Back to Newton Highlands mobile office: A step back:

So the poster top part was exquisite and the bottom part the color faded; beyond.my control! Thank you.

A revolution through Chestnut Hill:

Life is a miracle sometimes. Here I sit at my Chestnut Hill mobile office, awaiting can you believe this!? A proof of The World’s Best Mediator posters; yes nearly 2′x3′ posters. What was that old expression? Look, ma no hands. BTW, I used to always feel at home in Chestnut Hill.

I never thought the centerpiece of the day would have involved movie sized posters. Thank goodness to young Robin formerly of Earlham College, who insured I caught my transportation to Chestnut Hill. Thankful, thankful, thankful; just like Gomer Pyle used to say.

Love,

Jon

A great to be thankful for what I have:

Gratitude is one of the greatest and strongest of attitudes that we can have. Rather than focus on those things that we do not have; or problems or worries that might occur, an attitude of gratitude allows us to really be thankful, grateful even, and happy in the present moment.

By being patient with myself, I was able to enjoy a tad of frivolity and friendship in watching a part of the game socially last night, before winding down for the second half. While the outcome, of the game was not what I cheered for; the opportunity to watch part of the game, in a warm friendly, if not familial environment was great. Today, is a new day, and while I share the remorse of my fellow New Englanders for the outcome of the football game; it is too beautiful a day, to spend the day, as an unhappy camper.

Thus, gratitude plays an extremely important role in having a sense of joy, wherever we are, and somewhat insulated, as need be, from external circumstances. Counting our blessings has an uplifting effect on where we are, and can bring a smile to our face at any given moment. It is our confidence, our faith, our gratitude that can provide us with the key to weather virtually any storm. I received a text recently saying: “What a Dad.” This is someone, who in a positive sense had recognized my efforts as a Father over many years, and shared that comment with me years later.

In other words, our actions really do amount to something. Perhaps in some ways, what goes around, comes around, or Karma can be alive and well. I don’t know everything, but I know that being warm, considerate, relatively satisfied, if not grateful is an extremely empowering, if not solid place to be. So I am thankful for all of my experiences; I am even further grateful for what those experiences have made me, first as a human being, then as a Father, and finally even as The World’s Best Mediator.

So wherever today, or any day may take me; I will begin by being grateful.

Sincerely, Jon

The four levels of competency and “accidental” genius:

When I was talking to my neighbor Natalie recently; the woman from Israel, she had shared with me, the book the Big Leap, by Gay Hendricks I was extremely interested in the four levels of competency that she described to me from the book, as well as its reference to genius. The four levels of competency, as I understood it are: 1) something we are not competent at; 2) something we are competent at, no more, no less; like cleaning my room, lol; 3) a level at which people have achieved an expertise; and 4) the level of genius, where all of joy and passion seem to coincide, and elevate us to an area where we are truly great.

I am adding my own interpretation to our relatively brief conversation, but hey, its my blog; anyway, Natalie was describing how a lot of people are kind of kept at the third level of competency, and do not take that leap to their true genius or passion; due to Gay Hendricks writes, often impressions or imprints left upon us in childhood. Genius in that respect is something that is available to virtually anyone of us; if and when they decide to take that Big Leap, or develop the courage to reach for those goals.

Two thoughts: 1) is that I alluded to Natalie, that in my case, the leap to genius, was a relatively accidental thing. It is not something I planned on; due to circumstances beyond my control, i pushed into a situation, where I had to find and discover my inner strength and true sense of passion. If I had just kept to my “normal” course, I probably would never have stumbled upon such a place. 2) I am reminded of that conversation with Natalie, due to my interaction with the Mediator group at LinkedIn.  Many professional associations to me, seem to be a group of people standing around discussing their credentials and perspectives, rather than creating the kind of change that must occur.

The kind of change that must occur, is that mediation and positive communication must increasingly fight for its share of the market place for moral, economic and social reasons. My battle is that, to increase Calm Interventions’ mediation’s share of the market place predicated on a change in the underlying culture, where people reject tyrannical forms of interaction and pseudo-justice, and instead make deep and rational choices about their own lives, based upon being empowered. While I am sorry that this group of mediators did not respond to my intro more positively or even in a neutral sense; I am not shocked, based on my experience with human nature.

To me it relates at least in some manner to those four levels of competencies, and those who push themselves or are pushed to their own level of genius; which as I say, for the most part exists or at least potentially exists in all of us. I was surely pushed, pulled and cajoled into finding my genius, that is for sure. I believe the doers of the world are those who live in that fourth state of competency; those who have pushed themselves or somehow gotten themselves to that level of genius. In other words, if mediation today occupies $5 billion or less in the overall conflict resolution field, and I believe it should be $60 billion; then I will commit my heart and soul working to bring that change.

Appropo of being Super Sunday, it is similar to what Teddy Roosevelt said, about the heros, win or lose, being on the field of life; while the critics are in the stands.  Jon

Fascinating….

Yesterday, in some ways, the web-site had extremely high hits, and I suppose it was greatly related to the LinkedIn thing. Well that, in the main, is beyond my control; all I did was introduce myself in congenial fashion. I must say at least temporarily eliminating that stuff, I referred to you yesterday, puts a great deal more spring in my step and augmented clarity in my mind. Fascinaaatttinggg.

Just got off a note, to an old gal pal, who runs an embroidering business, to see about possible collaboration around The World’s Best Mediator; right to the Post Office at 4:58 p.m. Another dude, actually I believe the second one was from Australia took a odd shot at me on LinkedIn; at this stage I am just finding it amusing for some reason., slightly anyway. Well that seems to bring a wrap on today; the “Big Game” hsyteria is in the air. I must say, having played football from relatively a different generation, I am not totally swept up in it. I recall watching the first Super Bowl at Glen Oak.

A great start to the day; kind of ignoring

The. Linkedin stuff tor the moment, not my idea of fun or even productivity to spend my time in Internet “professional” circles, at least right now. Dalia mentioned yoga to me; now that would be a trip. Our bodies change over time.

At my Newton Highlands mobile office, after yesterday evening’s Chestnut Hill. Museums sound nice and the like; the problem is the concept of The World’s Best Mediator is so all-consuming. To make a concept like TWBM work, as I will, truly takes virtually the entire fiber of your being. I am blessed that I fathered children and paid my dues earlier in life, as I can mow focus on this unbelievable project.

Patience is truly s virtue. I do give myself props for the last minute marketing concept I added to the reply card. Just heard Ray Charles singing Georgia, and they called it genius; and I agree.

What was that old song, “nothing you can do that change the way I feel, about my guy/gal”

Being happy is a state of its own, that is for sure. Negative influences, negative people just push me more towards my joy zone. Linked, Blinked, in for all I care. I must confess an ambivalence: i do not drink much over the years; but for the past nearly two weeks, I have not drank at all, and I must say that the notion of being thoroughly alcohol free is deeply inspiring. The work is getting large and all. The ambivalence, is that with the Super Bowl, or due to copyrights some can only say “Big Game” this week-end, and I bought a raffle at a neighborhood party, perhaps I will do so in extreme moderation. It is a Patriots thing, although…

Well perhaps let me leave at that: It is time to rally for the locals; the world is bearing down on us, and this could well be a matter of New England pride. I dont know one day at a time. Someone God has directed me or brushed me to the right choices this week.

Thank you.

Jon

It is only a paper moon: That was funny

Sure, there was a tad of pushback from the “fellow” mediators; a couple of pejorative comments from some Brits. I suppose it is an indication I had some impact. Fortunately I met a nice young lady Dalia on the way to the subway, who pushed me not to sweat it and definitely not to try to convince people. Afterall I am a man of the people and 98% of my energy must go to reach the people, not the “experts.”

A great reply card emerged for the brochure today.Peace on earth.

Sincerely,

Jon

You know what?

Now, I am not even that concerned about the pricing on the brochures, I may just have needed that time. I can get that out soon. Linkedin went reasonably well, as far as I can see. I was welcomed to the groups, well actually two of them, I chose to introduce myself, per an invitation. In the family mediation group, I read a fascinating blog posting from a Kathleen Kate Bar-Tur, Director of Family Mediation group in NYC.

Her posting that she shared was entitled: “I do not love your children;” quoting a Judge in New York, as to why families should virtually never enter court. In other words, any parent, who truly loved their children, would virtually never subject their children to the absurdity and harshness of family court.  Sometimes a person, must respond, after a situation has reached such extreme lengths but most people by and large would virtually never make that choice, surely not from a place of true caring for their children.

Whatever imperfections there are in the brochure, to the degree there are any; the impetus now is to get out the word, as there is no turning back.

Thank you.

Sincerely Yours,

Jon

A little household challenge resolved brings this posting prior to breskfast:

Always a risky undertaking, lol. Anyway a tad of a distraction in that Linked-In offered and I naively accepted membership into a few professional groupings for mediators and divorce, etc. This is rather unexpected, and I am asked to speak, and I am not planning to spend a lot of time in on-line shall we say conversing; as there are thousands of members. Well I suppose I will just The World’s Best Mediator my way in there, and leave it at that…