SOCCER MOMS, SAVE US!
--- by Kim Blake
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Problem, The Opportunity
The Call
Choice: WIN-LOSE or WIN-WIN
Alexander “The Great Bully”
Real Men
Real Christians
The Choice
Summary
Copyright © 2013 Kim Blake. All Rights Reserved.
THE PROBLEM, THE OPPORTUNITY
News reports:
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was right. “The choice is no longer between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence.”
Our primitive society focuses on competition, with its infinite variety of butting-heads for ranking position. Everyone feels paranoid and insecure, carefully watching “opponents” who constantly jerk each other’s puppet-strings simply by being present. As a result, people in this scarcity-mentality society live mediocre lives, rarely smile except to gloat or manipulate, and accomplishing nothing really important even though so-called “winners” receive great applause.
An advanced civilization would focus on purposeful action with things that really matter, focus on individual responsibility to promote peace and prosperity, and its people smile because they focus on a passion for living. It would freely mentor, using adventure and discovery to teach abundance-mentality. Everyone could drive a Cadillac or BMW if that were important to them.
Did you ever wonder what would happen if parents gave enthusiastic encouragement to their childrens’ efforts in math, reading, etc. like they give to children playing competitive sports?
Society will never have peace as long as we encourage children to be selfish, violent, and aggressive. Teach respect and compassion; get peace. Stop confusing children with mixed messages like, “Be nice, but clobber that other kid.”
THE CALL
“Hang on!” Mike snaps a picture with one hand, while his other hand holds the oar.
Angela shivers and shrieks as the raft pitches down into the river, then up as whitewater drenches her again.
Pine-tree covered canyon walls echo the raging river’s roar and rafters’ cries of delight. Mike brushes water from his eyes and croaks, “Close (cough) mouth when wave hits.”
Down again on Angela’s side as one huge final wave tumbles in – slamming Mike sideways against her, knocking her from her seat. He reaches his arm around her waist to keep them both from flying overboard.
Mike heaves a sigh of relief as they reach calmer water. “We made it!”
Angela adds, “And look, we’re still alive!”
Mike grins from ear to ear, “For a couple 17-year-olds, life is good.” Soon the river guide steers the raft to the takeout point.
# # # # #
Mike parks his Subaru Forester in front of his home. “We’re gonna be sore tomorrow. I’ll carry lunch leftovers inside if you carry me.”
Angela snickers, “Right. I got wet towels, you take the food.”
Mike throws a corn chip in his mouth and lifts the cooler out of the car’s back end. A bumper-sticker shows a picture of him and Angela, peering over the side of a white-water raft, as a large wave from behind is about to fall on them.
A fly clings to the living room wall as they enter the front door.
Angela drops wet towels on the entry floor, “There, I’m done”.
The fly follows them into the dining room and lands on a round dining table as Mike sets the cooler on the other side of the table. Mike pulls a still-wrapped sandwich, an open bag of chips, and an almost empty bottle of Gatorade out of the cooler.
Angela glances at her image in the mirror, “We really got soaked!” She catches a glimpse of the fly and whispers, “Look there. – Where’s your flyswatter?”
Mike slips quietly to the kitchen and returns with the swatter.
Angela speaks softly, “They’re tricky you know. Start aiming behind it, but hit just in front of it.
Mike takes a practice swing with his back to the fly, then creeps into position. “Hold still, little fly. You won’t feel a thing.” The flyswatter slaps the table, but misses the fly.
The fly stays fixed in place, but there is an ear-piercing scream. Mike looks at Angela, “What’s the matter?”
Angela shrugs, “Wasn’t me.”
A frightened female voice from the fly says, “You almost hit me!”
“What’s going on?” Mike asks as he and Angela lean down to inspect the fly.
The fly clears its throat. “I have an important job for you.”
Angela shakes her head. “Did we slam our heads on a boulder in the river?”
The fly vanishes, and immediately a girl with fly-like wings appears standing on the table. The wings disappear, and she asks, “Is this better?”
Mike and Angela stare open-mouthed. “I’m me now. – Hi, I’m Diana.”
Diana, in appearance like she could be one of Mike and Angela's friends, steps down from the table to a chair, then to the floor. She unwraps the last sandwich and takes a bite. “Delicious. – I’ve been watching you. You do things right.”
Angela inspects Diana’s back where the wings had been and pokes her arm. “You a magician?”
Diana shakes her head, “I’m just like you.”
Mike asks, “How’d you do that?”
“Easy. It’s like texting on a really smart-phone. Now, back to what I was saying.”
Angela remembers, “You have a job for us. Right?”
A hologram appears above the table showing a violent video game, then football teams colliding, a man striking a woman, gunshots firing inside a school, and finally an atomic bomb exploding over a major city. Diana says, “I want you to change the world.”
Mike’s eyebrows rise. “Just like that? Change the world.”
Diana continues, “You two are on the right track – creating fun instead of fighting.”
Mike asks, “How so?”
Diana says, “You play smart. You play hard.”
Angela agrees, “We do? ...We do. But why us? Seems like it’d be better if you do that job yourself.”
Diana answers, “Listen. This is your world, not mine. Besides, I’m not really here.”
Mike puzzles. “Ahhhh, I see you.”
Angela wonders, “I touched you.”
Diana speaks distinctly, “I’m a thousand light-years away.”
Mike stammers, “What?”
Diana looks frustrated, “Just concentrate on your job.”
Mike stammers again, “But how did you…”
Diana answers, “How? Okay. Do you understand quantum entanglement?”
Mike, “No.”
Diana, “So forget ‘how’. Focus on ‘what’.”
Angela, “She means, change the world.”
Mike, “I know, I know.”
“Have a seat.” Diana is suddenly seated at the table on a chair that had not existed. A new hologram replaces the first one, showing their whitewater-rafting trip. She continues, “Most people are boring – only interested in primitive, selfish competition.”
Mike and Angela sit down as they watch their rafting images, shivering, pointing and laughing as they relive the excitement.
A chart appears in the place of the rafting hologram.
ABUNDANCE
SCARCITY
Diana concludes, “Teach people how to play in abundance.”
# # # # #
Mike and Angela sit at a park picnic table, with their friends/classmates Ryan and Connie. Connie is deaf, but reads lips. Mike gestures wildly, “Really, I’m not kidding!”
Ryan and Connie squirm, shrug their shoulders, and look around. Angela tells them, “Our assignment is to show people how to have smart fun.”
Mike adds, “We could sure use your help.”
Ryan softens, “I like what we do. Taking turns leading adventures keeps thing interesting too.”
Connie asks, “Can we zap to other worlds like Diana?”
Mike explains, “No, we don’t have her ‘smart phone’.”
Angela says, “But there’s plenty of things we can do. The idea is, teach people to create instead of fight.”
Mike agrees, “That’s our assignment.”
Ryan watches an ant crawl across the picnic table looking for food. He leans toward Mike, “Is she watching us now?”
# # # # #
Mike, Angela, Ryan, and Connie sit and talk before their first-period class starts. Connie asks, “Can you believe graduation is next week?”
The bell rings to start class, interrupting their discussion. Mr. Henry, psychology teacher, holds up pictures of a lion cub and a gazelle calf. “Look closely at these two pictures. – Playtime for the young of any specie portends its adult life.”
Someone from the back calls out, “I’d rather be the lion.”
Mr. Henry lays the pictures on his desk, picks up a yardstick, and begins walking in the aisles between rows of desks. “Human beings play both animals’ roles – predator and prey. Name some predators.”
Students respond randomly. “Bullies.” “Guys that act like jerks on a date.” “Drug dealers.” “Terrorists.” “School teachers.”
Mr. Henry smiles and shrugs. “And who is their prey?”
Again students respond randomly. “Innocent kids.” “Abused wives.” “Drug users.” “Shooting and bombing victims.”
Mr. Henry slaps the top of Mike’s desk with the yardstick. “Why?” Students snap to attention at the loud noise – then silence. “Why does this situation exist?”
Mike guesses, “That’s just the way it is?”
Mr. Henry stares at Mike, “What are you going to do about it?”
Mike squirms, “Change it?”
Mr. Henry smiles at Mike, winks at Angela, then vanishes as the yardstick drops and lands on Mike’s desk.
A second later Mr. Henry, now with uncombed hair and shirt not quite tucked in, hurries from the hallway into the classroom, “Sorry I’m late for class. Let’s get started.”
# # # # #
Later at Mike’s house he, Angela, and Ryan sit at the table with Connie on the opposite side, making it easy for her to read their lips. Ryan stammers, “What if we start an adventure club?”
Mike writes on his notebook, Adventure Club.
Angela adds, “After having two Mr. Henrys in psychology class today, reporters’ll come to us.”
Mike says, “Maybe they’ll just think we’re crazy.”
Connie glances up as Diana appears behind Mike, Angela, and Ryan. “Does Diana have green eyes and long dark hair?”
Mike, Angela, and Ryan follow Connie’s gaze, turning quickly in their chairs. Mike sighs, “Good, you’re here.”
Diana steps closer, “I thought you might have questions.”
Ryan remarks, “I do. – If you don’t fight, people will take advantage of you.”
Diana answers, “Fight only when it's smart and right, not just as a dumb reaction.”
Mike shows Diana the almost blank notebook page. “I’ve got a question. Where do we start?”
Diana thinks for a second, “Your message is for everyone. You need friends in high places.”
Angela sighs, “Anybody got friends in high places?”
Connie shrugs, “Don’t look at me.”
Ryan’s face lights up, “Diana’s trick, being Mr. Henry’s alien-twin, got peoples’ attention.”
Mike says, “Maybe next time you should be the governor.”
Diana taps her index finger on her lips, “We could really have fun with that.”
Angela urges, “Okay Mike, start writing.”
Diana sits down at the table with them, “Think big. – Play smart. – Mentor. Remember psychology class? Childrens' play is a preview of their adult world.”
Connie reasons, “If kids play against each other, then as adults they’ll fight each other.”
Diana continues, “Teach children to help each other, to create adventure, and that all aggression wastes time and destroys progress.”
Ryan nods, “The world really is messed up.”
Mike looks into Diana’s eyes. “Diana, I know why you’re here! This is your adventure. You are the mentor.”
Diana smiles and her eyes sparkle.
# # # # #
Mike, Angela, Ryan, and Connie climb the state capitol building steps, oblivious to a few discrete people in the distance who watch their every move. Looking up as they enter the rotunda, Ryan says, “Press conference with the governor – cool.”
An escort greets them. “This should be interesting. Follow me, please.”
Connie whispers to Angela when they pass several reporters in a press conference room, “Name-dropping really works.”
Angela quietly uses hand-signs to Connie, “Yeah, if the name is from outer space.”
# # # # #
Governor Pike leads the friends to the speaker’s podium. National media reporters take their seat, and listen quietly. When Mike steps up to the microphone, an arrogant reporter stands and demands, “Where is this alien?”
Diana glares, “Sitting here, next to you. Don’t play stupid games.” All eyes turn to Diana, who points at her friends. “Look at them, not me. They literally are the message.”
Two Men-In-Black suddenly jump out from the crowd and rush toward Diana. But She vanishes leaving only an empty chair. The M-I-B slink away.
Governor Pike touches the microphone, “What an introduction. Please…”
Mike leans forward, close to the microphone, “Our message is this: ‘Help each other. Enjoy adventures. And all aggression destroys progress’.”
Connie’s voice cracks with emotion, “Cruelty and poverty are obsolete. Stop it!”
The aggressive reporter snarls, “Like that’s ever going to happen.”
The voice of Diana echos from everywhere, “This is what a destroyer sounds like. Do not listen to them.”
The reporter storms out of the room, purposely bumping other reporters. Mike says, “Change isn’t easy, but as our technology grows, we must change.”
A beautiful forest landscape and text slowly etches into the wall: “Technology is now so dangerous that childrens' play must teach them to believe in abundance. ”
Diana’s voice echoes again, “Evolve, or face extinction. – Have fun!”
Choice: WIN-LOSE or WIN-WIN
Looking to competition for a success formula is misguided.
Fans hold their breath as the hail-Mary pass streaks toward the end zone. Winning or losing comes down to this one play. The announcer screams, “Will the intended receiver make the catch?” Will a defender intentionally interfere, knowing that his team’s penalty will be relatively trivial? With a brilliantly executed maneuver, the pass is…
Are competitive sports really a metaphor on how to win life’s struggles? Is this what it means to be successful? Only if you buy into the belief that:
Worn reins gently snap across the backs of a workhorse team, and a sleigh piled high with hay jerks loose from the icy mud. Clouds of frozen breath explode from the horses’ nostrils as they struggle to pull the precious load near Salmon, Idaho in 1950. Cattle huddled together nudge each other, anxiously pushing against the fence and gate as they wait in the corner of a large pasture. The wire gate is opened after shooing the hungry mob out of the way. Grandpa drove the horses while Uncle Jack threw hay to the cattle, crowding close behind until the first small pile hit the snow. Then the feeding frenzy began.
As a small child riding along and holding on for dear-life during such fun times, I marveled at the powerful, huge horses as they pulled together to accomplish their work.
Grandpa always hitched the horses so they would pull in the same direction. He could have hitched them at opposite ends of the sleigh to see which horse was stronger. We could have cheered and bet on which would win. We could have placed a trophy harness on the winner and bragged about him to the neighbors. Better yet – we could have bred and trained horses for the event. But, in the meantime, the cattle waiting in the pasture would have starved and frozen to death.
The more prevalent competition becomes in society, the smaller the pie will be, from which each competitor wants the biggest piece. Focus on which horse is stronger and the cattle will starve.
Praise ruthless and clever competitive teams, and their fans will also become more selfish and violent. It’s sad that in our primitive society, many of our strongest young people will be brainwashed into devoting their lives to butting-heads.
Does this mean that a business should naively give away secrets that make it outstanding? No. But, if a society glorifies competition some people will be rich, some poor, and some will starve. The competition-for-success paradigm is defective, even though pervasive in our primitive, selfish society.
“Class, raise your hands if you know the answer. – Okay, Cindy. What do you think?”
Cindy holds her hands a few inches apart. “ ‘Guns or butter’ means you only have this amount of money. If you spend it all on war, people will starve.” She continues sarcastically, “If you spend it all on food, aggressive nations will steal it.”
Professor Borne explains, “Right. Economics is the study of unlimited wants with limited resources. So we should choose wisely. -- Understand?”
Alexander the Great (next chapter) chose war. He and other alpha-personality individuals are leaches, selfishly sucking the wealth and creativity out of the general population, and arrogantly putting it into their own treasure chests.
We refer to “soccer moms”, but the same abundance-destroying principle applies to basketball, wrestling, track, etc., (even board-games like Monopoly where the objective is to bankrupt everyone else) – wherever any scarcity-minded adult throws kids at each other and yells, “Win! Win! Win!”
ALEXANDER “The Great Bully”
When you enjoy the game, even if you don’t beat someone, you are a creator. Otherwise, you are a bully or a bully wanna-be.
Alexander the Great’s mother (a really hard-core “soccer mom”) was very ambitious. She taught him that his destiny was to defeat the Persian Empire. His father, Philip, taught Alexander by example to win glory in battle, and to be competitive, even to the point that Alexander wanted to beat his father’s conquests. Alexander’s teachers included Aristotle, and he was quite intelligent. However, his violent temper, arrogance, and ambition led to the death and suffering of many tens of thousands of people. He was a blood-thirsty serial-killer who is glorified in history because he was a “winner.”
Insecurity is a part of being competitive. This insecurity results in a constant vigilance, watching to see if anyone is a threat, thereby wasting energy on trivial matters.
Jason revs his engine as he waits for the light to turn green. A car with a little old lady waits in the lane next to him. The light turns green, and he races away, proud of his victory and feeling superior - until screeching to a stop at the next light, or until someone driving along side his car appears to be going faster than he is.
A puppet (competitive person) jumps when his strings are pulled, and virtually everyone else is his puppeteer (even the little old lady driving the car beside him). Puppets are selfish, rude, and seemingly everywhere. These bullies may call their actions “innocent teasing”.
“Quick, lock the doors so Steve can’t get in the car with us.”
Sound familiar? Bullies can use fists, sarcasm, guns…, and can be heard laughing when someone falls down or gets hurt.
Puppets, like Alexander “the great bully”, could be a product of frustrated or aggressive parents. Such parents even develop puppet children at their own dining table.
John and Ali sit with their elbows on the table, toying with food on their plates. Finally in frustration, their mom says, “Let’s see who’s the ‘winner’. Who will finish eating their spinach first?” Suddenly John and Ali glare at each other as they grab their forks and dig-in.
Two more puppets are born.
# # # # #
ON THE OTHER HAND
Susan Wright was an intelligent, loving, and resourceful Mother. She prepared her sons, Wilber and Orville, by giving them the mental tools they needed to benefit millions of people all over the world when they invented the airplane. Without mothers like Susan Wright, your next two-week vacation would be limited to places you could go in your horse and buggy.
What an amazing contrast. Alexander’s mother developed an arrogant monster. Susan Wright developed creators.
REAL MEN
Look at those guys. Are they “real men” or “spoiled brats?”
Real men are creators who take pride in doing well. Spoiled brats are arrogant puppets (bullies and frustrated bully-wannabes).
Tears welled in Carol’s eyes as she related, “As a child, I was neglected and abused at home – teased, ridiculed, and the brunt of constant sarcasm. When I met Carl it was love at first sight [out of desperation]. He was ‘protective and decisive’. I felt secure for the first time I could remember. But after we were married, his protectiveness and decisiveness turned me into a prisoner. He was extremely controlling. Only Carl could use or even have a credit card. However, he did realize he had a problem. We scheduled an appointment with a marriage counselor…”
Did he stop being a bully? Time will tell.
Many other national leaders (besides Alexander the…) are also bullies. Adolf Hitler comes to mind. Even now many leaders control and abuse their people. They don’t understand the difference between leading and managing, nor do they care. (Note: A manager merely causes things to happen. A leader inspires his followers to greatness. We desperately need leaders.)
Are competitive sports participants real men or bullies? That depends on:
Coach Jones yells at his defensive team, “I don’t care what it takes. You hold that line!” A football player on defense is trained to keep the other team from reaching their goal, by whatever violent tactics they can get away with (or worse if the benefit outweighs the possible penalty).
Coach Smith signals his call for a trick play to his quarterback as the offense goes into their huddle. Football players on offense are trained to use deception and force to get what they want.
Luckily, many players have integrity and try not to use these violent, dishonest, and manipulative behaviors “off the field”.
Real men do not use sarcasm – not to be funny, not to intimidate, and not to injure. Sarcasm is verbal vandalism. It leaves scars, since people’s self-images and personal values are often influenced by reactions of other people toward them. So sarcasm can yield a debilitating injury, especially by parents – people from whom the child wants approval and love. Parents, if you want a misguided child, be sarcastic.
Delores stands between the TV and her father as he collapses into his favorite chair after an exhausting day’s work. “Daddy, watch me dance!”
Pete groans, “Nobody wants to see you jump around like a stupid grasshopper.”
Not a smooth-move Pete. Sarcastic cruelty and scarcity-mentality go together.
REAL CHRISTIANS
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
(Matthew 18:1-4)
Jesus was asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He answered that the “winner” is – everyone who is humble. People asked the question with a scarcity-mentality; Jesus answered with an abundance-mentality – two totally different languages. They asked, “Who is the winner?”. Jesus answered that their question is irrelevant. Every mentor who teaches respect and caring (love – the greatest law) is great.
To be humble, as Jesus uses the term in the paragraph above, is to accept his abundance paradigm. Being meek and humble (as Jesus taught) has nothing to do with self-degradation. Meekness and humility are a total disregard for rank – combined with respect and compassion for other people. He taught that this paradigm leads to prosperity. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my father in his throne.” (Revelation 3:21)
Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Jesus’ abundance definition of humility meant, “Be free. Don’t be a competitive, follow-the-crowd, string-tied-puppet. Other people’s opinion of your rank is distracting and worthless.”
Corinthians 15: 40-41 tells us that everyone resurrected with a celestial glory shares the same glory, that of the sun. Likewise, everyone resurrected with a terrestrial glory shares the same glory, that of the moon. However, people resurrected with only the glory of stars will differ in glory according to their own [competitive] works, just like here and now.
In Jesus’ abundance paradigm, the greatest law is love. In fact, He taught that perfection means to also love your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48) Remember that in the abundance paradigm, “love” means respect and compassion. “Enemy” means even a competitive-puppet destroyer who stand in the way of universal prosperity (such as the hypocrites in positions of authority and Roman soldiers).
Puppets should not be admired – no matter how much the public worships their dress, grooming, rank, and manipulative or violent behavior. In fact, Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one [God/abundance-mentality], and love the other [competitive puppets]; or else he will hold to the one [God/abundance], and despise the other [competitive puppets]. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)
Other [abundance mentality] comments Jesus made that are hard for scarcity-mentality people to understand include:
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the Morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exhalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms…”(Isaiah 14: 12-16)
Every organization is vulnerable to attempted domination by puppet pushers. To be effective for the general population, every organization must be vigilant, and get rid of competitive, scarcity-mentality managers. We desperately need abundance-mentality, mentoring leaders. Managers dominate their subordinates; but real leaders inspire their followers. As Stephen Covey taught, we should be a light (a model), not a judge (a critic). (see Matthew 5:14; 7:1)
The Choice
Hamlet: Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison.
Rosencrantz: Why then, your ambition makes it one. 'Tis too narrow for your mind.
Hamlet: O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.
Guildenstern: Which dreams indeed are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.
--- Hamlet, by Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 2
Ambition is neither good nor bad, but is the engine that powers the future.
Ambition combined with respect and caring for others creates tremendous good.
Ambition combined with arrogance makes the dream a nightmare.
# # # # #
Jeff calls the meeting to order, glaring impatiently at Sue as she enters the room 10-seconds after 2 P.M. “My new procurement procedure must be followed precisely. Any deviation means that the fool will pay for the item out of his or her own pocket.”
Susan timidly raises her hand, but is ignored as Jeff turns to his slide-show screen and aims his laser-pointer at his next agenda-item bullet point. “Anyone who thinks they can take time off this week, will be looking for a new job. Right now, time off ain’t gonna happen.”
Competitive people don’t like to share or take turns. “Alpha” personalities selfishly dominate by using other people and “throwing tantrums” if they don’t get their way. Look for examples in world leaders, public and private organizations, and even in the homes of abusive spouses and parents. This scarcity-mentality is insecurity, which produces the Alphas' constant need to beat other people, and “losers” finally giving up or striking back in frustration at innocent victims (terrorist attacks in schools, public events, wars…).
Arrogance is the only disease Jesus could not heal.
# # # # #
Like symphony orchestra musicians cooperate, using their instruments to produce magnificent sounds, people with ethical abundance-mentality would cooperate to produce lives of adventure and prosperity. Playing instruments to make music makes a lot more sense than using them in competition to hit each other. In a creative society – learning, individual responsibility, cooperative leadership, and opportunities would naturally expand for everyone.
In abundance, future possibilities are infinite because the choices are unlimited. Geoff Colvin wrote in Talent is Overrated, that almost anyone can become a world-class performer in any field through sufficient “deliberate practice.” Skilled mentors guiding deliberate practice are vital to a totally prosperous society.
The Choices: What are good character-building, abundance-mentality choices?
SUMMARY
Discover your wings.
Learn to fly.
Soar.
In his book, Even Eagles Need a Push, David McNally wrote:
A pessimist (scarcity-mentality) is stuck in hell, and needs someone else to blame for his “inescapable” problems. It’s time to evolve above this competitive-baboon stage.
“Soccer Moms” are only a small part of the problem. They have many accomplices who also teach scarcity-mentality. Most of them are doing the best they can in our primitive society. But, there is a better way, and time is running out! This generation must evolve or else modern technology will allow bullies to cause even more savage abuse, beatings, shootings, bombings, wars, and ultimately, human extinction.
Violent movies and videos feed on desensitized peoples' boredom and frustration, benefiting only the greedy media industry that produces them. Did you ever wonder if acting and screenwriting schools teach ethics classes?
Violent video games desensitize players by encouraging them to kill human opponents. But games can be developed to simulate positive sensations like flying, whitewater rafting, base-jumping…
How could we afford to create such a mental renaissance? The cost of season tickets for college or professional football games (including transportation and hotels), could soon provide entrepreneurs incentive to create fantastic virtual experiences. Or, those funds might pay for real-world flying lessons, etc., and awaken a desire leading to an amazing future.
But more than just the financial cost, new abundance-thinking is required. Instead of parents developing puppet-children at their dining table as described in chapter “Alexander ‘The Great Bully’”, there is a better way.
John and Ali sit with their elbows on the table, toying with food on their plates. In abundance mentality, their mom says, “Let’s see who’s a ‘winner’. Who will finish eating their spinach? All winners get to pick next month’s week-end adventures.” Suddenly John and Ali smile at each other as they grab their forks and dig-in.
This time, two more creators are born. The “pie” that everyone shares becomes huge!
However, until abundance mentoring becomes commonplace, there are reasons to temporarily continue competitive sports, played by gracious winners and good losers, who remember that it’s just a game. First, the infrastructure is already in place. Second, competitive sports can be used to stay fit. Third, they can help provide emotional development, nurturing, and companionship as they teach tenacity.
But time is running out, and there are lots of scarcity-mentality nut-cases out there, with a victim mentality. They really are always trying to beat you or get even!
What is the Future? More of the same - or - FANTASTIC.
The higher technology rises, the more urgent it is for society to stop teaching young people to believe that violence, deception, and arrogance are acceptable alternatives to prosperity (helping everyone reach their highest potential).
The time has come for this generation to be “eagles”.
--- by Kim Blake
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Problem, The Opportunity
The Call
Choice: WIN-LOSE or WIN-WIN
Alexander “The Great Bully”
Real Men
Real Christians
The Choice
Summary
Copyright © 2013 Kim Blake. All Rights Reserved.
THE PROBLEM, THE OPPORTUNITY
News reports:
- “Soccer Teams’ Supporters Fight –79 Dead.”
- “One-Third of Women Worldwide Assaulted by Partner.”
- “Suicide Bomber Kills 29 Victims at Funeral.”
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was right. “The choice is no longer between violence and nonviolence. It is either nonviolence or nonexistence.”
Our primitive society focuses on competition, with its infinite variety of butting-heads for ranking position. Everyone feels paranoid and insecure, carefully watching “opponents” who constantly jerk each other’s puppet-strings simply by being present. As a result, people in this scarcity-mentality society live mediocre lives, rarely smile except to gloat or manipulate, and accomplishing nothing really important even though so-called “winners” receive great applause.
An advanced civilization would focus on purposeful action with things that really matter, focus on individual responsibility to promote peace and prosperity, and its people smile because they focus on a passion for living. It would freely mentor, using adventure and discovery to teach abundance-mentality. Everyone could drive a Cadillac or BMW if that were important to them.
Did you ever wonder what would happen if parents gave enthusiastic encouragement to their childrens’ efforts in math, reading, etc. like they give to children playing competitive sports?
Society will never have peace as long as we encourage children to be selfish, violent, and aggressive. Teach respect and compassion; get peace. Stop confusing children with mixed messages like, “Be nice, but clobber that other kid.”
THE CALL
“Hang on!” Mike snaps a picture with one hand, while his other hand holds the oar.
Angela shivers and shrieks as the raft pitches down into the river, then up as whitewater drenches her again.
Pine-tree covered canyon walls echo the raging river’s roar and rafters’ cries of delight. Mike brushes water from his eyes and croaks, “Close (cough) mouth when wave hits.”
Down again on Angela’s side as one huge final wave tumbles in – slamming Mike sideways against her, knocking her from her seat. He reaches his arm around her waist to keep them both from flying overboard.
Mike heaves a sigh of relief as they reach calmer water. “We made it!”
Angela adds, “And look, we’re still alive!”
Mike grins from ear to ear, “For a couple 17-year-olds, life is good.” Soon the river guide steers the raft to the takeout point.
# # # # #
Mike parks his Subaru Forester in front of his home. “We’re gonna be sore tomorrow. I’ll carry lunch leftovers inside if you carry me.”
Angela snickers, “Right. I got wet towels, you take the food.”
Mike throws a corn chip in his mouth and lifts the cooler out of the car’s back end. A bumper-sticker shows a picture of him and Angela, peering over the side of a white-water raft, as a large wave from behind is about to fall on them.
A fly clings to the living room wall as they enter the front door.
Angela drops wet towels on the entry floor, “There, I’m done”.
The fly follows them into the dining room and lands on a round dining table as Mike sets the cooler on the other side of the table. Mike pulls a still-wrapped sandwich, an open bag of chips, and an almost empty bottle of Gatorade out of the cooler.
Angela glances at her image in the mirror, “We really got soaked!” She catches a glimpse of the fly and whispers, “Look there. – Where’s your flyswatter?”
Mike slips quietly to the kitchen and returns with the swatter.
Angela speaks softly, “They’re tricky you know. Start aiming behind it, but hit just in front of it.
Mike takes a practice swing with his back to the fly, then creeps into position. “Hold still, little fly. You won’t feel a thing.” The flyswatter slaps the table, but misses the fly.
The fly stays fixed in place, but there is an ear-piercing scream. Mike looks at Angela, “What’s the matter?”
Angela shrugs, “Wasn’t me.”
A frightened female voice from the fly says, “You almost hit me!”
“What’s going on?” Mike asks as he and Angela lean down to inspect the fly.
The fly clears its throat. “I have an important job for you.”
Angela shakes her head. “Did we slam our heads on a boulder in the river?”
The fly vanishes, and immediately a girl with fly-like wings appears standing on the table. The wings disappear, and she asks, “Is this better?”
Mike and Angela stare open-mouthed. “I’m me now. – Hi, I’m Diana.”
Diana, in appearance like she could be one of Mike and Angela's friends, steps down from the table to a chair, then to the floor. She unwraps the last sandwich and takes a bite. “Delicious. – I’ve been watching you. You do things right.”
Angela inspects Diana’s back where the wings had been and pokes her arm. “You a magician?”
Diana shakes her head, “I’m just like you.”
Mike asks, “How’d you do that?”
“Easy. It’s like texting on a really smart-phone. Now, back to what I was saying.”
Angela remembers, “You have a job for us. Right?”
A hologram appears above the table showing a violent video game, then football teams colliding, a man striking a woman, gunshots firing inside a school, and finally an atomic bomb exploding over a major city. Diana says, “I want you to change the world.”
Mike’s eyebrows rise. “Just like that? Change the world.”
Diana continues, “You two are on the right track – creating fun instead of fighting.”
Mike asks, “How so?”
Diana says, “You play smart. You play hard.”
Angela agrees, “We do? ...We do. But why us? Seems like it’d be better if you do that job yourself.”
Diana answers, “Listen. This is your world, not mine. Besides, I’m not really here.”
Mike puzzles. “Ahhhh, I see you.”
Angela wonders, “I touched you.”
Diana speaks distinctly, “I’m a thousand light-years away.”
Mike stammers, “What?”
Diana looks frustrated, “Just concentrate on your job.”
Mike stammers again, “But how did you…”
Diana answers, “How? Okay. Do you understand quantum entanglement?”
Mike, “No.”
Diana, “So forget ‘how’. Focus on ‘what’.”
Angela, “She means, change the world.”
Mike, “I know, I know.”
“Have a seat.” Diana is suddenly seated at the table on a chair that had not existed. A new hologram replaces the first one, showing their whitewater-rafting trip. She continues, “Most people are boring – only interested in primitive, selfish competition.”
Mike and Angela sit down as they watch their rafting images, shivering, pointing and laughing as they relive the excitement.
A chart appears in the place of the rafting hologram.
ABUNDANCE
- Create Bonds; Keep it fun.
- Other People are Allies.
- Mentor.
- Recognize Effort.
- Respect Other People.
- Confident.
- Sharing Means Investing.
SCARCITY
- Fight; Keep Score.
- Other People are Enemies or Losers.
- Dominate or Submit.
- Condemn Mistakes.
- Be Rude or Uncaring.
- Insecure.
- Sharing Means Sacrifice.
Diana concludes, “Teach people how to play in abundance.”
# # # # #
Mike and Angela sit at a park picnic table, with their friends/classmates Ryan and Connie. Connie is deaf, but reads lips. Mike gestures wildly, “Really, I’m not kidding!”
Ryan and Connie squirm, shrug their shoulders, and look around. Angela tells them, “Our assignment is to show people how to have smart fun.”
Mike adds, “We could sure use your help.”
Ryan softens, “I like what we do. Taking turns leading adventures keeps thing interesting too.”
Connie asks, “Can we zap to other worlds like Diana?”
Mike explains, “No, we don’t have her ‘smart phone’.”
Angela says, “But there’s plenty of things we can do. The idea is, teach people to create instead of fight.”
Mike agrees, “That’s our assignment.”
Ryan watches an ant crawl across the picnic table looking for food. He leans toward Mike, “Is she watching us now?”
# # # # #
Mike, Angela, Ryan, and Connie sit and talk before their first-period class starts. Connie asks, “Can you believe graduation is next week?”
The bell rings to start class, interrupting their discussion. Mr. Henry, psychology teacher, holds up pictures of a lion cub and a gazelle calf. “Look closely at these two pictures. – Playtime for the young of any specie portends its adult life.”
Someone from the back calls out, “I’d rather be the lion.”
Mr. Henry lays the pictures on his desk, picks up a yardstick, and begins walking in the aisles between rows of desks. “Human beings play both animals’ roles – predator and prey. Name some predators.”
Students respond randomly. “Bullies.” “Guys that act like jerks on a date.” “Drug dealers.” “Terrorists.” “School teachers.”
Mr. Henry smiles and shrugs. “And who is their prey?”
Again students respond randomly. “Innocent kids.” “Abused wives.” “Drug users.” “Shooting and bombing victims.”
Mr. Henry slaps the top of Mike’s desk with the yardstick. “Why?” Students snap to attention at the loud noise – then silence. “Why does this situation exist?”
Mike guesses, “That’s just the way it is?”
Mr. Henry stares at Mike, “What are you going to do about it?”
Mike squirms, “Change it?”
Mr. Henry smiles at Mike, winks at Angela, then vanishes as the yardstick drops and lands on Mike’s desk.
A second later Mr. Henry, now with uncombed hair and shirt not quite tucked in, hurries from the hallway into the classroom, “Sorry I’m late for class. Let’s get started.”
# # # # #
Later at Mike’s house he, Angela, and Ryan sit at the table with Connie on the opposite side, making it easy for her to read their lips. Ryan stammers, “What if we start an adventure club?”
Mike writes on his notebook, Adventure Club.
Angela adds, “After having two Mr. Henrys in psychology class today, reporters’ll come to us.”
Mike says, “Maybe they’ll just think we’re crazy.”
Connie glances up as Diana appears behind Mike, Angela, and Ryan. “Does Diana have green eyes and long dark hair?”
Mike, Angela, and Ryan follow Connie’s gaze, turning quickly in their chairs. Mike sighs, “Good, you’re here.”
Diana steps closer, “I thought you might have questions.”
Ryan remarks, “I do. – If you don’t fight, people will take advantage of you.”
Diana answers, “Fight only when it's smart and right, not just as a dumb reaction.”
Mike shows Diana the almost blank notebook page. “I’ve got a question. Where do we start?”
Diana thinks for a second, “Your message is for everyone. You need friends in high places.”
Angela sighs, “Anybody got friends in high places?”
Connie shrugs, “Don’t look at me.”
Ryan’s face lights up, “Diana’s trick, being Mr. Henry’s alien-twin, got peoples’ attention.”
Mike says, “Maybe next time you should be the governor.”
Diana taps her index finger on her lips, “We could really have fun with that.”
Angela urges, “Okay Mike, start writing.”
Diana sits down at the table with them, “Think big. – Play smart. – Mentor. Remember psychology class? Childrens' play is a preview of their adult world.”
Connie reasons, “If kids play against each other, then as adults they’ll fight each other.”
Diana continues, “Teach children to help each other, to create adventure, and that all aggression wastes time and destroys progress.”
Ryan nods, “The world really is messed up.”
Mike looks into Diana’s eyes. “Diana, I know why you’re here! This is your adventure. You are the mentor.”
Diana smiles and her eyes sparkle.
# # # # #
Mike, Angela, Ryan, and Connie climb the state capitol building steps, oblivious to a few discrete people in the distance who watch their every move. Looking up as they enter the rotunda, Ryan says, “Press conference with the governor – cool.”
An escort greets them. “This should be interesting. Follow me, please.”
Connie whispers to Angela when they pass several reporters in a press conference room, “Name-dropping really works.”
Angela quietly uses hand-signs to Connie, “Yeah, if the name is from outer space.”
# # # # #
Governor Pike leads the friends to the speaker’s podium. National media reporters take their seat, and listen quietly. When Mike steps up to the microphone, an arrogant reporter stands and demands, “Where is this alien?”
Diana glares, “Sitting here, next to you. Don’t play stupid games.” All eyes turn to Diana, who points at her friends. “Look at them, not me. They literally are the message.”
Two Men-In-Black suddenly jump out from the crowd and rush toward Diana. But She vanishes leaving only an empty chair. The M-I-B slink away.
Governor Pike touches the microphone, “What an introduction. Please…”
Mike leans forward, close to the microphone, “Our message is this: ‘Help each other. Enjoy adventures. And all aggression destroys progress’.”
Connie’s voice cracks with emotion, “Cruelty and poverty are obsolete. Stop it!”
The aggressive reporter snarls, “Like that’s ever going to happen.”
The voice of Diana echos from everywhere, “This is what a destroyer sounds like. Do not listen to them.”
The reporter storms out of the room, purposely bumping other reporters. Mike says, “Change isn’t easy, but as our technology grows, we must change.”
A beautiful forest landscape and text slowly etches into the wall: “Technology is now so dangerous that childrens' play must teach them to believe in abundance. ”
Diana’s voice echoes again, “Evolve, or face extinction. – Have fun!”
Choice: WIN-LOSE or WIN-WIN
Looking to competition for a success formula is misguided.
Fans hold their breath as the hail-Mary pass streaks toward the end zone. Winning or losing comes down to this one play. The announcer screams, “Will the intended receiver make the catch?” Will a defender intentionally interfere, knowing that his team’s penalty will be relatively trivial? With a brilliantly executed maneuver, the pass is…
Are competitive sports really a metaphor on how to win life’s struggles? Is this what it means to be successful? Only if you buy into the belief that:
- Simply because everyone is excited about something makes it important.
- Other people are enemies.
- Your rules are all that matters.
- Your rank is more important than other people’s lives and futures.
- I win only if all other competitors lose.
Worn reins gently snap across the backs of a workhorse team, and a sleigh piled high with hay jerks loose from the icy mud. Clouds of frozen breath explode from the horses’ nostrils as they struggle to pull the precious load near Salmon, Idaho in 1950. Cattle huddled together nudge each other, anxiously pushing against the fence and gate as they wait in the corner of a large pasture. The wire gate is opened after shooing the hungry mob out of the way. Grandpa drove the horses while Uncle Jack threw hay to the cattle, crowding close behind until the first small pile hit the snow. Then the feeding frenzy began.
As a small child riding along and holding on for dear-life during such fun times, I marveled at the powerful, huge horses as they pulled together to accomplish their work.
Grandpa always hitched the horses so they would pull in the same direction. He could have hitched them at opposite ends of the sleigh to see which horse was stronger. We could have cheered and bet on which would win. We could have placed a trophy harness on the winner and bragged about him to the neighbors. Better yet – we could have bred and trained horses for the event. But, in the meantime, the cattle waiting in the pasture would have starved and frozen to death.
The more prevalent competition becomes in society, the smaller the pie will be, from which each competitor wants the biggest piece. Focus on which horse is stronger and the cattle will starve.
Praise ruthless and clever competitive teams, and their fans will also become more selfish and violent. It’s sad that in our primitive society, many of our strongest young people will be brainwashed into devoting their lives to butting-heads.
Does this mean that a business should naively give away secrets that make it outstanding? No. But, if a society glorifies competition some people will be rich, some poor, and some will starve. The competition-for-success paradigm is defective, even though pervasive in our primitive, selfish society.
“Class, raise your hands if you know the answer. – Okay, Cindy. What do you think?”
Cindy holds her hands a few inches apart. “ ‘Guns or butter’ means you only have this amount of money. If you spend it all on war, people will starve.” She continues sarcastically, “If you spend it all on food, aggressive nations will steal it.”
Professor Borne explains, “Right. Economics is the study of unlimited wants with limited resources. So we should choose wisely. -- Understand?”
Alexander the Great (next chapter) chose war. He and other alpha-personality individuals are leaches, selfishly sucking the wealth and creativity out of the general population, and arrogantly putting it into their own treasure chests.
We refer to “soccer moms”, but the same abundance-destroying principle applies to basketball, wrestling, track, etc., (even board-games like Monopoly where the objective is to bankrupt everyone else) – wherever any scarcity-minded adult throws kids at each other and yells, “Win! Win! Win!”
ALEXANDER “The Great Bully”
When you enjoy the game, even if you don’t beat someone, you are a creator. Otherwise, you are a bully or a bully wanna-be.
Alexander the Great’s mother (a really hard-core “soccer mom”) was very ambitious. She taught him that his destiny was to defeat the Persian Empire. His father, Philip, taught Alexander by example to win glory in battle, and to be competitive, even to the point that Alexander wanted to beat his father’s conquests. Alexander’s teachers included Aristotle, and he was quite intelligent. However, his violent temper, arrogance, and ambition led to the death and suffering of many tens of thousands of people. He was a blood-thirsty serial-killer who is glorified in history because he was a “winner.”
Insecurity is a part of being competitive. This insecurity results in a constant vigilance, watching to see if anyone is a threat, thereby wasting energy on trivial matters.
Jason revs his engine as he waits for the light to turn green. A car with a little old lady waits in the lane next to him. The light turns green, and he races away, proud of his victory and feeling superior - until screeching to a stop at the next light, or until someone driving along side his car appears to be going faster than he is.
A puppet (competitive person) jumps when his strings are pulled, and virtually everyone else is his puppeteer (even the little old lady driving the car beside him). Puppets are selfish, rude, and seemingly everywhere. These bullies may call their actions “innocent teasing”.
“Quick, lock the doors so Steve can’t get in the car with us.”
Sound familiar? Bullies can use fists, sarcasm, guns…, and can be heard laughing when someone falls down or gets hurt.
Puppets, like Alexander “the great bully”, could be a product of frustrated or aggressive parents. Such parents even develop puppet children at their own dining table.
John and Ali sit with their elbows on the table, toying with food on their plates. Finally in frustration, their mom says, “Let’s see who’s the ‘winner’. Who will finish eating their spinach first?” Suddenly John and Ali glare at each other as they grab their forks and dig-in.
Two more puppets are born.
# # # # #
ON THE OTHER HAND
Susan Wright was an intelligent, loving, and resourceful Mother. She prepared her sons, Wilber and Orville, by giving them the mental tools they needed to benefit millions of people all over the world when they invented the airplane. Without mothers like Susan Wright, your next two-week vacation would be limited to places you could go in your horse and buggy.
What an amazing contrast. Alexander’s mother developed an arrogant monster. Susan Wright developed creators.
REAL MEN
Look at those guys. Are they “real men” or “spoiled brats?”
Real men are creators who take pride in doing well. Spoiled brats are arrogant puppets (bullies and frustrated bully-wannabes).
Tears welled in Carol’s eyes as she related, “As a child, I was neglected and abused at home – teased, ridiculed, and the brunt of constant sarcasm. When I met Carl it was love at first sight [out of desperation]. He was ‘protective and decisive’. I felt secure for the first time I could remember. But after we were married, his protectiveness and decisiveness turned me into a prisoner. He was extremely controlling. Only Carl could use or even have a credit card. However, he did realize he had a problem. We scheduled an appointment with a marriage counselor…”
Did he stop being a bully? Time will tell.
Many other national leaders (besides Alexander the…) are also bullies. Adolf Hitler comes to mind. Even now many leaders control and abuse their people. They don’t understand the difference between leading and managing, nor do they care. (Note: A manager merely causes things to happen. A leader inspires his followers to greatness. We desperately need leaders.)
Are competitive sports participants real men or bullies? That depends on:
- Do they show respect for their opponent? And,
- Do they enjoy playing, even if they don’t win?
Coach Jones yells at his defensive team, “I don’t care what it takes. You hold that line!” A football player on defense is trained to keep the other team from reaching their goal, by whatever violent tactics they can get away with (or worse if the benefit outweighs the possible penalty).
Coach Smith signals his call for a trick play to his quarterback as the offense goes into their huddle. Football players on offense are trained to use deception and force to get what they want.
Luckily, many players have integrity and try not to use these violent, dishonest, and manipulative behaviors “off the field”.
Real men do not use sarcasm – not to be funny, not to intimidate, and not to injure. Sarcasm is verbal vandalism. It leaves scars, since people’s self-images and personal values are often influenced by reactions of other people toward them. So sarcasm can yield a debilitating injury, especially by parents – people from whom the child wants approval and love. Parents, if you want a misguided child, be sarcastic.
Delores stands between the TV and her father as he collapses into his favorite chair after an exhausting day’s work. “Daddy, watch me dance!”
Pete groans, “Nobody wants to see you jump around like a stupid grasshopper.”
Not a smooth-move Pete. Sarcastic cruelty and scarcity-mentality go together.
REAL CHRISTIANS
Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?
(Matthew 18:1-4)
Jesus was asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He answered that the “winner” is – everyone who is humble. People asked the question with a scarcity-mentality; Jesus answered with an abundance-mentality – two totally different languages. They asked, “Who is the winner?”. Jesus answered that their question is irrelevant. Every mentor who teaches respect and caring (love – the greatest law) is great.
To be humble, as Jesus uses the term in the paragraph above, is to accept his abundance paradigm. Being meek and humble (as Jesus taught) has nothing to do with self-degradation. Meekness and humility are a total disregard for rank – combined with respect and compassion for other people. He taught that this paradigm leads to prosperity. “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my father in his throne.” (Revelation 3:21)
Jesus said, “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32) Jesus’ abundance definition of humility meant, “Be free. Don’t be a competitive, follow-the-crowd, string-tied-puppet. Other people’s opinion of your rank is distracting and worthless.”
Corinthians 15: 40-41 tells us that everyone resurrected with a celestial glory shares the same glory, that of the sun. Likewise, everyone resurrected with a terrestrial glory shares the same glory, that of the moon. However, people resurrected with only the glory of stars will differ in glory according to their own [competitive] works, just like here and now.
In Jesus’ abundance paradigm, the greatest law is love. In fact, He taught that perfection means to also love your enemies. (Matthew 5:43-48) Remember that in the abundance paradigm, “love” means respect and compassion. “Enemy” means even a competitive-puppet destroyer who stand in the way of universal prosperity (such as the hypocrites in positions of authority and Roman soldiers).
Puppets should not be admired – no matter how much the public worships their dress, grooming, rank, and manipulative or violent behavior. In fact, Jesus said, “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one [God/abundance-mentality], and love the other [competitive puppets]; or else he will hold to the one [God/abundance], and despise the other [competitive puppets]. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. (Matthew 6:24)
Other [abundance mentality] comments Jesus made that are hard for scarcity-mentality people to understand include:
- Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink… (Matt. 6:25)
- Scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery… Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?… He lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her… And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one… And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more. (John 8:3-11)
- If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. (John 8:51)
- Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? (John 10:34)
- Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us… And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one… (John 17:20-22)
How art thou fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the Morning! How art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations! For thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into heaven, I will exhalt my throne above the stars of God: I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the most High. Yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit. They that see thee shall narrowly look upon thee, and consider thee, saying, Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that did shake kingdoms…”(Isaiah 14: 12-16)
Every organization is vulnerable to attempted domination by puppet pushers. To be effective for the general population, every organization must be vigilant, and get rid of competitive, scarcity-mentality managers. We desperately need abundance-mentality, mentoring leaders. Managers dominate their subordinates; but real leaders inspire their followers. As Stephen Covey taught, we should be a light (a model), not a judge (a critic). (see Matthew 5:14; 7:1)
The Choice
Hamlet: Why, then, ’tis none to you, for there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so. To me it is a prison.
Rosencrantz: Why then, your ambition makes it one. 'Tis too narrow for your mind.
Hamlet: O God, I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a king of infinite space, were it not that I have bad dreams.
Guildenstern: Which dreams indeed are ambition, for the very substance of the ambitious is merely the shadow of a dream.
--- Hamlet, by Shakespeare, Act 2, Scene 2
Ambition is neither good nor bad, but is the engine that powers the future.
Ambition combined with respect and caring for others creates tremendous good.
Ambition combined with arrogance makes the dream a nightmare.
# # # # #
Jeff calls the meeting to order, glaring impatiently at Sue as she enters the room 10-seconds after 2 P.M. “My new procurement procedure must be followed precisely. Any deviation means that the fool will pay for the item out of his or her own pocket.”
Susan timidly raises her hand, but is ignored as Jeff turns to his slide-show screen and aims his laser-pointer at his next agenda-item bullet point. “Anyone who thinks they can take time off this week, will be looking for a new job. Right now, time off ain’t gonna happen.”
Competitive people don’t like to share or take turns. “Alpha” personalities selfishly dominate by using other people and “throwing tantrums” if they don’t get their way. Look for examples in world leaders, public and private organizations, and even in the homes of abusive spouses and parents. This scarcity-mentality is insecurity, which produces the Alphas' constant need to beat other people, and “losers” finally giving up or striking back in frustration at innocent victims (terrorist attacks in schools, public events, wars…).
Arrogance is the only disease Jesus could not heal.
# # # # #
Like symphony orchestra musicians cooperate, using their instruments to produce magnificent sounds, people with ethical abundance-mentality would cooperate to produce lives of adventure and prosperity. Playing instruments to make music makes a lot more sense than using them in competition to hit each other. In a creative society – learning, individual responsibility, cooperative leadership, and opportunities would naturally expand for everyone.
In abundance, future possibilities are infinite because the choices are unlimited. Geoff Colvin wrote in Talent is Overrated, that almost anyone can become a world-class performer in any field through sufficient “deliberate practice.” Skilled mentors guiding deliberate practice are vital to a totally prosperous society.
The Choices: What are good character-building, abundance-mentality choices?
- Parents should watch and encourage their children as they study, build, practice, invent, organize, etc., to the same extent they currently do for their children at competitive events and practices.
- Parents should encourage childrens' curiosity and discoveries. Opportunities include school organizations (public speaking, band/choir, shop, foreign language, business...), Boy Scouts (merit badges), volunteering in charity work, and each child's personal interests (flying, scuba diving, hiking, travel, politics, science, environment...).
- Every child should have access to good mentors.
SUMMARY
Discover your wings.
Learn to fly.
Soar.
In his book, Even Eagles Need a Push, David McNally wrote:
- Until an eagle discovers its wings – there is no purpose for its life.
- Until an eagle learns to soar – it doesn’t understand the privilege of being an eagle.
A pessimist (scarcity-mentality) is stuck in hell, and needs someone else to blame for his “inescapable” problems. It’s time to evolve above this competitive-baboon stage.
“Soccer Moms” are only a small part of the problem. They have many accomplices who also teach scarcity-mentality. Most of them are doing the best they can in our primitive society. But, there is a better way, and time is running out! This generation must evolve or else modern technology will allow bullies to cause even more savage abuse, beatings, shootings, bombings, wars, and ultimately, human extinction.
Violent movies and videos feed on desensitized peoples' boredom and frustration, benefiting only the greedy media industry that produces them. Did you ever wonder if acting and screenwriting schools teach ethics classes?
Violent video games desensitize players by encouraging them to kill human opponents. But games can be developed to simulate positive sensations like flying, whitewater rafting, base-jumping…
How could we afford to create such a mental renaissance? The cost of season tickets for college or professional football games (including transportation and hotels), could soon provide entrepreneurs incentive to create fantastic virtual experiences. Or, those funds might pay for real-world flying lessons, etc., and awaken a desire leading to an amazing future.
But more than just the financial cost, new abundance-thinking is required. Instead of parents developing puppet-children at their dining table as described in chapter “Alexander ‘The Great Bully’”, there is a better way.
John and Ali sit with their elbows on the table, toying with food on their plates. In abundance mentality, their mom says, “Let’s see who’s a ‘winner’. Who will finish eating their spinach? All winners get to pick next month’s week-end adventures.” Suddenly John and Ali smile at each other as they grab their forks and dig-in.
This time, two more creators are born. The “pie” that everyone shares becomes huge!
However, until abundance mentoring becomes commonplace, there are reasons to temporarily continue competitive sports, played by gracious winners and good losers, who remember that it’s just a game. First, the infrastructure is already in place. Second, competitive sports can be used to stay fit. Third, they can help provide emotional development, nurturing, and companionship as they teach tenacity.
But time is running out, and there are lots of scarcity-mentality nut-cases out there, with a victim mentality. They really are always trying to beat you or get even!
What is the Future? More of the same - or - FANTASTIC.
The higher technology rises, the more urgent it is for society to stop teaching young people to believe that violence, deception, and arrogance are acceptable alternatives to prosperity (helping everyone reach their highest potential).
The time has come for this generation to be “eagles”.
- Discover your wings.
- Learn to fly.
- Soar High.