5 Enriching Virtues

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FLIGHT OF THE
FUSED MONKEYS

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Dance like a toddler; music not required.

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If you are not mindful you will inhabit someone else's dream.

A mindless boy can set his life aside and when he is a man forget where he had set it and spend an awful time searching every which way to find it, for if he doesn't search for it he will regret it, and if he doesn't find it he will hate himself for it.

Nothing on earth exists then to console him.

living water

I am made in the image of God, not your image of God.

Pastoral Quotes

Gratitude - a Practice of The Heart

Sometimes there needs to be a shift in the way that we see the world, a shift in the way in which we see ourselves, and the lens through which we see one another.

It seems to me very prevalent and very true that in our world today we don't often see the world through a place of gratitude or even through a space or lens of generosity, but we see the world today so divided into those who believe that they are right on one side and those who believe they are right on the other side, and that there seems to be no bridge, no place in which we might have common space to understand that we have so many things in common.

And finding that common space, and finding that place of gratitude for one another, perhaps is a starting space in which we might see the Christ who loves us all just the way that we are.

That is a cool thing shared.

PROGRAM LISTINGS & PROGRAM SCHEDULES

Practical Wisdom

"A young holy-man with a clever voice and a sweet smile stopped at the edge of our village the day I turned ten and sat beside me on the lush grass and told me a story. It is a story full of fire and water and metal and air, a ticklish kind of story, with giggling angels . . ." Hi. Open your eyes; he is about to play his flute.

Welcome to gen-u enriching values, Episode 1, curated by your host Neville DeAngelou. We are embarked on a dynamic exploration and implementation of FIVE practical virtues that fortify as well as enhance personal and communal health, wealth and happiness, each actuated toward wholeness of being.

Along our remarkable journey of life and learning we relish actionable discoveries, particularly those that uplift and inspire the "best" from all of us, promote harmony, expand opportunities, exemplify beauty, and reveal wonder, in other words, whatever advances our practice of genuine love through all of its fertile dimensions!

Let's say you want to know how we define being, enriching, happiness, health, practical, values, virtues, wealth, and wholeness. My response would be to a) ask you how you would define being, enriching, happiness, health, practical, values, virtues, wealth, and wholeness, then b) encourage you to go with that. Have fun with it. Do share. Be awesome.

I know of no 'wisdom' that is 'impractical'
- the redundancy herein is deliberate -

Scope of Engagement

How do you approach the idea of embarking on an exciting new endeavor?

I ask myself three types of questions then act upon the best advice those answers promote.

Here, for frame of reference, are three categories of questions:

• what problem would being involved solve - OR - what change, transformation, growth, or experience would this endeavor influence?
• who cares and why - OR - do I care enough and why do I or don't I?
• does success mean the outcome is better, preferable, or simply different from what currently is - OR - will those who have skin with me in this effort likely to be sparkling, exhaling, euphoric, or bolting like Usain as a result of my involvement?

This test works wonders. My failures are hilarious. Try it, see if you like it. OR. Just jump in head first and have a grand 'ole' adventure. Ooops. I do that too.

Series Opener

By way of iterative design and individual make-up a human's perspective is just that! Limited. It is a reason authentic connection is so essential and valued by us. We have blindspots; we need each other. Beware, wandering through a wild jungle: there, you are a hot lunch - free delivery - tips unnecessary. However, if you hear screaming . . . run! Actually, that's a lousy tip. (Just testing to see if you are asleep!)

The entire soulical intention of this new short series is fertilization of productive capacity. In farmer-brown speak: we are sorting out the best mixture of manure suitable for soils implanted with our best seeds. For example, if intention is the seed, the intender is its soil. If idea is the seed, its conceiver is the soil. We are working to ensure our farmlands are primed for distinction. Cool? (M-hm. I know what you are thinking; I'll leave you to that!)

Two prevailing conditions of our environment have influenced the path we have chosen for this effort. Let's consider them.

1. Unpredictable Winds (let's say)

More often than we are inclined to admit, humans are misled by common perceptions - many of us blissfully so. Flashes me back to when - not so very long ago it turns out - our predecessors had no concept of the color blue (they did not know blue exists; no frame of reference for that color). M-hm! Angels must have been having a field day with ole-folks hearts and minds back then. No? Here is a misconception that is messing with our minds even as we speak: attitudes & behaviors!

What is your reaction?

Yes, I know. "Weren't our attitudes so much better back in the day? Back where we lived? Back where our parents came from? Back whatever?" Oh, please! Well, that is NOT what this effort is about. However, let us see what the trouble is with this perception, for it spoils prevailing winds and creates unpredictable storms.

We are regularly struck by differences in attitudes (pick your people, place, or purpose). Some of us strike hard, every which way our influence, authority, or force-of-will allows us, determined to make those with "bad" attitudes change their attitudes to the better, or for them to work on their attitudes or put on more welcomed attitudes, for we've become convinced that "better" attitudes will result in more desirable behaviors, more cohesive communities, and the like, a more maleable contender.

If only 'they' would change their attitudes! Uh!

And what happens?

Frustration! Animosity! Hatred! Bible-boxing! Punishment! Pretense! It doesn't work. Not sustainably. Because personal attitudes DO NOT influence or predict personal behavior; behavior influences attitude; attitudes follow behavior. The very thing we are seeking changed - behavior - has to be addressed directly; associative attitudes follow naturally.

FACT CHECK IT. "Personal" (repeat - personal) behavioral change produces changes in attitude way beyond personal behavior. Mirror, mirror, on the wall! So we have accepted the following as benchmarks throughout our push toward mastery:

• what "personal" behavior-change(s) will produce welcomed outcomes?
• what "personal" action(s) will produce that awesome change?
• how would we be sure we are progressing?

For some this is hard work. For some this requires no effort - it is no big deal - it merely requires awareness and decision-making.

What about you?

2. Pollution - Toxic Particles (let's just say)

The second environmental condition influencing the path we have chosen for our new series, Practical Wisdom, is related to endemic toxicity.

We have taken the stance that virtues are a great fertilizing source for progressive mastery, five virtues in particular, beneficial for us hand in hand with gen-u collaborators. We dove in. Excited. Then discovered virtues coming out of the wazoo! Cardinal virtues. Catholic virtues. Contrary virtues. Artistotle's virtues. Bushido virtues, on and on, virtues upon virtues upon virtues.

We compiled a list (by no means exhaustive) of said named virtues: courage, temperance, liberality, magnificence, pride, honor, good temper, friendliness, truthfulness, wit, friendship, justice, humility, kindness, chastity, patience, diligence, compassion, valor, sacrifice, charity - virtues overlapping virtues, distilled virtues, pregnant virtues.

Oooh-we, what have we got ourselves into? Are we smack dab into toxic regions of morality, criss-crossed ideologies, competing religiosities, and definition hell? Well, maybe that is only true - we have decided - within those compounds where judging others is the norm and measuring sticks are staunchly pointed at all those who are 'falling short' and reckoned to be in desperate need of some special calling out.

It is essential during this series for us to be crystal clear about this:

that is not what our actions are aimed at

that's not who we are

that's not what we are about

we have no such interest

we are not qualified to be judges

Others are welcome to be and do all of that, if they so choose. Follow your calling; that's our mantra. We have already discovered fear-mongering to be a race to the bottom, a battle for mediocrity, a practice in cruelty. That evidence is overwhelming all around.

Our illustrious team, focused as intended, have selected five enriching virtues for our gen-u collaboration, which we are about to explore, rediscover and apply in balance with who we are. They are as follows:

• prudence
• justice
• temperance
• fortitude
• + one other

Not necessarily in that order. Fun-fun-fun-fun! The entire intent is to find that alchemy, if you will, that will enhace our individual and communal progress.

Just so we are all equally aware in case anyone percieves differently: as curator of this series I do not have any particular reference or preferred resource of any kind from which I am about to regurgitate dogma during this serial blog. Nope. Nope. Nope.

Absolutely not!

Just as it has been with all other explorations on our journey, I am diving in like every one else and discovering as are others, even as I curate our series. No headstart for me - and I love it. Discoveries are awesome. No agenda other than stated - and I love it. Health. Wealth. And happiness. Love is our key. No change anticipated there.

Your guess or assessment as to what is that fifth virtue is probably better than mine. It is to be revealed to me at the completion of our fourth week of exploration. Fun-fun-fun-fun. And, yes, I am already guessing, but the team isn't taking my hints. Bribes anyone?

unlimited - hope in human potential

Our Call: I get so excited, at times I tremble. So I remind myself during such occasions to do what I advise athletes, students, customers and clients to do. Breathe.

Yesterday, I recieved a call from one of my local collaborators for an unscheduled sip of tea / coffee. I reshuffled my calendar ever so slightly. And it was a pleasurable meeting.

He brought me up to speed then pulled up a map. He believes it is time for us to launch out on another grand endeavor - one we have been circling around for quite some while now, searching for the best suite of approaches toward lasting scalable solutions to a number of issues we've been working on a bit here and a bit there. We need to bring together the right mix of innovators, entrepreneurs, celebrities and educators to attack and solve this problem, he told me. Let's do it. Let's do it. Let's do it.

I smiled.

He was unaware I had already begun attacking that portion of the problem. But!! In a different way. You see his map was one of clusters of school districts, as they are graded - A, B, C, D and E - revealing a shocking reality about where these various clusters are occuring - no, you wouldn't be surprised - and how we might go about getting those awful down grades lifted. "They should all be A's." That is the problem he wants solved.

This is a huge problem. I mean this is a really huge problem. Politics. Religion. Attitudes. Resources. Egoes. Huge. But!! As you can see, this is the kind of thinking, dreaming, and commiserating these here treasured folks around me carry on. True, I also promote it. I get excited that it is happening. Then it frightens me (in a peculiar sort of a way). This is huge. It is a hugely emotional issue for some of us. (Okay, yes, I'l say it, these kinds of problems solved would make my mother proud.) So I smiled. And told him I haven't backed off; I just wanted him to realize there are a few different approaches ongoing, for options are changing fast, compliments of technology. And there is an ongoing approach which I'm just about to blog about, so I'll send my post his way. So here you are, Sean. This is it. Now we have a few interesting decisions on our plate.

I mentioned this here, because a) it is timely, b) I told Sean I'll send him this, since I needed to hurry off, and c) I'd like to encourage everyone any and everywhere - if concerns/solutions are within your sphere of influence - to do whatever you consider effective wherever you are. We do not have to have centralized solutions. And you might be surprised how many of your fellow folks are involved in instituting necessary innovations to achieve those aims - just requires a lot more involvement and action, probably right in your neck of the woods. What do you say?

Love: "You can't buy a child love. You can't mail it in. You can't bequeath it. You can't send it through a surrogate. You must deliver it in person or else it will sour and make the child sick. Every new generation is presented with a challenge that is new. Dealing with that challenge requires forethought, insight and awareness. You cannot effectively deal with the new challenge simply by overwriting the previous generation's mistakes, or your father's mistakes, or your forefather's mistakes, real or percieved. You must deal with what is as it is. You have the toy you bought, not the one you dreamed as a boy or drew as a ploy, unless it was given you or you stole it or created it of pure joy. When you suck a woman's nipple you are drinking milk that is not your own. Don't forget this." (Lee, 'Flight Of The Fused Monkeys')

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.

What Do You Really Want To Do?

What is holding you back?

Reality: Yes, you also probably run into smart-alecks who declare the likes of "I want to have wings and fly to the moon, tell me how to do that." We trust you are not such a person, 'cause as you probably already are aware, wings are available for a trip to the moon. Nevertheless, you get the drift: if a person doesn't believe a thing is possible for him or her, that person is absolutely right. Nothing anyone else can do about that.

Possibility: Believe. Seek solid advice. Surround yourself with authentic people to whom you are an authentic benefit and who would benefit you. Decide. Take action. God is not holding you back from being the best you could be, but if you believe God is holding you back then God is holding you back. Just hang in there.

Breathe.
We are accompanied.
Balance - Focus - Rhythm

Dare to be you. Check this out - Be the best you can be!

Every new era is marked by a challenge that reveals the true nature of its character, its soul, its heart, our very being; a challenge so pervasive, so corrosive, so corrupting, it indulges our need for respite; a challenge that demands a new breed - A Breed Beyond The Hero.

Something To Consider

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You are

What POWER!