Good stories are not necessarily lengthy or brief. They often have the quality of a good snap at the conclusion of tension built in the process. They also do not necessarily colonize our imaginations with conclusions-to-go. Some of the juiciest stories have an impressionistic sense of appearing unfinished.
At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how much we (think, feel, or say we) “care” about anything or anyone. It only matters how much time we give to that or them.
Great conversation today with friend Felicia who raises the question of greed, in the sense of cause and remedies. What’s clear is that it can apply to anything and anyone. I can feel a bottomless need for things, toys, and trophies. The greed piece is that having becomes more important than being. What does it mean to be rich in material objects and appearances in contrast to being rich in spirit?
It’s interesting being a Buddhist on national holidays dedicated to the memories of war, today celebrated in the states as “Memorial Day.” The closest I ever got to anything in uniform was the cub scouts, where we actually never did see much action. My koan of choice today is, “What other than past wars can I attribute my freedom to?”
Popular economic development wisdom has it that we’re supposed to compete against other regions. For things like jobs for the locally disengaged. Those of us who travel the country to build capacity see each region as worthy of whatever grace and good fortune should visit.
We need to get over the Neanderthal notion of competition. How about if we help every region support organizations that are smart enough to engage the unengaged? Why do we have to gain at someone else’s expense? What if we took an abundance perspective for once? What if we got together with other regions and co-created the best outcome for everyone.
As soon as we let go of fear, every good becomes clear.
My latest work, Conscious Becoming, is my 6th book that emerged effortlessly in the week after my accident 3 weeks ago. It’s about what it means to more conscious in our life, work, and relationships.
Several revision sessions later, the manuscript has achieved enough integrity to be shared. So, email me (jack at designinglife dotcom) if you want a PDF of it. You won’t see the actual cover or photography that will pepper the final fomat, but you will get the entire substance.
It’s written in the style of the Tao te Ching, the ancient book of eastern wisdom that has inspired many of us to deeper levels of being and becoming. Like the Tao, this work is a collection of verses in 81 sections. All I ask is that if you accept a copy, you give me your thoughts from it.
Do not fear your power, do not fear your strength. Do not minimize your complexity, do not hide your light. Do not believe lies, do not hide from truth. Do not mistake evil for good, or good for evil. Do not waste time trying to be rational with the irrational, do not look outside for what is inside.
Unmet expectations are intrinsic to the human experience. There are 3 common approaches to unmet expectations.
In the first, we decide to be unhappy with the person or thing we hold responsible for not meeting our expectations. In the second, we decide we need to lower our expectations. In the third, we decide that there is nothing wrong with our expectations and nothing wrong with a world that delivers otherwise.
Reality is the way it is,
given all that came before.
There are 600 billion billion
grains of sand on the earth.
Every grain at this moment
is exactly where it is,
and in the shape and size that it is,
given all that came before.
Some grains hold a place
inspired by the wind,
others by the serendipity
of children with hands of dreams.
When we’re conscious,
we understand the nature of things.
We see how this makes that possible.
When we understand
the nature of possibility,
we become in harmony
with all that can be.
from the forthcoming “Conscious Becoming”
I can change the world
With my own two hands
Make a better place
With my own two hands
Make a kinder place
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
I can make peace on earth
With my own two hands
I can clean up the earth
With my own two hands
I can reach out to you
With my own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
Im gonna make it a brighter place
Im gonna make it a safer place
Im gonna help the human race
With my own
With my own two hands
I can hold you
With my own two hands
I can comfort you
With my own two hands
But you got to use
Use your own two hands
Use your own
Use your own two hands
With our own
With our own two hands
With my own
With my own two hands
from Jack Johnson
