VISION
Posted on September 5, 2020
As the run-up to the November 2020 election unfolds; and as we witness the dark divide becoming wider, deeper, and darker, a merging of the Democratic and Republican convention planks into a common vision—an alternate reality—and contrasting the two candidates for President bears fruit. It appears the critical decision is to select the candidate who can best move us closer to the vision. Let us start with the merged vision; and in subsequent BLOGs, candidate profiles will be offered peeking at talents, skills, and experiences; observations; and character, personality, mentality, and interests. Read More
UNITED WE STAND
Posted on August 29, 2020
As the run-up to the November 2020 election unfolds; and as we witness the dark divide becoming wider, deeper, and darker, a merging of the Democratic and Republican convention planks into a common vision—an alternate reality—and contrasting the two candidates for President bears fruit. It appears the critical decision is to select the candidate who can best move us closer to the vision.
VISION Read More
SOUL of the NATION
Posted on August 22, 2020
The mission is quite clear: We the people need to save America’s democracy by voting for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, launching the strategic “battle for the soul of the nation.” This battle will begin to heal the deconstruction of the current administration and will inspire the dance of discovering, unfolding, and manifesting America’s uniqueness through a profound journey into the unknown. This trek demands trust, hope, faith, and awakening to radical freedom and to deep dimensions of embodied individuality, the unmanifest soul qualities of America’s natural world, heart, mind, and spirit. And this waltz into the unknown will be demanding, will not be easy, and will have challenges and opportunities. We may choose to resist it and miss a few steps; however, we will do the hard work. Imperative for this undertaking are strong leaders with exemplary leadership qualities who possess an impervious foundation of character, personality, and mentality that display peace-of-mind coupled with purpose and connections built on a foundation of compassion; published and walked core values, a code of ethics, guiding principles, and a track record of successes; a profound perspective and vision; an innate talent to accurately assess current reality; and an ability to build bipartisan coalitions who plan and strategize to evolve America’s soul qualities. Read More
SIMPLICITY
Posted on August 16, 2020
A discovery has been that simplicity in golf can be uncovered on the other side of its human created complexity. Could it be simple? Let us take a look.
- Integral life practice: exercise the physical body, the subtle body (felt energies), and the causal body (resting). [Wilber, et al, 2008, Boston, MA: Integral]
- Mind”full”ness: learn to work with all three minds (conscious, subconscious, and super-conscious-spiritual-peak performance).
- Mindfulness-concentration and awareness meditation: paying attention, in the present moment, nonjudgementally. Offers one-pointed grounding and inspiration for ritual; and visibility of how one chooses to show-up via the personality, character, and mentality.
- Nurture self-restraint, a learned skill: the alternative response to two shots in a nearby pond and insanity.
- Pre-shot routines.
- Immaculate set-up: grip, aim, stance, posture, ball position, sense weight balance desired (irons, scoring wedges, pitching wedges: front leg; driver balanced), and turn neck-chin to trailing shoulder. Maintain width of arc.
- Rituals to create personal teepee where, on every shot, the programmed subconscious is trusted: go to the breath; ground-center, elevate: two-three quick, deep breaths; and pull the trigger. Maintain width of arc.
- Takeaway: stable swing center, forward press to target synchronous with connected-whole body (arms, torso, and hips as one unit) and shoulder tilt, coiling against a stable right side with no hip sway away from target; and no hurry to transition point. Goal: optimum length of arc and maintain width of arc through entire swing.
- Forward swing: stable swing center, shoulder tilt straightening right arm and flattening left wrist to square the clubface. Goal: maintain width of arc.
- Solid impact of club with ball:
- Head behind ball.
- Knees and elbows toward each other.
- Right heel off ground.
- Right shoulder below left-shoulder tilt 36D, water draining from right ear.
- Left leg is resistance.
- Left foot on outside edge.
- Right knee is bending toward the left knee.
- Have a good coach.
SELF-AWARENESS JOURNEY
Posted on August 9, 2020
This is a story about a forty-seven-year, self-awareness journey to uncover the what’s, how’s, and why’s of life’s behaviors: simply awareness of how one chooses to “show-up” in life via the personality, character, and mentality. “Once upon a time” of the trek started during a pre-meeting walk with a new boss in a state-of-the-art, two-piece aluminum can manufacturing plant in Golden, Colorado.
Grateful for four years at West Point; eight years in the Army, including promotions to Major, military decorations, and two years of combat during the Vietnam War; three civilian jobs; and a wife with a child on-the-way, it was good fortune to land a Purchasing Manager position (1973) with Coors Container Company. During a walk in the pounding can plant, the new boss commented that unless the author began to manage his stress, evolving life would be hectic. This comment unleashed a life-long challenge and opportunity to look under the rug and uncover the “stuff” that makes this human being tick. The first tee and green were to read I’m OK, You’re OK: Practical Guide to Self-Analysis (Thomas A. Harris, 1967, NY, NY: Harper Collins) and to attend (1974) an “I’m OK, You’re OK” seminar at the Mountain States Employers Council, Denver, Colorado. The unfolded curriculum vitae (plus approximately $80,000 for the awareness search) includes five educational degrees and 27 years of assorted corporate leadership positions; targeted academic courses and seminars; study abroad and retreats; club, committee, and panel participation; group memberships, workshops, and associations; teaching and public speaking endeavors; published books and unpublished papers; and the student journey of living, family, reading, piano, writing, golf, experiencing, seeing, and learning continues. Here are some discoveries: Read More
AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL
Posted on August 2, 2020
O beautiful for heroes proved
In liberating strife,
Who more than their country loved,
And mercy more than life!
America! America!
May God thy gold refine,
Till all success be nobleness,
And every gain divine!
—Katherine Lee Bates & Samuel A. Ward, America the Beautiful
Where has America The Beautiful gone! Daily, we are witness to absolute, chaotic disaster! And more will unfold as each self-serving TWEET is offered. “Nobody likes me!” It is disgusting and maddening!! At the helm of the ship is the President, an untrusted, self-serving, party sorted, low functioning, sociopath who is racist and who is protected by political party sorted, power worldview associates of the Federal government institution and country he has been chosen to deconstruct and destroy. We must do better and begin the long trek back to America The Beautiful.
O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!
America! America!
God shed his grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood,
From sea to shining sea!
—Katherine Lee Bates & Samuel A. Ward, America the Beautiful
Some food for thought to help re-route the ship: Rachel Kleinfield and Aaron Sobel (USA Today, Friday, July 24, 2020, page 7A) offer, “7 ways to reduce political polarization: Destroying the other side cannot be our goal.” Read More
JEOPARDY
Posted on July 26, 2020
Let us do the homework and select political leaders who will know where the country is and what it needs; who will be surrounded by exceptionally well-qualified associates; who will diligently work to create a worldview vision for the country; and who will lead the development of the policies and plans to evolve this country toward the vision for Americans. To wet your reflection juices, the Jeopardy question is who most likely fits this profile: …………………. is a low functioning, sociopath who is racist and who is protected by political party sorted, power worldview associates of the Federal government institution he has been chosen to deconstruct and destroy.
Low functioning
A low-functioning includes persons who “… do not exhibit polished and polite behaviors as a mask for their manipulations…may lack the education or interpersonal skills to control and deceive. Instead they might use threats, coercion, or intimidation to achieve their desired outcome.” (Source: Dr. Timothy J. Legg, “What Is a High-Functioning Sociopath?”, 5-28-2019, https://www.healthline.com, 1-3.)
Sociopath
This is one form of antisocial personality disorder and is the result of environmental factors such as a child or teen’s upbringing in a negative household that resulted in physical abuse, emotional abuse, or childhood trauma. Some of the manifestations are as follows: Read More
RE-THINK THE VISION
Posted on July 19, 2020
As Americans, we each will have important “leader” decisions to make this November: Who are the best qualified persons is to lead this great Nation? As we reflect, muster and share thoughts and ideas, some of the significant challenges for political leaders: global pandemic, racism, inequality, unemployment, health, partisanship, and state of the economy. Unfortunately, amidst the absolute chaotic disaster— confusion, hatred, party-sorting, institutional destruction, and deliberate, planned division that arouses emotions, passions, and prejudices—it may be difficult to relax, focus, and develop a personal perspective concerning the conscious evolution of this great Nation. I believe it is time to take a time out and re-think what we want the country to be. Read More
IMPACT: Programming the Subconscious Mind
Posted on July 12, 2020
A round of golf is a simple “slice of life” where seeds are planted to bear life and golf fruits at future times and places. To grow these fruits of consciousness the only assignment is openness. And, for this student of golf and life, the experience has been that simple is good! And simpler is even better!! Today, the game is about 1) set-up—grip, aim, stance, posture [shoulders high and back, bend forward from the hips, keeping the back straight] and ball position; 2) takeaway—when the club shaft is parallel to the ground the clubhead is in line with the hands; and 3) impact. Let us take a quick journey to impact. Read More
100% RESPONSIBILITY
Posted on July 5, 2020
During Corporate America years at Coors a lasting experience was the opportunity to work with Hyler Bracey, President, the Atlanta Consulting Group. The Coors family had hired Hyler and his associates to facilitate transition of Adolph Coors Company from several dependent, vertically organized companies into two independent companies, Coors Brewing Company and Graphic Packaging Company.
At the age of 28, Hyler was in a stock car racing accident and burned over 60% of his body. His face was severely disfigured, and his fingers were like burned twigs in a bonfire. However, his character, personality and mentality, manifested through his blue eyes and subconscious mind, were magnetizing and drew you to his heart. Hyler modeled that scars offer a story of the past and do not dictate where one intends to go. He walked the talk of one of the key concepts he and his associates shared with the Coors leadership team: life happens because of me and not to me, or the concept of 100% responsibility. Read More