Celebrating The Week That Was and Will Be

Before we get to our look back at the week that was , I want to share a little about what is ahead here, during this extended holiday weekend.

With the Monday holiday in the U.S., commonly referred to as the 4th of July, it is our Independence Day celebration. 

Record numbers of travelers are venturing out despite COVID numbers on the rise again and unbearable gasoline prices, most are driving as airlines continue to teach us that reservations are merely suggestions. 

So first I want to say stay safe. On many levels. 

Second I was blessed with an opportunity Thursday evening. I was able to view an original copy of the Declaration of Independence in person. Something I had never before done and I did not need to leave the heartland in order to experience it.

We’ll talk more about that come Monday. In the meantime, let’s look back at the week that was and how that is shaping our individual paths of “Becoming Today”.

Our week began as it often does, well at least 52 times a year, on Monday. When i shared a discussion I called “Meta Morph Us”. 

Ushering in a new cycle and quite possibly a new season in each of our lives. I can definitely feel those winds of change beginning to blow and I’m not alone as we enter this round of experiences, challenges and opportunities.

We are being granted the potential for momentous change and growth. 

I then asked “Are you ready? Are you willing to accept this time of “Transformative Transition”?”

Let’s agree to understand Transformative Transition as a period of life altering change. Fostering growth, unlocking new opportunities, learning new behaviors and coming into acceptance with new ways, attitudes and truths. It is a time in which we can choose to alter our realities for the better. 

Sounds good to me. As I’ve shared often over the past year and a half plus, I have no desire to and truly see no reason to go backwards. Back to normal? When in your lifetime has everything ever truly seemed normal? And what exactly does that mean.?

So how do we accept our time of Transformative Transition?

For me it’s viewing this as a metamorphosis. 

That involves an understanding of the cycle of these life-altering transitional developments.

Let’s begin with developing our shared definition of metamorphosis by looking at the origins of the word: 

From the late Middle English: via Latin from Greek metamorphōsis, from metamorphoun ‘transform, change shape’.

When it comes to changing our “shape” we’ll consider it in regards to distinctly different characteristics. This includes all four aspects of life, something for years I’ve referred to as P.I.E.S. 

Physical: Taking care of your body. Eating healthy, exercising, strengthening and conditioning to remain agile and flexible. Seeing that you are remaining disease free or taking proper steps and treatments, therapies, etc to ensure you are recovering.

Intellectual: Tending to your mind as well. Maintaining cognitive functions and abilities as well as having right thoughts. Keeping yourself motivated for the momentum to “Always Be “Becoming”.

Emotional: Maintain balance and control over your emotions. Celebrating the highs and guarding against the lows. Ensuring your mental health is fit as well.

Spiritual: Are you involved in a daily spiritual practice? How do you see yourself in relation to creation? Do you need rituals? Traditions? All very personal questions for yourself to consider.

In order to embrace these changes our metamorphosis will be defined slightly differently on each level . However, just like one of the best known symbols of transformation, the Butterfly, we can accept that our change will also come in four distinct stages.  

I noted that each has some interesting spiritual analogies. You can revisit or learn about those in the original post, found here. 

Toosday, as usual, was our second gathering of the week. It involved a conversation concerning, “Seeking Commitment? Or Covenant?”

I take my commitments very seriously and even more so when it’s elevated to the level of a covenant. I’ll explain the differences in a moment, but first let’s talk about why commitments are so important to our shared path of Always Being Becoming.

Extensive and thorough goal setting, as I’ve previously shared, has been an important step for our household. Holding ourselves to some strict Standards and Practices, we in my household have set regular dates for goal review.

We committed to doing so because we wanted to be among the exceptions. Striving some might say to be part of a minority. When we examine the research into goal setting and New Year’s Resolutions, we learn that only half of all adults in the U.S. actively resolve to make the considerations. Of that half, only 10% will see it to fruition and 80% of those who do not, deem themselves a failure by just the second week in February.

That is why we have incorporated strict accountability measures into our plans for “Becoming”. 

You can not initiate a change  in your circumstances or affect yourself positively without remaining strongly committed to the ideas and whys. What you want or need to improve and why it is not only necessary, but makes you feel so becoming about it. 

Understanding that words have meaning, and in those interpretations is power, then the need to clearly express ourselves to one another is of the utmost importance.

Therefore let’s agree to define a commitment as:

An informed decision to dedicate our action or actions towards fulfilling a pledge, promise or obligation with sincerity, honesty, dedication and allegiance to a common goal or for the good of the whole.

Next I asked you:  Do you honor your commitments?

For myself I am confident in saying that I always strive to do my best. I don’t take commitments lightly and as we discussed last week in “The Golden Rule”, honoring my obligations is one of those universal truths that all should be dedicating themselves to.

So I’ll ask you again,  Do you honor your commitments? And expand upon it with our third query, Why or why not?

For me, the “why” or the reason I do honor them is because of my deeply held beliefs and values. Including that all persons are entitled to be treated with compassion, dignity and respect at all times. If I fail to meet an obligation then I’m also not being respectful of others involved or affected by that decision. 

My fourth question was, Do you expect others to honor their commitments?

I suspect you may already be able to discern what my answer will be. Yes. Absolutely. Without a doubt I do. Allowing for humanness, life happening and subject to the timing of others, if someone has made a commitment to me I expect them to treat it with an appropriate level of respect, not only due me, but towards themselves. If you don’t take responsibility for your promises. Your words are not expressions of truthfulness and others can only perceive that honesty and credibility are not inherent in your nature.

I hope you are able to be, beginning to see why this issue of commitments and covenants has been a concern for me.

For further explanation, you can click here.

On Wednesdays we are continuing an extended odyssey. Combining our strengths to carry out a search and rescue mission for wisdom.

This week we found ourselves considering the lessons found in Proverbs 15, which I described as “Decidedly Better”.

The opening line of today’s chapter is something that the world definitely needs reminding of. 

Before we dissect its wisdom, I’ll offer a briefer version that comes from the NIV translation, “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger’.

Being polite and respectful gets better responses from people than yelling, finger pointing and name calling. I learned that lesson on the  playground somewhere around first grade, but a look at the headlines quickly reveals that apparently too many of our so-called leaders and authority figures never did. Or worse yet, know the truth and are refusing to follow it.

As we read together verse one explained in The Passion Translation is “Respond gently when you are confronted and you’ll defuse the rage of another”.

Makes perfect sense. Don’t blow your top or feign outrage and people won’t get mad at you. The text then continues, “Responding with sharp, cutting words will only make it worse”.

Highly logical yet too many of “captains” are stating what can only be termed as the highly illogical; refusing to realize the quote, “Don’t you know that being angry can ruin the testimony of even the wisest of men?”

It doesn’t matter how smart you may be. How dedicated you may be. How passionate you perceive yourself to be about an issue. If you are yelling, screaming, bullying, finger wagging and refusing to listen to others, much less accept that others can have relevant input there is no way I can hear you.

It doesn’t matter how loud you get, how many times you repeat it over and over again or whether or not your amplifiers go to eleven, a disrespectful, angry message will never strike a responsive chord in me, or many others.

Let’s lower the volume, maybe even press mute for a while and reset the message so we can all focus on the wisdom, knowledge and enlightenment available.

That brought us to Thursday, When I took bold action to speak about “Renewal Declared”.

As the new month was arriving here at Becoming Today ( and elsewhere too, lol) I am, like our forefathers did, declaring life affirming principles.

I declare July will be a month of Renewal. Yes I said declaring it, and boldly so, because it is something that not only am I feeling strongly led to for myself, but as I look around we have such a need for it.

I am renewing my commitment to not going back to anything. Forget all the chatter and nonsense about getting back to the way things were pre-pandemic. What passed for normalcy was anything but. It is time to renew our vision, refresh our focus and restore our true paths.

In my thoughts that makes this a landmark, a milestone, a point of demarcation. Now that we understand that things are no longer how they once were, we can more easily accept that  how we need to prepare, what we can expect, and even how we anticipate the next changes beyond the next corner are becoming to us from a new point, perspective and even view of life.

Starting this step along our shared journey with the wisdom of hindsight, we are able to clearly see what did and didn’t work for us in the past. What we need to fully release. What we truly cherish, and desire to recreate in beauty. 

What a gift! Therefore we’ll look at how to make the most of this time for renewal.

When we live our lives in faith we are “Becoming” our destinies as we comprehend and embrace the power in always trusting God. Our lives truly reveal their meaning and purpose when we rely on His wisdom, timing and goodness.

Much of “Becoming” involves embracing the need for change, it is the only way in which we can truly grow, develop and realize our potentials.  Life is a process. A repetitive one. We learn, grow, become then question, learn, grow and continue “Becoming”.

Before we begin, keep in mind right now the “how” does not matter. You need to define who you are? Where you are going? And why do you want it? The how things will happen, just like the times when, will work themselves out or be revealed at the right moment. Remember God is in the details. 

Eight Questions to Prepare For Your Renewal

1. Is the focus of my “Becoming” something I truly desire? 

It needs to be about you, for you and from within. To qualify your answers also take note of these inquiries. Am I pushing myself to be something I’m actually not? Am I being something I’m not just because others expect it of me?

2. Who will I have to become in order to make my goal a reality?

You already know unlike the song you can not remain the same. So now is the time to focus on affecting positive impactful and effective methods of change. This could involve thought processes such as what must I do differently? Write out your revised  goals and review them daily. Take small steps.  Set achievable tasks for each day along the way. Change is inevitable and necessary. You realize you can not keep doing things the same way over and over and expect different results. Sound familiar? So even though Einstein never actually said it, focus on sanity anyway. 

3. What have I done in the past to try and achieve this goal?

Did you have success? If so, how do you make it happen again? If not, determine what you need to do differently. Develop  new strategies that are more in line with who you are “Becoming”. Release the past, let go of old ways and focus on building momentum forward and upward.

4.  What are your “whys”?

Continue asking yourself “why” you want what you want. Why is it good? Why will it improve your life? Why is it of benefit to the greater good? Why aren’t you making progress? Why are you feeling better about yourself and circumstances?

5.  What will you have to give up in order to make your “Becoming” a reality?

In order to receive you have to make room for it. To quote an odd insurance commercial, “if there is no place to sit there are too many”. We all need to release parts of our past. This can include identities, relationships and for some physical belongings. All can contribute to limiting us and contribute to keeping us from our goals. 

6. What’s stopping you?

In answering this question you’ll discover what’s preventing you from taking action. Often a habitual response. Somewhere along the way you trained yourself to accept less, or make do. Take the limits off. Open yourself to opportunity and possibilities. It’s time to shift your attitude into high gear and believe in yourself and who you are truly “Becoming”. 

7. What does your success look like?

Having a clear picture of what life will look like for the future you is essential to assisting you in achieving your goals. It is a great motivator to be able to clearly see who or what your “Becoming”. Some may try vision boards, for others just keeping the image top of mind, in their hearts or reinforcing the picture by writing or speaking about it  is a great motivator. Visualize your success creating clarity to sharpen your focus.

8. Will this choice move me forward or keep me stuck?

We all have choices we must make every day. More than likely every hour. Keep this in mind and come to understand the ramifications of these actions. Will skipping a step aid your progress?  Or cause you to trip? Is this better than that? Yes it may be harder, that way, but I never said any of this would be easy. So refresh yourself and get ready to take renewing actions.

Yesterday we began our holiday excursion with a discussion of “Your Responsibilities To Your Rights”.

Some perhaps felt I was a bit harsh in this conversation, however I remain steadfast in my commitment that we should have covenantal relationships with our own personal responsibilities. 

Lately I Have been thinking a lot about rights. Our rights. My rights, your rights and the right to those rights without infringing upon the rights of others. 

So on  “Becoming Today”, we reviewed and expanded upon these inherent, inalienable, irrevocable rights and also the responsibilities we must undertake and share in order to preserve them.

I know I’ve been talking about looking at things quite differently than society would suggest we need to. But that is why being uncommon is so necessary.

As we enter this time of Transformative Transition, it’s urgent that we begin to accept the possibilities of and work to achieve extraordinary results. 

I hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people 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. However they do not end here. I further assert that these God given birthrights also include being treated with Compassion, Dignity and Respect at all times. That mercy, forgiveness and Grace shall be adopted and accepted by all traveling along this shared path of “Becoming”.

In My Declaration of Independence I assert:

Therefore be it resolved from this moment on, that  we who are traveling along this shared path of “Becoming” committ to taking actions, deliberate and responsible initiatives to do our part to work for the well being of all. 

To support compassion, dignity, respect, mercy and understanding of all individuals regardless of their race, gender, color, creed, demographic or any other way the “dividers” try to profile and categorize us for their purposes of intentional disunity.

We refuse to submit blindly to disrespectful, unhealthy and abusive behaviors, attitudes and policies. 

We choose to pursue a course that enlightens, invokes and advances ‘’the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state”. Coming to be always, “Becoming”. Growing, developing and shifting into an attitude and daily practice of “Always Being Becoming”.

In good conscience I can no longer sit idly by nor remain silent. Understanding that I am not alone in my growing discontentment with the status quo and not wanting to continue being a victim of abusive andTherefore be it resolved from this moment on, that we who are traveling along this shared path of “Becoming” commit to taking actions, deliberate and responsible initiatives to do our part to work for the well being of all. 

To support compassion, dignity, respect, mercy and understanding of all individuals regardless of their race, gender, color, creed, demographic or any other way the “dividers” try to profile and categorize us for their purposes of intentional disunity.

We refuse to submit blindly to disrespectful, unhealthy and abusive behaviors, attitudes and policies. 

We have the right to and must accept the responsibility to pursue a course that enlightens,invokes and advances ‘’the process of coming to be something or of passing into a state”. Coming to be always, “Becoming”. Growing, developing and shifting into an attitude and daily practice of “Always Being Becoming”. disrespectful behaviors and actions, the time has come for action.

It is important to know your rights so that when; and more and more they are actively trying to; take them away,  you can stop them. You have a responsibility to understand and accept what your rights are . While also endeavoring to always be respectful of  the rights of others. 

Remember there are no rights without responsibilities.

So what is the difference between rights and responsibilities?

A right is a privilege granted by an authority. Be it elected or appointed bodies of governance or by supernatural means, of an inherent nature bestowed upon us by the Grace of God.

A responsibility is a duty or obligation that is accepted, and put into action.

In order to fully accept your reality, you must take ownership of any role you may have played, good or bad, in leading you to where you are. Only when you choose to accept personal responsibility then can you work on decisions for the next steps.

Those next steps are where we’ll resume come Monday. Again I pray you have a SAFE and blessed weekend. Do not become a statistic. Enjoy yourselves responsibly, respecting the rights of others to do so as well.

When we meet again on the4th of July, I will share some experiences concerning ‘We The People’.

In the meantime and perhaps as a bit of foreshadowing ( hint, hint) I’d like to share this musical interlude. If it’s something you’d like to see happen, then get ready because we’ve got some real work to do, together here along our shared path, we call “Becoming Today”.