CREATION Stage

    

Chapter 20

CREATION Stage

LAYER 9:  Planets and Stars Beyond

As you travel beyond Earth's atmosphere into deep outer space, an innumerable host of astronomical bodies—namely planets and stars—are housed within different space classifications known as superclusters, local groups, galaxies, solar systems, asteroid belts, stars, planets, moons, comets, space stations, etc.

All of these objects or collections of objects can be found throughout the Universe in various stages of creation and expansion or contraction and destruction. 

LEVEL 9:  CREATION Stage 

Something truly wonderful awaits YOU on your journey beyond the realms of Self-Transcendence. 

That something is the CREATION STAGE, where you get to take a prominent—even a leading—role in creating new ideas, things, relationships, families, organizations, communities, states, regions, nations, and even the world-at-large in the form of global-enhancing projects.

These creative pursuits are likened to the creation of various astronomical bodies throughout the universe.

In the Creation Stage, you have acquired and/or honed all of the abilities, experience, knowledge, skills, talents, and wisdom necessary to become a builder of structures and/or organizations, a creator of constitutions and cultures, a producer of philosophies, and—most importantly—an influencer and molder of human lives and relationships.

In this most important realm of your life's work, YOU spearhead the Existential Growth and development of other self-action leaders in hopes of helping them to one day join you as a Self-Transcended being in the Creation Stage themselves.

In the Creation Stage, there is no longer any jealous threat of competition, and one-upmanship ceases to exist. Self-action leaders in the Creation Stage value each other as much as they value themselves, and they take as much joy and satisfaction in the creations of others as they do in their own—if not more so.

Men and women like Jesus, the Buddha, Confucius, Muhammad, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and Florence Nightingale created whole new religions or movements upon entering the Creation Stage. In short, they changed the world in significantly positive ways. 

Many other men and women have done likewise throughout human history. While their names are not always widely known to history, the nature and kind of their accomplishments and creations are possessed of a similar substance to those whose names are commonplace. Moreover, the quantity of ordinary men and women who achieved extraordinary Existential Growth, development, and achievements—up to and including the Creation Stage—dwarfs the number of men and women who did so and are well known to history. As such, don't fall prey to the erroneous notion that you must ink a salient or prominent mark on the history books in order to reach this lofty existential status.    

Self-action leaders who arrive at the Creation Stage change the world and make it a better place in which to live and work. You can usually identify these people because they possess lasting legacies that are burnished ever brighter with the passage of time. These remarkable and venerable individuals achieved their masterpieces through commitment, consistency, constancy, continency, and continuance to the end.    

Depending on the scale and scope of one's visibility and influence in a social setting, such contributions may impact circles ranging from small groups of people (relationship, home, neighborhood, organizational) to immense masses (state, nation, world). 

The reason that Buddha, Christ, Confucius, Muhammad, et cetera, are so well known is because they combined substance with a massive scale and scope. But remember: the scale and scope of one's influence or creations is not nearly as important as the substance thereof.  

Financial Standing as a Metric for

Measuring Existential Growth

In general, financial status can be a useful metric by which to judge Existential Growth; but it is an imperfect and often unreliable method. This is because some people obtain wealth through avarice and other morally dubious means and then use their wealth for selfish and/or nefarious purposes.

In short, there are almost always exceptions to any given rule.

Nevertheless, the general rule is that financial solvency, security, success, independence, and prosperity/affluence can be meaningful benchmarks for measuring Existential Growth. This is only true, however, when wealth is earned honestly through productive industry that benefits others.

Wealth that was merely inherited or gambled into likely has little, if any inherent positive effect on your Existential Growth. In many such cases, money may even contribute to your existential atrophy and regression.

While many exceptions exist, the Beginner's Stage is typically marked by financial dependence on one's parents/initial caregivers. If you're on your own, you are likely struggling to make ends meet, as I was at that point in my life.

Basic financial stability is typically reached in the Practitioner's Stage, but may be challenged again in the Refining Stage. 

A more solid and reliable means of financial stability and security is typically reached in the Polishing Stage. From there, a self-action leader may become increasingly secure along one's way to financial independence and/or prosperity and affluence as they progress to higher levels up to and including the Creation Stage. Many, but not all, self-action leaders who reach the Leadership Stage and beyond are financially independent. 

As you reflect upon these approximate benchmarks, always keep in the forefront of your mind the possibility for legitimate exceptions to exist.

Suffice it to say, one can rise to the highest levels of Existential Growth without being financially wealthy, even though fiscal well-being often is a hallmark of such development and growth.  

In the next chapter, we will provide three case studies in order to further illustrate and illuminate the SAL Hierarchy's NINE different levels (or stages) in the dynamic interplay of real life. 

In Your Journal

• Would you like to someday rise to the Creation level? Why or why not? 

• Are you willing to pay the high price required to rise to the Creation level? Why or why not?

• What are ways that we can help each other rise to this lofty level of Existential Growth?  

—Dr. JJ

Wednesday, October 9, 2024

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 411th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 220th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.   

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 410 FF Blog Articles 

Click HERE for a complete listing of Freedom Focused SAL QUOTES  

Click HERE for a complete listing of Freedom Focused SAL POEMS   

Click HERE to access the FULL TEXT of Dr. JJ's Psalms of Life: A Poetry Collection

Click HERE for a complete listing of Self-Action Leadership Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Fitness, Heath, & Wellness Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Biographical & Historical Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Current Events, Cultural, Philosophical, & Miscellaneous Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Dr. JJ's Autobiographical Articles

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

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Chapter 20 Notes

LEADERSHIP Stage

  

Chapter 18

LEADERSHIP Stage

LAYER 7:  EXOSPHERE

Earth's last atmospheric level is called the Exosphere. It begins where the indefinite thermosphere ends. 

This level is by far the deepest atmospheric layer, extending to nearly 120,000 miles (200,000 km) beyond Earth's surface, or halfway to the Moon. 

While this layer is extremely deep and large compared to the other six atmospheric layers, it's hardly a layer at all because air particles are so far apart and Earth's gravitational pull is so weak. 

The end of the Exosphere marks the beginning of outer space.  

LEVEL 7:  LEADERSHIP Stage 

Earth's gravitational pull is almost non-existent in the Exosphere. Likewise, the tugs and pulls of Existential Gravity are typically slighter and less influential here than on lower levels—so much so, in fact, that highly developed and experienced leaders may hardly notice them at all.

It's not that existential crabs don't exist on Level 7, but only extremely bold existential crabs are audacious enough to try tangling with self-action leaders at this level, and those who do tend to be quickly marginalized or mocked by those who recognize an authentic leader on Level 7.

Self-action leaders on this level have developed—through much practice over time—the ability to disregard and otherwise care very little for what an x-crab might think or say about them. Thus, verbal barbs from x-crabs are akin to "water off a duck's back." They may even chuckle to themselves lightheartedly at whatever an x-crab may try to sling their way.    

The vast majority of x-crabs are too frightened and intimidated to open their mouths in the presence of an authentic and virtuous leader at this advanced stage of Existential Growth, development, and experience. There are metaphysical energies and powers that emanate forth from leaders on this level that repel and silence x-crabs.

In the rare case that an extra bold x-crab does attempt to explicitly nip at the heels of a self-action leader on this level, he/she will have little, if any, effect or influence upon you because YOU have grown so confident and secure in yourself. Plus, you are likely to have the backing and support of the majority, thus leaving the x-crab(s) vastly outnumbered.  

In the Leadership Stage, YOUR focus shifts from being primarily about your own growth and development to being primarily about the advancement and maturation of others. In fact, most of your own future growth will be a by-product of helping others to grow.

In your own rise to the Leadership Stage, you went to great efforts to seek out coaches, leaders, mentors, and teachers. Now that you are a LEADER, you become the teacher, mentor, leader, and coach. Sympathy, empathy, compassion, and a truly altruistic desire to see others succeed are a natural outgrowth of authentically inhabiting this stage.  

Self-action leaders at this level have a deep desire and remarkable capacity to "forget themselves and go to work" (1) on behalf of other people and organizational causes bigger than themselves. You are no longer "content with blessing [yourself and your] family alone, but range ... through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race." (2) 

In the Leadership Stage, you become increasingly aware of your life's legacy. More importantly, you begin to comprehend more fully the fact that a legacy centered on self alone is no legacy at all—or at least not an honorable one. 

Many (but not all) who reach the Leadership Stage have acquired sufficient resources to support themselves and their family without further employ; and many have become financially independent. This empowers them to further dedicate their surplus time and energy to philanthropy, service, and other enriching personal, familial, community, state, national, and global pursuits.

While the Leadership Stage is largely immune from Existential Gravity, it is not completely free of negative influences and temptation. Since those on this level are almost exclusively leading others, they often find themselves in positions of great power, authority, and influence. Thus, some may fall prey to their own "cult of personality" and stoop to reveling in the hero-worship heaped upon themselves by others.

If these temptations are not shunned and transcended, a self-action leader at this stage could end up succumbing to a host of vices, including, but not limited to: debauchery, greed, indolence, insolence, narcissism, self-worship, etc. If a leader on this level begins to give way to avarice, lust, or the practice of unethical or unfair dominion over others, that leader will regress backwards to lower levels.  

Unfortunately, some leaders who enter the Leadership Stage are seduced by whatever fame, fortune, popularity, or power they have achieved. These individuals regress backward to lower levels and/or turn to the dark shadow—an evil inverse of the SAL Hierarchy that will be covered in a later chapter. If amends and changes are not penitently made, such leaders will leave a tainted and tarnished legacy behind them marked by disappointment, shame, and unrealized potential. 

Fortunately, some leaders remain humble, steadfast, and true no matter how high they rise or how powerful and influential they become. These relatively rare persons are both self-action leaders and leaders in the truest sense of the word. Such leaders continue to pursue Self-Transcendence by helping as many people as they can.

These noble and remarkable leaders no longer care much, if they care at all, about who gets the credit for their many achievements. They're focused almost exclusively on lifting others, providing compassionate service, and otherwise getting positive and productive results in everything they undertake.

In Your Journal

• Do you have a desire to someday rise to the LEADERSHIP STAGE? Why or why not?

• If you were to eventually reach this lofty level of Existential Growth, who would you want to serve and what causes would you support?

• What suggestions would you give to someone on this level to help them avoid falling from grace and regressing back to lower levels?

—Dr. JJ

Wednesday, September 25, 2024

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 409th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 218th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.   

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 408 FF Blog Articles 

Click HERE for a complete listing of Freedom Focused SAL QUOTES  

Click HERE for a complete listing of Freedom Focused SAL POEMS   

Click HERE to access the FULL TEXT of Dr. JJ's Psalms of Life: A Poetry Collection

Click HERE for a complete listing of Self-Action Leadership Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Fitness, Heath, & Wellness Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Biographical & Historical Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Current Events, Cultural, Philosophical, & Miscellaneous Articles

Click HERE for a complete listing of Dr. JJ's Autobiographical Articles

.........................

Tune in NEXT Wednesday for another article on a Self-Action Leadership related topic.  

And if you liked this blog post, please share it with your family, friends, colleagues, and students—and encourage them to sign up to receive future articles for FREE every Wednesday.

To sign up, please email freedomfocused@gmail.com and say SUBSCRIBE, or just YES, and we will ensure you receive a link to each new blog article every Wednesday.  

Click HERE to buy the SAL Textbooks  

Chapter 18 Notes

1.  Advice of Bryant S. Hinckley to his son, Gordon B. Hinckley, during a trying period of Gordon’s full-time missionary service.

2.  Roberts, B.H. (1978). History of the Church. Volume IV. Salt Lake City, UT: The Deseret Book Company. Page 227. Quote of Joseph Smith, Jr. (1805-1844) in a letter written to the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in October 1840. 

SAL Seminar: Dr. Jensen Introduces Self-Action Leadership Theory

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