that we did a good job.
But what do you do when you find yourself in something that you didn't sign up for? Couples get married to enhance each other's lives but then they get a divorce. "I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS" When parents are planning to see their newborn and the doctor informs them that their child has a health condition or some abnormality. "I DIDN"T SIGN UP FOR THIS" That nice car you purchased has a bad engine or transmission and that house has mold in the walls and to repair these items will devastate you financially. "I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS". What about that job that you were so proud of, it is now filled with co-workers that you don't get along with and possibly through their laziness or their lack of ability to prioritize, has given you additional tasking but your pay doesn’t match the responsibilities. "I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS" What happens when the people that you thought were there to help you, turn on you? "I DIDN'T SIGN UP FOR THIS"
I continually express to people to keep their eyes, mind, heart, and body focused on the goal or the outcome they desire. I rarely discuss in detail what issues might happen during their journey that could leave them in a confused, angry, depressed, stressed, alone, resentful, and guarded state.
We don't know who we are until we have been living in a scary place and put in a pit of despair. Remaining in this place is where the danger lies but continuing to press forward is where the toughness and resilience allow us to become stronger and wiser.
How many of you would sign up for something that you knew would have a negative outcome or put you in a situation when it is out of your hands? Many of you wouldn't, but the ones who have been placed in these situations probably wouldn't have it any other way. The situations that you have encountered up to this point have prepared you to deal with the present and future adversities you will have.
The joy of discovering that you are already equipped to handle that situation in your life should give you joy and the motivation to keep it moving. You might, “Didn't sign up for it” but once you realize what you got, you will find out that you have more than what you thought and it is efficient to get you to that desired outcome. #SPEAK2MYHEART
