For The Greater Good
This is good advice. The group is made up of individuals. Look after the personal freedom, awareness, competence and productivity of the individual and the prosperity of the group is more certain.
As a matter of fact, if you looked at it hard, you might find that only made up of strong, capable, ethical, responsible individuals prepared to work in concert with one another could a group have a chance of surviving for any length of time.
The idea of making individuals less for the sake of the group is a certain path to individual slavery and group destruction.
Not that communists have any other goal.
Show Up and Be Seen
I think midlife is when the universe gently places her hands upon your shoulders, pulls you close, and whispers in your ear:
“I’m not screwing around. It’s time. All of this pretending and performing , these coping mechanisms that you’ve developed to protect yourself from feeling inadequate and getting hurt – has to go.
Your armor is preventing you from growing into your gifts.
I understand that you needed these protections when you were small. I understand that you believed your armor could help you secure all of the things you needed to feel worthy of love and belonging, but you’re still searching and you’re more lost than ever.
Time is growing short. There are unexplored adventures ahead of you. You can’t live the rest of your life worried about what other people think. You were born worthy of love and belonging. Courage and daring are coursing through you. You were made to live and love with your whole heart. It’s time to show up and be seen.”
Brené Brown
Be Amazing
Some time ago I read a researcher found it takes 10,000 hours to become world class at something. Doesn’t matter if it’s sport, music, painting… …whatever, 10,000 hours and you are up there with the best in the world.
If that seems daunting, instead of watching TV from 7 to 11 of an evening, put that time into doing something you love and in under 7 years you could be one of the best in the world at it.
What would you enjoy doing for 4 hours a night to become world class at?
Art Is Pointless
Be Brave
I find a lot of truth in this. Once you become experienced, competent and skilled at something it is very easy to have reluctance to start something brand new. You have to confront being a complete newbie with all that entails – lots of trying, lots of failing, lots of work to improve your skills, lack of validation compared to efforts in your comfort zone.
It is far, far easier and less stressful to stay in your comfort zone. But that is not where the growth lies.
Where It Is Headed
Unless we reject the passport, the ID and retain cash.
This Is What Love Looks Like
(Stolen and shared.)
“When I asked my 11-year-old son to help me unload dirt from our small pickup into his mother’s new garden boxes, his reaction was typical.
“Ummmm… I’m busy right now,” He said.
He was playing Roblock on the family laptop, wearing sweat pants and an old T-shirt, lounging on the sofa, feet on the coffee table.
“No you’re not,” I said.
There was a fight, moaning, excuses… the usual.
Moments later, we were next to a wheelbarrow shoveling dirt. He looked at me with flat eyes, his hood up, shoulders slumped, and said, “Why do we have to do this?”
I thought for a moment, because I’ll admit, it was a valid question. Neither of us were all that into flowers or vegetables, or any of the things that would be grown in those garden boxes. But my wife, Mel, loves gardening.
I thought, and he waited, and finally I said, “When you love someone, you serve them.”
I went on, telling him that I want him to grow up to be the kind of man who serves his family, friends, and community.
“This” I said while gesturing to the dirt, and the garden boxes I built the weekend before, and the wheelbarrow and shovel, and the first of many truckloads of dirt we would unload over the next few weeks, “Is what love looks like.”
He didn’t like my answer. I could see it in the way he reluctantly picked his shovel back up.
We finished unloading the dirt. The next day, while I was at work, and the kids and Mel had the day off because it was between terms, Mel sent me this picture. Mel picked up another load of dirt and before she had a chance to unload it, Tristan voluntarily started working. When she asked him “why,” he shrugged and said, “Because I love you.”
I’d never been prouder of my son.”
Wonder No More
Secret Parenting Codes
