About the Editors 

This introductory page about the editors at accountable citizens has been created to give a glimpse into how we intend to share collective experiences, successes and failures, training, and hopefully some wisdom to help our readers who are looking for ways to serve our nation and lift up our fellow citizens.

We'll be sharing some of the things learned by listening to experts in the areas of leadership and personal growth. But while learning by listening to experts is a great first step, it's more important to metaphorically leave the safety of the beach and head out into the water.

While we don't want to always take the "Ready, fire, aim" approach to anything, doing so is far better than "Ready, aim, aim, aim..." The editors at accountable citizens have learned some valuable lessons over the years, and we have some scars to prove what happens when we skip important steps in the growth process. But the scars are all part of the process. Failure isn't always a bad thing. Failure is part of success.

To Know About the Editors is to Know This Success Story

We like to laser focus on specific goals, but within those goals are multi-tasking benefits. Every specific goal has as an additional goal, the desire to lift people up in the process. Our nation was built by people who moved forward boldly, often stumbling along the way. Sometimes short cuts were taken. Sometimes personal jealousy got in the way of lifting up the people around them. Or us. We always need to look in the mirror first. Are we doing the best we can do to be responsible, accountable citizens?

One of the initiatives we are most proud of include building teams of volunteers, mostly high school and college age people who worked on projects that put them right in the middle of the daily lives of the most at-risk and most vulnerable people they will ever meet. These were steps far out of comfort zones, steps that many older adults didn't have the courage to take.

Along the way they brought in more young people who joined the work. We were very proud of how these young leaders lifted up the new people and set in motion a wave of enthusiasm and a structure of new leadership development that welcomed all and set all egos aside.

At the end of this page is another example from one of our editors.

We've faced our share of setbacks along the way, just like everyone else. You'll read about a journey away from a codependent relationship. No one wants to publicly share personal problems, but we believe that if it helps someone else, it's worth it. If we can get past challenges, then it is certain you can do the same.

We'll be upfront about the personal demons and fears. We'll give you the straight up truth on where we failed so you don't have to take those same steps.  Experience has taught us that it isn't where you start or if you tripped up along the way.  It's all about doing the right things for the right reasons.  The missteps can be inspiring to the next group and will offer encouragement to those who will follow you.

Building Up or Tearing Down?

You might have heard of crab mentality. This centers on the way crab fishermen never have to put a lid on their crab pots. They just throw the catch in the pot. If one tries to pull itself out, the others pull it back down with them. Think about the political landscape in our nation right now.

What if instead, our elected officials followed the example of those young people we wrote about a couple paragraphs back? What if they put all efforts into problem-solving and lifting people up? Not by pandering for votes with unsustainable government stipends that only serve to maintain the entitlement mentality.

But rather by empowering citizens to take bold steps to lift themselves up. We all grow as a nation when we strive to lift others up with us.

The editors at accountable citizens value your input and welcome your thoughts, suggestions, and your own success stories. You might be the one person whose story could lift another person up. You might inspire part of another generation to become accountable, responsible citizens of the United States.

When we lift each other up, everyone succeeds.

Accountability as a Core Value

(Editor's Note: The following is a short glimpse into one example about the editors evolution into becoming more accountable citizens.)

This story is from my younger years. I grew up in a family of self-employed parents. Work ethic was not a new thing. In my twenty-something years, I started a small business that bought abandoned houses, renovated them, and then re-sold them. I was pretty much a one-person operation except when my Dad helped me.

I didn't realize at the time that I would start the process of learning valuable lessons about humility and leadership principles. But this small business set those wheels in motion.

I was a very introverted person back then and am still that way today, although not nearly so much. That was a challenge in many areas, especially when dealing with people.

As I entered the selling phase of these newly renovated homes that I spent so much time making safe and dependable for new buyers, I noticed a trend that concerned me. It didn't affect me personally and financially it had nothing to do with my business. But it just seemed like young home buyers were being taken advantage of by some of the supposed professionals they had contracted to help them get into their new home.

My next idea was to start a company that would offer honest, upfront help. My Dad always told me to talk to people that had succeeded in anything I wanted to do. I found that person and he did agree to help me, but only on the condition that I first get some much-needed instruction in leadership development and in understanding personalities. He knew my reserved demeaner could hold me back and wanted to see my commitment level.

I'll share the entire account of how this came together in a future blog posting. For now, please realize that what we write on this website comes from our experiences, both good and bad. We'll share both sides with you. Much of the content comes from experts in their fields. Some of you are experts too. Please share your wisdom.

Thank you in advance.

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