Short Cutting Your Way to Failure...Sen. Jeff Smith Returns from Prison

Released from federal prison to a half-way house in August (2010) and from a half-way house...to ultimate freedom November 18th, convicted MO State Senator Jeff Smith now says that he regrets the actions which led him to prison and to hopes to rebuild himself by giving back to the community.

If you remember, Sen. Smith was a young, political fireball who was sentenced to federal prison in connection with a 2004 political cover-up, in which he'd lied to federal investigators about a negative political flyer.  He was later convicted of two counts of obstruction of justice.  The 36 year old holds a PH.D from Washington University (St. Louis) and earned his political stripes by narrowly loosing the race for retired congressman Dick Gephardt's congressional seat in the 2004 Democratic Congressional primary. 

In order to achieve so much career success, at such a young age, one must have the focus of a lion preying on its meal.  But, as a lion, one wrong move or misstep can render you hungry, homeless, and eventually captured by poachers.  Dr. Smith owned that feline-like focus until he decided to take an ill-advised shortcut.  He lied. 

And, that's is exactly what a lie is....it's a short cut.  Too many of us want only to take shortcuts to success.  We do this by either selling drugs to avoid real work, steal goods/merchandise to avoid earning money to pay for them, we sell our bodies to avoid developing our true gifts to the world, we lie to ourselves to avoid the truth about who we've become.  Dr. Smith spent a year and a day in prison because he lost sight of his true path (if only for a moment).  This momentary lapse, invariably, cost him his career and political future.

My point is: don't shortcut yourself to failure...stay the course.  The road to success can be a long, arduous journey.  It can be a journey that knocks you down more times than it'll left you.  But the righteous journey charters down a lighted path towards honor, respect, integrity, and true-everlasting happiness.  Speak to a family member or friend who's ever had the dishonor of serving real time in prison.  They all will tell you that they wish they would've simply done things the righteous way.  Prison is harsh and lonely.  According to Dr. Smith,  "you're no longer Dr. Smith, you're no longer Senator Smith or Professor Smith, you're number 36607044.... it's a difficult thing to come to grips with."

Keep the righteous path because at the end of it stands God waiting to embrace you.