Let’s go for a walk to the beach. Upon arrival, we find a sea of gold coins. YOU WON. You are free to dip into the sea and take some. Magically a container appears to hold what you will take from the sea. How big is your container? Here is another opportunity to ponder. You won the lottery, a drawing, and a cash prize, something of that sort. When you open the envelope, what’s the amount of the check? What have you won?
I have no idea of the size of your container at the seashore, nor the amount of the check you won. I would assume that most of us would bring a bucket, perhaps a 5-gallon paint bucket. The sum on your check I would guess is also some moderate amount. Perhaps it covers your mortgage, your overall debt, or your car balance. A simple question is – Why the self-imposed limits?
Others might think we are greedy if our container is too big, or if we have multiple containers. And too much money on that check may inflame a similar feeling. What do you really need to be comfortable? If it’s too much – whatever that means – we are being greedy. Some may not feel like we deserve it. I mean, come on, duh…greed is one of the seven deadly sins, right? We have committed a sin (if you believe in sin) if we take too much of our self-imposed winnings. I am guessing here, but I believe the sin is about excess or materialism. But who says you will use this money frivolously? Who says you wouldn’t share the wealth and make the world a better place if you won.
‘Tis better to give than receive?
If you could give someone a gift, is it more than what you won? If these scenarios didn’t carry the connotation of money – for some reason that feels evil – how much of it would you take or give? You WON. My point here — why do we create limits on our ability? When can we create and make this fortune?
A riddle
What is, but quickly isn’t?
What will be instantly turns to what was?
What’s in the future then happens, and poof it’s past?
What is your first guess? Put your first guess in the comments. I am just curious.
Before writing this riddle, I couldn’t find much on this next topic. A demonstration of how slippery this concept is. The answer to the riddle is “now”. What is now? Eckhart Tolle’s book, The Power of Now, centers on living in the present. In counseling, we teach the importance bringing the story or situation into the “here and now.” We live in the present – the now. Maybe it isn’t a question of what, rather it is a question of when? I found a quote by blogger/author, Jarod Kintz, “I put the ‘now’ in knowledge. Well I will, probably tomorrow or tomorrow’s tomorrow.” This is good. Knowledge is about the NOW. The realization of the learning’ happens after the fact. It is likely that we don’t realize it until NOW becomes THEN. At times, we even procrastinate our learning, or the realization of our learning until tomorrow or beyond.
There is a concept of flow (theory of optimal experience) developed by Dr. Mihaly Czikszentmihalyi. This flow is about the human experience of joy, creativity, or the process of total involvement in life. It is described in his book (Flow); I relate this flow to being in the NOW. In this state, we are so involved that nothing else seems to matter. We lose track of time. The exhilaration of NOW, consumes us. All of this is related to another favorite word, Phenomenology. Just saying it is fun, right?
(Side note: When you say it fast it seems like you should have a chorus of Muppets singing backup – da do dah dude a loo, da dude da dude da due due DO! Maybe it’s just me.)
Phenomenology is the study of experience or consciousness. Isn’t this really what we mean by this precious concept of Now? No matter if now is this second or this week. This is a passion for living and being alive NOW.
When now becomes then doesn’t it seem to create wisdom? Either from a “wow, that was a lesson I won’t forget!” to “Whoa, let’s do that again!” We have the ability to win what we set our mind to, in the moment we decide to do it. Next…
To thine OWN self be true
Finally, what is own? We own things. Some of these things are material and some are innate abilities and talents. What we really own, is really our own. Whoa…deep LOL. When we die, our legacy is what we own. It carries our short time here into infinity.
It relates to the self, the individual and how we take control of our own lives. Shakespeare writes, “To thine own self be true.” In the play, a father is pleading with his son to live his dream with a sense of values. We each own our strengths, our gifts, and our approach to the world. From Emergenetics we understand that we approach the world through thinking and behavioral preferences (nature and nurture) that are truly our own. We bring our initial set, from chaos theory, into every situation. This initial set is who we are (experience and baggage) when we show up. Our ability to contribute and to live our own passions is all of our own doing and being. It is also important that we own up to who we are and how we present ourselves. This is credibility and consistency.
Won, Now, Own
Notice anything? The same three simple letters make up every word, an anagram. Now, this isn’t quantum physics, magic, nor is it even coincidence. But I do submit this – Everything we do was first a thought and then an action. We have the ability to dream and create what we win. We own the ability to create our sense of now that influences where, or how, we will go. Cause and effect are in motion. In leadership and working with people, owning a vision that is communicated now creates an attitude for accomplishment. So after the fact we can say we won (I had to work it to get the right tense in there).
There once were three words that came from one.
The three letter shuffle it’s all anagram fun.
Context and meaning discern,
Connect one to another we learn.
Related we see are now, own, and won.
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