Who Was Richard Nixon? – He rose from the humble beginnings to the highest office in the government, and the only US president to resign from office.
Richard Milhous Nixon (1913-1994)
was born on a small farm in Yorba Linda, California. He was smart and talented
in music. But his true talent was revealed in High School when he became the
star of the debate team. He was excellent at public speaking.
He was accepted to Harvard but his
family couldn’t afford it. Instead, he went to local college. It seems as his
bitterness at what some portray as social injustice began since then.
After graduation, he received full
scholarship to attend Duke University of Law in North Carolina. He graduated at
the top of his class but when he went to NYC to apply for a job, he was
rejected because he didn’t attend an Ivy League school.
He went back to home in Whittier,
California, where he opened a law firm and became well known and respected.
For fun, he got involved with an
amateur theater group where he met his wife.
In 1941, when Japanese attacked
Pearl Harbor, Richard moved with his wife to DC after obtaining a job for the
government. But after eight months, he wanted to help US in the war effort. So
he joined the Navy as an officer.
When WWII was over, he received a
proposition to run for Congress as a Republican. He loved politics, and here
was his chance to get involved. But he went from being a strict person to the
one who started bending truth in order to achieve his goal.
He got elected in 1946. He was one
of the members traveling to Europe to talk to world leaders about the aftermath
of the war. He saw the devastation and how many people were hungry. He voted in
favor of foreign aid to European countries.
In the US, he was appointed to the
committee dealing with communist spies. He became famous for going after Alger
Hiss, supposedly a Russian spy, which never was fully proved. So in the
process, he gained some enemies at Congress.
He wanted to climb his political
career. In 1950, he ran for the Senate in California. He used a name of “the
Pink Lady” for his opponent, meaning she might be a “Red” (communist). In
response, she called him “Tricky Dick,” which stuck with him for the rest of
his life. He won, but in the DC he was unpopular with certain people.
In summer of 1950, he was invited
to Bohemian Grove, secret men’s campground in North California, where they also
discussed political deals. This time, Dwight D. Eisenhower wanted to run for
president and was looking for vice president. He saw Nixon as the right man as
“attack dog” on the campaign trail, going after his opponents. In November,
they won the election. Nixon was elected to deal with other world leaders,
which he enjoyed the most.
In 1953, in Asia, the leaders found
Nixon charming and respectful.
In 1956, under his second term, his
trip to South America turned very differently. Many Latin countries hated the
US. The crowds were very hostile. Nixon handled them calmly. Upon his return to
the US, he was greeted as hero.
His biggest challenge came with his
trip to Russia in 1959. Before his trip, he studied for six months in order to
be prepared for his debates with Nikita Khrushchev. The visit went very well
and upon his return to the US, Nixon became even more popular.
But when it came to presidential
campaign against J.F. Kennedy, he lost.
Two years later, he lost the run
for governor of California.
His heart didn’t seem to be in
politics anymore. He moved to NYC to practice law. However, with the
assassination of J.F. Kennedy, and war in Vietnam, he ran for president again,
and in 1968 with the promise of ending the war, he won.
He admired the French president
Charles de Gaulle and wanted to start peace talks in Paris to end the war.
Meanwhile, he did many positive
things for the country. He created the Environmental Protection Agency. He
passed laws to keep workers safer and healthier on the job. He supported
scientists to find cure for cancer. He made schools desegregated.
In 1972, he made trip to China to
begin trading. Later that year, he went to Russia.
Many approved of his actions, but
he was hated by the Washington insiders. More and more, he kept to himself and
his behavior was becoming abrupt. He wanted to get back at his enemies, and
with the help of his trusted people, he asked them to set up a taping system in
the White House. He also involved FBI.
He started spying on his enemies by
using the government’s spying power on people who haven’t committed crimes. He
asked many to do a lot of illegal things.
In 1972, he ran for reelection.
When he was in Moscow, a plan to set up bugs on the phones at office of
Democratic National Committee didn’t go as planned. Despite that Nixon was
reelected and the Watergate scandal seemed to fade away. Eventually, the truth
leaked out and the first steps were taken to impeach him. But he chose to
resign.
The tapes he asked to set up
revealed him talking about crushing his enemies at any cost. He talked nastily
about Jewish and black people.
President Ford pardoned him as he
wanted the whole country to move on. Others were brought to justice.
This biography exemplifies a man
who got knocked down many times but he knew what mattered was getting up again.
What led to his downfall was his bitterness and resentment after certain
rejections. Behind bitterness and resentment are unprocessed emotions, which in
Nixon’s case led him to the abuse of the power, and at the end, destroying his
hard work, and not fully recognizing his talent and potential.
Source: Penguin Workshop, 2020
TRENDING INSPIRATION: “Only if you have been
in the deepest valley can you ever know how magnificent it is to be on the
highest mountain.” – Richard Nixon’s reflection on overcoming political and
personal adversity
Traits:
·
He was a smart child
and talented in music, but his true talent was revealed in High School when he
became the star of the debate team. He was excellent at public speaking.
·
He was accepted to
Harvard but his family couldn’t afford it. Instead, he went to local college. -
It seems as his bitterness at what some portray as social injustice began since
then. (Social injustice is an illusion. It’s about how you transform darkness
into light).
·
After graduating from
Duke University of Law at the top of his class, he went to NYC to apply for a
job, but he was rejected because he didn’t attend an Ivy League school. – The
social status rejections were building bitterness and resistance inside him,
but resistance is truly a sign that you lack presence (awareness of your own
behavior).
·
He went back home to
California where he opened a law firm and became well known and respected.
·
He loved politics, and in 1941 when Japanese attacked Pearl
Harbor, he obtained a job for the government.
·
When WWII was over, he
received a proposition to run for Congress as a Republican. But he went from
being a strict person to the one who started bending truth in order to achieve
his goal. He won the election in 1946.
·
He was gaining
popularity with some people at home and abroad, and becoming enemy with others,
which seems to be a common theme in politics. – The thing is how you manage the
division – do you unite as many people as possible in the process, or drive
further division? The further division doesn’t serve people, it only serves the
one who drives it.
·
He did many positive things for the country. Early in his
career, he handled challenging situations with calmness, but under that
calmness it seems as resentfulness continued to build towards those who had
opposite views of his. – Life isn’t about us all having the same views – how
would we grow and learn and evolve as human beings? It’s about how you handle
those challenges and manage your emotions? EMOTIONS hide behind feelings and
beliefs. Learning how to handle emotions is the key.
FURTHER INSPIRATION AND RECOMMENDATION:
As it turns out, a lot of us if not most of us
struggle with unprocessed emotions. Those unprocessed emotions result in anger,
resentment, control, neediness and other issues. This book is one of those
guidebooks that guides a reader how to process emotions.
These days, more and more
conventional doctors reach for holistic approach.
The author, psychotherapist, goes
back to the roots, to the ancient wisdom which over time got looked upon as
myth and legend. But as many of us are discovering, there is more to life than
bare existence. Life should be extraordinary, not mundane. More and more people
are waking up and becoming conscious of their feelings and thoughts, thus,
having a better understanding of what is happening in our lives - which is not
happening to us but for us. And in order to understand this concept better, the
author takes a unique approach going back to myths which serve as mirrors and
maps reminding us of the power and wisdom that resides within us.
If you seek growth and
transformation, it will come. But the important part to remember is that growth and
transformation is not about avoiding pain. Pain serves a purpose. You go
through it to learn something about yourself and in the process growing and
gaining wisdom. Thus, transforming pain into joy.
“The wound is the place where the
light enters you.” – Rumi
Since ancient times, there has been
some kind of search for some kind of elixir. But life isn’t about bypassing
pain. It’s about processing the emotions:
For example, childhood is a time
when self-worth and self-compassion should be learned and instilled. If
childhood was painful and this process turned into stop loving and accepting
yourself, then the healing journey of self-love needs to begin. Importantly,
self-love is not narcissism.
When you lack self-love and need it
from your partner, it only leads to pushing your partner away. When you put an
end to someone who is emotionally unavailable to you, that’s an act of
self-love. (If you feel that others don’t love you, that’s a sign that you need
to learn self-love).
Another example is vulnerability.
Childhood is when our beliefs are formed. That’s why understanding our beliefs
is important in our healing process as emotions are hidden behind those
beliefs.
Also, recognize recurring patterns
in your behavior and relationships. Establish healthy boundaries in
relationships.
What is behind fear and how to heal
it is very important and provided in this guidebook. Fear causes stagnation in
life, and life is about progress. (Fear contracts your energy).
When you face discomfort, that’s
where you can experience the most growth in life. The humans have undeniable
power to adapt, navigate, and grow from life’s most painful events.
“I saw the angel in the marble and
carved until I set him free.” – Michelangelo, about David’s sculpture
Like Michelangelo, author’s life’s
work has focused on chiseling away at the unresolved trauma of her clients.
Like Michelangelo, you can chip
away what is bothering or triggering you in your life, and reveal your light
and who you truly are.
Source: Harper Collins
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