In Letting Go and GOING, I offered…

  • “I have the good fortune to work alongside some remarkable people. I have the good fortune of my teaching that I love and my work and Service… I adore. That said, and going forward, much will be kept, some will be let go, and still more will be met and taken on. I will live SLOWER and care ever better… and explore ever more on Generosity. And, on Character and Purpose and Unity. My thought, at this time, is that we each take conscious inventory of our keepers, leapers and deepers. I humbly offer up that we consider and inventory that which we will keep hold of strongly, leap away from as it no longer serves nor connects, and move more deeply into going forward. What matters most to you still? What no longer does? And what calls to you? Detachment and Initiative can help us soar and build our Vision.”

I suggest a read of that post. I do. I humbly do. More importantly, I again humbly recommend action on same. First, make a deliberate and diligent list of all that which you intend to keep… the knowledge, skills, abilities and Character you have built along the way… the relationships, projects and Purposefulness that still speaks to you. Exhaust that list of the KEEPERS. Second, I encourage you to make a list of that which it is time to jettison… habits, distractions, even knowledge, skills, abilities and anything else that no longer serves nor has meaning. This might not be so long a list, but it is quality over quantity. But, I suggest a couple of LEAPERS can make all the difference. Third, on what and with whom do you want to go more deeply? On what and with whom are new adventures awaiting? On what and with whom does exploration and Curiosity call? This might be ever more narrow. Just this morning I saw this post from Linda Kavelin Popov, and was inspired…

SHIFTING SANDS

“Dear friends,

This will be my last blog — not forever, but on www.lindakavelinpopov.com. My website, I’m told, is about to be a thing of the past. So I’m shifting to Facebook and other platforms. You may have noticed that my blogs have been few and far between in recent months. That’s because Dan and I have shifted from the sands of Hawaii to the beaches of Aitutaki, Cook Islands.

We have been granted three year permits to remain here as mental health and wellbeing volunteers. We will soon be joined by a long time friend, client and colleague, Sadie Greenaway, who is a Canadian addictions specialist and former director of Kaackamin Family Development Centre in Port Alberni, British Columbia. She sustained The Virtues Project in that addictions recovery program for mostly First Nations families for more than two decades.

Our sponsor here is a non governmental organization called Solutions Cook Islands, founded by our team leader, Marie Frances, a local Cook Islander and lawyer. She helped us to navigate the many bureaucratic obstacles and delays we encountered, and we are truly thankful for her steadfastness and leadership.

Making the decision to live and serve on an island that is seven square miles with a population of about 1200 souls took much prayerful discernment. We have been coming and going from this wee paradise of Aitutaki for over 10 years and have been sharing The Virtues Project in the Cook Islands for more than 25 years.

My latest book, Dreaming at the Crossroads of Change (I, Barry, inserted this link because it is a wonderful book) turned out to be prophetic for us. Once again we gave away or sold most of our earthly belongings, bringing with us one suitcase and carry-on each. There is a lightness of being to what a friend called our “disincumberment.” When we arrived, we tossed aside the Covid masks to receive the kisses and hugs of local islanders, saying to us not “Welcome back,” but “Welcome home!” There were often tears in our reunions after four years away, with children and adults we thought we might never see again. Aitutaki means “guided by the gods.” That feels totally true for us in this small paradise that feels more like home than anywhere else on earth.

As in any human community, there are mental health challenges, family conflicts, relationship issues, addictions and violence. Resources are few and we hope to make some small difference through our professional skills and the Virtues strategies, which continue to be applied by families, counselors, teachers and schools. Our love and respect for the people and the rich culture here is our guiding light.

Have you taken the time to discern your dream for this season in your life? Have you considered thinking outside your comfort zone in order to entertain the possibility of deeper joys or new adventures? In my book, there are many stories about individuals and couples who have done just that. Whatever your choices, remember to savor each day with a little service, some compassion, creativity and a lot of gratitude. It’s a great formula for wellbeing. As Frederick Buechner said, “Our calling is where our deepest gladness and the world’s hunger meet.”

Thank you for your loyal readership, friends. I will be blogging from now on at https://www.facebook.com/LKPauthor?ref=hl with love and blessings, Linda.”

My Thoughts of Crossroads

I am thankful for Linda and Dan and their humble example. I recommend following Linda as she continues to inspire. As one of the Founders of The Virtues Project, her sense of Service is remarkable. But, as she and Dan navigate their own next Chapter soulfully, Linda continues to inspire me in my own crossroads of change. Just last evening, I posted on Facebook and LinkedIn…

  • Been an “interesting” week. Word. Soulfully challenging for sure. Soulfully. There is a part of me that this pic captures… a Soul saying “Time to blow some doors out”. It is happening … changes have been afoot for sure… but there is a much deeper sense of “when the swords flash, go forward”. The swords are flashing. “This is The Way”… quote the Mandalorian.

Yesterday, I posted on Character and Consultation. At any crossroads, we can go back… or we can identify our Keepers, Leapers and Deepers… and choose our new path accordingly. 4 points of crossroads. Best to consult with oneself and our trusted circles, and decide upon those Keepers, Leapers and Deepers. I am working on my list and checking it thrice. How about you? Happy trails.

Barry Lewis Green, The Unity Guy with Epic Engage.

Me on LinkedIn

CONSIDER

Developing Leadership Character – Ivey Business Journal

The Virtues Project 

Epic Engage

Global Goals

“Intelligence plus character—that is the goal of true education.” ― Martin Luther King Jr.

Human greatness does not lie in wealth or power, but in character and goodness. People are just people, and all people have faults and shortcomings, but all of us are born with a basic goodness. ― Anne Frank

And coming in 2023…