Shinedown sings to it.

Tauriel speaks to it.

Fidelity.  Concluding on Fidelity as a virtue, these past few days have been born of thoughtful reflection on the lives of my parents and my work in this world.  Sounds deep.  It is.  But, it is ultimately simple.  It is the child of Simplicity, another virtue.  The reflection has lead to a powerful clarity around my work and my audience… how I best serve and who I best serve; how we best serve.  The work is around character, capacity and creativity.  The audience is youth and those individuals and organizations of youthful spirit.  Our work with kids and chess, youth and leadership, educators and learning and business and boldness… to name but a few… have this singular purpose.

Enter Fidelity.  Fidelity is the virtue of promise; covenant.

We must give deep discernment to that which we most want to give our promise.  This is no easy task.  It is not meant to be.  It has to be a decision truthful to who we are.  Once we have effectively and truthfully discerned our actions necessary, Fidelity is the virtue that keeps our promises.  In chess, business, school and more… the development of strategy is vital.  What is more important is the staying true to that strategy.  We cannot determine the wisdom of a plan unless we enact it; commit to it.  Half-hearted efforts prove nothing.  Indeed they can cause failure through negligence and self sabotage; and we do not know if the action would have worked if wholehearted.

The follow through is crucial in evaluating strategy and Fidelity ensures the follow through.  It is wholehearted.  It is committed.  It finds a way.  The way is the work and the work is the way.  It is the work recommended by Steven Pressfield and Joe Calloway…. consistency of meeting the promise in creativity and business and service.  Without it, we know not the reason for success or failure in an action.  We must follow through to learn.

So, what action have you promised that you must honor so as to see it unfold and learn from it?  .

Peace, passion and prosperity.

Barry Lewis Green, aka The Unity Guy™