THE FUNDAMENTALS TRIPOD™ E-NEWSLETTERS - JUNE 2010
Thank you for signing on to Living
Centered News. I am fascinated with the difference between
living a life that works and a life that excels, that flies and
flourishes. What does it take to have your life work? Is it different
from whatever is required to fly? Does flourishing involve more
of what is working or a whole other order of communication and integrity?
Sincerely,
Eileen L Epperson
Spiritual Center Coaching
THE FUNDAMENTALS TRIPOD™ - HAVING A LIFE THAT WORKS. IT'S A BEGINNING!
1. Integrity
Integrity, Communication
and Completion are the basics,
the rock bottom, the minimal acceptable foundation for life to work.
What does that mean? From my personal experience and in working
with hundreds of people in six churches and in my coaching practice,
it is clear, CLEAR to me that there is a difference between having
a life that works and a life that flourishes. You cannot have a
flourishing life that does not work.
What does "work" mean? This won't be the whole picture but, minimally,
it means keeping your life in order. Some characteristics: when
you give your word to someone, you keep it. However, even beyond
always keeping promises (because no one does that), you honor what
comes out of your mouth enough that, for instance, you will communicate
the moment you see you cannot keep your agreement. You are careful
about yourself rather than sloppy with your words, your dress and
your time management. Your living and work space functions in a
way that serves you ("a way that inspires you" is what
accompanies a flourishing life). You pay your bills and your taxes
on time and accurately. You keep track of your appointments and
commitments. People don't have to hunt you down because you are
all over the place. You endeavor to communicate when something bothers
you. You learn to release resentments and regrets quickly rather
than rehashing them.
Flourishing is a whole other order of things and calls
for willingness to risk, to step out of your current box and to
be bold in speaking and action. It involves creating new futures
for yourself in any direction. A life that excels, that flourishes,
usually includes some form of service to others. We will get to
the qualities of a flourishing life in future newsletters, enhanced
by stories from YOU, we hope. However, we are going to start with
Fundamentals, and right now, with one of the Fundamentals: Integrity.
We can spend years deepening the richness of this idea, but we start
now.
INTEGRITY: we are using it in
a non-moral sense. The dictionary definition presents the idea of
wholeness in which nothing is missing to have the object function
in the way it was designed to do. A chair has integrity in this
non-moral sense. Two legs? It won't stand. For people, having integrity
includes honesty and being ethical in your behavior but it really
goes beyond these. Having integrity means you honor your words with
profound respect. Your talk matches your walk and there is congruence;
you are moving with the flow of life and the square peg goes into
the square hole. You are caring for your life according to your
standards and values. For me, my lack of integrity usually shows
up in communications I have been holding back. When I am finding
fault with someone - in my head - and neither letting it go nor
communicating, my ship is sunk! I will start to drop things, my
computer won't work and the mail will bring nothing but bills! Lately,
when I am speeding beyond what I allow myself (5-7 miles over the
posted speed limit), a policeman shows up on parked on the side
of the road or coming toward me in the opposite direction. It is
UNCANNY. I always thank the universe for keeping me on the straight
and narrow. I really do. Ultimately, integrity is living true to
yourself so that your words, your employment and your relationships
express the best of you. You are living the purpose for which you
were born.
If you would like to talk about the possibility of bringing more
"workability" to your life, please contact me and we can set up
a complimentary 20-30 minute conversation.
Communication: open, honest,
real, authentic, responsible, appropriate, coming from respect for
oneself and the other even when disagreeing. You are able to be
strong and direct without being aggressive.
Completion: being 100% in your
life and work, dotting the I's and crossing the T's; going the distance.
We always have things that are incomplete in life and that is not
bad. Whatever we do complete opens the door to more energy and new
action. Whatever we keep unfinished or disorganized keeps us glued
to the past. The velocity with which we can keep completing things
in our life will influence our experience of aliveness and joy,
not to mention creative energy!
If you would like to talk about the possibility of bringing
more "workability" to your life, let
me know and we can set up a complimentary 20-30-minute conversation.