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Abstract

udgment life is simply a paradox. Everything in it has two sides, two meanings, two possibilities that might oppose each other while, at the same time, they seem to live side by side or back to back.When I looked closer at every detail of my daily grind I discovered that there were simply two or more perspectives for everything. Neither was right or wrong. After all, who gets to say what is right or wrong? Whose opinion matters more than the next person’s view? Sorry, I digress. Yes, there are elements to every argument that have the seed of the other within them and this, in my opinion, makes it paradoxical.I believe that when I begin to look at the paradoxes in my life I am beginning to grow. There are examples in literature to support the idea of intelligence in this area and, in my mind, this intelligence leads to growth, understanding, and wisdom.<blockquote id="45b1">“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind, at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald</blockquote>5. THE WILLINGNESS TO PRACTICE — Applied HeartI’m taking another route in explaining this principle. Some of you may remember two basketball players: Hall of Famer Michael Jordon and Allen Iverson. You’ll find the difference between the two and the reason behind my support of this principle in the quotes from each of these NBA players. The first from Allen Iverson —<blockquote id="a7e5">“If I can’t practice, I can’t practice. It is as simple as that. I ain’t about that at all. It’s easy to sum it up if you’re just talking about practice. We’re sitting here, and I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we’re talking about practice. I mean listen, we’re sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we’re talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last, but we’re talking about practice man. How silly is that?”</blockquote>and the second from Michael Jordan —<blockquote id="afe4">“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.”</blockquote>While both men were inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame, the difference here is that Michael Jordan played on 6 NBA Championship Teams and is considered perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time and while Allen Iverson was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame he never won a championship.While there are so many more factors that could be argued to attest to the results here, including my thoughts above on Paradox, one man gave his heart all the time, with a willingness to practice, and walked away with 6 trophies. The other man, as good as he was, and he was very, very good, walked away with 0.I know which one inspires me to practice. How about you?6. EXERCISING THE COURAGE TO SHOW UP — Shifting the momentumIt has often been said that fear is what keeps people stuck in a pattern of living that does not produce the results they want to achieve. From my perspective and experience that is true most of the time. I can think of many instances when I have been on the threshold of achieving a personal milestone and fear stopped me in my tracks.There is, in my opinion, and experience, a fear far greater than one that prevents us from finishing a project and that the fear that prevents us from starting one, whatever it might be. I can remember wanting to teach, coach, and write for many years before I started. My primary reason was that I didn’t think I was good enough or new enough to compete in the marketplaces. I shut myself down when I got to the point of comparing myself to others. I thought, “what do I have to offer them that they couldn’t get from those already doing it?”Needless to say, my eyes were opened when I understood Ylanla Vanzant’s quote the “comparison is an act of violence against the self.” This revelation would be motivation enough to begin anew no matter the timing or situation.There are so many

Options

good people in the world doing amazing things with their lives and each one of them started somewhere, each of them with a unique gift or idea. Every one of them also had something in common. They showed up! They began! they overcame whatever obstacle or pattern held them back, as I have. And You Can Too!Showing up defeats the fear of comparison. Stepping into the fray of doing is the initial step of discovering who we really are and it is available to all of us. I’m not asking you to take my word for it, I’m asking you to trust yourself enough to know that you already have everything you need inside of you to begin the journey of your lifetime. Show up, and get started now! Do for yourself what you would advocate or do for others. AND, I’d love to know how it turns out!7. MEDITATION — Freeing the mind of distractionsOne of the most insidious obstacles to living the lives we want to live is succumbing to the obstacles that life places in our path. Some of these obstacles are a natural part of living on this planet, gifted to us by virtue of our presence here. They include our environment, our family, and others of which we had little choice.And of course, there are self-imposed obstacles that include the consequences of our choices, not all of which are bad, but each one can remain an obstacle. I can remember buying my first car. The care was beautiful, but the payments were beyond my reach back then, and became they became an obstacle to my financial prosperity for many years.All this to say that meditation has been for me a staple in my development as it has become a vehicle to diminish distractions that can impede my progress. Is meditation good for everyone? Let these next quotes be a guide.<blockquote id="dab1">“The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it” — Dalai Lama</blockquote><blockquote id="964d">“You have a treasure within you that is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer” — Eckhart Tolle</blockquote><blockquote id="65e9">“Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.” — Alan Watts</blockquote>8. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, FLOW, AND PEAK EXPERIENCES — WisdomI list these as elements of study and the insights presented within them, which were once thought of as merely anecdotal beliefs at best, as compelling arguments for change. I will always encourage my clients to make use of the many scientific facts that have come from their pursuit by incredibly gifted academians, psychologists, and others like Abraham Maslow, Dr. Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Dr. Edward M. O’Keefe, Ph.D.As a student of life-giving perspectives, I am committed to the exploration and dissemination of the theories and practices scientifically or anecdotally found to improve the lives of people, especially those like me, who at some moment in their lives struggled with not feeling like they were enough.There are men and women today delving deeper into what was considered only a short time ago as pseudo-science. Though there are still many detractors, people who doubt this emerging wisdom, I contend that more evidence will come to the surface. In our western culture, we seem to value the measurable more than the immeasurable and so as more studies are conducted, the efficacy of these life-giving practices will continue to surface and improve the lives who people who believe in new possibilities.There are more than these 8 principles to what I term as Life Architecture…many more, but I view these 8 as the cornerstone to a practice of designing, building, and living a life that matters…to me, and to many of whom I share this precious and sacred space we call earth. Though almost everyone is familiar with the individual principles here, few, I suspect, would subscribe to integrating a collection of them consciously in their daily practices.I bless each reader here and humbly ask for your constructive responses and reactions to what you have read here. I am happy to respond to any questions.</article></body>

Life Architecture Principles

Eight Principles of Life Architecture

And the wisdom of living them

Principles of Life Architecture

1. GRATITUDE — Nourishment for Life

Gratitude for life itself…All of life, not just for the parts that feel good. Gratitude for the gift and privilege of living this life; for breathing, for experiencing this life with physical, mental, and emotional senses, whatever the outcomes may be. Gratitude for living with others, for not being alone in this world of mystery. Gratitude for what has gone before me and what will come long after I am gone. This is the gratitude of being and this is the nourishment of life to me.

There are so many opportunities to express gratitude for what is already in existence that comprehending it boggles the mind. There would not be enough time in the day, or in a lifetime to express, for example, a grateful heart for every one of 7.9 billion people in the world. Some of you might ask, “why would you want to do that?” I ask, “why not?” In my heart, remembering your essence is like saying thank you for being a part of my life, you enhance my world.

2. COLLABORATIVE LIFELONG LEARNING — It’s Not About Me/but We

As robust as the words “I AM” are, they are exponentially more dynamic when used in unison with others. When wondering why we are here on this planet it is worth noting that it is not just “I” who is here, but we. The question truly is, why are “WE” here?

Collaborative Lifelong Learning is a powerful tool, revealing wisdom for the ages. It is a point of connection to 7.9 Billion people…and all of their gifts! In its most powerful form, it using each gift as a complement to the others, recognizing the uniqueness of both the gift and the giver. It is an energy of multiplication far beyond what one mind can fathom and it almost always leads to wisdom.

3. SELF-EXAMINATION — The First Step to Personal Freedom

Until the age of 61, I fought the internal battle that so many people fight: the famous battle of “WHOAMI.” Yes, throughout my life I had won little skirmishes in the field, compartmentalizing segments of my life. You know, career, personal relationships, etc., and I had lost a few here and there. I had won enough to stay afloat, but the internal struggle remained. The Big Battle had yet to be confronted. I hadn’t yet dealt with “Who am I, what do I want, and what am I going to do when I grow up?”

Then I found an organization that clarified the need for personal men's work. (there are also organizations for women too) There’s more than one organization so there is something for everyone. The something I refer to here is Self-examination.

I’ll explain briefly using 3 quotes:

Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. — Aristotle

The examined life is no picnic. — Robert Fulhgam

The unexamined life is not worth living. — Socrates

There’s more, much more, but leaving it here seems right for now. Think about it. Dwell on it. Live it for a bit.

4. UNDERSTANDING THE PROMISE OF PARADOX — The Growth Edge

If something is paradoxical, it involves two facts or qualities which seem to contradict each other. Life can be easy but life is hard. You might say this is just perspective, but not if you are one, like me, who can see both sides of this argument simultaneously. In my judgment life is simply a paradox. Everything in it has two sides, two meanings, two possibilities that might oppose each other while, at the same time, they seem to live side by side or back to back.

When I looked closer at every detail of my daily grind I discovered that there were simply two or more perspectives for everything. Neither was right or wrong. After all, who gets to say what is right or wrong? Whose opinion matters more than the next person’s view? Sorry, I digress. Yes, there are elements to every argument that have the seed of the other within them and this, in my opinion, makes it paradoxical.

I believe that when I begin to look at the paradoxes in my life I am beginning to grow. There are examples in literature to support the idea of intelligence in this area and, in my mind, this intelligence leads to growth, understanding, and wisdom.

“The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in the mind, at the same time, and still retain the ability to function.” — F. Scott Fitzgerald

5. THE WILLINGNESS TO PRACTICE — Applied Heart

I’m taking another route in explaining this principle. Some of you may remember two basketball players: Hall of Famer Michael Jordon and Allen Iverson. You’ll find the difference between the two and the reason behind my support of this principle in the quotes from each of these NBA players. The first from Allen Iverson —

“If I can’t practice, I can’t practice. It is as simple as that. I ain’t about that at all. It’s easy to sum it up if you’re just talking about practice. We’re sitting here, and I’m supposed to be the franchise player, and we’re talking about practice. I mean listen, we’re sitting here talking about practice, not a game, not a game, not a game, but we’re talking about practice. Not the game that I go out there and die for and play every game like it’s my last, but we’re talking about practice man. How silly is that?”

and the second from Michael Jordan —

“I play to win, whether during practice or a real game. And I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win.”

While both men were inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame, the difference here is that Michael Jordan played on 6 NBA Championship Teams and is considered perhaps the greatest basketball player of all time and while Allen Iverson was inducted into the NBA Hall of Fame he never won a championship.

While there are so many more factors that could be argued to attest to the results here, including my thoughts above on Paradox, one man gave his heart all the time, with a willingness to practice, and walked away with 6 trophies. The other man, as good as he was, and he was very, very good, walked away with 0.

I know which one inspires me to practice. How about you?

6. EXERCISING THE COURAGE TO SHOW UP — Shifting the momentum

It has often been said that fear is what keeps people stuck in a pattern of living that does not produce the results they want to achieve. From my perspective and experience that is true most of the time. I can think of many instances when I have been on the threshold of achieving a personal milestone and fear stopped me in my tracks.

There is, in my opinion, and experience, a fear far greater than one that prevents us from finishing a project and that the fear that prevents us from starting one, whatever it might be. I can remember wanting to teach, coach, and write for many years before I started. My primary reason was that I didn’t think I was good enough or new enough to compete in the marketplaces. I shut myself down when I got to the point of comparing myself to others. I thought, “what do I have to offer them that they couldn’t get from those already doing it?”

Needless to say, my eyes were opened when I understood Ylanla Vanzant’s quote the “comparison is an act of violence against the self.” This revelation would be motivation enough to begin anew no matter the timing or situation.

There are so many good people in the world doing amazing things with their lives and each one of them started somewhere, each of them with a unique gift or idea. Every one of them also had something in common. They showed up! They began! they overcame whatever obstacle or pattern held them back, as I have. And You Can Too!

Showing up defeats the fear of comparison. Stepping into the fray of doing is the initial step of discovering who we really are and it is available to all of us. I’m not asking you to take my word for it, I’m asking you to trust yourself enough to know that you already have everything you need inside of you to begin the journey of your lifetime. Show up, and get started now! Do for yourself what you would advocate or do for others. AND, I’d love to know how it turns out!

7. MEDITATION — Freeing the mind of distractions

One of the most insidious obstacles to living the lives we want to live is succumbing to the obstacles that life places in our path. Some of these obstacles are a natural part of living on this planet, gifted to us by virtue of our presence here. They include our environment, our family, and others of which we had little choice.

And of course, there are self-imposed obstacles that include the consequences of our choices, not all of which are bad, but each one can remain an obstacle. I can remember buying my first car. The care was beautiful, but the payments were beyond my reach back then, and became they became an obstacle to my financial prosperity for many years.

All this to say that meditation has been for me a staple in my development as it has become a vehicle to diminish distractions that can impede my progress. Is meditation good for everyone? Let these next quotes be a guide.

“The mind is definitely something that can be transformed, and meditation is a means to transform it” — Dalai Lama

“You have a treasure within you that is infinitely greater than anything the world can offer” — Eckhart Tolle

“Meditation is the discovery that the point of life is always arrived at in the immediate moment.” — Alan Watts

8. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, FLOW, AND PEAK EXPERIENCES — Wisdom

I list these as elements of study and the insights presented within them, which were once thought of as merely anecdotal beliefs at best, as compelling arguments for change. I will always encourage my clients to make use of the many scientific facts that have come from their pursuit by incredibly gifted academians, psychologists, and others like Abraham Maslow, Dr. Martin Seligman, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Dr. Edward M. O’Keefe, Ph.D.

As a student of life-giving perspectives, I am committed to the exploration and dissemination of the theories and practices scientifically or anecdotally found to improve the lives of people, especially those like me, who at some moment in their lives struggled with not feeling like they were enough.

There are men and women today delving deeper into what was considered only a short time ago as pseudo-science. Though there are still many detractors, people who doubt this emerging wisdom, I contend that more evidence will come to the surface. In our western culture, we seem to value the measurable more than the immeasurable and so as more studies are conducted, the efficacy of these life-giving practices will continue to surface and improve the lives who people who believe in new possibilities.

There are more than these 8 principles to what I term as Life Architecture…many more, but I view these 8 as the cornerstone to a practice of designing, building, and living a life that matters…to me, and to many of whom I share this precious and sacred space we call earth. Though almost everyone is familiar with the individual principles here, few, I suspect, would subscribe to integrating a collection of them consciously in their daily practices.

I bless each reader here and humbly ask for your constructive responses and reactions to what you have read here. I am happy to respond to any questions.