TRUST THE SUBCONSCIOUS

Posted on February 19, 2022

The golf course has been a wonderful place to learn about and practice the art and science of mastering the self; health, wellness and well-being; and mind”full”ness, awareness and self-restraint. The game’s gifts reminds of General Douglas MacArthur’s words, uttered in the context of West Point, Black Knights of the Hudson football: “Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that at other times and in other places, bear he fruits of victory.”

A recent journey, inspired by the golf instruction to trust the subconscious mind to swing the golf club, has been into the wonders and world of the subconscious mind. Little did I realize that the subconscious mind touches everything we think and do; that our character, personality, mentally and magnetism are expressions of the subconscious mind; and that we receive back the programming we have consciously or unconsciously offered to the subconscious. A frequent question has been: Why didn’t I learn about the subconscious mind in school? Two answers that have emerged are that folks want to control the evolution of the lives of others; and that awareness and understanding of the subconscious are subjective and not scientific. Consequently, as humans we wake up, grow up and show up through the conscious mind where only 10% of who we are exists. Unfortunately, we miss 90% of who we are.

Recent golf experiences with the power of harmony between the conscious and subconscious mind offers that trusting the subconscious to swing the club has resulted in playing golf that is the “funest” and “bestest” ever. The disposition and attitude about life and living are more positive, there is more patience, swing thoughts have become almost non-existent and health, wellness and well-being have moved to the front of each day with mantras. A nice mantra is “Every day in every respect, I am getting better and better.” (Emile Coue’) If your desire and will are fired up and you are ready to learn more about the subconscious, Christian D. Larson’s The Great Within might work for you. Have fun, trust the subconscious and hit ‘em high and straight…be one with the environment, club, ball and target.

GOLF as GURU

Posted on February 12, 2022

Why write Golf as Guru: Mindfullness, Awareness and Self-Restraint? WOW! What a learning journey golf has opened for a student of life and the game of golf, all the way from growing up in Northwestern Ohio playing golf with Mom and Dad, circling the globe and arriving here in Arizona continuing to play golf, year-round with my wonderful wife of almost 50 years. As the title and subtitle offer, the sport of golf has been a great coach and teacher; has evolved a concept of mind”full”ness; has breathed a peek at how awareness really differentiates professional golfers from average golfers; and has been a mighty fine instructor when it comes to the learned skill of self-restraint. It really is fantastic to remain sane after two shots in the lake to the right of the fairway! Everything is OK the way it is!

A significant experience has been that if a golfer is open to new learning and is psychologically ready, golf offers infinite messages: at practice on the range; on the golf course; while perking reflections about the sport and relishing golf literature; during a work-out; and just sitting in silence and solitude to experience personal behavior in life and on the golf course. Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, a widely read English author and scriptwriter, nails it: “To find a man’s character (and personality), play golf with him.” Woody and Birdy Ball, Golf as Guru’s entertaining characters, chuckle on every page as they think about playing partners and continue to dream about set-up, ball position, turn and tilt, the backswing, transition, forward swing with turn, tilt, hip-turn and pull, release, impact, extension and finish; and contemplate smoothness, timing, tempo and rhythm on every putt.

Golf as Guru is simply a thank you to golf as coach and therapist. It is indeed integral and reminds of General Douglas MacArthur, in the context of football at West Point, when he remarked, “Upon the fields of friendly strife are sown the seeds that at other times and places reap the fruits of victory.”

LIFE IS A GIFT

Posted on February 5, 2022

Today it feels like the raging fire of polarization needs water! Simply, a view of the values of Self, others, and the collective through the lens of integral leadership, love, and compassion: visionary, worldview perspective, evolving and emerging now; words of affirmation, quality time, physical touch, giving gifts and acts of service; and humanness. Simply merging with others and co-creating the change and transition the world needs now.

Political parties and politicians do not address root causes of issues for Americans. Unfortunately, they work problems, chat about symptoms, and offer tokens that offer temporary patches, permit posturing, and earn votes. And the cycles continue, election after election. The diversity of values of the Senators from the 50 states and 435 voting representatives create a complex process that is certainly indicative of a government that is currently not able to accomplish much for Americans. Adding to the caldron of values complexity are ingrained, diverse, individual and collective cultural values—persons, families, neighborhoods, small towns, and cities—of Americans, and competing political parties and politicians who are marketing and selling changing and evolving, diverse party platforms, while lobbying for votes and salvation of jobs that pay personal bills.

After completing a quick and dirty review of the diversity of the Republican Party and Democratic Party platforms, partisan differences highlight the reality of limited and partial truths and the downsides of today’s political party sorting as fundamental to individual and collective identity. Moreover, there are glaring inadequacies of both parties because of a lack of view big enough to address the complex issues facing America and global partners today. This certainly helps one understand partisan political division, discord, and complexity in today’s evolving, awakening, and growing world; and it reinforces why folks are unable to agree on what America needs to unfold for generations to come. We each have values and are growing and evolving; our respective communities and cultures have values, are growing and are evolving; and we are all OK.

And political parties and politicians will not get this job done for us! They can help us! We need good leaders who are aware of and have a track record of successes in awakening collective intelligence beyond cultural addiction to authoritarianism and hierarchy. This requires awareness of the potential chains of ego; personal success with the journey of merging and becoming one with others; and successes with managing and leading dynamic change and transition. Integral captures the essence of the process, the unhealthy self, the healthy self, the true self, and the authentic self; and it demands a long-term process, not a one or two term posture game. We the people must get committed to get it right because this is our process, not some process sold to us by a vote getting politician. And they are OK, too. However, they are not the ones who will save this country. We are!

Integral is simply a map of consciousness and human development; a way of comprehending life and reality in broad yet precise terms; a concept that incorporates the core truths of hundreds of theories; and organizes the profound insights of the spiritual traditions, philosophy, modern science, developmental psychology, and many other disciplines, into a coherent whole. It simply grows values, builds awareness, and integrates the perspectives that great thinkers, teachers, and researchers have brought to our understanding of self and world, the individual inner and outer and the collective inner-and outer. (Wilber)

Despite all the characteristics that differentiate us—race, language, religion, gender, wealth, and many others—we are all equal in terms of our basic humanity…The problem is that when we see ourselves only in terms of this or that group, we tend to forget about our wider identity as human beings…A key element in biased feelings is what we call “attachment”…What I am calling for is that we move beyond our limited or biased sense of closeness to this or that group or identity, and instead cultivate a sense of closeness to the entire human family. The attitude of “us” and “them” can and often does lead to conflict, even war. Much better, and more realistic, is the attitude of “we.” (Dalai Lama)

The evolutionary impulse intends to transcend and include, to improve the political processes, and to resolve the political party sorting issues. We are interdependent, share humanity, and target for happiness and avoidance of suffering. Life is short! Let us nurture universal compassion and a sense of “We the people.” To plant the seed, other countries have done this, and we can, too! (Beck) The journey from me, my and mine to we, our and us is manifesting in each of us.

“When it comes to life, the critical thing is whether you take things for granted or take them with gratitude.” (G.K. Chesterton)

Sources

Beck, et al. (2018). Spiral Dynamics in Action. NY, NY: Wiley.
Wilber, et al. (2008). Integral Life Practice. Boston, MA: Integral Books.
Dalai Lama, Beyond Religion. (2011). NY, NY: Houghton, Mifflin, Harcourt.
Cohen, A. (2011). Evolutionary Enlightenment. NY, NY: Select Books.

VISION

Posted on January 29, 2022

American citizens!! We have a great deal to heal and get done in the battle for the roots of the Nation. Our opponents are not our enemies; and we are not “Red States” and “Blue States.” Let us be open to the infinite potential and possibilities for our great country. We are all Americans, and we can each choose to transcend and include others. A vision of our “mighty task” might look something like this:

VISION

Quality, compassion, common good, and virtue in all we are and all we do.

Strategies

Evolve with solid core values and guiding principles.
Limited government for citizens.
Fiscal responsibility; economic stability and equity; and long-term financial security.
Public safety for all Americans, respect for law and order, and no one is above the law.
Top ten healthcare system and pandemic preparedness.
Programs, processes, and coalitions to dismantle systemic racism.
Controlled business ethical and moral issues.
Avoid war with strong military and space forces, global allies and networks, and dialogue.
Professional State Department and alliances coupled with reasoned foreign policy.
Helping others: churches, individuals, groups, institutions, and the government.
Judges: objective, uphold the Constitution and guiding principles; and satisfy evolving cultural needs.
Marriage and children: citizen’s choices and level of culture’s evolution.
Respect for science.
Environmental awareness, control, and self-restraint.
Strength in diversity and sane immigration laws and regulations.
Respect for democracy and decentralized culture with empowered citizens.

Core Values and Guiding Principles

The Constitution is sacredly obligatory upon all. Our core values are truth to power, honesty, integrity, hope, love, and morality; and we put quality, compassion, common good, and virtue in all we are and all we do. We do not lie, cheat, or steal, nor tolerate those amongst us who do; and we respect law and order. We are committed to “walk the talk,” to action, and to the concept of 100% responsibility. We are objective, not self-serving, and make decisions in the best interests of The United States of America.

Leaders: have a track record of success and are trusted; have a history of compassion, loving-kindness, and building coalitions; understand that great leaders have been good followers and that leadership is an influence relationship that energizes earned power and willingness to achieve mutually defined goals; are master of the self, mind”full”ness, awareness, and integral life practice and model the way as persons, in relationships, socially, institutionally, and by helping others; have high standards with respect to morals, ethics, guiding principles, and core values that are plainly manifested in candidate’s personality, character, mentality, and magnetism; have learned self-restraint and 100% responsibility; are visibly committed to health, wellness, and well-being personally and for all Americans; are well-qualified, listen, inspire hope, have faith, are empathetic, and who know where the country is and what it needs; will be surrounded by exceptionally well-qualified associates; will diligently work to create and maintain a compelling worldview vision and action strategies and plans for the country; and will lead the development of policies and programs to evolve this country for all Americans.

Policies and Programs

Leadership, management, and control of pandemics through the Centers for Disease Control, coupled with state public health entities and active support and interface with the World Health Organization.
Voting integrity with a viable and well led United States Postal Service.
Affordable healthcare and viable public health outreach (integral physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health, wellness, and well-being) coupled with honored per-existing conditions, decreasing drug prices, and necessary integral psychological health processes, including resolution of opioid addiction. Top ten measurable dimensions: history, coverage, financing, payment, delivery of care, prescription drug regulation, human resources, and future challenges. Considerations: consumer friendliness, choices for providers, innovation, generosity of coverage, and equality of care.
An economy for working, middle-class families that is teeming with jobs, union solidarity, small businesses, agriculture programs and processes, essential childcare, corporate sanity, sound trade relationships, and social security system.
A globally envied education system: facilities, teachers, curriculum, and schools of choice.
Racial and social justice, diversity, and anti-racism policies and programs that evolve dismantling the conscious and unconscious pillars of racism in the country: prison reform; human dignity and respect, all colors, all genders, all religions-integral spirituality. Civil rights are a must.
Communities are safe and teeming with peaceful activities, including protests; citizens and police are mutually respected, masters of the Self, and model the way as persons, in relationships, socially, institutionally, and by helping others. Violence on streets is not tolerated and is dealt with sanely.
Leading-edge military and space force, visits to military deployment areas, exceptional veteran and veteran spouse-family-children benefits, outreach, integral psychological health, and combat veteran re-entry-transition program.
Global climate change and environment
Intelligence and technology
National security and foreign policy with inspired State Department and allies: underwater, space, and military; and coalition building facilitated by trust, respect, and mutual goals.
An infrastructure re-building program: maintenance, re-building, and evolution.
Sensible gun laws.
Immigration reform and sanity.
Programs for the empowerment, advancement, and placement of women.
Abortion legislation recognizes women’s rights to choose.
Tax equity and sanity; and long-term care and financial security programs for seniors.
Freedom of religion and spiritual path.
Media are objective, tell the truth, and are respected.

That is a bunch of stuff to get done!! Let’s select leaders who can get the job done!

VISUALIZATION

Posted on January 23, 2022

Trusting the well-programmed subconscious mind to swing a golf club to hit a golf ball to a target is a master skill; and experience offers that developing this skill requires practice, practice, and more practice. Was struck that perhaps Dr. Joseph Murphy’s visualization genius, offered in Power of Your Subconscious Mind, can help during the Pre-Shot Routine on the golf course. Dr. Murphy offers,

The Chinese say, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” William James, the father of American psychology, stressed the fact that the subconscious mind will bring to pass any picture held in the mind and backed by faith. Act as though I am, and you will be…The builder visualizes the type of building he wants; he sees it as he desires it to be completed. His imagery and thought-processes become a plastic mold from which the building will emerge—a beautiful or an ugly one, a skyscraper or an exceptionally low one. His mental imagery is projected as it is drawn on paper. Eventually, the contractor and his workers gather the essential materials, and the building progresses until it stands finished, conforming perfectly to the mental patterns of the architect…I use the visualization technique prior to speaking from the platform. I quiet the wheels of my mind in order that I may present to the subconscious mind my images of thought. Then, I picture the entire auditorium and the seats filled with men and women, and each one of them illumined and inspired by the infinite healing presence within each one. I see them as radiant, happy, and free…My awareness grows to the point where in my mind I can hear the voices…then I release the whole picture and go onto the platform.

As mentioned in a previous, subconscious mind BLOG, Christian D. Larson offers,

When we proceed to train the subconscious along any line, or for special results, we must always comply with the following law: The subconscious responds to the impressions, the suggestions, the desires, the expectations and the directions of the conscious mind, provided that the conscious touches the subconscious at the time. The secret therefore is found in the two phases of the mind touching each other as directions are being made; and to cause the conscious to touch the subconscious, it is necessary to feel conscious action penetrating your entire interior system; that is, you should feel at the time that you are living not simply on the surface, but through and through. At such times, the mind should be calm and in perfect poise, and should be conscious of that finer, greater something within you that has greater depth than mere surface existence. (Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them, page 41)

Some recent reflections concerning facilitation of subconscious programming are as follows:

Positive and improvement language are a must. This is the law of attraction at work: as Golf as Guru partners Woody and Birdy Ball coach, one gets back what one puts out through personality, character, and mind.
Relaxed concentration—all forces of mind, character and personality are focused on the desired result—and a clear and quiet conscious mind are a must.
Visualization: picture in the conscious mind a clear idea of the desired result…environment, club, ball and target as one.
Energize deep, “must have,” “must do,” serene, strong and passionate intent and connection of the conscious mind with the inner human systems: see it, feel it, taste it, smell it, think it, touch it in the eleven human systems: circulatory, respiratory, digestive, excretory, nervous, endocrine, immune, lymphatic, integumentary/exocrine, skeletal, muscle, reproductive, renal and urinary. Simply feel the meaning of the desired result with consciousness; and see and feel in every atom of the human system the environment, the club, and the ball at the target. Eliminate doubt; and be calm, “…well balanced, persistent, deeply poised and harmonious in all thoughts and actions.” (Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them, page 46)
Think of all the facilities being used in golf when giving full expression to a desired result: body mechanics, club mechanics, ball position and target. This golfer likes mantras: I am a perfectly healthy, well-trained athlete who can hit a golf ball to a desired target.
Begin days with positive, desired result ways and means. Bring everything alive in the conscious and subconscious minds several times per day.
Go to sleep relaxed: review the day’s pleasantries; and chat with the subconscious about desired results and ways and means.
If there are skills that need work and development, direct the subconscious with necessary improvements every day as frequently as possible and before going to sleep.
Practice makes perfect: mentally, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. The more one trains the subconscious to work with the conscious direction, the easier it becomes to get the subconscious to respond to sensual directions.
“Whenever the subconscious mind is aroused, mental power and working capacity are invariably increased, sometimes to such an extent that the individual seems to be possessed with a superhuman power.” (Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them, page 43)

Working with the subconscious mind is a “new learning process” for this golfer; and I make absolutely no claim to be a subconscious mind expert. A commitment is to keep you informed about progress experiences. “Know what you want, and then want it with all the life and power that is in you.” (Christian D. Larson, Your Forces and How to Use Them, page 81)

GOLF COURSE EXPERIENCE

Posted on January 15, 2022

Have been reflecting on memorable golf course “brand” experiences over the years; and impression and guest service rise to the top of the heap of sensual brand attributes that create a residual, thirst to return.

Impression: clean, well-maintained, and fun place to be because it inspires a “feel good” sensation.

Grounds and facilities: plush green turf and well-manicured landscape; parking lot is clean, well-striped and has a good surface. Note the number of cars and license plates to become aware of who the customers are, and from which states they have traveled.
Signage and identification: useful—what and/or where, in good taste and well-placed: parking, bag drop, club house, rest rooms; warm-up, practice and instruction area; practice golf balls; 1^st and 10^th
Warm-up, practice, and instruction area: unobstructed, inviting, and spacious. Range has available practice balls and ball baskets; accurate distance markers and golf balls are visible from the teeing area; distances are marked at teeing area and changed as teeing area turf is managed; putting green accommodates several golfers; short game area has targets at 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 yards; and a bunker that allows sand shots to be made either to the range or to a safe putting green is available.
Pro shop: customer friendly with open and spacious feel. Has good selection, tasteful merchandising, and new merchandise from recognized manufacturers; offers club fitting, club storage and club repair services; and present are flyers offering golf lessons, clinics, demonstrations, seminars, and golf car service.
Postings and feedback requests: today’s pin locations are visibly posted; local rules, pace-of-play and etiquette reminders are posted and available as handouts for golfers. Guest service evaluation surveys are available at check-in counter. A suggestion box is clearly visible.
Food and beverage area: organized, attractive, clean, and not cluttered. Menu is visible and inviting.
Course: flat, well-groomed teeing grounds with attractive hole number markers, ball washers and tee markers; good greens, fairways, and roughs; manicured and recently maintained bunkers with good rakes; and course is free of mixed grasses and weeds.
Drinking fountains and rest rooms: clean, well-maintained, and well-serviced.
Maintenance facility: not cluttered and organization is noteworthy; equipment is clean, not worn-out, appears serviceable, and expresses pride of mechanics and groundskeepers.

Guest service: guests are well taken care of by professional, experienced, courteous staff who pay attention to details that make sparkling, positive, and lasting guest experiences. The feeling is that of a guest, perhaps one of the family, not just a number.

Initial contact and attitude: friendly, upbeat, happy, and enthusiastic. Individuals make eye contact, smile, greet, enquire, offer products and services, respond to requests, follow-up and do not make excuses and blame others. Reminds of Tolstoy’s diary comment, “I cannot describe a person to you; however, I call tell you what effect he (she) has on me.” Folks do not remember what you did or what you said. They remember how you made them feel.
Leadership and management: impression and felt energy that is witnessed.

A round of golf is a simple “slice of life” and a field of friendly strife where seeds are planted to bear fruits at future times and places. George Heard, a great golf partner and friend, always said on the first tee, “Golf is just a slice of heaven.” Simply embrace the challenge and opportunity for perfect response to life, or heaven on earth. Stop what you are doing, breathe deep, be, become and feel the emotional experiences! Have a nice round of golf!

GOLF COURSE BOARD NOMINATION

Posted on January 10, 2022

The note to the golf course board member nominating committee read as follows, “With heartfelt sadness, request that Dr. John Edwin DeVore be withdrawn from consideration for board member nomination for (Sherwood) Springs Village Golf Course. After a great chat-interview-with the President of the Board and the Chief Executive Officer of the golf management company, the long-held personal vision for the course is not consistent with the current needs and reality of course management and operations.”

Having been involved in two unsuccessful campaigns to become a member of a golf club board of directors, it felt necessary to share learnings and experiences. The first attempt was for a board secretary position that had been vacated by the (Sherwood) community resident who, along with other members of the board, had successfully orchestrated a community campaign to petition enough community residents to become members of the community development facility to purchase the course from the developer. After successful transfer of ownership, board of directors, and operations management of the course, the board secretary opted to leave the board.

Having served on the feasibility committee that made the recommendation to the community to purchase the course, the author was somewhat familiar with the community and the course board members. The rejection of this candidacy by the nominating committee was philosophical. The current board was committed to operating the facility independent of the developer-community homeowners’ organization (HOA). During the feasibility stage of the acquisition process, the author had openly lobbied for ownership of the facility by the HOA when development was complete. The author was simply not a good fit for the current board of directors and independent operation of the facility.

As noted, the second unsuccessful bid for a board position was personal choice early in the nominating stage of the candidate selection process for two board position vacancies because of expiring terms on the board.

Personal assessment of the author’s Board Member Position Requirements (Scale of 1-10, 10 points being highest.)

Competence: specific duties and responsibilities the person needs to do well to succeed; and track record of success with required duties and responsibilities. 8 points (A)
Character: values, guiding principles, and ethics. Honesty, integrity, and morality are a must. 10 points
Compatibility: Is the opportunity a good fit for the candidate and the board? 0 points (B)
Chemistry: How do the candidate and folks feel, “deep down,” about the candidate? 1 point (C)
Confirmation: wise counsel from others is critical to selection decisions. 1 point (D)

(A) Candidate absent tact, patience, and self-restraint necessary to deal with course and community culture. Assignment: recommend candidate read Brene’ Brown’s Atlas of the Heart.

(B) Candidate background, experience, and interests are not required for the current and foreseeable future. A golf management company is moving the course in a positive, price-volume, cash flow incented direction. The current board is being guided, trained, and managed by the the golf management company; and because of the past unsatisfactory financial management of the course, the services of the golf management company are a must for the course.

(D) Candidate has evolving, eight-year awareness of the semi-annual transitions in 55+, snowbird, resort-development community course. Integral therapist would recommend not compatible for peace-of-mind.

Twenty (20) of possible 50. Simply not a good candidate.

Learnings are twofold:

If golf is in the genes and playing golf are at the top of the personal agenda, as part of the golf community selection process, prepare your list of questions and include interviews with the president of the golf course board of directors and the manager of golf operations. This will help to ensure the community selected has the type of golf facility that will satisfy your golfing needs and wants. There are several types of facilities: private clubs, semi-private clubs, military base courses, municipal courses, resort courses, development courses, university courses, and non-traditional courses.
After selection of a community and with move-in complete, should the inspiration surface to participate in board of director leadership and management, prepare your list of questions and interview the president of the board and the head golf operations professional to understand and become aware of the course vision, mission, strategic objective, and strategies. The answers to your questions should offer reflection material to facilitate either a good fit, or not a good fit, decision.

Selecting the right people is hard work! Folks do not remember what you did or what you said. They will remember how you made them feel. Don’t stop the music! Have fun; and hit ‘em high and straight!

CIVIL WAR OF 2022

Posted on January 2, 2022

Military leaders learn about the principles of war, fundamental truths governing the prosecution of war. The application of these principles to the planning for and direction of war is called strategy; their application on the battlefield is called tactics. Principles of war include the objective, simplicity, unity of command, the offensive, maneuver, mass, economy of force, surprise, and security. [Notes for the Course in the History of the Military Art, Department of Military Art and Engineering, United States Military Academy, West Point, New York, 1957, 1-3)

The civil war of 2022 will reveal strategies and tactics of words and actions either 1) to win votes to improve, evolve and preserve democracy; or 2) to suppress votes, deconstruct democracy and install autocracy.

Three strategies the Democrats have unfolded are to preserve the soul of the American political system, to strengthen the backbone of the country, and to unite the country. Some of the Democratic tactics being used to earn votes are planned improvement “actions” related to COVID-19, infrastructure, voting rights, immigration, gun safety, and foreign policy. Continued strategies of the GOP are to divide the country, retain white supremacy, deliberately fan the fires of racism, sow fear, and to suppress voting rights of minorities through the tactic of voter suppression legislation in 43 states. Other intentional tactics are lying, working problems, blocking improvements, creating chaos, deconstructing, dismantling, bickering, sowing hate, and dividing.

“Words are singularly the most powerful force available to humanity. We can choose to use this force constructively with words of encouragement, or destructively using words of despair. Words have energy and power with the ability to help, to heal, to hinder, to hurt, to harm, to humiliate and to humble.” (Y. Berg) We are the intrapersonal, interpersonal and person to persons language we create; and a person who controls the message of words has tremendous power over others.

As 2022 unfolds, political leadership choices will be revealed. More than likely choices will be driven by words-language-pontificating past results and popular actions. A spectrum of positive words that create the stories and emotions for each of us…freedom, prosperity, security, facts, unity, truth, order, respect, harmony, poise, receptivity, peace, tranquility, positiveness, team effort, teamwork, childcare, guardians, self-mastery, integral life practice, health, non-partisan, wellness and well-being, mindfulness, awareness, self-restraint, values, equality, fairness, globally respected, quality, guiding principles, ethics, peace, clean air, allies, non-partisan, value in diversity, safe schools, no debt, sincerity, trustworthy, believable, passionate, disciplined, generosity, wise, direct, open, nice, 100% responsibility, apology, loving-kindness, patient, tolerant, compassionate, humanness, beautiful, smiling, et al.

An array of negative words that create the stories and emotions for each of us…lies, lynching, deception, casts, spins, obstruction, abuse, conspiracy, human scum, traitors, chaos, entertainment, dynasty, autocracy, racism, above the law, divisiveness, partisan, war, bombs and bullets, street shootings, smoke and mirrors, impeachment, corruption, fear, abuse of power, obstruction of justice, cult-like, tribal, business failings, pay-offs, porn stars, partisan vulgarity, broken promises, scandals, low character, bad judgement, failed policies, cover-ups, low intellect, disruption, lost social media accounts, conflict, deconstruction, selfish, narcissist, demagogue, cruel, fraud, short-sighted, et al.

The language we each are, the “monkey mind self talk” and the emotions it creates, offer a clear paradox of choice: an America for Americans that is inspiring and visionary for generations to come—freedom, love, hope, happiness, peace-of-mind, purpose, and connections created on a foundation of compassion and good; or an America for Americans that is evil and dictatorial for generations to come—pay-back, fear, hate, vindictive, intimidation, economic insecurity, casts, racism, decay, and global disrespect. Christian D. Larson offers, “So long as we continue to resist or deny evil, we will think about evil, and so long as we think about evil, evil will be impressed upon the subconscious, that the subconscious will reproduce and bring forth into personal life.” When there is only one power which decides who is right and who is wrong, and who should be punished and who not, we have a form of…dictatorship. (James Heiser). And if the choice is not to look inside, one does not know.

The mission is quite clear: to merge with others to co-create, transcend and include others, and evolve democracy for “We the people, by the people, for the people…” The mission is not to create autocracy for a select few by a select few. Let history record that the civil war of 2022 strategies and tactics of the language, emotions and actions we each are won votes to improve, evolve, and preserve democracy for America and Americans. Let us keep America a nice place to live.

HEALTH, WELLNESS and WELLBEING

Posted on December 28, 2021

Having just finished reading Dr. Daniel G. Amen’s The End of Mental Illness: How Neuroscience is Transforming Psychiatry and Helping Prevent or Reverse Mood and Anxiety Disorders, ADHD, Addictions, PTSD, Psychosis, Personality Disorders, and More (2020, Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale Momentum), wandering thoughts have returned to a 21-year career at Coors and the health, wellness and wellbeing leadership influence of Bill Coors. The spirit of his genius came alive in the “Our Values” statement of the Adolph Coors Company: “These values can only be fulfilled by quality people dedicated to quality relationships within our company. We foster personal and professional growth and development…and encourage wellness in body, mind and spirit for all employees.” The purpose of this BLOG is to lobby for, campaign for, suggest, encourage that “integral health, wellness and wellbeing” be at the top of all educational topic lists for schools, universities, colleges, prisons, churches, recovery programs, and workplaces. The vision is for integral health, wellness, and wellbeing to permeate every nook and cranny of our culture. Consciousness and culture are evolving, and the complexities of life and living are moving from a state of non-sickness to a state of wellbeing. We are simply becoming better educated, we are more aware, and activities and lifestyle changes can move the culture to the language that we are, bursting with integral health, wellness, and wellbeing.

The responsibility for integral health, wellness and wellbeing is clear: the individual is 100% responsible for lifestyle and habits, wellbeing happens because of me, not to me, in four spheres—psychological, biological, social, and spiritual. And life in each of the four spheres can get exceptionally tough in today’s world: awesome, frightening, threatening, exciting, chaotic, mind-boggling, futuristic, unsettling, stress-filled, possibility, opportunity, divisive, hateful, racist, conflicted, evolving, and triumphantly challenging. You get the idea! Let us start this “best part of our journey” with some definitions.

Integral: integral connotes comprehensive, balanced, inclusive, a sense of wholeness or completeness. When discussing brain health, Dr. Amen uses four spheres, psychological, biological, social, and spiritual. Ken Wilber, when discussing integral theory, uses four quadrants, individual interior, individual exterior, collective interior, and collective exterior (2011, A Theory of Everything: An Integral Vision for Business, Politics, Science, and Spirituality. Boston, MA: Shambhala). A nice visualization is to create a helicopter view of a topic being studied.

Health: health suggests scientific, objective, and no discernable illness or injury. The physician has treated the symptoms of sickness, illness, injury, or disease to nurse the individual to a state of no discernable illness, or wellness.

Wellness: wellness is the point where the individual is physically, mentally, and emotionally capable of maintaining his-her highest quality of life through self-responsibility and self-management. The physician is a partner in resolving illness to the neutral point and beyond to a high level of wellness. Wellness is scientific and objective and suggests high quality programs and lifestyle and good habits.

Wellbeing: wellbeing suggests the philosophical state of a being that has reached a high level of wellness—healthy, happy, subjective, compassionate, high quality of life with positive attitude that is achieved through the language one has with the Self. The domain of life’s possibilities is open!

Where do we go from here? With clarity of vision, a next step is to make a clear, honest assessment of our current reality followed by creating the means to create positive tension between where we are and where the culture needs to be-we need gap closers that will close the gap between where the culture is and where the vision outlines a desired future state. This is a huge, long-term task for individuals and collectives: social organizations, corporate entities, government institutions, religious organizations, social media, news entities, prisons, academic institutions, small businesses, et al. A guarantee: the measurable results will look great—participation will grow, treadmill testing will increase, brain scans will increase, cardiac rehabilitation programs will grow, and businesses and institutions will save money. And the immeasurable results will snowball—folks will be healthier, happier, longer-living, more productive, self-responsible, and self-managed. You will not need calculators to witness cost savings advantages.

Let us dream big and be witness to integral health, wellness, and wellbeing in every corner of this evolving consciousness and culture! This can happen with the planting of seeds in every nook and cranny: the sown seeds will appear as quality, compassion, and common good in everything each of us are and in everything each of us do. Why dream at all if the dream is not huge! With passionate intent; 100% responsibility; mindfulness, awareness, and self-restraint; and process perspective, integral health, wellness, and wellbeing can be present in all we are and all we do. Philosophically, a commitment to model the way of integral health, wellness, and wellbeing, and encourage habits, programs and lifestyles that affect integral health, wellness, and wellbeing to facilitate behavioral change to improve general health just make sense for individuals and collectives. A special thanks to Bill Coors for the inspiration to be committed to integral health, wellness, and wellbeing!

GOLF as GURU

Posted on December 11, 2021

Why write Golf as Guru: Mindfullness, Awareness and Self-Restraint? WOW! What a learning journey golf has offered for a student of life and the game of golf, all the way from growing up in Northwestern Ohio playing golf with Mom and Dad, circling the globe and arriving here in Arizona continuing to play golf, year-round with my wonderful wife of almost 50 years. As the title and subtitle offer, the sport of golf has been a great coach and teacher; has evolved a concept of mind”full”ness; has breathed a peek at how awareness really differentiates professional golfers from average golfers; and has been a mighty fine instructor when it comes to the learned skill of self-restraint. It really is fantastic to remain sane after two shots in the lake to the right of the fairway! Everything is OK the way it is! As Dr. Daniel G. Amen offers, “If you do not look, you will never know.”

A significant experience has been that if a golfer is open to new learning and is psychologically ready, golf offers infinite messages: at practice on the range; on the golf course; while perking reflections about the sport and relishing golf literature; and just sitting in silence and solitude to experience personal behavior in life and on the golf course. Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse, a widely read English author and scriptwriter, nails it: “To find a man’s character (and personality), play golf with him.” Woody and Birdy Ball, Golf as Guru’s entertaining characters, chuckle on every page as they think about personal behaviors, playing partners and continue to dream about set-up, ball position, turn and tilt, the backswing, transition, forward swing with turn and pull, release, impact, extension and finish; and contemplate smoothness, timing, tempo and rhythm on every putt. Learning to become one with the environment, the club, the ball and the target is definitely an ongoing challenge and an opportunity.

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