musings

Why we do what we do - whether we like it or not.

"Somebody has to do the "skut work" - or so they say.

Cultures require for their continued existence “skut work”, necessary, but not always pleasant activities, that basic survival requires. Much of this “skut work” is mundane, tedious and sometimes dangerous.  To get this work done,  cultures create work environments for these necessary endeavors that pay enough (and sometimes very well) for the doer to survive, plus a certain amount of security that makes doing them viable to those who do them.

Most of the people who do this type of work often attach to these activities the concept of service and “doing good” that makes the activity  acceptable and easier for them to obscure the truth - that the activity has little meaning for them other than providing the means of surviving.

 I do not want to minimize the need for survival.  It is necessary for our existence.  But  cultures also dramatically attach great moral value to these “skut work” activities because they are necessary. (Somebody has got to do them). However, it is not the work we admire, but the willingness of the individual who performs these daily chores conscientiously. 

This becomes part of the trap that so many people are in.  We attach moral value to getting these jobs done and this value provides some of the affirmation that people need to feel some sense of justification for doing what they do – and maybe to some extent a reason for their existence.

Some where in all of this is the “they”; the class of people who collectively, and often unconsciously, create the classes within each culture.  Certainly money (controlling the system that creates wealth) helps determine who is in this group.  But it is money combined with lineage that stands at the top of the pyramid.  Through their collective history they determine the “ruling and servant” classes. 

Within each culture, whether democratic or authoritarian, this last group eventually controls the means of obtaining and keeping power.  This is not a conspiracy; this is the way power has evolved through the myriads of history, from the cave, to the tribe and into our current history.

We have passed from the primitive instinctive animal to a highly developed animal instinct that has been codified into a political system with its set of laws and moral imperatives. The servant class includes our politicians, our professional classes and all of us engaged in the “skut work” of our time

But make no mistake about it, regardless of the system, there is a ruling class and the rest of us are workers, the necessary servant class who will continue to be - until a machine replaces us.

See you on the beach!

Sister Veronica, commenting for the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, editor

 

We also recommend:"The Pizzaonian."

 

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The most elusive person in the world – the person you were meant to be……

 

“If you do not express your own original ideas, if you do not listen to your own being, you will have betrayed yourself.”  Rollo May

 

At our conception, it is a reasonable assumption to conclude that within our DNA, there was created the seed of a unique person – the person you are meant to be. 

If this is correct, it begs the question – why is it so difficult for many of us to be this person? It gets even more confusing when you presume that being this person would allow us the most opportunity for a successful and fulfilling life.

Of course, we do not know this in the beginning, but as we develop the ability to be more introspective with age, this should be obvious to us and certainly to those with the responsibility of helping us grow to adulthood.

I have always been curious how some of us know who we are meant to be from the beginning of our self-awareness, and for others it requires the journey of a lifetime.

I have no answer as to why this is. However, for the sake of this discussion, I am more interested in those people who have to discover their distinctiveness by experiencing life.

I believe it was Rollo May, the psychiatrist and author, who coined the phrase, “life is more about willingness than will.” When we follow the path of our true person hood life is more about steering our way in a down steam current, as compared to rowing all of our lives against the current. The question for each of us should be “are we in a downstream or upstream current?” 

One caveat needs to be considered. Your being authentic to your personal reality does not mean it will always be easier. On the contrary, it may often be just the opposite.

What is important for each of us to understand is our lives should not be about how hard our journey is, but that we are always making progress and traveling in the right direction. 

I am sure this is at the heart of the issue.  The difficulty in living an authentic life is that it makes demands on us- demands that subconsciously we already know will be asked of us.

For many, this means sacrifice, and changes in the way we think and in our lifestyle. Not all of these changes come easy, and many require enduring turmoil and hardship as we progress to our “authentic life.”     

Is this why so many of us hide in the shadows and refuse to act?  Do we not act for the reasons stated?  If so, it  begs the next question - can this decision to be or not to be authentic be reduced to a matter of personal courage? Is it that simple?   

Finding the center of strength within ourselves is in the long run the best contribution we can make for our fellow human beings” ― Rollo May

John Frank Giovanni, commenting for "Musings"

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On getting it done - Starting over, new and fresh - Conjectures of a recovering dilettante while traveling the road to Utopia

 

Getting things done in a steady and correct matter is no easy task.  If it were, we would all easily reach our life's goals.  Planning is easy; execution is hard.  That is why we have so many discarded plans that never amounted to anything.  

 

There is hope in the planning process. As you write or think the plan it implies a new beginning.  While the plan may be new - the person thinking the plan isn’t. And that is why new plans seldom work. To have a new beginning, the person planning must first make themselves new.  And that is no easy task.

 

To begin new and fresh is to allow the process of change to take place.  Change means giving up many things that are near and dear to us. To change is to seriously disrupt your comfort zone.  

 

When I first engaged this process several years ago, I presumed that serious introspection needed to take place. To discover the motivation for behavior seemed important to me. 

 

It was almost too easy when I began to understand how wedded we are to our comfort zones, no matter how insignificant or destructive they may be. But like all revelations, they are easy in the thinking part and difficult in the doing part. 

 

Revelations often reveal serious character flaws. These flaws are embedded deep in our consciousness, and these flaws often mask themselves as virtues.  And virtue, no matter how misdirected, gives one the excuse that is needed to keep the status quo alive.  All of this is a significant barrier to break down. 

 

Break troughs do not come easy, but they do come.  At the point when you realize that only change will keep you alive mentally and physically - you have a choice to make. 

 

You are faced with the choice of new life or a permanent type of stagnation.  And if that does not get your attention nothing will.

 

Brother Franco

 

We also recommend: 'The Pizzaonian"

 

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The most important relationship you will have in your life?

Musings..

  

I know we all have  relationships, but do you have an authentic relationship?  Some background and explanation are necessary.  Notice I kept it singular since for most of us, if we have one authentic relationship, we are indeed among the fortunate.

What is an authentic relationship? For starters it is unconditional.  By that I mean exactly what the words say.  You have a person who will stand by you regardless – as they say “through hell and high water.”

The only thing that comes to mind is “Mother.”  Isn’t this what most mothers do – stand by their offspring regardless of the consequences.

Now let’s see if we can make this more realistic and leave the ideal behind and deal with the world we experience each day. First, we have to understand most relationships are an implied contract.  What they are not are covenants, promises made to each other to be obeyed and followed without condition.

Interestingly, if you listen to the words of the marriage ceremony, each person is promising to obey and follow a covenant - not a contract.  I often wonder why people bother uttering the words they do during the marriage ceremony when it is obvious many don’t mean them, since at least half of the marriages end in divorce. 

Back to friendships - since the contract between friends is implied, this is where it gets tricky.  What is implied and do both parties clearly understand - and if so, do they agree to it?  Since the answer for most of us is no, we can see why most relationships are shipwrecked early into the journey.

The first hurdle of any relationship is when one party has to say "no" to the other.  Now not all “no’s” are equal, some can be serious enough to threaten the relationship. However, most are not.  This does not mean they do not create difficult situations that can be troubling, because they often do.

The good news is that most of these situations are learning experiences that help develop tolerance for the other person. If we care and are reasonably committed to each other, we are willing to endure differences. 

Now as to these differences, it is often said that most successful relationships are 80–20 – one person is giving 80 percent the other, 20.  The catch is, in successful relationships, the person giving the 80 percent keeps changing back and forth to each other. It is only when one party is overburdened with the heavy lifting that the relationship begins to suffer.

Now all of this is for naught if there is not a fundamental commitment that the parties make to each other, either directly stated or implied, and understood clearly by each person. The commitment is simple: to be willing to ride out the rough times and make things work.   Without this, nothing works.

Obviously, there are degrees, but within the understood boundaries there is a mutual acceptance of the value of the relationship to each other that makes working out the difficulties worth the effort.

As we asked in the beginning what makes for an authentic relationship?  I believe the willingness to accept the differences in each other and accommodate them in a friendly and loving way.  This allows each person to be comfortable and accepting of the give and take that goes on each day.  If you have this, you have the foundation and that is a good starting place.

But never forget, the health of all your relationships begins with the quality of the relationship you have with yourself.

Brother Franco

Musings is a feature of “The Pizzaonian” a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network, Diverti Mento, editor

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Always so much more to know!

As the later years go by, and you realize how fortunate you are to have lived this long, you also begin to realize how much you have experienced, and how much more you still to know.

What an interesting combination – more experience, but still haven’t make a dent in what still needs to be known. If nothing else, it makes you more careful in all your considerations. And this may be the most valuable lesson of all.  “Go easy – there is always theoretical quicksand ahead.”

To many, much younger, this may seem to be hesitation, or an unwillingness to act or decide, and they may be right.  One must be careful here – it is easy for one to lead to the other.

Brother Franco

Faith, morals and political integrity - real or a revolving door?

Faith, morals and political integrity, three subjects that most Americans believe they have.  The question, however, always comes to mind, how much of these belief systems are real or just a matter of convenience?

As we listen to the caustic and angry rhetoric of our politicians, where does integrity begin? Again, I need to remind us that I am not talking about hypocrites.  I prefer to believe most people are sincere. What concerns me is how the belief systems that our leaders espouse, or anyone of us, become compromised when it is no longer profitable, financially or emotionally, to continue to believe in them.

Let’s consider religious convictions or faith. We all deal with the two bookends of life: Birth and Death – the tension created by the frame they produce, fuels the positive impulse that drives life. 

Within each of us a need for certainty exists – a certainty that cannot exist in the world as we know it.  From this premise, we begin a journey to seek an uncertain truth that can only exist in faith.  Within the intuitive understanding of this concept, we begin our journey.

The frame of life created at birth and ending with death is a vertical boundary. To travel beyond the vertical boundary is a matter of transcendence, and if we go beyond the frame, we go from the uncertainty of reality to the certainty of uncertainty. We call that journey faith, and it cannot be resolved if we remain in the frame. 

It is easy to see how normal it would be to have these faith belief systems challenged by circumstances that could harm us. How would we hold up if challenged to this degree?

Here we have many examples of people who believed and acted according to their ideology.  This also includes those who gave their lives.  It seems a good idea to reflect on the lives on these heroic people, so we can see how we might compare to them.

I know the standard is high here, but so is the concept of personal integrity.  Self-examination should be an important part of our growth process. To wait for the trial to appear without serious introspection beforehand would be foolish.  There is a reason military training is so vigorous and often dangerous.  It prepares the soldier, as best as possible, to understand the dangers and tasks they will be facing.

Should we be any less vigorous with our faith?  If one needs an example of “the Christian life” there could be none better than Dietrich Bonhoeffer*.  Take some time to consider this man’s life and faith.  He set the standard.  How would each of us hold up?  That is a question only for you and your God.

* http://www.christianitytoday.com/ch/131christians/martyrs/bonhoeffer.html?start=1  

Brother Giovanni, commenting for “Musings

Why do we believe with such conviction? 100 word reflections

 100 word reflections

Conjectures of a  recovering dillettante while traveling the road to Utopia..

Why do we believe what we do with such conviction?

When I ask people what proof they can offer to substantiate their strong feelings about a given subject, you would think they would offer, easily and quickly, substantial historical facts to prove their point.  Strangely enough, few can.  

I am not suggesting you should not believe what you do, but go easy. It is possible that the best you can offer for the validity of your position is an assumption.

That’s okay, but stop selling it to the world with such vigor.

Here is an idea, Why talk about it at all?  Why not make your actions speak for your beliefs?   Let what you believe be who you are.  Now that’s a thought for the ages.

P.S. Yes, I do include myself.

Brother Franco

We also recommend: "The Pizzaonian"

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The Technocrats are the new high priests. Technology becomes the new Spirituality

In a mechanistic, materialistic society, it is inevitable for technology to replace spirituality. The "Googles" and the "Apples" become the new Vatican - the technocrats the new high priests. 

It is assumed that sooner or later, all rivers return to their original course – unless those with the power to do so keep this from happening. 

The marketing forces that drive technology have become so profitable it has created a new monarchy, no longer decided by lineage, but by who has the largest bank account. 

Please do not construe this to be an anti technology rave – it is not. The advance of technology properly applied and guided by a mature awareness of the social contract helps everyone – poor and rich alike. 

However, in our present stage, we have not balanced the scales – even though many with the power have tried to do so. 

The problem is not new. It is what always happens when power comes to those whose expertise is so singular they have little knowledge or experience with the social contract* necessary for healthy and mature application.  

Unfortunately, expertise in one area, no matter how great or how successful, does not necessarily translate to other areas, particularly the social or political arenas where the fate of the less fortunate is usually decided. 

How does this get resolved? Not easily. If history is our guide only when those with the material power become mature enough to realize their shortcomings do things begin to change.  

This usually happens when the well- being of the powerful becomes negatively affected by their limitations. Then, and only then, do we begin to see positive change.  

 

Frank John Franco, commenting for “The Pizzaonian” a division of the Pizzaonian Newsertainment Network. Diverti Mento, editor.

We also recommend: "The Pizzaonian"

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*The social contract:

http://americanhistory.about.com/od/usconstitution/g/social_contract.htm

There is nothing more dangerous to a culture than struggling to find its identity while in the throes of a dying value system."  Pizzaonius

In a mechanistic, materialistic society, technology becomes the new spirituality

Bits and pieces while moving west. Power corrupts; it does not have to be absolute power to do so.

 

We all hide in the shadow of our consciousness

 

A funny thing happened on the road to self-discovery

I am perplexed. Like many, I am on the road to self-discovery. It is becoming more obvious as time goes by that the road may never end. Maybe, this is why we always hear the journey is more important than the destination - for many there may not be a destination, only the journey.   

It’s probably best not to know this in the beginning. How many of us would embark on an expedition that we knew might never end?

In retrospect, it is clear we all travel this road, whether we choose to or not. We can fully participate, or like so many of us, it can be a wandering without purpose or inclination. Sound harsh? I think so too, unfortunately, this does not make it any less true. 

When George Bernard Shaw was reputed to say, “What a shame to waste youth on the young” he was not just referring to physical vitality. I prefer to believe he was also considering the experience and knowledge we gain as we grow older, but no longer have the vitality or time to complete the journey. 

So much of our path to self-discovery is determined by how much we really want to know. For reasons uniquely our own, we all have limits on how much self-discovery we emotionally can absorb as we try to find our way. It is strange how elusive the “truth” can be. It is very easy for us to hide in the shadow of our consciousness.      

Our individual journey becomes more difficult when realize we are not just one person. There is the person we want to be, the person we are, and the person we were meant to be. While they are not all present at the same time, they all are very much part of who we are. 

Adding to the confusion is that we may not know them equally as well. Some, in fact, can remain hidden for years. Obviously, they are all part of who we are, but each shows a different face to the outside world. It is the journey of a lifetime to have all three personalities become one. When they do we are complete.   

When this happens, questions of identity and purpose cease to be relevant.. We no longer need an explanation or reason to define our lives. 

Why then is this acceptance of our reality so difficult for many of us? For one, our ego does a very good job of protecting us from what we choose to hide from ourselves. I doubt if the ego considers right or wrong. Like any good servant, it stands ready to give us what it thinks we want. Perhaps, the truth about ourselves, like so many effective medicines, is best handled in small doses – at least in the beginning.   

I look forward to meeting you as we travel the road together. 

Thought for the day:  Why do we work so hard to avoid becoming the person we were meant to be?  

Brothers Giovanni and Franco, for “Musings” and exploration of the creative experience

We also recommend  GiovanniandFranco.com

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Within the heart of every person is the yearning to create -

 

Where do you go from here? 

Within the heart of every person is the yearning to create.  It is not about education or learning.  No one gives it to you - it was placed there when you were born.  Your journey through life is to bring this creation into being by allowing it to exist.  This is truly more an act of willingness than will. 

What form shall this creation take?  That is between you and your creator.  Work with the divine force within you and it will come into being.  

Open your mind and heart to what form this creation will take.  Let your work talk to you.  Your life is the process of discovering your gift.  You will know the answer soon enough. 

Remember the answer might not be what you want to hear or sacrifice for, nevertheless, you will know the truth intrinsically by letting the process of your life speak to you.  The answer is always there.  Do you have the courage to head its call? 

The fulfillment of your life rests in your answer. 

Brother Franco

We also recommend: "The Pizzaonian"

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