Day 8: This Too Shall Pass

Life is not a game. Business is a game. One of my mentors told me that when I went to him for support during a challenge within my business. Sport is competitive. There is a winner and loser. It’s tough. People try to cheat. But it’s also fun. It’s exciting, exhilarating at times. This challenge, although not apparent to me at first, was my first real competition in the business world. I wasn’t prepared for it, but then how could I have been? What I quickly realized though was that preparation was irrelevant, because my principle was all that mattered. When you are in a fight and you’re feeling defeated and you want to give up, what is that keeps you going? Is it the promise of reward? Is it the desire for recognition? Is it that you’re looking for a feeling of accomplishment? In any other business those would have been the common reasons, but for me, none of those things are ultimately important. What’s important is that what I am doing is best. If it wasn’t it would be easy to walk away. But when you know WHY you’re doing something, then there’s no giving up. It’s not even an option. And paradoxically, that is real freedom. Because when we bind ourselves to the principle of what is Best for All, we do not bend with what experience throws at us. We have the freedom to choose the right thing no matter whether the experience is positive or negative. And within this realization I found my real strength. If you go back and look at the post for Day 1 where we discussed energy vs structure and Day 5 discussing the use of emotions in selling, you’ll see that the one who bases themselves in energy is the one who eventually loses. Because energy always has a beginning and an end. Don’t believe what they tell you that energy cannot be created nor destroyed. That is lies that are put there to fuck with your mind. If energy can’t be destroyed then why is there divorce? Energy doesn’t last. Principle does.

So, when the competition came, looking for a way to destroy what I (along with many others) had spent years building, I had to very quickly learn to compete at a totally different level. It would be like playing little league and then being called up to the minors (I’m not going to say the major league, because that would give these guys too much credit, lol). Also, understand when I am talking about the competition, it’s not personal. I don’t hold a grudge because I realize that the reason we abuse and fight and compete is because we have abdicated our responsibility to a system, which is the Ego. The ego is the result of separating ourselves from life. And at this point in time it has become like an entity in itself. It is antithetical to life. It is in fact death itself. It is energy based and therefore has to move from host to host sucking the life out of every person it touches. The sad thing is that we allow it. We accept it. We in fact created it, we’ve just allowed ourselves to forget. So, now we have to take responsibility and direct it. And in this ‘fight’ our tools will be self-honesty, where we allow ourselves to examine who we are, who we have become, being open and honest with ourselves so that we may see the err of our ways; self-forgiveness to allow ourselves to stop the cycle of self-reinforcement, to not punish ourselves and perpetuate the abuse, to open ourselves up with a clean slate; self-correction to correct those parts of ourselves that do not act in ways that are best for ourselves and everyone else, to restructure ourselves from the clear starting point to rebuild a foundation within ourselves that will support us to act in ways that are best. We don’t actually have to ‘fight’ the ego, because that will only strengthen it. We only have to forgive ourselves, take self-responsibility, and remain stable within our principle, and eventually the ego will run out of energy.

So within a business based on principle, you are going to find yourself in fights. You can’t stand up for Life in a system of abuse and not expect to piss someone off. And when the fight comes, just remember WHY you are doing what you’re doing. Remember your starting point. Remain stable and realize that the attacker is in fact YOU; a part of you that has gone astray and is coming back looking for direction. Clear the emotions, forgive, and direct. That is how we will weather any storm that may come. Eventually the storm will pass.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to doubt my purpose.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to react to another’s words when it calls my purpose into question.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to project my own abuse of life outside of myself and to blame others and judge others as abusers when in fact we all live in an abusive system, and thus as long as this system exists within the starting point of abuse, no one is able to claim any form of innocence, and yet within that I have the capacity to change myself to no longer accept the system as it is and to face any challenge presented to obstruct my way to changing the system to one that is best for all.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to attack others for having a lack of integrity, not realizing that the system that we have accepted and allowed has no integrity as evidenced by the thousands of children who starve every day and who are abused by those in positions of trust and care, and that integrity will never exist until it exists everywhere, and thus it is not integrity that one should stand by, but the principle of what is best for all.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to blame others for my failures and my limitations, not realizing that in doing so I actually place myself in a position of failure and limitation.

I forgive myself that I have not allowed myself to realize that business is constructed as a game with winners and losers, and that unfortunately we have allowed this game to control Life, instead of supporting all Life equally and utilizing business as a fun and creative way to experience Life.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to believe that I am weak and not able to compete in the game of business.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to believe that I lack the resolve and fortitude to succeed in business.

I forgive myself that I have not allowed myself to realize that the challenges I face in business are opportunities to make me stronger, to prepare me to handle greater challenges and to thus succeed in even greater ways than before.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to perceive others who do not cooperate in business as the enemy.

I forgive myself that I have not accepted and allowed myself to realize that all men and women are my brothers and sisters and that as I do unto them they will do unto me, and thus I commit myself to give to my brothers and sisters my very best, and if I think, feel, believe, or perceive that they do not, then I forgive myself and them as myself until this world is transformed to one where no abuse exist and everyone has every possible opportunity to experience the full joy and happiness of Life equal and one.

I commit myself to stand within the principle of what is best for all by stopping participation within emotions both in the moment through breath and through self-discovery within this writing process to prepare myself to handle greater and greater challenges that require stability in the face of the revenge of the go, and to have the greatest impact that is best for all within the time that I have left on earth.

If you find this blog to be of value and support, share it with others. Follow this blog and check back often to walk with me on this journey. Feel free to reach out! Let’s move together as one until all are equal! Until next time, “All the Best!”

Day 7: Failure is not the End

Challenges are inevitable in business. They say that those who really succeed are the ones who fail more than anyone else but keep getting back up and moving forward. We are taught to fear failure through our education system, the media, and the total environment really. In a survival system, failure is unacceptable because it means “the end.” And if we are honest with ourselves, the world is currently set up as a survival system. Some are in a position, due to money, that minor failures do not lead to immediate disaster, but for some, failure to earn a few dollars that day may mean they go to bed hungry. And a human being can only go to bed hungry so many times. Failure to survive means death, and we all fear dying. But by participating in this fear we never allow ourselves to really LIVE. Life is not about survival (in principle), but that is what we have allowed it to become. Imagine a world where survival was guaranteed. What would failure mean in that context? It would then simply not achieving the desired result, but it would not be life or death. Failure is part of any learning process, thus if we fear failure, we prevent ourselves from learning. Being open to learn from one’s experience is a key basic fundamental that one must constantly work on mastering as an entrepreneur. But, if we are participating in fear of failure, then we close ourselves to being open to learn. Thus our teachability drops and we find it very difficult to move forward, whether in business or in life more generally. So, we are presented with an interesting challenge, that we must not participate in fear of failure, and yet fear of failure is ingrained in us from a young age.

So, the choice is clear, we must either confront our fear or accept it and thus consign ourselves to a life of, well, failure. Isn’t that interesting? If we accept fear of failure (which we think will prevent us from failing) we ultimately fail. You might think, “But if we avoid failure then we survive, right?” No, because everyone dies. Isn’t that interesting? Our system is based on a constant focus on survival, and yet death is inevitable? Its really pretty insane when you think about it. What if we, for a moment, accepted the inevitability of our death, and despite that decided to LIVE in each moment regardless. Does the fact that you will die, mean that you should throw all principle out of the window and just fight for survival? It makes no sense and yet it’s what we do.

We fight each other for control of a reality that none of us can possible really own. We lie to ourselves and pretend that our accumulation of wealth and knowledge matters, when in fact all that matters is WHO WE ARE. Given a reality where so many suffer, as both a direct and indirect result of each of our individual actions, will we ignore the suffering and only seek our own (limited) happiness, or will we stand within the principle of doing what is best and thus DO our very best to stop the system of abuse that is causing the suffering? We must examine how we perpetuate it with our own actions, but not be so naive to think that by not participating we have had a lasting effect. The solution is not to stop participating in the system as an individual, it is to stop allowing yourself to be controlled and manipulated by a system that does not have everyone's best interest at heart, and to within that support others to wake up and to take responsibility for the system as a whole.

Do you think that if you decide to stand up for what is best that you will not be challenged? We live in a system that has absolute control over every aspect of our lives, so standing up and supporting others as oneself to do the same will not be an easy task. It will in fact be the greatest task that we could possibly conceive. It will take real creativity and courage. It will involve failing over and over and over until we are able to finally stand without wavering. The only thing we have to guide us in this is our principle, to do what is best, to the best of our ability. Our minds will play tricks, because they have been designed to do that. Our reasoning and our logic will not always be sound, because they have been designed to limit us. Our trust in ourselves will be constantly challenged. We will doubt ourselves at times. The most important thing is that we never give up. Giving up just means delaying the process, because eventually you will get tired of being stuck where you are and have to start again, but it will be harder, because you will have the memories of giving up on yourself. At the end of the day, it doesn’t matter how many times you have failed. If you are breathing right now, then you have this moment to begin again. It doesn’t matter if your whole world is crashing down around you. Just breathe and let the dust settle. In the end the principle of what is best will stand. There can be nothing else.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to fear failure.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to believe that failure is the end.

i forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to define failure as negative.

I forgive myself that I have not allowed myself to see the gift in failure, in that it provides me with the opportunity to become more specific in my application.

I forgive myself that I have judged others as failures.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to judge myself as a failure.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to wish failure on others out of jealousy over their success.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to believe that success is not available for everyone and that I must compete with others to be successful.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to define success and failure as things that apply to me personally, not realizing that we all succeed or fail together, because we are all together, collectively one, and thus competition is pointless because there can be no winners ultimately.

I forgive myself that I have accepted and allowed myself to be manipulated, both by myself and through others as myself, through the words success and failure.

I commit myself to placing my focus on the success of all Life, which is to say that I commit myself to becoming the best that I can be and to supporting others to be their very best.

If you find this blog to be of value and support, share it with others. Follow this blog and check back often to walk with me on this journey. Feel free to reach out! Let’s move together as one until all are equal! Until next time, “All the Best!”

Day 2: Man's Search for Meaning

This past weekend I attended an event in Orlando, Florida put on by the Global Information Network, a club of which I am a member. In one of the talks given, Troy McClain discussed Viktor Frankl, a famous psychiatrist, and shared with us his philosophy of man, as compared to other popular philosophies, such as Freud’s or that of the behaviorists. There was quite a bit discussed, and it can best be summed up by watching this video of Frankl giving a lecture to university students in 1972. As I later started to investigate Viktor Frankl and his work, I found that he wrote a book that was published in 1946 entitled Man’s Search for Meaning.  Now, I have not yet read the book myself, so I won’t be giving a review, but the title of the book forms the topic that I would like to address in this post. And that is Meaning and Purpose. Many dictionaries define the word ‘meaning’ as synonymous with purpose in some contexts and that is the context in which I am using the word. Meaning and purpose can be defined as the significance of something, the end, the intention behind an action or series of actions. So, if man’s ultimate search is to find a meaning and purpose for his life, it would be of value to ask, “What is the purpose of a human life?”

As Frankl pointed out, and I’m sure we can all relate to this, man is searching for meaning. Which is to say that he (and if I use the word ‘he’ it is generally meant as he or she) is looking for a purpose for his existence and his actions. For me that search began in college, in the sense that I began to consciously question and look for a purpose. However, we always have a purpose for our actions, whether we are aware of it in each moment or not, because every action has an end or significance by definition. Again, what then is the purpose and meaning of a human life? As we explored in the last post, most people live and die simply fulfilling a function in our system. We are born, we are educated, we find work, and then we do that until we either retire or we simply keep working until we die. It’s interesting if you look at the word ‘retire’ because when a machine breaks down and is removed from operation, we say that we are ‘retiring’ it. Or if a pitcher in a baseball game can no longer pitch and is replaced, he is ‘retired.’ So this word retirement is promoted in this world as a point where one can now relax and live the good life, but it is in fact the time at which your usefulness to the system, in terms of contributing to the economic system has run its course and therefore you are retired. As we shall see along this journey, there are many words which we define one way in our mind, but which we live in a completely different way in reality.

So that brings us back to the question of what the purpose of a human life is, because it seems that if we look at the overwhelming majority of cases, the purpose is simply to fulfill a function of providing some form of labor within the system. One might say that the purpose of life is to be happy, but if that is true then why are so many unhappy? See, purpose cannot be something that you wish it to be, it is what it is. A thing’s purpose is what its end or significance is in fact. So for example, we might say that our purpose is to be happy, but if we live a life where we are not happy, then that was not our purpose.  A wise man once said that it is important to have dreams but not to live in a dream world. Some may not want to look at this reality directly, but, by looking at it, we can address it head on and make the changes necessary to bring our desired experience into reality, instead of keeping it in our minds as a fantasy, unfulfilled.

So the way I see it - and I would like to take a moment to make a point, that just because I do not have a degree in psychology or a doctorate in medicine, does not mean that I am any less qualified or able to see what Life is really about. I have my own common sense and a desire to know the truth and that is all that is necessary. We are all susceptible to dishonesty within ourselves and towards events or information. Having letters after your name does not immunize you against self-dishonesty. You, likewise, have your own common sense, and although we are taught not to rely on that and instead to defer judgment to the ‘experts,’ I would implore you to think for yourself. Question everything, even your thoughts. Get to the bottom of things. Do not accept anything at face value. The degree of cultural programming that influences our thoughts, feelings, emotions, and beliefs is quite extensive and so we must be diligent to place our minds out before ourselves, in writing, and examine what we take for granted. As long as we continue to think as we’ve always thought, we’ll continue to get what we’ve always got.

So to get back to the point: the way I see it, there are only two options when it comes to meaning and purpose. You either accept the purpose and meaning of life as it is given to you, or your question that purpose and use common sense to discover the purpose for your life that makes the most sense and then do what is necessary to actually live it in reality. Again, not the purpose that the experts say is the ‘correct answer’ but the purpose that you can work out for yourself. And, again, just because you ‘choose a purpose’ does not mean you are living it. Here the writing allows me/you to measure what I am living. In this, self-honesty is important, because it’s very easy to lie to yourself. For me, I have seen enough times that being dishonest with myself always brings me back to the same point so I’ve had enough of that. But still we must be diligent and not take our self-honesty for granted. It’s not a ‘thing’ you can own, it is something we do and prove in each moment as we apply it. Just remember that you may be able to draw a beautiful picture of an apple pie, but it will not satisfy your hunger. Furthermore, if we lie to ourselves and pretend as if something is what it is not, then we disenfranchise ourselves from the opportunity to make the thing what we want it to be. So, to stay in alignment with our principles we must take advantage of the power and simplicity of the tool of self-honesty.

Earlier I indirectly implied that the purpose of Life as we know it is not to be happy. Let me be clear. I’m not saying that I would not like that to be the purpose, but I’m saying that the way we are living our lives currently, as a collective, is not actually creating the desired result. Most people suffer tremendously and experience only fleeting moments of happiness if at all. According to my own assessment, however, happiness is the only purpose that we can all universally agree upon as a desired state that one would wish for themselves and for others. So if that is the real purpose that we would like for our lives, then why do we not live with that purpose? Is it obvious to you yet that the world is not set up to guarantee happiness for anyone? And even if one person says “I am happy” then I would have to ask, “How can you be happy knowing that children are born in this world and sold into slavery as sex objects,” because, that does occur. And at this point I am sure that I will lose many people who are looking for the positive thinking secrets of success and who believe that one must only think happy thoughts and feel great all the time to achieve anything in life. Well, I’m here to tell you that that is a great lie that has kept humanity in a cycle of abuse for as far back as anyone can measure. Real ‘positivity’ would be sustainable indefinitely, because that would be best (remember, according to our principle, this will always be our measure.) One cannot, within common sense, truly accept that it is best to experience suffering and abuse and to allow the perpetration of abuse on innocent children. Now, before you or anyone feels that I am judging anyone else for ‘thinking positively,’ I am not free from judgment. I have been down that path myself. I went down that path because I wanted to be happy. There’s nothing wrong with that. I thought that the path of positive thinking was the path to happiness. But the problem is that positive thinking blinds one to the reality that others are suffering and if one has the courage to look, one can easily see that one is contributing to the suffering of others, even if in very subtle ways, and it is in many cases not deliberate or conscious. As an American I use products everyday that are made by the hands of other human beings who have no opportunity to make a decent living for themselves and are thus relegated to slave labor just to survive. You may be aware of the scandal involving the suicide epidemic with workers at the Foxconn plants in China where iPhones are assembled. These people live under physical conditions that even you or I would have a tremendous amount of difficulty surviving under, much less changing or altering to our benefit. And, while I do understand the power of belief, and that what you believe completely will in some way or another manifest, even you and I had to be taught that, and it is possible to keep this hidden from someone through the way we structure their environment and education. So the point is not to feel bad and to become depressed, but to realize that by being honest about the situation we find ourselves in we then have a better vantage point to see the problem clearly and to thus take measurable action that will actually change the situation.

So, we have this issue: that so many believe that through simply being positive and only thinking positive thoughts that their lives will automatically be happier. This is a result of pervasive social programming, which in some cases is designed to actually disempower everyone, especially those who would be in a position to change the system. It doesn’t mean that one should deliberately feel bad. Obviously if you are feeling bad then you are not going to be in a position to do anything. It is this point that is keeping so many people in poverty. Ultimately each and every person is responsible for what they believe about themselves, but our beliefs are shaped by the environment we are born into and the possibilities that we are aware of. There are those rare cases, where people are able to escape their circumstances and do ‘great things’ but if we are honest (and this is very difficult to do, I know) and we look at what all of these ‘rags to riches’ stories actually accomplished, we do not see anyone having created a systemic change that leads to a system that is best for all. The system is very clever at finding ways to trap even those with the biggest hearts and desire to give to others into perpetuating the system of abuse, even if indirectly. This is not to say that we should discount the efforts of those who have risen above their station. No, we can learn from them some of the secrets of how to alter our circumstances. And yet, if we do not hold ourselves to the principle of always doing what is Best for All, then we too will inevitably fall into the same trap. And ‘holding ourselves to a principle,’ again, is not something we do in our mind alone. It is not a belief system. It is a consistent application of ourselves in action and self-support to not go with the pre-programmed path but to stand up and stand out. Structuring this principle within ourselves through writing is the key to ensuring that our stand is not based on energy so that we an remain stable within our directive principle when the hard times come. And, if there is one thing I have learned as an entrepreneur, it is that the hard times will come. This is why so few succeed. We are taught to fear and avoid failure and to internalize failure as a reflection of who we are when it is in fact part of any learning process. The best students are willing to fail again and again and to use that feedback to become their very best.

So back to Purpose. At the moment, because of how our environment is designed, through the accumulation of the past actions of our ancestors, and perpetuated in present time by our own, when a child is born, they are programmed to live only for the benefit of the system itself. The system is not a person. It does not have feelings or wishes or desires. It does not feel pain or sadness. It does not feel joy. It is a machine. Its purpose is to continue to exist no matter what. That is the nature of a system. It is not something to be judged, and yet we can look and see that the system, as it is currently functioning is not the best it could possible be. I don’t have to prove that. And you don’t need an expert to back it up. You will either agree or disagree. And if you disagree then I am confident that you will eventually experience, at some point, the consequence of not changing the system. And if it were best, then why wouldn’t we want to run perpetually? Anything that is not best will in the end produce a result for everyone that is not best. That is common sense. So no matter how much money or fame or security you have, eventually, if we do not all together change this system so that it is the best it can possible be, then how can it possibly give you or me or anyone the best possible result?

So what is best? You can work that out for yourself. Is it best for everyone to have every practically possible opportunity to be happy? Is it best that everyone understand the value of effort within the equal understanding that your effort and action produces consequences that if not aligned with what is best for all, will produce an inferior result? Is it not best that everyone be able to express who they really are? Is it not best that we continually expand and experience ever expanding joy and happiness?

The key here is to not engage in wishful thinking. The things listed above are on our ‘to-get’ list, not our ‘to-do’ list. We may have to do some things we do not enjoy doing because we have to walk through the consequences we have allowed as they are programmed into the system. If your toilet overflows, you may have to wade through some shit. But then design a better toilet so that it doesn’t overflow again.

So my purpose, the one I give to myself, is to do whatever it takes to create a world that is best for all. Part of that is this writing process that I am now sharing with you and the world. There are others walking the same process, all one has to do is google ‘Journey to Life blogs’ and you will find many others with different perspectives but with the same directive principle. You may find lessons there that you do not find here. Fortunately we live in an age where we are able to share our lives and experiences with each other through technology and thus what may take 15 years for me may take 5 or less for you. And imagine what we can then do to support our children and their children?

We are all here together in this world and no man is an island. Our choices have consequences. Our preprogramming limits the range of choices we have, and yet one must find within oneself that spark of Life and the resolve to kindle it and bring to shine out in this world. It’s not easy, and yet as a group, anything is possible. There is so much to do in this world. Do not let that dishearten you. Let it excite you! Let it spur you to action. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. I have made plenty. And I still have a lot to learn. The truth is that there little to add, but much to remove. I believe that given the right environment a person will naturally want and do what is best. And given the option to choose their purpose, unencumbered by force or negative influence, anyone would choose to be happy and to act in a way that allows others to be happy as well.

So here we are together, at a unique point in history where this is actually possible. I really don’t think that this message could have had a real impact at any other time. We all know what happened to Jesus. His message was one of equality and in essence was that we should give in order that we may receive. If we want happiness when we must ensure if for all equally, and yet we have not yet manifested the ‘kindgom of heaven’ here on earth. Heaven on Earth is possible, because I believe it is. What that will actually look like, it’s hard to imagine, because our imaginations have been captivated and molded in the image and likeness of a system of consumption and abuse. We will have to let go of our beliefs and realize that we don’t know what we don’t know. We have to be willing to learn and to accept change and always bring ourselves back to our principle, our starting point because that will determine our end point, and thus we give to ourselves in every moment the best purpose possible.

If you find this blog to be of value and support, share it with others. Follow this blog and check back often to walk with me on this journey. Feel free to reach out! Let’s move together as one until all are equal! Until next time, “All the Best!”

Day 1: Structure vs Energy

This blog’s purpose is to document my journey to becoming a person of integrity. I will be sharing my realizations, cognitions, and lessons on this journey. I will be sharing the tools that I am using and my application of them.

 I have walked a path in my life for many years now, with regards to developing myself into an entrepreneur and I’ve had many successes and many failures. The point that I am realizing which has spurred me to begin this process of writing down and documenting my life and self-development from this point forward is that energy, while oftentimes a useful tool, is limited. Energy is used to mold and manipulate this world, and if not understood and placed in the proper context in one’s life, it can come to consume your life so that there is very little left of that spark of Life that we come into this world with. There is a lot of information out there in the self-development circles, and although I am not pretending to know everything or have all the answers, I have walked a unique path for a period of time, which has given me the opportunity to test many theories through applying them to my life and to see their effects and consequences. I have also had the ‘fortune,’ if you will, to learn from others who have walked for many years with great successes and terrific failures and I have watched them closely and taken notes and practiced what I learned. I have not always been a perfect student, I always have room for improvement, but I hope that you may be able to learn something from my journey that you can use to accelerate your process to becoming the best version of yourself possible. Of course, at the end of the day, you are ultimately responsible for what you create of yourself, but if I can be of service in supporting you and others to achieve your goals, as long as your goals are in line with what is Best, then I will consider this endeavor a success.

Now, before I return to explaining the realization that I’d like to share in this post, I want to implore you to consider a fundamental principle: Knowledge without application is useless. They say knowledge is power, but the truth is that only knowledge that is applied is power, because power is one and the same as physical movement. So, when we ‘realize’ something, it cannot stay in the mind as thoughts. You cannot ‘realize’ something without taking measureable action. Because if it does not have a measureable effect in reality, then it is not Real. It would only be fantasy or imagination. To know and not to do, is not to know.  So for us to truly realize something, we must make it real, not just think about it and feel good about having thought something profound or interesting.

So, back to the realization. Even though this is a point I have understood for some time now, the physical manifestation, the REALization of my understanding is this very blog that you are now reading. That will make more sense as you continue to read, but for now simply consider that I am planting seeds that will germinate and sprout as we walk together.

Consider the following assertion: Energy, as we understand it, is not real. It is not real because it is always changing. Anyone who has been in a relationship will understand what I mean (everyone is in relationship to many things, whether they are aware of it or not. You are in a relationship with yourself, for example, which is why you talk to yourself. Who is the one talking and who is the one listening? Funny when you stop to think about it.) In any relationship, one moment you are happy and then something can happen which throws you for a complete loop. You are in love and absolutely adore someone one second and then the next you hate him or her and want them out of your life.  This is the essence of energy: up and down, positive and negative. Think of a battery. You charge it up and then its able to power something, but then eventually that charge runs out. Life, or what most people experience of life, is a series of ups and downs, but the real question is whether it has to be this way. Is it LIFE itself that is up and down, or our experience or perception of it that is up and down? Is Life our experience or is Life a principle?

You may wonder what this has to do with entrepreneurship, because after all that is the theme of this blog. What I have found thus far on my journey as an entrepreneur is that many times I have attained a point of success only to have it fall apart. Just like the observation about relationships, success in business has its ups and downs. It is a common success principle that the one who fails the most will in the end succeed where others would have given up. I’m not suggesting that one can completely prevent the ups and downs, at least not within the current system (because it is based on energy and therefore subject to the cyclic, wavelike nature of energy.) The ‘problem’ I am addressing is the tendency for myself (and you may experience this as well) to, when the ‘down’ comes, to lose faith in myself or crash very hard and within that to create consequences that are not best. Consequences that end up making it more difficult to get back on track and headed towards the achievement of my goal. Then a lot of time is spent on trying to undo the consequences, instead of moving forward and expanding. There seems to be a point to which I expand and then a contraction occurs, almost like hitting a limit, and so it has been difficult up until now to move past that limit. I have expanded quite a bit from where I started on this journey, don’t get me wrong, however my goal is to have a real, measurable impact in this world, and to do that I must be able to move others in this world into taking action. That is what an entrepreneur does. He or she is able to formulate an idea and then, using the tools of influence and communication, create circumstances and events and coordinate people to manifest the idea into reality. So within that I am now seeing the opportunity to make some changes within myself that will support me to become even more effective at fulfilling my goals and dreams, my chief aim being to support as many people as possible (including myself, first and foremost) to become the best version of themselves and to therefore support future and current generations to develop the strength, resolve, and understanding necessary to create a system that is best for all. So within this, I have found that I must stop my RELIANCE on energy as a form of motivation and to develop a stable foundation within myself to move from.

So, as I was saying previously, Life itself is not based in energy, and yet our perception and experience of Life is as an up and down, so therefore there must be an adjustment. Now, before you think I am going to suggest that you just drop all your perceptions and meditate until you have no experience of up or down, please understand, that is not my point. What I have come to understand is that what is truly real is that which stands the test of time. It is not up or down. The best expression of this concept in a word is: Principle. Principle differs from energy in that it doesn’t change based on circumstance. For example, if someone says they love you and then suddenly you like them and want to give them gifts, and then they say they don’t like you and you go into anger or self-pity, then you are living within energy, you are subject to it, and you are changing who you are based on the up and down cycles. But if you treat everyone equally no matter what (that doesn’t mean ‘the same,’ it simply means that you treat them with equal dignity and you recognize the equal value of their life as compared with anyone else’s, including yours, and you consider this equality within all of your decisions), then you are living within principle. Living within principle is not living by a set of rules, because that would simply be following a pre-determined pattern and would not be living at all. Life, according to my own common sense, is expansion and being/having/doing the very best in each moment. So, according to that definition, anyone with eyes to see can look around at the world and see that virtually no one is living the best life they possibly can. No one is truly happy. Most people are in fact living in absolute poverty, misery, and suppression of who they really are. Why is that?

It is because we are all living in and participating in a system that is not designed to provide the best possible life for everyone (animals and plants included). So there is really no Life at all on this planet. We are constantly looking for life in outer space and other planets, and yet completely miss the fact that life is absent right here (maybe that is why we are so keen to look elsewhere, lol.)  Partly it has to do with how we have defined the word ‘Life,’ which mainly comes to us through our social programming through media and school, which defines life in a limited way (something to explore in another post perhaps.) But if we really look and are honest with ourselves, we can see that most people that are alive right now, are simply following in a path that is set before them. Their life is not really self-determined. They are not expanding; they are actually diminishing. 

So then who is really in control? Well, lets look at that. When you are born, you are given a name and a set of parents and then these people begin to educate you. They will consciously think of lessons to teach you and they will use various forms of reward and punishment to mold your behavior, and you will also learn a great deal simply by observing them and mimicking their behavior. This occurs quite naturally and is referred to as the Natural Learning Ability (more about that in a future post as well.) So, much of a person’s life is set in the first 7 years, which countless researchers have shown to be the time period where the child learns the most. After that our Natural Learning Ability shuts down, so to speak, and from that point on we mostly are just memorizing specific information relating to different fields or we are training ourselves to repeat certain tasks for money. But in those first seven years we will learn a lot about our environment and develop habits and patterns of thought to navigate in this world. Now, look at it self-honestly. How much of what you learn during that time period is deliberate, well thought out, and calculated to support you to be the very best that you can possibly be? And even if you as an individual have parents that do their very best, what about the billions of others on this planet? Is it the case that genius is exceedingly rare because it is not natural to the average person, or is it because it is rare that a person is supported to utilize the full range of their true capabilities as a human being?

Now, consider that your parents learned from their parents and from their environment. The cycle goes back as far as anyone can reasonably measure. This cyclic reinforcement is referred to as programming, and because it already exists when you are born, we can say that your life is pre-programmed. That doesn’t mean you can’t do something about it, but before you can you must be honest about reality. So the environment is pre-set from the moment you are born and it is set to be one where you must learn to survive and so survival becomes your primary focus. Instead of survival being a guarantee (which it is not for the average human being), it is something you must earn. Which means that from the moment you are born, the system we live in says to you that you are not worthy, by virtue of being alive, of continuing to live. You must earn it. Now, we do not have time to go into every dimension of this in this one post, which is why this is a journey. And understand, I am writing this for ME just as much as I am writing it for YOU. Because YOU and I are essentially the same. We are both embodiments of the principle of LIFE, whether we REALIZE it or not. And yet, based on our different placements in the system that runs our planet and our lives, we may both access and express our true nature as LIFE or we may not. And it is very sad for someone not to express who they really are. So, perhaps you will take my example as I have taken the example of others before me and use the time you have left on earth to express who you really are. Not the pre-programmed personality that you think others want you to be, but the person that deep down, using your own common sense, and sense of Life that you want to be or know yourself to be. The opportunity is there if you are able to read and consider what is presented here. And this blog is by no means the end-all-be-all of perspectives on this topic. There is a network, of which I am a member, of others who are also walking this journey. Some are further along than others, and each has their unique vantage point. We are all, in fact, on this journey, some are just aware that they are on the journey and are able to walk it deliberately and express what they are facing on this journey so that others may become aware of their own journey. As you and I establish a relationship through this blog I will introduce you to others like me and to the tools that I have learned to use for my own best benefit.

It is not a coincidence that journey and journal are similar in sound, because it is through the process of journaling with specificity and purpose that I am placing in writing what I am learning about myself and Life, and, in essence, ‘rewriting’ the script of my life to one that leads to success rather than retelling the same old story of living out a life as a cog in the wheel. A life of consequence and substance must be a life guided by principle. And because the system we live in has no principle, we must carve it out through the living of our life, pushing past all limits. Anyway, the system is falling apart. It is running amok and is creating suffering at every turn. It is not designed to support you to express who you really are. That is why so many die with their music still inside (as Mark Twain put it.)

So this journal will be a sharing of my journey as an entrepreneur, where my enterprise will be to create a company of integrity which provides a product that benefits all of mankind and in fact all of Life. There will be some things that I am not able to share because it is not practical, but I will always endeavor to bring through the essence that will be of value to as many as possible (including myself). I will be sharing my own personal process of bringing stability and awareness to my thoughts, feelings, emotions, and actions and to my process of equalizing these so that my expression in this world is the best that is possible. My goal in this Life is to do my very best to bring about a world that is Best for Everyone, as best as is physically possible. This is what drives me forward in life. It is what proves that I am in fact ALIVE.

To close the point that was brought up in the beginning, the realization that energy is not real, I will add that what is real is structure. A wise man once asked me, as we sat in his office, “Look around at this room. Is it energy that holds it up? No! It is the walls and the structure that hold it together.” So within that statement I realize, through this blog, the importance of investigating and restructuring my own internal programming. The programming currently consisting of words with definitions that are ‘defining’ (i.e. limiting) my life to a specific pattern of action. All action begins with a word or words. In the Gospel According to John we are told that “In the beginning was the word.” So, creation starts with a word and it is the definition that shapes how that creation unfolds and manifests. Thus how we define words within ourselves (i.e. our internal programming) determines what we create through our actions. Another wise man once said, “If you want things in your life to change, then you are going to have to change things in your life.” If all ‘things’ begin with a word, then it is with the words that we must begin. So this journal will be a Journey to Life, through placing into writing, into structure, the correction of the words through which I create in this world. So as the structure is laid down, then my foundation for action is more stable, and no longer determined by the up and down of energy. Imagine a new world of entrepreneurs, coming together, creating a world that is best for all through enterprise, not being swayed by the up and down of business cycles to act only for profit or self interest, but to always act in the best interest of everyone! The reward will be better than numbers on a quarterly report. We will be beholden not to our shareholders but to our principles. Because then and only then will our legacy be real and lasting and bring us everlasting joy! Because we will know that we have left our mark and that it is the best possible mark. Along this journey I shall be gathering allies, forming relationships, and creating a movement that will ripple out and change this world forever. This journey should prove to be interesting, perhaps ‘dramatic’ (in the best sense of the word), and ultimately supportive for others, especially those who are walking the path, as I am, of manifesting into this world a practice of business that will bring equal value to all Life and serve as a legacy for future generations.

I have been on this journey for some time now, walking in private, gathering the resolve to stand up and stand out! If we are self-honest, we all want to stand out, and yet we are told to keep to ourselves and not make waves. We, as Entrepreneurs for Life say “No more!” This is a new beginning and therefore a new ending, a better ending to the story of my Life.

If you find this blog to be of value and support, share it with others. Follow this blog and check back often to walk with me on this journey. Feel free to reach out! Let’s move together as one until all are equal! Until next time, “All the Best!”