Monday, March 29, 2010

Douglas Castle's Five Elements of Attainment

MANIFESTATION? – NO. IT’S ACTUALLY “ATTAINMENT.”

“The attainment of any objective requires both active and subconscious participation on your part. ‘Manifestation’ is all too often just wishful thinking. Try simply manifesting a Rolls Royce or the Perfect Lover…haven’t you ever wondered why this doesn’t work?”

– Douglas Castle

*****

PREAMBLE: I believe that there are five elements to attainment. If any one of these five elements is not incorporated in the process, the likelihood of failure increases. For your reference (and to ratchet up my search engine rankings), I’ll call these Douglas Castle’s Five Elements of Attainment.

I have arrived at them by “reverse engineering” successes and failures…this approach is somewhat easier than trial and error in circumstances where enough cause and effect data are available. We start by observing a success (the effect), and backtrack to the moment of its inception as a mere idea (the cause). This type of analysis requires some knowledge of dot-connecting (reasoning) and correlation (the strength of a predictive relationship of one variable to another)

Before we discuss these Five Elements, there is a rather old but nonetheless revolutionary book which you can download for free. This quick, easy-to-read guidebook will provide you with useful insight into several of the Elements which I will be bringing to your attention now…almost a century after this mini-classic was published. Somewhere through the development and evolution of the “Manifestation Movement” it would appear that someone chose to ignore this book and in doing so, started promoting a simplified, watered-down approach (everyone loves a panacea!) which is very popular but which is rather ineffective.

This pop-psych approach to manifestation can be summed up in the unfortunate title of a book by Dr. Wayne Dyer – “You’ll See It When You Believe It.” Dr. Dyer’s first book, “Your Erroneous Zones,” was a literal life-saver for me; it was so filled with useful revelations that it completely changed the way that I looked at myself and my circumstances: It was empowering. But the commonly taught practice of materializing something simply by “thinking it into being” generally doesn’t work. Admittedly, the simplicity of this visualization approach is very appealing, but it falls far short of being effective.

A Free Guidebook to the Attainment of Your Desires

A free download of Genevieve Behrend’s 1921 classic self-help work, titled, “Your Invisible Power,” has been made available by EVOLUTION E-ZINE (http://evolutionezine.com). The work concerns manifesting those things that you truly desire, but it is somewhat different (and better) than the typical Law of Attraction and “Instant Manifestation” books in that it focuses on the 1) the elimination of fear, and 2) the genuineness/ integrity of your desire as the two key elements required to re-program your conscious and subconscious mind modalities for success, instead of the customary “visualize your success in all of its rich, sensorial detail,” which is certainly necessary, but is not sufficient. I believe that this may indeed be a very worthwhile download.

We’ll get back to the download in a moment.

Douglas Castle’s Five Elements of Attainment

I have long held that the “manifestation” or “materialization” (actually, my preferred terms are “attainment” and “achievement”) of any objective requires each and all of the following elements:

1. Integrity of Desire – Your objective must not be a means to an end or a short-term, reactive wish. It must be a statement of your soul’s most honest longing, and must be stated in a positive manner; otherwise, it will be unacceptable to your subconscious.

2. Visualize your Attainment of the Success in all of its Rich, Sensorial Detail -- Meditate (Focus) on it for several minutes several times throughout your day. Think ahead to how you will (not “would” – but “will”) feel at and after the moment of victory.

3. Eliminate Fear – If what you strive for is a genuinely positive thing, you have no reason to be afraid of either failure or of success. At the risk of “waxing Quixotic,” your quest must be something which you believe is both a) crucially important, and b) something to which you are rightfully [or righteously] entitled.

4. Create a Plan – Actually plot your course. Draw a roadmap in your mind.

5. Proceed in Increments – Take each necessary step along the plan that you have created. You may make periodic adjustments. You should look back and monitor progress. You must reward yourself for each portion of the journey which you have completed. Positive reinforcement is underrated and underutilized.

-------

The reason that these Five Elements work is that they truly engage both your conscious and subconscious mind. The secret is that your subconscious must be consciously programmed – if anyone tells you anything else, it’s simply either untrue, or not the whole story. The process of attainment may seem magical, but it is actually scientific and methodical.

There. You’ve got it. Now, back to the free download of Genevieve Behrend’s book…

*****

The text which follows was excerpted from an Evolution E-Zine Newsletter:

Your Invisible Power: Free Download of this 1921 Classic by Genevieve Behrend

THESE pages have been written for the purpose of furnishing you a key to the attainment of your desires, and to explain that Fear should be entirely banished from your consciousness in order for you to obtain possession of the things you want.

This presupposes, of course, that your desire for possession is based upon your aspiration for greater happiness. For example, you feel that the possession of more money, lands, or friends will make you happier, and your desire for possession of these things arises from a conviction that their possession will bring you freedom and contentment.

In your effort to possess, you will discover that the thing you most need is to consistently “Be” your best self.

One morning after class a man came to me and asked if I…” [cliff-hanger…]

*****

To download and read the rest of this classic, click on either of the following links:
http://www.mediafire.com/?wmdwn240thy
-or-
http://bit.ly/FearlessAttainment

I sincerely hope that you enjoy this easy-to-read but substantial work. While reading it, please bear in mind, for the sake of your success [and for the gratification of my ego] Douglas Castle’s Five Elements of Attainment.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Notice: This article Copyright © 2010 by Douglas Castle, the author, with all rights reserved. This article may not be transmitted, reproduced or otherwise disseminated in either whole or part without the prior written permission of the author. Notwithstanding, a free .pdf version of this article can be downloaded and forwarded, without permission or limitation, by clicking on http://bit.ly/FiveElementsDownload.

About Douglas Castle
Douglas Castle - LinkedIn Profile
The National Networker Companies
Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.
The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.
The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.
Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.
Follow Castle on Twitter
Follow TNNW on Twitter
Follow Braintenance on Twitter
*Subscribe (free!) for The National Networker Newsletter and the BLUE TUESDAY REPORT, and join The TNNWC GICBC at Join Us!

Rick Itzkowich Surprises Douglas Castle - "I'm 100% convinced that the law of reciprocity is just as valid as the law of gravity."

Dear Readers:

One of the few trifling pleasures I experience in this life, sandwiched in between my bouts of dysphoria and sociopathy, is making fun of Rick Itzkowich. Even his name is funny.

Then he goes and compliments Dr. Ivan Misner (the Founder of BNI) on an article written by Dr. Misner which appeared in The National Networker Weekly Newsletter and closes with this line:

"I'm 100% convinced that the law of reciprocity is just as valid as the law of gravity. " -- Rick Itzkowich

My day is completely ruined. I cannot find any argument with the wisdom in Rick's words.

It's likely that I'm going to be up all night trying to come up with something more clever. Doesn't it irk you when the person you are busily making fun of teaches you a lesson? Knowledge is power, but its acquisition can sometimes be painful.

Faithfully (and in furious humility),

Douglas Castle

p.s. I'll get you back, Rick. Just wait.
_______________

p.p.s. In the meantime, I received a reminder in the mail from my dentist, the amazing Barry H, Steinberg, DDS, that I am about due for a cleaning. I don't know if it's just me, but when you go to your dentist for a cleaning does he wash your mouth out with soap? I think that my mother calls him in advance. I'm glad that my mother doesn't read my articles.

Here's Barry's reminder card:

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Make Yourself Understood

MAKE YOURSELF UNDERSTOOD.

"It is important that you word your questions with great precision and without presumption." - Douglas Castle http://aboutDouglasCastle.blogspot.com
---------------

Dear Friends:

Comedian Steven Wright tells a story about walking around his neighborhood wearing socks of two different colors. When a woman asks him, "Do you know that your socks don't match?" he replies, "Sure they do. I don't go by color-- I go by thickness."

Last evening, my wife asked me, "What's the difference between loquacious and garrulous?" I quickly replied, "The spelling."

Of course she had intended to ask, "What is the difference in meaning between loquacious and garrulous?"

The lesson is a simple but important one: The quality and usefulness that you will get in response to a question will be influenced by the way in which you word the question. Imprecisely worded questions lead to misinterpretations, and misinterpretations lead to inefficient and unproductive conversation.

Worded slightly differently: If you ask questions with a high degree of specificity, you greatly increase the probability of your getting answers that are meaningful. You may discuss the implications of this this with any attorney who has gone through the exercise of examining a person on the witness stand.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Thursday, March 25, 2010

MusicEnergy Magnet a

MusicEnergy Magnet and Steel - Walter Egan: This Walter Egan song knocked me out. Th.. http://bit.ly/d7XCD3 #douglascastle

You're Invited to a Blog.

Dear Friends:

The new blog is http://radiodazz.blogspot.com/. Music heals us. Visit. Get the feed. It is guaranteed non-intellectual, liberating, refreshing, nostalgic and energizing. It was going to be my career when I was a teenager. I keep running back to it when my batteries are low, or when my faith starts to flag. Don't ever be so busy that you forget to babysit the kid that lives in your heart. It's perfectly okay to get tired of being grown up.

Here's a shortcut to the first post:

http://radiodazz.blogspot.com/2010/03/no-matter-what-badfinger.html

If you can identify either the group or the song by looking at the link, then you have to go there. Memories are incredibly powerful triggers. Be warned -- but let the music take you over for a short time.

You should tell your friends about this. If they're really your friends, they'll understand. If they really, really understand, they'll try to stifle a grin, nod their heads, and then they'll go with you.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

No Matter What - Badfinger

Dear Friends:

Music heals. Click to go there.

--DC

http://radiodazz.blogspot.com/2010/03/no-matter-what-badfinger.html

Of Interest To All Bloggers

Authors: Promoting your Articles and Information Internationally and Easily.

Douglas Castle's Update at 03.24.2010 - A Suggestion of General Interest

Dear Christine, Colleagues, Fellow Authors, Bloggers and Friends:

There are numerous problems between Google/ Blogger/ MSN and other US-domiciled services and China right at this moment. They are both corporate and political in nature and beyond the scope of our immediate control.

We are working with programming at this very moment in order to feature TNNWC content on a "multiple platform" basis to mitigate this problem to the extent which we can.

A process that might help if you wish to get your articles and information out to a large number of people internationally is to:

1) Use a remote-hosted fileserver like Mediafire to upload your articles either as locked WORD documents or as .pdf files (there are freeware programs available to convert Word files into .pdf files);

2) Get a link to each uploaded article (it is provided to you by Mediafire automatically);

3) Shorten the link with an url-shortening service (such as bit.ly);

4) Incorporate this url as a hyperlink in your emails and in your postings to all social media and give people the option to read and/or download your actual article from the fileserver service.

This approach is important for every writer to know about. It is a good way to preserve your articles, give people direct links to "hardcopy" downloads of your blogged articles (without their having to go to the TNNWC website or to Blogger, etc., and without their having to read through any material other than your article as it appeared in The National Networker Newsletter at http://www.TheNationalNetworker.com, or wherever it might have been published originally.

The article will appear with all of its hyperlinks, buttons, and visuals fully intact.

I do this frequently, and clients and readers truly appreciate it.

I'll endeavor to keep you updated.

Isn't it fun to be creative? It teaches you things, expands your skill set and improves your problem-solving abilities. It just isn't as much fun having somebody else be creative for you, but it is easier (I'll admit it).

A smart fellow once told me that "The true nature and purpose of all business is solving problems."....then again, I think I might have simply been talking to myself in a rare moment of clarity.

All the best,

Douglas

About Douglas Castle

Douglas Castle - LinkedIn Profile

The National Networker Companies

Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.

The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.

The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.

Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.

Follow Castle on Twitter

Follow TNNW on Twitter

p.s. You can join The National Networker Companies and our rapidly growing GICBC by clicking on http://bit.ly/JoinTNNW. It's free, and priceless.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Sniff and The Tears - Driver's Seat

I was in graduate school, working on my MBA, driving my '76 Camaro. Sniff and the Tears Played "Driver's Seat." I wore Polo. The girls were wearing Rive Gauche and Halston. Smell of hairspray, beer, cigarettes, sweat. Staying out too late. Who was I fooling? Everyone except me.

Listen: If the video player doesn't show up below, just click on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JFwcmU6Ql0A

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Update Bulletin - New Developments - The National Networker Companies - 03.21.2010

UPDATE BULLETIN!The National Networker Companies™

Free Membership and Subscription? Click HERE.
Free RSS Newsfeed? Click HERE.
Free Daily Email Supplement? Click HERE.

Update Bulletin - New Developments - The National Networker Companies - 03.21.2010

----The National Newspicker Page is undergoing an upgrade.

The National Newspicker Page, which is located at http://thenationalnewspickerpage.blogspot.com/ is the world's most efficient way to get al of the news, info and intel that you need in just 20 minutes per day in order to sound like the smartest person in the room.

Grab this gadget at http://thenationalnewspickerpage.blogspot.com/ if you don't already have it, or simply make the page a favorite, for instant reference. We are switching servers, increasing content and re-formatting access -- this is great news! Sadly, until this process is finished on or about April 15th, some of the links to sources might be sporatically disconnected. Stay with us. It will be worth your while.

----Left, Right and Center is undergoing an upgrade.

The latest addition to our info-sourcing, Left, Right and Center, is located at http://newspickerleftrightandcenter.blogspot.com/ is also undergoing the same process. This device, which accesses the the most extremist political news and views from right to left, will be available as a free-standing widget (soon!), and will also be added as an additional tab to the National Newspicker. This process should be completed on or about April 15th. We would suggest that you get this widget in addition to The National Newspicker Widget.

You'll get every bit of edgy news from the far right, the Conservatives, Republicans, Democrats, Independents, militias, survivalists, far-left Liberals, Constitutionalists, Progressives, Internationalists, Cultists....Limbaugh to Franken...Maher to Palin...Centrists to Anarchists -- this stuff is absolutely fascinating, and is the ideal compliment to everything that you read in the mainstream media. We cover Mother Jones as well as the Spectator. You must get this widget the instant that it becomes available. It doesn't matter what YOUR politics are...find out about what everyone is thinking!

----Rick Itzkowich (Co-Founder of QuoteActions) is going to be interviewed by Dr. Ivan Misner, the founder and CEO of BNI (the world's largest networking organization) and the man whom many consider the Father of The Networking Movement in a podcast .

You can access this amazing podcast (Episode 146) in several ways. 1. Subscribe (free) by clicking on Rick's Extraordinary Living Link at
Click here to subscribe to PL&L's Xtraordinary Living Blog and Podcast. 2. Click here to listen to The Official BNI Podcast Episode 146. The The topic is Visibility Through Touchpoints.

By The Way: Did you realize that on average, a prospective client has to be "touched' (communicated with) between 5 and 12 times before he or she will enter into a business relationship with you? Rick has a simple , automated way in which to do this. You should learn more.

----We have two fabulous buttons at the bottom of every Featured TNNWC Columnist's article.

One pops open to a screen which allows you to read other readers' comments, and to leave your own [the more comments you leave on the greatest number of articles by the greatest number of authors, the better your personal branding and SEO - Fact!]. The other gives you a means of forwarding or sharing, either by email or by posting to any one (or all) of your social media. Here's what they look like:

Forward/Share This Article With Colleagues And Social Media:

Use these buttons or, our Management Team will take them away!

----TNNWC Client, Affiliate and Supporter, Bonnie Ross-Parker, published author and creator of The Joy Of Connecting ("JOC") recently received an award (one of many), and some wonderful press coverage.

The JOY OF CONNECTING (JOC) SYSTEM

Bonnie has created, in JOC, a proprietary system for women in business to network person-to-person in a completely unthreatening inviting atmosphere that produces more actual ACTIVE BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS than any other networking method. The JOC System creates engagement, whereas so many other approaches to networking merely produce encounters.

If you are female (you must be sure!), you should consider becoming a JOC licensee. It is the most powerful in-home, real-touch relationship and network-building tool ever conceived by the mind of man....er....ah....woman! Here's a re-post of the News Release honoring Bonnie:
---------------------------------------------

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The Joy of Connecting LLC Receives 2009 Best of Business Award

Small Business Commerce Association’s Award Honors the Achievement

SAN FRANCISCO, March 15, 2010, The Joy of Connecting LLC has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Business services at non-commercial site category by the Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA).

The Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is pleased to announce that The Joy of Connecting LLC has been selected for the 2009 Best of Business Award in the Business services at non-commercial site category.

The SBCA 2009 Award Program recognizes the top 5% of small businesses throughout the country. Using statistical research and consumer feedback, the SBCA identifies companies that we believe have demonstrated what makes small businesses a vital part of the American economy. The selection committee chooses the award winners from nominees based off statistical research and also information taken from monthly surveys administered by the SBCA, a review of consumer rankings, and other consumer reports. Award winners are a valuable asset to their community and exemplify what makes small businesses great.
About Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA).

Small Business Commerce Association (SBCA) is a San Francisco-based organization. The SBCA is a private sector entity that aims to provide tactical guidance with many day to day issues that small business owners face. In addition to our main goal of providing a central repository of small business operational advice; we use consumer feedback to identify companies that exemplify what makes small business a vital part of the American economy.

SOURCE: Small Business Commerce Association

CONTACT:
Small Business Commerce Association
Email: Press@SBCAAwards.org
URL: http://www.SBCAAwards.org
SBCA Seal

----------------------------------------------
Congratulations, Bonnie Ross-Parker! For Information about the System, and about becoming a JOC Licensee, visit http://www.TheJOYofConnecting.com . After you've done that, you'll probably want to speak with one of JOC's more than 70 Licensees across 19 states. And The Latina Joy Of Connecting is about to make its debut, starting in Florida.

----Have you reviewed any of the blogs authored or administered by TNNWC Vice-Chairman Douglas Castle?

Every blog in this brilliant constellation, and every social media link is under the TNNWC Umbrella (which is not to be confused with the Traveller's Insurance Company Umbrella, which cannot be folded or put into your attache case):

The National Networker Companies - Networking is only the beginning...

Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.

The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.

The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.

Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.

LINKS 4 LIFE - Help in any emergency.

Follow Castle on Twitter

Follow TNNW on Twitter

Follow Braintenance on Twitter

Follow GetGlobalEdge on Twitter

Follow GICBC on Twitter

Grab the National Newspicker Page Gadget - All the news, trends and intel you need...in 20 minutes per day.

With all of the best yet to come,

Adam J. Kovitz and Douglas Castle

The National Networker Companies

Join our GICBC and receive our free news, info, intelligence and publications at http://bit.ly/JoinTNNW . You will absolutely want access to our suite of services, too. Join us.

_________________

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Prioritize Before You Take Action.

Prioritize Before You Take Action.

Dear Readers:

It's not enough to create and abide by a stream-of-consciousness "To-Do" list. I believe it is also necessary to prioritize...that is to say that you must take a look at the relative importance of each agenda item with respect to how time-critical it is, and address the time-critical items first.

A simple example -- if your house is on fire, do you:

A) Put up new drapes, or,

B) Grab your children and get the hell out of there?

Another simple example-- if the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center are under attack, and you happen to be the President of The United States of America, do you:

A) Continue reading a story to some children in a Florida elementary school, or,

B) Assume command and control of your country, put national security status on Red Alert and communicate with your commanders and the public immediately to prevent mayhem, while preparing for possible further assaults?

I am inclined to choose B, in either of the above cases.

In a hospital, this type of decision is called triage...the most critical patients with the most time-sensitive and life-threatening issues must be attended to first. The blood-soaked chap with the deep sucking wound in his upper chest should be looked at prior to the lady with a swollen ring finger.

The following two recent news stories (both from Associated Press, in care of Yahoo! News) show an example of what I'll call "contrarian prioritization" (to be politically correct, I have avoided the expression "acting like a moron," so as not to insult morons in general, especially as their lobbying power grows).

__________________

Social Security to start cashing Uncle Sam's IOUs

AP – FILE - In this Feb. 23, 2005 file photo, Susan Chapman, director of the Division of Federal Investments, …

By STEPHEN OHLEMACHER, Associated Press Writer Stephen Ohlemacher, Associated Press Writer – Mon Mar 15, 5:09 pm ET

PARKERSBURG, W.Va. – The retirement nest egg of an entire generation is stashed away in this small town along the Ohio River: $2.5 trillion in IOUs from the federal government, payable to the Social Security Administration.
It's time to start cashing them in.
For more than two decades, Social Security collected more money in payroll taxes than it paid out in benefits — billions more each year.
Not anymore. This year, for the first time since the 1980s, when Congress last overhauled Social Security, the retirement program is projected to pay out more in benefits than it collects in taxes — nearly $29 billion more.
Sounds like a good time to start tapping the nest egg. Too bad the federal government already spent that money over the years on other programs, preferring to borrow from Social Security rather than foreign creditors. In return, the Treasury Department issued a stack of IOUs — in the form of Treasury bonds — which are kept in a nondescript office building just down the street from Parkersburg's municipal offices.
Now the government will have to borrow even more money, much of it abroad, to start paying back the IOUs, and the timing couldn't be worse. The government is projected to post a record $1.5 trillion budget deficit this year, followed by trillion dollar deficits for years to come.
Social Security's shortfall will not affect current benefits. As long as the IOUs last, benefits will keep flowing. But experts say it is a warning sign that the program's finances are deteriorating. Social Security is projected to drain its trust funds by 2037 unless Congress acts, and there's concern that the looming crisis will lead to reduced benefits.
"This is not just a wake-up call, this is it. We're here," said Mary Johnson, a policy analyst with The Senior Citizens League, an advocacy group. "We are not going to be able to put it off any more." ####
________________
AND NOW...

Obama seeks to reassure seniors on health care

Mexico gunmen kill American consulate staff

Reuters – U.S. President Barack Obama in Washington, May 21, 2009. REUTERS/Larry Downing/Files

By BEN FELLER, Associated Press Writer Ben Feller, Associated Press Writer – Mon Mar 15, 5:01 pm ET

STRONGSVILLE, Ohio – With a fresh sense of urgency, President Barack Obama sought to reassure seniors Monday about health care legislation approaching a final vote in Congress, pledging it would make preventive care cost-free and close a gap in Medicare prescription drug coverage. "This proposal adds almost a decade of solvency to Medicare," Obama said in a visit to a senior center.
Obama's trip to Ohio marked his third out-of-town foray as he tries to build support for long-stalled legislation to remake the health care system. Administration officials have predicted the legislation will clear the House by the end of the week, but Democratic leaders had not yet released the measure as the president's helicopter lifted off from the White House grounds.
Even so, the House Budget Committee arranged a mid-afternoon meeting to begin a series of events expected to culminate in a House vote within days.
Guests aboard Air Force One included Democratic Rep. Dennis Kucinich, the local congressman, who voted against the administration-backed health care bill that cleared the House late last year.
There was no word on whether Obama lobbied for his vote en route to Ohio. But shortly after the president began his public remarks, someone in the crowd yelled, "Vote yes," to Kucinich.
"Did you hear that, Dennis?" the president said with a smile. "Go ahead, say that again," he encouraged the voice in the audience.
"Vote yes!" came back the reply." ####

________________

As I had mentioned previously in this article, you should Prioritize Before You Take Action. This is not an issue of politics -- this is an issue of common-sense survival, with an entire country at stake.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Thursday, March 18, 2010

An Indifferent Universe With Some Cold Realities - Douglas Castle

An Indifferent Universe With Some Cold Realities

Dear Friends:

I frequently hear talk about the "abundant Universe," and about "Asking the Universe for what you desire." I have two difficulties in going along with this:

1. I don't believe in having a one-sided conversation with a "concept" or a "construct" that does not respond to me in way which I can understand. I will speak with a friend stricken with Alzheimers (even if he or she is not responsive), because we once knew and enjoyed eachother, and because I want to believe that I might be triggering some pleasant associations or memories. I do not talk to the Universe. I occasionally talk to the trees, but they don't listen to me...at least not that I know of.

2. I don't believe that the Universe has any feelings for me, or knowledge of me either pro or con.

I do know this: That in this world, in this lifetime perceived through the acknowledged senses, beauty and love are often trampled, and it seems that the strong and brutal survive.
I don't like this. But if I just try to blink it out of existence, or deny it, or rationalize my way around it as an apologist, I serve neither myself, nor anyone else.

The Opportunity: Perhaps I can use my strength and brutality (I am blessed or cursed with both) to preserve and protect beauty and love from the ravages of the Universe.

I believe that the Universe is an indifferent "thing," and that the sole benefit that it provides is endless chances for symbiosis, alliances and relationship-building. I have learned at least one basic lesson from an insentient "thing." And for this, I am grateful.

Faithfully,

Douglas Castle

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

The Job Nobody Wants

The Job Nobody Wants

Situations Force some of us to Lead, and the Rest of us to Either Hide or Complain.

Dear B:

Thank you so much for your concern and support.

I know that you understand.

Sometimes difficult situations are foist upon us because actions must be taken or problems must be solved ... and no other volunteer steps forward to meet the challenge. Our reactions define us.

I did not ask for leadership -- it was imposed upon me as a condition precedent to achieving something good, lasting and greater than myself. My motivation is not selfish, or ego-driven. It is a hunger for accomplishment. It is born of a compassion for the suffering of Humankind that I would want to make things better.

More than any of this, it is a desperate need for redemption that cries out through me.

Always,

Douglas Castle

About Douglas Castle

Douglas Castle - LinkedIn Profile

The National Networker Companies

Braintenance - Stay razor sharp.

The Internationalist Page - A world without barriers.

The Global Futurist - Revealing trends.

Taking Command! - Mastering your fate.

Follow Castle on Twitter

Follow TNNW on Twitter

Labels, Tags and Key Terms: leadership, rising to address circumstances, leaders and followers, whiners versus winners, hard choices, drawing lines, situations which define us, The 1%, Articles by Douglas castle, Taking Command, The National Networker Newsletter.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Assuming Responsibility Can Be Dangerous

Assuming Responsibility Can Be Dangerous.

I just received this comment from a good friend, who is trying to help me:

"In regard to this misunderstanding, I think the problem stems from the original document you sent me called 'HUMAN ASSET REQUIREMENTS'." - [Name Witheld]

My Dear Brother (I sometimes call friends this):

I am sorry for having caused your problem. After all....you were only following orders. This is fully my fault for having the audacity to outline a plan for you to use as a guide...In so doing, I had inadvertently accepted responsibility. I am going to be revising this whole plan shortly. In doing this again, I will graciously accept the full responsibility and all of its potentially adverse consequences.

You have taught me something: It is always safest never to improvise -- if you do, you may be blamed for having assumed some amount of the responsibility.

You are a clever fellow, indeed.

Faithfully,

Douglas

Pages

PLEASE SCROLL DOWN A BIT FOR THE ARTICLES. GET YOUR SCROLLING GLOVES ON. (PACK A LUNCH). THANKS!

Receive your free Humanitas Maximus email subscription -- RSS feed content included!

Subscribe for your free Humanitas Maximus automatic updates via RSS.

Podcast/ Reader: Have your articles read to you here, or to your mobile device.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Saturday, March 27, 2010

Thursday, March 25, 2010

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Monday, March 22, 2010

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Social Security to start cashing Uncle Sam's IOUs

Obama seeks to reassure seniors on health care

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Blog Archive for HUMANITAS MAXIMUS

Douglas Castle's Somewhat Uninteresting BLOGGER Profile.

PLACE THESE WIDGETS ON YOUR BLOGS, WEBSITES AND E-MEDIA PLATFORMS.

THE GLOBAL FUTURIST

THE INTERNATIONALIST PAGE

THE NATIONAL NETWORKER

INTERNAL ENERGY PLUS WIDGET

BRAINTENANCE - Be Razor Sharp!

TAKING COMMAND!

LINKS 4 LIFE WIDGET

DOUGLAS CASTLE'S INSIGHTS

THE RADIO DAZZ BLIDGET

CRUCIAL MUSIC: Moments in life are marked by songs.

AND FURTHER...

ADVERTISE (BANNER, BOX OR BUTTON) or PLACE YOUR LINK ON OUR SITE/S.

THE AUTHOR, IN CONTEMPLATION

HUMANITAS MAXIMUS TOPICS AND TERMS

EVEN MORE STUFF.....