The Path
Those that have come before left us notes. When assembled their notes provide us The Path. We can use this path as a guide to help us along our way.
Phase 1: Foundation
If you were born in a Clean Living Environment, with little concern for Security & Shelter, and with good Health, count your blessings. You have been born with a foundational advantage.
Where and to whom we are born provides us advantages or disadvantages. Don't be complacent if you got lucky, and don't be bitter if unfortunate.
Either way, simply continue to build upon these aspects. And keep in mind, as you progress through your life, and as history unfolds, your circumstances will change. You need to take ownership of continually building on your Foundation, taking in awareness of any changes and positioning to adapt.
Pillar 1: Basics
Aspect 1: Clean Living Environment
A clean living environment is crucial for well-being as it directly impacts physical health, peace of mind and productivity. Ensuring safe food and water, proper waste disposal, clean air, and absence of abundance of pests not only prevents diseases but also fosters a sense of security and comfort, promoting overall quality of life and productivity.
Aspect 2: Security & Shelter
Security and shelter are fundamental for human survival and dignity, providing a sense of safety and protection from various threats and dangers. Whether it's having a stable roof over one's head or living in a community free from violence and crime, security and shelter are essential for fostering a sense of stability and well-being, enabling individuals to thrive and pursue their aspirations with confidence.
Pillar 2: Health
Aspect 3: Energy Management
Energy management is paramount for holistic well-being, encompassing physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual vitality. Just as energy is vital for physical work, it's equally essential for maintaining emotional balance, mental clarity, and fulfilment. Effectively managing these different wellsprings of energy allows individuals to navigate life's challenges with resilience, enabling them to lead fulfilling and purposeful lives.​
Aspect 4: Nutrition
Nutrition is the cornerstone of health and vitality, providing the essential nutrients needed for physical growth, cognitive function, and overall well-being. By ensuring access to a nourishing diet, individuals can support their body's needs, optimize their immune system, and enhance their cognitive abilities, laying the foundation for a happyy, healthy and productive life.​
Aspect 5: Movement
Movement is a cornerstone of health and vitality, encompassing physical activities that are vital for overall well-being. From regular exercise to everyday activities like walking or gardening, movement not only helps maintain physical fitness but also supports mental clarity, emotional balance, and prevents illness. Prioritizing regular movement in daily life is essential for promoting longevity, reducing the risk of chronic diseases, and enhancing overall quality of life.
Phase 2: Stability
Once your Foundation is secured you can begin to build upon the Stability of your life. Making progress with Finance, and your unique self, your Potential.
This is where you can start to build some momentum, take advantage of compounding, begin to create an edge, and set yourself up for future growth.
The correlations between our Finances and Emotions are often closely tied. Both effecting each other, positively or negatively. In turn our personal Stability is then in either a position of strength or fragility. With flow on effects for trying to grow and progress through further stages of life. Here you can either set yourself up, or get yourself stuck.
Pillar 3: Finance
Aspect 6: Income
Income is the bedrock of individual financial management, representing the monetary earnings obtained through various channels such as employment, investments, or other sources. It serves as the cornerstone for sustaining financial stability, meeting basic needs, and achieving personal financial goals such as savings, investments, or pursuing aspirations. Effective management of income is essential for ensuring financial security, enabling individuals to build wealth, and attain financial freedom for themselves and their families.
Aspect 7: Financial Management
Financial management for individuals encompasses strategic planning, organization, and control of monetary resources to achieve financial goals and secure long-term well-being. It involves activities such as budgeting, investing, debt management, and risk assessment, all aimed at optimizing financial outcomes and minimizing uncertainties. By practicing sound financial management principles, individuals can build wealth, mitigate financial risks, and attain financial freedom to support their desired lifestyle and future aspirations.
Aspect 8: Investing
Investing for individuals involves strategically allocating financial resources into various assets such as cash, stocks, real estate, or funds, with the aim of generating income or appreciation over time to achieve specific financial goals. It requires careful consideration of risk tolerance, time horizon, and investment objectives to build a portfolio that aligns with one's financial aspirations. By effectively navigating the investment landscape, individuals can grow their wealth, hedge against inflation, and work towards securing their financial future.​
Pillar 4: Potential
Aspect 9: Emotions
Emotions for individuals encompass the spectrum of feelings arising from personal circumstances, mood, or interactions with others. They play a vital role in shaping perceptions, behaviors, and overall well-being, influencing decision-making, relationships, and mental health. Recognizing, understanding, and effectively managing emotions is essential for fostering resilience, empathy, and emotional intelligence, enabling individuals to navigate life's challenges with greater self-awareness and interpersonal effectiveness.
Aspect 10: Focus
Focus for individuals is the center of attention or concentration on a specific activity, task, or goal. It involves directing mental energy and resources towards a particular objective, enabling efficient problem-solving, productivity, and achievement. Cultivating and maintaining focus is essential for optimal performance, effective decision-making, and progress towards personal and professional aspirations.
Aspect 11: Strength
Strength for individuals encompasses both physical and mental capabilities to perform tasks that require significant effort. It involves resilience, determination, and the capacity to overcome challenges, whether they are physical obstacles or mental barriers. Cultivating strength enables individuals to tackle adversity, achieve goals, and pursue personal growth with vigor and perseverance, ultimately leading to greater fulfillment and success in various aspects of life.​
Phase 3: Connection
You should now be in a position where you have made progress on many of your 'I' (self) aspects of life and are now ready to begin making further progress on your 'We' (others) aspects of life.
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Time in solitude can be beneficial for understanding ourselves, but no individual is an island. We are all apart of humanity, you either learn how to understand others, build Connections and help positively shape your community and society as a whole, or bitterly complain and isolate yourself.
After your Foundation and Stability needs are in progress, further building your Connections helps to take you to the next stage of life. There are few blessings in life such as being a part of a nice Community, building quality Relationships and in turn learning how to really Communicate with others. Much of life's joy is built from here, and also much of the support we need to grow or deal with difficulties.
Pillar 5: Community
Aspect 12: Environment
The environment for individuals encompasses the circumstances, objects, and conditions that surround them in their daily lives. It includes physical surroundings such as their home, neighborhood, workplace, as well as social and cultural influences. An individual's environment significantly impacts their well-being, behaviors, and opportunities, shaping their experiences, perceptions, and interactions with the world around them. Cultivating a positive and supportive environment is essential for promoting health, happiness, and overall quality of life.
Aspect 13: Mentors
Mentors for individuals are experienced guides or advisors who offer invaluable support, wisdom, and guidance to navigate challenges and foster personal or professional growth. They provide insights, encouragement, and constructive feedback, helping individuals develop skills, build confidence, and reach their full potential. Having mentors can significantly accelerate learning, expand networks, and inspire self-discovery, ultimately empowering individuals to achieve success and fulfillment in their work and life.​
Aspect 14: Network
A network for individuals is a group of interdependent actors, including friends, colleagues, acquaintances, and mentors, along with the relationships between them. It encompasses both personal and professional connections that provide support, resources, and opportunities for collaboration and growth. Building and nurturing a diverse network is essential for expanding one's knowledge, accessing new opportunities, and fostering personal and professional development. A robust network enhances resilience, facilitates learning, and opens doors to various possibilities, enriching the individual's journey through life.​
Pillar 6: Relationships
Aspect 15: Self
A balanced relationship with the self for individuals involves cultivating both self-compassion and self-discipline. It's about maintaining introspective awareness of one's thoughts, emotions, and values without excessive attachment or aversion. By embracing both kindness towards oneself and a sense of duty to personal growth, individuals can navigate life's challenges with resilience, integrity, and inner peace, fostering a harmonious and fulfilling existence.
Aspect 16: Others
A relationship with others is the dynamic interplay of connection, empathy, and mutual respect. It involves cultivating meaningful connections, offering support, and fostering understanding in interactions with friends, family, colleagues, communities and humanity as a whole. Balancing compassion with boundaries, individuals can navigate diverse relationships with authenticity, empathy, and integrity, enriching their lives with shared experiences, growth, and a sense of belonging and purpose.
Aspect 17: Compassion
Compassion, is the heartfelt recognition of discomfort, suffering or distress, coupled with a genuine desire to alleviate it. It involves empathizing with the experiences of others, offering support, and taking action to create solutions or ease burdens. Balancing empathy with healthy boundaries, individuals can extend compassion in ways that are sustainable, respectful and productive. It is one of the most useful skills for creativities, visionaries and leaders, amongst others.
Pillar 7: Communication
Aspect 18: Intent
The intent of communication is the deliberate and purposeful formulation of one's message to effectively lead, influence, or navigate situations and interactions with others. It involves clarity of purpose, sincerity, and consideration for the impact of one's words and actions. By communicating with clear intent, individuals can foster understanding, build trust, and effectively collaborate with others, positioning themselves to achieve their goals and contribute meaningfully to their work and relationships.​
Aspect 19: Clarity
Clarity of communication is the quality of conveying messages in a coherent and intelligible manner. It involves articulating ideas with precision, simplicity, and transparency to ensure mutual understanding and alignment. By communicating with clarity, individuals can facilitate effective decision-making, minimize misunderstandings, and inspire confidence in their leadership, enhancing their ability to navigate complex situations and achieve their goals with precision and purpose.
Aspect 20: Harmony
Harmony of communication is the alignment of ideas, feelings, or actions, creating a sense of agreement or unity in interactions. It involves fostering a respectful and collaborative atmosphere where alignment can potentially be made. By communicating with harmony, individuals can build rapport, inspire cooperation, and foster a sense of belonging, enabling them to lead effectively, navigate challenges, and achieve collective goals with synergy and mutual understanding​
Phase 4: Development
All your earlier growth now sets you up for further Development. To begin to find your Uniqueness. To find what 'work' suits your individual circumstance and how to then build Competence in it.
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Some of us very early on fall into or Discover what work it is we want to fill our days with. For others of us, it is a journey, an unfolding. We may Explore, Observe and try many options before it becomes clear. Even then, it can be more of a growing adaptation over time than an 'ah-ha' moment. Do not rush, do not be impatient, it is all part of the process. Even just being aware of this process provides you an advantage. Many miss it.
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As your Uniqueness becomes more clear to you, and / or as you build your Income doing whatever work you need to do to manage your Finances, begin to increase your Competence - in everything that you do. The way you do anything is the way you do everything. Realising this helps you to get good at, and in turn find joy and rewards in, the work that you do each day.
Pillar 8: Uniqueness
Aspect 21: Explore
Exploring the world entails the dynamic activity of searching, discovering, and learning about the myriad opportunities it offers. It involves embracing curiosity, venturing into new territories, and seeking out diverse experiences to uncover hidden potentials and possibilities. By engaging in exploration, individuals can expand their horizons, discover their passions, and unlock new avenues for personal and professional growth, empowering them to navigate life with curiosity, resilience, and fulfillment.
Aspect 22: Observe
Observing oneself involves the intentional and focused process of closely monitoring one's thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and experiences. It entails cultivating self-awareness, curiosity, and mindfulness to gain insights into one's inclinations, strengths, weaknesses, and potential. By observing oneself with compassion and objectivity, individuals can uncover their unique talents, passions, and areas for growth, empowering them to make informed decisions, pursue meaningful goals, and unleash their full potential in life.
Aspect 23: Discover
Discovering the alignment between one's inclinations, skills, and experiences with opportunities involves the process of finding connections and uncovering potential pathways for growth and fulfillment. It requires proactive exploration, experimentation, and openness to new experiences to identify where one's unique strengths and passions intersect with available opportunities. By actively seeking out possibilities and being receptive to new insights, individuals can discover synergies that enable them to leverage their talents effectively, pursue meaningful endeavors, and unlock their full potential in both personal and professional domains.​
Pillar 9: Competence
Aspect 24: Knowledge
Harnessing knowledge involves actively acquiring facts, information, and skills through both experience and education to enhance competence and continually improve in both work and life. It entails cultivating a deep understanding of various subjects, along with practical wisdom gained from applying that knowledge to real-world situations. By leveraging knowledge to refine thought processes, individuals can make informed decisions, solve problems effectively, and adapt to changing circumstances with agility and confidence, ultimately fostering personal and professional growth in a meaningful and practical manner.​
Aspect 25: Practice
Engaging in practice involves the active application and implementation of ideas, beliefs, or methods in real-world settings to refine skills and enhance competence in both work and life. It entails consistent effort, repetition, and refinement to bridge the gap between theory and practical application, fostering experiential learning and leading to mastery. By embracing practice as a means of continual improvement, individuals can refine their processes, hone their craft, and develop practical wisdom that informs their decision-making and actions, ultimately leading to meaningful growth and success in their endeavors.​
Aspect 26: Professionalism
Embracing professionalism involves consistently demonstrating skill, good judgment, and admirable character in the execution of one's duties and interactions, reflecting a commitment to excellence and integrity in one's work and conduct. It entails upholding standards of competence, ethics, and accountability while striving for continuous improvement and growth. By embodying professionalism as a guiding principle, individuals can cultivate trust, credibility, and respect in their professional endeavors, fostering a culture of excellence and contributing positively to their own development and the success of their organizations.
Phase 5: Mastery
Most of us never get to this stage. Life can be hard. We can be unfortunate, we can be easily distract, we neglect to internally grow or we never quite find our path. Which is a shame, as this is where it all really starts to come together.
From here, you start to get 'lost' in your work, be rewarded for your Uniqueness, and begin to feel the joys of providing a valuable, well executed service to the world. You begin to bring your version of Mastery to life.
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But it is hard. As the old saying goes, ideas are easy, execution is everything. Creating & Building is exciting and energising, especially when it may bring you more Autonomy in your life and work. But there in lies the hard part. The driving force of capitalism is creative destruction, everyone wants to bring their 'creation' to life. Though life is not always a zero-sum game, and their are many opportunities for mutual benefit, it is also full of competition or difficulties, especially when confronting the status quo.
But, why should it be easy. Most rewards and growth come from reasonable struggles.
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Pillar 10: Create & Build
Aspect 27: Inspiration & Vision
Harnessing inspiration and vision involves fueling creativity during the initial phases of creation and building. By drawing from inspiring sources and clarifying a distinct vision, you can infuse your projects with purpose and innovation. This approach empowers you to unlock your creative potential and realize ambitious ideas with impact and uniqueness, providing yourself a distinct edge.
Aspect 28: Planning
Utilizing planning as a strategic tool sets you up to better execute projects in both work and life. By pre-determining tasks, methods, timing, resources, and responsibilities, you can optimize your workflow and execution. Embracing planning fosters efficiency, precision, and continual improvement in bringing ideas to fruition.
Aspect 29: Execution
The skill of execution in project delivery and implementation is crucial on the journey to mastering a craft. By effectively carrying out planned actions and courses of action, you can refine your skills and streamline your processes in creative endeavors. Embracing project execution methodologies and skill sets fosters professionalism, efficiency, and effectiveness in bringing concepts to completion.
Pillar 11: Autonomy
Aspect 30: Alignment
Achieving autonomy in both life and work requires alignment across various aspects of our lives. Numerous factors beyond the scope of a single aspect or project can influence outcomes, including environment, finances, lifestyle, relationships, and types of work or projects. Balancing sacrifice, prioritization, planning, delayed gratification, communication, and other complexities is essential to manage and ensure alignment of influential aspects of life to reach a goal.
Aspect 31: Astuteness
Utilize astuteness as a strategic asset to lead and navigate situations effectively, accurately assessing and leveraging scenarios to influence outcomes. By keenly evaluating circumstances and individuals, you can better inform your decision-making, strategically position for opportunities, navigate challenges, and ultimately improve your chances of achieving your goals.
Aspect 32: Independence
Prepare for independence by organizing your life to attain autonomy in finances, vision, creativity, and time management, positioning yourself to pursue desired work and activities. By cultivating goals and the ability to make independent decisions and take self-directed actions, you can assert control over your resources and time. This positions you to be more resilient, innovative, and self-reliant, often leading to more rewarding work and a more fulfilling life.
Phase 6: Meaning
This where is life gets really interesting. You will now be in a position where your 'I' (self) aspects of life are mostly understood. You will be quite practiced at the 'We' (others) aspects of life, including providing your work to the world. Now, the next stage is Meaning. Which is often where you begin to further consider 'All' (all of life, and its connections) in your daily thoughts and actions.
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It is the funny dichotomy of life where eventually we realise most joy, happiness, Wisdom and Fulfilment come to us when we are truly thoughtful of all other individuals and life. It is almost cruel. We spend all the that time building upon ourselves, in terms of our Foundation, Stability, Connections, Development and Mastery, only to discover what we are looking for is it not really all about us at all. All of the journey on The Path is just to make us more useful and kind to the whole. Life is full of interesting little ironies like this, that we don't quite understand until we live them.
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And again, it is hard. It is hard to serve others via a business, not for profit, by teaching, nursing, building, accounting, baking, or with art, music or writing. It is hard to be kind to all others whilst you are tired, frustrated, feeling used, facing injustices, short on time, down on your luck or dealing with a string of issues. Because whilst you are doing and dealing with all this, the world is still changing, you are still changing and you continually need to monitor and adjust all of the previous stages of life.
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But that's the game. There are no short cuts. And you are never finished, until the end. Because the only constant in life is change. But it is worth it. Hard work makes rest sweeter. Thoughtfully doing a task well gives work Meaning. The struggles of creating positive change are filled with smiles and camaraderie. Heartache makes Connections more treasured. And the time and work it takes to see all the connections between it all (Holism) provides an inner joy that stays with you.
Pillar 12: Wisdom
Aspect 33: Detachment
Employ detachment as a tool by stepping back from situations, fostering objectivity, and making wise decisions. By cultivating the ability to observe without bias or emotional attachment, you can gain clarity and insight to navigate opportunities and challenges effectively. Embracing detachment empowers you to approach situations with a clear mind, leading to more informed and strategic decision-making.
Aspect 34: Judgement
Harness judgment as a tool to assess situations and make wise decisions by evaluating circumstances and reaching subjective conclusions. By forming informed opinions and assessments based on careful consideration of merits and significance, you can navigate complexities effectively. Embracing judgment enables you to make thoughtful decisions that align with your goals and values, fostering success and fulfillment.
Pillar 13: Fulfillment
Aspect 35: Selflessness
Embrace selflessness as a guiding principle for decision-making and action-taking, ultimately leading to greater individual fulfillment. By prioritizing the interests and needs of others over your own desires or advancement, you can cultivate deeper connections, purpose, and satisfaction in life. Embracing selflessness fosters empathy, generosity, and a sense of contribution, enriching both personal relationships and overall well-being.
Aspect 36: Holism
Explore holism as a mindset for decision-making and action-taking in life, with an understanding of the interconnectedness of everyone and everything. By considering the broader context and understanding how individual actions impact complete systems, you can cultivate greater fulfillment and harmony. Embracing holism fosters a deeper understanding, a sense of purpose, empathy, and alignment with the interconnected web of life, leading to deeper satisfaction and well-being.
Pillar 14: State
Aspect 37: Peace & Joy
Positioning your life and mindset for a profound joy involves creating an uplifting environment and routines that nourish your inner peace and well-being. Embrace activities and surroundings that resonate with wisdom and serenity, fostering a deep sense of joy. Practice mindful self-care through meditation, contemplation, and nurturing your state of mind to cultivate a serene and joyful mindset. Stay present and practice gratitude, releasing attachments to past regrets and future anxieties. Establish clear boundaries in your personal and professional life to protect your inner peace and energy, engaging only in activities and relationships that align with your values. Regularly reflect on your journey and aspirations, maintaining a harmonious balance that allows you to embrace life's challenges with wisdom and profound peace & joy.
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