Luminalogue

Navigating the New Age of Awakening

Excellent video by Bernhard Guenther about the importance of discernment for both self and world...

Generation Jones?

"In demographic terms, Generation Jones was part of the baby boom which ended in the early 1960s. However, the events stereotypically associated with generational discussion of Boomers, including protests over civil rights and the Vietnam war and the emergence of rock music took place while the members of Generation Jones were still children or early teenagers... Thus the early life experience of this group was more similar, in many respects, to that commonly imputed to Generation X.  Generation Jones is thus associated with such pop icons such as Pong, the "Walkman", Rubics Cube and MTV."    Wikipedia entry excerpt

  

Apparently, there are some people born in 1961 who when polled recently, proclaimed themselves to be members of Generation Jones, a name coined by social commentator, Jonathan Pontell.  This generation, previously unknown to me, is the subject of a recent post by William Harryman of Integral Options Café.  Described as a lost generation between Boomers and Generation X that is characterized by their shared experience of largely unfulfilled expectations, Generation Jones has been heralded by some as the real next generation of leadership in the United States. 

  

While I’m not surprised that people considered to be on the cusp of generations might not identify as fully with one or the other, this identification of bridging Boomers and Gen X-ers as Generation Jonesers creates a quickening of sorts in the generational timeline.  With the addition of Generation Jones, if I’ve understood correctly, the time-spans for the generations start to look more like ten to fifteen years per generation with Boomers identified in this version of the timeline as those born between 1943 -1953, then Generation Jones born between 1954 – 1965, Generation X born between 1966 – 1981, and Millennials born between 1981 – 2001.  That said, if you go to Wikipedia and look up the different generations, you will find enough disparate time allocations to make your head spin.  

  

As referenced in the previous post about Gen X, I tend to favor those timespans used by William Strauss and Neil Howe, which they have correlated with significant watershed moments, cultural and socioeconomic conditions that they think have shaped each generation.  Yet, however one slices the generational timeline, it seems that the traditional span of twenty to thirty years per generation is no longer as common in defining new generational cohorts as is the perceived collective experience that can be translated into a somewhat coherent cultural zeitgeist.  Given how rapidly our world seems to be changing in response to new technology, global climate change, and the like, this trend is not surprising, although it does make generational definitions a bit trickier, perhaps a bit more arbitrary—more like moving targets than fixed positions in a generational timeline. 

  

I do like the trend toward self-definition as an important factor though.  Asking people to choose the generation with which they identify most is just one step away from respecting individuals of different ages enough to ask them to define and characterize their own generation—giving each generation a chance to describe themselves before being labeled thus and so by people of other generations.  Imagine that. 

Generation X: the Invisible Minority

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"...They possess only a hazy sense of their own identity but a monumental preoccupation with all the problems the preceding generation will leave for them to fix...This is the... generation... who fall between the famous baby boomers and the boomlet of children the baby boomers are producing...born during a period when the U.S. birthrate decreased to half the level of its postwar peak, in the wake of the great baby boom, they are sometimes called the baby busters. By whatever name, so far they are an unsung generation, hardly recognized as a social force or even noticed much at all..." Gross, D.M., and S. Scott, Proceeding with caution, Time Magazine, July 16, 1990

"GenXers are doing the quiet work of keeping America from sucking."  Jeff Gordinier, X Saves the World, 2008

As the only Generation X person at a recent meeting, I was disappointed, but not surprised, to find myself listening to yet another older person sharing an uncomplimentary perspective about Gen X, lamenting our generation’s apparent unwillingness to contribute money to good works like his generation did.  Somehow, it never seems to occur to people who make such comments that the economic conditions in which my generation came of age have resulted in a generation with less wealth than the one that preceded it.  We have higher costs of living combined with sky-rocketing education and healthcare costs, and incomes that barely keep pace with inflation.  We had to buy our houses later with less wealth, higher leverage, and less income security.  All of this means that we have far less discretionary spending money, and yet, in my experience, my generation gives much of our time and money to good works. 

  Ironically, there I sat offering pro bono consulting to this group instead of meeting with one of my paying clients—and this really nice, well-intending gentleman didn’t get it.  When I mentioned this alternative perspective on my generation, he quickly referenced an article he had read that inspired his comment—no doubt another article written about my generation by an “expert” on my generation, usually a Boomer with a less-than-charitable perspective. 

 

Later in the day, I found myself hosting a Pity Party for myself, pitying my poor timing to have entered the world as part of what must be the most disparaged and misunderstood generation in America.  I mean, seriously, what is it with X-ers?  Most of the time, we are simply ignored, but when occasionally noticed, it seems we are most often denigrated.  Now, I’m sure that placing any faith in a generation with a lackluster name of “X”—thus labeled and depicted most often by Boomers, as a generation of apathetic, whining, entitled slackers—might seem like a losing proposition.  After all, according to legend, we are the generation who raised ourselves—the vigilantly self-reliant “latch-key kids,” able to make it on our own despite unfavorable odds, yet prone to cynicism and unwilling to sacrifice our overall well-being for the corporate America that downsized our parents, and then, offered us temp jobs and pink-slips rather than career tracks and pensions. 

 

Forced to play by ourselves, we changed the rules of the game.  When we joined the workforce, our characteristic independence justified further alienation instead of celebration.  Our failure to defer to tradition with loyal enthusiasm was mistaken for brazen disregard.  Our willingness to question positional authority was mistaken as having problems with authority.  Our desire to balance our professional and personal lives was viewed as a lack of career ambition.  The message that we received upon entering the workforce was that we were a generation of entitled slackers unwilling to work hard and pay our dues. 

 

What we know is that we have always worked harder than most to get far less than we deserve.  We are the first generation as adults to earn less than our parents while working more.  We have less or no job security, less or no social security, and less or no health insurance—and yes, sometimes we complain about this, as some will no doubt, interpret this writing now.  At least we have legitimate complaints worthy of some attention. 

  

Growing old to face diminishing returns on stock and sex options seem like luxury problems to us.  Nonstop advertising featuring wealthy Boomers bemoaning their brokerage fees or reveling in the latest, greatest age-defying “fifty-is-the-new-forty” products and “now-we-can-have-sex-again-whenever-we-want” drugs exasperate us.  We were born late to the party and the generation who knew we were coming had their cake and ate ours too.  Then, when we observed that they ate more than their fair share, they labeled us entitled, cried “Let them make cake!” and offered us a recipe for success featuring ingredients that were only available sometime in the eighties.  Is having the decency to grow old gracefully and keep your sex problems to yourselves really too much to ask?

If this sounds like sour grapes, don’t worry—most of us have gotten over our initial disappointment at the future we inherited and long ago channeled our energy into creating a better world for ourselves and future generations.  Contrary to popular opinion, we’re not cynical about the world.  We care.  We just don’t expect others to care for us.  That’s not cynical.  That’s just the way it has always been for us, and most of the time we’re too busy working to bother trying to correct ignorant opinions about us, especially when doing so simply plays into this notion that we’re a bunch of whiners.  Far from whining, we X-ers are usually content to work quietly behind the scenes and let others who seem to need the constant attention bask in the limelight.  After all, there have to be listeners for others to be heard.  We simply require two things: don’t take credit for our work, and if you’re going to talk about us, say something nice for a change.   

To Be Fitter or Fatter in America?

It used to be that when I returned to the US after traveling overseas I was often struck by the size of the automobiles—you know, people in the States drive really big cars in comparison to other parts of the world.  However, returning from my latest trip overseas, it was not the size of the cars, but the size of the people, that attracted my attention.  When people in the US are so much bigger than they used to be that I actually notice the, um, physical largesse, around me as distinctly different from human beings elsewhere in the world, well, there’s something going on here.  And apparently, what I am seeing is not all in my head. 

Obesity is indeed on the rise in the US.  According to recent statistics, three out of five Americans are overweight (carrying more body weight than is normal or healthy for their age and build) and one out of five is obese (grossly overweight).  One out of five!  And as if that's not alarming enough, one out of three children is overweight or obese. 

Now, I realize that there are people who have medical conditions or genetic predispositions for overweight that are beyond their control.  Then, there are those who may not be able to afford healthier diets.  However, I suspect that there are many, if not more, overweight people who are choosing lifestyles of fatness over fitness for a variety of reasons, including things like emotional eating, general ignorance about health, and the current supersizing culture of our country.  And as politically incorrect as this may seem to some, I think that being overweight is a problem. 

 Before those of you inclined to be upset with me, get upset (or more upset) with me, let me explain (or dig my hole deeper, as the case may be) what I mean in defining overweight as a problem.  Then, I'll offer some practical tips for staying fitter.

A Prescription for Happiness: Seven Steps...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you could change your life for the better in seven weeks by following seven steps, wouldn’t you want to do so?  Here, for those of you who haven’t already discovered these, are seven things that you can do to experience more happiness in your life.  Do these for seven weeks, and see how your life changes for the better.  Better yet, let me know how your life changes—I would love to hear your stories.

Go on a TV-Diet.  No, not the kind with the trays (if you’re old enough to remember), but a real TV-diet, in which you limit your television viewing to seven hours or less per week.  If you have not already discovered the wonders of life outside the box, this is a wonderful way to free your time for more important things.

Let the Dishes Sit.  Yup, that’s right.  Life is too short to spend cleaning your home, so if you’re like me—fond of a clean home, but without a maid—relax your standards.  Do no more than seven hours of housework per week.  Enjoy the occasionally wrinkled fashion trend.  Anyone who matters will forgive the wrinkles, and the occasional dog hair and dust-bunnies underfoot. 

Exercise Your Body.  In one of the many marvelous passages in Coming to Our Senses, Jon Kabat-Zinn, remarks that many of us take better care of our cars than we do our bodies even though each of us has only this one vehicle for life.  Take care of your body—exercise no less than seven hours per week, preferably one hour per day.  And while you’re at it, drink some water and eat some healthy, home-cooked food.

Exercise Your Heart.  We all need to give and receive love.  Yet, sometimes we forget to pay attention to the people who matter to us.  Spend seven hours or more per week with people you love, especially those who inspire you to be at your best.  Ignore the phones, computers, and all the other things competing for your attention, and give the people you love your undivided attention. 

Exercise Your Mind.  If you are not learning, you are wasting your mind and under-appreciating life.  Spend seven hours or more per week intentionally learning.  If you don’t know where to begin, hang out with a child for a day and remember what it is to be alive with learning.  Ask yourself a question about something that matters to you for which you don’t already have an answer.  Wonder out loud or in writing.  Read an article or a book that inspires you.  Have a curious conversation.  There are so many ways to learn.

Do What Matters.  Many of us short-change ourselves, spending more time attending to others—fulfilling commitments to clients, friends, and family while forgetting to attend to ourselves.  Take the time to take care of yourself and spend no less than seven hours per week alone doing things that matter to you.  Make some commitments to yourself, and honor these as much as you honor your commitments to others.

Be Quiet.  Pause.  Breathe.  Each day, most of us are bombarded with stimuli competing for, if not demanding, our attention.  This sensory overload can overwhelm us, and over time, erode our health with dis-ease.   Remember to restore yourself with silence.  Spend at least seven hours or more per week in silence. 

So here’s the seven-week prescription for happiness in a nutshell:

1) Watch no more than seven hours of television per week.

2) Do no more than seven hours of housework per week.
 
3) Exercise no less than seven hours per week.

4) Spend seven hours or more per week with people you love, especially those who inspire you to be at your best.

5) Spend seven hours or more per week by yourself doing things that matter to you.

6) Spend seven hours or more per week intentionally learning.

7) Spend seven hours or more per week in silence.

Do all seven steps for seven weeks (and the rest of your life).  Go ahead.  Enjoy your life. 

Are You Qualified to Vote?

Lately, I’ve come to the conclusion that as much as we examine the qualifications of our political candidates, we must also focus our attention on our qualifications as voters.  I'm not referring to the qualifications that permit one to have a vote in this country, but the qualifications that make one worthy of having a vote.  Is it just me or are others questioning the judgment of voters in this country? 

  

It seems that many Americans, regardless of their political affiliations, are failing miserably in fulfilling their civic duties as voters in this country.  Not only do many citizens neglect to cast their votes, but many cast their votes without any real knowledge of the issues, the candidates, the parties, or how our government is run. 

 

I’m certainly no expert, but in addition to the many important efforts focused on voter registration, I think that we need to focus more of our attention on voter education.  You know, something along the lines of “I’m Just a Bill” for grown-ups would be useful because it seems like a lot of grown-ups have forgotten some important lessons about what it means to be a citizen.  Maybe we need voter exams and voting licenses in which people have to demonstrate some knowledge of the basics.  I don't know, but what I do know is that placing the fate of this country in the hands of ignorant voters is as frightening to me as placing my life in the hands of ignorant drivers.

  

After all, would any intelligent business person want people who know nothing to very little about how business operates to select the leaders of an organization?  Would any intelligent parent want people who know nothing to very little about education to select teachers for our children?  Of course not.  We not only seek the most qualified candidates, but also entrust the hiring process to the most qualified people.  Yet, it seems apparent that many of the people who are selecting our President and Vice-President know nothing or very little about how our government operates, what the important issues are, or even what they think about these.  Even some of the candidates seem confused from time to time. 

  

Wake up People!  It is not just voting that matters, but how and why we vote that matters.  We the People need to vote responsibly.  This means taking responsibility for educating ourselves and each other about American governance, the parties, the candidates, and the issues.  It means, unfortunately, taking the time to carefully sift through all the political subterfuge and spin to form our own opinions and make up our own minds about issues that matter to us individually and collectively.  It means having civil conversations with people who do and don’t share our opinions with the intent to learn something from one another.  It means augmenting our regular news sources (are there any real news sources anymore?) with news sources that offer different perspectives, not to bask in self-righteousness or test our gag reflexes, but to inform our opinions with other points of view that may challenge our thinking. 

 

Consider this as an anthropological experiment if you must, but if you’re only listening and speaking to others who share your point of view--if you have no interest in speaking to people who hold alternative perspectives except to change their minds, you are not voting responsibly.  If you refuse to change the channel from time to time, you are not voting responsibly.  If you are voting against something or someone rather than voting for something or someone, you are not voting responsibly.  If you are not doing your homework, but rather relying on others to make your decision for you, you are not voting responsibly.  You are simply cheating yourself of the opportunity to be a full-fledged citizen of this great nation, and you are cheating all of us by refusing to take responsibility for one of your most important duties as a citizen.

  

Responsible voting means recognizing that elections should not be treated like beauty pageants where the prettiest wins or popularity contests where the most likeable wins or entertainment shows where the most engaging wins—having elected officials who are pretty, likeable, and engaging is nice, but these factors should not be the basis for selecting our political leaders.  Nor should we vote for people because we imagine that they would be better dinner dates or drinking buddies.  Seriously.  And it’s not ok to cast our votes for a particular candidate because our spouse, parents, friends, and/or clergy told us to vote that way or told us not to vote that way.  That is just not good enough. 

 

This is the Presidency that we the People are deciding, so please, I implore you, whatever your political affiliations or inclinations, if you have not already done so, please educate yourself and vote responsibly.  Ask yourself what you care about and how your vote not only serves your best interests, but the best interests of all the people in this country and beyond.  Here are some resources to get you started:

 

Learn about our government:  If you haven’t done this in recent years, re-read The Declaration of Independence, The Bill of Rights, and The Constitution.  Not only are these inspirational, but they remind us why our votes matter.  Learn about the different branches of government and the function of each.  Ben’s Guide, a guide to the U.S. Government is a great resource for learning about all of these and other aspects of governance here in these United States.

  

Learn about our political parties, issues, and candidates:Whatever your preferences, please take the time to learn about the various issues, parties and candidates, so you can make a more informed decision.  You can learn about the parties, candidates, and their perspectives about the issues by going to their websites: Democratic Party website, Obama/Biden campaign website, Republican Party website, McCain/Palin campaign website, Green Party website, and Libertarian Party website.  You can also learn more about the issues and how members of Congress voted on the issues at GOP Access.   

  

Learn about the facts:  Don’t just believe what the politicians and pundits say.  Their words are carefully crafted to persuade you rather than inform you, and sometimes the emperor has no clothes.  Even if a candidate or commentator is truly sincere, he or she may still be terribly wrong.  Check the facts.  FactCheck, a nonpartisan, nonprofit "consumer advocate" for voters that aims to reduce the level of deception and confusion in U.S. politics by monitoring the factual accuracy of what is said by major U.S.political players in the form of TV ads, debates, speeches, interviews and news releases.

Finally, if you haven't already done so, please learn how to engage in civil discourse with your fellow citizens, regardless of whether or not they share your point of view.  We can't hear each other when we're shouting.  We the People are the change we need.  We demonstrate what it really means to put country first by voting responsibly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who Are We the People?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most Americans are familiar with these oft-quoted words expressed in the beginning of The Declaration of Independence:

"...We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new guards for their future security — Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government..." 

Most Americans are not as familiar with how the Declaration of Independence ends,

"...And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." 

We mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.  To be an American, a citizen of a country founded on a recognition of these inalienable rights, is to be blessed with both our rights and our responsibility to uphold these rights with our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.  We promise each other to protect these rights with our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor, so that we may all enjoy the rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. 

Particularly in light of the coming election, it seems important to ask ourselves as citizens and ask our politicians as representatives of we the people: How are we living up to this promise?  How are our lives, fortunes, and honor upholding the rights to Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, not only for ourselves--our respective families, friends, religions, ethnicities, political parties, etc.--but for all of us as citizens of these United States?  How are we representing these ideals beyond these United States? 

In the midst of all the political pageantry and punditry that fall far short of our country's noble promise, perhaps it is high time for each of us to recall our important role in forming this more perfect Union, and perform our civic duty with as much care, integrity and courage as our founders intended when they entrusted us with this tremendous responsibility in the first place.  It seems to me that only when we recognize that each of us is accountable to all of us for upholding the inalienable rights on which this nation was founded and votes his or her conscience with this in mind, will our votes be worthy of something other than the status quo, which jeopardizes our democracy to serve select self-interests.

Conspicuous Contentment

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

To live content with small means, to seek elegance rather than luxury, and refinement rather than fashion, to be worthy, not respectable, and wealthy, not rich, to study hard, think quietly, talk gently, act frankly, to listen to stars and birds, to babes and sages, with open heart, to bear all cheerfully, do all bravely, await occasions, hurry never, in a word to let the spiritual, unbidden and unconscious, grow up through the common, this is to be my symphony
- William Ellery Channing

Nine requisites for contented living:
Health enough to make work a pleasure. Wealth enough to support your needs. Strength enough to battle with difficulties and overcome them. Grace enough to confess your sins and forsake them. Patience enough to toil until some good is accomplished. Charity enough to see some good in your neighbor. Love enough to move you to be useful and helpful to others. Faith enough to make real the things of God. Hope enough to remove all anxious fears concerning the future
- Goethe 

I like stuff as much as the next person, maybe more than some; less than many, but lately I've been wondering what it would be like to live in a culture of conspicuous contentment rather than conspicuous consumption...

At the heart of the average American discontent is an unquenchable desire for more--to have more, do more, be more... We want more money, more time, more meaning, more connection.  We want more of what matters—and of course, what matters is often in flux.  But the wanting—well, that seems to be constant.   

How Naked Are You Prepared to Be?

How naked are you prepared to be?  asks Dominic Miller in The Balls to Stand Naked (http://www.monday9am.tv/archive/play/29), an inspiring short film by Nic Askew.  In the film, world-class guitar player, Dominic, inquires into the meaning of life, offering a personal perspective on what happens when we arrive--when we achieve a certain level of success in the world--and muses about the power of our own nakedness--of truly being who we are... 

THE BALLS TO STAND NAKED from Nic Askew on Vimeo.

Remember Come As You Are parties where people were invited to come in whatever clothing they happened to be wearing at the time of the event?  A cultural novelty of bygone times, people were welcome to arrive in anything from business suits to birthday suits.  Although the events were often used as opportunities to dress in the wackiest clothes imaginable, the parties were an invitation for people to get together without having to worry about appearances, often stretching the bounds of social convention and proscribed self-conceptions.  The underlying concept was that people could come together with fewer pretenses, free to express themselves without the judgment present in everyday experience.

Pyramid Principles

...At times the journey feels awkward or perilous: you're asking questions that everyone wishes would go away; you don't know how to put into words what you're searching for; you're wondering just how big an idiot you really are for leaving what felt sure and safe and comfortable...

Paul H. Ray, PH.D. and Sherry Ruth Anderson, PH.D., The Cultural Creatives

...It is safe to say that men [and women] have been seeking an answer to the riddle of the Great Pyramid for over 4000 years...

When I was a child, I was fascinated by the Great Pyramid. A testament to human ingenuity, the Great Pyramid is the only remaining structure of the Seven Wonders of the World. Believed to have been built in 2600 BC, it was originally encased in highly polished limestone that reflected sunlight, making the pyramid visible from vast distances. According to some calculations, the casing stones of the original pyramid would have reflected light like giant mirrors, so powerful that it would be visible from the moon.

Questions Worth Asking... Abridged...

"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves like locked rooms or books written in a foreign tongue. The point is to live everything. Live the questions now. Perhaps you will then gradually without noticing it, live your way some distant day in to the answers."

R.M. Rilke

The most powerful response to questions worth asking is often not answers, but questions. Questions worth asking cause us to question--who we are, what we're doing, where we're going. They help us find ourselves despite ourselves. They are the messengers of our discontents, and the gatekeepers of our dreams. Indeed, questions worth asking are worth asking precisely because they have the power to change our lives.

Questions worth asking are the questions we live. How did I get here? Where am I going? Is this all? Will I ever be happy? How can I make a difference? Most often, they are the undercurrents of our reflections pulling our lives in different directions while we're busy skimming the surface. We notice them in fleeting moments between waking and fully opening our eyes, standing in line and paying the cashier, the daily commute and the eight am meeting.

Like heartbeats or breathing, we are often unaware of the questions we are living until something happens to remind us. Frequently, we neglect the questions worth asking until we are in crisis. Then, we have no choice but to live the questions now. Crises plunge us beneath the surface and force us to choose between drowning in our own misery and changing the way we live. In the gaping hole between "before" and "after" when some life happening recalls life's meaning, we are reminded that there are questions worth asking.