December 2020

Page A18 DECEMBER 2020 FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS Se c t i on A By Mark Bowser We continue our discussion of the 13 virtues Benjamin Franklin thought most important in his goal of moral per- fection. Last month, we looked at temperance, silence, or- der, resolution, and frugality. Six, INDUSTRY. Lose no time; be always employ’d in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. We all need to master our time management. When it comes to time, everyone is equal. We may have dif- ferent talents and we may have different strengths, but we all have only twenty-four hours in a day. We have to make the most of that time. Actually, we don’t even have twenty-four hours in which to be productive. First, we have to sleep. There goes six to eight hours. Two, we need some rest and re- laxation time. Let’s say two hours. Now, we are down to fourteen hours in which to be productive. How are we going to use those fourteen hours? Will we make the most of them or will we squander them? One of the areas that wastes a lot of my time is tele- vision. I love to veg out in front of the tube. However, I could be using that time to work on my dreams and goals. Now, don’t misunderstand me, I am not saying don’t watch TV. I am saying that we all could probably watch a little less TV. We need to plan our week. What shows do you really want to watch? Alright, then sched- ule them in your calendar and watch only those shows. Where we will save a lot of valuable time is when we stop watching shows we don’t care about watching. We plop down in the chair, grab the remote, and start flip- ping. Don’t see anything good there – so let’s flip some more. Before we know it, we have spent an hour flip- ping channels, watching nothing, and wasting time. Franklin fervently expressed to us how vitally important it is to be purposeful with our time. If we waste time, suc- cess won’t complain. Success will quietly go to its corner like a child put in a time-out. And, just like that child, success can’t wait to get back out of the corner. Seven, SINCERITY. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly, and, if you speak, speak accordingly. I believe the best way to accomplish this is to open our Bibles and live what we commonly call The Gold- en Rule. “Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” (Matthew 7:12 NLT) The Foundations of Success for Funeral Directors One of the greatest persons I have ever had the privilege to meet is the late Zig Ziglar. I consider him a mentor, even now, though he doesn’t walk on this earth anymore. One of the greatest blessings in my career life was to write the book Sales Success with Mr. Ziglar, Tom Hopkins, and Scott McKain. Zig’s whole business was founded on a principle which became his most famous saying. Zig said, “You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” That is a wonderful contemporary way of expressing The Golden Rule. Eight, JUSTICE. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. The Golden Rule pretty much sums this one up too. As we can see, it is a very important rule to live by. Nine, MODERATION. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. Forgive people. That is a key ingredient for a successful and happy life. We must decide to quit holding people up to a standard in which no one can reach. What is that standard? Perfection! None of us will ever be perfect. So, give others a break and forgive them. While you’re at it, you may as well for- give yourself too. Ten, CLEANLINESS. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. Is dressing for success really that important? Yes! I am not saying you have to have the best shoes and the most expen- sive outfits. Not at all. All I am saying is that we need to look sharp and smell good. Our first impression is impor- tant. And, we only get one first impression. Eleven, TRANQUILITY. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. Peace! Isn’t that something we are all looking for? Particu- larly, in this fast-paced world in which we live. So, how do we gain peace? First, by making a decision to be peaceful. De- cide to be proactive in every circumstance. Don’t get ruffled. Stay calm. Even if you don’t feel calm – stay calm on the out- side. What did that old deodorant commercial used to tell us? Oh yeah, “Don’t ever let them see you sweat.” Second, have some quiet time every day. Turn off your phone and all other interruptions and just sit quietly. It is amazing what a few minutes can do for your emotional wellbeing as well as your sharpness of mind. Do this for five to ten minutes every day. Twelve, CHASTITY. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another’s peace or reputation. King Solomon, the wisest of earthly kings had some great advice for us: “Choose a good reputation over great riches, for being held in high esteem is better than having silver or gold.” (Proverbs 22:1 NLT) “Drink water from your own well — share your love only with your wife. Why spill the water of your springs in public, having sex with just anyone? You should reserve it for yourselves. Don’t share it with strangers.” (Proverbs 5:15-17 NLT) Nothing else needs to be said. Thirteen, HUMILITY. Imitate Jesus and Socrates. Many times when we think of humility, we think of mild mannered and weak. Nothing could be further from the truth. Humility is great strength. Humility is having so much confidence in yourself and the ability that God has given you that you don’t have to brag. Jesus Christ never bragged. He told the truth with great confi- dence and conviction. A humble confidence which is the significance of a high self-esteem. That is the way to live! Well, there we have it, Benjamin Franklin’s 13 vir- tues for success. If we follow them, how can we not reach the mountaintop of success? Even though we can’t keep them perfectly, I am confident that we, like Franklin will say, “But, on the whole, tho’ I never ar- rived at the perfection I had been so ambitious of ob- taining, but fell far short of it, yet I was, by the endeav- or, a better and a happier man than I otherwise should have been if I had not attempted it....” Thanks for reading today. * Some of the spelling in the quotes in the article above are in old English. That is why some of the words are spelled differently than we spell them today. To view a video on this topic from one of Mark Bowser’s live seminars then go to https://youtu.be/NXRBFB8cLvM Excerpted and adapted from Mark Bowser’s Seminar, The Foundation of Success for Funeral Directors . To schedule Mark Bowser as a speaker for your next event or conference then email mark@BrightCorporation.com or visit www.MarkBowser.com Mark Bowser is the Vice President at one of the funeral indus - tries premier stationary publishers, the Bright Corporation, and one of the top Professional Business Speakers in the United States. He is the author of several books including The 3 Pillars of Success for Funeral Directors and Sales Success with Zig Ziglar. He can be reached at 1-800-428-6424 or email mark@BrightCorporation.com. FUNERAL HOME & CEMETERY NEWS www.nomispublications.com Monthly Columns online at 13 Secrets to Successful Living (Part 2) ©adfinity ® Contact us today to learn more. (888) 889-8508 • travelplan@shipinman.com ShipInman.com Discover the... Want to earn extra income and offer families peace of mind? CLARKSBURG,MD— Twenty years ago, the Greater Washington Jewish community was experiencing a short- age of burial options for its nearly 300,000 Jewish residents. The historic synagogue and community Jewish cemeteries, some of which date back to the mid 1800’s, were nearly full. Several were in disrepair, not fully funded, and in neighbor- hoods that were inconvenient for loved ones to visit. Jewish history and tradition demonstrate the need, impor- tance, and priority of establishing a Jewish cemetery by the community in every town that Jews have settled throughout Garden of Remembrance (Gan Zikaron) Memorial Park Celebrates 20 th Year Continued on Page A19 Sheldon Grosberg the world. In the United States, local Jewish cemeteries date back to the mid-1650’s when permission for the first syna- gogue owned cemetery was granted in New Amsterdam, NY. In this community, Washington Hebrew Congregation estab- lished its first cemetery in the 1850’s, a pattern soon followed by other synagogues and fraternal organizations. Later, a few commercial, for-profit Jewish cemeteries were established. By the late 1990’s, it became clear that the Washington Jewish community needed a new cemetery to serve the com- munity for the next 100 years. After studying the success- ful Jewish cemeteries in other American cities and exploring the availability of appropriate land in the Greater Washington area, the leadership of Washing- ton Hebrew Congregation took it upon themselves to spearhead (and underwrite) the creation of a Jewish, nonprofit, commu- nity cemetery – the Garden of Remembrance (Gan Zikaron) Memorial Park. Their philoso- phy was to establish a memorial park that would address the religious needs and practices of the entire Jewish commu- nity – Orthodox, Conservative, Reform, Reconstructionist, Renewal, and unaffiliated Jews. Twenty-seven Partner Con- gregations representing the full spectrum of religious obser- vance and affiliation each have sections for their members, and more than half of the 152-acre memorial park is avail- able for the unaffiliated in Community Gardens. As Gan Zikaron marks its twentieth anniversary, is has achieved its goal of providing a sacred burial ground for the entire Jewish community for generations to come. With nearly 2,500 burials to date and over 10,000 reserved buri- al spaces, the Garden of Remembrance in Northern Mont- gomery County, Maryland, with its volunteer Board of Di-