Fearless Consultation
Barry Lewis Green
Educator, Speaker, Coach, Writer, Creator ... advancing Character Leadership and Education ... to move forward together, stronger ... engaging change.
In the last foray into The Realm Between, we explored Chapters 17 through 19. This is all part of a continuation of Sharpen the Blades on The Realm Between.
As I have noted before... "As part of this leg of my Sharpen the Blades blog series, I continue my reading of The Realm Between... and its application to life." And, as I have said before. "The story is capturing me and I am finding direct relevance and resonance for my own life, in this realm."
I continue to invite you to join me on the journey. Catch up, read up... on the book and blogs, if you like. To join the Wattpad community costs nothing, and you gain access to the book, and many others. In order to join, go to their login... and set up a simple profile.
This will give you access to countless online books; it is incredible. To engage LD Olsen search for...
CHAPTER 20: The Nauthus Consults
There is a majesty, a Nobility, in this Chapter. You get a sense of a sacred urgency.
You get a sense of the kind of Wisdom born of diverse characters engaged in true consultation.
You get a sense of the notion of the virtue that is Dominion too. From these words of Fierlas, you get a sense of that powerful notion of ownership, and Responsibility. Of Dominion, in action. Of independent thought coming together for interdependent action.
Nobility, Wisdom, Dominion, and Responsibility are powerful strengths of character in owning our lives. Just last night, and after a "moment" occurring in the late afternoon, I shared on Facebook...
- "I. Am. Pissed. Truly. That is important because I rarely feel such. That is important because there have been times over the last 20 years when I should have but had worked on not being "angry". That is important because I have somehow forgotten the truth about the virtue that is Moderation. That virtue is the mother of all virtues because it is not about being even keel but about the capacity to moderate; not unlike a 6 speed gear shift. That means, in part, that all emotions have importance. They must be felt, and even harnessed. Happiness, sadness, anger, all. The power is in understanding the source and legitimacy of the emotion. Anger felt is like an alarm indicating a feeling of injustice. If we determine our feeling is truly justified, we can use the anger... not as a club to hit and strike out... but as a fire to make change. Today, this late afternoon, something happened that led to such a feeling. It matters not what it was. What matters is that it served to galvanize. Deeply. Very deeply. Indeed it also gave credence to every time over the last 20 years where I truly should have felt same. This only means that a fire has been set alight like never before... and that a reinforced backbone has been upgraded. No meanness will come from this but there will be a somewhat new countenance, gate and fate. I intend to hold on to this feeling ... not to obsess and repress... but to stoke the fire. I. Am. Pissed. And that is a good thing. ;) "
I followed that today with a post:
- "This day, I am reminded of the wisdom that comes from a life of true living and witnessing and learning. Be adventurous. Learn from history, personal and otherwise. Surround yourself with real people who care about you and inspire you by their own strength, tenacity, and love. And learn from it all... pray on it, meditate on it, journal on it. Brendon Burchard speaks to this too. If a life is worth living, it is worth learning on it. I have my vision, dreams, goals, plans and actions firmly decided. Now, it is all about the execution. This Summer will be one helluva humble celebration... grounded in work I have put in and done and earned on. <3 "
How does this connect to and with Nobility, Wisdom, Dominion and Responsibility... and consultation? Cooperation; and it is a virtue.
Consider:
- ... consultation is of vital importance, but spiritual conference and not the mere voicing of personal views is intended. … consultation must have for its object the investigation of truth. He who expresses an opinion should not voice it as correct and right but set it forth as a contribution to the consensus of opinion, for the light of reality becomes apparent when two opinions coincide. A spark is produced when flint and steel come together. Man should weigh his opinions with the utmost serenity, calmness and composure. Before expressing his own views he should carefully consider the views already advanced by others. If he finds that a previously expressed opinion is more true and worthy, he should accept it immediately and not willfully hold to an opinion of his own. By this excellent method he endeavors to arrive at unity and truth. – Abdu’l-Baha, The Promulgation of Universal Peace, p. 72.
GOING INSIDE
Therein, within the words of Abdu’l-Baha... lies Nobility and Wisdom. But I suggest these words also apply to our own inner consultations with our own myriad voices within.
What if we treated our own thoughts as members of a council and engaged true consultation and Cooperation amongst the "characters" within? What if our own voices of the virtues spoke together? What if Strength and Discipline consulted with Compassion and Kindness? What if Justice and Mercy and Forgiveness consulted? What if Initiative and Patience did? What if Creativity and Orderliness did? Maybe those two gave birth to The War of Art by Steven Pressfield.
What if we independently consulted within to arrive at a better Wisdom? What if we took that better Wisdom to our conversations with others to find even better Wisdom yet? How might that impact the quality and power of our actions?
Then, consider the virtue of Moderation and our emotions, as I alluded to earlier. What if our emotions were but different voices at our own internal table, not unlike the message of Inside Out... needing to be heard? Moderation is that virtue that can allow all of our senses of character (the virtues) and our emotions to come to the table and be heard. They can cooperate; co-operate.
Now, consider that Cooperation is a powerful virtue internally, hearing all the voices and perspectives within... the voices of virtue and emotion that play out in our heads. We can listen to them without allowing one to take over. They can provide a balance for seeking out our own internal Wisdom. One such process of listening within, can be a creative application of the Companioning Process offered up by The Virtues Project.
Asking ourselves and those voices and perspectives within "What's happening?" can be the start. Offering them receptive silence to be heard, and walking through the remaining steps ... we can hear the "community" that is us. We can arrive at a more balanced sense of Understanding and a Wisdom that is more sound.
Then, we can take that better sense and turn the Companioning Process into a tool for working with others on a more collective and deeper and far reaching Wisdom.
GOING OUTSIDE
I came across this on Facebook today.
With our own sense of Wisdom in hand, so speak, what if we brought each of our voices together, consulted and cooperated with such intention? What if indeed? What if, in deed? What if we companioned with others, hearing them, taking that process noted above and exploring together? The meeting of the voices, first within, then without; that is true co-operation. It is an investment, with a huge return.
It is the sense I get from the plan noted by Fierlas.
As we bring our considered Wisdom to the table and are prepared to share and hear that of others... we build a deeper Wisdom. We need such a deeper Wisdom, today more than ever. More than ever.
We can do it first and within ourselves as educators, entrepreneurs and leaders; gaining a better sense of our own true perspective. With that better sense, we can then work it with others in our classrooms, companies and communities... forging sustainable and sustaining solutions that respond to the demands of our world... those global goals... needed right now, and going forward.
To Us All
At school, work, business and community, how can we better bring our voices together, internally and externally, to forge Nobility and Wisdom and a plan that is fierce, fearless, like Fierlas? How can we moderate and cooperate within ourselves... and with our students, colleagues, customers, clients, constituents and others to advance that peace, passion and prosperity I invoke in every blog?
Catch or keep up with me on the book, The Realm Between. More is coming.
Indeed. In deed.
Peace, passion and prosperity...
Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy with Epic Engage
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