On-Going Lessons of 9/11

As we near the ninth anniversary of the attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon, I'm struck by the variety of ways in which people are anticipating 9/11.

Great debate over whether Muslims should build a mosque/community center two blocks from the WTC site has sides quickly forming. President Obama and others believe that because we are after all a free country, relgious groups have rights to build there. At the other end of the spectrum is Pastor Terry Jones, ironically of the Dove World Outreach Church in Gainesville, Florida, who initiated an International Burn the Koran Day.

Muslims themselves are considering how they should appropriately and sensitively celebrate the end of Ramadan which this year coincides with September 10, 11 or 12. Some insist they will not be bullied into changing their celebration of the end of their fast to another date since Muslims follow the Lunar calendar and are not acting out of disrespect; others are open to holding their prayer and festivals on the 10th or 12th out of respect for the tragedy of the 11th.

Still other groups such as the Women Transcending Boundaries initiative are planning A-OK, Acts of Kindness Weekend. Leaders are encouraging citizens to involve themselves in helping a charity or creating a project to help the needy. I'm more in tuned with them.

On the first anniversary of 9/11, I was asked to give a keynote address to a regional Chamber of Commerce group. I found my notes the other day, part of which reflected on the lessons we could learn from that devastating day in our country.

1. Abandon all hope of a better past (L.R. Bollings). I can't change what happened nine years ago, or even last week or a minute ago. I can only hope to change the present. Deepak Chopra in Seven Spiritual Laws of Success calls it "the gift of the present moment."

2. Be kind now. Mother Teresa once said, "I would rather make mistakes in kindness and compassion than work miracles in unkindess and hardness." Don't put off a kindness.

3. Examine my values and set my priorities. If I say I value family and friends yet spend the majority of my time working and taking little time for them, then my true value is work or money. Even if I am working to make money for my family, my value is that upon which I act: my work. The rest is a wish.

4. Concentrate on what I can control. Whether in my business or personal life, it is important to stay focused on my attitude, my decisions, my conversations, my relationships. I have control over the words I choose, over my negativity or positivity, over the quality of my work, over my ethical decisions. I have little immediate control over the terrorists or other evil in this life.

5. Practice mindfulness. Take time each day to become more aware of the little things in life. Slow down my breathing, be aware of the miracle that is this body of mine...or of the green grass...of a child's whimsy...of my need to quiet myself...to reflect...to pray at times.

6. Practice gratitude. If we haven't learn antother thing, it's that we Americans can no longer take for granted so much of what we did in the past: our freedom, our ability to move about without much anxiety or fearfulness, our reliance on even the freshness of the air we breathe. Be grateful. Show that we appreciate our family members, our friends, our ability to earn a living, our health, our freedom to worship, to vote and so much more.

7. Volunteer. I may not have the courage of the firefighters and others who tried to save those in the Towers or who brought down a plane in Pennsylvania, but I can take some time to be a helper in my own right. If you are not already involved in a charity or civic group, start today to find one and take action.

I am certain there are other lessons to learn from 9/11. The permanent mark of that day is something we decide for ourselves.