Good Friday

A Good Friday 

          Speaking fearlessly is about questioning controversial topics.

         I wonder what’s good about a day the hero of the Christian world gets nailed to a cross.

         Our language keeps evolving verbs into strange multiple meanings. ‘Nailed’ can be slang for sex, being drunk, or clinching a sales presentation.

         With sex and religion in the same paragraph my attention is fully engaged. Roll away the stone, it’s Good Friday, so some pontification upon the state of Christianity may clear my slate on Jesus.

         Jesus first wandered into my consciousness when I found a little red Bible at age three. I showed it to Mom and she told me about God, Adam and Eve and their two sons, the first and only people. Then Mom asked “where did the girls who married the boys come from?” This question has fueled my evolution for six decades.

         The first hymn I learned in Baptist Bible School at age 6 was “♪Onward Christian soldiers marching onto war.” I wondered then and still do what Christians are doing marching to war when the message was Love?

         When John Lennon said the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, he was right in my world. When The Beatles sang “♪All you need is Love” there was no battle. 

         Jesus was the first long hair I ever saw. I had some confusion with Jesus and Santa Claus. They arrived to celebrate the same day; both had a naughty and nice thing going on. Both could do magic with presents. One had disciples, the other reindeer and elves. New information says they both were married to very supportive wives who worked with their husbands. I think it’s a tossup economically with Jesus and the Catholic Church having a head start monetarily, but Santa and Christmas presents now has the marketing momentum.

         When I learned meta programs, how to frame information and beliefs, I framed Jesus as metaphorical role model of present time, highest thought, divine connection, a creator of miracles with the faith to move mountains. He endured conscious suffering. He knew where and how to use his attention. He was a role model whose outcome, getting nailed was an odd ending for a great guy.

         What’s the lesson?

         Maybe it is about questioning legends?

         It is always about what we believe.

         Perhaps we are all metaphorically nailed into a dark cave of our own winter creations and as spring begins we need three days for resurrection and celebration.

         It all depends on how you frame it.

Who's Driving

Who’s Driving?

          From a very young age, in order to survive, we’re taught to believe certain things by our parents and caregivers. Whether these beliefs are true or not we may have forgotten to ask, or just assumed they were.

         These beliefs form the core of how we view life and everything that “comes into our world”. These beliefs act as filters, which both frame and control our every thought and perception. The vast majority (over 90%) of these filters are un-conscious, acting as both filters and imprints.

         What this means is that over 90% of the time, we’re simply unaware of why we do what we do. Rick Jarow, author of “Creating The Work You Love” says it well: “We may be driven, but we do not know who or what is driving us.”

         It is this question that has sent me to hundreds of workshops, read hundreds of books, written hundreds of essays and sermons to find out. I am a very curious fellow who wants to know what I know, what others know, and how to get the most out of the limited time available in life.

          Let’s look closely at this quote when it says: “but we do not know who or what is driving us.” Some may read the quote and think it’s admirable to be driven. Others look deeper and see the potential hidden reason for their pain and suffering.

         Have you ever wondered when life doesn’t go the way you want what’s really happening under the surface”? In other words, who or what’s doing the driving?

         I look to the concept of continuums to understand these situations and place the desire to know at the one end and who cares (whatever)at the other, and as long as I think in terms of continuums I feel movement, and movement does keep ones attention. I am enjoying the ride.

         Over the years there have been hundreds of books written with titles like...The Secret-You can have anything you want. As a general rule, these books urge us to see ourselves in a new light and thus generate within ourselves a personal magnet whereby the universe brings us new rewards and experiences. Great theory...and, to a degree, I buy it.

         In practice, though, we have beliefs, attitudes and habits that serve as substantial barriers to achieving these new levels.  How do we, for example, see ourselves as receivers of financial abundance when we have competing beliefs like "rich people are greedy, nasty and step on people to get all that wealth"?

         So who is driving? Are we in a car, bus, bicycle or are we walking? Is anyone else riding with me? What can I do?

         One-Take an inventory-I’ll gladly send you our Checking Inn inventory.

         Two-Get a mirror and take a good honest look at yourself and your day(s)-do it more than once. Let the mirror become your personal assistant.

         Three-Use your fearlessly speaking skills to ask trusted honest friends-“What do you see, feel or think when I walk into the room?” Thank them with “I can use that,” and gather insights and see who is driving. 

        It is amazing what others know about who is driving us.