AKA aligned, responsible, just, sporting

“Now our minds are one.” -Haudenosaunee Thanksgiving Address

  • Belief that I matter. If my wants/needs matter more than anybody else, that means we all matter. If I don’t matter, that means nobody matters. I know what side I want to be on – mattering is more fun!
  • Justice = Alignment + Responsibility. It means aligning your actions with fairness, integrity, and regard for others and the world.
  • Response-ability. You can’t control what happens to you, only how you respond. That response is your responsibility.
  • Not your fault, still your job. Life’s pain and randomness aren’t your doing, but how you handle them is up to you.
  • Do something. Inaction isn’t neutral—entropy means standing still is moving backward.
  • Justice is both personal and societal. Internally: harmony and integrity. Externally: fairness, reciprocity, and contribution to others.
  • The Golden Rule. Treat others how you wish to be treated. Don’t just seek fairness—enact it.
  • Ownership. Own your actions, choices, and path. You can’t always choose the outcome, but you can always choose your next step.
  • Willpower over fate. Timshel (“thou mayest”) means you can choose. Maktoub (“it is written”) means the path exists, but you still walk it.
  • Sportsmanship is playing by the rules so that everyone can have fun and test their skills.

References

  • Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Reciprocity is both receiving the gifts of life from nature, and giving them back.
  • Victor Frankl. Man’s Search for Meaning. All that matters is how we respond to our circumstances.
  • Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the United Nations
  • Sermon on the Mount by Jesus
  • Extreme Ownership by Jocko Willink
  • Radical Ownership by Jack Thomson
  • Own everything in your life
  • It’s not about making the right choice, it’s about making the choice the right one
  • Maktoub, The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, “it is written”
  • Timshel, East of Eden by John Steinbeck, “thou mayest”
  • Epiousion, Sermon on the Mount by Jesus, “daily bread”

“Watching you grow up was a privliege. Then the time come for you to take on the world and be your own man, and you did, but somewhere along the line, you changed.

You stopped being you. You let people stick a finger in your face and tell you you’re no good. And when things got hard, you started looking for something to blame. Like a big shadow.

Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain’t all sunshine and rainbows. It’s a very mean and nasty place. And I don’t care how tough you are, it will beat you to your knees and keep you permanently there if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life.

But it ain’t about how hard you hit, it’s about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That’s how winning is done!

Now if you know what you’re worth, then go out and get what you’re worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain’t where you want to be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that, and that ain’t you! You’re better than that!

I’m always gonna love you no matter what. No matter what happens. You’re my son, you’re my blood. You’re the best thing in my life. But until you start believing in yourself, you ain’t gonna have a life.

-Rocky, Rocky Balboa