Preface
I am not into lost causes, losing propositions or meaningless pursuits, including “fandom”, Superhero Divination, fantasy games, conspiracy theories, cult “caving”, and tribal “exceptionalism”.
The first and last person I don’t want to fool – or BE fooled – is me.
I will not shy from the difficult or even imponderable as long as there is reason to hope that a better day or condition can result from applied effort in that direction.
I am willing to risk significant investment for substantial gain and am willing to defer gratification toward greater ends, even to a point of sacrifice, where warranted or necessary.
Pronouncement
I believe life needs to be lived with Purpose.
Definable goals are fine, but Purpose is a much more powerful driving force.
I believe that the course of life requires me to eliminate the largest possible number of things that might – if NOT eliminated – threaten my wellbeing and, just as much, the wellbeing of the world around me. Choices matter and I am willing to choose wisely, even when it’s not convenient or doesn’t exactly “feel good”.
I believe life has to add up, and one has to keep adding for the duration.
Each of us who inhabited the earth yesterday should have both learned and contributed something, as well as capacitized ourselves for the future. There is no sanctionable allowance for “coasting” or “resting on one’s laurels”.
I believe in the acceptance and due exercise of personal responsibility.
I do not believe it advances one’s station in life to wear clothing emblazoned with someone else’s name. We need to account for our own legitimacy in the world.
I believe we have many options to define our own Destiny if we will but apply ourselves to our full potential. Waiving such options and deferring the application relegates us to the dictates of Fate, which is patently ungenerous, or to our Animal Nature, which is patently degenerative.
With regard to time, I believe there is no such thing as “Free Time”. Time not scheduled and not wisely invested is time and life wasted.
With regard to finances, I believe in building equity from time-zero onward. Investments in equity position and/or sustainability are warranted, even to a point of indebtedness, e.g., for education, “Tooling-Up” (for a business or vocation), long-term housing, reliable transportation, vestments of professional station, etc. But indebtedness otherwise is a fool’s squandering.
I believe each of us should explore the fullest range of human experience possible within our respective allowances of time, talent and opportunity.
I believe it is important to know how to “play” as well as how to generate and regenerate the driving forces of life. Active pursuit of inspiration, and engagement in positively affirming and “enlifening” activities, are critical to overall wellbeing and should be liberally pursued and applied – but not to a fault! The end-result of such pursuit should be increased, not decreased, capacitization.
I believe in fostering creativity.
I believe in being flexible and in being open to new possibilities.
I believe in developing translatable / transferrable skills and aptitudes that can serve multiple purposes.
I believe in Total Intentional Living.
I understand that I do not have all the answers, and am committed to learning, adapting and adjusting as necessary, within my ability, to best reflect the highest denomination principles and practicalities of life.
I adamantly abhor dogmatism / tribalism for its own sake.
With regard to social engagement:
The conservative in me wants the profanely poor and the deftly “disabled” to get off their butts and do something useful to justify the valuable resources and opportunities they’re wasting.
The liberal in me wants to minister to all those in legitimate need.
The utilitarian in me wants to educate and equip the masses in real-time, real-life requirements and expectations, with leadership – to the grave if necessary – for progressive, productive engagement.
The philosopher in me wants to provide enlightenment for all to revision their station in life as on a trajectory UP – not as some Fate-decreed spot in a tribal parking lot – having an ultimate goal of Life- and Self-Mastery.
I believe a person is “accomplished” when he/she most prefers to read what he/she, himself/herself, has written; when the music he/she most prefers to hear or perform is music he/she, himself/herself, has composed; when the tools he/she finds most useful are tools he/she, himself/herself, has devised; when the art he/she prefers to view, he/she, himself/herself, has created.
SUMMATION
My life has been based on a fairly simple formula.
- Get meaningful work and make it your life.
- Work harder and more conscientiously than anyone else – it permits being counted at least as “worthy”; not infrequently as “special”.
- NOTE: Some have “worked smarter” and been more savvy, but it is doubtful that they have received any greater measure of satisfaction or fulfillment.
- Play HARD: It unbridles the Spirit
- Do all the good you can for all the people you can for ever as long as you can (John Wesley).
This formula has never failed.
While the road has been challenging – even difficult and lonely for significant stretches of time, opportunities have been plentiful, successes have been significant, associates have been both collegial, inspiring and respectful, friends and family have been encouraging and supportive, regrets have been few, many expectations have been exceeded, and satisfaction in the effort given and results afforded has been more than ample.
POST NOTE:
Many of the “sacrifices” I have made in order to get where I wanted to go aren’t worth a hill-of-beans compared to the JOY and FULFILLMENT realized in achieving key benchmarks of my “Truest Destiny”. Examples of “sacrifices” made include:
- “Gallivanting” around the party scene
- Getting “smashed” on drugs and alcohol
- Becoming a die-hard fan of sports and entertainment offerings
- Being a “Couch Potato”
- Being a social media aficionado
- “Gaming”
I think I know who Tony Soprano and Columbo are, but I have never seen them in action.
CODACIL
For anyone remotely interested, I proudly adopt and accept an identity as “Progressive” or “Liberal”.
I believe in, I have personally experienced, and I have witnessed the value in others of Continuous Personal Improvement, advancement of knowledge and skills – as in life-long education and skills-building, in collaborative/cooperative engagement toward the most favorable/auspicious ends, and “sharing the wealth”.
I CARE about injustice, erasing racism, serving the underserved, and building bridges of opportunity.
Copyright © 2021 Lewis Kelly
