30 September 2006

never the...

I just got off the phone with my Dad a short while ago, having an engaging conversation about life, the opportunities she brings, the ones we take, the ones we mistake. He is such a cool dude! I am so thankful that we are so close as adults, with a balanced relationship full of respect.

My Dad over the years has instilled these little *nuggets* of brief, wise sayings that give you pause. Tonight was no exception, and he brought up one of many in our conversation that has stuck over the years—it is

…never the: right time to do the wrong thing.

That always gets me thinking and reflecting. We may focus on doing the *right thing*, making the best choice and the correct decision without contemplating from where the source of the decision comes from, that we end up doing the *wrong thing*.

On the flip: what if doing what is perceived as *the wrong thing* brings about needed change that would not have transpired without it? Would we grow always focusing on *the right thing* to the point that we do not make mistakes from which we will learn and develop?

Or is *the wrong thing* explicitly implies doing something that is perceived as wrong knowingly? And are both the right and wrong thing a matter of looking back, as opposed to looking forward? Either way, it is based on our value system and what we assign meaning to what is right and wrong. If our values are not aligned and healthy, the differentiating between what is right and wrong, thing wise, can be rather murky.

question: what is your thing?

29 September 2006

punctuated equilibrium...

I am hoping that I enter this state soon, for my pilot is nowhere to be found for now, coupled with the moon going into the new phase, hence that drained feeling, the silent normalcy that is damn near deafening. I anxiously await my next state of

…punctuated equilibrium: where periods of my perceived stability, the equilibrium, are punctuated by a swift burst of change

and therefore I can grow again. Change is good. It is necessary and inevitable.

The theory of punctuated equilibrium is founded in Darwin’s theory of evolution, in the sense that the periods of radical change that Darwin could not *put his finger* upon, Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge were able to explain it a bit further. According to Gould and Eldredge, species were for the most part stable in their evolution, however they would at times forgo a period of growth that is so rapidly developmental that a gap would appear between the specie striations. That gap, they concluded, was secondary to punctuated equilibrium.

This bridged into change theory, props to Kurt Lewin, who identified that group dynamics and change mirror this to a degree. It is a bit to cover, would take many entries, yet it should be known that Lewin’s theories were born out of the motivation to resolve social conflict. I guess one can interpret Ned Lamont as the needed punctuated equilibrium, facilitating resolution badly needed not only in American politics, but on a global scale for the current Administration’s politics affects policy worldwide.

I encourage you, wholeheartedly, to discover Kurt Lewin’s work, including Action Theory and his founding the Research Center for Group Dynamics at MIT, starting with Bernard Burnes, “Kurt Lewin and the Planned Approach to Change: A Re-appraisal”:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2004.00463.x?cookieSet=1

You will not be disappointed.

Speaking of punctuated equilibrium, that makes me bridge to the concept of a pregnant pause (mental leap, I know… cannot explain for it is late in the evening). A pregnant pause is when we stop in our conversation with intention, so that the listener can reflect a bit before we deliver, therefore they will be able to make their own conclusion. Maybe. It also allows for you to challenge their beliefs and understanding of the context of the situation, for a brief moment of silence, so that when you deliver the goods they are really poised to think. The pregnant pause, therefore, can be viewed as a punctuation mark, possibly a comma perhaps, in the flow of conversation.

Punctuated equilibrium… pregnant pause… punctuation…comma… there is the mental leap. Now , take this jump with me:

From: http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2006/9/24/232025/180

It Will Look Like Just A Comma...
by dpotts [Subscribe]
Sun Sep 24, 2006 at 08:20:25 PM PDT
The President has said history will view the war in Iraq as "just a comma". Here is my response, I just wish it were a lot shorter.
• dpotts's diary :: ::

I like to tell people when the final history is written on Iraq, it will look like just a comma...
-- George W. Bush
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

How dare you call the 2,687 American soldiers lives lost in an unjustified war a comma.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Now, how do you feel? Consider those commas as one long pregnant pause… and add many more for those soldiers of other countries that have died, as well as innocent Iraqi civilians, forever silent.

Hence the need for the punctuated equilibrium in Ned Lamont, and countless other dedicated progressives, to be elected and lead the US and her policies in the right direction.

Makes you think again about punctuated equilibrium, pregnant pauses and punctuation marks, eh?

On the flip—end the punctuated equilibrium of the occupation in Iraq.

question: what is your punctuation mark that precedes your moment of change?

28 September 2006

brass monkey...

Well the weather here is just a tad cooler, not so much that I have abandoned my open toed shoes as of yet. Let’s just say that I stretch the perception of summertime to her limit, bordering on denial, yet nevertheless enjoy it so. Trust me, I will switch to boots, sweaters and the like as soon as it gets as cold enough to freeze the balls off a

…brass monkey: that funky monkey.

No, not as in the Beastie Boys, albeit that is a great song to cruise with on a crisp fall evening with the sunroof drawn (vicarious comment here, no sunroof in my brat-mobile, sigh). Actually, the saying is military in origin. Yet a fun one to toss around in conversation… try weaving that into the water cooler chats!

Basically, a brass monkey is this-- a rail made of brass that holds cannonballs on the deck of a ship. Not sure to which war it is traced, although I understand it may be of the Napoleonic Era. So on the ship the cannonballs sat, upon the brass monkeys, minding their own business and waiting their turn to be stuffed and fired. And as soon as it got freezing cold, the brass monkey would contract and the cannonballs would go flying, or rather rolling, onto the deck of the ship. Imagine being on deck, late at night, after a few swigs of Irish whisky, only to hear the oncoming rumble...

So what on earth, do you ask, brings me to this topic? Firstly, I adore this saying, for sometimes you can get just the weirdest looks from people when you drop that line. And I was thinking, how can I turn around the tide of overly inquisitive entries a bit? And I have to be honest, tonight I am hammering out the slide kit for my thesis presentation, I have been writing like a banshee at work all week, and I need a bit of goofiness injected into my rhythm.

So with that, I leave you to your own device.

question: who is your monkey?

27 September 2006

waking up...

I am not even sure how to begin detailing why I come around to this subject, other than I think I am hitting that perceived low period where it seems that my pilot is in the sky right now and I have that empty pain of silent normalcy, where things cycle naturally to that *low* and we are waiting for things to happen, possibly need for them to happen so that we can pick up with our hectic life as we left it moments ago—the inspired ones.

I was thinking about people, relationships, love, (as if you did not get that drift by now… ha ha), thinking about different communication styles, expression of need and love, and I found myself

…waking up: to the notion that not all things are as we perceive.

So, what the hell is that all about, eh? Our needs are different from others by design, otherwise if we were all the same life would not be nearly as interesting. And what we need to give is different as well. Sometimes I wonder if people do not connect as they should, or deserve, because we are so wrapped up in our own communication style that we tend to forget that there is someone else on the other end of the line.

Take for instance, should you be the one that likes to express your feelings—whether they be positive, regressive, beautiful, loving or from a place of hurt—and you share them with another, we tend to forget that the receiving end is not like us. That is the beauty of relationships (no matter what type they are). We should give for the art and health of giving, never to expect to receive the way we give.

On the flip: when the person on the other end receives, they may not understand what we are giving in the first place for we are not speaking their language. And then we perceive them as not giving back. Or, we do, or rather they understand and appreciate our gift, yet do not modify their communication style (or clear up the *rules* for a lack of a better term) so that both equally move forward in a symbiotic fashion.

Or, is the trick to effective communication is to take a lesson from a masters course in communication—stakeholder engagement? When taking a stakeholder perspective, the idea is that you communicate to others they way they would communicate to themselves. That is the trick in moving things forward—do unto others NOT as they would do to you, but rather do unto others the way that they would do unto themselves.

Give a whirl, put on the other person’s shoes when giving back. Speak their language, both in words and actions—reciprocate. It could very well make all the difference in the world.

question: how do you do unto yourself?

the water...

Today is a rainy, mildly warm day, you know the one where there is nothing better than staying home, curling up with a good book in bed for the day. My body decided to swerve a bit by developing one bloody tension headache, and at the encouragement of my *boyfriend* I went home early to blunt its effect. Good call!

So home I went, did a little work, it started to menace me a bit more so in the sack for a nap I went. While on my way a leprechaun like notion followed me, only to wake up with it on my mind again.

There are people in this world who are not afraid of anything, who are willing to jump into

…the water: a relatively unknown situation with dynamics still in play

and swim along the way, trusting themselves and the *informed decisions* that come up to secure a relatively healthy outcome. I was then brought to the question-- who are all the swimmers in the world?

Me, I am that type of person to a tee, jumping into those waters regardless and without intrepidation, and if so just a tiny bit as a dose for good health. I do this without hesitation in almost all instances for I know that I can swim, I will be alright regardless of how things may turn. I am a strong swimmer. It may be my upbringing, outlook on life, drive to experience everything, even my philosophy that we need to scare ourselves sometimes and push our boundaries. Definitely the combination of the aforementioned and many other forces that have shaped my life.

Not all of us are born natural swimmers, some start in the novice stage we they could drown at any minute. Then you realize you can tread the water a bit, it is not that cold, and you are stronger than you thought previously. It is what we do in the water that counts—gaining experience and strength to give back to this world in a positive way, including teaching others that they too can swim, despite the barriers that life brought along the way, and help create a league of amazing people.

Yet there are some who choose which waters they will swim. Smart thinking, yes? Or navigating growth barriers? It could be not only the fear of growing pains, yet the fear of failing, or even moreso, the fear of succeeding (which, in my opinion, is the driver behind most decisions when it comes to choose not to swim), that leads some of us to selectively swim and/or select which waters with great care.

Take a look around you… who are the swimmers? Why do they not drown? It could very well be that they dare to be themselves, trust themselves and are not afraid of succeeding, that they embrace failure in itself as life’s way of saying “take another shot”. They want to grow as an individual, nurture others along the way, and give back the best they can. Where it not for the tireless commitment of the swimmers, this world would be absent of some fabulous beings, would it not?

On the flip-- could they be swimming for they are afraid to stop, just for a sec, to breathe, and have to evaluate who they are... look at themselves in the mirror?

Yin and yang again with her natural need to balance precipitates this by choosing the waters and when to swim. Yet how do we decide this, what conditions need to be in play in order for us to dive in head first?

question: what is your water?

so badly...

I was outside early this morning, having my cup o’ joe before the rat-race-put-on-the-war-paint folly of every weekday morning was to commence. And for some reason, I started thinking about my accountant back home in Tampa and the wise words he offered me when I was looking into buying an existing business. The numbers looked good, I was very eager to move forward, yet he gently said that if I want it

…so badly: yet am able at the same time to walk away,

then it is the right decision to go forward. Interesting thoughts for a Wednesday morning.

So I reflected on those words of April 1999, from a medium sized, head shaved bean counter with a warm smile and hearty laugh and wondered how is it applicable, as well as its nature— to walk away from something worth fighting for, in particular.

Rather, when is it applicable, or is it to everything-- things and to human beings? And what is it designed to protect us from, that inner peace of *yes I want this so badly yet can walk away*?

For example, someone who you love so deeply that you perceive is not reciprocating, or even a new job to which you have applied… people and things that we want and need badly. Why need the peace of knowing that at the same time you can walk away? It could very well be that if we are able to walk away, it means we are healthy and whole, and are not using to which we are drawn as a potential crutch… enabling areas where we need to develop to that our growth is stunted. Or we are too scared to grow…

On the flip-- what about people that honestly do need us most? (things do not need us, c’mon, that BMW does not HAVE to have you driving it) That could very well be the differentiating factor, and may be where the *walk away* clause is not applicable. The women and children in Darfur need us, and some want to help so badly that the inner peace is achieved by contributing, and not by walking away, the willingness to give to make a better world. Or a democracy that needs a swift kick in the ass, you just have to buy an airline ticket and fly across the world to contribute? (that would be me!)

Yet you could meet someone who needs you so much that walking away may be the thing to do… for now, or maybe not at all? This is where it gets tough, to me, for it is in our nature to be needed and loved, as well as to need and love another.

Hence, walking away from people is not an option, especially if it is not negotiated, regardless if it someone who we need or another who needs us—whatever the nature of the need. Maybe this sage advice from my accountant should remain with *things* that we perceivably love and need. Then again, some may not grow in our presence and hence the walk is healthy too...

The bottom line is, when faced with a passion for a thing or a person, we may need to create a little space to not only clear our heads and resolve that it is the right decision, but to allow ourselves to trust the process. To do this, especially when it comes to people we love and need, it takes reciprocal, insightful, honest and reflexive communication of both people to transcend the crutch factor and continue the journey of development, no matter who they are in our life. And as for that walking away bit? Well, that too should be decided upon and negotiated in the reflexive, loving and open communication-- for sometimes we need to walk away to let the other person grow, just as much as we need to walk towards another to become an even better being-- for the reciprocity between two amazing beings would bring energy into this world .

(this is a toughie, isn’t it?) Definitely a brain warper of a subject, nothing is the right answer, and warrants a chat so comment away!

As for that BMW you have been contemplating…

question: when would you choose to walk?

26 September 2006

brat-mobile...

I think I poured so much these past few days examining things, that I am now on the flip side—punchy as all get out. You know the feeling, a little tough to focus, leaning towards the preference of hopping in the car and driving through the countryside as opposed to sitting at work. Yup, now we are talking my kind of day! Needless to say I did get that drive, albeit on the highway heading home… I still felt free, spinning the greatest hits of Linkin’ Park and Limp Bizkit, pushing my

brat-mobile: to the limits of her 1.3 liter engine

astonishingly at 140 km/hour. And then it hit me, I have been an impish brat today! Hence the name of my car…

The tone at work was pretty much the same—all feeling like rats in a cage on a sunny Tuesday. Yet it is that productive, silly banter combined with innocuous flirting amongst co-workers that got me through the day. Then again, the pilot was in full effect, so maybe I am just coming around to the part of blissful entropy that is soon to morph into the silence of normalcy…

Regardless, aren’t these kind of days fun? I view what transpired at work as maintenance, keeping the wheels spinning. We are teasing one another, having fun only to head home in the exhilarating drive on the highway to something new.

And at the end of it all, I still have my *boyfriend*… I think! Well, you tell me—I left a post-it note on his computer screen, asking:

do you like me?

 yes
 no
 maybe


Later in the day, it was returned to my screen, all three boxes checked. Huh.

Yes, the goofy days of having a crush do exist, even in our perceived adulthood. At least this time we do not have to pass notes in class or beg our best-friend-forever to be the messenger, just wait until they leave their desk and commence the ambush (not too entirely different from when we were, oh, 8 years old…). It is healthy exchanges like these that we should embrace and use to fuel our spirits.

question: which box would you check?

25 September 2006

blissful entropy...

Isn’t it amazing when we seem to embrace everything at the same time? Where life is going at the speed of light, we are juggling more than humanly possible, yet know that regardless of our limits we give everything our all? I have hit that moment where the...

blissful entropy: my moments, days or weeks of happy, inspired chaos goes uninterrupted,

...inspired by something, someone, a picture, a glance, random words…

You know the feeling?

It is where we seem to do the unimaginable, the unconquerable, mastering many feats at one time due to some inspiration.

What is inspiration? Not so much what is was in the concrete sense, but its essence and its role in our blissful entropy?

I look at it this way: that inspiration is like a pilot—whether is be a certain someone, off chance phone call, the sunlight upon the face, the winds of autumn—that comes upon us from out of nowhere and takes us for the flight of our life. Random, actually, in how the pilot meets us, yet exact in time for a reason. So we fly, high, and enter that zone where we are above human strength and take on everything we embrace. Blissful entropy.

And when things become *normalized* in the sense that we get back to our routine, we look over our shoulder and see that the pilot has left us, back on the ground, in the reality that yes, again we are human. It is a rather lonely feeling, considering the excitement that blissful entropy makes us feel… indestructible, impermeable. Almost like a let down when the pilot steps away, bordering on an empty pain that we cannot put our finger upon… come back, we plead.

And then I think, well, how do we regain that inspiration, how do we get the pilot to come back and take us away above who we can be? Go outside in the night and look at the sky… the pilot is there, somewhere, it has not left… can you hear that? Circling above the skies? Your pilot is there… trust the process.

In order for us to appreciate what we bring to this world, our blissful entropy needs to be balanced by the silence of normalcy. Otherwise, how can we appreciate our pilot? And once we resolve our appreciation and are gratuitous for the pilot, we embrace that silence, yet you better hold tight.

As all things are cyclical, the pilot will return—maybe as before in that same person, off chance call, sunlight in your face or even the autumn winds—or as a different calling, beckoning you to grow again and contribute in your next phase of blissful entropy.

Either way, how fortunate we are for the flight!

(my note— I promise to have a lighthearted entry next! My pilot came today and I am inspired…)

question: what, or who, has been your pilot as of late?

unrequited love...

For those of us who are south of the equator, love is in the air as spring started this weekend! And as I went to my car this morning here in Northern Europe, we are having an Indian summer day, so inspiring that the extra spring in your step is rather marked.

As I lay in bed last night, this subject popped into my head.

unrequited love: when someone does not love us back… or does love us but is afraid or unable to give and therefore does not act on it, or chooses not to do so.

My thoughts are that we as human beings inherently have a reciprocal nature to a degree, some more than others. Whether it is love, comfort, security or even disdain at the other end of the spectrum, some tend to express it more than others. Unrequited love, to me, is not so much as the absence of love, yet rather the inability to share it or choosing not to share it. With love comes many things—nuturing, growth and development. Without our giving what we perceive as our love to others in a way where it is communicated (whether through acts, attention or words), those around us will not grow into amazing beings. We need to know, in the sense that we hear it, smell it, feel it, can taste it. Yet how do we get those around us who are unable or afraid to reciprocate, to open up? As for those who choose not to, well, that is a thread of its own with many possibilities.

I will have to develop this further, yet in the interim I do have a letter you need to read that symbolizes questioning unrequited love:

http://nedlamont.com/news/1540/

Hear me out on this… how can a Senator, who pledges to uphold the Constitution, to honor their constituent’s needs and protect our military walk away from his duties? Where is the demonstrative love, why choose unrequited? Is it that he cannot give? Is afraid to do so? What are the repercussions should he uphold his end of the deal? Or, does he just not want to reciprocate?

As for the tribal retribution of hypocrisy, again Ned Lamont demonstrates that he is an upstanding character, unafraid and willing to question the perceived unrequited love Lieberman has for the people of not only Connecticut, but also the American people.

question: who is it that you need to reciprocate?

24 September 2006

espoused values...

So let it be known that I am knee deep in my master’s thesis. Perhaps deeper, ok, actually playing catch up since my case dropped from under me about 10 days ago, leaving me with having to find another company and change everything I have been writing. Ugh!

I am working on my Executive Master of Corporate Communication at Copenhagen Business School. Amazing program to say the least, and even though I have enjoyed my intellectual/practical journey, I am so looking forward to throwing my cap into the air this December! My thesis is on the role of values in Corporate Branding… ah blah blah blah… just take the jump…

espoused values: what we say we aim to live by but do not seem to get around to doing it

All of this research over the past few months about values—published, espoused, in practice, perception—lead me to a Maslow like moment…. what about actualized values?

Hell, what are actualized values? To me, it is when the perceived (what others think you are living to), espoused (what you say you are living to) are aligned AND transparent—the essence of actualized values. Now, the argument as to whether they are good or bad in nature is an entirely different thread… but let’s use the positive and healthy ones for this construct, shall we?

That requires us to be conscience and conscious of our everyday being and the world that surrounds us (tee hee hee… hence the play on words for my blog address and the title have both, ever caught wind?).

So, what in the heck does this have to do with the everyday gig? The local gig, global one at that? It starts with us, on the inside, both above the board and the flip side.

What is behind espoused values? It could very well be the ideal self, screaming from within, to be acknowledged, validated, embraced, feeling secure enough to inch forward. Once the latter cravings are in place and satiated, the comfort in living them settles into place and, well, time to *pay it forward* with our actions, beliefs and attitudes. It seems that the process is killed mid-step, and it could be for many reasons including lack of a supportive network, personal insecurity or the feeling that some things are so big to tackle that we are swallowed in our own demise.

And then here is the other argument, in which I will put into context below: what if we are using espoused values to get to that actualized value? Or better yet defined, to convince others that their reality is untrue (even if it is the truth) so that we feed our insecurity and therefore solidify our license to operate?

Take this: Bushco in vain regurgitating at every turn that the US is safer to legitimize an unconstitutional war, sending troops into danger from across the globe coupled with civilian deaths. With the latest report published, based in intelligence in upwards of 15 agencies, it states today that the US and world is less safe with the presence—er, occupation-- in Iraq. Hard core, truth in reality, undisputed assertions based on facts. Whoops, that reality must be untrue… for Bushco says we are in the wrong. Ah, the hypocrisy in King George’s rose tinted (un)reality.

Which brings us to this—hypocrisy is the medicine that is the necessary evil to cure all, right? When espoused values are not in line with the values that we live, hypocrisy is not only the result, it is our *warning sign* that we need to amend, correct or change. So if hypocrisy is to serve a corrective action, where does this place us when looking at Iraq versus Bushco? It must be that hypocrisy transcends itself, hence turning into a different breed of cat (yes, I lived in the South for quite a few years). What do we have now?

My thought—it is that evil against good, yin-yang kind of thing. When hypocrisy cannot lend to a corrective action, another must be taken. It is at that point where the tribal mentality needs to set in to make amends… and I view the net roots as that tribe. And it starts not only within ourselves to make the choice to make a difference, it lies in us to take action to make a difference.

And to no surprise, of course this steers to Ned Lamont, Jon Tester, and all of the brave, loving individuals that have gone through this process—transcend the hypocrisy through the tribe, find the advocates and act to change, put values in motion that are not only healthy, yet actualized.

Looking at this espoused values-actualized values-values in play-hypocrisy construct, it can be applied to almost anything, huh? And where do we as individuals, as a society, make the difference in those situations/conflicts? Find your tribe. I am flying to mine 04 November (yes, still reeling from the excitement!).

question: what part of your inner being have you not gotten around to doing?

gratuity and strength from: emeralds (insider comment, yet had to post)

executive decision...

How about Ned Lamont?

I have been following his campaign early on this year, and as I watched each day pass I could not help but get excited. Here is a man of true values, who not only espouses them but lives them, dedicated to getting our democracy back on track.

Last week, at the local Bodega, the thought of going to CT to volunteer crossed my mind. Heck, made me insane! So yesterday morning I made the...

executive decision: hop on a plane and go do it!

Yup, SAS website, drop some change (thank you Mastercard) and on 04 Novmeber I will be setting foot in Newark to grab some wheels and head up the I-95 corridor. Many thanks are due to CT Bob, who is helping me connect with the Lamont campaign, gave me excellent toll tips, found a cheap set of wheels and who is also helping me find a temporary pad to crash.

This is the election of a lifetime, and it reminds me of the Clinton-Gore campaign in 1992-- that energy, the turning point. Lamont is the cure for what ails the DC Beltway. His election to the Senate is the signal of change.

So needless to say, you will get blog updates while I am there! And how cool is this... SAS has internet access in the cabin, so I can blog while flying over Greenland.

question: what would make you hop on a plane to cross the world?

welcome aboard...

Welcome to my thoughts!

Well, there will be more than thoughts... triumphs, tribulations, daily diatribes, challenges-- and yes I recognize that I will have those bad days where I feel negative. Such is the yin and yang-- without negative, there would be no positive, without evil to combat there would be no good.

welcome aboard: no lifejackets necessary

Let me share with you where I have been the past few months-- how I rediscovered the girl inside in particular-- and chat along the journey.

The long of the short of it-- living abroad can be difficult. And after a while, you tend to loose your sense of self. One day you wake up and do not even recognize the person that you see and feel. Two years later after leaving the US, I found myself in L.A. (of all places) for my job for a week and I stumbled upon rediscovering who I am, facilitated by a red rose. Returning to Europe, with my rediscovered sense of self, I decided to continue where I left off a couple of years ago-- to work on myself daily to be a better person for this world. And to play, contribute and inspire!

So as I share my thoughts (liberal here, so heads up for I am the TOTAL DKos addict), my doings, feelings and engage with you in dialogue, building upon our experiences and thoughts so that we can learn more about who we are and how we can make a positive difference. I guess in a nutshell, this is a global playground, a fusion of self awareness, growth, politics, everyday life in motion.

question: who has inspired you to grow at one point in time?