first up, HUMOR. it never ceases to amaze me, the power that laughter has on people. and, just to be clear and upfront, i don't care what you find funny. if you like british comedy then have at it. but, that is your cross to bear. humor allows us to take a moment in time and just let the hair down and escape the "whatever it is" making up your day. you never know what it will. have you ever gone back to something that was so hilarious at one point and then have it not as funny, or even funny, at some later point? in my case, it was probably something that involved a change in my sobriety. :) so, make sure you laugh at least once a day, even if at yourself because life is to short. OH, and if you can make somebody laugh then you are doing really well. think about how good you feel when you can make somebody laugh. laughter is more contagious than yawning, at least in my non-medical opinion.
next up, INTEGRITY. i know that is seems cliche. but, maybe cliches/stereotypes are there because of some level of truth? (ponder at a later time). simply put, this is how you choose to interact with others in your personal life, work life, family, friends, acquaintances, and even strangers. and maybe the toughest person to keep the integrity with is our own self, well at least sometimes. it really is hard to lie to yourself over a lifetime. at some point it all catches up to you. maybe, they call those the moments of clarity? (again, something to ponder at a later time)
in my opinion, integrity includes 3 traits; honesty, accountability and responsibility. the combination of these traits ALL at the same time is how i envision integrity. sure, we might get 1 or 2 of the traits but it seems like that third one is just out of reach. and, that isn't necessarily a bad thing, because out of reach means you have to stretch yourself and/or grown. each relationship you have with a person is gonna be some different combination of honesty, accountability, and responsibility and that will lead to different views of your integrity by others. so, how do i see each of the traits?
honesty: is your intent, action, or speaking a true reflection of what you want to convey? or did you put a "political spin" on it? does it truly match with what is in your heart, mind, and soul?
accountability: do you accept the consequences of your actions and words? this is pretty easy in a virtual world. can you look somebody in the eye when you deliver that message?
responsibility: do you perform what is required of you, regardless of how painful it may seem to be? do you step forward or at least do you NOT turn and run when everyone steps back?
just my take on the traits. funny, how i defined them from questions. (at least to me)
our third contestant is LOVE. there has to be something within us that feeds that "passion-fire" within all of us. it can love of country, family, friends, belief, etc. also, i would say that compassion can fall into this bucket. we all need to show compassion to others, and be willing to accept the compassion of others. yes, we ALL will need it at some point and hopefully we remember this when we treat others with compassion or at least empathy. indifference should have been added to the 7 deadly sins, but 8 doesn't have the cinematic quality of a 7. (your welcome b.pitt) seriously, when you can't feel for anything then it is time to cash in your chips and leave the table. so, it is important that we open our hearts to love & compassion because these seem to be the true way to exercise our hearts. and, as we all know the heart is the strongest muscle in the human body. so, with that logic then love and compassion have to be some pretty awesome exercises. i hope you have all found love at least once and continue to find more in your own lives. me? i have and i continue to look for more.
batting clean-up, HUMILITY. seems like everyone these days could show a bit more humility. if anything, we have all made some mistakes or had to live with consequences of other's mistakes. shit happens, and you just have to be honest about it. at times, we are gonna be taken down a few notches and sometimes we may go up a few notches. so, just keep that in mind, stay grounded, stay humble. remember, there are others who will help you up when you fall and just make sure to keep paying it forward.
COMMUNICATION. this is what it is all about, how do you get your message out?
every single time others see our actions or hear our words, we are conveying a message about our humor, integrity, love and humility. everything we do is a communication with others; how we listen, how we respond, how we initiate, and on and on. and, the mediums are always changing, and sometimes for the better or worse. but, we keep striving to convey the message and more importantly receiving the message. let me repeat that. it is more important to receive the message. we all need to strive to listen more and talk less. we truly will learn more. however you communicate, all i ask is that you continue to improve it and strive to always convey your humor, integrity, love and humility.
that is all i got for today. i am never really sure where these will go but this one felt really good to write. i got a lot for it and maybe you did too. maybe i put down like 5 to 7 cents with this entry.
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