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I frequently get the chance to talk with students of all ages about matters of personal responsibility—the single biggest challenge facing today’s younger generation. If you carefully analyze the issues facing our society, more often than not, the answers can be found in the choices we make as individuals.

In front of young audiences, I stress four fundamental areas—and in this article, I will add a fifth.

First, success is dependent on education. It is true that some are born into prosperity and some “luck” their way into it. However, the clear majority of successful people create their own success first by getting a solid education. It saddens me that many young people do not place a lot of value on education until faced with the complexities of life—early adulthood—and that is too late!

Second, emphasis should be placed on behavior. Ours is a society that believes in the rule of law. The key ingredient in behavioral responsibility is respect. Respect for authority. Respect for laws. Respect for your fellow man. Respect for the environment. I firmly believe the success or failure of our society will depend largely on issues of behavior.

Third, and perhaps the most important of all is our health. The habits we develop—in terms of diet, exercise, drug and alcohol abuse, rest, etc.—impact society in a number of ways and are closely related to the first two items above. Like education, the sooner good habits are developed in relation to our individual health, the better the chance of long life—and success in all areas.

Fourth, and very important to me, personally, is the concept of public service. I believe every individual has a moral obligation to give something back to his/her community. This “spirit” can be accomplished in a variety of ways and need not be in the form of publicly-recognized leadership. Random acts of kindness, for example, do well for the soul of man and practiced often, impact significantly on society as a whole. Advice—practice charity both in terms of your service and your resources.

The fifth imperative I wish to add here is the concept of fiscal responsibility. Having worked in the financial securities arena, I believe more emphasis should be placed on individual financial accountability. Early on, we should demand education and training on matters that affect the consumer—you and me! Like education, “learning the ropes” of financial matters when “leaving the nest” is too late. Understanding topics like insurance and taxes, investing, interest compounding, lending and borrowing, basic checkbook maintenance, etc. are part of everyday life and like all things, need to be practiced!

I often say that “two things people need most are something to do & something to look forward to” What I have given you in this article are the principal ingredients to a successful life. Excellence in one particular subject will not necessarily guarantee you prosperity; however balance in each of the five will make life a lot better—and a lot more enjoyable.


Mayor Steve Womack
Rogers, Arkansas
February 1, 2006

mail to Mayor@rogersark.org

What does a Mayor do?
Our Interview with the Mayor