Take the Road Less Traveled

"Two roads diverged in a wood, and I, I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference."
- Robert Frost

I watched Leni Riefenstahl's Triumph of the Will, a very controversial film on Hitler's 1934 Nuremberg Rally put on by equally controversial Toronto film connoisseur, Reg Hartt, at the Cineforum (a make-shift theatre in his home). The movie blew me away. It was a powerful, real-life portrayal of Hitler's propaganda machine and the horrifying consequences of mass media manipulation. An eerie chill went through my spine as I saw aerial footage of column after column of endless soldiers marching through the streets of Nuremberg. Little German boys and girls hailing the Fuhrer with innocent smiles and outstretched hands of youthful idealism. Little German youths beating the drums of death. Hitler parting a sea of loyal soldiers. And watching a nation mesmerized by the spell of this diminutive, unassuming, and rather plain looking monster.

What really hit me though was Reg Hartt's commentary after the movie ended. A lady had kept coming to the viewing of that movie, over and over again. She had attended the viewing over sixteen times. When he asked her what she found so fascinating about the film. She told him that she was the young smiling girl in the movie looking down from a rooftop at Hitler's parade. She was with her Mother, Father, sisters, and brother. They were waiving the Nazi flag and cheering Hitler on. They were Jews. She was the only survivor in her family.

What flag are you waiving? What herd mentality have we accepted without further thought, without scrutiny? I challenge you to take the road less traveled by. It is uncommon knowledge that gives rise to uncommon leadership.

Do something uncommon. Go to the library and pick out a book that you would never touch in a million years. Watch a film in a genre that you rarely see. Attend a lecture on a topic that would make most people go, "Huh?" What is one thing you can do or experience this month that is uncommon? Go do it.

Sharif Khan is a writer, speaker, coach, and author of "Psychology of the Hero Soul," an inspirational book on awakening the Hero within and developing people's leadership potential. You can reach him at sharif@herosoul.com. Website: http://www.herosoul.com Blog: http://www.sharifkhan.blogspot.com Phone: 416-417-1259

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Google News Updated : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:55:12 GMT Barack Obama now wears his patriotism on his lapel - Los Angeles Times ABC News Barack Obama now wears his patriotism on his lapel Los Angeles Times - 12 hours ago Jae C. Hong / AP FLAG-WAVER: Sen. Barack Obama and daughter Sasha are onlookers at an Independence Day parade in Butte, Mont. Tired of having his patriotism questioned, the Democratic candidate has made Old Glory a major visual element of his campaign. In Montana, Obama Tries to Rally Support on Iraq New York Times In Montana on the Fourth, a Barometer of Obama's Chances Washington Post New York Daily News - Fort Worth Star Telegram - The Associated Press - NY1 all 700 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 06:25:05 GMT Obama and Clinton, Together Again - Washington Post New York Daily News Obama and Clinton, Together Again Washington Post - 1 hour ago By Jonathan Weisman BUTTE, Mont. -- Putting their money where their mouths are, Barack Obama and Hillary Rodham Clinton will appear together three times over two days next week, raising money for each other and further advancing the Democratic cause of ... Obama and Clinton Will Raise Funds Together Next Week in NYC ABC News Obama, Clinton to hold joint fundraisers in NY The Associated Press CNN Political Ticker - New York Times - CNN - Reuters all 565 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:26:50 GMT 2 fires still raging along Calif.'s Central Coast - The Associated Press The Associated Press 2 fires still raging along Calif.'s Central Coast The Associated Press - 54 minutes ago BIG SUR, Calif. (AP) - Cool, damp weather early Saturday helped crews gain ground on the huge wildfire that wiped out this coastal retreat's holiday tourist trade, allowing some personnel and gear to be shifted to a growing blaze farther south Nearly ... Video: Wind Keeps California Wildfires Raging AssociatedPress Gov. sending in troops to fight Cal wildfires Mercury-Register Lompoc Record - Santa Maria Times - The Santa Barbara Independent - New York Times all 1,471 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 18:01:11 GMT European Bonds Post Fourth Weekly Gain on Interest Rate Outlook - Bloomberg European Bonds Post Fourth Weekly Gain on Interest Rate Outlook Bloomberg - 11 hours ago By Anchalee Worrachate July 5 (Bloomberg) -- European two-year government notes rose for a fourth week, the longest winning streak since February, as traders pared bets policy makers will lift interest rates again this year after raising them two days ... Fighting Inflation, Europeans Raise Rate New York Times Bernanke's French Lesson Wall Street Journal International Herald Tribune - MarketWatch - Reuters - Forbes all 1,857 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:22:39 GMT Target: Barack Obama. Strategy: What Day Is It? - New York Times ABC News Target: Barack Obama. Strategy: What Day Is It? New York Times - 19 hours ago By PATRICK HEALY Despite a three-month head start, Senator John McCain has struggled to solidify lines of attack against Senator Barack Obama for the general election, Republican operatives say and some of his own advisers acknowledge, running into ... US candidates practise their U-turns BBC News Obama Predicts Political ‘Realignment,’ Tries to Put Montana in Play FOXNews Baltimore Sun - Austin American-Statesman - CounterPunch - National Review Online all 1,829 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:37:50 GMT African Union Weakened by Summit Inaction on Zimbabwe - Voice of America BBC News African Union Weakened by Summit Inaction on Zimbabwe Voice of America - Jul 4, 2008 By Peter Heinlein The African Union's reputation suffered a setback during the past week when its leaders faltered in the face of Robert Mugabe's blunt challenge to democratic norms in Zimbabwe. Q&A: Zimbabwe's disputed election guardian.co.uk Recognise me as Zimbabwe president or no talks: Mugabe AFP The Associated Press - Xinhua - Times Online - Reuters all 5,332 news articles Publ.Date : Fri, 04 Jul 2008 18:02:07 GMT Study suggests serotonin plays a role in SIDS - Los Angeles Times The Money Times Study suggests serotonin plays a role in SIDS Los Angeles Times - 11 hours ago Mice who overproduced the brain chemical showed symptoms similar to those of the infant syndrome before they died. By Wendy Hansen, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer Mice genetically engineered to overproduce the brain chemical serotonin died at an early ... SIDS Linked to Brain Chemical Dysfunction Washington Post Chance discovery points to crib death cause Reuters eFluxMedia - WebMD - BBC News - The Associated Press all 260 news articles Publ.Date : Sat, 05 Jul 2008 07:03:56 GMT Add RSS Feeds To My Web Pages Increase Website Traffic

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