WOODY and BIRDIE

Posted on December 8, 2024

Ever since teeing up that first golf ball with Mom and Dad at the age of seven, golf has been a patient life coach; and as the years have sped by, the sport continues to coach and counsel. Recent experiences have offered that if open and psychologically ready for the infinite messages, “simple” in golf and life can be discovered beyond sport and life’s complexities.

Christian Larson’s (The Great Within) message is clear: we are reflections—thinking, personality and character—of the language we live-in. As Abel Leighton Allen contends, “Our todays are the result of our past thinking, our tomorrows the result of our present thinking. We have been our mental parents, and we shall be our own mental children.” How would Woody and Birdy Ball, Golf as Guru, use this taste of philosophy on every shot or putting stroke on the golf course? “Too complicated for us: Just learn to program and trust the subconscious to hit the #$@% golf ball to an intended target.”

Step One: Create a clear, conscious vision of the ball at the desired target; and feel what is required to place the ball at the target: body mechanics, club mechanics, swing motion and ball position.

-Club required.

-Immaculate set-up.

-One piece take-away.

-No hurry to transition for full torque turn.

-Smooth transition.

-Accelerating forward swing and release.

-Club face square to ball-target line at impact.

-Extension of club to target.

-Complete finish.

Step Two: Go to the breath and program the subconscious with the vision of the what and the how—breathe it, think it, deeply feel it, see it, taste it, smell it, and touch it. Ball at the target.

Step three: Proceed with the pre-shot routine and ritual for the desired shot or stroke.

Step four: Celebrate!

As Birdy offers, “Yes! We are thinking, personality and character reflections of the language we live in. Let’s live in the language we desire! Not the swing thoughts and whims of the monkey mind that keep us mired two shots from insanity.”

CHAOS and CONFUSION

Posted on November 30, 2024

“The most dangerous time in the life of nations is the time between systems-when the old ways are discredited, but new habits and new institutions have not yet taken shape.” (Michael Novak)

An impression being communicated by the incoming regime is…

June 19, 2023, PATRIOT, Alexi Navalny,

We are afraid of you. We are afraid of what you will say. We are afraid of the truth.

This is an important confession. And it makes practical sense for all of us. We must do what they fear-tell the truth, spread the truth. This is the most powerful weapon against this regime of liars, thieves, and hypocrites. Everyone has this weapon. So make use of it.

We are in the NEUTRAL ZONE…

It is quite clear that the United States has been undergoing chaotic government changes; and, post-presidential 2024 election, it is clearly unfolding that “We the people…” will be witness to overwhelming changes and chaos in government…players, policy, goals, objectives, strategy, technology, and culture…simply change, reorganization, and redeployment. Perhaps several three-ring circuses and varied sideshows of planned and organized chaos, too. All too many of these changes will be discussed behind closed doors, or simply implemented, with little concern for how they will affect people or for what people will have to do to make them work. Examples: massive deportations, tariffs, and revenge messages. It will simply be assumed that if the changes are necessary, people will adjust to them. But experience suggests that the psychological process that change initiates is more like distress and disruption than adjustment. (Dr. William Bridges) And yet, the intent may be to simply have planned CHAOS and CONFUSION to undermine the “freedoms from” and “people strengths” uncovered in the history and traditions of the United States of America…all in the name of power for a select few.

A net result is that most changes will take longer and cost more to implement; and many of the changes that are meant to strengthen organizations-like our government-will weaken it…folks will be resentful, demotivated, puzzled, angry, overly excited, irritated, stressed, afraid, self-absorbed, skeptical, bundles of mind chatter, distracted, and confused when commitment and creativity are essential.

Each change has an ending, a period of transition, and a new beginning. Typically overlooked by change agents is TRANSITION, the psychological reorientation people go through when coming to terms with change. Transitions goes on inside people, typically takes longer than the change, starts with an ending, and is finished with a new beginning.

What can change agents do?

Tell the truth!
Identify the transitions.
Manage the endings and the losses.
Lead people through the neutral zone…the time between the endings and the new beginnings.
Use the neutral zone creatively.
Orchestrate, manage, and support new beginnings.
Assess, enhance, and manage transition resources.

Simply, empathetically and compassionately, help and care about the people moving through the changes…the endings, the transitions, and the new beginnings. Misdirected and hastily mismanaged transitions grow GRASS…guilt, resentment, anxiety, self-absorption, and stress.

“We think in generalities, but we live in detail.” (Alfred North Whitehead)

Let’s make change work for us!

RESOURCES

Bridges, William. Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes.

Drucker, Peter. Innovation and Entrepreneurship.

Dyer, William. Strategies for Managing Change.

Handy, Charles. The Age of Unreason.

Peters, Tom. Thriving on Chaos.

Tichy, Noel. The Transformational Leader.

VETERANS’ DAY 2024

Posted on November 9, 2024

The civil war of 2025 will reveal principles, strategies and tactics of words and actions to deconstruct democracy, move forward with oligarchy, and install autocracy. Continued strategies of the GOP will be to divide the country, retain white supremacy, deliberately fan the fires of racism, sow fear, and to suppress voting rights of minorities through the tactic of voter suppression legislation in 43 states. Other intentional tactics are lying, working problems, blocking improvements, creating chaos, deconstructing, dismantling, bickering, sowing hate, and dividing.

“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” (Y. Berg) We are the intrapersonal, interpersonal and person to persons language we create; and a person who controls the message of words has tremendous power over others.

As 2025 unfolds, political choices will be revealed, and more than likely many choices were driven by family tradition, ego or words pontificating past results and popular actions. A spectrum of positive words that create the stories, emotions and feelings for each of us…freedom, prosperity, security, facts, unity, truth, order, respect, harmony, poise, receptivity, peace, tranquility, positiveness, team effort, teamwork, childcare, guardians, self-mastery, integral life practice, health, non-partisan, wellness and well-being, mindfulness, awareness, self-restraint, values, equality, fairness, globally respected, quality, guiding principles, ethics, peace, clean air, allies, non-partisan, value in diversity, safe schools, no debt, sincerity, trustworthy, believable, passionate, disciplined, generosity, wise, direct, open, nice, 100% responsibility, apology, loving-kindness, patient, tolerant, compassionate, humanness, beautiful, smiling, et al.

An array of negative words that create the stories and emotions for each of us…lies, lynching, deception, casts, spins, obstruction, abuse, conspiracy, human scum, traitors, chaos, entertainment, dynasty, autocracy, racism, above the law, divisiveness, partisan, war, bombs and bullets, street shootings, smoke and mirrors, impeachment, corruption, fear, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, cult-like, tribal, business failings, pay-offs, porn stars, partisan vulgarity, broken promises, scandals, low character, bad judgement, failed policies, cover-ups, low intellect, disruption, conflict, deconstruction, selfish, narcissist, demagogue, cruel, fraud, short-sighted, chaotic, et al.

The psychology of spoken language is powerful gift and the paradox of choice is clear: an America for Americans that is inspiring and visionary for generations to come—freedom for, love, hope, happiness, peace-of-mind, purpose, and connections created on a foundation of compassion and good; or an America for Americans that is evil and dictatorial for generations to come—pay-back, fear of, hate, vindictive, intimidation, economic insecurity, casts, racism, decay, and global disrespect. Christian D. Larson offers, “So long as we continue to resist or deny evil, we will think about evil, and so long as we think about evil, evil will be impressed upon the subconscious, that the subconscious will reproduce and bring forth into personal life.” When there is only one power which decides who is right and who is wrong, and who should be punished and who not, we have a form of…dictatorship. (James Heiser). The mission is quite clear: to merge with others to co-create, transcend, and include others, and evolve democracy for “We the people, by the people, for the people…” The strategic objective is not to create oligarchy for a select few who govern the many. Let history record that the deepening civil war of 2025, the strategies and tactics of the language and actions we each are, won votes to deconstruct a legendary democratic republic. The change and transition has been brutal and will become worse before it gets better. Will the outcome be democratic republic or autocracy?

PRESIDENT-ELECT DONALD J. TRUMP

As 2025 unfolds, a MUST READ for all Americans, whether Republican, Independent, or Democrat, is The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary by Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissmann. The introduction certainly nails what we have witnessed, are witnessing and will witness, “His ‘brand’…transgression-an id with no super ego.” (xiii) Simply, the impulsive part of the personality that is driven by pleasure and repulsed by pain, absent the judgmental and morally correct part of personality. Murray and Weissmann offer, “THE UNITIED STATES is venturing into uncharted territory with not one, but four, criminal indictments of a former president for crimes alleged to have been committed before, during, and after his presidency.” (xvi)

How one chooses to “show-up” in the world can be critiqued by researching, examining, and witnessing talents, skills, and experiences; making observations; and scrutinizing character, personality, mentality, and interests. Let us take-a-look at President-Elect Donald J. Trump.

Talents, Skills, and Experiences

A narcissistic drama-seeker who covers a fragile ego with a bullying impulse and has taken democracy to the brink. (Maggie Haberman, Confidence Man, 506) Life’s goal has been to gain and maintain position power, at any cost. Witness a track record of business and government failures, investigations and numerous lawsuits and absolute chaotic disasters: most consequential president in history; puppet of Vladimir Putin; foreign policy bullying, badgering, and destroying; abandoned allies; personal business endeavors with several bankruptcies; North Korean nuclear weapons stockpile doubled; pandemic management and leadership was non-existent, dereliction of duty, passed buck off to governors who became blame targets; enlisted foreign interference in elections (Russia and China); several obstruction of justice charges; impeachment proceedings; insurrection; multiple legal cases lost and pending; accepts payoffs for positions; and has numerous Trump party cronies who are lost souls in search of a tribe and chief. No decisions are made based on strategic plans, strategies, goals, and objectives; makes decisions on how he feels at the time; can handle small projects and sign executive orders; not able to lead projects large in scope; selection of judges, deconstruction of government entities, environmental deregulations and deconstruction of institutions may be his legacy; and immigration policy is inhumane. Is a master at using neuroses [The dark side of the psyche: denied, repressed, disowned and projected subconscious aspects of the Self.] to create stories (“fake news”) that strategically move the “lightning rod” from the Trump Party to others to trigger the psyche of perceived “enemies” and his base. Others become the personification of the wrongs and inexcusable of the Trump Party: Russian interference, Ukraine, racism, nativism, gloating, tax cuts for the rich, Supreme Court justices, bullying, outrages, fake news, etc., etc. As Bernie Sanders has eloquently noted, “Nero fiddled while Rome burned. Trump golfs.” Accepting responsibility for anything is not his cup of tea. Blaming others is his ballgame. Just take him Diet Coke, wash his dirty laundry and witness a confusing story narrative, throwing sand in the eyes of the onlooker, claiming that transparently implausible stories were true unless proven otherwise, and denying the obvious truth.

Observations

President-Elect Donald J. Trump is a genius at networking and using the media to recruit, retain, and fire, at will, addicted surrogates, circles of friends, admirers, celebrity hangers-on, and wannabes who savor and long for safety and security sought by bonding together and identifying with a tribe to persevere and protect against outsiders. Allegiance and admiration are given to the chief and clan. Mystical signs, conspiracy, and desires of powerful spirit beings must be followed for the continued safety and well-being of the tribe. Years of behaviors reveal the following:

Does not understand duty, honor, and country.
A cheat, a liar, a fraud, a bully, a predator, a con man.
Racist, incendiary, toxic, casts hate, disruptive, name caller, and divisive, unfit for political office.
Repeatedly has disparaged the intelligence of service members: Americans who die in war are “losers” and “suckers.”
Disrespect for the history, traditions, and legacy of Arlington National Cemetery.
Deny, deny, deny; accuse, accuse, and accuse. The magic formula: D cubed—disease, disaster, division; and he continues to escape responsibility and being held accountable for anything by anybody.
Tax cuts were a corporate “boondoggle.”
Vision for country is merely to fix what his administration undermined, agitated, deconstructed, or destroyed during his time in office. Examples: intelligence, FBI, CIA, U.S. Postal Service, voting integrity, Supreme Court, and CDC.
Stokes fear, celebrity, and brand building; and show-photo opportunity is the foundation for his rhetoric. Is a stand-up comic.
Staff selection of addicted surrogates has been a disaster and revolving door; and demands loyalty even if unethical, yes sir, no sir, no excuse sir; or you are fired.
Surrounded by fixers and “yes men;” encourages rivalries and thrives on personal attacks.
Protected by political party sorted, partisan, power worldview associates of the Federal government institution he and his cronies choose to deconstruct and destroy.
Conspiracist (example QAnon) and guilty of political cowardice, blaming, passing the buck, and dereliction of duty; shirked constitutionally mandated duty and rewards misconduct.
Sexist and multiple lawsuits and misconduct behaviors.
Racist: a person who shows or feels discrimination or prejudice against people of other races, or who believes that a particular race is superior to another.
Dishonest, arrogant, and narcissist; uses position and financial power for personal gain.
Creates martyr complex, irrelevance, and distractions; misleads, boasts and is egotistical, promotes blamelessness of self, never wrong, and anxious to criticize.
People mistakes and poor interpersonal relations skills.
Lies, denies, blames, and spins; egotistical and self-serving; unqualified for the position.
Having been President and playing golf reveal the real person: you cannot hide. Read Commander-in-Cheat.

Character, Personality, Mentality, and Interests.

Low functioning includes persons who “… do not exhibit polished and polite behaviors as a mask for their manipulations…may lack the education or interpersonal skills to control and deceive. Instead, they might use threats, coercion, or intimidation to achieve their desired outcome.” (Source: Dr. Timothy J. Legg, “What Is a High-Functioning Sociopath?”, 5-28-2019, https://www.healthline.com, 1-3.)
Narcissistic sociopath: one form of antisocial personality disorder and is the result of environmental factors such as a child or teen’s upbringing in a negative household that resulted in physical abuse, emotional abuse, or childhood trauma. (Sources: Mary L. Trump, Too Much and Never Enough, 2020, Simon & Schuster; https://psychcentral.com, Dr. John M. Grohol, “Differences Between a Psychopath vs Sociopath,” 5-20-2020, 1-5; Dr. Tarra Bates-Duford, “Psychopath vs Sociopath: 16 Key Differences,” 9-7-2018, 1-3; https://www.health.com, Rosie McCall, “9 Ways to Spot a Sociopath,” 10-4-2019, 1-7.
Gangster, corrupt, and behaves as if above the law.
A stale, nasty breath of death, hate, narcissism, chaos, fear, conspiracy, norm erosion, “dark,” institutional deconstruction, and neo-facism.

Partisan politics is a dangerous duel of limited and partial truths; and binds party sorted folks to fixed, literal or otherwise limiting beliefs and frames of minds. Political party sorted, addicted surrogates make obvious excuses for candidates and excuse the inexcusable with respect to virtue, morality, judgment, intent, behavior, actions, ethics, and laws. W. Edwards Deming remarked, “If a person is not performing as expected, it is probably because they are miscast for the job.” Michael Cohen offers, “No one ever tells Trump the truth about his behavior and beliefs, or the consequences of his conduct and ignorance and arrogance, in business or in his personal life and now in politics. Trump is the boy in the bubble, impervious to the thoughts and feelings or others, entirely and utterly focused on his own desires and ambitions.”

President-Elect Donald J. Trump is a power-hungry gangster who is unfit to occupy the Office of the President of the United States of America. Examine and deeply reflect on his profile. As a country, we need a President who will lead the country, improve the country, and set the stage for future generations, not one who will continue to deconstruct the many institutions that are the foundation and pillars of the America Americans desire. Read The Trump Indictments: The Historic Charging Documents with Commentary by Melissa Murray and Andrew Weissmann. America needs an individual with healthy ego, the conscious part of personality that mediates between the id and the superego and makes decisions that are in the best interests of the UNITED STATES. From this veteran’s perspective…12 years of service, including two years of combat…this country deserves better. A convicted felon should not be Commander-in-Chief of the military services.

“TOGETHER WE STAND”

Posted on November 2, 2024

With two days before the Presidential election, and as we witness the dark divide becoming wider, deeper, and darker, a merging of the Democratic and Republican planks into a common vision—an alternate reality—and contrasting the two candidates for President can bear fruit. It appears the critical decision is to select the candidate who can best move us closer to the vision. Here’s a merged vision:

VISION

Strategies

Limited government for citizens…FREEDOM TO…
Fiscal responsibility, live within our means; economic stability and equity; and long-term financial security.
Public safety for all Americans, respect for law and order, and no one is above the law.
Top ten healthcare system with freedom of choice concerning our own bodies.
Programs, processes, and coalitions to dismantle systemic racism.
Business ethical and moral issues: Federal intervention after two written Federal warnings.
Avoid war with strong military and space forces and dialogue.
Professional State Department and alliances; and stand up to dictators.
Helping others: churches, individuals, communities, groups, institutions, and the government.
Judges: uphold the Constitution and guiding principles; satisfy evolving cultural needs; and not driven to make politically favorable decisions.
Respect for science.
We do not lie, cheat or steal nor tolerate those amongst us who do.

Core Values and Guiding Principles

The Constitution is sacredly obligatory upon all. Our core values are truth to power, honesty, integrity, hope, love, and morality; and we put quality in all we are and all we do. We respect law and order and are committed to “walk the talk,” to action, and to the concept of 100% responsibility. We are objective, not self-serving, and make decisions in the best interests of The United States of America.

Leaders: have a track record of success and are trusted; have a history of compassion, loving-kindness, and building coalitions; understand that great leaders have been good followers and that leadership is an influence relationship that energizes earned power and willingness to achieve mutually defined goals; are master of the self, mind”full”ness, awareness, and integral life practice and model the way as persons, in relationships, socially, institutionally, and by helping others; have high standards with respect to morals, ethics, guiding principles, and core values that are plainly manifested in candidate’s personality, character, mentality, and magnetism; have learned self-restraint and 100% responsibility; are visibly committed to health, wellness, and well-being personally and for all Americans; are well-qualified, listen, inspire hope, have faith, are empathetic, and who know where the country is and what it needs; will be surrounded by exceptionally well-qualified associates; will diligently work to create and maintain a compelling worldview vision and action strategies and plans for the country; and will lead the development of policies and programs to evolve this country for all Americans.

Policies and Programs

Voting integrity with a viable and well led United States Postal Service.
An economy for working, middle-class families that is teeming with jobs, union solidarity, small businesses, agriculture programs and processes, essential childcare, corporate sanity, sound trade relationships, and social security system.
Global climate change and environment
A globally envied education system: facilities, teachers, curriculum, and schools of choice.
Racial and social justice, diversity, and anti-racism policies and programs that evolve dismantling the conscious and unconscious pillars of racism in the country: prison reform; human dignity and respect, all colors, all genders, all religions-integral spirituality. Civil rights are a must.
Communities are safe and teeming with peaceful activities, including protests; citizens and police are mutually respected, masters of the Self, and model the way as persons, in relationships, socially, institutionally, and by helping others. Violence on streets is not tolerated and is dealt with sanely.
Affordable healthcare and viable public health outreach (integral physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, wellness, and well-being) coupled with honored per-existing conditions, decreasing drug prices, and necessary integral psychological health processes, including resolution of opioid addiction. Top ten measurable dimensions: history, coverage, financing, payment, delivery of care, prescription drug regulation, human resources, and future challenges. Considerations: consumer friendliness, choices for providers, innovation, generosity of coverage, and equality of care.
Leading-edge military and space force, visits to military deployment areas, exceptional veteran and veteran spouse-family-children benefits, outreach, integral psychological health, and combat veteran re-entry-transition program.
Intelligence and technology
National security and foreign policy with inspired State Department and allies: underwater, space, and military; and coalition building facilitated by trust, respect, and mutual goals.
An infrastructure re-building program: maintenance, re-building, and evolution.
Sensible gun laws.
Immigration reform and sanity.
Programs for the empowerment, advancement, and placement of women.
Abortion legislation recognizes women’s rights to choose.
Tax equity and sanity; and long-term care and financial security programs for seniors.
Freedom of religion and spiritual path.
Media are objective, tell the truth, and are respected.
Leadership, management, and control of pandemics through the Centers for Disease Control coupled with state public health entities and active support and interface with the World Health Organization.

Wow! That is a bunch of stuff to get done. VOTE! Regardless of who wins, there is plenty to get done and the question is whether we as Americans can pull together and get the job done, or will our conflicts and divisions grow wider. Let’s target for functional humans, parents, families, communities, and togetherness! As President Abraham Lincoln offered, “Together we stand, divided we fall.”

FREEDOM FOR

Posted on October 26, 2024

In 2024 our VOTE is for the type of political system (democracy or fascism) America will have and the global neighbors many Americans will have chosen for partners. Alexei Navalny, in PATRIOT: A MEMOIR, offers,

I wonder how you would get on as a politician if, after every meeting in an electoral campaign, you were placed under arrest for a month. It is as if I were priding myself on living in an environment so grim, and where politics is so very real, that I absolutely have to go to prison…You don’t need to be a great psychologist to recognize what is at the root of this: Russians yearn for a normal life, fully aware that we have invented all our existing problems for ourselves. We can’t admit to being fools, though, so we look for something to boast about, where in fact there is nothing to be proud of. (41-42)

Sound familiar? Gobs of media, nurture ego, fear, blood baths, and intimidation; illusion, confusion, mindless chatter, no debate, no compromise, border security, autocracy, fascism, and absolute power. Demagogue, use other peoples’ money, do nothing to contribute to the personal health, wellness and well-being of others; disrespect, eat pets, home grown terrorism, international crime, opioid epidemic, tariffs, unfair trade, taxes, and racism (intersection of racial prejudice and power); gutter games, smears, lies, false stories, twisted stories, demanded (vs earned) loyalty, street mentality, divisive rhetoric, media attacks, chaos, and make up anything to attack a person’s credibility if not agreeable; anti-tax, anti-climate change, discrimination, narcissist, insensitive, Putin puppet, love starved, infidelity, cheats, steals, NRA, white supremacists, cult leader, anti-muslimism, launder money, no vision, no leadership, hate, exaggerations and fabrications, spin, re-spin, create stories, us vs them, bully, and bigot.

Michael Brown offers,

As children, we entered the world of order, routine, and “appropriate” behavior through the guidance, encouragement, and insistence of our parents. Initially, this predicament of lacking personal will was the consequence of our relationship with our mother. We ate, dressed, bathed, and behaved in a manner that was first initiated and spoken for by our mother. Then we acted according to what we perceived as appropriate in the eyes of our mother and father. The consequence is that today, on an unconscious level, our motivation for the way we eat, dress, bathe, and behave is almost solely sourced from the reflected presence of others. We unconsciously use these “others” as ongoing reflections of our mother and father. Through the presence of others, we are attempting to please and appease our mother and father in order that we may gain their approval and unconditioned acceptance.

This initial motivation to do this and that for mommy and daddy was inevitably transformed and transferred as we moved through our childhood, teenage years, and into adulthood. When we were young, this compulsion to act in a manner that we believed would enable us to gain our parents love and approval was automatic. During our teenage years this behavior transformed into an automatic desire to “fit in” with our peer groups. By the time we entered our adult experience, this need for outer validation became cloaked as a desire to be responsible, or to “get ahead.” Therefore, let us call most of our behavior what it is: a desire to get a reaction, a drama staged for the purpose of gaining outer attention. For some of us this desire may have manifested as its polar opposite. In other words, we desired “not” to fit in or get ahead. This resistance is also a reaction and can be traced to our initial interactions with our parents (or their substitutes). (The Presence Process, 129)

To create a grass roots infrastructure—kids, parents, teachers, ministers, grandparents, families, and communities— with purpose and connections with a foundation of authentic compassion, ego-mind is dead. Some food for thought to help re-route the ship: Rachel Kleinfield and Aaron Sobel (USA Today, Friday, July 24, 2020, page7A) offer, “7 ways to reduce political polarization: Destroying the other side cannot be our goal.”

Call out your own party: speak truth to power and challenge your own tribe.
Avoid bad jokes: words matter, and they can perpetuate existing violence and cultivate preexisting grievances.
Make social media kinder: remove hateful messages, reduce the spread of hateful memes, and avoid prejudiced or polarizing speech.
Downplay the fringes and highlight the median: provide information that overturns party sorted beliefs and that reduces polarization. There may be less disagreement on policy issues than thought.
Emphasize disagreement within parties: most policy issues have a range of opinions within a party.
Help others imagine empathy: stories that encourage others to take the perspective of the other party can reduce prejudice.
Avoid repeating misinformation, even to debunk it: repetition leads the brain to think things are true; and there is a tendency to seek information that agrees with how one believes.

Partisanship is shaking the mighty pillars of our democracy; and destroying the other party is not a reasonable objective. The chaos, confusion, and disaster we see unfolding daily is about destroying the other group of human beings, the other tribe. As The Honorable John Lewis offered, get in “Good Trouble” and become a master of uniting. Whether Democrat, Republican, Independent, or other, America The Beautiful is the goal!!! Let us evolve together, not apart. Some folks wonder what happened; some folks watch what is happening; and some folks make things happen. Make things happen!!!

LEADERSHIP, VALUES and VIRTUES

Posted on October 19, 2024

America needs a President and associates who are not unraveling our democracy’s pillars and dismantling long standing leadership, ethics, morals, values, virtues, and principles—living on the dark side of the law. Quality leadership is an earned, trust based, influence relationship between the leader, other leaders and followers who intend ethical and moral changes that mirror common purpose. Today’s chaos and confusion are certainly indicative of disheveled, antidemocratic, undisciplined political leadership and deepening political warfare that shine light on political gain in lieu of ethical-moral responsibility. James Comey, former Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership, captures the reality of today’s America quite well. A Donald Trump presidency,

…unethical, and untethered to truth and institutional values…transactional, ego driven, and about personal loyalty…Whatever your politics, it is wrong to dismiss the damage to the norms and traditions that have guided the presidency and our public life for decades or, in many cases, since the republic was founded…Policies come and go. Supreme Court justices come and go. But the core of our nation is our commitment to a set of shared values that began with George Washington—to restraint and integrity and balance and transparency and truth…Thoughtful people are staring at the vicious partisanship that has grown all around us. Far from creating a new norm where lying is widely accepted, the Trump presidency… ignited a focus on truth and ethics. Parents are talking to their children about truth-telling, about respect for all people, about rejecting prejudice and hate. Schools and religious institutions are talking about values-driven leadership…The next president (must)…surely emphasize values—truth, integrity, respect, and tolerance—in ways an American leader hasn’t needed to for more than forty years. The fire will make something good grow…I wrote this book because I hope it will be useful to people living among the flames who are thinking about what comes next. I also hope it will be useful to readers long after the flames are doused, by inspiring them to choose a higher loyalty, to find truth among lies, and to pursue ethical leadership.

Leaders and leadership uncover goodness and practice goodness; and the art of goodness includes being truthful, authentic, caring and courageous that constitute integrity: coupling intentions, promises and commitments with actions. Quite simply: walk the talk, be authentic, and model the way as a person, in relations and when helping, caring about, and supporting others. A mutual challenge is to frequently chat with the kids, the grandkids, friends, loved ones, teachers and religious and spiritual leaders about the crying demand for sharing emotions and feelings and growing and nurturing quality leadership, ethics and morals. As Tolstoy reminds, “…it’s impossible to describe a man (woman), but it is possible to describe the effect he (she) has on me.” Coupling that with the wisdom of Shinichi Suzuki, “Living is dying…try to die well,” leaves us with a wise formula. Yes! Joy will transcend the fear, anger and sadness of life and of living. VOTE FOR KAMALA! Let’s turn the page for freedom to…

100% RESPONSIBILITY

Posted on October 12, 2024

Ruth Bader Ginsberg offered, “Fight for the things you care about, but do it in a way that will lead others to join you.” (https://www.huffpost.com/entry/ruth-bader-ginsburg-fight-for-things-you-care-about_n_7492630) Folks will not remember what you did or what you said. They will remember how you made them feel.

During Corporate America years at Coors a lasting experience was the opportunity to work with Hyler Bracey, President, the Atlanta Consulting Group. The Coors family had hired Hyler and his associates to facilitate the transition of Adolph Coors Company from vertically organized, dependent companies into horizontally organized, independent companies.

At the age of 28, Hyler was in a stock car racing accident and burned over 60% of his body. His face was severely disfigured, and his fingers were like burned twigs one notices in a campfire. However, his character, personality, and mentality, manifested through his blue eyes and subconscious mind, were magnetizing and drew you to his heart. Hyler modeled scars that offer a story of the past and do not dictate where one intends to go. He walked the talk about one of the key concepts he and his associates shared with the Coors leadership team: life happens because of me and not to me, or the concept of 100% responsibility.

Daily we are witnesses to scurrying about to avoid being identified as the culprit. In our culture there is intense desire to be off the hook; and clever and devious actions taken to get off the hook are known as covering your posterior. Quite simply, desired results do not equal excuses coupled with no desired results; and blaming, justifying, spinning, lying, and choosing not to accept responsibility when something goes wrong is a negative life and leadership strategy. Being right is a booby prize! The real prize is the desired result which has not been realized. Blaming and justifying put us at the mercy of other people and events and do not make things happen. A better strategy is not to give away power and influence by blaming and justifying. Take charge: 100% responsibility, I am 100% responsible and others are 0% responsible.

Imagine the power in this country where everyone is assuming 100% responsibility for its success. Imagine how refreshing it would be for the President, Senators and Representatives to be examining what they did and what they could do rather than expending energy and plotting how to get off the hook. Perhaps the greatest value of the 100%-0% concept is that it focuses energy on creating desired results rather than finding ways of avoiding responsibility. Because it encourages folks to develop new options to produce desired results, it is a deeply empowering concept.

Thank you Hyler for pointing the way to 100% responsibility, a leader’s tool to make things happen and generate positive differences in every area of American lives. The negative option is wasting time and money blaming, defending, justifying, spinning, meeting, lying, cheating, making excuses and not getting the job done for Americans.

EVOLVING

Posted on October 6, 2024

America, we can do this!

We have a great deal to heal and get done in the battle for the soul of the Nation. Our differences do not make us enemies; party of choice does not imply war against opponents; and we are not “Red States,” “Blue States,” and “swing states.” Let us be open to infinite potential and possibilities and begin the trek to unify our great country. Differences are a gift and looking for similarities offers opportunity and challenge for peace-of-mind, happiness, growth, and evolution. Misery is outside in and is optional! We are all Americans, and we can each choose to transcend and include others. A vision of our “mighty task” might look something like this:

VISION

Strategies

Evolve with solid core values and guiding principles.
Limited government for citizens.
Fiscal responsibility; economic stability and equity; and long-term financial security.
Public safety for all Americans, respect for law and order, and no one is above the law.
Global, top ten healthcare system, and disaster and pandemic preparedness.
Programs, processes, and coalitions to dismantle systemic racism.
Controlled business ethical and moral issues.
Avoid war with strong military and space forces, global allies and networks, and dialogue.
Professional State Department and alliances coupled with reasoned foreign policy.
Helping others: churches, individuals, communities, groups, institutions, and the government.
Judges: objective, uphold the Constitution and guiding principles, are ethical, and satisfy evolving cultural needs.
Marriage or children: citizen’s choices, current need, and level of culture’s evolution.
Respect for science.
Environmental awareness, control, and self-restraint.
Strength in diversity and sane immigration laws and regulations.
Respect for democracy and decentralized culture with empowered citizens.
We embrace helicopter views, peace-of-mind, and purpose and connections built on virtues of compassion and empathy.

Core Values and Guiding Principles

The Constitution is sacredly obligatory upon all. Our core values are truth to power, honesty, integrity, hope, love, and morality; and we put quality in all we are and all we do. We do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those amongst us who do; and we respect law and order. We are committed to “walk the talk,” to action, and to the concept of 100% responsibility, life happens because of me and not to me. We are objective, not self-serving, and make decisions in the best interests of The United States of America. Our communities are circle clubs and peacefully resolve and respect differences.

Leaders: have a track record of success and are trusted; have a history of compassion, loving-kindness, and building coalitions; understand that great leaders have been good followers and that leadership is an influence relationship that energizes earned power and willingness to achieve mutually defined goals; are master of the self, mindfulness, awareness, and integral life practice and model the way as persons, in relationships, socially, institutionally, and by helping others and caring about others; have high standards with respect to morals, ethics, guiding principles, and core values that are plainly manifested in the candidate’s personality, character, mentality, and magnetism; have learned self-restraint and 100% responsibility; are visibly committed to health, wellness, and well-being personally and for all Americans; are well-qualified, listen, inspire hope, have faith, are empathetic, and who know where the country is and what it needs; will be surrounded by exceptionally well-qualified associates; will diligently work to create and maintain a compelling worldview vision and action strategies and plans for the country; and will lead the development of policies and programs to evolve this country for all Americans.

Policies and Programs

Voting integrity with a viable and well led United States Postal Service.
Immigration reform and sanity.
Abortion legislation recognizes women’s rights to choose.
Affordable healthcare and viable public health outreach (integral physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, wellness, and well-being) coupled with honored pre-existing conditions, decreasing drug prices, and necessary integral psychological and health processes, including resolution of opioid addiction. Top ten measurable dimensions: history, coverage, financing, payment, delivery of care, prescription drug regulation, human resources, and future challenges. Considerations: consumer friendliness, choices for providers, innovation, generosity of coverage, and equality of care.
An economy for working, middle-class families that is teeming with jobs, union solidarity, small businesses, agriculture programs and processes, essential childcare, corporate sanity, sound trade relationships, and social security system.
A globally envied education system: facilities, teachers, curriculum, and schools of choice. The system nurtures human connection and mutual control and cooperation.
Racial and social justice, diversity, and anti-racism policies and programs that evolve dismantling the conscious and unconscious pillars of racism in the country: prison reform; human dignity and respect, all colors, all genders, all religions-integral spirituality. Civil rights are a must.
Communities are safe and teeming with peaceful activities, including protests; citizens and police are mutually respected, masters of the Self, and model the way as persons, in relationships, socially, institutionally, and by helping others. Violence on streets is not tolerated and is dealt with sanely.
Leading-edge military and space force, visits to military deployment areas, exceptional veteran and veteran spouse-family-children’s benefits, outreach, integral psychological health, and combat veteran re-entry-transition program.
Leadership, management, and control of pandemics through the Centers for Disease Control, coupled with state public health entities and active support and interface with the World Health Organization.
Global climate change and environment leadership, commitment, and responsibility.
Intelligence and technology
National security and foreign policy with inspired State Department and allies: underwater, space, and military; and coalition building facilitated by trust, respect, and mutual goals.
An infrastructure re-building program: maintenance, re-building, and evolution.
Sensible gun laws.
Programs for the empowerment, advancement, and placement of women.
Tax equity and sanity; and long-term care and financial security programs for seniors.
Freedom of religion and spiritual path.
Media are objective, tell the truth, and are respected.

Let us unify; and transcend and include others. We are the United States and a beacon for the globe. “O beautiful for spacious skies…”

FROM WALL STREET TO…

Posted on September 28, 2024

We can save our planet for generations to come; however, it will require that we the people evolve from a Wall Street economy to a Main Street economy, from capitalism, markets, runaway consumption, and depletion of natural resources to people, family, community, local business, and preservation of global resources. Dr. Korten contends, “We must now seize this pivotal moment in our collective history to recognize that we are in fact part of Earth’s biosphere and transform our economies accordingly.” (Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth, Dr. Korten, 145)

Main Street met its doom in the 1970’s and Wall Street saw its birth in the 1980’s. As Dr. Snyder offers,

Beginning in the 1930s, an incipient American welfare state took shape. Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “New Deal,” John F. Kennedy’s “New Frontier,” and Lyndon Johnson’s “Great Society” described the shift from imperial expansion to social mobility. For many Americans, these were the decades of the American Dream. Through the 1970s, the gap between the richest and the rest was closing, enabling ever more Americans to join a broad middle class…The American Dream meant social mobility. Rather than promising more land forever, it offered a sense of unpredictable but possible social advancement on the present territory of the United States. Mobility was no longer about families settling down on land but about new generations creating new kinds of lives. In this conception, the permeable borders were those of social classes…In the American Dream, society was fluid, subject to achievement by individuals over the course of a single life. Unlike historical estates, such as the peasantry or nobility, the middle class was defined not by ancestry or vocation but by life. Entering the middle class was not only about individual Americans achieving a certain level of prosperity but about the general possibility that everyone could live unpredictably and end up somewhere new. Children would not be stuck in the estate or profession of their elders, as in previous centuries, nor caught in a race or class mobilization, as in the Nazi or Soviet regimes…Although sometimes presented as the natural result of capitalism, the American Dream depended on social policies developed after the capitalist collapse of the Great Depression. It lasted until its origins were forgotten and capitalism itself was enthroned as the lone source of freedom. That happened in the 1980s…During that decade, the west European and American responses to the postimperial age diverged…Beginning in 1981, under the presidential administration of Ronald Reagan, American policies of social mobility were reversed. Union busting weakened workers’ ability to bargain. The neglect of antitrust law suppressed small business. A relaxation of taxes on the rich placed burdens on everyone else. The explicit rationale was negative freedom: President Ronald Reagan maintained that government can never help, only hurt…The end of communism in eastern Europe in 1989 was taken as confirmation of this American version of negative freedom. (On Freedom, Dr. Snyder, 131-132)

We will not be free, nor will we survive, if we ignore the limits of our Earth or deny the rules of our universe. Freedom and survival depend on recognizing constraints and turning them in our favor. (On Freedom, Dr. Snyder, 168)

With the 2024 Presidential Election just days away, an interesting reflection has been where Former President Donald J. Trump (DJT) and Vice President Kamala Harris (VPKH) stand with respect to Wall Street Economy and Main Street Economy. There is no doubt that DJT is on the Wall Street train! The puzzle has been how VPKH is able to balance campaign strategies to enlist support from middle America and working folks while at the same time honoring the needs of the corporate world and the Wall Street economy. Simply need to pay close attention to VPKH and Tim Walz messages and strategies as we move closer to election day. We have a great deal to get done to move from Wall Street to a new Main Street; and it all starts with each of us accepting the limits of our Earth and living with the rules of our universe. (On Freedom, Dr. Snyder, 168)

MAIN STREET

Posted on September 22, 2024

Beyond our varied races, religions, nationalities, and languages, we humans share a collective dream of a world of healthy, happy children, families, communities, and natural environment joined in peace and cooperation. The greatest barrier to achieving this world is the fabricated belief that we are by nature incapable of cooperating in the common good…The institutions of the Wall Street economy not only champion a perverse morality by celebrating and rewarding the qualities of individualism, materialism, greed, and violence characteristic of our lower nature but also actively suppress our realization of the qualities of caring and compassion of our higher nature. These institutions are a collective choice and creation of those whose life experience has thwarted the development of these higher-order capacities. They are not our collective destiny…It is within the means of the more functional majority to make a conscious collective choice to bring forth a New Economy that champions a positive morality and that cultivates and rewards our distinctive human capacity for cooperation and reason in service to all…Those who join in the work of navigating a great turning from a Wall Street phantom-wealth economy to a Main Street real-wealth economy embark on a bold and courageous journey to a destination beyond the horizon of our immediate experience. (Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth, David C. Korten, 127)

Let’s turn the page and begin to move forward from phantom wealth to real wealth, to be caring and responsible, and to serve the greater interest of the community where folks engage in cooperative, caring problem solving every day within local communities, organizations, and government entities. We simply bring the caring and cooperative aspect of our nature to the surface, accept responsibility for our relationship with the Earth’s biosphere, and restructure the institutions of the economy accordingly. Even with significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, we are faced with significant, possibly permanent disruptions of food production due to climate changes, collapsing fisheries, water shortages, and the loss of topsoil. Absent targeted, planned efforts, plague, famine, and deepening violence are predestined. (Korten, 138) The Wall Street Economy excels at increasing demand, increases inequality and prefers investment in phantom-wealth vs real wealth, and it loves population growth for labor and market expansion…all at the expense of Earth’s resources. With focus on the almighty dollar, we are shielded from resource exhaustion that is right before our eyes. A climb out of the foxhole, coupled with a helicopter view of our deteriorating global resources and processes, is quite revealing.

Today’s media platforms reveal that America’s three-legged democracy stool is missing its third leg. Economics and politics are thriving; and the missing third leg, morality—ethics, empathy, character, compassion, decency, goodness, courage, trust, honesty, integrity, self-restraint—is blatantly obvious. Witness polarization, attacking fellow human adversaries, suppression of voting rights, mass and social media untruths, cyber warfare, inequitable wages, healthcare and childcare shortcomings, systemic racism and casts, LGBTQ rights questioned, environmental degradation, untreated mental health, home grown terrorism, immigration overload and inhumanity, thriving white supremacy, inequitable tax systems, education state-of-the art and funding deficiencies, insane gun control, absence of political leadership, conspiracy theories, et al. The danger is continued and deepening division, fear, and autocracy; and the opportunity is to look beneath the behaviors and confront narcissistic, unhealthy ego driven behavior; improve common good as individuals; and merge and participate in interactive, needs based dialogue and collectively manifest the missing third leg of the stool, morality, for all Americans. As Jonathan Sacks offers in Morality: Restoring the Common Good in Divided Times,

Recovering liberal democratic freedom will involve emphasizing responsibilities as well as rights; shared rules, not just individual choices; caring for others as well as for ourselves; and making space not just for self-interest but also for common good. Morality is an essential feature of our human environment, as important as the market (economics) and the state (politics), but outsourceable to neither. Morality humanizes the competition for wealth and power. It is the redemption of our solitude. (20)

A personal sentiment for a strategic objective, a solid, three-legged stool—economics, politics, and morality—is to have democracy that inspires measurement, evaluation, and incentives based on achievement of common good, “… what is shared and beneficial for all or most members of a given community, or alternatively, what is achieved by citizenship, collective action, and active participation in the realm of politics and public service.” (Wikipedia)

Morality has become a lost virtue, and narcissism is on the rampage in America. Mass media headlines offer only the tip of the iceberg. A question for reflection: How can cultural morality be restored? One step at a time! Individually, we each need to become passionately inspired to get our own house in order and to show up for the common good. Collectively, we can merge with groups to facilitate contributions to common good and one can choose to purchase products and services from organizations that have chosen to be measured, evaluated, and incented via a common good report card. A common good baby step can be uncovered with action—walk the talk—using the genius of Marshall B. Rosenberg in Speak Peace in a World of Conflict,

Peace requires something far more difficult than revenge or merely turning the other cheek; it requires empathizing with the fears and unmet needs that provide the impetus for people to attack each other. Being aware of these feelings and needs, people lose their desire to attack back because they can see the human ignorance leading to these attacks; instead, their goal becomes providing the empathetic connection and education that will enable them to transcend their violence and engage in cooperative relationships…When people get connected to their needs, they don’t have this anger that drives them to want to punish others. We do need to make evaluations about our needs: Are they being met or not? But we do this without going into our heads (Per Joseph Nguyen, Don’t Believe Everything You Think, our thinking, the “mind chatter,” catalyzes our suffering.) and making enemies and villains out of people who in some way are not fulfilling our needs…Every time we go up into our head and make a judgment of others instead of going into our heart and seeing the needs, we decrease the likelihood that other people will enjoy giving to us…The fact remains that when people get connected to the needs behind anger, frustration, and violence, they move into a different world. (134-135)

Simply take time out to observe, touch into feelings, and identify needs under the anger, frustration, fear, and violence carpet…the world can change. As Rumi noted, “…beyond ideas of righthood and wrongdoing there is a field: I’ll meet you there.” (135) The next time you are either angry or frustrated with yourself or another, take the time to stop, lift the carpet, and note what need is there waiting to be satisfied. Be a change agent, not a catalyst for more turmoil. Together, let’s turn the page to Main Street economy and enjoy real wealth of family, friends, community, and business, not Wall Street’s phantom-wealth economy of corporations, capitalism, markets, commercials, %’s of growth, the rich, and the poor. Joy is not about freedom from but freedom to…As Korten reminds,

We are awakening to the reality that we inhabit a wonderous but finite living planet and that our lives are inseparably interlinked with all of Earth’s species. We must learn to live by the biosphere’s rules and restructure our economic systems accordingly, which presents an epic test of our human capacity for creative innovation, collective choice, and self-organization. (Korten, 127)

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