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 

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Chapter 20 Notes

SELF-TRANSCENDENCE

   

Chapter 19

SELF-TRANSCENDENCE

LAYER 8:  OUTER SPACE

Beyond the Exosphere, the Earth's atmosphere ends completely, leaving a rocket or spaceship free to travel in the air- and gravity-free zones of deep outer space—where a spacecraft can maintain its propulsion and speed indefinitely without the aid of additional fuel. 

LEVEL 8:  SELF-TRANSCENDENCE 

The Self-Transcendence Stage, also known as just Self-Transcendence, or the "Freedom Zone," is the penultimate stage of Existential Growth in the SAL Hierarchy.

It is analogous to deep outer space.

Just as a rocket ship is no longer subject to gravity beyond the Exosphere, self-action leaders who reach Level 8 are no longer subject to Existential Gravity. This means that self-action leaders at this level have become so fully actualized they are no longer candidates for regression for lower levels. Having fully conquered their enemies both within and without, they've truly "Arrived" existentially and have therefore become thoroughly free. 

On the first seven (7) levels, even the strongest self-action leaders remain susceptible to moral entropy and existential regression. But upon reaching Self-Transcendence, YOU have finally "Made It" in the sense of your existential journey to character development and moral maturation.

This does not mean you are perfect in every particular—no human being ever is. It does, however, mean there is no longer any danger of colossal moral failure or significant existential regression.

Achieving Self-Transcendence doesn't mean your proverbial "Ship" has come in. Rather, it's a signal that you've voluntarily swam out to your ship and successfully conquered the rough seas and storms along the way. 

As a result, those who transcend themselves and reach this elusive level enjoy almost unlimited personal and professional freedom within a context of existing Universal Laws of physics and metaphysics.

Self-Transcended persons are almost always financially secure, if not financially independent. 

They have also often received and embraced outlying opportunities to positively influence and meaningfully contribute to the lives of others.

They have many relationships with other people that are deep, rich, and founded on mutual respect and impeccable trustworthiness. If they have a significant other, they have probably been with their mate for decades, are more in love than ever, and have a happy, healthy, and mutually satisfying union. 

By the time you have reached Level 7, YOU typically have an enormous amount of freedom to choose where and when you spend your time and money. While you may not be an organization's executive leader in a formal sense, you will undoubtedly exert a significant influence on growing (and sometimes vast) numbers of other people with whom you work and associate.

Self-Transcended persons leave a deep and lasting legacy of greatness, honor, love, and service for others to admire and replicate in their own lives. 

Sadly, only a relatively small percentage of the population ever reaches this lofty level during the course of their lives. It doesn't have to be this way, of course. Theoretically speaking, everyone has the potential to transcend self over the course of their lives, but many choose to tread other pathways that fundamentally miss the mark. Some simply lack the basic building blocks (i.e. food, shelter, safety, education) so necessary to support existential advancement.

Confucius
551-479 BC

Examples of those who have reached Level 7 are very well known figures in religion and culture, such as Jesus Christ, Siddhartha Gautama (The Buddha), Confucius, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Florence Nightingale, Mohandas Gandhi, Mother Teresa, and others like them. 

Other examples are far less famous, but similar to those mentioned above in terms of their character and commitment to moral and ethical living. Indeed, you don't have to be famous to reach Self-Transcendence. 

In reality, the number of obscure individuals reaching this top stage far exceeds the number of high-profile persons who've done so. Such existentially advanced persons may not be known beyond their families, friends, organizations, and communities. 

However, this fact does not diminish the value and importance of their achievements and contributions. Nor does it negate the very real metaphysical achievement and advancement they have made. There's no specific scope of influence required to reach Self-Transcendence. Seemingly ordinary mothers and fathers are often among the finest of candidates for Level 7.

In the insightful interrogatory of one theological sage:

"When the real history of mankind is fully disclosed, will it feature the echoes of gunfire or the shaping sound of lullabies? Will what happened in cradles and kitchens prove to be more controlling that what happened in congresses?" (1)

Never underestimate the potential of any human being to eventually reach this advanced level of Existential Growth—no matter how inauspicious their beginning or how lowly their station. Moreover, don't ever let the simplicity of your own life's backstory, current social status, or present profession lead you to believe you can't rise to this level of existential greatness. 

Theoretically, those who are currently homeless, starving, or drug-addled possess as much existential potential as presidents, potentates, and princes. Human change is always possible; that is perhaps the single most important paradigm and thesis of this Life Leadership textbook. But change doesn't happen by magic. There are FIVE (5) Fundamentals that must ultimately be in place to ensure the transformation actually happens. 

FIVE (5) Fundamentals of Self-Transcendence

1).  Secure basic Safety and Survival Needs
2).  Obtain an Education in SAL

3).  Cultivate a cadre of Advocates willing to assist
4).  Develop a deep Desire to Grow and Succeed
5).  Nurture an Inner Drive to never give up

Anyone able and willing to obtain and pursue these five (5) basic stepping stones can eventually progress to Self-Transcendence. You will inevitably need some help from others to accomplish the first three steps. But once you and others have ensured these steps have been taken, then YOU and SERENDIPITY can take care of the last two, thus ensuring that you eventually reach your goal of Self-Transcendence.  

With only nominal help from others, a truly driven and motivated self-action leader possesses the liberty—and can earn the freedom—to advance as far as you desire, intend, and are willing to chase after.  

Confucius Quote

That's the GOOD NEWS of Self-Action Leadership.

When you truly transcend yourself through SAL and SERENDIPITY, extraordinary moral authority is earned as a by-product of your diligent and focused efforts over time. You become, in short, a person of authentic GREATNESS. Whether your greatness influences eight billion people, just eight folks, or only a single, solitary soul, it may still be a greatness of the same kind and degree. 

REMEMBER: Christ and Confucius did not transcend self because they founded popular belief systems. They transcended self because they paid the price to become a morally-minded and principle-centered self-action leader determined to keep going and growing forever. 

Christianity and Confucianism were tangible and influential outgrowths of their deep, penetrating, and authentic inner accomplishments. The same could be said of the Buddha, Gandhi, Mother Teresa, or anyone else who has reached this extraordinary and elusive level of Existential Growth.

In Your Journal

• What are some of the ways in which you would need to change and/or grow to eventually transcend self and reach Level 7?

• Is the high price of Self-Transcendence worth it? Why or why not?

—Dr. JJ

Wednesday, October 2, 2024

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 410th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 219th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.   

Click HERE for a compete listing of the other 409 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   

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

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Click HERE for a complete listing of Biographical & Historical Articles

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

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

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Chapter 19 Notes

1).  Maxwell, N.A. (1978). The Women of God. URL: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1978/04/the-women-of-god?lang=eng

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.  

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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. 

Existential Gravity

 

Chapter 13

Existential Gravity 

Gravity is an indisputable, significant, and powerful force in our world, solar system, galaxy, and universe. It is the force (or power) that holds celestial bodies together. It is also the force that makes possible physical life as we know it here on the Earth.

The SAL Theory posits the existence, significance, and power of metaphysical gravity as a metaphorical analogue to physical gravity.

In referring to metaphysical gravity, we employ the term Existential Gravity, and suggest that it serves as a negative force to inhibit Existential Growth and influence the onset of existential atrophy.  

Law 9

Existential Gravity exists to inhibit Existential Growth and

influence the onset of existential atrophy.

Existential Gravity (XGrav) exists in many different forms. It creates adversarial tugs and pulls in the lives of all human beings, including self-action leaders.

Examples of XGrav include: addictions, bad habits, negative peer pressure, temptations, weaknesses, and any other force or inertia that inhibits Existential Growth or influences the onset of existential atrophy.

EXISTENTIAL GRAVITY (XGrav)

Addictions, bad habits, negative peer pressure, temptations, weaknesses, and any other force or inertia that inhibits Existential Growth or influences the onset of existential atrophy.  

Existential Gravity is analogous to the Earth's gravitational pull, which inhibits animate organisms and inanimate objects from rising above its surface or beyond its atmosphere.  

Like physical gravity, no human being is exempt or immune from the tugs and pulls of Existential Gravity. At lower levels of Existential Growth (XGrow), XGrav exerts stronger forces. At higher levels, it exerts weaker forces. On the first seven levels of Existential Growth, XGrav exists to varying degrees of strength on a spectrum of upwardly regressing XGrav. Upon reaching level eight—Self-Transcendence—you rise above the pull of XGrav and are no longer subject to its power (more on the nine levels of Existential Growth to come in the next chapter). 

Existential Gravity has the potential to produce ponderous challenges in YOUR life. It's what makes the transcendence of human flaws, weaknesses, challenges, and circumstances so difficult and time consuming. However, no matter how hard it may be to resist its power, remember that abdicating your self-sovereignty to XGrav will, if left unchecked, lead to failure, misery, penury, and even despair.  

One of the most problematic elements of Existential Gravity (XGrav) lies in its personification. When other people serve as a source of XGrav, they become existential crabs, which in turn create a "Crab Effect" upon your efforts to learn, grow, and progress as a self-action leader. Existential Crabs are people and organizations that act to undermine your progress and inhibit your Existential Growth. 

EXISTENTIAL  CRABS

People and organizations that act to undermine your progress

and inhibit your Existential Growth.

The "Crab Effect" refers to a phenomenon observed among live sea crabs when placed together in a bucket. If a single crab is placed in a bucket, it possesses the power to escape on its own. But if multiple crabs are placed in the bucket together, none of them will escape because group members will prevent any individual crab from obtaining freedom by pulling each other down whenever one tries to escape. 

CRAB  EFFECT

A phenomenon whereby a single crab may free itself from the confines of a bucket, but a group of crabs will prevent each other from similarly escaping by pulling each other down.

Some existential "Crabs" are more nefarious than others; but all are potentially detrimental to YOUR progress as a self-action leader.  

The GOOD NEWS of SAL is that self-action leaders possess power to transcend Existential Gravity (XGrav) over time through Self-Action Leadership.  

Corollary 9.1

Self-action leaders possess power to transcend Existential Gravity

over time through Self-Action Leadership.  

Rising above Existential Gravity is not always easy, but it is always possible. Just as mankind has learned to transcend Earth's physical gravity through aerodynamics and other scientific inventions, YOU can learn to transcend whatever Existential Gravity comes your way through Self-Action Leadership.  

It is not always easy to pursue a worthy goal when others around you circumvent, humiliate, mock, ruin, tease, or otherwise seek to foil your freedom, growth, and success. Moreover, it can be very difficult to break bad habits, overcome addictions, or effectively manage cognitive distortions and mental illness when those challenges are deeply ingrained.

That is the bad news. 

The good news is that difficulty does not spell impossibility.

Thus, it is virtually always possible to overcome Existential Gravity to earn Existential Growth. Indeed, everyone can choose to grow existentially, and that includes YOU!

Unfortunately, far too many people renounce their royal birthright as a self-action leader and succumb to a combination of negative peer pressure and their own flaws and weaknesses. This abdication is understandable; after all, holding on to the throne of civilized humanity is not easy—as history as amply evinced! 

Forces abound to usurp it whenever and wherever possible, and some of mankind's greatest potentialities eventually became fatalities in the face of XGrav's ongoing onslaught. In the pithy parlance of Henry Miller: Man has demonstrated that he is master of everything except his own nature.  

"Man has demonstrated that he is master of everything except his own nature."  

—Henry Miller

Remaining royal demands that you fight the good fight and remain ever diligent and vigilant in your quest for Existential Growth and inner peace. The battles are—and will yet be—adventurous and exciting, but they will not be easy! In the penetrating prose of one great leader: The greatest battle of life is fought within the silent chambers of your own soul. 

"The greatest battle of life is fought within the silent chambers of your own soul."  

—David Oman McKay

David O. McKay is right!

Life is filled with long and lonely battles fought in a protracted and solitary fashion. It is all part and parcel of a vital war waged for your own freedom and Existential Growth. It is a lonely and long, but absolutely vital struggle!

It is a lonely fight because YOU are the only one who can give the order to engage the enemy within. It is a long struggle because life is long—no matter how short it may seem looking backwards in time. And it is a vital quest because your personal freedom and inner peace is always on the line. 

The idea and vision of life as an ongoing war may sound depressing, but keep in mind the stakes: if YOU are progressively victorious, your life will be blessed with joy, fulfillment, love, and peace. But if your enemies (within or without) win, your life will be filled with anxiety, failure, regret, sadness, and turmoil.

How will YOU choose to respond to the Existential Gravity that will bear down upon you throughout your life? How you answer this question will ultimately determine the design of your destiny. 

Among the very best news about SAL is that, as higher levels of Existential Growth are reached, Existential Gravity is commensurately transcended. 

Corollary 9.2

As higher levels of Existential Growth are reached,

Existential Gravity is commensurately transcended.

As you rise to higher levels of Existential Growth, you are blessed with the gradual diminishment of Existential Gravity. At the two highest levels of Existential Growth, Self-Transcendence (Level 8) and Creation (Level 9), Existential Gravity ceases to exert power over you. Full descriptions of the different levels of Existential Growth will be provided in the next chapter.  

This is indeed wonderful news! 

It means that as Existential Gravity is transcended, your journey toward higher levels of Existential Growth becomes generally easier. 

Corollary 9.3

As Existential Gravity is transcended, your journey toward

higher levels of Existential Growth becomes generally easier.

In the SAL Theory, a rocket ship serves as a metaphor for a self-action leader seeking one's freedom from Existential Gravity to earn Existential Growth.

To reach outer space, a physical rocket ship must transcend atmospheric pressure, gravity, temperature changes, and weather that exist in different layers of the Earth's atmosphere.

As a rocket travels higher into the upper levels of the Earth's atmosphere, the air becomes thinner and Earth's gravitational pull gets weaker. As atmospheric pressures and gravity diminish with altitude, less fuel is needed to maintain the same speed and propulsion. 

Rocket ships carry enormous amounts of fuel on their journeys into space. The majority of this fuel is burned up within the first few minutes after takeoff. As the air thins and Earth's gravitational pull weakens, less fuel is needed to maintain the same propulsion and speed.

This is an ideal metaphor for your own metaphysical journey to higher levels of Existential Growth. Transcending lower levels of Existential Growth require greater efforts and more time. The reason for this is twofold.

FIRST, self-action leaders are less mature and more insecure about themselves and their own abilities when they inhabit lower levels. SECOND, the challenges and trials are often greater and more difficult to transcend on lower levels. Thus, the higher you rise in your own Existential Growth, the easier your journey becomes (generally speaking).

With all of the introductory and prefacing material now in place, the time has come to introduce the very heart of the SAL Theory: the Nine Stages of Existential Growth. 

Read on to learn all about it!

In Your Journal

•  What kinds of Existential Gravity are you most susceptible to?

•  To what degree are you susceptible to the kinds of XGrav you’ve previously identified?

•  Who are some of the existential crabs that have afflicted you in the past? How did they try to pull you down? Did you do anything to try and limit their negative influence?

•  What existential crabs are currently afflicting you? How are they trying to pull you down? What can you do to mitigate their negative influence?

•  What existential crabs do you think might afflict you in the future? How might they try to pull you down? What could you do to prepare yourself to curtail or rise above their negative influence? 

—Dr. JJ

Wednesday, August 21, 2024

Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, USA

Author's Note: This is the 404th Blog Post Published by Freedom Focused LLC since November 2013 and the 213th consecutive weekly blog published since August 31, 2020.   

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Self-Action Leadership Theory

YOUR EXISTENTIAL ROCKET SHIP

In the SAL theory, a rocket ship serves as a metaphor for YOU, me, or any other self-action leader seeking to transcend Existential Gravity and earn Existential Growth. As a rocket ship travels higher into the upper levels of the atmosphere, the air becomes thinner and the gravitational pull of the Earth gets weaker. As the atmosphere diminishes with altitude, less fuel is needed to maintain the same propulsion and speed.

Rocket ships carry enormous amounts of fuel on their journeys into Space, the majority of which is burned up within the first few minutes of flight as the rocket penetrates the lower levels of the atmosphere where the Earth’s air density is thickest and its gravitational pull is strongest. As air thins and gravitational pull weakens, less fuel is needed. Similarly, lower levels of Existential Growth require greater effort to transcend, and are generally accompanied by more internal insecurity and external adversity. Your journey then becomes easier as you rise to higher levels of Existential Growth.

The SAL theory identifies nine different levels (or stages) of Existential Growth. These levels correspond to the Earth’s surface (Level 1), six different layers of the Earth’s atmosphere (Levels 2-7), Outer Space (Level 8), and astronomical bodies throughout the Universe (Level 9).

ATMOSPHERIC LAYERS [1]

This chapter explicates the nine levels of the atmosphere, as follows:

Layer 1: The Earth’s Surface
Layer 2: The Troposphere
Layer 3: The Stratosphere
Layer 4: The Mesosphere

Layer 5: The Ionosphere
Layer 6: The Thermosphere
Layer 7: The Exosphere
Layer 8: Deep Outer Space
Layer 9: Astronomical Bodies Throughout the Universe

Layer 1: The Earth’s Surface

Though technically not a layer of the atmosphere, the Earth’s Surface is a boundary signaling the beginning of the atmosphere. At sea level or below, atmospheric pressure is the greatest, the air is the thickest, and the gravitational pull is the strongest.

Layer 2: The Troposphere

In this, the lowest level of Earth’s atmosphere, air is thick and gravitational pulls are strong. The troposphere rises to a little over six miles (11 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. The higher you travel into the troposphere, the colder the temperature gets.

Layer 3: The Stratosphere

The stratosphere lies above the troposphere, and rises to about 30 miles (47 kilometers) above the Earth’s surface. The temperature rises in the stratosphere due to a high concentration of ozone, making it friendly for jet airplane and hot air balloon travel.

Layer 4: The Mesosphere

The mesosphere extends beyond the upper limits of the stratosphere to about 50 miles (80 kilometers). Temperatures drop dramatically as you rise higher in the mesosphere, producing the coldest temperatures in the atmosphere. This layer is too high for airplanes and hot-air balloons and too low for orbiting satellites, and is therefore difficult to explore.

Layer 5: The Ionosphere

The ionosphere begins where the mesosphere ends, and forms the lower section of its succeeding layer, the thermosphere. The ionosphere rises to a height of about 250 miles (400 kilometers). The aurora borealis (northern lights) and aurora australis (southern lights) occur in the ionosphere.

Layer 6: The Thermosphere

Sitting atop the ionosphere is the thermosphere. It “contains only a minute fraction of the atmosphere’s mass.” [2] Deeper than all preceding layers, the thermosphere rises to heights of about 600 miles (1,000 kilometers). Temperatures increase dramatically in the thermosphere due to the low density of air molecules (but curiously, we wouldn’t feel hot at this level because there aren’t enough molecules to effectively transfer heat energy to our skin). Space shuttles, space stations, and satellites orbit the Earth in the upper levels of the thermosphere.

Layer 7: The Exosphere

Planet Earth’s last atmospheric level is called the exosphere. This level is by far the deepest atmospheric layer, extending to nearly 120,000 miles (200,000 kilometers) beyond the surface of the Earth, or halfway to the Moon. While this layer is extremely large, it is hardly a layer at all because air particles are so far apart, and the Earth’s gravitational pull is so weak, it becomes largely indistinguishable from Outer Space.. It is the zone of transition between the Earth’s atmosphere and Space.

Layer 8: Outer Space

Beyond the outer sections of the exosphere, the Earth’s atmosphere ends completely, leaving a rocket ship to travel in the gravity-free zones of Outer Space. In Outer Space, a spacecraft can maintain its propulsion and speed indefinitely without the aid of fuel.

Layer 9: Astronomical Bodies Throughout the Universe

As you travel throughout Outer Space, an innumerable host of astronomical bodies (stars, planets, etc.) can be found in tact, or in the process of formation or destruction.

My next blog post will explicate Part 2 of the SAL theory, where the nine levels of Existential Growth will be presented as metaphorical analogues to the Earth's surface, atmosphere, Outer Space, and other astronomical bodies throughout the Universe. 

[1] The eight sections that follow paraphrase the following two textbooks:
Lutgens, F. K., & Tarbuck, E. J. (2010). The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology (Eleventh Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall.
Tarbuck, E. J., & Lutgens, F. K. (2009). Earth Science (Twelfth Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice-Hall.
[2] Lutgens, F. K., & Tarbuck, E. J. (2010). The Atmosphere: An Introduction to Meteorology (Eleventh Edition). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall. Page 28.

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The Final Frontier of Your Own Potential

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The Self-Action Leadership Theory