Are we really willing?

I was listening to a podcast over the last few days and somewhere in the middle of it the participants drew a visual picture for the listening audience of what they believe raising our collective consciousness looks like. Basically they said to take a table that is covered in bubbles.  When one bubble starts to move it immediately affects those around it and then the ripples of change start.  So when someone like Martin Luther King rises up out of the bubble pile there is an amazing impact even if his time was cut short.

I really like that picture and it makes incredible sense.  The question I have though is whether or not us bubbles really want to be disturbed?  Do we want the pressure that comes with it?  Do we even really want change?  Do we just want to ride it out and hopefully not be affected by any other crazy bubbles until it is our time to pop?

Even with this blog there is a certain type of pressure to make sure I live in line with what I am putting into words.  Heck that comes with the religious and spiritual side of things that I outspokenly align myself with. Really that pressure comes with simply being a man.  Then you add-on marriage and fatherhood and we are talking as much pressure as a mountain dew can rolling around in a teenagers trunk.

It is time that we all start answering the bell, myself included.  The few principles that we have already spoken about should be at play in every aspect of our lives regardless of who is watching.  That is the only way to develop those principles into second nature habits.

I believe that I am ready to be the bubble that moves... I want to affect other bubbles... I want to be the start of a ripple.

I know without a doubt that we can start something huge, something real and visceral.  It is needed in our society.  Do not be afraid of the pressure because that is already there be afraid of not doing anything before you pop.

We should never choose the easy path because the easy path is not the path of the warrior.  You know Jesus, right?  The single greatest bubble in history.  Look to Him, read His words and you will see the blueprint of how a bubble should float and how to interact with the bubbles around you.

Integrity

As I mentioned in my last post I wanted to start putting a so called Manvotional out there once a week.  Just so happens I have a little time right now and what better day than Monday to get the brain thinking about some of the things that are important as we strive to practice modern warriorship. This weekend I was thinking a lot about what the essential attributes of being a great man are.  There are definitely a few things that we need to have nailed down to be a standard that can bear the title of warrior.  I came to the conclusion though that without integrity then it really doesn't matter what else we have in our tool belt.

We all know people that are successful at say business or athletic endeavors but they lack character and most importantly integrity.  How do we feel about those people?  Are we quick to follow them?  To be really successful there must be integrity to accompany your talent in whatever aspect of your life or in my opinion it is all for not.  To lead men into the battle that is our lives and to be an example you must have integrity or no one will follow.

The modernwarriorship challenge for this week is to practice being completely honest in every aspect of your life.   I would imagine most of us are pretty good in this area but we all can work on it.  This week when you are standing around jawing with your peers remember to be of good character and try and lead in that manner.  When you are with your family be engaged with your kids and really listen to your wife.  While you are spending time in your spiritual walk be true to the things that you read and to the relationship with God.  Even in your time of leisure be careful to keep your mind on things that are pure and good.

This will do two things for you: 1) You will start to become a leader and gain respect from everyone and they will follow you even when the odds are against you. 2) You will be surprised how there is never a thought of guilt about how you live your life.  Never a thought of I shouldn't have said that, done that, or had that thought, because you are living with integrity.

"The supreme quality for leadership is unquestionably integrity.  Without it, no real success is possible, no matter whether it is on a section gang, a football field, in an army, or in an office." Dwight D. Eisenhower