The Fires of the Forge

Quietness and Simplicity--Ten Tips

A mentor of mine once said, "Life is not a thought, life is a feeling. To develop feeling, develop a quietness of life."

Sage words for any leader. The imbalances many leaders trigger are simply because they have become too mind-identified. The mind is a wonderful tool. However, it is useless in terms of detecting your purpose, dealing with the unknown, accessing creativity or breaking through paradigms. Feeling is the only way to effectively initiate any of those actions, then the mind is enlisted to be used as the fine tool it is for the right purpose.

The high activity state leaders operate within tends to lead to hyper-active minds. To all intents and purposes, we don't have thoughts, our thoughts have us (as Eckhart Tolle put it). The philosopher Horace said, nearly 2,000 years ago, "Rule your mind our your mind will rule you."

Easy to say, hard to do. But until you can stop your mind at will, and invoke it at will, your mind has you. And fulfillment and your potential will elude you. It's like pouring water into a bucket you never empty.

In yesterday's article I wrote of the three attributes of leadership: Personal Responsibility, Self Management and Innerdirectedness. Without all three of these in balance, we are teetering on a one-legged or two legged stool. When all three are developed in equal measure, we have balance.

How to develop Innerdirectedness? That is more than one blog post. But with all the mess on Wall Street and what not, I'd like to share the key points of a recent article called Expert Tips for Simpler Living. Since our environments--including the lives we set up--mirror our inner state, simplifying is a powerful external exercise which actually helps you develop all three attributes.

First, by taking the action to simplify, you are accepting Personal Responsibility for the impact you are having on "your" environment. Second, it requires Self Management to prioritize it, stay with it, and complete it. And, lastly, if you don't fill up the space you empty (externally and internally) and can leave a little space in your life (and mind), then Innerdirectedness actually has somewhere to show up. You see, Innerdirectedness doesn't scream (usually, anyway). It whispers. You need some space and some quietness for it to show up.

Here is my challenge to you. Take a small step--no matter how small--in each of the following areas within the next seven days. Then, see how you feel.

1. Try TV-free Living

Mini-action--instead of turning on the TV, read, walk, connect, call someone or whatever. Even if for one night, or for one hour.

Major action--use your TV only to watch DVD's. Cancel cable. Saves you hours and about $500 per year. (This is what Sara and I did.)

2. Consider One Vehicle

Mini-action--for one day act-as-if you only have one car. See what it is like to purposefully make that choice.

Major action--Sell the second car. You will save about $8,000 per year. (This is what Sara and I did. However, two motorcycles took the place of the car. Sara's gets 80 mpg, mine a little over 50 mpg. And now we don't fly for vacations so much--we travel locally.)

3. Live Below Your Means

Mini-action--For one day, track every single penny you spend. (And I mean every cent.) Look at every single item. Ask, did that expenditure give me joy? Or was it a requirement? Or was it simply a waste?

Major-action--Live below your means, meaning not only are your expenses less than your income, but you are funding everything you need for the future.

4. Buy Used

Mini-action: One thing that you are about to buy new, say a book, a CD, a tool, or whatever, but it through Craig's List or eBay.

Major-action: Develop the ongoing habit of always looking at used stuff, first. You'll save a bundle and have a much smaller carbon footprint.

5. Choose Local Food

Mini-Action: Find the local farmers market. Make your shopping list for the week. Go to the farmer's market first, fulfill all you can, then go by the grocery.  (My wife Sara is fantastic at doing this. She hits the farmer's market, then Trader Joe's, then Whole Paycheck--I mean Whole Foods. I cannot believe the difference in taste. Even I can tell the difference when food is produced locally--often with care.)

Major Action: Make that a habit.

6. Create Community

Mini-action: Go meet a neighbor you've not yet met. Or, if  you know them all, take them over some brownies or something. Or host a get together to review a book, or talk politics.

Major-action: Do something on an ongoing basis to bring people together in your community. (Sara and I are investigating living in an intentional community in the Pacific Northwest. We'd like to adopt that as a way of life. But we really don't have to move anywhere to do that. It is a choice we are considering.)

7. Keep a journal

Mini-action: Journal for 5 minutes before going to bed tonight.

Major-action: Journal every night, including the dreams you have while sleeping. (I used to do this fastidiously for years, have gotten away from it, and miss it. It is amazing to me the insights that happen when I take something out of my mind and put it to paper. "You can't plough a field by turning it over in your mind." Irish proverb)

8. Reconnect to Nature

Mini-action: Go for a stroll in nature. Not a power-hike. Not a get from here to there walk. But really stroll.

Major action: Repeat weekly

9. Declutter

Mini-action: Clear one drawer or corner that has stuff accumulating in it

Major action: Declutter everything, and then for everything you bring in to the house, take something else out. Further, only buy things you absolutely love. (That will save you thousands of dollars, because all the things you don't love are the things you are donating and giving away. Do the math.)

10. Choose not-so-big homes

Mini-action: Read Susan Susanka's book, The Not So Big House book.

Major action: Next purchase, see how small you can go and still live large.

The net-net. Your environment reflects who you are. Look at your environment, and see what is says about you. Be ruthless. Cut away everything that is not necessary. Then, resist the temptation to fill up that space. Likewise, let there be space in you.

Through that portal--through that space--the true potential of your leadership will find the gateway it needs to emerge.

Article is from Oct/Nov 2008 Mother Earth News magazine

The Three Core Attributes of Leadership

Today the market dropped 778 points, the largest drop in history. It dropped because Congress said "no" to the current form of the bailout plan. As I have posted before, what we are facing right now is the sum total of the imbalances we all have contributed to for some time now. Except the bills are starting to show up in the mail--like this crisis.

The imbalance--this crisis--serves a purpose. The working out of the imbalance serves a purpose. No matter what happens, that purpose will be served. If it all collapses, it will be (hopefully), a return to what is real--both materially and spiritually. If it doesn't collapse, and we are to stand any hope of it not coming back around again in a worse form, we will each individually have to change to stop contributing to the imbalance.

The net is that this is an individual issue: each individual has incredible power. And, whichever way this goes, there is no avoiding shouldering that responsibility... whether that responsibility is shouldering the consequences of collapse, or whether it is shouldering the response-ability required to resolve the imbalance so this doesn't come back around again.

And the net is, that whatever happens, we will be forced to evolve. And it will force a return to what is real.

As I write this book about leadership, and the nine levels of focus a leader must master, I am also writing about the three attributes that are essential. These three attributes are foundational to being able to work with the required nine levels of focus. The first attribute is Personal Responsibility. The second is Self Management. And the third is Innerdirectedness.

What is interesting to see is that leaders struggle with developing these attributes, individuals do, and, therefore, what can Wall Street and Washington reflect for us other than what we are? Ponder on that. There is all this rhetoric about "Main Street" and "Wall Street". Wall Street is bad, and Main Street is pissed off. Right? And then "Washington" policies have caused this, and Washington failed to get it done today. And we are so busy pointing our finger at Wall Street and Washington, we don't even pause for one instant to see if perhaps these institutions is simply reflecting for us what we as individuals have become. Painful to look at, no?

But the sad thing is this. You see, in refusing to look into that painful mirror, we also turn away from our power and the solution. For if the mirror is reflecting what we have become--each as individuals--what would happen if each of us leaders lead the way to a new way? What if each of us found in ourselves what Wall Street and Washington were reflecting? And what if, behavior by behavior, we ferreted out those negative behaviors and replaced them with positive ones?

What if we each developed Personal Responsibility, Self Management and Innerdirectedness to the next level  by changing our actions? How could the world--including Wall Street and Washington--not be changed?

One of my favorite scriptures from the Bible is where Christ says (paraphrased), 'all this that I have done, you can do and more.' The problem is, we haven't solved the riddle he spoke. The riddle lies in transformation of the Self. He modeled that.

Now we need to model it--transformation of the Self. You and I. That's leadership.

No institution can save us from the imbalances we have created as individuals.

We have all we need--as individuals--to participate in the fixing of this mess.

And blame ain't going to get it done.

Blame is the antithesis of Personal Responsibility. And the attribute of Personal Responsibility is the ring-pass-not which determines how much Self Management and Innerdirectedness we are capable of.

Tomorrow, I am very excited to share with you some ideas I just got from an article on restoring a sense of balance, perhaps even a quietness of life, which aids in the development of all three attributes--and most especially Innerdirectedness. I think you will enjoy what I have to share about that tomorrow.

Farewell from San Antonio, where I will be working with a client on their three year strategic plan tomorrow and the next day...

Book Writing & What Is Leadership

I started writing the book. I've wanted to write one for five years. And yesterday, I simply stepped over what it was that had been blocking me and I started writing. It went something like this. "I am not going to do any of the other things I could do right now other than write." And then, of course, doing it.

Now I have a better understanding as to what the difference is between dreamers and builders.

I'm an Apple guy, so I bought MacSpeech's Dictate software, and started talking. Three and a half hours later, I was getting the hang of it and had 4,119 words written. The average business book is 50,000 words. I was not satisfied with the speed (I've heard you can speak a book 8x faster than you can type it), but I've always written by typing. So maybe it is an acquired skill. But the net is I have written enough to know that it was still at least twice as fast. And. And the book is more conversational. That surprised me--I hadn't anticipated that.

A couple of things came up (besides having no idea what had truly been blocking me up to this point). The first is, what is leadership? I posited in the book... that I wonder how many leaders have defined it before they started trying to improve it. Subtle, no?

I defined it for purposes of the book as follows: leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality in a way that produces sustainable results and moves the heart of people. Parse out those 22 words and you've got something.

First, what is vision? What most folks consider as vision is actually a faux-form of inspiration. The reason I say it is a faux-form is that inspiration alludes to being "in spirit", and most of us aren't connected to spirit much at all. Therefore, we are not truly inspired: instead, we are "stirred up." And what has us stirred up is that once we do whatever it is that we are calling "our vision", that other folks will like us better and accept us more. Therefore, if my motive is to write a book so that others will validate me--oh, Otis, you are so good and you know so much--then the book is not coming from inspiration, much less vision. Instead, it is a very disguised and misguided form of approval seeking.

Do you see what I mean about what happens when you parse it down and start looking objectively at the component parts? I won't even get into here looking at the possible scenarios for "translate", "reality", "sustainable", "results" and "move the heart". I will leave that up to you. :)

So, anyway, what was interesting to me is just how often we go to do something--like become a better leader--and we don't even define what it is before setting off to do it.

Or, I want a better relationship with my wife, but I don't define for myself, much less with her, what a "relationship" is... or whether it is even possible to work "on" a relationship (as opposed to each person utilizing what is seen through the relationship to work on their self).

To that end, that ever unfolding mystery called Sara mentioned to me this morning that we should explore what "intimacy" is. That hit me like a ton of bricks (the women are not surprised). It wasn't that it hurt. It was that I have never discussed with Sara what that is for her. Further, I have never clarified that for myself. And here, I thought I was pretty good at that--being intimate--and I am confronted by two inconvenient truths. One. I don't even know what it is for me, much less my wife. Two, my wife thinks it's got some room for improvement, so I must not be quite as good as it as I thought I was.

Truly, ignorance is bliss. LOL!

Anyway, we will explore that on our walk up at Aspen Grove in the Sangre de Cristo (Blood of Christ) mountains tomorrow. And, just like every other time she's brought something up like that, I will end up a better man for it.

Well, it is an amazing day in Santa Fe. Indian summer. I'm on the sofa, and there is my dog Stone laying in the open door threshold between the house and the deck, soaking in the sun. The wind is gently wisping the gauze curtains next him, and all he seems to know right now is the warmth on his fur and the back of his eyelids. I just love that dog. He's a Zen master. :) And just watching him makes me feel glad to be alive, if for no other reason, than to be able to watch him.

Have a great weekend.

Two Problems of Man... and Leaders

Today I start writing a book for leaders.

So why would I write a book on leadership when there is a glut of books on leadership?

Well, as you can probably tell from my posts, I am concerned about where humanity seems to be headed and the imbalances that is creating. If humanity as a whole is headed in a precarious direction, leaders must be leading there, no?

My deduction? Leaders must be leading towards unsustainability, towards imbalance.

Leaders can lead towards sustainability, rightness and inclusiveness.

The difference between the two directions is self knowledge. A leader who possesses self-knowledge will not lead him/herself and others towards imbalance. As self-knowledge increases the imbalance a person creates decreases (whether or not they are a leader).

There are two problems stemming from lack of self knowledge. One problem is low self esteem. The other is isolationism. Both contribute to imbalance. To imbalanced leadership. To imbalanced relationships. To imbalanced, short-term decisions. To an imbalanced planet.

Lack of self-esteem causes us to violate ourselves. And what we do to ourselves, we do to others. That triggers imbalance. Further, lack of self esteem increases feelings of being victimized and entitled. Both trigger lack of true action, true personal responsibility. This renders us impotent--unable to co-create with life, unable to fulfill our purpose. More imbalance.

Isolationism makes it possible for us to deny the ripple effect of our actions. If we could see the ripple effects of our actions, we'd find it impossible to take many of the actions we take today. If leaders had the inner vision to see the ripple effects of their actions, they would find themselves unable to take 80% of the actions they take today.

In short, if leaders could see what they cannot see, they'd become capable of doing the impossible.

And becoming able to do the impossible is precisely what we need right now. As Einstein said, “The significant problems we face cannot be solved at the same level of thinking we were at when we created them.”

When you shift thinking (perception), you see what was once invisible. When you see what was once invisible, what seemed impossible becomes possible.

So I will write about a practical path for leaders to rapidly build self knowledge.
With self knowledge, they will begin to see what they are missing--namely, what is invisible to them.
There they will find all the answers they need, that we all need.
"To do the impossible you must see the invisible."

So, with that in my heart, I will now write.

==========================================================================

Here is a quotation regarding self-esteem and isolationism that inspired aspects of this post.

“There are two limiting dynamics prevalent on earth within the soul and mind of man.

Firstly, that there is nothing beyond Earth, that the reality which is seen and experienced on earth remains there and with each person ends at the time of his death. In essence, what one might call an isolationist point of view.

Secondly, that of having no value, of being the very least of the universe, even of being the black sheep—a concept that form is the lowest and in the grander scheme of things has little if any value.

Therefore man does not reach out within his own context. He tries to remove himself from his context and then reach up. It is very destructive to him and denies the rest of reality the value of his own experience.

We feel that as man transfers from one level to the next, from Piscean to Aquarian age, he must understand his relationship to the whole. It is a curious dynamic that in order to understand the whole, one must understand its parts; and in order to understand the value of the parts, one must understand the whole.

At this point, by and large, a good working understanding of both ends is not part of man's experience. This causes despair, anger, the feeling of being lost and disconnected when, in fact, every single molecule which exists on Earth is uniquely and keenly connected to all else that exists—not only in this universe but also beyond.”

Michaelle Small Wright, Universal Light Describes Itself, page 10

http://www.perelandra-ltd.com/Universal_Light_Describes_Itse_P65C578.cfm

My Career Muse Spoke

On September 18th I wrote about a friend/client who called, asking for help. What I didn't reveal in that post is that it changed the course of my career. I will be leaving "coaching."

That is a relatively big decision. You see, that decision leaves me with no product. When clients hand me money, they seem to expect something in return. Product. And now, I got no product.

Why am I leaving the coaching profession?

I will give you both the personal insight and the general reason. First, a little backdrop. I got into coaching after getting fired from my executive level job in the Fortune 100. I had messed up my life pretty bad, and my sister told me she thought I'd make a great personal coach. (The humor is not lost on me.) I didn't know what that meant, but it sounded good. I researched it. It sounded good. I enrolled in Coach U.

Things went amazingly well. Business grew. I was busy. Having fun. Making a difference. I learned that I have an amazing gift of clarity and that people were willing to pay for access to that gift. But, deep down, something was all wrong. My motive.

You see, I am just as messed up as the next person. Maybe more. On the surface the motive looked very altruistic. But deep down, coaching validated me. Made me feel good about myself. And that is a very dangerous motive for a coach. Why? Because it fosters codependent relationships.

This is a time when humanity must stand up, and it is hard to stand up with someone else standing on you (or pulling you down). This is a time where we all must realize that all the answers we seek are already within us. This is a time where we must stop indulging in confusion, or wondering whether we know what the right thing to do is. This is a time where we must accept the consequences of acting on what we already know within us, but have not yet acted on.

I was walking in the arroyo with our dog, Stone, that day when my friend/client called. (He's a looker, isn't he? Stone. Not the client. See attached photo.)

That particular friend/client has an uncanny knack of calling me when I am in the middle of my own crisis. And my own crisis is that my beloved wife has been banging me over the head telling me that I am stuck in what I know, and that I damn well need to get off this plateau and get on with fulfilling my purpose in this all too brief thing called life. And she bangs with German fervor and a French Le Crueset skillet. I digress.

Anyway, I was glad to get my friend/client's call because he is such a remarkable mirror for me, and always comes bearing the gift of being able to see myself in him. And that mirror usually involves unwillingness to act upon what I already know I need to do, but indulging in confusion in order to tell myself that I really don't know what to do when I damn well do. At a minimum, I am always clear about what I need to STOP doing, and therefore I always have a place to START! LOL!

I felt myself step right back on that slippery slope of telling him what I saw, thought, advised, etc. I started slipping. And then something in me recoiled so fast that it was a thud and a blur. All of a sudden, I was mapping out for him a process. He asked to call me back and tell me what he got with that process. And I said no. And that felt so clean.

I pushed the button on the Bluetooth, and it was just Stone, the arroyo, a strange empty feeling and me. Then, came the voice.

I don't want to coach any more.

It just hung there in the empty afternoon air, like a single note so perfectly sounded that it knows just how long to linger... and sets off an entire chord within one human soul.

What I want to do is this.

I have spent years now learning techniques, tools and processes to help people gain insight into themselves faster, and I know how to guide people to put that insight in a form to act on it. And do you know what? I have never codified that process. Bits and pieces of it are all over the place.

So now, I begin my new career. I am a scholar, and I am an educator. I will codify that process into an intensely practical path that enables leaders to improve their own emotional intelligence and improve the results they produce. And at the epicenter of that process, they will address the two largest issues man faces. Lack of self esteem, and lack of sensitivity to how action (thoughts, emotions and physical acts) affects the entire universe. That is what I will scholar.

So what will I educate? I will educate leaders, consultants and other coaches on how to use that process. However, like my client/friend in the arroyo helped me see that day, there is no desire left in even a single molecule in my body to tell another human being whether they are getting it right or getting it wrong when they use that process.

What I will do is to create an online community with different rooms. If someone is using my process for mapping out their vision, then they can go to the vision room in the community and get feedback from other folks working on the same thing. If they are working with applying one of the concepts I will write about--such as The Power of Mirrors--they can go to the Mirror meeting room and dialogue with others who can challenge them.

The long and the short of it? Otis Jack Woodard is a scholar. I will write the most intensely practical process of developing emotional intelligence in leaders that has ever been written. I will write what I learn about co-creating with nature--my new ally--as I write that process. Otis Jack Woodard is an educator. I will educate leaders, their teams, consultants and coaches on how to use that process. I will set up an online community where like-minded people working on the same thing and the same time can meet one another and provide feedback to one another as they use the process. And I will not provide feedback on the content people create through the process. I will learn from what they produce through the process, and continually revise that process.

How big is this change? Huge. I am not receiving a single dollar today from doing what I am telling you here. Further, when this transition is complete, not a single dollar I am earning today will remain. Will some of my current clients remain? I don't know. One or two may make the shift with me. But basically, this is one mother of a leap into the unknown.

That's where I am headed, and I am very excited about it. I will be keeping you updated here on my progress.

I wonder, my friend, as I write this, as more and more people are reading this blog... I wonder whether there is a slight possibility that you are reading this because you have a leap to make, too. And I wonder, I wonder. What is that leap? And where will it take you? And what impact will that have on your self-esteem and on the knowledge you are contributing to the entire universe? In short, I am wondering how making that leap make you come alive?

Well, I can wonder about that, but I best get on with my own work now.

Everything I do must change: there is nothing to salvage save what I have learned to this point.And that is quite a lot, actually.

What is the first thing I will change?

As I press Send, I am off to invite nature to join me in this journey, and to provide the matter, means and action... the order, organization and life vitality... required to manifest this intention of mine. That is something I have never done before because I have always wanted to do it on my own terms. Now, I will give up control. Now, I will gain the partnership of a force I cannot see, and one that I don't yet fully even believe in.

"To do the impossible you must see the invisible." Michaelle Small Wright

It is time to take my clarity and learn to see the invisible, because I am out to do the impossible.

And I find the impossibility of that very exciting.

P.S. Lest you think I don't appreciate a German fervor and a Le Crueset skillet, here is a photo of my wife on the last evening of the motorcycle trip I wrote about, spontaneously expressing her spirit in one of the hot spring pools.To me, water represents love in action. To me, my wife represents the same thing. And here both are...

Get Up, Stand Up!

"The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in time of great crisis, maintain their neutrality."  Dante

I am also reminded of Bob Marley's lyrics, "Get up! Stand up! Stand up for your rights."

This financial crisis bail out discussion before us as Americans has me deeply disturbed. I have written my senator and congressman. Have you?  I hope that whatever you believe, you say it, too. WEIGH IN, NOW. Act! Here is how to contact your Senator and U.S. Congressman. Go to:

http://www.usa.gov/Contact/Elected.shtml

Here's what I said...

Dear Senator,

I strongly oppose the approval of a Wall Street bail out. The financial crisis is a critical issue, yes. But I have two issues with bailing out.

First, an imbalance of this magnitude cannot simply be "absorbed" by any system. An imbalance of this magnitude must be worked out through the natural operations of the system in which the imbalance was created. The market economy is designed to rebalance foolishness through liquidation. Interfere with that system--trying to have all the benefits of the system without the consequences that come from abusing it--and the whipsaw effect will be worse than the initial consequences. Let the system work. Let's bear the consequences. Let's be adults about this and take our licks instead of adolescents who feel victimized and entitled.

Second, I am incredibly concerned about the role government is beginning to play. I am very concerned about the liberties we have lost. I am very concerned that a government maneuver like this actually will make the government even more powerful and the individuals that government is supposed to represent enslaved to an even greater degree. I cannot tell you exactly why I feel this way, but I am becoming increasingly alarmed as an American.

“Freedom is a package deal - with it comes responsibilities and consequences”

“None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.” Goethe

I do not believe my eyes, my friend: I believe there is probably more to this than meets the eye. I believe that what appears to be a "generous" and "benevolent" move to save us from ourselves is a move that actually covers some very questionable motives, driven by some very questionable power brokers.

Face it down. Face them down. Represent us well. For the long-haul, not the short-term.

My best,

Otis Woodard

First Motorcycle Tour

Sara and I took five days off for our first motorcycle tour. I ride a 2007 BMW R1200GS and Sara a 2009 BMW F650GS. This remarkable tour (with lots of learning) took us from Santa Fe, NM, through Georgia O'keefe country (Abiqui, NM), through the Chama Valley to Pagosa Hot Springs, CO (beautiful drive of European quality).

We then made our way through Durango and Cortez, CO, on the way to Moab, UT. Driving through the canyonlands was a spiritual experience. Literally and figuratively. For 60 miles we were buffeted by 15-25 mph crosswinds. In a car, that isn't a big deal. For two neophytes on bikes, that evokes prayer!

We spent two nights in Moab with friends. During our full day there in between those two nights we did a 90 mile loop ride through the canyons and up into the La Sal Mountains where the aspen were starting to turn. Sara and I rode "two-up" on my bike. That's the picture attached here.

I can see why some people make a life of doing nothing but motorcycle touring--no matter whether they are the stereotypical Harley-riding loner outlaw, or the globe trotting adventurer. To see life around you from a motorcycle is a very different experience than seeing it from the protective, insulating cocoon of a car. Reminds me of the Eagles' lyric "Every form of refuge has its price..."

Further, you'd be amazed at how many people walk up to you when you are standing by your motorcycle and just start talking. That and the many other nuances of gearing up, putting more clothes on, taking clothes off, putting on rain suits, taking them off, etc. makes traveling slower. But the connections to others and to life around seems deeper, the pace and the experience more real.

One last note. I cannot tell you what it is like to look in the rear view mirror and see your wife carving turns through mountain roads, right on your tail, and also watching her find the throttle and lighting the candle when it is time to pass a tractor-trailer rig. Amazing courage meets applied skill. I found myself often with my heart in my throat, thinking of the Proverb that says gold and silver can come from parents, but a good wife is from the Lord. I waited 11 years for mine, and in so many ways, she makes my life an inspiring adventure... with or without a pair of motorcycles.

The Nature of the Financial Imbalance (Crisis)

In my inaugural post two days ago, I wrote of the increasing imbalance we can see all around us. I wrote that nature, which has both the capacity to temporarily (relatively speaking) absorb imbalance as well as a predilection for balance, will return to balance. It will absorb our foolishness for a while, much like a parent will tolerate the folly of their teenager because some of that is simply expected during that age.

But when that child is 45, the same folly is no longer appropriate, and a parent who embodies unconditional love will step back and allow that child to bear the consequences of that folly. In short, if the child won't grow up proactively, then they should bear the consequences. Firstly, perhaps that will be just the motivation required. Secondly, if they refuse to grow up, then the full consequences must fall on their shoulders--whether that means living on the streets, jail, or premature death. This isn't some form of punishment to do this. It is to allow the person the full life experience they require to evolve.

What the Federal Bank is doing is similar to what nature has done. The Fed is trying to absorb our folly. But the Fed possesses neither the intelligence of nature (so it does not "see" the ripple effect of its action), nor does it possess the unconditional love that is so strong and so abiding that it can stand by while we "suffer".

There is no "soft" way to settle imbalance of the nature of the USA's financial crisis. It would be kinder to stand back, and allow the imbalance to work itself out. Mind you, there would be tremendous pain. But here is the rub. Printing money and the derivatives method will not fix the root problem. The root problem--aside from the greed of the people in the mix of it--is your greed, my greed.

All this crisis is is a mirror for how we all feel entitled to live in a certain way, without the consequences of the imbalances that is creating. That won't work. And we are 45 now.

Financial Crisis = Imbalance

Here's a video link for you. Ex-presidential candidate Ron Paul giving his straight up perspective on whether the $100 billion plus Fed bailout of the banks is constitutional, much less right. I'd like for you to notice something as you hear him speak. More on that in a moment. Here's the link.

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/politics/2008/09/19/ron.paul.bailouts.cnn?iref=videosearch

Notice the emotional detachment combined with his care and concern. The reason I want to point this out is the I believe that as things becoming increasing chaotic in the world, and as people become more fearful, others will prey on our fear. One of the the things I've noticed is that authentic people do not rely on emotional appeal. They simply speak the truth, and allow that truth itself to work on us. So as I watch Obama/Biden and McCain/Palin, I watch for this.

Values

A friend called me yesterday who was struggling a bit in his life. He'd been a personal coaching client for a while, a number of years ago. What he was looking for was a values exercise I'd had him complete during that time. He said, "Otis, I think my values are weak. That's my problem."

I've known Sam for seven years, and have spent a lot of time with him. I said, "Sam, I don't think that is the problem. I think you possess some really strong values--Love of Life; Genorosity; Courage. What you lack is discipline, and the willingness to deal with the consequences of living those values."

After I hung up with him, I realized that both of us were right. Here's the post I sent him...

Dear Sam,

I want to be more clear about what I said to you tonight regarding that your values are not your problem. In fact, we are both right. I am right that your values are not your problem, and you are right that your values are your problem. Here’s why I say that.

The question is... Which values? The values that reflect your potential, or the values you express through action?

When I look at you as my friend full-filling his journey, I see three values in you:

Love of life
Generosity
Courage

To embody any set of high values requires disciplined thought, disciplined emotion and disciplined action.

Without that, the value of Love of Life is reduced to the expressed value of Hedonism
Without that, the value of Generosity is reduced to the expressed value of Consumption
Without that, the value of Courage is reduced to the expressed value of Avoidance

One set of values represents potential, the other set is actual-values-in-action.

So how does one develop disciplined thought, disciplined emotion and disciplined action?

Simple, not easy.

Here is one  way of doing it:
1. List your counterproductive behaviors—the ones holding you back from living in life the way you want to.
2. Flip the counterproductive behaviors into replacement behaviors.
3. Decide which replacement behaviors to implement.
4. Implement them, and simply accept and absorb all the pain, fear, anxiety—real or perceived—and bear the consequences.

Is this now more clear?

Much warmth and support,

Otis