There is a certain unglamorous elegance to the working of soil, crops, and livestock. None of this makes the news unless there is some drama attached. Otherwise, it’s the solitude of sharing the story of small acts inspired by dreams engaging gifts for the transformation of earth into spirit.

When we understand the nature and power of stories, we lose interest in arguments about the differences between fact, fiction, and possibility. Everything we call true, false, and possible is a story we tell ourselves.

Stories can be more powerful than fact or fiction. A completely fictitious story can hold more truth than a completely factual story. A completely fictitious story can be more credible to some people than a completely factual story. A story of possibility can hold more truth than any factual or fictitious story.

As long as we believe that a story carries a truth, it informs the beliefs we hold that give shape to our choices. A story can present all kinds of facts, fictions, and possibilities, but as long as it presents a truth, it inspires who we are and what we do.

Stories have power to shape our beliefs and choices regardless of how supported they are by data or consensus.

We can derive more truths from a story we call a fiction than in inches of statistics. We can be more inspired by the stories expressed in our dreams than in mountains of data. Stories don’t derive their power from facts or approval; their power is rooted in their ability to evoke credible truths.

Everything in science, religion, culture, and the arts is a story we tell ourselves. Every conclusion, bias and perception we have about our world is a story we tell ourselves. All of history and each of our dreams is a story we tell ourselves. Every emotion we incarnate is a story we tell ourselves. Every speculation we construct is a story we tell ourselves.

When we understand the nature and power of stories, we understand that all experience is narrative.

~ an excerpt from notes for my 8th book project just launched on the power of stories

I gave an uncomplicated and simple request to a group of competent hospital staff today. All but a few were able to deliver on the request, with the few denying the request with an uncomplicated and simple refusal. They were taken for surprise with my immediate response: “Do not do anything you don’t want to do.” Which was immediately followed by the few engaging their strengths in honoring the request.

My job is to teach people how to engage their capacity for authentic compassion, which cannot happen when they do so under obligation that takes away existential choice.

I have become fond of volunteer organization. This is where we ask people to do only what they want to do. It’s a most elegant way to determine who belongs and who doesn’t belong to a team. This discernment is impossible in a context of coercion where choice is taken away from people. Authentic engagement must be a free choice and any threat or pressure for compliance makes it impossible to see who’s authentically engaged.

What do you want to do today? This is the only question of the authentic team and leader.

37 year old Swedish LPGA rock star, Annika Sorenstam, is retiring this year at the height of an enviable position in her field.

As reported recently in the NY Times, this top winning money maker in women’s golf relfects: “I have other priorities in my life,” she said, and she listed them: a golf academy, a foundation, golf-course design projects (she is working on her fifth course, with two more planned), corporate relationships, clothing lines and hosting golf tournaments. She said there were more, including starting a family.

She’s a great testament to the wisdom of knowing that some dreams have conclusions and when celebrated, open space for new dreams.

I remember many times hearing from Sensei Ogui about the vital importance of appreciating the uniqueness of all things, every being, and each moment, which he would describe as seeing without comparisons, just seeing things for the uniqueness that they are, and experience a sense of liberation that goes beyond words.

As much as I enjoy my frequent status as an early technology adoptor, I remain committed to being engaged in life without it. As much as technology can facilitate engagement well, it can also become a mediator and surrogate for direct engagement with our world.

It is still more interesting to walk to a coffee shop and get the news rather than watch TV for it. It’s still more gratifying chopping garlic rather than using a device to do it. It’s still more simple to wash dishes by hand rather than using a dishwasher, to eat from gardens rather than from shelves.

It’s important that we sustain a direct and unmediated connection with our world.

So, there was apparently a server crash recently that coincidentally “lost” the last 7 months, or 210 posts, of jack/zen. The server geniuses are somewhere on the lamb, maybe witness protection by now. No longer willing to wait for redemption, blogging will continue tomorrow. Stay tuned.