Winning the Battles that Must Be Won

Article by Guest Blogger - Chris Carneal

George Washington, America’s greatest general, first president, and father of our country, was the greatest leader America has ever known.

Over his 30 year military career, Washington led his men into 9 battles. Can you guess how many battles Washington won? The answer is 3. That’s right! 3 out of 9.

No one is about to call Washington a loser anytime soon but the fact is, he lost twice as often as he won! He lost 6 times. In fact, his 6 losses were near massacres and almost resulted in the end of the American Dream.

America’s daring ‘great experiment’ of a Republic that would expand a continent was held together during the Revolutionary War primarily by the will and character of one man: George Washington. The ‘American Moses’, that every President, military leader and politician emulates lost more than he won. How then did America win the war and why is Washington so idealized in the minds and hearts of so many?

Washington won the right battles at the right time. Washington won the “battles that must be won.” The 3 victories at Trenton, Princeton and Yorktown were decisive victories at exactly the precise moment for the ‘Glorious Cause’ to endure.

So, here’s the application for us today…

We will fight many battles in life. We fight hundreds a day: financial, social, physical, emotional, spiritual, professional and personal. Every challenge, decision and obstacle is a battle. But not all battles need be won in order to secure ultimate victory. For us to have success we don’t have to win every battle we face or make every decision perfectly; rather, we must prevail in ‘battles that must be won.’

What are the 3 battles you must win? We must know what they are so that we can prepare for them. If we are not ‘battle ready’ we certainly won’t win when the enemy charges.

For me, the “battles that must be won” are:

• Integrity
• Family
• Leadership

If I win these three, I feel I will have achieved victory and lasting impact for my family, friends, heritage and legacy. These are daily battles. Warriors prepare victory daily!
What are the “battles that must be won” for you? Start preparing now!

Get ‘battle ready’ and go Change The World!

Chris Carneal is President of Booster Enterprises, a financial and leadership development company for over 350 schools in the Southeast U.S..

Posted on October 30, 2009 in Historical Leaders