We all tell stories, our lives are made up of them. From our childhood to the day we die there is a story for each day. But do we take radical responsibility for these stories? Clinton Callahan in his book Radiant Joy, Brilliant Love: Get it here, free postage worldwide. writes:
Human Beings are massively creative. We do not usually think of ourselves as creative. We allow that we might be a little creative at Christmas time when we wrap presents or decorate the house. But in every moment we are creating the stories that we tell to ourselves and to other people – the stories that give meaning to what happens in our lives. We do not tend to notice how vicariously we produce stories, because every three seconds the Box generates regenerates stories identical to what it created for us in the previous three seconds. That is how the Box keeps things the same: it ongoing creates the same stories.
There are two classes of stories that we can create about what happens. By far the most common story we create characterizes us a victim of the circumstances. That we were a victim seems completely inarguable. The inarguability comes from our habit of interpreting “the facts” to show how we were hurt, insulted, abandoned, betrayed, abused, neglected, etc., forcibly establishing ourselves as a victim of a low drama. Telling a victim story from the Parent or Child ego states creates an ordinary human relationship.
But we can take the exact same circumstances, the same incident, the same people involved, the same actions, and we could create a responsible story about being involved in these circumstances. Responsible stories place us “at cause” or “at cause” for the circumstances. Responsible stories come from the Adult responsible ego state and create an extraordinary human relationship.
How do we as people relate to being responsible, and what do we write about it, here are a few of my favourite sayings:
1. Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, known by his stage name Molière ( 15 January 1622 – 17 February 1673), was a French playwright, actor and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and universal literature. His extant works includes comedies, farces, tragicomedies, comédie-ballets, and more. His plays have been translated into every major living language and are performed at the Comédie-Française more often than those of any other playwright today.
2. I think if you are being responsible for your whole life the accountability and ownership will be a natural follow-on: The Power of Responsibility.
3. Simone moves it up a notch or two.
4. Joyce Meyer is an American Evangelist whose motto is Sharing Christ, Loving People. Her love includes lessons for them such as the one above: Song for the Asking.
5. As the name after suggests, plugging up your excuses allows those changes that you want to make to fulfil your dreams to start happening.
6. Clinton calls this getting feedback and shifting forward: Slow Down.
7. Yes, those poor me stories you are telling years later, they control you.
8. Wikipedia gives a choice of Ruth’s mother in law from the old testament or a WWE wrestling star for Naomi, my inner gremlin likes to think it could be the latter: My Boomerang Won’t Come Back.
9. From the man who is not your Guru, comes some fine words as to what responsibility can offer you.
10. You have charge of yourself and your reactions, be responsible for them on a daily basis: Changes.
11.
| Eleanor Roosevelt | |
|---|---|
Roosevelt in 1933
|
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| 1st Chair of the Presidential Commission on the Status of Women | |
| In office January 20, 1961 – November 7, 1962 |
|
| President | John F. Kennedy |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Esther Peterson |
| 1st United States Representative to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights | |
| In office 1947–1953 |
|
| President | Harry S. Truman |
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Mary Pillsbury Lord |
| 1st Chair of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights | |
| In office 1946–1952 |
|
| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Charles Malik |
| First Lady of the United States | |
| In role March 4, 1933 – April 12, 1945 |
|
| President | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Lou Henry Hoover |
| Succeeded by | Bess Truman |
| First Lady of New York | |
| In role January 1, 1929 – December 31, 1932 |
|
| Governor | Franklin D. Roosevelt |
| Preceded by | Catherine Dunn |
| Succeeded by | Edith Altschul |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Anna Eleanor Roosevelt October 11, 1884 New York City, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 1962 (aged 78) New York City, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Cardiac failure complicated by tuberculosis |
| Resting place | Home of FDR National Historic Site, Hyde Park, New York |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse(s) |
Franklin D. Roosevelt
(m. 1905; d. 1945) |
| Children |
|
| Parents |
|
| Relatives | See Roosevelt family |
| Signature |  |
Oops, cut and pasted a wee bit too much, Anna Eleanor Roosevelt was an American political figure, diplomat and activist. She served as the First Lady of the United States from March 1933 to April 1945 during her husband President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s four terms in office, making her the longest serving First Lady of the United States. Roosevelt served as United States Delegate to the United Nations General Assembly from 1945 to 1952. President Harry S. Truman later called her the “First Lady of the World” in tribute to her human rights achievements.
12.
| Anne Lamott | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born | April 10, 1954 San Francisco, California, United States |
| Occupation | Novelist, non-fiction writer, essayist, memoirist |
| Nationality | American |
| Genre | Drama, humor, literary fiction, Reviews |
Oops, did it again, Anne Lamott (born April 10, 1954) is an American novelist and non-fiction writer. She is also a progressive political activist, public speaker, and writing teacher. Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, her nonfiction works are largely autobiographical. Marked by their self-deprecating humour and openness, Lamott’s writings cover such subjects as alcoholism, single-motherhood, depression, and Christianity: Definition of Prayer.
13. Start with self-love, then move on, it’s where the juice lies.
14. The man who gave me access to my Why, my purpose. Simon Sinek rocks: Start with Why.
15. More Self Love then the discovery of the juices in life.
We can live from new responsible stories by taking full responsibility for creating our past circumstances just exactly the way they went, so that you can learn all that you needed to learn to get exactly here at this moment, reading this blog.
The playlist contains some wisdom today. it begins with Sir Groovy 2007, two folkie tunes by Paul Simon and Nichole Nordeman. Two quirky numbers from Charlie Drake and Shrek. The wisdom follows from Anne Lamott and Simon Sinek. Here’s the video playlist: A Hero Is Someone Who Understands.
Namaste until next time, my dear friends:
I am an Interculturalist 