EMBRACING OUR INNER BRAVEHEART 12 MAY 2014

EMBRACING OUR INNER BRAVEHEART: thoughts to embolden us to not only stay in the game of life, but to reach for the good noble life. This post is about facing difficult choices & boldly getting the best. This post’s issues are manifesting all around us, do we allow our fears to trap us, limit us, & rule us or will we find our inner Braveheart & live a rich life? If one wants to be great, you will have to be responsible. Responsibility means being in our sacred Braveheart so we can face problems realistically. Unless we properly diagnose problems we can’t responsibly solve them.

BASE FOOTINGS. Authenticity means a commitment to open & honest communication. Trust is the foundation of communication. Likewise, integrity is the foundation of a successful life. Now integrity is to do what is right…& that is not always the easiest choice, so courage is needed for integrity. You are beginning to see that a braveheart supports other virtues! Love is the essence of God; & w/out love we ourselves are but empty containers. It takes courage to live a loving life by lowering one’s defenses, being vulnerable, & risking a heart ache plus misuse of one’s love. The ultimate is when body, soul & spirit are in harmony & wholeness. This harmonic wholeness comes from integrity & authenticity. We see how they all go together!

CONFLICTING NEEDS & RATIONALIZATION. Life is challenging. Situations present choices that make you choose between two competing needs, or two competing virtues, spiritual principles or values. Do I give my body the rest it needs or finish this project? Do I stay here & use the family doctor, or travel to Acapulco, Mex. to treat my daughter’s cancer? What is the best way to handle my child wanting to smoke a joint at school? Do I fudge on my integrity to follow my boss, or do I stand my ground & lose my income to provide for my family? Sometimes neither choice seems free of drawbacks. Which is the lesser evil? Those with faith can move forward, knowing that God is our effectiveness & turns our poor choices into ways to accomplish the divine will. I have been patiently waiting to tell you about “epokhe”—a Greek word whose concept I rejoice in. Epokhe means “I suspend judgment” in the context of “I don’t have to have an answer to everything!” For instance, will this project/marriage/solution never fail?? Epokhe! We all have the right to doubt our own answers and knowledge! It is wise to be aware of our own fallibility. One standard human weakness is rationalization. When we face the hard choices above, the instinct to fudge & rationalize comes into play. When the individual does this, it traps him in a delusion. When a leader does this, he traps his entire organization into lower level of success, the status quo stays, & growth stops. On the flip side, a good leader knows the right good buttons to push to lift his people up, empower & value them. When their value increases, and they are empowered, they in turn empower the leader. That is why you see Putin’s “right-hand” friends were given control over industries to empower them. Red China did the same cronyism.

Anger will chain us to the past. Indignation can be beneficial. Anger is a mixed bag & can actually physically & emotionally damage the person holding on to the anger. Also people get caught in the fear of opening one’s heart completely, & then they keep an emotional distance from others, and to avoid commitments will sabotage relationships. We are taught forgiveness. Forgiveness takes strength. Let it go. Sadness can chain us to the past also. But sadness is interesting, because it can produce a deep sense of purpose. Look at people with a deep sense of purpose, & usually they will have a deep sadness that has hit them at some point.

Life questions all of us. Will we reclaim our inner braveheart and step into new territory…or will we cower in the corner & go into our shell like a turtle??? A braveheart gives us the strength to let go of having to control the outcomes of one’s efforts. Courage can cause our life to blossom, & when you blossom, you will inspire those around you. This is your life, it is yours.… Be blessed my friend.