UNDERSTANDING OUR C.F.O. SOME CONCLUSIONS

THIS COMPLETES OUR 3 PART SERIES ON COMMUNICATIONS, FINANCES & ORGANIZING

Some concepts are difficult for us to wrap our heads around. It is not that the concepts are hard; it is only that we are hard headed. Often we identify cause but fail to find answers. The state of our communications, finances and organizing (CFO) are the universal signals of our harmony with life. The things we experience are a reflection of what we attract and create in our lives.  No one consciously wants bad relationships, stacked up bills or clutter in their life. No one is born at odds with others, in debt or in a state of confusion. So how do we find ourselves in these situations? What experiences influenced the current state of our conditions? We've examined the manifestations. We've identified the symptoms. We now must commit to what to do and take the actions necessary to remedy the problem. Let's examine how we are conditioned to operate.

We all know that life is a ride that takes us on a journey while we play the game. This free trip brings us to destinations unknown with rules we discover along the way.  It stands to reason that the primary obstacles  hindering our achievements are the ones we consciously or unconsciously place before ourselves.  We are the ones who make, change or break the rules. We are the master manipulators of our own self determination. The game of our life operates on the playing field of our mind and is manifested through our relationship with the rest of the world. One of the greatest deceptions we commonly embrace insinuates that we are not in control of our own destiny. This runs neck with the lie that there is no spiritual being called the Devil.  It may be difficult to accept that life has no instruction manual. There are no set guidelines in life, but there are immutable principles, absolute laws, proven theories and ever changing rules.  Our minds endowed with the consciousness of a free moral agency can adhere to whatever rules we choose to select.  Rules may be called laws but the consequences differ.  Remember rules are developed and formed, they can be biased and partial. Laws operate by themselves without discrimination. Gravity affects everyone and everything equally. We may get away with doing sixty in a forty-five mile per hour zone;  but we won't get away with jumping out of a sixth floor window!

Recognition and awareness of how the game is played is paramount. Even though our part and participation is involuntary,  it is important that we create our own rules to abide by. Our game is played according to the rules we make, but there are other players making their own rules too. Whether we know and adhere to the rules of the game on purpose or by default, all of the rules will eventually come into play. The game is very subtle. There no announcements,  start times, time outs or declarations that the game is in effect. All scoring is derived from any of the meanings that we give or attach to events and people in the game with us. There are always changes with new rules and new challenges. Modifications and new competitors come without notice. We all have to play the game, but NOT everybody is good at it!

Games should be played for challenge and fun. As Iron sharpens iron so does life sharpen us. 
​Taking life too seriously takes the fun out of life. If life cannot be enjoyed then it becomes an ongoing exercise in futility. Throughout life we should repeatedly find some level of fulfillment from our accomplishments, achievements and results. These things should not define our lives but they should play a part in our successful progression through life. Whenever the things we enjoy in life fade or vanish we should examine our relationships with others, our sharing of our finances and the amount of chaos or order in our present circumstances. Remember our present condition at any particular moment does not represent our total life. Everyone has the freedom to participate in the games of life.  Any of the associated games with unfavorable odds or unwelcomed contestants do not have to be played.  

The object of the game is to play our part, not to win!  It's ok to make it a game of competition as long as everybody wins. (it must be a win-win) Think back to when we were kids. Remember how we played our games of make believe so passionately that it seemed real? Playing hard really added to the enjoyment of whatever role we played. Whether we pretended to be cowboys, doctors, pilots, parents, villains or any other character we played our role seriously. The game of life continues. We all have a job to do and a part to play.  As we strive to be the character of our imagination the struggle for that identity continues. The ultimate discovery is that we must be the change we want to see. The next stage encompasses the actions we do take. ​It is absolutely the actions that matter not the thoughts or the intentions. So many of us are willing to think about it, talk about it and make plans, but fail to follow through. Actions are the things we do. Bona fide actions leave evidence of their existence in a tangible manifestation and/or effect.  A bona fide action plan includes participation and documentation. A genuine bona fide action plan will also include verification from an outside source.  Serious plans have multiple hands involved. Real PRIDE is Principled Response In Daily Efforts.

In conclusion consider our performance as the distinguishing characteristic defining the moving parts at play in an observed phenomenon. To grow we can't just do better, we have to be better. We realize that things will not simply work themselves out; we work things out. Performance is the transformative power in our lives. The actions we take in the future are influenced by our experiences from the past. It is hard to accurately judge cruelty if we've never known kindness. Our attachments to appetites and addictions are the main cause of unwanted conditions. If we want rainbows we'll have to endure the rain! The goal is to grow  into ourselves, and be a better we. The forerunners and examples we follow are not to be imitated in persona but emulated in results. Let's face it. Moses, Jesus, Mother Theresa, Martin Luther King and other greats are hard acts to follow. Let's import their characteristics into our lives and adapt them to our circumstances. We can try these exercises with friends and discuss the results. (1) Can we pass these three items around without using our thumbs? (a cup of water, a comb and a wad of dollar bills) (2) Consider how a clown paints his face, and write on a piece of paper the definitions of the difference between moods and emotions. We can all Share our answers. (3) Discuss the processionary caterpillar. The condition we find ourselves in at any particular moment  does not represent our total life.