The Decided Life - Special Edition: The Granary

 

 

As I enjoy the sun of southern Florida, my mind drifts back to my younger years and life in the northern US. 

 

The latter part of the year was, in a word, "COLD!" 

 

Winter meant snow, and single digit temperatures.  It meant days with long nights, cold winds and heavy clothes.  It often seemed like our lives were on hold and our only goal was to simply make it to spring and the renewed life that it promised.

 

As I reflected on those days and the my many experiences, I recalled an aroma that was sweeter than any other that I knew and more sought and welcomed than any in my desires.  As I thought about it, I immediately felt a peace that has been absent from my soul in years.

 

Many, if not most of you, have never sensed this odor...I wish that you had...your life would be different.  I know that I have sparked your interest...or at least I hope that I have...let's not waste any more of your time!

 

Among other things, my grandparents were dairy farmers.  The farm had a large dairy barn, a chicken coop, a wood shed, pump houses, equipment sheds, and others. 

There was also a very special building. 

The granary. 

It was located next to the barn and every fall, filled with the harvest from the fields. 

 

The granary served two purposes; it held grain to feed the animals over the winter and it held the seed of next year's planting.  In most cases, those seeds where the same, just meted out for different purposes.

 

On cold winter days, when we were visiting, I would walk out to the granary with my grandmother or grandfather and help carry a bucket of grain to the barn to feed the cows or the chickens. 

Some days the cold was so extreme that it would bite at my little nostrils, making my little nose numb, but upon entering the unheated granary, the smell of the granary would enter my nose and comfort every part of my being.  It was amazing and almost magical!

 

The granary is unlike any other building on a farm.  If the granary is old, the odors from the farm's history of harvests saturate the walls and hoppers.  It is more than just the smell of grain.  It is the odor of life itself and more...

 

One VERY cold morning, I walked across the barnyard with my grandmother to retrieve some grain for the chickens.  As we opened the door of the granary, the familiar aroma hit me and it must have struck "grandma" too! 

She looked down at me, smiled, closed her eyes and somewhat under her breath said, "This is the smell of hope and there is nothing better than to walk into here, holding the little hand of another granary!"

 

I had no idea what she was talking about!  But what she said stuck in my memory and it took years for me to understand what she was saying!

 

The granary is life.  The aroma within the granary is nearly permanent.  Once the smell of the grain, of "life", sets into its walls...it is nearly impossible to remove it!  As I think about it...WHO WOULD WANT TO?

 

The deeper I pondered this thought...the more that I learned that the granary is more than life and its aroma is more than life.  It may be the smell of seeds; the odor of "life dormant"; it is the smell of the future!  It is the aroma of HOPE!

 

The granary not only held the nourishment for today, no matter how cold it got outside, the granary also held the promise of next year's harvest.  The granary held hope!  That aroma was hope!

 

...AND...

Every day was a decision related to that hope. 

 

"Do I use the grain that the granary holds to feed today or do I save the grain for tomorrow?"

 

SWITCHING GEARS!

 

There was another "building" on the farm that held seed.  It was a grain silo.  It had one and only one purpose.  It held feed grain.  This was grain that was going to strictly be used as animal feed.  For one reason or another, that grain was not any good for planting and my grandparents put it there because it only served one purpose.  A funny thing was that the silo did not have the same wonderful aroma of the granary!  Unlike the granary, it emptied by the end of winter and sat that way until the next harvest.  The granary always held seed and was never allowed to go empty!

 

BACK TO OUR THOUGHTS!

 

It hit me later that my grandmother saw that little boy holding her hand differently!  WE are proverbial granaries...I suddenly understood what my grandmother was talking about!

We are not seeds for the future...we hold the seeds of the future!

...AND... 

 

There is nothing like the "aroma of hope!"

 

Within us are the seeds of hope. 

WE hold the promise of tomorrow's harvest.... 

...and like the stores within the real granary. these seeds can be used to nourish us today or they can be saved to fulfill a promise of a greater harvest of tomorrow.

 

We hold the keys of the future!

...and...

It's a decision and both choices are important.

 

Like the granary, the important thing is that its hoppers are never allowed to go empty.

 

We must always hold some hope for our future harvests.

 

When can use our hope today...or we can save some for tomorrow.

 

As with the granary, the best seed (hope) is always kept safely within its walls and that which holds the least promise is used for the nourishment of today.

It's a decision!

 

Sadly, many live their lives as if they were the silo.  There is seed held within, but that seed has no hope of the future.  Their decisions are strictly related to today's nourishment and they end up empty...there is no promised harvest!

 

The "Decided Life" is recognition of the fact that we are granaries!  We carry the aroma of life and hope.  Our lives revolve around storing life and hope and using its contents sparingly...with each decision related to what is truly required today and how we will use what is left to ensure a better harvest tomorrow!  Most important is that we never go empty!

 

There is no perfume or cologne that can match the wonderful aroma of the granary (life and hope)!

It is the aroma that permeates our being to the core of our existence. 

It is what draws and attracts others. 

It is the message of life and hope!

It sends a message to the world that there is a future! 

It is the shivering hand of the "chilled" child...walking with grandma! 

It lasts long after the seeds are gone...

 

It is already in you!

 

Do not live as a silo...but recognize that you are a granary...your hopes and dreams are the seeds of tomorrow...

 

Your next step is to decide...where and when to plant them!

 

ENOUGH SAID!   

 

The granary is the house of "the Decided Life"

 

 

 

    

   

The Decided Life and Fulfillment

"If I were fulfilled...I'd be happy!"

Fulfillment is an allusive objective.

What most "Fulfillment seekers" do not realize is that they are simply trying to live a math equation!

The number that they seek is "1".

Huh?

A+B+C+D...=1

"A, B, C, D" and others being those things, experiences, etc that the individual believes add to the fulfilling experience.

"1" being the moment of fulfillment.

As long as the final number is less than "1" the individual remains unfulfilled.

This is complicated by the fact that there are negative numbers in the equation too!  In fact, there are two general categories that the negative numbers fall into:

• Past regrets and failures that detract from the present moment
• Present situations that detract from the present moment

This endeavor is further complicated by an individual's future goals.  In a worse case scenario, individuals become so future (dream) oriented that they lose sight of the present!

Thinking this through

Now that we understand the components of fulfillment, what does this mean in our achieving it?

You probably noticed that every element had something in common.  It was their affect on the present.

AHA!  Fulfillment is what is happening in the present and its experienced is totally dependent upon how one perceives the past and future...not to forget...what they are doing in the present...

I absolutely love the image at the beginning of this article...It explains fulfillment in the fewest words possible...

It is recognizing that the past is gone and is absolutely nothing!

It is recognizing that there is no future, until it gets here...it therefore means nothing in relation to this moment's fulfillment!

It is about "Deciding" to do...RIGHT NOW...what is fulfilling and achieving that "1" by not maximizing the numbers in your "Fulfillment Equation", but by eliminating and minimizing the "numbers" or elements of fulfillment in the equation!

Fulfillment is all about what you decide!

If you are currently not living "fulfilled" and authentically happy...your equation may contain elements that are not adding to your achievement of "1" and detracting from your equation...making it impossible to every achieve what you seek!

It is all about what you Decide!     

The Decided Life - Decisions (Part 1)

Last week I received a note from a dedicated reader of the "Weekend Update" saying..."...enough on the introduction of living the Decided Life...tell us what decisions we have to make..."

"...What decisions do I have to make to be successful and happy?..."


My Response

I wish that I could simply say, "Only two decisions..."

The first one is to decide to be successful and the second is to decide to be happy!

The fact of the matter is that it is that simple, but at the same time, it is significantly more complex!

How can that be?

Let's start with on of my "Epiphanies of the Utterly Obvious"

"...When you find yourself in a position that you have to make a decision, you do not have enough information!..."

Those whose have spent any time with me...have heard me say this over and over...and more important...they see me live by this axiom...

Before we can decide to be successful and happy we need information...I call this Stage Setting!


STEP 1

First we need to know what we see success and/or happiness is...

Success and happiness MUST be clearly defined and understood.

It needs to have measurable aspects like, "I consider success as making $1,000 each day or more" or "Happiness is spending at least 3 hours each day of the week, at the beach."

From this point you can then determine if you are successful with a high degree of confidence...in other words, you will know when you have become successful.  If you are making $800 per day, then you can say that are not yet successful...if you are spending 3 hours per day at the beach only on weekends you are not yet successful.

Although I have only cited a small piece of an overall definition of success, you can see what the overall definition should look like.

To ensure that it covers all aspects...use the words "and" and "or"

To go a bit deeper, all of your definitions should sound like a LONG run-on sentence.  Success is making $1,000 every day of the year and spending 3 hours each day at the beach, rain or shine and...and...and...!

There will be many more and should be,,,"ands" and "ors" in your definition, just make sure that you have covered EVERY aspect of what it will take for you to say that you are successful...

Don't be like those who refuse to clearly define success and happiness and claim. "I will know it when I see it!" or "I am leaving doors open...just in case..."  These people often have success in the grip and they let it go because they didn't realize that it was there!


STEP 2

Once you have defined real Success and Happiness, you can use what you now "know you want" to understand what you currently have.

This is actually quite simple.

Once you understand that success is making $1,000/day and you need to see how much you are currently making each day.  For this extended example we'll say $240/day.

If spending 3 hours/day at the beach will make you happy, you can then look at your current life and see that you how much you are spending.  We'll sat that you are spending less than an hour each day.

Repeat this for each and every part of the Step 1 definitions until you have covered each.


Step 3

The next step compares where you are to where you need to be.

This is easy!

I am making $240/day and need to be making $1,000/day to be successful.  I am $760/day from success.

I am spending 1 hour/day at the beach and I will be happy when I spend 3 hours/day.  I need to spend 2 hours more each day to be happy.


NEXT STEPS

We are now ready to begin deciding.

But not today!

We'll do this in the near future!

For now, it is important that you clearly define and understand What "Success and Happiness" specifically is for you.  Work diligently at this understanding,,,to the point that you can not deny that you are successful and happy.  If there is any doubt, you need to work harder.

Be patient...good things are worth working for...

Your success and happiness depends upon it!

The Decided Life - I wish I had...

"Hindsight is 20/20..."

"If I had only..."

"It would be so much different if I would have..."


How many times have you heard...or made...statements like the aforementioned?

Hindsight and regret are normal conditions of anyone who is on the path to a better place in life!

Yet hindsight and regret are powerfully destructive emotions...

By themselves they are nothing but feelings...but these feeling easily turn into negative reactions that cause "vicious circles" of inaction...or worse...negative responses...leading to more "poor decisions" and more regret...

I wish I had...

Stop wishing and decide!

Success and Authentic Happiness is just a few decisions away!

That is what the "Decided Life" is all about!

It is a simple answer to a situation that we believe is complicated...

That's Right...

..."The Decided Life" is not complicated...but it is systematic...

It, by necessity, needs to follow a prescribed path to ensure that the right thoughts are deeply embedded and act as a foundation for the future...

The hardest part of "The Decided Life" is submitting to it!


Let's start down the path to living a Decided life...

That is...

...if that is what you decide!

But before we do...let's begin by committing to making only informed decisions...


More Decided life...

As the name implies, the Decided Life is a life guided by conscious decisions AND conscious acceptance of the consequences...

The important part at this point is acceptance of the consequences...whether they are known and anticipated...or they are unknown and unanticipated!

It must start with a decision to live a decided life...

For many this is a terrifying option!

The thought of living with total responsibility for the decisions made and a lack of options is totally unacceptable...that is...until one realizes that the life that they are living is actually no different!


Shifting Gears

There are 3 viable decisions...

1 - To do something
2 - Not to do something
3 - Not to decided

Most of our life is controlled by option 3...YES that is true...


Why do we live in option 3?

Because we often do not recognize that there was an option or a decision afforded us!  As a result we just went with the flow...we let life take its own course...and then the only option given to us is how hard we complain and moan and whine about how unfair life is!

Let's not get too deep today...

Let's simply consider what living the Decided life means...

It means deciding to take control of what you can...and deciding to let go of those things and situations you want to control...

It truly is about reestablishing your boundaries...and...

Deciding to live a decided life...


Life lesson...

"The Decided Life" has an interesting perspective. 

Last week a friend brought over a large "veggie" sub sandwich.  It was so large that I could not eat it in its entirety.  I actually ate more than I should have.  I was totally full!  I hate to waste things...so...I wrapped the uneaten portion in foil and set in in the refrigerator...and forgot about it!

Two days later I remembered it and retrieved it...

Opening the foil I saw that it was inedible...

It was soggy...the lettuce had looked really bad!  I don't have to go further...It was YUCKY!

I threw it away!

Yesterday, my stomach growled and I went to the refrigerator...opened the door and saw nothing appetizing! 

My mind wandered back to the sub!

I wished that I had it now!

If I hadn't thrown it away...

WAIT!

The garbage pick-up company hasn't emptied the dumpster yet!

I could go out and dig through the trash find the trash bag and retrieve the sub!

I know!  EWWWWWW!

This is simply to make a point...

What was DECIDED a week ago was right for the time...

Changes in conditions and situations do not make the previous decisions less or more right...

A week ago...

I had kept half of it because I DECIDED that I couldn't eat any more of it...

Two days later...

I threw it away because I DECIDED that if I ate what I retrieved...it would make me sick...

My current state of hunger does not make my prior decisions bad!

I was hungry now...but...

Did I really wish I had kept that sandwich?

NO!

As trivial as this seems...this simple story sets the stage for the next aspect of the Decided Life...

BIGGEST MISTAKE

At this point...If you have decided to live decided...you have now taken the first step...and have averted making the single biggest mistake that people make in living a successful and authentically happy life,,,

NOT STARTING!


 

The Decided Life - Introduction

This is the first in a series of articles on what is known as the "Decided Life."

A short book is in the making that will more fully explain and guide the reader to living "the Decided Life" and experience control beyond their current expectations.

It is important to set the stage with the following introductory thoughts...to help set the stage for living "The Decided Life"


THE DECIDED LIFE'S BEGINNINGS

It all started late one evening.  Although the actual "Decided Life" started long ago, it was a subconscious effort...I would like to say that it occurred naturally, but in retrospect I was probably forced into it simply to survive...

Regardless of how it happened, I am glad it did!

But let's look at the chance discussion that led to the realization and rationalization of "The Decided Life" and the subsequent impact that my sharing of this "way of life" has made a significant, positive difference in the lives of others.

****************************************

I was laying on the dock with a friend looking up at the stars...we were just reliving "childlike moments" by doing something that one seldom does as an adult.

For a while we just laid quiet and gazed skyward.  Then we began talking about the universe and time and other trivial things...in a very unique way we were sharing in that child-like awe of a beautiful evening that almost always passes us by...

Then out of the "blue" my friend asked, "How did you get here?"

"What do you mean?" I responded. "To this area of the US or this moment in life?"

The next words spoken almost silently was interesting...

"I wish I had your life!"

This exchange continued for quite a while; the details, of which, unnecessary, yet after a while I had to admit..."I got here because I decided."

From this came an interesting final comment, "That is so cool!  You are living a decided life!"

That conversation was initially forgotten...then in another contemplative moment it again arose...and it got me thinking about the important role that decisions make in our lives.  As I thought deeper, it is in fact, the single most critical element of our present state in life...

When I think back to that night...the most important part of the discussion was that I had a conscious realization that I was living "the Decided Life!" and began using it when others looked to me for advice and help...


SHIFTING GEARS

Dreams and dreaming are not the exclusive right of human beings.

All of the higher order of animals dream!

Some of the most viral videos on the internet show dogs, cats, monkeys and other animals sleeping and doing crazy things which we attribute to their dreaming...

When it was all said and done...

Dogs dream and then they wake up and do what dogs do...

...and the same holds true for us...we dream and then we wake up and go about the things that we do...

I find it amusing how many motivational/inspirational "gurus" and spiritual guides focus on the importance of dreaming as a critical element of success and fulfillment.

I will not deny that dreaming is an important element in our survival.  If it wasn't important, living organisms wouldn't dream.  Psychologists have yet to fully understand the role that dreaming plays in our development and day to day living, but its presence and persistence emphasizes the fact that it is important.

The important thing for us to understand is its place in our lives.  Dreaming occurs when we are semi-conscious or unconscious.  It is not generally an experience of the normal conscious or wake state.

So let's take a moment and define dreams...they are thoughts without substance yet they have the ability to control physical actions...and because of their timing have little or no impact on our conscious existence...

HUH?

Consider a dog dreaming of chasing a rabbit.  The situation lacks any substance, yet the thoughts cause the dog's legs to move as if it were running.  While asleep, the dogs believes that it is chasing a rabbit.  But there is no rabbit...

When the dog wakes up and again joins us in the conscious world...there is no rabbit!

We have dreams that cause physical reactions.  Although I can say I have never personally had dreams as such...I have been with people who screamed in terror during a dream.  Yet when I got them back to the conscious world they realized that it was only a dream!

Many philosophers have written about consciousness and dreams and the "goings on" of the mind...

Dreams may play an important role in our existence...but I am intrigued by the fact that most of the dreams that we have...we seldom can remember!  If dreams are important to success...then why are so many forgettable?

Let's keep dreams and dreaming where they belong...and stop thinking that dreaming is a critical element of success and authentic happiness...

Why?

Many of these success peddlers generalize dreams and dreaming.  They make the definition of dreams so broad that they allow it to permeate our conscious time.

They call our goals and aspirations dreams.  Subtly they have defined goals and aspirations as simply a mental state lacking substance or...(by our original and accurate definition of dreams...in reverse).

In other words...they say that our conscious state of dreaming (goal setting) is actually an state of unconsciousness, lacking true substance...

The first and most important thing in "The Decided life" is to recognize when you are conscious and take stock of your current state of existence...

There is a time to dream and a time to set goals and aspirations.

What is the difference?

Dreams are in the unconscious state and will always lack substance...

Dreams may cause physical REACTIONS...but they are not based in a real world...

Goals and Aspirations are conscious and affect things of substance...the conscious world...

Goals and Aspirations cause physical ACTION...

Do you see the difference?

Dreams cause REACTIONS...Goals and Aspirations cause ACTION!

Dreams and dreaming are uncontrolled and at the whim of ones thoughts...

Goals and Aspirations are controlled and conscious decisions...affecting the present and the future!

If it is a dream call it that...

If it is a Goal or Aspiration call it that...

This may sound petty and semantic...in a way it is,,,but do not underestimate the power of those subtle difference has on our thoughts and subsequent actions.

Enough rambling on Dreams and Goals and Aspirations...

"The Decided Life" sees the difference between the two and calls a dream "a dream" and a goal "a goal!"

For today...realize that the "Decided Life" is active and conscious...it is a decision...

More to come!

Passion Peddlers

Throughout most of history there have arisen individuals who have intuitively found the prevailing need of the time and sold their "secrets" to anyone who was naive enough to pay for it!

Snake oil salesmen...

Patent medicines...

Spiritual Gurus...

and the list goes on!

I can't fault these people for trying to make a living,,,especially if they truly believed in what they were selling...but most probably knew that it was a lie!

Today is not any different!

We are constantly bombarded with individuals who profess to knowing the secrets of success and the share them in their seminars and in their books...for money!

My question is...Are they any difference than the "confidence salespeople" of bygone eras?

Probably not!

Passion and Dreams...

Find your passion...

Dream your dreams...

These critical elements of success sound good...but I think that they are simply marketing words that appeal to the largest segment of a world in need.

The world hungers for better...

I would think that only insane people would answer the question, "Do you want a better life?" with the answer, "No!"

People can sell passion and dreams and get people to pay big bucks for them...because there is little risk to their money back guarantee!

If a dream doesn't work...it wasn't the seller's fault,,,it was the wrong dream!

Passion always works...so the buyer blew it!

And the passion peddler jumps back into his or her wagon and rides to the next town!

Let's Get Real

I do agree that a person needs to be passionate about what they are pursuing,,,but it is not a critical component,

Passion helps...

Passion has made many people successful, but not every successful person has been passionate!

Passion is an emotion...

If a person sits passionate about something and does nothing...they are no better than a blob of slime that washes up on a coastal beach...(I stepped in one today...it was gross!)

Successful people may or may not have passion, but they all have properly guided direction...sometimes that direction comes from within (their plans and thoughts) other times the direction comes through the advice of a friend or mentor or life coach.

That direction is meaningless also without action...

ACTION is the real first step in success...forget about the passion thing...start doing something and learn to love what you are doing!

Many lives are wasted looking for the right thing to do!

Stop Dreaming!

For decades I have seen "dreaming" touted as a critical element of success...

Dreams are for night time...when you are asleep...with your eyes closed...and you are oblivious to what is going on around you!

The passion peddlers can spin dreaming all they want...but I have never woke up from a dream and found my plight in life any better,,,

The best that I can say about dreaming is that I woke up and had to use the restroom!

Dreams are good...they serve a psychological purpose...

But what made my day better was dreaming the night away, opening my eyes, seeing reality for what it really is, getting out of bed and doing something!

Gee...seems like no matter how you look at it...it always goes back to action!

Ask a passion peddler..."If I do what you are saying...I have a 100% guarantee that I will achieve my goals...right?"

Then ask for a 10X my money back if it doesn't work!

Make them put their money where their dreams and passion are!

A person could become a millionaire holding passion peddlers to their promises!

But I think a vast majority will show their true colors if put to the test!

I recently got a phone call from a fellow promoting investing in rare gems!

I asked him if he did this for a living!

He said yes for 25 years!

I asked why?

He seemed confused!

I explained that if the stuff he was selling was such a great investment, why didn't he get loans on everything he had and invest in these sure things!

If he did that he should have been retired long ago and not selling investments...

He sat quiet and then hung up without another word!

He could have, at least, said thank you for ruining his life!

Passion Peddlers are found in every facet of our lives...they grab on to the "want" of the present and sell easy ways to obtain them...

Success and happiness are not made of iron...

There is no way to attract either!

The law of attraction is a marketing ploy no different than drinking a certain beer will make you more popular!

The answer is simple...if you want success and happiness...

...you have to do the right things at the right time...

You can figure it out and do it...or...

...you can get directions from someone and do it!

In either case...it is about action...DO IT!

What are you thinking about?

My mornings often include a visit to the local beach.  Most of the time I go there for the solitude.  It provides me with uninterrupted time to be with my thoughts.  The rhythmic surf is undemanding on my senses, and allows me to ignore those other distractions that would put an overbearing demand my limited "thinking bandwidth!"

Most of the time!

A few days ago, my writing time was interrupted by a text that simply said, "It is beautiful out..."

I responded graciously and went back to writing or at least tried.  My curiosity got the best of me and I walked out the door and was taken aback by how nice the weather had turned!

My "writing day" was ruined, at least until I inserted a beach walk.

I went to my usual place on the beach, stood for a few minutes and savored the sound.  Most of all, I cherished the fact that I was separated from my phone and in a 21st century sense...totally isolated!

I fell backward in a sitting position against my place on the wall and closed my eyes...feeling the morning sun's heat on my face, legs and arms and the breeze that simultaneously cooled me.  It was amazing and my mind momentarily blanked and I was "feeling the moment."  I intended to extend this simple joy as long as possible.

My section of the beach is uncrowded.  A person can exist there relatively alone and uninterrupted.  There are occasional beach walkers and runners.  A few lay quietly and add to their tans.  Others swim and play in the surf.  The best part is that they leave me alone...most of the time.  That is one of the reasons I like being there.

NOT TODAY!  My solitude was suddenly and uncharacteristically interrupted by a sweet feminine voice.  "Do you mind if I sit here?"

I opened my eyes and looked over and politely responded, "I don't mind, I am just sitting here and thinking...I don't think my thoughts are loud enough to be a bother and you definitely won't be for me..."

She laughed briefly and then the tranquility resumed.

I closed my eyes again and this time my mind drifted to and began focusing on a single thought...

Being polite...That was really nice of her to ask and not just "plop" down.  That is a uncommon behavior these days!

...then my mind shifted to political correctness...and how that was meant to create an environment of high end behaviors like the one I just experienced.

BUT...

On the outside, being politically correct is a worthwhile behavior, but it has been misused.

This upsets me.

Political correctness has driven us to apathy, and tolerance of less than acceptable behaviors and conditions.  Rather than improving the behaviors of our world, it has hurt it.  People have been using political correctness as a shield that they can stand behind that allows them to do unacceptable things and demand acceptance of others!

Political correctness has forced us to accept obesity, and bullying, laziness, lack of courtesy, disrespect and on and on!

Political Correctness should only apply to "states of being" and not applied to behaviors and actions.  As a result of our tolerance of less than unacceptable behaviors, our world is in a downward spiral.

Our Founding Fathers even warned against it and made laws in a valiant attempt to protect it!

It make me sad...

My thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the voice of the sitting companion, "What are you thinking about?"

"Why do you ask?" I responded.

"Because your face went from very happy to extremely intense to very sad in a moment." She replied.

Although I was not overjoyed with the interruption, I also saw this as an opportunity to share an interesting concept that more people should consider as an option to how they live.  So I quickly verbalized my thoughts.

"Wow! That's really a deep thought!" she noted.

That having been said we turned to the ocean and again went quiet.  We sat there for quite a while and I opened my eyes to see if she was still sitting in her place and found that she was.  This time I noticed that her eyes were closed and her face projected deep sadness and pain.

"What are you thinking about?" I asked.

She slowly opened her eyes and turned her head to me and replied, "I was thinking that I need a pedicure!"

What are you thinking about?

A "Civic" Lesson

Apology - It has been a while since my last "Weekend Update."  It has not been for lack of topics to write about...but because of a hectic and a "fun-filled" life!  Today, however, I was moved to write this update...because of an eye-opening experience that I think we can all entertain. 

Those who know me, understand that I normally take a "middle road" approach to most topics.  Extremes have a tendency towards being limited to application to one's life.  This "update" will not be middle of the road, in fact, much the opposite.  This position is meant to make us think about our behaviors and the messages that it conveys.

Enough said!

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness..."

When I was in grade school, the US was going through turbulent times.  The Vietnam war, civil rights and the cold war were just a few of the issues at the forefront of life and living at that time.  Despite the challenges that we faced, each grade's curriculum included a unit on the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution.  By the time I was 8 years old, I had memorized many parts of each, as an assignment (It was not an option).

Included in the memorization exercises was a writing assignment. 

We were asked..."What does it mean to you?"

I don't know if all grade schools did this or perhaps I had some really neat teachers, but rather than lecture on these "foundational" documents, we discussed them as a class.  These were amazing discussions that I still remember to this day!  One in particular has shaped the way I think!

Our principal visited our classroom to talk about the Declaration of Independence.  For all we knew he was there when it was written and helped craft its very words!  The lesson started with him asking a number of us to recite what we had memorized.  Whether we got it exactly right or totally destroyed it, he complimented us on our ability.  Then he asked if we knew what that was all about?

After a few answers, (which I think he must have had a difficult time keeping a straight face), he explained what it meant to him.  He didn't say, "This is what it really means" or "This is what you must believe"  he said, "This is what it means to me!"  He left its interpretation up to us as individuals!

"...citizenship with the US, or any country for that matter is not any different from membership in a club."  A club has rules and privileges.  If you do not abide by those rules, you can get kicked out of the club and you lose the privileges.  It's like being in a horse riding club.  By being a member you get to ride horses, but in order to ride the horses, you also have to feed and care for the horses.  If you do not feed and care for the horses, you don't get to ride the horses.

Our government is built upon the belief that everyone has equal membership.  We have a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.  As long as we abide by the rules (laws) of membership (citizenship), we are free to ride the horses of Life, liberty and happiness.

Break the rules and you give up those rights.

Break those rules and you say to this country that you don't want to be a member of it any more.

Break the rules and you lose your rights as a citizen!

That is what a felony is!  It is doing something that says, "I don't want to be a citizen anymore!"

That made us think...

I remember talking about it on the playground!

I remember admonishing (and being admonished by) fellow students that our behavior was denouncing our citizenship (as if we really knew what that meant!).

That simple discussion was life shaping!

I doubt that those discussions happen today!

The "Pledge" has been removed from the morning ritual!

American History has been diluted by outcome based education.

We wonder why the foundation of our society has eroded...and can not see that we have neglected to build a foundation at all!

We have made it difficult for Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, because we thought that these rights were so self-evident that they not longer needed to be taught...

The fact of the matter is...they are self-evident...what they are lacking is a clear definition and an understanding of the recourse for not living up to the "rules" of citizenship (membership is this democratic society).

Where am I going with all of this?

Those who know me...know that I am a "die-hard" observer of human (societal) behavior.  We can learn much about individuals and a society by how they act.

This past week while on my "forced leisurely" drive to work (those who live in South Florida know what I mean), I observed driving behavior that told me a lot about what people think about infringing on the unalienable rights of others and the rules of membership (US citizenship)!

About halfway to work (6 miles from home) a lady pulled out from a gas station and drove perpendicularly across the road to get into the left hand lane.  She actually only pulled out into the traffic and sat blocking 3 lanes of traffic blocking the pursuit of happiness of a hundred or so other drivers!  Her action communicated that she didn't care about the others and was willing to infringe on their rights for her own gratification!  If she was on the playground with us kids...we all would have jumped on the opportunity to remind her that she just gave up her citizenship!  Perhaps stupid driving like that should be a felony...and the convicted be immediately deported!  LMAO

I didn't have to drive much further beyond that declaration of selfishness when I came up behind an elderly driver traveling at a speed 25 miles per hour lower than the rest of the traffic!  Not only was this driver blocking the rest of the travelers from arriving at their "Pursuit of Happiness" destination, by she was threatening their lives!  WOW a double felony!  No doubt that this person felt that they had earned the right to drive slow and infringe on others rights.  Perhaps this person was incapable of living up to the rules of citizenship.  In either instance, it was wrong.  This person if on our playground would have been admonished and isolated...her rights to the swings set taken away along with their social security!  LMAO

As I drove further and about the time I thought myself free from this felonious hoard, a driver cut from the far right-hand lane to the far left-hand lane (5 lanes in total).  This behavior would be OK if there were no cars in the lanes, but it caused drivers in each lane to slam on their brakes.  There was a blue haze from the burning rubber and the driver just drove on as if it was no big deal!  This one would have caused a playground frenzy!  Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness...of many others infringed upon just so this person could get totally across the traffic!  Three felonies!  LMAO

What was sad was that there were 3 more incidents similar to those before I arrived at work!

What does this have to do with anything?

I am noticing more and more how consistent behaviors are telling us about the foundational beliefs of individuals and of society!  You may argue that what I observed was just poor driving, but I contend that higher level behaviors are guided by foundational beliefs.  It follows that much can be told by how people act and behave!

These individuals driving behaviors tell me that these people do not hold others' rights as more important than their own.  It is because they allowed their perceived right to some pursuit to infringe on the rights of all of the others in the vicinity of their driving!

If we could only have a legal system that treated people like they earned and communicated!

We would have people who:

• acted intentionally and are in prison...
• acted insanely and are in an asylum...
• acted out of stupidity...(perhaps they could be remediated, perhaps not)...or...
• JUST NEED TO BE DEPORTED EVEN IF THIS IS THEIR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN!

Regardless...what we need is to emphasize what it means to act like to be a responsible member of this society.  We tend to forget that there are rules related to our membership and among them is the protection of our unalienable rights!  It is not the government's place to do that...but ours...in the big things and the little things

If you can not be help responsible for something as petty as driving responsibly...how can you claim to be a responsible member of this society...and why should we responsible members have to be forced to let you participate on our playground!

We had it right as kids!  We self policed...we didn't need playground monitors even though they were there...we were taught responsibility at a young age, it was expected of us and we lived up to it!

Let's take note of the real messages that we are sending to society and show that we are responsible members of this club...the United States of America!

Enough Said AGAIN!

Pura Vida!