It's kind of stunning how much has happened in the 10 days since I last wrote here. Feels more like a month than only 10 days. In that time, we've done 8 practicum sessions (4 as practitioner, 4 as observer), done feedback sessions for all of them, gone into to detail on aspects of lessons that weren't so clear during the practicums, observed Richard give 4 full-length lessons to classmates, been taught and practiced a number of new tricks and strategies to use during lessons, celebrated Richard's 55th birthday with homemade root beer and chocolate cheesecake, done a bunch of difficult ATM lessons, lost our minds in giggle fits, and today, watched a Moshe lecture. It's been a busy 10 days.
The lecture is what I wanted to write about here. It was on what Moshe called "levels of vitality". I found very quickly that I didn't like his idea of levels, that some people are more vital than others and are therefore better people, but the different types of vitality interest me. Oddly enough Moshe got them from Ron Hubbard, Mr. Scientology, of all people, but they're still worth thinking about.
Type #1 - The person who adjusts to the reality around them whether they like it or not. That can mean anything from someone who surrenders to a bad situation because they don't want to deal with it, or don't know how, to someone who realizes they don't quite fit and changes their own behavior to fit better.
Type #2 - The person who doesn't accept the reality around them and runs away, out of fear, anger, because they just need a new start, or countless other reasons.
Type #3 - The person who doesn't accept the reality around them and finds ways to change reality to fit them. The other extreme from #1, which can range from a person in a bad job changing what they can in the situation to a dictator changing how a country works to fit their desires.
The idea behind the different types is how people react to life, and how alive they feel based on those reactions. An activist who manages to reverse a major piece of legislation probably feels more alive in that success than the old lady who refuses to leave her house in the winter because she once broke her hip falling on ice (true story, Richard's grandmother). That's not to say that the activist lives a more worthwhile life than the old lady (although I think Moshe would not agree with me), it's just a different sort of life. Maybe the old lady likes her small life. She adjusts to it and realizes how safe it feels. The activist continues to be disappointed with government and continues to fight, successfully or unsuccessfully.
What we realized in discussion after watching the lecture was that you can't stay one type your whole life. At some point, everyone needs to settle and be okay with what they have or where they are, at some point everyone has a situation to escape, and at some other point, everyone gets the chance to change reality, even if it's a tiny change. If you only know one or two of those reactions, your life can't be full and something will go very wrong. All three are equally important and equally vital - it just depends on the situation at hand.
Thursday, May 10, 2012
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