Son Of His Own Anarchy

How many times after reading the day's tragic headlines have you wondered if people even have standards anymore?

Yet every one of us lives by a set of personal standards whether we are aware of them or not.  Whether they are good or not.

Our standards (rules for living by which we judge ourselves) are derived from  personal integrity born out of core values. And then there's the set of standards we are expected to uphold for society's sake.

Anarchy is defined by Webster's Dictionary as a social structure without government or law and order; utter confusion.

"Sons of Anarchy" actor turned killer, Johnny Lewis, was exercising his own personal standard of anarchy when he brutally murdered his elderly former landlady and her cat.

Super Human Powers

It is reported that Johnny demonstrated "super human powers" while on the PCP or meth trip during the slayings. 

But Johnny could have applied natural super human power toward a more fulfilling life sans drugs had he not lost sight of his purpose.

The show's creator, Kurt Sutter, tweeted that Johnny's death was a "tragic end for an extremely talented guy who had unfortunately lost his way."

Meanwhile cast member, Kenny Johnson, calls Johnny a "really good guy."

Then there's family sources who claim that Johnny as "mentally stable." 

That is until earlier this year when Johnny took an undisclosed drug that triggered a "psychotic break" from which he never recovered. Thus began the familiar addiction cycle of self-medication.

Johnny had just been released from prison following a series of petty crimes. He had also done a stint in rehab.

So that's Johnny's back story. A successful 28-year-old actor with roles on  the popular shows "SOA" and "The OC." A TV star riding the waves of a celluloid (or digital) sea of drowning hopefuls, wannabees and never-will-bees.

Follow Your North Star

Then how could Johnny have lost his compass with such a resplendent horizon ahead?

Because he lost sight of his North Star...his life's purpose. 

And without that guiding light it's easy to stumble into the shadowy alleys and dark detours of self-destruction. Drugs and alcohol become the crooked roads of choice--obliterating the clear paths of intentional living. 

One reason people fall away from integrity is because they've never examined their own standards. The result is action out of alignment with personal vision and values.

Life coaching helps individuals identify their values by responding to: "I am a person who...," and then learn their key standards by answering: "And so I must choose to...."  

Knowing your personal value system is important for taking certain actions that lead to certain results to reach your desired destination.

In other words, it keeps the light blazing bright. 

To what degree are you following your North Star?



  http://www.tmz.com/2012/09/28/sons-of-anarchy-actor-johnny-lewis-kenny-johnson/

I've put together a schedule of topics depending on what day of the week I post.

As always, please comment or share your stories for the different categories.

Monday: Swimming Lessons

Examining news events or people in the news and their foibles, controversies, blunders. 

Tuesday: Olympic Gold

People in the news (or not) who are steadily making progress toward their dreams or have already reached "Bethlehem."  What winning strokes do they use?

Wednesday: Swimmer's Ear

Yell about disappointments, frustrations with ourselves, society. Whatever. Just get it out. Today is the day.


Thursday: No Lifeguard on Duty

It's time to face your fear! Do a couple of back flips into the dark unknown waters or dive off the steepest cliff. Any dream requires risk. So we're going to discuss people who are going full out.

Friday: Shark Attacks

Don't they always seem to be circling around just as you dare to stick your toes in the water? And you know where you're always going to get bitten. But you don't have to stay land bound. Learn the warning signs and preventative action against getting torn apart. We're going to observe people in the news who seemed to have it all, lose it all--even when someone was screaming "Shark!"
Saturday: Freestyle

Back float while staring up at the clear azure sky, not a ripple in the water supporting you. Or just splash around and play. That's because we're going to imagine what we'd be doing with our lives if we had no fear. Because today there are no sharks in sight....
Sunday: The Baby Pool

Old mindsets carried over from childhood or passed down from generations without being fully examined are like barnacles wrapped around our legs. What mindsets have we really outgrown but aren't willing to let go? How are they holding you back? We will take a look at different examples.


So there it is, swimmers. Please suit up to begin the journey...or go au naturel if you're willing to bare more of yourself.

Location, Location, Location

And just why are we swimming yonder toward Bethlehem? For one thing, it's the City of Birth. If you still aren't convinced then take a look at "The Second Coming" posted on this site.

"The Second Coming" was written by the Irish poet William Butler Yeats after the destruction of World War I. There are many scholarly interpretations based on his earlier works and predilections. But because this not a literary blog I won't go into them here. 

The mostly agreed upon essence of the poem is in Yeats' response to the great social troubles around him and of the world spinning out of control.

Sound familiar? Hello, Post-9/11.

However, Yeats points to The Second Coming as a beast heading toward Bethlehem signaling the final destruction of humanity rather than the hope of biblical Salvation.

Sometimes the beast hides in the outside shadows of social turbulence but most times he lurks within our own spirits, viciously gnashing apart our dearest aspirations.

But remember: that beast is slowly "slouching" his way to Bethlehem. We can all be swimming steadily and efficiently, becoming stronger and healthier, as we beat him to our destination of rebirth.

Swimming Toward Bethlehem

There is too much ado these days about politics, religion: who's right, who's wrong. So many messages coming at us like long scaly tentacled hands choking the oxygen from our already over-stimulated brains. 

Relax. Breathe. Inhale...exhale. Repeat as needed.

But of course I need to breathe, you say. In fact, I'm suffocating. Why? Are you drowning in the toxic stagnant pools of others' opinions? Have you been longing to leave the familiar shore holding you back from living your purpose, on purpose? 

With no safe horizon in sight it can seem much easier to float by in life. But then, you never really get anywhere. At least, not intentionally. And that's exactly why we so often flounder.
  
Are you getting enough H2O?

Water is the symbol of energy, tranquility, power, and transformation. 
We begin life with bodies made up of 78% of the stuff and decrease over the years to 60% and under. 

Just because there's less H2O within means you have to swim harder to break free from the moorings of complacency, fear and other depleting mindsets. 

Warning: this is not a sprint. To be a long-distance swimmer toward your promised land are you willing to swim against the currents? 

I created this blog to be nondenominational and nonpolitical so please don't leave comments that spout your political or religious leanings. I'll refrain from the same.

It is my hope to inspire you to not give up on your dreams despite troubled waters. I will feature people from the news (or not) who are swimming toward Bethlehem and creating their own new waves.

Are you ready to make a splash? Dive in! The water is warm. (Even if you don't know how to swim it's never too late to learn).