Greatness

What is greatness?
After watching the NBA finals and listening to the many comments on how great is LeBron James, I see that even in sports there is confusion over what makes someone great.

Is it the hardware, the wins, the stats etc.

So it is in life, what is greatness?  I see confusion here as well.

Some believe that your monetary, and material accumulation determines your greatness.

For others it's ones status, or career accomplishments.

I believe it's about who you are, the true unadulterated, buck naked , transparent self.

Are you kind and giving, humble, loving caring, and honest.

I believe for example that service is the price one pays for residence on this planet. Tithing your time and talents to bring joy and satisfaction to others.

Sometimes just giving a damn because it seems the rest of the world doesn't.

Giving that free smile on a Monday when you get to work.
Holding the elevator door even though you're in a rush.
Saying please and thank you.

As someone once said to me, "If you come to a four way stop in the middle of no where, and there isn't another car or person in sight, do you stop?"

Concrete Bars and Mental Scars

That's what makes up prison. That's what I wanted to tell a lady who heard you could play basketball in prison. She was both surprised and somewhat elated.

Many people think that because you have some novel amenities that prison is a day camp. I have been to both camp and prison, and let me tell you no privileges given in prison makes it any less horrible.

It's not so much the physical as it is the mental anguish. Learning what out of sight out of mind really means.

You have to learn a whole new culture that does not exist anywhere outside of prison walls. No one but those that have been there can express it to you and even for us it is difficult.

Yes there are simple things to do that do not cultivate or stimulate any mental growth. There are things to do that in no way help you to understand the state of mind you have that got you where you are. There are things to do that do not help to rehabilitate you.

Here's a stupid idea, rehabilitate; Let's look at this word for a second

1. restore (someone) to health or normal life by training and therapy after imprisonment, addiction, or illness.

   "helping to rehabilitate former criminals"

   
   

   • restore (someone) to former privileges or reputation after a period of critical or official disfavor.

     "with the fall of the government many former dissidents were rehabilitated"
   • return (something, especially an environmental feature) to its former condition.

   
   

The first sentence says restore after imprisonment, this I get because to be rehabilitated you first have to have been in that state of being, in order to be (RE)stored to it. Prison doesn't do that.

If the person was not in the right state of mind to begin with, then you are only restoring them back to the craziness that led them to prison.

Prison is about hiding people away from the ones that are afraid of them or there actions. There are no programs to help you once you are inside. And no form of deprogramming when you get out.  You wanna talk P.T.S.D. 

Yes I agree most put themselves in the position to go to prison, and once there have two options, figure out how to change you thinking process or try to do what you do better. Which we know makes no sense.

The prison system is not designed to help, but to hide, hide those society has deemed unworthy to remain free.

So they give you games to play a few books to read and television to watch. I ask you where is the habilitation that is supposed to take place. 

Those of us who had support from the outside and a decent mental capacity with the desire to get out and never return.  We worked on ourselves to figure out what was I thinking.  Thank God for my support system.  So many have nothing or no one they remain in the same sick state of mind with the same thought process and are then set free with nothing and told to survive. Although they had no idea how to do this in the first place.

This is just a short portion of a discussion on prison that is many hours in length, this is just to get the juices flowing.

MORE TO COME

THE EQUATION

Here's my thought on the process or direction of love.

Being that I am a man that's the perspective I'm coming from, although I believe the principles apply across the board.

Love should follow a certain equation, and flow in a certain direction to be long lasting.  Not problem free, testing, and frustrating but enduring.

The equation: Spiritual-Mental-Emotional-Physical.

For most of us until we reach a level of consciousness we reverse this equation and get flawed, and negative results.

Usually the equation goes: Physical-Emotional-Mental-(very seldom does this direction add up to spiritual).

It is true that as men we have a physical attraction first, if this is true then you may ask how can the first equation work?

The answer lies in the level of consciousness that the individual has achieved.  Going beyond the anatomical, and chronological level of manhood, into the mental and ultimately spiritual manhood.

If an individual has reached a level of mental and spiritual growth and come into true manhood, he appreciates the physical beauty of a women, but recognizes her true essence.

So yes I see you, but beyond just your physical, I am aware of the I AM that is you and me.

This is the spiritual attraction that is triggered by the energy radiated, and just like sound vibrations on the inner ear we can hear you on a higher level.

A man on a higher level of consciousness sees with more than what his flawed eyes reveal. He becomes very curious to know if what his senses are telling him are true.

When the initial meet and greet has the right ingredients of consciousness, spirituality, respect, mixed with a dash of flirtatious teasing interest is peaked.

Obviously there is an amount of time that all this takes place during the courtship, after all you have to get to know one another and this is the key. Having a real courting period is a lost science.

A connection of this level is more stimulating mentally than anything the physical senses can identify.

The danger of going physical first, is that the mind will manipulate what you feel physically and convince the you that this is an emotional connection. Mainly because the other persons actions are filling a void and serving some purpose for the moment.

Have you ever noticed that after you start a physical relationship and you fill that void, the lack of attention feeling dissipates, and you're no longer satisfied but are longing for "A MORE AND DEEPER CONNECTION"?  Yeah we've all been there, the now what phase.

See when we go spiritual first there is a deeper connection that transcends the physical stimuli. A mental coitus of two entities coming together on a sub atomic level creating a fusion that's on the Genesis level.

The emotions that are formed in this equation cannot be manipulated by the ego, because truth is in it. We know two things cannot occupy the same space at the same time. So when truth is present falsehood must flee.

And at some point there will be a physical coming together of these two like minds, and because of the main ingredients this will be the icing on the cake.

When you use this equation and have a true connection on the most high level, any and all obstacle can be overcome.

I have personally tried the physical first method and let me tell you it can be fun thrilling and even satisfying for a moment. But when you truly desire an honest love affair with someone you want to go spiritual first.

I have and it is blessing filled daily, full of fun and favor.

There's nothing like being able to be your authentic self and be accepted by that one. And when both are being authentic and transparent oh boy.

Thanks for letting me share.