I am in their debt
I had an odd thought this morning: I am the love child of Steve Muhammad and Larry Niven. They meet in my heart: from the very bottom (raised by slaves, a War Chief of his tribe!) to the very top (child of wealth and privilege! One of the greatest SF writers of the 20thCentury). There ain't nothin' you got to say about clawing your way out of abuse, neglect, or oppression, or mastering high-level success in ALL THREE arenas of life that is not contained within the shared wisdom of these two giants. I am utterly blessed. And all they asked is that I be honest with them, honor and love them…and pass on the blessing.
And that I gladly do.
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I think there is something some call a "feature" and others a "glitch" about human consciousness. It is the capacity of FAITH. In one context, it is "belief in things unseen" and necessary to navigate life. In another context, it can be mindless Lemming behavior, often seen in political movements.
I think that individuals MUST have faith. The Hero's Journey has the "Leap of Faith" as a specific step through the "dark night of the soul." The MAGIC Formula uses GRATITUDE for past treasures as a way to develop confidence in future success.
It is easiest to see the FOOLISH aspect of this looking at our political opponents, or sometimes those with philosophies diametrically opposed to our own. But wisdom will demand that we also see this tendency in our political allies, friends…and the person in the mirror. We all do it. Life would be impossible to navigate without faith. If we didn't have basic confidence in the sanity and capacity of the average person, we'd never drive down the street, or take money in exchange for services.
The Three Gates demand that we constantly seek to determine "What is True?" and while children have to simply accept certain rules and perspectives, as soon as they become teenagers, if they are at all healthy they will begin to question EVERYTHING they have been told, and will no longer accept "believe it because I say it."
Those who believe things simply because a leader or elder says it is in an immature position, a "neotenous" position, child-like. Emptying your cup and saying "Teach me, Sifu" is an aspect of this.
Nice quandry, eh? The path to mastery demands a child-like trust. So how do we decide who to trust?
I say: LOOK AT THEIR RESULTS. If their actions are in alignment with their words, and those actions are taking them to a destination you desire, it is reasonable to "taste their tea".
A MAJOR warning sign should be someone who DEMANDS trust. "Respect my authoritah!" Even if they are getting the results you desire in one arena, unless your goal is to be an autocrat, I'd be very careful. And if they DON'T have the results you want?
RUN AWAY.
"Firedance" is the way to integrate MAGIC into your life. Done properly, it actually creates "luck." That is a stupendous claim, and you'd be unwise to swallow it without chewing. This is why the first step is totally open and testable with only an hour of work: The "Five Minute Miracle". Set your smart phone for an hourly alarm. Every hour on the hour do sixty seconds of deep, slow, diaphragmatic breathing. Do this at least five times a day.
Keep track of your results over two weeks of this practice. If I'm right you should:
Experience a measurable drop in perceived stress.
Accomplish more with less stress
Develop a deeper sense of "flow."
Experience more joy and less pain, overall
Improved "executive function"
IF AND ONLY IF you get such positive results, you might well consider taking the next steps, which can be found in my new book: "M.A.G.I.C.: Earning Your Black Belt in Life" at www.realherosjourney.com
But I ONLY want you to get it if you have taken that first step with the breathing. The Three Gates are critical to this process, and learning to determine "what is true?" for yourself demands that you anchor any sort of esoteric or abstract idea to material objective reality. Otherwise, it is easy to get lost. So easy.
Just look at the current political scene. No matter which side you are on, you probably can detect the massive appeal of self-deception on the "other side." Again, if you are wise you will see it also in your allies. And in yourself.
Waking up to this can be a major step toward being an awake, aware, ADULT human being. My lifetime ambition is to facilitate this awakening in ONE MILLION PEOPLE.
That's who I am. Who are you? And what is true about that?
Try the breathing. Look up "diaphragmatic breathing" on Youtube, or use techniques you've learned in meditation, yoga, chi Gung, or even operatic singing. DO IT. Five times every day, on the hour. And journal your results.
If you think this is your path, let the masters who guided me guide you for just a little while.
We can walk this path together.
Namaste
Steve