Leadership

I'm sure you can tell from the scarcity of recent posts that I have been quite busy as of late. One item which took a lot of my time was a recent presentation at an interfaith conference on the environment. The presenter from the Baha'i commjunity was unable to make it, so I was asked to speak about the Baha'i perspective. As this is not a topic I am generally conversant in, I had a to do a lot of research. The results of this will be in the next post.


For now, there was an issue that came up at this conference that I feel warrants its own post: leadership, and the example set by leaders.


Some of the presenters who spoke before me were, to say the least, a bit negative. One even said that the situation was so hopeless that "we should take a gun to the children's heads and put them out of their misery". He was looking at my young son while saying this. As you can imagine, this did not go over too well with me.


So why do I mention this sad incident? Because the speaker is a leader of his community. He is an Aboriginal elder. This is not to condemn all Aboriginal leaders, but to merely comment on the singular example he gave, and use it as an example to make a point.


I do not find it a coincidence that his community (in general, not in specific) has a significantly higher suicide rate than the average. There are many reasons for this, and not just his example. When the leaders in any community tell people to kill themselves, and their children, there is a problem.


What can we do about it? Note that I do not ask what he can do, but rather what can we all do.


After this meeting, a woman came up to me, quite incensed over this man's talk, and said "Why on earth do people revere the wisdom of the elders, when they speak garbage like this?"


"The wisdom of the elders", I replied, "is quite profound, and worthy of our attention. Some of the elders, however, are in desperate need of healing. We should remember this when they speak of things so contrary to the wisdom of their people."


This example made me ponder the question of leadership, and the qualities we should seek in our leaders. When I contrast the upcoming US election, and the campaigning that is going on in that race, and the upcoming election of the Universal House of Justice, I see a stark difference in many areas.

In the US election, and in many elections worldwide, the ability to be elected is quite often based on the amount of money that one can afford to spend on advertising, speech writers and polls or research. Do these qualities lead to what we consider the best leaders?

In many other communities, the ability we seek in leaders is based on age or on physical strength or on the ability to out-argue your opponent. Do these necessarily find the best leaders?

In the Baha'i community we are told to seek people with "unquestioned loyalty" to the Faith, a "well-trained mind" (which is not the same as having a university diploma), "selfless devotion", "recognized ability" and "mature experience" (which is not necessarily the same as being elderly). By looking for these qualities amongst those we know, and seeing them acted out in daily life, we are in a better position to cast our votes in the best manner possible.

For many, this wlil raise the question of how this can work on the national or international level. It does, and I will write another article on how.

For this article, however, I just want to point out the role of leadership: helping set the vision for a community and carry it out in action. By virtue of being a leader, it means that you lead: others follow. When in this position, we must be very careful about the direction in which we go, and the example we set.

If, as leaders, we strive to tear down the accomplishments of others, then those we lead will do the same. If we strive to encourage, build up those around us, and work towards a better future (as opposed to a moving away from a flagrant injustice or dismal past), then those we lead will also work to build with us.

If we, as leaders, try to push those under us in a particular direction, then we are behind them, not in front leading. If we strive to set the example, then this becomes an attractive force and others try to move closer to where we are. By pushing, we exhaust ourselves, and rarely accomplish anything. By being an attractive force, and using the forces of attraction, then the others begin moving.

All that remains is that we ensure that which we find attractive is worthy. But then, this goes back to living a moral and virtuous life, and always striving to progress.

In the end, it doesn't really matter what we try to build. If it is sound and solid, and built on a firm moral foundation, it will stand and withstand the tests of time. If it is not, then it will fall. We can reflect on it, figure out where we went wrong, and try again. This, to me, is the basis of posi-genesis.

Positive Reinforcement, or Fighting Terrorism part 2

When training animals for complex and difficult tasks, including movie stunts or discreet spy-type surveillance, the most successful animal trainers use a form of positive reinforcement. This is generally done with a device called a "clicker", because, as you may have guessed, it produces a clicking sound. Rather than training the animals what they should not do, they reward them for going in the direction desired, associating the click with a reward.

In short, when training an animal, it can do one of two things: either what you want it to do, or what you don't want it to do. In the case of the latter, by saying "Don't do that", you have merely eliminated one of many possible actions. The animal still does not know what you want it to actually do. By working in small increments, and rewarding each correct action, you are able to train an animal to do far more complex tasks, as well as train it quicker . For more information, you can go to the wikipedia article on clicker training, or www.clickertraining.com.


So what does this have to with fighting terrorism?


I recently posted an article on world peace on the Winnipeg Free Press faith site (http://www.wfpfaith.com/article/75/the-pieces-of-peace). Naturally, this got me thinking a bit more about the articles below on "fighting terrorism". I had briefly thought about posting the article here, but realized a link is much easier, and it encourages people to visit this other site.

So, again, what does this have to with fighting terrorism?

There are so many issues inherent within this question that it is difficult for me to separate them. I am not an expert on terrorism, nor do I claim to have any solution. What I do claim is that the perspective I offer will assist those who are aware of the intricacies of the problem to find a more effective solution than what we currently have.

This perspective, as often repeated in my public talks and various writings, requires identifying the spiritual principals involved in the situation, as well as the positive values that need to be added to achieve the desired outcome. Many other solutions that are put forth involve what I call "trying to remove the darkness".


The natural question is "Does this really work?" I do not expect anyone to believe that it can work for terrorists, or humanity in general, "just because it works for some animals". Here is a real life, human example:

When working with children at the Turtle Island Community Centre in Winnipeg, Canada, the friends use positive reinforcement to help guide them. They do not chastise the children if they are acting badly, nor do they punish. They will remove a child if they are acting violently, and are a danger to others, but in general, the children behave very well because, after a few years of seeing what goes on there, they want to be there. They are guided to virtuous behaviour, and rewarded for it by either simple praise or a virtue card. For more information, check out this article: http://news.bahai.org/story/453.

The chilodren at this centre are called "high risk". This means that they are more likely than the average child to end up in gangs, on drugs, or on the streets. The children that have taken part in this program, however, have shown the moral capacity to make decisions and act in a way that is more likely to help them contribute to their community, rather than diminish it. They are helping out in the centre in many ways, from helping integrate younger children to cleaning up after the program is over. The best part, though, is that this behaviour appears to have transfered out of the centre, too. They are helping their parents more around the house, and more concious of the effect their actions have on the community.

This is my neighbourhood. This is my community. I have seen it work, albeit on a small scale for now.

My question is how we can apply this on a grander scale.

A quote that has helped point me in the right direction is as follows:

"Denunciations of materialism or terrorism are of no real assistance in coping with the contemporary moral crisis if they do not begin by addressing candidly the failure of responsibility that has left believing masses exposed and vulnerable to these influences."

The next article, hopefully to be posted soon, will address another area that I feel is critical in this: leadership.

Atoms and Apples

...There is no greater satisfaction than being a source of joy to the hearts.

- 'Abdu'l-Baha -

“A friend of mine,” she said, with tears in her eyes, and no emotion in her voice, “committed suicide the other day.” I knew she was reaching out, but afraid to reach out at the same time. I’m more than twice her age. She was obviously wondering how I would react.

I asked her how she felt about it.

She didn’t know. The phrases she used were descriptive of her confused state, her mixed emotions, her grief, her relief that her friend was possibly at peace, her loss. There was an occasional break in her calm façade, a random tear, a nervous giggle, a furrowed brow. She just didn’t know. And all the rambling syllables came back to a single word: why?

I’ve seen many friends commit suicide over the years, far more attempt it, and have had the same confused rush of emotions go through my own heart. “Why,” I would always ask, “why would they do this?” Recently, an answer came to mind from the most unlikely of places: physics.

I believe that everything in creation can be seen as a metaphor for a spiritual truth, if we only look deep enough. In fact, this search for metaphor has become something of a game for me. “How is this object a metaphor for a spiritual truth? How about that one?” Some are easier than others, but in the end, all have their point to teach. A teacup, for example, shows us that we must empty ourselves before we can pour in something new. It is a silent game I play when walking down the street, or driving to the post office, or walking on a lonely beach.

“What spiritual truth can an atom show?” This was the one that puzzled me for some time.

How is an atom a metaphor for a spiritual truth?

A teacher once told me that if you enlarged an apple to the size of the planet Earth, each atom in that apple would be the size of a cherry. Imagine this: everything from horizon to horizon made up of cherries. From here all the way to the other side of the planet, solid cherries. Everything you see: cherries. Try and imagine how many cherries that would be.

Would it make a difference if you removed a single one?

That to me is the question of suicide. “Would it make a difference if I were gone?”

Let’s take it a step further: enlarge that cherry-sized atom to full kilometre across. Do you know what you would see? A raisin in the centre and a grain of salt at the edge. That is proportionally all the matter contained within a single atom. The atom can truly look at itself and say, “I am nothing”. But is it accurate?

If this is really all the matter in an atom, why can’t my hand move through my desk? What are the chances of two raisins hitting each other when tossed over a kilometre?

The answer lies in the relationship between the two atoms. The electrons, those grains of salt at the edge, have a relationship to each other. The stronger the relationship, the more solid the atom appears to be. This may not be the most scientific of explanations, but it works. When the atom is seen on its own, it is virtually nothing. It is only in relation to the atoms around it that it appears to be a solid object.

Similar to the atom, when we look at ourselves on our own, we can truly say that we are virtually nothing. It is only through our relationships with others that we appear to be solid. The greater our relationships, the more solid we appear to be.

Years ago, when I was suicidal, it was the thought of my friends that carried me out of it. It was my friends and loved ones that made me realize how important I really am, how much we all lose when that single atom is missing. It is a fact I am reminded of every time I lose a dear friend.

In fact, it is through turning our thoughts away from ourselves, and towards the needs of others, that we find the best healing for the pain that leads us to think of suicide. It is through the strength and love of our community that we can find the best solution to the problems that are plaguing so many people today.

And although we can look at ourselves and say that we are virtually nothing, we are, in fact, very much something. We are noble creations of a Noble Creator. We are human. And the world is that much less when we are gone.

Health and Healing

The mind is only capable of processing positives.

If you see a child climbing a tree, and they are precariously balanced, be careful what you tell them to do. If you shout, “Don’t fall!”, their mind has to interpret it as “FALL!!! don’t.” They are more likely to fall, than not. What you probably want to get across to them is “Be careful.”

Cigarette companies do not need to spend a lot of money on advertising because many people are doing it for them. You know all those “No Smoking” signs? They are a clear reminder to people who are trying to quit to “SMOKE! not”. Of course their craving is even worse. One of the greatest advances in this area is the sign that shows a little cloud on a sky-blue background indicating “Clean air”.

So what does this have to do with posi-genesis, health and healing?

Many rehab programs are performing marvellous services to their clients in helping them move away from an addictive life-style, but their success rate only tends to be 30%, give or take. While this is a good enough stat to get you into the Baseball Hall of Fame, I would venture to say that it is not all that great when dealing with human lives, especially when we know so much about behaviour modification.

Using the concept of posi-genesis, and the idea of turning on the light in a dark room in order to read a book, we can view health and healing in the same manner. A lack of health, however, can cause extremely damaging effects, just like a lack of heat or a lack of wealth. Posi-genesis does not pretend to say that the problem does not exist, nor that looking at negative effects is a poor way of analyzing a situation. Posi-genesis rather offers the idea that negative solutions are not effective in overcoming these negative effects.

It seems to me that the various rehab centres that focus on stopping an action have the effect, for most people, of reinforcing the habit. By continually saying “Don’t drink” or “Don’t drug”, the effect is that of “DRINK! don’t”, or “DRUG! don’t”. It serves as a continual reminder of the action the person is trying to stop. A more effective means of accomplishing the noble end would be to reinforce the healthy habits they are trying to actually cultivate.

When I first became a Bahá'í, the most difficult thing for me was to be able to go into a bar with my friends and not have a beer. Why? I wasn’t an alcoholic and didn’t suffer from any ill side effects of not drinking. The problem was when I went into a bar I ordered a beer. It was that simple. How could I go in and order a “not beer”? What would they give me? A whiskey?

The solution was easy, once I thought about it. I went in and ordered a juice. If someone offered to buy me a drink, I thanked them and got a juice.

There are many bad habits we would like to eliminate, but the problem is often finding the substitute. You cannot easily stop doing something, without doing something else. If you don’t have another action to replace the bad habit, you often fall back into the old routine, the habit.
There are a few rehab centres that have picked up on this concept and their “success” rate seems to be much higher, with stricter criteria for how they define success. If anyone has any information on these types of centres, I would be very grateful if they could send it to me.

To Consort; or to Tolerate, Respect and Honour

Over the past few weeks, I have received a number of e-mails regarding some of the previous postings. Perhaps I’ll make a habit of offering comments to them in general, rather than individually, as many of the comments touch on the same themes.

First, and probably the most obvious, is the response to the use of the word “consort”. It was pointed out that “consort” has a number of different definitions: the spouse of a monarch (noun) and to associate with (verb) being the two that are most applicable. When I look at words, I often think how the various definitions are similar in concept. Here, with “consort”, we find one concept, namely that of association, with many different points on the spectrum, those being how closely we associate. To further shed light on this subject, let me quote from one of the e-mails regarding this (and thank you Dave for putting it so well).

When the Báb was manifested in Persia, I would suggest that humanity was at the lowest end of this spectrum. Thousands of Bahá’ís were slaughtered simply for being Babis or "Do not consort with any other than your own religion." As we advance towards the present era, we have made very little progress in this area. Nazi Germany, Rwanda and 9/11 are examples of our failure.

The establishment of the "Greater Peace" will be heralded by (the) majority of humanity treating others with a degree of respect indicated by the "Spouse of a Monarch" definition of consort. This day also defines the higher end of the spectrum "Consort with the followers..." as Bahá’u’lláh revealed.

That being said, you could not be more correct in the assertion that posi-genesis is the ONLY way to correct the injustices that we witness everyday. TOLERANCE of all will bring the peace that we as Bahá’ís wish would come.

In short, this concept of consorting begins with simply being with the other person. We do not generally start by having a very close and intimate relationship with others, but rather we aspire towards it.

Perhaps a good step would be to look at this spectrum of association that is suggested. We can see it in relation to “personal space”, or how close someone can be to us before we begin to feel uncomfortable. For some it may be a meter or two, others a foot away. My wife can be even closer without my feeling any sense of discomfort, but I won’t go there. Regardless of the actual distance, I would suggest that degree of closeness, both emotionally and in physical comfort for personal space, would be in the following order:

Stranger ----- Acquaintance ----- Friend ----- Partner ----- Spouse

Obviously, there are many levels within this, and I’m sure it can be further refined, but this is just a start. As we get to know others better, they move further along this spectrum. Even though I do believe in monogamy, it seems to me that there are cases where someone else can be as close as a spouse, without any of the sexual connotations. This would be true unity with another.

In comment to the use of the word “tolerance”, I would suggest that this be replaced with “respect and honour”. I can only imagine how horrible life would be if my wife merely tolerated me. But tolerance is, in many cases, the first step. Unfortunately it seems to have the implication of being done grudgingly, although I am not certain of this.

The issue of tolerance versus respect and honour does not actually fit in the above path, but applies at all levels. In fact, it seems to be an internal issue, rather than that of external or relational between others. I have, unfortunately, met people who do, in fact, only tolerate their spouse, and life does not seem to be very happy for either of them. On the plus side, I’ve also had the joy of meeting people who truly honour and respect complete strangers, really trying to understand their perspective, no matter how different. It is to this level that we must strive, starting wherever we are and trying to move to a closer and more intimate relationship.

So where does all this lead us?

It is hoped that we do not confuse the lofty goal for the next step on the path.

“Think globally. Act locally.” “If you aim for the stars, you will never shoot yourself in the foot.” “A journey of a thousand miles begins with but a single step.”

These are all the same principal. Remember your goal, but take the next step on your path towards it.
Posi-genesis merely helps us keep the goal in mind. It is up to each and every one of us to figure out how to apply it.

Protests and Another Look at the Race Question

Someone once commented on my t-shirt, which read “One Planet, One People, Please”
“Didn’t Hitler say that?”, they asked.
“No, he didn’t say please.”



In the mid-90’s, there were a large number of communities that were attempting to deal with the race issue in the United States. At that time, I was working with a number of those communities, tracking the progress they were making. An interesting fact came to light, the implications of which I didn’t realize until years later.

The communities could be roughly divided into 2 categories: those that were “fighting racism” and those that were “promoting race unity”. It seemed that those that were trying to fight racism were reaching an impasse. In fact, in those communities, things seemed to be getting worse. The organizers of these activities may have said that their events were a success, but all reasonable criteria demonstrated that the situation in the community was deteriorating. The members of those communities were also able to cite more and more examples of racism getting further out of control.

In those other communities where they were focussed on promoting race unity, it seemed that conditions were improving. Although there was very little, or in some cases no notable, increase in measurable phenomena, the feeling in the community was noticeably improved.

Why?

By attempting to fight racism, we are continually looking for examples of racism to fight. No matter what sort of progress we may make in helping people change mindsets, there will always be things that we, or others, may find offensive. Even the most innocent of phrases may appear, to one who is looking for an example of racism, as a racist comment.

By focussing our attention on race unity, however, we are then continually looking for examples of unity in our community. No matter how slight our progress, or how far we still need to go, we are encouraged by the progress we have already made.

When a baby is just beginning to learn to walk, we don’t criticize them for not being able to run a marathon. We encourage the progress they have already made. Similarly, we must always look to encouraging each other in our efforts, trusting in the sincerity of the intentions.


Protests

Humanity's crying need will not be met by a struggle among competing ambitions or by protest against one or another of the countless wrongs afflicting a desperate age. It calls, rather, for a fundamental change of consciousness, for a wholehearted embrace of Bahá'u'lláh's teaching that the time has come when each human being on earth must learn to accept responsibility for the welfare of the entire human family.

(The Universal House of Justice, 2001 May 24)

It is worth pointing out that protests come in 2 different forms: protesting against an action or an idea, and gathering together to encourage people to do something.

Sit-ins

An example of the first might be the Woolworth’s Sit-ins in the middle of the last century. The company had an unfortunate policy of not allowing any “people of colour” to eat at their restaurants in their stores. It was another example of the sad state of race relations at the time, and much attention was drawn to the injustice of it. Sit-ins were organized at which people would sit at the counter in these restaurants, but not order anything. They were forbidden from eating, but there was nothing to prohibit them from taking a seat, thereby preventing a paying customer from being able to order. These sit-ins were a major step in the race unity movement, and forced a major company to re-think and even change its customer policy. In the end, they were forced to recognize the absurdity of their own stance, and they opened up their counters to people of all colours. The “coloured people” in the States were able to eat at the counters in Woolworth’s. The only problem with this was that no one really wanted to eat there anyways.

MLK’s Dream

An example of the second type of protest would be Martin Luther King, Jr’s march on Washington, at which he gave his justly famous “I have a dream” speech. In that speech, Martin Luther King, Jr. gave us a dream towards which we can work.

But how many of us recall what that dream is?

It was a dream, “that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood”, that his “four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character”, that “little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers”. It was not a dream of what to avoid, but a dream of what can be built.

That is part of its power. It gives us a goal to reach.


Protests that tell us what to avoid generally have the same effect as trying to remove the darkness from a room. The other protests, those that help us learn what we can actually do, help illumine the world around us.

Perspective and wealth

When looking at the world around us, we can see it in a number of different ways. A classic example is the glass that is half-full or half-empty, depending upon your perspective.

Which perspective is more useful? It depends upon the requirements of the situation. When we speak of the water that is there, we can then see how that water can be used. By focusing on what is not there, we are in no way able to make use of what is actually present. Even if we were to talk about how much space is left in the glass, then that is also talking about what is present: the volume of space that can be utilized. Perspective is the most important aspect of this question.

By looking at the utility of the object in question, we find uses for it. By focusing on what is not there, we tend towards frustration with it.

In life, as we find the usefulness in our situation, we tend towards greater joy. As we see more futility, however, we tend towards more frustration.

As a wise friend of mine once said, “We are only truly wealthy when we recognize our choices. True wealth is recognition of choice.”

If we look at the choices we have when buying a car, we realize that our choices are quite limited if we only have, say, $100. When we have $1000, our choices are still quite limited, but we have more choices than when we only have $100. If we raise our available money to $10,000, then we can buy many more cars on the market. If we have $100,000 then we can buy most any car on the market. But if we realize that we do not need a car, given our particular circumstances, then all the other choices become secondary. We can see ourselves in light of the wealth of which Jesus spoke, when He talked of the lilies of the field. In the words of the Buddha, “Contentment is the greatest wealth”.

(Fighting for Peace, Part 2 - coming soon)

Fighting for Peace??? (part 1)

11:20 at night, with fatigue setting in, and I'm actually writing about such a topic? What am I? Nuts?

Well, this is only the first part of a series of postings on "fighting terrorism" and the movement towards peace.

Geron wrote in his comment:

You mentioned posi-genesis can be applied to global issues as well. It is common in the media to hear the phrase "fighting terrorism" or "war on terror". I'm interested in how one would apply posi-genesis to this problem.

"Fighting terrorism" is an oxymoron. You cannot fight for peace, which is what that war is about. Many peace marchers had signs that said "Fight the war in Iraq". Hey, that's what the army was doing.

To be fair though, it is also about trying to feel secure, having a sense of security. But what is "security"? The dictionary says "free from concern", from the root "se-cure" or "without concern". Can we ever be without concerns? Can we ever be truly free from cares?

Baha'u'llah writes "The well-being of mankind, its peace and security, are unattainable unless and until its unity is firmly established." And in a similar vein, but on a smaller scale, He says that the law of marriage was created as a "fortress for well-being and slavation".

How do these relate?

Well, the positive values that are missing on the larger scale, globally, are, first and foremost, unity, followed closely by such issues as respect, compassion, justice and peacefulness. there are many other virtues that can be added, but those few will suffice for now.

I, being a simple person, who likes analogies that I can grasp onto, need to put it all into the micro-scale: one on one. When I see these virtues listed, I am reminded of my marriage. This institution of marriage has proven to me, over the last few years, to be like the fortress mentioned in the Baha'i Writings. It is a protection for my family; but more than that, it has proved to be a haven for those in the community who need it.

Many times over the past few years, neighbourhood children have come running to our door when they needed a safe place.

In another quote, Baha'u'llah says that we should "consort with the followers of all religions", and again that we should "consort with all men", both "in a spirit of friendliness and fellowship".

So, what does it mean to consort? Prince Phillip is Queen Elizabeth's consort. It is not just a low-level liking, it is as intimate as the relationship between a man and wife. This is the level of love required to solve this issue, and bring about the unity necessary for "the well-being of mankind, its peace and security".

Let's take a look at the terrorists for just a moment. Why are they resorting to these tactics? Are they heartless and evil? Probably not. But I do think they are angry, just like the people who wish to "fight for peace". This is not to condone the evil actions they are doing, but to distinguish between the actions and the intent. The use of terror and murder to get ones way is never justified.

When we sense an injustice, we become angry. Anger is a natural response to a yearning for justice.

This may be the area to which we need to look for a solution.

Peace between nations is similar to peace in the family, which begins with a healthy relationship between the husband and wife.


To be continued when I am a bit more awake.

What is posi-genesis?

This is the obvious question, given the title of the blog. Actually, the first question would be "who is Mead", but if you're reading this at this time, you probably already know me. Also, this second question will be answered in the near future.

For now, though, what is posi-genesis?

Linguistically, it is the viewing of the world in terms of positive values, rather than opposites. Through this perspective, you can build up those positives to make a good change in the world.

Metaphorically, it is recognizing that when you walk into a dark room, and wish to read a book, you need to add light. You cannot remove the darkness.

"So what?" you say? Well, it seems to me that most people approach social issues and problems by trying to remove the darkness. A lot of time and energy is wasted on this, when it is much more effective to turn on the light, so to speak.

Let's look at the "race issue" in the States:

There are thousands of communities trying to deal with this issue, most of which focus on "fighting racism". From what I have seen, and I will leave it to others for now to verify or disprove this (I only have a short time before I need to look after my 2 year-old son again, and more on him later, too)... (Where was I? Oh yeah) From what I have seen, all those communities that are fighting racism are spending a lot of their energy trying to make their communities better places, but statistics are showing that things are getting worse.

There are other communities, however, who are working to "promote race unity". In these communities, they seem to be making great strides, and the various statistics I have seen, such as crime stats and levels of wealth, show that things are getting better.

Why?

In the first instance, people are looking for incidences of racism to fight. People being people, "mistakes" are made, often unconsciously. As the faults are regularly being seen, and pointed out, disappointment and frustration occur. Feelings of resentment easily set in, and then things "seem to get worse", to quote a friend "in the field".

In the second instance, in those communities that promote race unity, people are looking for incidences of unity to celebrate. They are always there, and encouraged. People feel happier about each other and their neighbours (Canadian spelling, eh?), and things "just get better".


In all instances of interpersonal crises, social disorder, or global problems, I have made it a point to look at the positive values that are either missing, or weak. When doing this, and identifying them, the solutions become far more apparent.

To do this, I have found the Virtues Project to be of great assistance, even though I am not associated with them. By looking at their short list of virtues, (http://www.virtuesproject.com/virtues.html), it is fairly easy to identify which ones are needed to help solve a particular issue.

Some points that need to be made, however, are that the virtues on their own are not necessarily good things, and that they must be in balance with each other.

Virtues are not necessarily good? How does that work? Patience, you would agree, is a virtue, but a good thief is patient. Steadfastness is also a virtue, but it is what made the Nazis such a terrifying enemy. Compassion and caring are needed, as well as many other virtues, to bring out the best in these two instances.

Over the next few months, I will be adding more examples of how posi-genesis can help us as we try to solve major issues in the global arena, or even simple problems in our daily life. Interspersed with this will be a running diary of my time with my son, Shoghi (still 2 years-old, as mentioned above), as I continue to raise him up to, hopefully, adulthood.

Each week I select a new virtue for the little guy and explain what it means in simple terms. From there, I talk with him about how to apply that virtue to plants, animals and then children.

One story before I go for now:

A year and a half ago, I picked "generosity" for the week. After explaining to him, and a number of other children, what it meant and how to apply it, we returned home for supper. I placed him in his high chair and gave him a bowl of his favorite food at the time: grapes. His favorite food now is yogurt, but more on that later, too. At the time, he asked to get down. Knowing he was hungry, I just left him there and went about making dinner. This was not good enough for him and he began to get upset. After a few frustrating minutes for him, I finally understood that he knew what he was talking about and I let him down. He insisted on going around the house and giving everyone there a grape before he would eat any himself.


If you have any questions or comments on any of the above, please help me learn how to make a good and exciting blog. Photos will be coming later, but for now, I'm still in word mode.


With love and prayers,

Mead