Circle of Trust

As an artist, educator, a person of faith, and as a Pax I am surrounded by paradoxes constantly.  As something that seems to contradict itself paradoxes must be rectified.  With or without realizing it a paradox presents one of the most interesting phenomenons in life.  Everytime an artist makes an artwork they confront problems that have to be solved.  I encounter mistakes that I must problem solve through.  I often say an artist is not great because they know how to use a pencil, what makes an artist great is they know how to use an eraser.  I teach children.  These young adults would hate to be called that.  We help embrace and guide their opposite, the adults that they are about to become and our future that they will embrace.  Here, my thought is that we can predict the future in how we train and raise our youth.  As a person of faith I understand that it is a paradox to believe in things that we can’t see.  You have to die to live forever is a paradoxical statement for sure.  Most of the time the unseen is also the most valuable.  We cannot see love, however, I hope that you see things reacting to this emotion on a daily basis.  As such, almost every emotion could be paradoxical in design.  For love, usually opposites attract.  Love and faith both seem this way.  We cannot see wind but we certainly can see things reacting to this phenomena like leaves in the air or trees bowing over.  As a runner I know I have to waste energy and push myself to exhaustion to gain energy.  The harder we push, the more awake and alive we feel afterwards.  F3 is paradoxical in a similar concept.  It is not doing what others can’t because anyone can be trained and taught to do something.  We are doing what others won’t.  Finding comfort in discomfort.   Embracing the Suck.  There is nothing that motivates me more than trying to rectify opposites.  People are drawn to puzzles and problems not to leave them alone but to help put them together.  The greater the struggle, the greater the reward.  On the surface a paradox is a contradiction but below the surface contradictions can be clarified.  Like  a battery, or  a magnet most things in life have two sides.  How can you find middle?  Find your paradoxes and rectify them.              

As one door opens another closes.  The cycle is complete with this conclusion of the Paradox.  How does this relate to Guardianship?   Guardianship is defined as the position of protecting or defending something.  What we have at F3 is just that and worth defending.  Never forget, We are the lucky ones!  Guardianship is also encouraging others.  When you believe in someone it gives them power.  It is why I decide to push and encourage.  The favor is usually returned and consequently we get, “stronger together” in more ways than one.  I called out everyone that was at the initial Paradox that hadn’t HC’d and every man in Dragon Clan just because they believe and I wanted to give them more.   

Doubt creates hate.  There was a Double Homicide on I-57 just north of I-80 late Monday, real early on Tuesday.  80 was completely shut down and I barely got to work on time.  The Parade and Rally that Kansas CIty threw for the Chiefs ended with violence.  One person died, 22 were shot, and 11 of those were children that were hit with Gun Fire.  Both altercations happened because one person was looking at another person. 

We have become so insecure as a society that we can’t look at each other without losing our cool.  Insecurity comes from doubt.  We do a phenomenal job of picking each other up within F3 and within our circle.  The necessity is there to get everyone into our circle or at least share what you know about guarding and protecting those outside of our circle.  Everyone has to find middle.  Everyone deserves to be picked up and filled with security and hope.  As the two part Q paradox has ended, I will be energized and focused on this work yet to come.  We are just getting going MEN!