“Your genetics load the gun. Your lifestyle pulls the trigger.” ~ Mehmet Oz
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“A lifestyle is what you pay for; a life is what pays you.” ~ Thomas Leonard
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“Self-centered indulgence, pride and a lack of shame over sin are now emblems
of the American lifestyle.” ~ Billy Graham
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“Our personal consumer choices have ecological, social, and spiritual consequences.
It is time to re-examine some of our deeply held notions that underlie our lifestyles.”
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~ David Suzuki
Just pause for a moment to look at the world, as objectively as you can.
What do you see? Look really, really hard!
Now… look in the mirror… this is your and my world!
Our world is an ecosystem of our individual values, combined to create the collective values in our world. Thus; if our individual values were in alignment with making the world a better place for everyone, not just ourselves, the world would live in harmony!
Unfortunately, the majority of people make their decisions predominantly based on how to improve their personal Lifestyle Package.
People will block progress for others, lie, throw others under the bus, do things in the name of “love” for their children… all while justifying their decisions; then surrounding themselves with like-minded decision makers… so they feel good about their less-than-stellar decisions to protect or enhance their personal Lifestyle Package.
Most, make decisions based on the Lifestyle Package Cocktail, which is mixed and everyone in their Inner-Circle is drinking it… while telling each other how brilliant they are! The Lifestyle Package Cocktail has 3 main ingredients.
- Privileges – You just have opportunities, most people don’t… and you don’t want to lose these privileges.
- Thread of Self-Centeredness – Every decision puts you first… period! Many will camouflage this thread by claiming, its what’s best for the company, children, etc. Most of the time… it’s just a camouflaged lie… it’s really about what’s best for themselves!
- Gift of Oblivion – What a wonderful gift for the majority who have it! This gift enables them to make decisions based on these 3 ingredients, while being completely oblivious to the reality that it’s about themselves… not what’s best for their organization, children or others.
If you weren’t fortunate (or extremely fortunate, depending on how you see it) enough to get the Gift of Oblivion… you can watch this play out almost in slow-motion, time and again with people’s decisions. Yet, they’ll honestly, with only the best intentions, tell you they don’t have it. This honest denial, demonstrates the wonderful, blind circularity of the Gift.
The best part, for those without the Lifestyle Package Cocktail… the ones with it, will self-cleanse out of your life and feel wonderful about their decisions! Further, the ones without the Cocktail will find their way into your life.
Not only should you be kind to those who self-cleanse out of your life, but you should go out of your way to help them preserve their self-esteem, support their decision making and be honest but not negative. This will help you elevate your appreciation muscles.
Appreciating that you don’t think like those who pursue the Lifestyle Package Cocktail; while you’re contributing primarily to helping the world become a better place… is building your Appreciation Muscles. These muscles in turn, enable you to lead a Purpose-Driven Life!
Personally, I had just enough economically growing up, paid my way through college, made a lot of money in my corner-office corporate career, got divorced and had to start over. It was the best thing that ever happened to me.
I learned to love unconditionally, give unconditionally and center all my energies on helping others. Funny… before this happened, I honestly thought I knew how to do this, but I was a 2.5 at it and didn’t have a clue how far from a 9.0 I was. An Unorthodoxly-Amazing woman showed me the difference between Great and Amazing about four years ago… opening my eyes that I didn’t even realize were closed… to Unorthodoxly-Amazing!
Now… earning money is merely the byproduct of helping others. Most people don’t understand nor appreciate who I’ve become, which bothered me at first. Then, it made total sense… although they were well-intentioned people, they were drinking the Lifestyle Package Cocktail! Those with the Lifestyle Package Cocktail won’t understand nor appreciate you, so they’ll self-cleanse out of your life. Be kind, they were just doing the best they could and most are good, well-intentioned people.
In the years following my divorce… the litmus test I use with female relationships… is to observe, without sharing that I’m observing (so as to not enable them to create a temporary façade)… how committed they are to themselves vs. others!
I’m still looking for the one who will consistently pass this evidently brutal test! 😊
In all my professional relationships, I’m not permitted to share all the wonderful things our partners’ spouses are doing, because they want to remain anonymous… from giving away thousands anonymously for those in need to working 500+ hours a year volunteering at Non-Profits. How beautiful is it to work with amazing people who happen to be exceptional professionally!
Objectively… where are you on the Lifestyle Package Continuum?
Are you a University Leader who wants to change 1,000’s of tomorrow’s leaders’ lives?
Would your university love to raise another $10, $50 or $100+ Million for Scholarships?
Our Intelligent Social Impact model can fund 1,000+ new College Scholarships, aligned with DEI;
and, be implemented at any U.S. college!
The coolest part…Intelligent…
it doesn’t cost the university or donor corporations a net $0.01 to implement and fully fund!
If you’re a Collaborative-Top-7%’er… DM me directly jim.roncevich@ipgsocialimpact.com.
Get MAD! Get Making A Difference! ~ JR
