Moving Together

i'm so happy you have disqus enabled – i've been meaning to pester you about this for a while.

personally, i like to bring people with me (or be part of a team with a leader that prioritizes that) though it's not always possible in every situation / environment. i find it interesting that you stress the importance of embracing one's self… i feel like i haven't been fully 'myself' in a professional capacity for a long, long time. hmm.

to you, is 'community' more about 1) the acquiescence or 2) the tolerance of those that would rather not acquiesce? what's the lowest common denominator of community: a common interest, behavior, dress code, core values…? ideally i think a little conflict or disharmony keeps it interesting.

Nick,

I have problems with disqus on my laptop, that I haven't figured out. That being said, I'm pumped to have it on my blog now too. :

Great questions about community. I totally subscribe to the forming/storming/norming/performing mentality around building groups or communities. Discourse is ok, in my opinion as well. The lowest common denominator being a common goal, such as weight loss or pursuit of a hobby or interest. People who don't share the goal, don't necessarily belong in that particular community, but everybody in the community does not have to agree 100% of the time.

I bet the issue has to do with accepting 3rd party cookies – at least that's
the problem I was having with disqus on other computers.
I agree that a common goal is important. You gotta watch out for those that
go against the grain though – sometimes they have the best ideas or point
out flaws in critical assumptions!

That's what it was… browser settings. I'm with you on watching out for the outliers having awesome ideas.

I bet the issue has to do with accepting 3rd party cookies – at least that's
the problem I was having with disqus on other computers.
I agree that a common goal is important. You gotta watch out for those that
go against the grain though – sometimes they have the best ideas or point
out flaws in critical assumptions!

That's what it was… browser settings. I'm with you on watching out for the outliers having awesome ideas.

I bet the issue has to do with accepting 3rd party cookies – at least that's
the problem I was having with disqus on other computers.
I agree that a common goal is important. You gotta watch out for those that
go against the grain though – sometimes they have the best ideas or point
out flaws in critical assumptions!

That's what it was… browser settings. I'm with you on watching out for the outliers having awesome ideas.

Why is getting there fast… so braggable?
Why can’t we enjoy the journey and loathe the destination?

“Why” is a question for children.
“How” is a question reserved for adults.

Setting a positive example as mentioned previously, (getting out there, etc.) is the obvious answer to the question of How. But what example are we setting?

Currently the standard of how to behave is defined by some rather wicked hollywood types, some slick talking religious clones, and of course some well groomed affluents who may or may not have earned their position in society. In spite of the subliminal bombardment we receive from these political opportunists, we continue to subscribe to their models of behavior because they have the power to dictate the status quo.

Don’t believe me? Tell the boss his car sucks…defame jesus in your next bible study or better yet, remove all electronic media from your house. If you can do any of these things without some social retribution, please share.

After familiarizing yourself with a particular person you may begin to catch a subliminal smell about them. Everyone’s character might have a specific smell. Maybe you have noticed a faint but foul smell when you realize that the value of the car they drive could feed a starving family for years or decades. But then, you might also smell something about yourself when you quickly switch the channel away from a salley strothers infomercial. Better find a bill quick, lest the guilt monster find a way into your heart. And we all know Jesus died for our sins, so guilt should be irrelevant. Boy howdy, what a mind screw.

The status quo says, “Whatever you do, dont stop to think about the difficult moral questions in life.” Take the path of least resistance. Stay within the confines of the law, the religion, the rules, etc. and get away with as much as you can when nobody is looking. I’ve got news for you… YOU ARE WHO YOU ARE WHEN NOBODY IS LOOKING. If you do what “they” tell you, chances are you’ll bring down ten times as many people in your life as you raise up. I can provide empyrical evidence.

Back to the smell thing, who you say you are is not nearly as interesting to your acquaintances as who you seem to be, and who you seem to be is an uncontrollable force once the total sum of your wealth and time has been found to revolve around your own selfish interests.

One day a sickly sweet smell may arise when contending with a particularly well mannered, selfless contemporary with whom you share a similar background. Is this the positive influence? hmm maybe…maybe not though…

You may notice a sublime aroma about your pupil when contributing to their development or taking some time to show off your leet skills. Is this their aroma or yours? What is that smell?

If you can wrap your head around the ideas I have mentioned above then it is your moral obligation to refuse the system as it has been previously presented. That is to say, screw the rules…take the road less traveled. Who you spend your time with is infinitely more important than how you spend your money. Don’t ever stand alone. Seek the wisdom in others. Leave glory and pride behind. Cultivate honor within your groups. Travel with them endlessly and pray to god that you never arrive.

[...] me… You may not like the music, but what they do on the screen is pure magic. I wrote about moving together in a previous post. In my mind, this video sums up that concept of community and collaboration [...]