Universal Laws

Today I thought I'd touch on something educational, serious and humorous . . . Universal Laws.

What are universal laws? They are laws, not necessarily, and probably not, passed, imposed and enforced by elected bodies of people who, supposedly, are wise and intelligent enough to create laws, ordinances, codes and such in the best interest of the people who elected them to their position to represent us. If you detected a bit of condescending arrogance in that description, you're most likely wiser and more intelligent then those I was describing.

Universal laws are laws or rules that impact and effect virtually everyone in a variety of facets of our daily lives. Not every universal law impacts us everyday, but you can count on them all year long. There are probably a lot more universal laws than I know about (or may even want to know about). I'm going to mention only a few of the most common ones. If you want to contribute others, please do so in the comment section of the blog. Inquiring minds want to know.

So, here we go . . .

My Three Universal Laws + One

I’ve said this before. “Freedom isn’t free.” We are born free, but the older we get the more things seem to encumber us. The society we live in, no matter how advanced or primitive, places limitations, restrictions, boundaries and other forms of constraints on us. The majority conforms and lives within what we might call the “mainstream” norms or standards of the society. A few of us push the envelope and live on the fringe. Fewer still push outside the envelope and live, perhaps, the freest of all. No matter where each of us fits in this spectrum, deep inside there is a spark of that freedom. Most learn to keep that spark hidden, buried, if you will. As we mature and approach the other end of the living experience, many will attempt to let that spark get a bit brighter and reach out for some more of that freedom. One thing that is always constant is that freedom isn’t free and there is always some kind of price for whatever we want in life, including more freedom.

Over the years I have discovered three universal laws. The first two, I attribute to my dear and departed friend, John Jay Daly. The third law I added after being in business for 25 or 30 years. A universal law is a law that is not created by men or women. It is simply something that always is. These three laws are:

1. No matter what it is, it ALWAYS takes longer then you estimated or planned.

2. No matter what it is, it ALWAYS costs more then you planned or budgeted.

3. No matter what it is, after careful and calculated research, shopping and negotiating to get the best deal, it is ALWAYS available somewhere for less. 

 These three laws apply to virtually everything in our human existence. And, while it may appear that something didn’t take more time or cost more or you didn’t find it cheaper after you made your decision and purchased, the fact is, if you peel away the layers, you’ll always find the universal laws still apply. We mostly take these laws for granted. In reality, we’d probably drive ourselves crazy or become paralyzed by the paralysis of analysis if we focused too much on these universal laws and attempt to beat them or disprove them. We simply do the best we can, accept the outcome and move forward.

There is a fourth universal law that I’m adding to my list. This one is so pervasive in our lives that, in my particular case, at least, I accepted it, took it for granted and never realized that it is a universal law. So,

 

     4.  No matter who you are, your station in life or how wealthy/poor you are – “Life happens!” 

Perhaps, in more colloquial terms it is stated that “S**t happens.” You’ve seen it on bumper stickers, I’m sure.

This law is totally indisputable. It doesn’t matter who you are, how important your position, how much money you have, where you live – there are no exceptions and no one is exempt or escapes this law – like it or not – life happens for everyone. It's often connected with the statement, "Life is not fair," which is also true, or is it? A subject for another day, perhaps. I dare say that there is probably not a single human being walking the face of the Earth today who is exactly where they planned to be when they began their adult life. They are not doing precisely what they planned to be doing, with exactly who they planned to be with and doing whatever it is with that person or group that was part of some grand or simple plan they started life with. Sure, maybe we can plan to have two eggs over easy with bacon and toast for breakfast this morning – you planned that by making sure all the ingredients were in inventory the night before. However, even something as simple as that can be significantly impacted by a traffic light that turned red and stopped you. This caused you to arrive a few moments after the store closed the evening before to buy one or more of the ingredients for the breakfast. You might have been late due to an unexpected situation at the office or an unusual traffic jam on your route home. The possibilities are endless.

If you’re into self-help books and audio programs (and I published self-help books and produced self-help audio programs for a number of years – and I’ve certainly read and listened to countless self-help books audio programs), I’m sure you’ve heard the age old cliché’s about, “if you fail to plan you plan to fail” or “you must write your short term and long term goals down and read them everyday to stay on plan.” What can I say? They are true and they help. Planning for just about everything from preparing a meal to taking a family vacation to progressing in your profession, etc. definitively help you achieve the goals you’ve written down for yourself. And, certainly some of these things will come to pass pretty close to the plan and the goals.

However, it’s the “life happens” factor that we can’t account for. Life is dynamic. It has no compassion for you or me. It just is and it goes on its way despite our goals or plans. Just a few things that change everything and negate or cause huge detours in our plans and achieving our goals include deaths, accidents, changes in local, national or world economies (or all three), the demise of a vendor, purchase of a bad egg, being bitten by a nearly microscopic insect and contracting Lyme Disease (happened to me this year), having your car demolished by a kamikaze deer (also happened to me this year) and the list goes on and on. It doesn’t matter if you’re royalty or pauper. You’re not exempt.

So, why this topic? Why now? That’s simple. Because universal laws apply universally and that means they are always impacting everyone’s lives. You can’t do much to prepare for them or bypass them. You simply do the best you can, accept that no matter how much you planned to pay, how much time you allocated and no matter how intently you researched that they all apply and that #4 – “Life Happens!!!” guarantees it. You can’t beat the laws, but being aware of them means you can at least accept that this is all part of this exciting journey we call “Life” and deal with the challenges that present themselves with a positive, understanding and accepting attitude. This will not, necessarily, change the outcome, but it will set you free.

Enthusiastically,

Ed

Step #11 Spirituality

This step is bringing us into the final stretch on our journey to living free. Spirituality, as I perceive it, is a very personal thing. I was raised in a Baptist Church aligned with the American Baptist Convention and in my early thirties, transferred to another Baptist Church aligned with the Southern Baptist Convention. Through the years I have come to define religion and spirituality as different things. Of course, while religious beliefs encompass certain aspects of spirituality, religions are typically an organized system of doctrines and beliefs embraced by a group (of any size) of like-minded followers. Spirituality, on the other hand, doesn’t necessarily require that you conform to a specific doctrine or belief system that necessarily involves any kind of organization or group of like-minded individuals. Spirituality can be as individual as each person is and that’s what makes it personal.

Now, before you, who may embrace any specific religion, whether one of the many Christian Protestants denominations, any of the several Catholic divisions of Christianity, Jews, Muslims, Mormons, Hindus, Wickens or other organized religions of the world, decide to challenge me, please don’t! Living free isn’t about religion, though you may, and you certainly have the natural, human right to, embrace your chosen religious beliefs as part of your personal spirituality and definition of freedom. It is my firm belief that every human embraces some kind of spirituality, though it may not be consciously displayed or even acknowledged. I don’t include such belief systems as Buddhism, Scientology and numerous other philosophical thought groups as religions, though they have been characterized and even legally recognized by various governments as religious organizations. In my way of thinking, these belief systems are more realistically philosophical approaches to spirituality, each with its basis in some original founding leader’s philosophy, while not necessarily aligned with any form of deity of god-like spiritual embodiment. Those who read this and practice any of these other belief systems are certainly within their rights to believe they are religions if you so choose to define them as such for yourself.

The reason I believe that spirituality is a natural step in the progression of living free is because it is virtually impossible in our civilized (and surely in less developed) societies to deny some kind of connectedness between other humans such as family and friends. Additionally, there is a connection and dependence on lower animals through the domestication of pets and work animals. We also rely on many animals as a food source. Many cultures worship various animals. Additionally, there is a connection between humans and the Earth in the form of the flora that we enjoy in its natural state, cultivate as a food source and also find creative outlet in the personal beauty and pleasure derived from gardening and landscaping. Finally, there is a connection with the universe. We, as humans have always been fascinated with the stars and what’s “out there.” Are we the only living beings who think and reason in the entire universe? We now know the universe is ever expanding since the “Big Bang,” the theory believed by the scientific community to have occurred some five billion years ago and commonly accepted as the author of the universe.

Of course, there is also a certain internal spirituality. As humans, we are the most remarkable living things on the Earth. We are split between two basic schools of thought on how humans came to inhabit the Earth. First are those people with religious beliefs defining the creation of human existence as the work of a divine being/intelligence. The second are those who believe that somehow all the right circumstances came together at a precise moment in time to become the spark of life that evolved over millions of years into homo erectus and ultimately homo sapiens and here we are. Of course, science has proven that there were other forms of human like beings that evolved, but didn’t survive. We know, scientifically that is true of other animal forms as well.

There is also a third less widely held belief that may provide a bridge between the other two explanations of human development. This embraces the idea that there is human life in other parts of the universe and some visitors from another world, far more advanced then we are, even today, came here and left behind early humans to inhabit and colonize the Earth. This is certainly a stretch, but is it any more or less believable then a deity molding the world in six days from the raw materials of the universe and creating humans in its own image or that a “Big Bang” occurred billions of years ago and created the universe and set up the conditions over billions of years for life to germinate and evolve on this rock floating in space?  

So, how does spirituality become a step to embrace for living free? I see this as a very simple concept. Whether you like it or not, you are part of this planet and the universe. Sure, you’re one of over seven billion other human beings (as of October 31^st, 2011) co-existing on this piece of space rock we call Earth, our home. There is so much about yourself and nature that you have questions about. No, you probably don’t dwell on them. Frankly, most of nature and everything about the nature of your existence is way beyond both your ability to comprehend and your pay grade that you have to find some way to narrow your focus to a much more intimate life that you may be able to have a modicum of control over. All the rest of it is what I define as spirituality.

If you have chosen to accept and practice some form of organized religion, you are given certain doctrine and belief systems to use in living a meaningful life. One of the concepts in most Jewish, Christian and Muslim religious doctrine is that you must accept on faith what you cannot humanly see or comprehend. You must choose to believe that what you are taught, by the theology of the various religions, is true and has been communicated to humans through those chosen as prophets and religious leaders, by God. This is, of course, a simplification of the entire idea of a living God. This is certainly a way to deal with the immensity of the question – what is the meaning of life? And, if this works for you, then carry on and practice your religious beliefs as deeply and seriously as you feel comfortable in doing.

Perhaps organized religion is not the answer for you, whether you have experienced some degree of religious education and experience or not. This doesn’t necessarily define you as an atheist or a non-believer in some kind of divine or superior intelligence with a plan for the universe. It simply says that you don’t personally find personal comfort, solace, intellectual or spiritual fulfillment in the organized religions that you have any experience with or knowledge of. This may be a point where you might look into philosophies like Buddhism. Since Buddhism appears to be more of a philosophy then an organized religious institution, there is no way of knowing how many practicing or even fringe Buddhists there are in the world. A low estimate is in the range of 350 to 500 million people, which, while not as large as the body of Christian or Islamic believers, is certainly not a trifle, either.

Personally, I still characterize myself as a Christian because my moral and ethical world-view was largely formed through my religious learning as a child and teenager. While there are those who would consider me a non-practicing Christian, I still embrace and live by much of that early learning. Through my six plus decades of living experience my personal world-view has expanded and changed in some ways, thus, I view my life, my spirituality and the world differently then I did as a child and teenager. You may be in a similar place and that’s as it should be.

Other interesting aspects of spirituality include meditation and prayer. Both of these are practiced by billions of people on this planet and it is a very personal experience for each person. While most commonly identified with organized religions, prayer has been studied and researched on a secular level as well. In studies conducted by Harvard, Duke and other universities from a secular perspective and often involving health and medical matters, including life and death issues, there have been conclusive, published findings that people who have been the target of prayer in specific, controlled, test groups have recovered and or survived at a much higher rate compared to those who were not the focus of prayers from around the world. The medical professionals have not been able to explain this scientifically. And, to make the matter more interesting, the prayers emanated from diverse groups of people practicing (or in some cases not practicing) different forms of religion. I am not suggesting that you believe me or accept this as fact in your own belief system. I’m simply reporting substantiated facts that have been published by scholarly sources. Even the American Medical Association has made some concessions in their consideration of prayer. This from a group that is typically very scientifically biased.

So, we are all connected. As you read these 12 Steps for Living Free, you are connected with me in some manner. It doesn’t matter whether you live in the U.S., Russia, Japan, China, Brazil, Morocco, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, the U.K. or any of the other dozens of countries where the analytics indicate that readers of this 12 Step program are located. There is something that connects us. My choice of the two words “living” and “free” as a phrase is most likely the spiritual bond between us. As humans, no matter what country or culture or society we reside in, by nature (there’s that word again) we want to “live free.” And, to reiterate what I stated at the outset of this treatise, I do not mean living free as without cost or paying for things we need and want. I mean living free of as many limitations, restrictions, laws, rules, regulations and other encumbrances. As long as we live on this planet we have to live within the rules of nature. And as long as we live in any kind of organized group of other people whether it’s a family unit, a tribe, a village, a neighborhood or community, a city or town, a state or province or a country, there will be laws, rules, regulations, codes and so on we much abide by. However, in choosing to live free you will seek out ways to free yourself from being limited or restricted as much as possible. There are many considerations you’ll have to make in order to implement this kind of living free lifestyle, as you define it, possible. And, of course, the other part of living free is to find joy and be happy, which are state-of-mind choices.

How you choose to experience and express your spirituality is, like everything else in these 12 Steps, entirely up to you. The reality is that your spirituality is a continually evolving process. What you believed as a child, a teenager, a young adult, a middle-age adult and a senior adult will, most likely, be different. Each phase of your spiritual growth will, of course, use everything you believed previously as the foundation and steps to the next phase. In the end, you may end up going full-circle and returning to where you began. But, then again, you may end up with a completely different set of beliefs and philosophies. So far as I can figure, whatever path you choose to follow is the right one for you. There will be those who will do their best to convince you that their way is the truth and the only way. They certainly have every right to believe that. But, they don’t have the right to condemn nor make you feel that your spiritual belief system is any less then theirs. Your spiritual belief system will bring you comfort and help you understand why you are on this Earth for the short time you’ll be here. Though each of us is a mere speck of space dust in the universe, each of us will, in some manner, leave behind an imprint of some kind, whether we believe it or not.

We Don’t Need All That We Want!

This is the second post in the “12 Great Truths” series. I think this is pretty obvious. Most of us are familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. These are the basic motivators that cause us to take action. These needs are usually depicted in the shape of a pyramid with the most basic needs at the bottom forming the foundation. Here are the needs as described by Maslow and I’ve put them in the order they appear in the pyramid with the most basic needs at the bottom and the highest level need at the top.

Self-Actualization
Esteem Needs
Social Needs
Safety Needs
Physiological Needs.

So, starting with the most basic needs, the foundation of the pyramid, physiological needs include food, air, water, shelter, clothing and sleep. We could consider these survival needs since it would be hard to need something else if you were always hungry or didn’t have fluids to hydrate your body since our bodies are mostly composed of water. We also need to breathe and we’ll do whatever we have to in order to keep oxygen in our system, it’s basically as important as water. Then we want to have some kind clothing to protect us against the cold of winter and shield us from the sun during the summer. Of course, we want someplace to get out of the elements whether a cave, a tent or some kind of lean-to. And finally, we need rest. If you’ve never tried sleep deprivation – and if you have the nerve – try it some time. It won’t take you long to understand why it is one of the methods most often used by interrogators and those who use it as a form of torture to extract sensitive information from those trained to resist divulging such information like military personnel and intelligence agents. Be careful if you try it. Don’t drag it out too long. The consequences can be traumatic and even dangerous. Bottom line, humans will do whatever it takes to meet these needs before all else.

Once our physiological needs have been met, we move up to the next level, Safety Needs. These needs are also called security needs and include such things as some kind of steady and secure employment or a way of generating a regular living that will provide the basic needs and other security needs. The other security needs include access to health or medical care – we normally think of this in the form of some kind of health insurance; a safe neighborhood, a village or a community; and more secure shelter then the most basic shelter one might use to meet this physiological need. This shelter could be an apartment, a house or even a room in a communal living situation. It’s important to note, however, that we won’t concern ourselves with this level of needs until the physiological needs have been and continue to be met.

Moving up the pyramid, we begin desiring a way to fulfill Social Needs. Social needs are where we begin needing companionship, acceptance, romantic relationships where our nesting and procreation desires become evident. Once again, according to Maslow, humans need to satisfy the first two levels – physiological and safety needs before we have both the time and confidence to consider this third level. This level also includes such activities as joining and participating in community, religious and other forms of social groups that become important for fulfillment. We develop friendships, mates, participate in various functions and activities of different forms of community – playing sports, helping others, joining committees, becoming volunteer firefighters or rescue squad members and so on.

So, we’ve climbed up three levels of Maslow’s pyramid. We’ve met the most basic needs of survival. We’ve reached a level of safety and security. We belong to a mating relationship, enjoy companionships with other people in the communities we’ve joined, we contribute in some manner to the well-being of others in the community and we receive acceptance and a feeling of fulfillment. What’s next?

Esteem Needs are the next level. This is the level where we experience the second Great Truth. When we reach this level we begin doing things and acquiring things to make us feel good, create a feeling of self-esteem, perhaps, build our status in our community, look for ways to build our self-worth, seek various kinds of recognition and status and work towards accomplishments that feed other areas of esteem needs. This means climbing the corporate ladder, earning higher levels of monetary compensation, acquiring a larger and more luxurious home or multiple homes, more expensive trappings, transportation, often in multiple forms that visually announce your status. This list can go on endlessly.

I said this is where the Great Truth that “we don’t need all that we want” comes into play. The problem is that we don’t know that we don’t need all that we want. We want to display our success and the best way to do that is to acquire more and more trappings of success. We believe that since we have the income to acquire these trappings that we need them. Actually, they are wants, not needs, but we can very easily transform them in our minds to needs. Unfortunately, one day, many of us and, perhaps, most of us, will realize that all we needed was the use of these things for a short period of time. However, we’ve acquired them and most of these things we will acquire will depreciate in tangible value very rapidly. We’ll use the items for a season (figuratively or literally) and then they’ll just be put in the attic, the basement, the garage, the out building – or the worse scenario – we’ll rent storage space for them and pay insurance on things that continue to depreciate (reducing our “wealth”) and costing us even more to store them with no reasonable expectation of recovering any of that money. In other words, we shovel money down a big, black, bottomless hole. Some people will have enough presence of mind to get rid of these things, take the loss and move on. But, they’ll probably continue to keep acquiring more.

Now, it’s not my position to judge whether these purchases are right or wrong, good or bad, wise or foolish. Since this step on the pyramid is about individual esteem, we each have to make these judgments and choices for ourselves. Some of us will realize this early and make different decisions then others. Some of us may come to the conclusion that a less expensive car does the same job as a very expensive Rolls Royce. A Timex or Seiko watch tells the same time as a $5,000 Rolex. We may choose not to join the very costly country club that other professional colleagues or neighbors have found they “needed” to join. Does this make one person better or more important then the other? No! It just means that they have different value systems. There was certainly a time when I had a drive to make enough money to acquire all the trappings of success. But, when I reached a point where I was able to realize some of them, I found that they really didn’t make me feel any different and once the novelty wore off, like the diamond pinky ring I acquired – I never wore it. It simply laid in a jewelry box – with other jewelry I also didn’t wear. I even bought a faux Rolex at one time just to see if it attracted any attention. It really didn’t. I don’t even wear a watch now and I have a better sense of time without it.

I came to the realization a couple years ago that I was squandering the most precious commodity I had – and I didn’t even have to work for it, it was a gift given to me when I was born. It is my TIME! I wasn’t particularly happy even though I was living quite well. But, I felt like I was a prisoner in a jail I had built for myself. It was then that I began seeking, for me, what I needed to fulfill my esteem needs. I realized for me there were really only two things that motivated me – Time (to live and do the things I wanted to do for myself) and Freedom (to be able to do those things I wanted to do when, how, where and with whom I chose to). I also realized that ultimately, there are only two things that mattered to me. One is love – to love and to be loved. The other is happiness – and I discovered happiness is an attitude and a state of mine and I had complete control over my attitude and state of mind.

Now, I can use all the time I have left any way I desire.

I am free and my work is to live and work free – and I can do that for the rest of the time I have left.

I know I’m loved by people all over the US and in other parts of the world – these are not romantic relationships, rather friendships that have endured decades. I don’t currently have a romantic relationship, but if that happens, great, if it doesn’t, I’m still loved and fulfilled in that area of my life.

And finally, I can be happy for the rest of the time I have left (and I sure hope that’s going to be at least a couple more decades).

I’ve also learned to ask myself a simple question when I find myself in any kind of shopping environment – a store, warehouse retailer or on-line. The question is, “Can I live without this?” Interestingly, the answer is, mostly, always yes. I’ve found that I don’t need all that I want.

This brings us to the final and top level of the pyramid, Self-actualization Needs. I believe that I’ve reached that level. I know a number of friends of mine who have been at this level for quite some time. I also know some people who are older then I am who have not reached this level, yet. So, what does self-actualizing mean? It means that you are self-aware, interested in you own personal growth, have stopped caring as much about other people’s opinions of you and seek to fulfill your potential. Maslow described this need as follows:

"What a man can be, he must be. This need we may call self-actualization…It refers to the desire for self-fulfillment, namely, to the tendency for him to become actualized in what he is potentially. This tendency might be phrased as the desire to become more and more what one is, to become everything that one is capable of becoming."

I hope you can, also, see that reaching the level of self-actualization doesn’t necessarily mean that one has acquired great status, a huge income, multiple luxury homes, expensive cars and clothes and all the other trappings. Some people will achieve those things and then realize that those are not the things that fulfill them. Others (as I described my own circumstance) will realize self-actualization without accumulating great financial wealth and all the trappings. Most of the focus of my life now, including this blog and my plans for my future, is about continual personal growth, realizing my potential and helping others learn how to live and work free to achieve their own fulfillment and happiness. Unfortunately, some people will always stay at the first level – like those who are homeless people and chronically poor. Many more will reach the second level. Others will achieve the third level and we would, typically, call this group the middle class. Less will achieve the fourth level and these folks make up, what we refer to as the upper middle class and upper class. But, self-actualizing, in my opinion, can be achieved by anyone when they reach the point where they realize they have something they can give to others and ultimately, the world. When we realize that we don’t need all that we want, but we have something we can contribute to others and the world, we will feel fulfilled, begin reaching our fullest potential and live a happier, freer life.

There is a lot more that can be said about self-actualization, but I’ll save that for another post.

Next time, “Giving is greater then getting!”

Enthusiastically,
Ed

1 + 1 Can Equal Much More Then 2!

Does that really make any sense? We all learned, at the latest, in first grade that 1+1=2. Well, let me tell you, in doing some research for this posting, I found pages of all kinds of mathematical treatises on proofing that 1+1=2. So, let me make this clear right now – I AM NOT A MATHEMATICIAN! I can add, subtract, multiply and divide – long hand (but, I prefer using a calculator – see, I’m lazy like everyone else). I can even do some minor algebra and geometry. But that is about it. Yes, I do have two college degrees and graduated with honors in my major and was far from the bottom of my graduate degree sequence. Math is just not my strong suit. So, let’s just all agree that for our intents and purposes that this simple mathematical equation is true and leave mathematics to the mathematicians.

I’m talking about a different kind of equation. I’m talking about a thing called “synergy.” You’ve probably heard the saying, the whole is greater then the sum of the individual parts. Here is what I mean from an article in Wikipedia, “Simply defined, it means that the whole is greater than the sum of the individual parts. Although the whole will be greater than each individual part, this is not the concept of synergy. If used in a business application it means that teamwork will produce an overall better result than if each person was working toward the same goal individually.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synergy

So, what I’m saying here is that one Great Truth is this concept of Synergy. The reason I’ve chosen it as the first Great Truth is because without it, we’d all still be living in caves, hunting with clubs, eating berries and raw meat – and possibly have hairy knuckles. Society and civilizations have started, grown and flourished because of synergy. Did Adam and Eve know about synergy, probably not as we’ve come to know it, but essentially, however or whomever you wish to define as Adam and Eve, they were able to produce more as a team. 1 + 1 = more then 2.

I also chose synergy as the first Great Truth, because I’m hoping that Me + You are going to explore these Great Truths together and create much more then I would or you would individually come up with. As I stated in the Introduction, this is ultimately going to become a book. It will start out as an e-book and an audio book; it will become a print book when there is a great enough demand for it. Since I have ten years of experience in the book publishing industry as a small, independent publisher, I have a very keen knowledge of what it takes to create a book, give it a form, promote it and distribute it. I also know that the publishing model is changing rapidly like so many other industries. So, I need to use synergy to make this book something greater then I can do myself. I need you as part of my team.

Now, just so we have a clear handle on this synergy thing let’s look at some brief examples. Here is one that is simple nature. One man and one woman can create a totally new and unique human that is likely (at least potentially) greater then either the man who contributed a sperm with his genetic material or the woman who contributed the egg with her genetic material. What could that new human be? Well, it could be a Beethoven, a Leonardo Da Vinci, a Thomas Edison, a Henry Ford, a Mother Theresa, a Florence Nightingale, a Meg Whitman, a Helen Keller and this list could go on and on. The 1 (man) plus the 1 (woman) joined to create, through the synergy and miracle of nature, something greater then the sum of the two individuals.

Another example would be Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. They didn’t create computers that had already been accomplished. But the synergy of Steve Jobs, the visionary and market oriented guy and the genius and technically oriented mind of Steve Wozniak created the Apple Computer and were instrumental in changing the lives of the world. Certainly, there were others, like Bill Gates and his team members with Microsoft – but they created an operating system for computers that has changed the world.

Let’s try another example like (Richard) Rodgers and (Oscar) Hammerstein. Individually, they were both very successful in the music business – but together, they redefined the art form of musical theater. Now, to be fair, there certainly have been many artists in all art forms who have been “solo” acts, but, quite often, there was someone who provided support, encouragement, inspiration, financing, whatever the artist needed to excel in their field.

I once met Moira Lear, the widow of Bill Lear. I’m sure you’ve heard of the Lear Jet and probably the 8-track cartridge that many of us had in our cars back in the 1970’s (isn’t that ancient history). Moira said of her late husband that Bill only had an 8th grade education and he certainly didn’t have all the knowledge, engineering skills, experience and tools to create the first practical and economical personal business jet aircraft. But, she went on to say that he had the vision to assemble of team of experts in their fields, inspire them with his vision and dream and guide them to make that dream become a reality. Once again, this is synergy at work.

I can go on and on in this manner, but that’s not the intent of this posting. The book will expand and expound with many more examples and case studies as I interview people about how synergy works for them. Perhaps you have a unique contribution you could make. I’d like to know about it. I honestly can’t think of anyone I know of that hasn’t used some form of synergy during their lifetimes – usually on considerably more then one occasion and in different ways; work, family, social life. I have devoted about 10 years of time to a local community theater with a group of some of the most talented people I’ve ever known. They each come from different walks of life. Each has unique talents and skills. Each contributes something to the whole that makes it so much greater then any individual in the group could ever do by themselves. Each has one common trait that brings them together – the love of the theater and enhancing the lives of those, not only who participate in a production, but the lives of every person who fills a seat at each performance, show after show, season after season and year after year.

I invite your comments. And remember, “The Truth shall set you free!” and this blog is all about living and working FREE. Next time, we don’t need all that we want!

Enthusiastically,
Ed

Great Truths - Introduction . . .

Great Truths! What are great truths? I believe you could also call them universal laws. A great truth or universal law is something that is universally true for everyone all the time. Now, without question, there are always going to be people who will dispute, refute, reject and try to disprove these great truths. That’s just fine, but ultimately, they always prove out.

This next series of postings is going to describe 12 great truths. There are many more great truths then these twelve and I have a long list of them. The list continues to grow as I think of additional truths. Where have these truths come from? They all come from my life experience. Over the six plus decades of my life, I’ve learned and experienced these truths. Some of them I learned from other people who shared them with me. Some were learned through painful personal circumstances. Others I learned watching other people experience them, often painfully. And, here’s a little secret – you, my readers, know most or all of these truths through your own life experiences.

Knowing, understanding and accepting these great truths will go a long way toward creating your lifestyle of living and working free. When you understand these truths and put them to work for yourself rather then denying them or trying to disprove them, life can be much simpler, freer and much happier.

Here is the list of 12 Great Truths I’ve selected for the next 12 postings to my blog:

1. 1+1 can equal much more then 2!
2. We don’t need all that we want!
3. Giving is greater then getting!
4. Time is our most priceless possession!
5. Education is the great equalizer!
6. Change is inevitable – you will be assimilate
7. Keep it simple!
8. Miracles are everywhere!
9. Happiness is an attitude!
10. Everyone has problems!
11. Pain is inevitable!
12. The buck cannot be passed – we must accept responsibility for our actions!

I know! As you look at this list there are some things that are immediately apparent. First, all of these great truths can be stated in very brief terms and very simply (see #7). Second, you most likely have seen every one of these and probably verbalized them yourself at some point in time, if not on numerous occasions. However, you have most likely taken all of these for granted and probably never dissected and analyzed them to determine why they are great truths and how each of them has impacted your life.

While this may all seem simplistic, I hope if I have developed any wisdom at all during my considerably more than a half century of living, you’re going to gain some insights that will make your life better, happier, freer and certainly more fulfilling. As you read my postings you’ll realize that during various periods of your life, you’ve attempted to disprove these truths. The results of these attempts may have been failure in business or relationships, painful experiences, losses of some kind, sickness and any number of other consequences. When we are young we have to test everything. We’ve tested great truths all our lives. The earlier we learn and accept these great truths, the sooner we become freer, happier and more fulfilled. Some pick up on this early in life and have a successful fulfilling life for a greater percentage of their lifetime. Some ignore, reject or are just plain slow at understanding and accepting the great truths and may never enjoy all the happiness, success and fulfillment they could have.

The plan is to discuss each of these great truths in a brief overview during the next series of postings. If something off topic tickles my fancy, I may insert it during the series, but I’ll plan on discussing two truths per week. What you’ll read will be my perspective on these truths and, of course, I’d love to have your comments. I don’t know all the answers and I do have lots of questions that I’d like the answers to. And to that end, while this is the beginning of this Great Truths series – the next step in the plan is to interview a very diverse group of people from different stations in life, ethnic, racial, religious, professional, educational, etc. backgrounds – and, of course, both men and women. I will then incorporate all this wisdom into a book form that will be available in audio, e-book and print form. As readers of this blog, you’ll be able to access the book for free as a download or as an audio book. I’ll also make it available through Amazon, in print, e-book, Kindle and audio book versions – as well as other booksellers. My intention is to help anyone and everyone to live and work free by putting these great truths to work for them.

Again, please send your comments. They are important; perhaps, you may be someone I’ll want to interview (I’m already lining people up to interview). Also, let as many other people know about this blog, pass the word and help me virally assist other people in living and working free.

Enthusiastically,
Ed