Notes onclarity, practice, meaning, change
Short pieces on the distinctions that change how a thing is seen — written by the people doing the work.
Trump Card
A trump card is a default tactic or strong suit used to manage situations—effective in the short term, but ultimately limiting.
Transformative Learning
Transformative learning is awareness of the structures in which we know, think, and act, opening fuller accord with possibility.
Touch, Move, or Inspire
Indicators of enrollment: touch connects, move shifts action, and inspire opens a new future.
Throwing Your Hat Over the Wall
Committing first, without knowing how, so that action and creativity are called forth to fulfill the promise.
Story
Story is an interpretation about what happened. The human tendency is to collapse the story with what actually happened.
Standards
Standards are benchmarks for performance or integrity, useful when distinguished from ideals.
Sharing
Sharing is authentic speaking that reveals yourself and keeps possibility alive, often producing enrollment.
Shadow Side (of Strong Suits)
Strong suits can produce results, but when relied on unconsciously they can limit intimacy, fulfillment, and authenticity.
Responsibility
Responsibility is a declaration of being cause in the matter of life—not fault, praise, or blame, but what is so and the stand you take.
Reason / Reasonable
Reasons justify acting or not acting. A reasonable life is confined by justifications; transformation invites being unreasonable for commitment.
Realm of Survival / Realm of Enrollment
Survival is automatic, reactive, and past-based. Enrollment is generative: sharing possibilities that inspire action and contribution.
Problems Worthy of a Life
Rather than insisting there should be no problems, choose problems worthy of your life and play to win.
Principles
Principles are self-declared fundamentals that orient action, such as integrity and responsibility, distinct from reasons and justifications.
Payoff (in Rackets)
The payoff in a racket is the hidden advantage for keeping a complaint and fixed way of being in place, such as being right or justifying.
Occur / Occurring
Occurring is how people and situations show up for you—your interpretation—distinct from what happened.
Listening
Listening is a state of being that filters what is said and unsaid. Becoming present to already-always listening restores choice and power.
Informative Learning
Informative learning accumulates knowledge and skills within an existing worldview; transformative learning reshapes the worldview itself.
Ideals
Ideals are internalized standards of how one should be; when confused with authentic being, they can generate pressure or inauthenticity.
I / Identity
Identity is a story invented about oneself from early decisions and patterns taken on to succeed or cope—the source of strong suits.
Force (vs. Power)
Force encounters resistance and must be maintained to hold results; power produces outcomes that fall into place and remain without struggle.
Empty / Meaningless
Life has no inherent meaning; meanings are made up in language. A concise distinction on empty and meaningless.