The Conscious You

This is for all those individual and organizations who are contemplating reset and rebuild; who are looking at Next Chapter for Purpose and path forward. It is for those who are ready to learn meaning from the Past (or what I affectionately call the Passed, because we did) and imagining on the Future. It is for those who believe in consciously responding to and creating change.

Thinking "ReTire Meant"

First, I offer up that what matters most to us and what we bring to the table in Service to it ... is a great meeting place for our best sense of BEing.

• “The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” ― Frederick Buechner

As "ReTire Meant" approaches for me in less than 2 months... I am reminded that, while I am retiring from 30 years of full time College teaching... I am actually re-tiring... putting "new tires" on for my own New Chapter... of Faith, Health, Service and Love.

It is not my first ReTire or Chapter Change in my 64 years. It is yet, another. I am not going out to pasture. I am jumping the fence to run wild on the next set of Plains... of Faith, Health, Service and Love.

Indeed, I still have much to bring to the next table. I still have much in the proverbial tank. I still have deep passion for my soulfully chosen work and Service. For me, ReTire Meant is about conscious change responded to ... and created. It is next "pivot", re-invention, re-engineering and re-build. Reset. It is about new Content Meant. As opposed to an ending, it is new beginning, and we get to consciously design and build it. ReTire Meant. This is true individually and collectively. As businesses and organizations too, we need to re-tire what and how we do our best why. I am now on my own path there.

Stoicism on Conscious Change

I am digging ever deeper into Stoicism these days... ever adding to both my larger library and my focused library on Character and Optimism and Leadership. In so doing, I have consequently written on Confidence and Composure, and Action, Habit and Purpose... amongst many other topics.

That said, in Forward and Onward, I offered up that Epictetus said:

• "First tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do."

... and Seneca said:

• “Let us therefore set out whole-heartedly, leaving aside our many distractions and exert ourselves in this single purpose, before we realize too late the swift and unstoppable flight of time and are left behind. As each day arises, welcome it as the very best day of all, and make it your own possession. We must seize what flees.”

Telling ourselves what kind of person we want to be and then doing what we have to do... setting out wholeheartedly, leaving aside distractions, and focusing on our single, simple purpose, in the NOW, seizing the Day.... this matters. It requires and helps us to build our best decisive action. It requires and even helps us to forge and follow our own Audacious Promise. The Stoics might say that conscious change is telling ourselves what kind of person or organization we want to be, and then doing what we have to do to be that.

4 Areas of Conscious Change

In The Want to Be, I noted that my personal sense of Vision and Promise is:

• I am that 100 kilo, lean, strong and healthy Stoic Baha'i Boy inside the Man who fiercely Honors and Loves those who matter most to me.... doing the work and Service that fiercely calls to my Soul. I meet Life and the World as such, ever the Student... in the art of Living.

As I work on my own "ReTire Meant", I am ever more aware that much will change... time used and how, social structures, audiences and me. Not necessarily at core, but at engagement. With that in mind and heart, I have identified 4 areas where my own focus around change and BEing needs be centered going forward... Faith, Health, Service and Love.

The picture above is of me at my optimal Health, and I intend to get back there... back to the future, if you will. Indeed, I am already there, within. As Michelangelo might describe it... the sculpture is already within the stone.

I humbly suggest that there are 4 arenas or areas for such change... Faith, Health, Service and Love. With these 4, I am on my own new crossroads of conscious change, knowing it is not my first. There have been pivotal moments of divorce, disease, death and distance... moves consciously initiated and in response to change alike. That said, and with the 4 in heart and mind, I simply offer 4 observations and experiences that might be of value.

4 Ideas to Forge Conscious Change

• First consider your just cause... identifying on what matters most and deeply to you in moving the needle at home, school, work, business, play and community. In so doing, maybe even consider what matters to you in terms of those 4 areas... Faith, Health, Service and Love. Or even consider the needs of the world or your corner of it. Here, you are identifying Purpose and meaning.

• Second, consider what you bring to the proverbial table in Character. Abilities, Skills, and Knowledge... in possible Service to what matters most to you. Think upon what 3-5 Virtues are at your core. Consider what abilities and skills you have, transferable or otherwise. Inventory same. What Knowledge do you hold forward? Name it and claim it. In teaching Strategic Leadership, I have often noted that our greatest strategic advantage is the unique composite of our Character, Abilities, Skills and Knowledge brought to our consciously chosen arena of human endeavour.

You might even consider a Code of Character for yourself. What core belief do you bring to "the battle"?

• Third, maybe read Dreaming at the Crossroads of Change by Linda Kavelin-Popov and/or What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Bolles. Both will get you thinking about your talents, capacities and sense of Purpose.
• Fourth, and after you set your target in your just cause, and your "weaponry" in Character, Ability, Skill and Knowledge, (and maybe read those or these books) ... then consider L.O.V.E. in action... as the aiming and firing.

Looking inside ourselves for our best Character and Capacity, seeking Opportunities where they are most needed, holding a Vision of how serving those needs with who we are will make things better, and Engaging by just rocking the talk and doing the work... this is L.O.V.E. in action. If your just cause is the bulls eye and your Character, Ability, Skill and Knowledge are the bow and arrow... then the aiming and firing is in the L.O.V.E.. If forging a better world is the just cause, then consider what Character, Ability, Skill and Knowledge you bring to that table.

Ideas One and Two

For me, "I am that 100 kilo, lean, strong and healthy Stoic Baha'i Boy inside the Man who fiercely Honors and Loves those who matter most to me.... doing the work and Service that fiercely calls to my Soul. I meet Life and the World as such, ever the Student." This is me building the Character, Ability, Skill and Knowledge. This is me building the "weapons platform", if you will.

Now, it is about the focus on Execution... in building that new platform. It is about the deeds over the words. It is about the Discipline to carve that out. Over the Summer, I plan to dig ever deeper into content around Character and Leadership. I intend to build new Service offerings. Over the Summer, I am intent on my SLOWER Road to Optimal Health... unveiling that 100 kilo, lean, strong Boy Inside the Man, physically ready to serve. Over the Summer, I will dig into my Faith and Stoicism. And, I will practice and engage Love and Honor ever better with those who matter most to me especially. Building the platform, indeed. This is the second idea offered above. But you might say "What about the first idea... the just cause thing?"

Merlin Olsen had a Personal Mission articulated thusly...

• "The focus of my life begins at home with family, loved ones and friends. I want to use my resources to create a secure environment that fosters love, learning, laughter and mutual success. I will protect and value integrity. I will admit and quickly correct my mistakes. I will be a self-starter. I will be a caring person. I will be a good listener with an open mind. I will continue to grow and learn. I will facilitate and celebrate the success of others."

Borrowing such Wisdom, I re-crafted my own...

• "The focus of my Life is Humans Together Strong at home, school, work, business, play and community. That means the people I deeply Love matter and will always know it. That means that I believe in the incredible capacity of the human spirit. I believe that Humanity is our highest standard, and inhumanity is our lowest. That means that I choose to use my Character, Abilities, Skills and Knowledge to help forge a better future and world. That means that I choose to live the 7 L's of Laugh, Learn, Love, Live, Lead, Leverage and Lend... in action and practice. That means that at home, school, work, business, play and community ... I choose to live and serve nobly."

The above is my consciously chosen just cause... Humans Together Strong. The platform is being re-engineered and re-built to better serve same. I am that 100 kilo, lean, strong and healthy Stoic Baha'i Boy inside the Man who fiercely Honors and Loves those who matter most to me.... doing the work and Service that fiercely calls to my Soul. I meet Life and the World as such, ever the Student... in the art of Living.... all in Service to living the Life I must ... and towards Humans Together Strong.

Bottom Line.... Idea One above... for me is Humans Together Strong. Idea Two above is the rebuild on the "platform"... resetting on ... Faith, Health, Service and Love... in Service to Humans Together Strong. Idea Three, I have done and read, and will revisit indeed. Idea Four is the L.O.V.E. ... the Execution; the making it so.

So, Build It

First, wherever you are in Life is a Chapter and we get to write our Next. We get to consciously build and re-build ourselves. Second, I am in a place of great transition and Love. I am discovering more about the Man I Am. My Soul knows I am in the right place with the right people and right paths... and I will walk it one day at a time. And, I will heed the guidance of Epictetus in his exhortation to "First tell yourself what kind of person you want to be, then do what you have to do." Then, I will abide by these words...

Helping rehumanize how people serve, study, work and play together is my work and Service. I am an Educator, Speaker, Coach, Author and Creator helping Educators, Entrepreneurs and Emerging Leaders nobly lead for a better world at school, work, business, play and community. I advance the notions of Character, Purpose and Unity. My work continues, outwardly and inwardly... and consciously. How about you? What and who will you build today?

Peace, Justice and Unity...

Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy with Epic Engage

• Rehumanizing how people serve, study, work and play together. I am an Educator, Speaker, Coach, Author and Creator helping Educators, Entrepreneurs and Emerging Leaders lead for a better world with Character, Purpose and Unity. That is my work for a deeper, cooler Leadership. In so doing, I bring my work as Master Facilitator with the Virtues Project? ... my experience as a Certified Facilitator with Personality Dimensions? ... and my Service as a Facilitator with the Ruhi Institute and as Practitioner of the work of What Color is Your Parachute? since 1982.