“Intelligence is quickness to apprehend as distinct from ability, which is capacity to act wisely on the thing apprehended.”

Alfred North Whitehead, British mathematician and philosopher.

From January 2011, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

“Today you are true, that is truer than true - there is no one alive that is truer than you!”

Dr. Seuss, author.

From January 2011, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

Few creatures embody strength and power better than a rhinoceros. The large, primitive animal’s bulk (a weight often in excess of 7000 pounds) and rugged outer hide are fearsome and intimidating, especially live and even in photographs. A massive neck and foreboding chest are supported on short and sturdy legs. Add a frightening horn or two, and the rhino, even in repose, carries a permanent aura of menace.

A rhino has keen senses of smell and hearing and can run at a speed in excess of 30 m.p.h., which is faster than a squirrel, and is comparable to a deer and a kangaroo. The phrase “rampaging rhino” inspires fear and trepidation in thought, let alone in person.

However, a rhino is limited by poor vision. A typical rhino can only see about 30 feet, maximum, in any direction at any time. The hard-charging behemoth is quick to outrun his field of vision, somewhat akin to running full speed into and through a thick wall of fog. Most creatures would curtail or eliminate running, or at least move with caution and in a timid manner, considering their limited vision. Not the rhino. 

The hard-charging rhino never appears timid when in motion, perhaps helped by its protuberance, the horn that threatens to impale anything in its way. A rhino in flight plunges full steam ahead like  a runaway locomotive without brakes. No trepidation, no slowing down. No consideration of its veritable, practical and literal blindness. 

It is ironic that a group of rhinos is called a “crash,” which seems an apt description of a likely scenario should one run in your direction. The term is indicative of their frightening potential, and is appropriate to their overall intimidating nature.

Live like the rhino. Pursue your dream with the same rampaging style. Don’t worry about crashing or running too fast or being unable to see a clear path toward your objective. Charge, full blast, and trust that you will smash and bash and yes, crash through any obstacle in your path. You don’t have to see it, to defeat it. Run right through it and reach your destiny!

From January 2011, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

“If you’re going to try, go all the way. Otherwise, don’t even start.”

Charles Bukowski, writer.

From December 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

Mount Athos is an isolated, narrow peninsula in Macedonia, Greece oftentimes called “The Holy Mountain.” It is considered the Eastern Orthodox religious equivalent to the Vatican City of the Catholic religion. It is populated, almost to exclusion, with monks scattered about 20 separate yet linked monasteries. Sometime prior to the 7th century, the first monks arrived and they and their successors have honed their faith in exclusion and almost without interruption ever since. Each monk takes a vow to pray without ceasing for as long as they reside on the peninsula, meaning they commune with God on a deliberate basis during every activity. The promise is taken seriously: no females are allowed in Mount Athos, in order to minimize distractions of the holy men. 

Access to the monasteries is limited, almost without exception, to members of the Orthodox religion. All visitors enter via the Aegean Sea and request permission to set foot on the autonomous land. Legend has it that, in a long ago time, a certain man made an annual trek across the steep mountain range, also known as Mount Athos, to a particular monastery. He remained in prayer for his entire stay, one week, then returned to his home. The trip came at great personal expense and inconvenience. When asked why he made the trip each year, the man said, “Because every time I return to my home, I return a better husband, a better father, and a better man.”

Find your equivalent. Journey somewhere for a time, even if only in your imagination. Once there, take a vow of great import to you and keep your promise for the duration. You might vow to work on a certain school project without ceasing or to study your football playbook without pause or to practice your concentration skills without relaxing, for instance. Whatever your mission, complete it to the best of your ability. Emerge a better student; a better athlete; a better man!

From December 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

“… Ask of no man permission to perform. Learn that the consciousness of dominant power within you is the possession of all things attainable.”

Frederick Van Rensselaer Dey, author.

From November 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

Life is often made easier by “going along with the crowd” in an attempt to “fit in” and become popular. Wear the same clothes and shoes and hats as the popular people. Eat and drink and consume the same products as the popular people. Watch the same programs, listen to the same music, talk about the same things. Express the same opinions. Act the same. If it works for them, it’s got to be the best way!

Soon, the line between you and everyone else becomes blurred and indistinct. You lose your sense of purpose and your mission in life; you do and say many things in opposition to your true character; the guilt and anger about your weakness and malleability accumulate and stress you to the breaking point. Acquiesce enough, and you become nothing more than an apathetic lemming who swims with the tide toward the slaughter of your identity. You become indistinguishable from anyone else and your unique qualities remain hidden, untapped, and unused, to the detriment of yourself and others. 

It takes much courage, much effort, and much energy to break free from the masses in an effort to forge your own path and be true to your soul. A wonderful example of the ultimate bliss and joy that results from remaining yourself is captured in the (ostensible) children’s book Ferdinand. The short, easy to read book by author Munro Leaf tells the story of Ferdinand the bull, who refuses to think the same or to act the same as the other bulls. The illustrated book has entertained children for decades - and its underlying message is timeless. Be yourself. Follow your heart. You may not be popular; you will be great!

From November 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

Augustin Ramos was a Taramuhari Indian medicine man, a shaman, who provided healing, comfort and spiritual teachings to his people. He reportedly lived to an age in excess of 100; he taught and healed until the day he died. He was the undisputed leader of his community. One of his primary teachings was the concept that each young person in his tribe possessed a special component within which was indicative of future greatness. Ramos taught that it was a primary function of all tribal elders to nurture and bring this special possession to full fruition, no matter the labor, time or inconvenience involved. 

Often, this component of greatness was exposed through harsh physical labor and remarkable feats of endurance. The challenge of a task many times brought unknown and untapped talents to the surface. Other youth displayed their greatness in the form of enhanced spirituality or superior intellect or remarkable communication skills or breathtaking musical talent. Whatever the outlet, Ramos made it his mission to reveal and extract the talent. He believed that young people could “… sense a secret greatness in themselves that seeks expression.”

This discovery of greatness, and the quest for its full development, is not confined to the Taramuhari Indians, nor to mystical and mysterious shamans nor to irrepressible youth. Every person, regardless of race, creed, sex, age, occupation or interest, is in possession of at least one special talent. Make it your mission to discover yours, and to help others discover theirs. Ramos considered this quest a key to his longevity, and essential to his life-long productivity. Accept nothing less from yourself, either.


From November 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

If you attend a religious service this Holiday and Christmas season, chances are favorable that you will hear or sing the beloved hymn “Amazing Grace.” The words are recognizable to most; the opening stanza: 

“Amazing grace! / How sweet the sound / That saved a wretch like me / I once was lost, but now am found / Was blind, but now I see.”

Strong words made even stronger by the fact that they are autobiographical. The British author, John Newton, grew up in a seafaring family in the early 1700s. He was at sea, performing the backbreaking work of a yeoman crew member, when he was 11-years-old. He took a succession of jobs on various ships and then was impressed into mandatory service on a war ship. By his late teens he grew tired of the intolerable living conditions and the rigor of service and deserted his ship. He was captured, flogged, and in order to make a legal exit from his commitment, he volunteered to serve on a slave ship. He’d found his niche.

He rose to the rank of steersman. He and his crewmates made many voyages, picking up and delivering slaves, to and from many ports. Newton was a typical ship’s mate of the time, fierce and foreboding at times and profane, disrespectful and rebellious most of the time. He displayed little if any compassion toward the human cargo, the slaves, whom he considered little more than sub-human savages. These views, again, were typical of the time.

During one fateful voyage, though, Newton had an epiphany that changed his life. His ship sailed into a terrible and violent storm and was tossed about like a leaf in the wind, near to capsizing with every wave. Newton was certain that he, the crew, and his freight-load of slaves would soon meet their death. In a last-gasp effort for survival, Newton met with the captain and prayed for mercy. He was not a religious or spiritual man, and this act was out of character. Somehow, someway, Newton and his ship survived. Newton contemplated what had happened, and upon reaching the shore of his destination, was a changed man. Newton described it as a miracle, and called it his “great deliverance.”

Thereafter, Newton treated slaves with compassion and concern. He became a captain on a non-slave ship for a time, then abandoned his trade, his ship, and his acceptance of slavery in lieu of tolerance and a role as a minister. He studied theology and wrote many songs, foremost among them “Amazing Grace.” It is estimated that “Amazing Grace” is performed 10 million times each year, and the words resonate every time they’re sung. Newton was a wretch and a scoundrel who thought himself beyond redemption - he learned that, no matter the past transgressions, it is possible to change and become a man of greatness. Change if you must, and fulfill your destiny, like John Newton.

From November 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com

Author Victor Hugo said, “One can resist the invasion of an army but one cannot resist the invasion of ideas.” Train and strengthen your mind - fill your brain with ideas that overwhelm your enemy of mediocrity. Think, then act, then think again. If you encounter an obstacle, develop another idea. Your ideas act as does a drip of water onto a boulder. At first, the action of the water seems inconsequential and ineffective. Drop by drop, though, the boulder is bored into by the unceasing, concentrated action. The water flows, however slow and steady, and the boulder is worn away. Be relentless with your ideas. Keep them flowing from the inexhaustible tap within your mind, and any resistance against is futile.

From November 2010, http://raising-a-man.tumblr.com