Two Cents, Maybe More: Keep It Clean
Barry Lewis Green
I am an Educator, Speaker, Coach, Writer, and Creator ... advancing high functioning Purpose and Unity through elevated conversations, capacities and Character. Let's move forward together, stronger.
Last week, in Two Cents, Maybe Three, Episode 1... I noted that "I will be blogging on LinkedIn on Monday mornings... starting next week." But, to start that journey, I am creating Two Cents, Maybe a Third which will encompass content akin to the breadth of blogs before, and will be again."
That said, two things.
I write this this week on Sunday to share for Monday... and the name is changing to Two Cents, Maybe More because I do not know the range of thoughts that will occur to be shared weekly for the coming few months, leading up to September. But, the thought for me this week is clear and clean already.
Earlier today, I posted this on Facebook.
- O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I will not dwell on the unpleasant things of life. O God! Thou art more friend to me than I am to myself. I dedicate myself to Thee, O Lord. --- ‘Abdu’l-Bahá
- This prayer is not unlike an old friend whom I have, in recent times, taken for granted. But, I am getting to know it now ever better... and the "covenant" it espouses... what is asked of my great Friend and what is promised by me.
- It does not matter your belief. What matters is your understanding that many things are out of our control and yet we spend so much time worrying, fretting and planning for what is out of our control. This prayer, whatever one's belief, speaks to (a) the need to Trust that what is out of our control will somehow take care of itself and (b) we will saddle up and ride doing the best that we can.
- We do what we can best do.
- This morning, I realized that some of my news feed is filled with "sources of cynical ".
- No more.
- Mind you, I have no place for saccharin positivity. I do not pretend that there is no crap in the world. There is and there is work to do. Optimism, on the other hand, sees the crap and says "we will get through this". And it will require work.
- But cynicism does not believe.
- I do.
- A good, healthy and skeptical mind questions to explore. A cynical mind questions to prove its negative outlook.
- There is a difference.
- Profoundly so.
- I will hold to healthy skepticism.
- I throw away cynicism.
- This prayer speaks to same for me. It is, in many ways and for a me, a letter to a great and trusted friend.
- So the cynical "feeds" are going. The good and healthy questioning feeds remain.
- I am no hopeless romantic.
- I am a hopeful romantic and that Hope requires, nay demands, action.
- Cynicism says "See. The world is a sick and dying space." Positivity says "No. It is a beautiful space, there is no sickness".
- Optimism says "Yes, there is sickness and we must address it."
- I will choose the latter. "I will not dwell on the unpleasant thinks of life" does not deny them. It says that I will not dwell there. Not letting "trouble harrass" me does not deny the trouble... but says it will not harass nor bully me.
- I will always question.
- But with the goal to find best answers and not to cynically prove that somehow the world and humanity sucks.
- Humanity rocks. Inhumanity socks.
- Humanity is our highest and noblest standard. Inhumanity is our lowest.
- I believe, and I will act upon that.
- Peace.
Cleanliness has to do with mind, body and spirit. It is indeed hygiene but around our physicality, mentality and emotionality. It is about what we both put into us and what we put out to the world. Either can be tainted. Both need our attention.
At best, it implies and requires practicing Dominion, Optimism and Humanity... owning it and acting upon same. It needs us to listen to our best voice whether crawling, walking or running. For me, this time of rest and reset needs be about cleansing and such cleansing requires an awareness that there is dross to clean and clear up. It indeed drives my own learning through dialogue. It requires my best sense of Dominion...
The dross, dust and distraction of cynicism needs be addressed in my life; and I humbly suggest, ours. Constantly and most healthily questioning is good and I have practiced same throughout my life. But, cynicism... nope, no way, nada. My health of body, mind and spirit requires great and purposeful questioning but not cynicism.
Cynicism... the belief that people are only interested in themselves and are not sincere... does not serve me.
Skepticism,.. the doubt that something is true or useful... can serve me as a healthy doubting.
A belief can constrain us. A doubt can cause us to better ponder and find a stronger and better tested Faith. Again and for me, Dominion, Optimism and Humanity cause me to see the world as it is and know that we each have the power to own our capacity to make it better. The world needs work. It needs our best. Our best comes from believing we can and will be better. And, we will.
Right now, I must go for a cleansing, music-driven drive... one day always remains.
Oh, and if you like driving music, head to Auberge. :-)
... peace, passion and prosperity.
Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy with Epic Engage
Lead, inspire, educate, and unite. Move forward together, stronger. My work is about bringing campuses, companies and communities together, moving forward stronger. I work with educators, entrepreneurs and emerging leaders to do just that. My work is about character leadership and education and its role in helping individuals and organizations build a better world at school, work, business and community. I deliver on it through speaking, coaching and development in character leadership and education. My expertise is character leadership and education. I advance unity in diversity by moving the needle on leadership and education that is high character and results forging. I speak, teach, coach, facilitate, lead, write, sing, dance, cartoon and create on that. In 1980, Professor Rolf Hattenauer changed my life. A highly respected expert in Human Resource Management, he expected much of us and he believed much in us. He was an educator and leader of high character. He was extraordinary. To this day and beyond, I try my darnedest to honor his spirit with my own work. That is another story. But I hope I did him service here.
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- Yes, we have launched TUGtv with the above in mind... in support of it all. To date, we have produced the following episodes for broadCAST Live and The Justice Lead and TUGtalks and Digital Coffees.... and Talk Reel... with many more to come. Plus #hUmaNITY and Brilliant Souls. Check out our All Team Show for December 2020.... and, we invite you to check the previous shows out. Here are our episodes up to and including November 2020.
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