The whole nation seems to be interested in Sarah Palin, the Republican Vice-Presidential nominee.
I've heard veteran news analysts and political pundits who expressed amazement at the phenomenon.
I believe I understand it.
It's about Integrity; Integrity with a cause greater than self; the same concept expressed by both John McCain and Barack Obama.
Sarah immediately endeared herself to many by the first thing we heard about her; standing for her beliefs and refusing to have an abortion when her baby was diagnosed as having Down syndrome.
She then impressed us with the things she has accomplished in Alaska.
The impression we got from her acceptance speech was that she appeared to have integrity in all aspects of her life; that she stands for something greater than her own self interests.
And the people of Alaska showed by their approval ratings that she is honest and trustworthy.
But more than just having Integrity she has demonstrated leadership, that magical thing that comes from self-confidence and good decisions.
People follow her recommendations because they feel that she is working for things that are also in their best interests.
How did she do all of this so quickly? She demonstrated with her actions that her faith and her family are her most important priorities.
Then she demonstrated that she stood for integrity in public service above personal gain or glory.
While Mayor she randomly called members of the community each week to get feedback on how the city was doing; not how she was doing but how the city was doing.
She ran for and lost the Lieutenant Governor position but was not discouraged or defeated.
She showed that just by standing for her values and presenting her ideas she was out to make a positive difference for everyone.
Because of her popularity she was appointed to be the Chairperson of the Alaska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.
It was an honor and an important position but she gladly resigned to make a stand for honesty and integrity for all the members.
As Governor she showed by her actions that she really was about reducing costs and making the government serve the best interests of the people.
She negotiated new deals with the big oil companies, increasing their taxes and set about getting a gas pipeline to better serve Alaskans plus the greater interests of the nation.
And then, on top of it all, Sarah Palin shows her satisfaction and self-confidence in the way she looks and acts.
She is obviously enjoying her life and her activities and you get the feeling she would give up all her positions if she weren't.
Self-confidence and satisfaction with her life and her efforts is extremely attractive to others who want the same things in their lives.
Good job Sarah! Good job Senator McCain for choosing a person of Integrity to stand with you and help you to lead our government if the people of this country choose you! I finally understood these concepts a few years ago when I hit rock bottom in my personal life.
I had lost many of the things that seemed so very important to me but then I found something much more important; integrity with a cause greater than myself.
That is what my book is about; a Cause Greater Than Self.
That is what I found and how those lessons can work for you and your loved ones.