Ian Lewis FRSA FInstLM • To get inside this question a read of Jeremy Paxman's 'Political Animal' would really help as it empathises with both a distraught role (politician) and system (democratic politics) - where many well intentioned and basically good people are worn thin then out by a defunct system. It could be made to work much better, but the few rather than the many are able to create a failing system.
Clear and overt political values would be a solution where discussions, debates and decisions have to reflect the values present in the promises of aspiring politicians. Of course a 'voting-out' system, when values are not consistent, would also need to be a part of the mix.
The future requires a broader and more present value-set than current in evidence either by politicians or society. For instance (one may identify relevant values oneself in the following), a change of emphasis in our relationships and our society from ‘me’ to ‘we’ will not erode individual rights, ability, achievement, freedom of expression, or ownership in any way. Nor will it require that we relinquish our hard-earned cash or possessions, repudiate our economic system, or overturn our democratic way of life. The only practice we will give up is the need to strive for individual achievement at another person’s expense. That mindset in itself is flagrantly anti-individual and undemocratic: somebody’s individual rights always get trampled in ‘I win, you lose’ scenarios.
If we are to prosper, individually and collectively, each of us must wipe clean our mental hard drives of the sense of scarcity, lack, competition, and extreme individualism with which we are now programmed. To do this we have to challenge the very assumptions and thought processes on which those concepts and assumptions are based, moving to a collaborative politics locally and globally, with corporations, boards, conglomerates etc., removed from positions of influence into positions of servitude to democratic need.
Whilst this comment might appear to take focus away from politician in the democratic sense, it does question whether politicians reside more outside of government/s than within given the size and influence of many NGO's including corporations and industrial/labour collectives and owners.
Sunday 25 August 2013
Wednesday 21 August 2013
Young people - every generation has the same story....
A survey carried out in the 1990s across England and Wales of 34,000 13-15 year olds by Prof Leslie Francis, University of Wales, Dept of Applied Theology, used five indicators of personal well-being. One in every eight held themselves in sufficiently low self-esteem to identify with the statement ‘I feel I am not worth much as a person’. Only 56% feel that their lives have a sense of purpose; 10% are completely without a sense of purpose and a further 34% are drifting. 52% often feel depressed and 27% have sometimes considered taking their own lives. One in ten do not find their lives worth living.
So what is the right collective growing up experience which joins home-life, school life and free time and which ensures our young people have great self-esteem, the right level of confidence, purpose, belief in themselves and trust in others?
So what is the right collective growing up experience which joins home-life, school life and free time and which ensures our young people have great self-esteem, the right level of confidence, purpose, belief in themselves and trust in others?
Tuesday 19 March 2013
My special friends
Earlier in life I took some special friends for granted. They were unusual friends not because they were rare or even unique, but because they were and continue to be over-looked as friends by many. They were then certainly over-looked by me. Yet so central were they to my [already] living a great life that the process of coming to know them and recognising them as the great and generous friends they still are seems worth sharing.
The first time I identified my special friends was when, talking to an early older comedian friend, I asked how she remembered so many jokes. She said "I have no jokes, only special friends. No one ever forgets a special friend.".
Pondering this reply, I started looking at who my special friends might be. Then just into my teens, my search was for that which had contributed to some early successes in life. I found humour, fun and action. Later, at 15, a school report noted "Ian has integrity, independence of mind and a quiet sense of humour.". It seems I was building some early friendships, friendships that have opened so many doors and allowed access to so many great paths in my life. The expanded list has changed little. I continue a great life with and through my special friends. A life full of experiences such as here, right now, an accepted invitation to be 5 metres from the Caribbean and for free, or next month in India as a member of a world delegation on human values in the 21st centuary. Not a bad set of gifts through my friends.
So whom are my special friends?
Most obvious amongst my friends are fun, enthusiasm, responsibility, creativity, equality, commitment, adventure, independence, health, fitness, integrity, proximity to nature and passion. Achievement, fulfilment, confidence, peace all flowed so naturally from my friends; money, a great servant and never a master, also flowed (as sufficiency, never abuse) - a solid natural respected presence throughout.
One further friend I would now add....a profound, vital realisation: 'It is never too late'. Even through early years much seems 'late in the day' - at 11 a 14 year old brother seems old, 25 unbelievably far away, parents, at 30, are late in life (even past it) and so on. Yet, each year as I spend time helping others towards great lives, for this is one passion in my life, (it is what I'm doing in the Caribbean Islands right now), so many say 'It's too late for me.". Yet they are 20, 30, 50, 70....but it is never too late. I respect these Great Elders most in their amazing lives because they never stop learning, adventuring, testing possibilities...just doing new things. They have shown me it is never too late to begin new paths accepting their gifts from their, and I from my own, special friends.
The first time I identified my special friends was when, talking to an early older comedian friend, I asked how she remembered so many jokes. She said "I have no jokes, only special friends. No one ever forgets a special friend.".
Pondering this reply, I started looking at who my special friends might be. Then just into my teens, my search was for that which had contributed to some early successes in life. I found humour, fun and action. Later, at 15, a school report noted "Ian has integrity, independence of mind and a quiet sense of humour.". It seems I was building some early friendships, friendships that have opened so many doors and allowed access to so many great paths in my life. The expanded list has changed little. I continue a great life with and through my special friends. A life full of experiences such as here, right now, an accepted invitation to be 5 metres from the Caribbean and for free, or next month in India as a member of a world delegation on human values in the 21st centuary. Not a bad set of gifts through my friends.
So whom are my special friends?
Most obvious amongst my friends are fun, enthusiasm, responsibility, creativity, equality, commitment, adventure, independence, health, fitness, integrity, proximity to nature and passion. Achievement, fulfilment, confidence, peace all flowed so naturally from my friends; money, a great servant and never a master, also flowed (as sufficiency, never abuse) - a solid natural respected presence throughout.
One further friend I would now add....a profound, vital realisation: 'It is never too late'. Even through early years much seems 'late in the day' - at 11 a 14 year old brother seems old, 25 unbelievably far away, parents, at 30, are late in life (even past it) and so on. Yet, each year as I spend time helping others towards great lives, for this is one passion in my life, (it is what I'm doing in the Caribbean Islands right now), so many say 'It's too late for me.". Yet they are 20, 30, 50, 70....but it is never too late. I respect these Great Elders most in their amazing lives because they never stop learning, adventuring, testing possibilities...just doing new things. They have shown me it is never too late to begin new paths accepting their gifts from their, and I from my own, special friends.
Sunday 10 March 2013
Knowing, Being, Now
One is the number of conscious channels our educated, traditional world wishes us to believe we have. Two thousand is the number of conscious channels our 2013 scientific world finds we have. It seems we ignore by failing to access one thousand nine hundred and ninety nine of our available conscious channels - and since these interact, their power within intellect is cumulative: 2000 to the power of 2000 is a massive intellect, or ‘knowing’. This knowing may be any or all of artistic, logical, aesthetic, sensual, spiritual, social, physical, creative, intuitive, collective….such treasures indeed.
It seems we have a great and wonderful exploration of potential ahead: to renew humanity's ability to enjoy a two-thousand x two thousand-fold increase in knowing and fully being.
Now plenty of us have great abilities here already. We never listened to our agenda-ridden teachers (however dedicated and good intentioned). They cannot know what they do not know and therefore are not able to teach it to even the most dedicated students. We, the un-teachable, preferred to listen to our inner-selves where the traffic was terrific, dramatic and much more complete. Many more, post school, have re-discovered their awareness of what they knew. All now trust in their knowing, enjoying the freedom of greater choice, knowledge and belief in 'intuition', 'just knowing', 'free-knowing', and so on, where this complete deeper knowing resides within us.
There are many more on their way, practicing 'knowing'. Whether 'just knowing' or 'fully being', or 'fully living' or 'being in the now', so many more are getting it. This pre-curser or adjunct to being fully conscious within and between ourselves is the essence of our regained humanity. Yet shall we regain it if our leaders, corporate entities and many traditions remain so blinded.
It is nice that dates are set when these things are to happen, are to come to pass and/or will form an epoch-change for us all - that cosmetic filigree of seers, soothsayers and visionaries whom absolve humanity from its responsibility to simply commit and be all we can be. Yet is seems a vital part of moving forward that we, each one of us, take responsibility for making it happen. It is as much a part of living, life and being as are breathing, eating and taking water. Not that we are great at these, when humanity is viewed in entirety, and consciousness, deep knowing, is not limited to humanity but has to include all beings on our fragile world as well as at least protecting and better honouring and living in allness with our one and only life-sustaining amazingly beautiful habitat.
Perhaps the firm-wired, primordially educated among us, those unaware of our responsibilities to ourselves, our world and all its deep interconnectedness will re-wire in time, and perhaps not – at least in time. But deeper knowing by those who are innately conscious and by those whom have rewired, who have taken responsibility for knowing and being and now, may save all provided we reach a timely tipping point, before nature does collapse all.
Some basics are to ignore the corporate messages (advertising, selling, progression) unless they are dramatic in their inclusiveness of all, unless they aspire to undoing the past and currently damaging practices and unless they show openness for individual and environmentally, not corporately hidden and lobbied-for governmental and societal blind ignorance. Then we make moves towards true self- and community-responsibility.
The opportunity for all to be known, all to be lived in the now and thoroughly enjoyed as the beautiful planetary beings we are is now, and perhaps not otherwise.
Who knows? We know. Really we do. So change something….? A first access to the 2000x2000 is at www.lifecollege.org with other points of access through glipworld and cosmicvertigo
Ian Lewis Adventure Ian Lewis Leadership follow ianspirational on twitter
It seems we have a great and wonderful exploration of potential ahead: to renew humanity's ability to enjoy a two-thousand x two thousand-fold increase in knowing and fully being.
Now plenty of us have great abilities here already. We never listened to our agenda-ridden teachers (however dedicated and good intentioned). They cannot know what they do not know and therefore are not able to teach it to even the most dedicated students. We, the un-teachable, preferred to listen to our inner-selves where the traffic was terrific, dramatic and much more complete. Many more, post school, have re-discovered their awareness of what they knew. All now trust in their knowing, enjoying the freedom of greater choice, knowledge and belief in 'intuition', 'just knowing', 'free-knowing', and so on, where this complete deeper knowing resides within us.
There are many more on their way, practicing 'knowing'. Whether 'just knowing' or 'fully being', or 'fully living' or 'being in the now', so many more are getting it. This pre-curser or adjunct to being fully conscious within and between ourselves is the essence of our regained humanity. Yet shall we regain it if our leaders, corporate entities and many traditions remain so blinded.
It is nice that dates are set when these things are to happen, are to come to pass and/or will form an epoch-change for us all - that cosmetic filigree of seers, soothsayers and visionaries whom absolve humanity from its responsibility to simply commit and be all we can be. Yet is seems a vital part of moving forward that we, each one of us, take responsibility for making it happen. It is as much a part of living, life and being as are breathing, eating and taking water. Not that we are great at these, when humanity is viewed in entirety, and consciousness, deep knowing, is not limited to humanity but has to include all beings on our fragile world as well as at least protecting and better honouring and living in allness with our one and only life-sustaining amazingly beautiful habitat.
Perhaps the firm-wired, primordially educated among us, those unaware of our responsibilities to ourselves, our world and all its deep interconnectedness will re-wire in time, and perhaps not – at least in time. But deeper knowing by those who are innately conscious and by those whom have rewired, who have taken responsibility for knowing and being and now, may save all provided we reach a timely tipping point, before nature does collapse all.
Some basics are to ignore the corporate messages (advertising, selling, progression) unless they are dramatic in their inclusiveness of all, unless they aspire to undoing the past and currently damaging practices and unless they show openness for individual and environmentally, not corporately hidden and lobbied-for governmental and societal blind ignorance. Then we make moves towards true self- and community-responsibility.
The opportunity for all to be known, all to be lived in the now and thoroughly enjoyed as the beautiful planetary beings we are is now, and perhaps not otherwise.
Who knows? We know. Really we do. So change something….? A first access to the 2000x2000 is at www.lifecollege.org with other points of access through glipworld and cosmicvertigo
Ian Lewis Adventure Ian Lewis Leadership follow ianspirational on twitter
Tuesday 26 February 2013
Mr Osborne - Banks and large organisational amorality
Dear Mr Osborne,
My concern overall for effective government continues to be the degree of integrity, trust and fairness displayed in decisions and actions taken. Either the media is being unfair, or government officials are not as they should be. It would be a great thing to ensure we have good honest reporting to dim such concerns.
There is an immediate issue with which we hope you coul help. Will you support the European Parliament's proposal to require banks to disclose profits and taxes paid on a country-by-country basis - both for what it means to effective government, how the World views the integrity of the UK and what it means to ourselves as voters.
This is a crucial step to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of tax and it is sychronous to your already well spoken need to crack down on tax avoidance, both small and large, although corporate tax avoidance is merely one arena of systemic large-organisational amorality, this is your chance to do make a significant statement on one valuable arena.
Please help yourself, the government and the UK, by being seen to act well.
Yours sincerely,
Ian F. Lewis
My concern overall for effective government continues to be the degree of integrity, trust and fairness displayed in decisions and actions taken. Either the media is being unfair, or government officials are not as they should be. It would be a great thing to ensure we have good honest reporting to dim such concerns.
There is an immediate issue with which we hope you coul help. Will you support the European Parliament's proposal to require banks to disclose profits and taxes paid on a country-by-country basis - both for what it means to effective government, how the World views the integrity of the UK and what it means to ourselves as voters.
This is a crucial step to make sure that everyone pays their fair share of tax and it is sychronous to your already well spoken need to crack down on tax avoidance, both small and large, although corporate tax avoidance is merely one arena of systemic large-organisational amorality, this is your chance to do make a significant statement on one valuable arena.
Please help yourself, the government and the UK, by being seen to act well.
Yours sincerely,
Ian F. Lewis
Saturday 23 February 2013
'Our' seas contribute much survival, including food. Please support our Marine Conservation Zones.
We are continually emerging as a more involved democratic electorate. Some, but not all, of the work of your party clearly encompasses this and I thank you. Of course the slow-to-change civil service is having much trouble here, inhibiting, even damaging some of the good you are doing.
On a specific point of great concern is the whole 'dumb organisation' issue, where collective decision-making by teams and boards fail to place balanced emphasis on the longer term needs of communities, nations, humanity and the environment.
'Our' seas contribute much survival, including food. Please support our Marine Conservation Zones. Please support our futures by writing to Your Government - now is the time to make a difference....Thank you, on behalf of ALL.
Ian Lewis FRSA
We are continually emerging as a more involved democratic electorate. Some, but not all, of the work of your party clearly encompasses this and I thank you. Of course the slow-to-change civil service is having much trouble here, inhibiting, even damaging some of the good you are doing.
On a specific point of great concern is the whole 'dumb organisation' issue, where collective decision-making by teams and boards fail to place balanced emphasis on the longer term needs of communities, nations, humanity and the environment.
'Our' seas contribute much survival, including food. Please support our Marine Conservation Zones. Please support our futures by writing to Your Government - now is the time to make a difference....Thank you, on behalf of ALL.
Ian Lewis FRSA
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