99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #12 

 Alignment, and the internalizing of authority:

 Since the beginning of the project our focus has been to bring self awareness to the complexity of our being, but at the same time adopt a simplistic method by which we could undertake a critical examination of it. The key as previously expressed, is to do this without the fetters of emotional culpability, or assignation of any form of goal setting or reparations. That being said we must now work to establish a  linear mapping of our natures. For consistency we will agree to adopt the three primary nature states. Those being, as laid out in Step #5  an inquisitive state, a hesitant state, and an neutral state. Under these we will list the elements of our natures as we see them. We can compile these columns by asking ourselves the simple question; "My inquisitive nature is comprised of these elements" etc ,etc. This is only a guideline, feel free to document your critical examination in any way that you  feel will be the most beneficial to you.. The request to keep the natures identifiable by predetermined primary groups is only for functional communication in the progress of the project.

Once we have completed this task, we should have  three columns listing the elements we have assigned to the various nature states. An example would be:

Inquisitive State:

• Intellect

• Education

• Career aspiration

• Awareness

• Social Conscious

• Growth and Commitment

•  Legacy

Hesitant State:

• Fear

• Insecurity

• Anxiety

• Complacency

• Caution

• Ignorance

• Arrogance

• Egotism 

• False pride

• Anger

• Frustration

Neutral State:

• Balance

• Moderation

• Reflection

• Consideration

• Inspiration

• Regeneration

The complexity of each category can be as intricate or as minimal as meets your current make-up. If you are the type of person who currently has a very unstable life and are prone to swings in mood, then the more detail will allow you a better way of assessing the transitional nature of your mood swings. The most important benefit to this is,  that even if you put little effort into this first step, what it is going to do is create an isolation point that can, through practice, interrupt the autonomic habit of letting your expressed nature state define you. Instead  you can experience the nature state, and consciously experience the practice of working it through to resolution.

You will find once again that the focus of this exercise is not proactive but reflective. When we begin to perpetuate an aura of self awareness in what we have been lapse, conditioned to, or indoctrinated into, we will begin to regain or instill in ourselves a new found sense of individuality. We will in fact become humans being not humans doing.

Today we should practice identifying the transitional shifts, mood swings,creative sparks and periods of reflection. What precipitates them? Are there antecedents,individuals,or environments that excel or repel them? Are these dependent shifts or independent? are we conscious of the shifts, or do we gain awareness of them either at their zenith or identify them only after the fact? This critical awareness will become second nature over time if you practice, but first we will have to initiate the actions by causal reminder. This will be neither challenging or invasive to us because we have agreed just to be the observer for now. 

    

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #11

Unmasking the behavior of natures:

We tend to have a paradoxical understanding of our natures. On the one hand we have no conflict discerning the difference between emotional traits, intellectual pursuits, or physical desires. But when it comes to the administration of these traits, pursuits and desires (natures), each one will have their own opinion on the motivational functioning or reasoning of them, and the rational dispensing of their outward manifestation in our daily lives. Now it is true as previously mentioned, that we, each of us, are uniquely wired, but with respect to the formation of our intrinsic natures, we are very much the same. We previously used the analogy of all possessing the same operating system, and as a purely vanilla wrapper of sorts, this fits well.

So if we continue to use this example, we find our lowest common denominator when expressing our functional behavior, as being the result of a set of responsive reactions to an equal set of stimuli, and those responses correlating to a stored sub-routine of conditioned behaviors (natures). How do we validate these behaviors, so that they develop into what we express in this project as natures? I think the easiest and best example to use is the algorithmic structure of the search engine.  In its simplest function a search engines ranking is based on a simple rule, "That the more people who search after a common object, and find that common object in a specific location, that specific location will tend to be the most accurate or suitable one."

And the way we store and hierarchically order, authenticate, and prioritize the sum that we will form as the basis of our natures will be aggregated in a similar fashion. This purely mechanical truism should not be rejected because of its apparent simplicity. What we are seeking to do in this experiment, is to unmask the shrouded complexity of years of layered conditioning, that we neither want to, at this time, criticize or condemn, reject or approve, but merely expose. And in the instant that we can accept the methodology by which our natures are conditioned, then, not only can we make any corrections necessary, but most importantly we can easily acknowledge when attempts are made to force this conditioning on us by external influences.

The complexity alluded to in regards to the forming of our existing natures, make no mistake, will not be an easy task to unmask. What we are approaching to do is set aside every preconceived notion of what our fabric as an individual is, (in our current state of awareness) and stand as an outside observer, and examine its foundation. This is why it is critical not to embrace any notions of undertaking any reparation at this time. Neither is it wise to set aside any faith-based, long-held beliefs, or convictions how ever formed, on the preemptive discoveries you are about to unfold. This is not about abandoning oneself in favor of another, but of uniting the many selves in a newly empowered self awareness.  

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #10

Self, individuality, and the manipulation of choice:

 

One of the most common precepts when trying to justify the relinquishing of individuality, is, that one should relinquish self in favor of the collective of community. Whether this is conspired politically or asserted through moral or subjugate authority, it is erroneous and wrong. Many a scholar and learned author has reiterated this objection over the millennium milestones of mans societal cohabitation, but yet the argument still resurfaces and occasionally gains popular support.

The inherent reason, possibly one of many, no doubt; is that our natures will tend to sacrifice a little liberty, for comfort. And as the famous quote attests: "When we do this we deserve neither", what rightly should be asserted is that self empowered, self aware and self motivated individuals do not need to be compelled to act  with social cohesion, they do it autonomously. Why? They are managing their natures, not responding with them. The key to our success is yet another seemingly contradictory assertion, that being: That we must separate to gain individuality, yet that separateness must be subjugated by an overseer which is you.

Confused? lets unpack it. First and foremost is the clarification of the selves (natures) that make up the self which is the individual. Lets take a simple example: Often those that would seek to oppress or manipulate you  will appeal to these natures, thus giving them (the isolated natures) an empowered sense of hierarchical authority, and in this way isolate the individual and allow them to be defined by this nature, and in so doing transfer their authority (the individuals) through the nature to the oppressor. We see this tactic being used in todays society with calculated preciseness,  and make no mistake it is incredibly effective, and deceptively subliminal.  Its perpetrators can utilize it without ever feeling the threat of exposure for the deception, because it is done not only with compliant approval of the target (the isolated individual) it is done with their full consent and approval.

Again yet another example of where awareness alone can circumvent the deception, with-out any form of rebellion or confrontation, simply by empowering yourself with this simple knowledge, you can avoid the entrapment. 

Within the scope of the project it  was never intentioned that it would be a conclusive in-depth approach to self-awareness, self realization or liberation. We are complex individuals, each with its own unique structure and capacity. But the one thing we do share is a common operating system. These examples that are put forward, are presented in the hope that an individual can reflect on them, and where applicable see the correlation between elements of their personal make-up, and take steps to align solidify and order their individual natures to be a force working for them, not acting on them.

 

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #9 

Discerning Motives & Methods:

Each one of us, is a skilled negotiator when interacting within the realm of our inner natures. We have, for instance no problem when desire elements of our natures request attention. Instantly based on our approval or disapproval of the desire state, will immediately offer up to ourselves justification for the action, or likewise justification for the rejection of the action. When this is under our control we form beneficial habits, when not in our control we develop addictive behaviors and compulsive actions.  We are inundated in our current societal status-quo with the addictive properties of many of the things we consume. But seldom is there ever a focus on the nature of addiction and the psychological antecedents that act as the catalyst for these external elements.

Again, and just to reiterate, the scope of these steps is not to alter our behavior, but to bring us back to, or make us aware of, our behavior, and once illumined, the course of action will be obvious and committed without question, simply because it will be the logical thing to do.

As an example, society has over the last decade or so changed it's tolerance for the unhealthy habit of smoking. There is little doubt within the mind of  the non-smoker or the smoker that this is indeed an unhealthy habit. Why do people still do it? The answer? Addiction! But not because the properties of these substances are indeed insurmountable to all except those of incredible stamina and determination, but because the labeling of the action as addiction has surrendered the authority to an external source. The individual then is relieved of the moral obligation to cease the unhealthy behavior  because it is not them, it is the addiction!

In order to reclaim our absolute authority in things concerning the self. we must be thorough in our discerning of the motives and methods that we operate on during the course of any one day. We must take time each day for critical analysis of our actions, and be willing to acknowledge without guilt or justification the errant behavior and what steps led to it, and what actions could be utilized in future to avoid it. Repeated errant behavior should never be written off as hopeless or futile, but worked through until mastered. The most gravest of errors occurs when we externalize, justify, or identify these actions as beyond our control or capacity. Nothing in regards to the self, is insurmountable. Accept this premise, and you will reclaim your individuality.      

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #8

Growth & Rebirth:

Individuality is a process of continual growth. Socially, culturally , intellectually our spirit compels us to grow.. When we do not embrace or acknowledge that spirit, stagnation occurs and we lapse into a cycle of spiritual redundancy. Many if not all of the ills of our society can be found locked in the endless loop of this state. To go into each of these maladies is not our intention or scope. What ever hinders spiritual growth, understanding and identifying it is a critical step in the process of escaping the stagnation that the individual experiences, but for the purposes of this lesson we simply choose to accept the errant direction of our past actions or state of mind, acknowledge it and move on. We do this because as we discovered in our last lesson, our periods of rest that we experience in our neutral state give us an incorporated time of reflection without the derogatory associations that our hesitant nature state will often color our decisions, movements and actions with..

This notion of abandoning guilt is something very new to us now. So long have we been prisoners of the endless ebb and flow of externalized authority, with all its oppressive dictates, connotations and penalties, that the notion of self rule, even in-its-self, seems to conjure up feelings of rebellion. This is not rebellion, but liberation, there is a difference! But with it also come a new found responsibility, self accountability.

The rebirth we now experience as self-accountable individuals separates us from the herd. And this new way of viewing our environment seems alienating for the interim, this is natural, but should be clarified.. First of all it is not new, in the sense of being something that we must adopt, it is simply something that we abandoned through our own lax outlook, or was obscured by the manipulative nature of our externalized societal influence.. Which ever the case, we are now free of its influence, if we will continue on our path of reclaiming our inalienable right to individuality.

Learning to present yourself as an individual in today's society, will conflict, there is no doubt about that. Society for the most part, has narrowed the scope of expression to a dualistic paradigm. feigning this ideal that acting with a global conscience, is the way to peaceful cohabitation, but the truth is, it is just the opposite. It is the kettling of individuals for marketability, merchantability and manipulation en-masse of populations. That should be quite evident to anyone today.

When we start expressing ourselves as individuals, who through the principles of self accountability, with envisioned ideals that focus on self empowerment, self sustainability and self management. We can turn the tides of the doomsday machine that is in overdrive now. The many selves who by their very narrative want for others what they wish for themselves. This is not an unworkable ideology, We have only been conditioned to believe so.  Will you stand united by the one, and prove them wrong?. 

 .     

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #7

Rest:

Rest, true rest, is a somewhat of a perplexing paradox on our journey. It has been what seems like an insurmountable struggle to regain our momentum, and now finally in motion we are asked to rest. But the rest we are seeking today is not the rest of the body, nor of the mind, but of the self against the notion that it is under attack and must keep vigil or face defeat, subjugation or annihilation. Awareness of our true nature requires a tremendous effort and conviction within the realm of self,but it also requires a surrender of our perceived self to that which is our true nature. If this all sounds a bit too esoteric for your liking, accept our apology, but unfortunately there is no other way that one could describe it, the aloof simplicity will make absolute sense to you as you surrender more to your true nature and not the illusion that has been built up to mask it.

Many writings, in many cultures, in many epochs, since the dawn of man have spoke of this rest. This, as is the case with all, is just a reiteration of that truth.. Not new, could never be, because that would associate it with the illusion of time, and time has no meaning for the soul. Today we would rest from the notion of being in control. In its most simplistic example, today, when your environment dictates that you should respond in such fashion, [as you normally would] pause, and motion your true nature to reveal the correct response to you. There are no magic words, no mantras, no implements no ceremony,  just rest. The results may vary from individual to individual. for some the chaos of thought, will be too much to bear, for some the scrambling of the natures will seem like the  scrambling of individuals out of a dangerous situation. and for some the promptings of those same natures will precipitate a capitulation.. If any of these do occur then congratulations the operation was a success, and the patient will live.

If we are ever to gain control over a situation, we must be sure that we have control over ourselves. We cannot do this by vigilance alone, nor discipline, nor stamina,. these all fall with in the subordinate realm of our natures. What we need is the rest offered in the neutral zone spoken of  earlier in step #5. When we put this into practice in our everyday lives, we will begin to see a change in our lives. Today we will rest in calm assurance that what every crosses our path has a solution because we are now aware of what we have and which necessary action is required.. 

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #6

Symbiosis:

 The dictionary defines symbiosis as: "The state of living together in more or less intimate association" Through our process of discovery, if we have adopted the role of managerial overseer of the self which is the true symbiotic state of our individuality. Then we have, or are in the process of realigning and prioritizing the course of our daily interactions. Our worlds have becomes far less restrictive, far more insight filled and the challenge of life is now met with an aura of intrigue and assurance; even if that assurance hangs by the tendrils of the finest strands of reason, we have accepted it as truth therefore it cannot be untrue. Such is the law of self.

Many at this juncture will be met with the impulse to accelerate the process of self actualization, after all a sense of urgency compels us to make up for lost time. You should be cautious not to adopt this errant notion. Time is a variable in our externalized activities, time is nothing more than the draw string that keeps the drapes apart and lets the sun stream into the room. The time at which the curtains shall be drawn is beyond our control, but sadly for some the acceptance of this is too great to bear, and tragically for them  they draw them, themselves. The mischevious nature of time is well captured in this poem by Harvey Scott:

I saw the old thief, Father Time,
Came hurtling down the road,
He had a sack upon his back;
Lost minutes were his load,
He opened it and showed to me,
Not minutes, but a host,
Of years, decades a century
Or more of minutes lost,
"I want to buy a year," I said,
"And I shall pay you well."
"If this Earth's mould were finest gold,
to you I would not sell,
For I have minutes stolen from Kings,
From Milton, Shakespeare and Bach,
How could you buy such precious things,
Your common gold is trash?"
He tied his sack and said,
"Farewell, young man, I have got my fee."
For while I tried to make him sell,
He stole an hour from me.  - Harvey Scott

Today will bring the calm assurance that the past how ever cluttered, cherished or in-between has been swept away from us by Father time. All encased in the fabric of our existence, there as a reflection but never again a reality. This moment, as many a traveler has mentioned, is all that reality offers to us to mold. So with your fine crew, set sail on this day, the captain of your ship, the crew under your command.  

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #5

Self this is self:

As previously mentioned, we are many selves within ourselves. This is not an analogous reference, but a fact of our makeup as evolved social beings. Our emotional nature is comprised of three basic states of being. an inquisitive state, a hesitant state, and an neutral state . In our inquisitive nature resides the facets of  learning, exploration, maturation, social expression, creativity, community. Our hesitant state is the realm of our more restrictive natures of fear, anxiety, resentment, resistance, anger, timidity reclusive behavior and psychosis. and finally our neutral state is where we find Balance, moderate behavior, planning and analytical and observational skills. 

Each individual will, based on their environment, social upbringing and conditioning, traverse this matrix of  the self,  and the cumulative end result will be "you". Extremes in any of the facets will become dominant traits that identify the individual. This is where the detrimental isolate characterization of the individual becomes skewed, and what should be identified as a  behavioral state, becomes a label for an individual trait. Now whether this polarized identification is of a positive or negative attribute, does not really matter, because in reality they both end up causing a state of being that does not allow the individual to freely triangulate within the normal bounds of the harmonious states of being, previously discussed..

This basic premise fully realized, would if properly interpreted to every individual make it nearly impossible for anyone to succumb to a state of mental duress. Unfortunately there are physical, environmental and genetic predispositions in our current state that complicate the lives of some, and that we have yet to find effective therapies for..  I only mention this to clarify my position that the scope of this project mainly focuses on individuals who do not possess such unfortunate psychological infirmities, but if approached with assistance, compassion and patience, it could indeed improve the quality of their lives also.

Why did I feel it necessary to mention the above? Primarily to affirm to you, that you reside in a perfect state of being. It is identical to the state of being of the individual beside you, behind you and before you. What has happened though to many, is, they have become isolated from that realization, and in so much become isolated from their true self aware natures. And the stranger this premise sounds to you, the more you really need to sift through it, deconstruct it, or construct it in a manner that will resonate with you. because it is truth, I did not design its framework, nor hypothesize it , I merely accepted it.  Do likewise and you may bump into someone, and that someone may be you. 



    .   

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #4

 Approaching the onion:

Systematic ideology can tend to make individuals apprehensive of participation, for after-all aren't we attempting to break-away from the machine, not become entwined in it? Not so. Every awakened individual needs a baseline, a reference point, a standard for evident normalcy regarding their position; what ever it may be at the time. What we must avoid at all cost during our journey to self awareness or self reclamation is the errant ubiquitous human compulsion to pendulum logic and pendulum reaction. In grasping this alone we can break free from the clandestine cycle of conditioned reaction and compliant participation.

How do we establish a baseline that is truly an expression of individual choice? We do this by first investigating the matrix of the many selves that make up the self, the individual that is you. Once we have a clearer grasp of what constitutes individuality, we can then easily throttle many of the emotional, physical, and psychological roadblocks that we circumvent unknowingly during the course of any-one day.

Many scholarly individuals have produced models of the make-up of the individual. Some through religion, some through discipline, and many through philosophical, literary or poetic discourses. All have their intrinsic truths. The key to valued application of these principles in our lives is to nourish ourselves with the truisms contained therein, and not enamor ourselves with the prestige with which these writings meet with the approval of society at large. Truth is truth however packaged, discerning that truth is your obligation and your path to individual freedom.

Today's exercise is a simple introduction, but yet critical to the awareness of the individual we would wish to re-unite. It was never lost just un-managed. Like a poorly run event, organization or community, for all intents and purposes operating and functioning on a daily basis autonomously, but when the chaos of rush hour ensues, or the photo-copier jams, or an event is seemingly beyond our control or grasp, the many selves scramble to offer there retributive courses of action, and we are left at the mercy of which ever one screams loudest. Understanding that, and working to peel away the many layers of self, not to purge, not to abandon, not to scold or condemn, but simply to introduce yourself and then introduce your authority.

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #3

Acceptance:

No project, idea, or commitment can move forward until an individual accepts that the problem does indeed exist. When dealing with social issues or psychological issues the extent of the problem becomes skewed because many problematic layers, conditions and probable solutions are evident The rule of one size fits all that this era has indoctrinated many if not all to believe is the only way to resolve a solution, is not only ineffective it further compounds the problem with futility and financial burden.

Gaining now from our newly reclaimed individuality we move on to acceptance. In what ever station of life that may find you, the motive is not to identify the problem but to simply accept that a problem may exist. Now it is time for a non-critical evaluation of your life and role in society. A seldom realized or communicated principle in group conscious today, is the notion of the individual in the society. Society for the most part today, is the obligatory contribution to the sustenance of the model and infrastructure, and not to the health or the true nature of what a functioning societal model really is.

Prospering societies do-not exist when the needs of everyone are met by the society, but when the health of the society creates, on its own, the opportunity for the needs of everyone in it, to be met. In a functioning society individuality is the pinnacle of the idealism. Empowered individuals willingly participating for the betterment of all. When all are respected in what ever station of life they chooses to resonate on, this defines a functioning society.

The logic of our current society vilified the former terms of classes in society and set one bar, and one trajectory for all. You are measured as a success if you own this, have this, or achieved this, and if you don't you have no-one to blame but yourself because we gave you the freedom to do so. and then to further compound it they established an equally dysfunctional social system to compensate for the unworkability of the model and idealism they set up. The result? incredible burden and debt, class division where supposedly no classes exist, and the total alienation of the individual from society, and the society transformed into a ever watching nanny-state,

There was a popular quip that floated around and probably still does, that went "If you feed a man a fish you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish you feed him for a lifetime."

Never has that resonated so truthfully as seen in the light of today's society. We all need to pick up our polls and start fishing again. You may on occasion come back from the beach empty handed sometimes, but on the days that were bountiful and you shared with your neighbor, rest assure he will be only too willing to share with you. That is community, that is society. The current model promises you that fish will always be there! and at election time maybe even two, but the reality is one day you will go to the store and see a sign and a line The sign will say "No fish" the line will be chanting angry slogans about the lies they were told. Don't be lied to any more. You are the solution go fish.

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality Step #2

Awareness:

Awareness! When I take a walk to the lake now, or to the forest, I look down and name all the plants, grasses, vines, trees ,shrubbery. Was not that long ago, when all I saw was green. It still was a pretty green, relaxing, and comforting and I enjoyed it back then, when it was all green, but that's all it was in my minds eye, green. Because in the city you have sidewalk, concrete and asphalt, and in the country you have green, but that was then. Now the green is my healer, my medicine my nutrition, my mentor. There was a time in your life too, where you saw more than green, it's time to return to that place now.

The last two decades have seen some of the most extraordinary technological advances in the history of man. Sadly also some of the most persistent callous and greed motivated retrograde behavior in those same circles. Could one exist with out the other? I think so, actually if you have the time check out this video http://ww3.tvo.org/video/183205/jeremy-rifkin-entering-third-industrial-revolution He thinks so also, and also the critical urgency for us to exit the matrix, and become aware of just how garrulously mismanaged and dysfunctional our society has become. The choice though is yours, because for all intents an purposes your life may seem quite comfortable now, but for how long? If you accept the structure of the system that is now in place, then you must also be aware that this is a system that is designed to fail. That is not a threat nor prediction, but a fact. Not a design flaw but critically essential to the sustenance of the model,

Awareness, The tools are available, free for the most part, accessible to all, for the most part. But that also is not a guarantee that they always will be. There is evil in this world, it's two of many offspring are greed and ignorance. and they have reigned uncontested in our society long enough. It is time for change.

99 steps to reclaiming your individuality  Step #1

Identity:

How important is your identity to you? How do you identify yourself? What steps do you take during the course of the day to imprint your personal brand on your environment? What are you to your employer, a quantifiable cost of doing business variable, or an identifiable asset? Just a few key questions to jar you from the mundane drone of the compliant capitulation that today's society demands of you.

The inherent problem with today's revolutionary momentum is that is patterns itself behind the familiar activist rhetoric that whoever screams the loudest, the longest, and the largest will get the recognition eventually. (The screaming toddler in the shopping cart scenario revisited.)

What I would propose to you, is somewhat different albeit a similarly collaborative effort. Think of the success of the Movember viral movement. How many people would you estimate participated? Close to 2 million last year. Why? Very little sacrifice of convenience, notable cause, and water cooler conversation creds!

What I am asking requires a bit more sacrifice, a bit more commitment, and your willingness to promote the vision to all your friends. Think of the attention the movement would achieve if nearly 2 million people decided not to use their debit cards for 99 days, and the banks were made aware of the reason for the abstinence, by the social media exposure, tweeting and blogging. You would have their undivided attention.

This is the evolution of the revolution. what have you gained? for starters, You are going to be reimbursed for your inconvenience by a more intrinsic appreciation of monitoring your cash flow. You will bank, you will budget, you will be cognizant of the manipulation you have been indoctrinated into by all the slight of hand that both merchants and banks use to sift all those unnoticed pennies from your account consistently and persistently all 31 days of the month. The Mafia use to call it the skim, the banks caught on and never looked back. So long interest an loans move over for the new boss daddy in town service charges. What's in your wallet?

And again this is only one example of the 99 philosophy. You create the rule, You communicate it to your circle of friends, you promote it, and you will benefit from it. You cannot fail because in its least aspect, you have made a self empowering statement, and in it's potentially greatest you will have been the catalyst for change for a great many, and a realigning of the values that a free open society should possess.