Like any good mother, her desire was to have her child grow bright and bold, and to be full of good humor and wit, and to be generous and courageous and kind.
For, being such, how could anyone not have the most beautiful story?
After all, what is the code and concept of life, of living, of humanity, if it is not to find one's calling and to have that calling be greater than one's self; if it is not to pursue that calling and complete it with joyous self-respect?
Netflix. Who would've thunk it. The death of a Blockbuster. In crawl newborns: Hulu, Amazon Prime, Apple TV, Disney+, babies, babies, more babies. Sunrise. Children playing in sun-speckled sands. Sunset. Stars sparkling across the velvet night. Sunrise. Murder Downtown on Abbey's Lot. Sunset. Seedlings turn overnight to flowers, blossoming through our sunrise gaze. Swiftly flow our days.
Ahh! Life! Sweet life!
Experiencing our broad market beneath its meandering surface, burrowing through its complexities - inconvenient rules, flippant regulations - beyond the smugness of its privilege, bypassing sardonic dysfunction, one begins to appreciate the secret of its vitality. Buried deep within its DNA are two iterative miracles - growth and evolution - unflappable purveyors of longevity. Uh! Clarity.
Without them, we'd ALL be extinct: this, a dry and barren land.
Standing at the periphery of this broad market or breezing across its beautiful landscape, it is easy to absorb growth and evolution as one and the same. They are not. Not remotely.
growth is the progressive increase in size, in capacity, towards maturation; a periodic stretch toward a full stop
evolution is a metamporphosis, a transformation, a diversification, a transitioning into something new
Clarity! Sunrise. Sunset. Swiftly fly the years; one season following another, laden with happiness and tears. Sunrise. Sunset. Ahh! Life.
Enjoy actionable discoveries continuously shared - smartly - particularly those that uplift, inspire, promote harmony, expand opportunities, exemplify beauty, and reveal wonder, in other words, those proven to strengthen our emboldened exercise of genuine love through all of love's fertile dimensions, supplying those of us who are blessed and inspired to take action with necessary skillsets to be awesome in our real world. Namaste. Share.
SCENARIO: I cannot count the times I've heard it said, "Hand wash hand mek hand come clean." Through the years, (fortunate to be absorbed or engulfed or embraced by virtue of ancestry or opportunity or lure into widely differing cultures, all of which I've come to adore), that wisdom has deepened and clarified itself to me. "Hand wash hand mek hand come clean." It's true. You will find it replicated in nature.
But, you see, for a short while during my early teens I perecieved in it an equivalence with another fine cajolery: "You rub my back; I rub yours." Lo and behold, I came to realize those two wise proffers are not equivalent. However, with a twist here and a twist there they may seem to overlap. That also is an illusion. A good one though!Yes, there is such a thing as false equivalence. Many well-meaning folk at all walks still evoke those two interchangeably.And yes, it's true, this latter one can also be found replicated in nature.
Regardless, you might have appreciated my reticence during this series - Getting It Done - as we were upping the ante with our collaborative efforts in order to effect better-smarter-nimbler processes and outcomes for our chosen endeavor, that this very saying, "Hand wash hand mek hand come clean,"probed us time and again. It was seeking accomodation. It took me a good while to figure out how and why. Sweet!
Had I been prodded by sayings, such as, "You get hit the hardest when trying to run or hide from a problem." OR “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes.” OR "Two hands are better than one," - any and all of which, peculiarly, I might have found apropos to organizing excellent collaboration - I would not have blinked.Alas, those were not the ones. How incredibly fortuitous!
I so love my muses. What about you? Have you ever endured a clingy piece of wisdom, one seeming so inapproproiate to the brilliance of a particular moment that it gives you pause, then when at last you fully accomodated it, your lips widened and your eyes shouted, "Aha!"? It's awesome. I wish for you such moments. How do you avoid being ensnared by false equivalence?
Collaboration is not a skill; it is a skillset. Effective collaboration requires a clear vision, a clear purpose, a common understanding, effective communication, open-minds, no hidden agendas, rhythm, and commitment. That's for starters.
For the kind of endeavors we've entertained during this series I turn to two analogies to demonstrate effective collaboration: a) a fine orchestra executing your favorite masterpiece and b) a crowd-pleasing jazz band. Quite different in process and production, those two. Quite different. One is to the letter; the other is organic. The requirements are not all the same.
What is your picture of effective collaboration?
What have you (or can you) learn from your most recent collaboration (either individually or as a team)?
How differently would you approach your next collaboration?
How would you ensure that all participants' associated needs are adequately satisfied?
You are ready for your next collaboration and you need to decide which two of these would be best for you to trade at this time: rare resource, unique skill, time, money.
During this series we are getting things done in fresh new ways with fresh new applications using solid working principles and employing exciting innovations.
In a remarkably innovative way you've not experienced before, each episode will transform one of theseven deadly sins into a fresh new lens and a BS Meter that will further enhance our abilites to get things done superbly well.
Enjoy.
Today's pivot QUESTION: if by its very nature a meaningful life requires cooperation and collaboration
- how do you assure that your needs as well as those wiith whom you engage are effectively satisfied?
* * *
What Is In Your Personal Toolkit?
Some folks come upon a log, and that is what they see: a log.
Some folks come upon a log, and see a mug: a coffee mug.
Even so, behold, an awesome mug:
This one sees it but doesn't know how to make it.
This one knows how to make it but doesn't have the tool to do it.
This one has the tool, but not the skills to complete it.
This one has the skills, but not the time to perform it.
This one has the time, but not the mind to create it.
This one has the mind, but would rather use his funds to buy it.
This one has the funds, but can't find this awesome mug in any market.
Isn't life interesting?
What's in your toolkit?
To further enhance your toolklt, to be more proficient with your toolset, or to create tools uniquely suitable to your tasks and needs, you are welcome to consult freely with our regularly updated PERSONAL DEVELOPMENTand associated playlists - styled for your convenience. Click. Take. Peruse. Use freely.
This episode's fresh new lens is pride: def - "confidence and self-respect as expressed by members of a group, typically one that has been socially marginalized, on the basis of their shared identity, culture, and experience." (Which of LIFE'S virtues would you consider a counterpoint to pride? 100 points. To compare your answer see Flight Of The Fused Monkeys - Listen to it - Read It.)
How can you more optimally deliver your 'goodies':
valued goods
valued services
invaluable ideas
such that their benefactors enjoy a more enriching experience?
What need(s) are you satisfying and who are the stakeholders of your current endeavor to satisfy it?
Knowing better positions us to do better!
Reality. Perspective. Illusion. Nature is brilliant. Don't you think? Always messing with our minds! Well, that's one way to put it.
Illusion. A forceful reminder of spectrum; that, for expample, we may have chosen or can choose to abide somewhere along its spectrum, and that that choice does not invalidate the existence of the spectrum.
Illusion. A spectrum spread from wonder (visions, hallucianations, fantasy) all through to delusion (deception, fallacy, a fool's paradise) with which we (you, me - us humans) are equipped with brain, heart, mind, soul, freedom, choice to do with it as is fit; the capability to turn our fantasies into reality or to transmogrify our delustions; the ability to bend truth into deceit or specter into solutions. Which will who choose?
Life is absolutely fascinating.
And isn't nature brilliant? Or just a dare? What do you think?
Where do you fit? Are you real or just an illusion? Who decides? Who is in control of your reality? (It's a very IMPORTANT question.) What's YOUR story?
The clock chimes. Then minutes tick away. The clock chimes again. Then minutes tick away. The clock chimes again. Then minutes tick away. The clock chimes again. Then minutes tick away. The clock chimes again. Then minutes tick away. The clock chimes again. Then minutes tick away. The clock chimes again. Then minutes tick away. The clock chimes.
Take Action
"Know what you own. Understand what you claim. Believe you can achieve what you conceive then call it by its name. Mine! The extent to which you have this clarity of mind, this purity of understanding, this strength of belief, you have the fire, the fuel, the impetus, the passion, the determination, the willpower you require to pursue and retrieve your truest desire. But do not claim what does not belong to you. It will not keep you . . . it will suffer you but for only so long."
You are valued. You are important. What you experience is important. Your intention matters. You are a whole being. You are a true wonder. You diminish yourself whenever you pit valued elements of who you are against vital elements of who you are: your intuitive self against your intellectual self, your rational self against your emotional self, your gut against your heart against your head. Don't be put at war against yourself: you are a masterpiece. An intricate being. Human!
How do YOU avoid stagnation?
mentor
coach
advocate
sponsor
Life: it is a dance. It gets better with practice; its music is in your heart and in your soul and in your blood and in your bones. Life; it is a dance. It gets better with practice. You have a partner – your spirit. You can have a party if you like, but choose smartly who you invite, for life – your life – is a dance. It gets better with practice, unless you stop the music or so crowd your dance floor there is no space to move or be moved within it. Explore. Yes, life; it is a dance. It gets better with practice until the dance becomes the dancer and the dancer becomes the dance and life and all of existence becomes a singular flow. Yes, life; it is a dance. It gets better with practice. Dance.
Masterpiece
a work of outstanding artistry, skill, or workmanship.
At what is your BS meter needle pointed? Desire? Urge? Appetite? Craving? Longing? Yearning? Hankering? Pining? Eagerness? Impatient? Itch? Behind each of those villains is an urgent authentic need in desperate want of satisfaction. Perhaps there is a hero in you - one that is not illusive - readied for the rescue. See if these two are readily available: Generosity and Temperance. They will pluck you out of sinking sand and restore your illusive vitality, where a whole new world awaits you. Don't leave your dreams behind.
Out beyond ideas of right doing and wrong doing there is a field. I'll meet you there.
When the soul lies down in that grass, the world is too full to talk about.
. . .
live laugh love
. . .
let your light shine
Come, let us all be friends for once,
Let us make life easy on us,
Let us be lovers and loved ones,
The earth shall be left to no one.
Across the nation and around the world there is a long rumble.
It is a rumble so loud it strikes ready ears as a distant clap of a fierce thunder. It is a rumble so low, it rides beneath the noise of a thousand human fears; it can no longer be heard. Fear of flight, fear of heights, fear of sand, fear of snow, fear of monsters in the closet, fear of bugs in the pillow, fear of cats, fear of bats, fear of strangers at the door, fear of being lost, fear of being laughed at, fear of being stuck in the toilet bowl, fear of whites, fear of blacks, fear of browns, blues and yellows, fear of nakedness, fear of the unknown, fear of being hurt.
Smile. Live. Love. Laugh. Look. Listen. Learn. Be awesome. You are powerful beyond measure. You are not alone. You can do all things. I am you. You are me. We are one. Keep Sharing.
May our light shine on sprinkled seeds along The Journey.
"Live Your Life - Live it well. You are worth it."
Listen. Learn. Lead.
Standard problem-solving steps repeated: 1) Understand the problem. 2) Devise a workable plan to solve the problem. 3) Test your plan where applicable. 4) Implement the plan. 5) Interpret the results. 6) Use that feedback.
Something to Consider: We have an internal team. What do you do when your internal team members are in conflict with each other - at loggerheads - and have set up impassable boundaries, blocking your best moves? This internal team - the creators of your personal narrative; the protagonists and antagonists of your infernal stories; the arbiters of your doubts and fears; the adjudicators of your joy and peace; the advocates for your spectacular - are they in need of a courageous leader? - (A Place Called Ah.)
Breathe.
We are accompanied.
Balance - Focus - Rhythm
Love is alive in fertile dimensions, where it lifts you up, never puts you down, and is always real! Love heals.
The Journey - Your Voice Illuminated - Our Global Digital Radio Show & Podcast. We stop at exotic places, meet fascinating folks with intriguing stories and novel solutions to some of life's tricky problems. We play a few games too, and track remarkable characters of three classics: ILICET - A Time To Begin Again (True Story) SBL Series: 2:26 AM, The Gathering (Matchbox Mystery) and Flight Of The Fused Monkeys (5-Star Series). Life is beautiful and full of surprises. Breathe! Along our journey of life and learning we challenge ourselves toward the reaches of our highest ideals: to be our best, do our utmost, achieve our finest, wherever necessary and practicable redesigning the contours of possibility, reshaping human capability. Join our posse. We are changing the game! We welcome your perspective. Enjoy top dramatic, inspirational, mystery, scifi, and true stories. Live. Love. Laugh. Look. Listen. Lead. Learn with us. Get your FREE AUDIO of 'Sven: The High Achiever's Journey'. You'll be glad you did. Share the experience.
ILICET - A Time To Begin Again (True Story) 
