Men to Learn From

There's a lot of bad news in the news right now. That's why I'm happy to talk about two inspiring people who have been in the news this week.

The first is Admiral James Stockdale. Of course, the thing that is inspiring about this story isn't his recent death -- but the fact that it is reminding us all about his remarkable life. His obituary in the Washington Post says:

James B. Stockdale, 81, the retired Navy vice admiral, teacher and thinker whose heroism in Vietnamese captivity won him the Medal of Honor and who later ran for vice president, died July 5 at his home in Coronado, Calif.
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Embodying the virtues of both warrior and philosopher, Adm. Stockdale, an aviator, credited the tenets of Epictetus, one of the ancient Stoics, with helping him survive 7 1/2 years of abuse as the highest-ranking U.S. Navy officer to be held captive in Vietnam

Though he did poorly in his only Vice Presidential Debate (Ross Perot should never have put him in this unfortunate position), Admiral Stockdale had nothing to prove to anyone. His debate performance reminds us that character does not necessarily equal political skill. His greatness will be remembered and he is an inspiration to every Patriot, though we will probably never know the sacrifices he made for his country.

The second person to admire this week is Lance Armstrong. Of course, he's in the news because this Tour de France will be his last competitive race. And should he win it (he's ahead as I write this) he will have it for the 7th consecutive time.

All athletes face adversity. Great athletes like Jordan, Gretsky, and Armstrong become heroes because they beat all the odds and overcome adversity time and time again when the pressure is on. But what sets Armstrong apart from other athletes is his heroic battle with -- and victory over -- cancer. His story is truly an inspiration one that every American can be proud of.

One of the ways to stay motivated in politics is to have heroes. Through studying the triumph over adversity of these two men, may you and I become better leaders in our own right.