Opening Statement

What’s your objective?

Sir Isaac Newton told us, “For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In Sir Isaac’s case the action/reaction equation was examined in the relationship between sun and earth, earth and moon. Viewed from the perspective of the 21st century, though, we might instead see the relationship of action and reaction closer to home. Consider the following equation:

1. John and Mary wish to have a second child
2. They trade their one-bedroom apartment for a house in the suburbs
3. Mary quits her job to care for the children and the house
4. John works two jobs to pay the mortgage and living expenses
5. John rarely sees his family or the house he’s paying for

Each decision in the equation makes perfect sense as it’s being made, but in the larger scheme of things makes little sense for the life – and lifestyle - John and Mary wish they had. Their actions (having a second child, buying a house) have an equal and opposite reaction (John doesn’t see his family or the house).

Why exercise your brain?

There are serious philosophical questions about life that have been debated for years. Issues such as “Why are we here?” “What is our purpose?”; and “What are we supposed to accomplish in our time on earth” are questions that have been around since time immemorial. Answers can come from many directions including Religion, Love, and Science, depending upon your disposition.

Tying all the pieces together, though, is the human mind. This greatest of tools and strongest of muscles helps us determine our individual purpose and how we are to achieve it. Without a strong mind that is being exercised and used to its maximum effect, life is not being lived or enjoyed to its fullest.

So much for stating the obvious!

So why do so many people fail to address these questions (purpose, accomplishments, etc.) when they can still have the maximum impact on their lives? FEAR!

• FEAR of failure keeps many people from trying.
• FEAR of rejection blocks love, friendship, growth and happiness.
• FEAR of death prevents otherwise intelligent people from taking advantage of many opportunities life places before them.

A friend of mine recently told me about a woman named Sally in New York City who wanted to go to law school, but was unable to speak in public above a whisper. Incapable of looking people in the eye during a conversation, she allowed fear to run her life. That was until the day she came to two conclusions:

• She had survived far worse in her life than law school could ever throw at her;

And

• Her inaction ran counter to her goal of graduating from law school

Only when the proverbial light bulb went on over her head did Sally succeed in melting the mental blocks of ice around her feet. Today she is a partner in a successful law firm.

And she’s not alone. Apprehension causes a “deer in the headlights” reaction in people who need to write a will, find a guardian for their child, or buy life insurance. And it can ruin lives!

Profiting from your experience

Just as a business needs to show profit to live from year to year, individuals need to feel personal growth and meaning within their lives. This is unique for each person; however, one thing is certain; there is a direct correlation between the catagories selected and the overall impact upon one's life.

For example, I have structured my work hours to be able to spend afternoons with my son doing the best I can to meet his needs. He and I have both grown and learned a great deal from our time together, which gives my life and I believe his, greatly increased meaning and personal growth.

In the maximum security units of Los Angeles County Central Juvenile Hall, there are abused and neglected youth whose poor decisions have impacted on them in a big way. The circle of decision to consequence in their world is almost instantaneous compared to the average American existence.

While this makes them more vulnerable, in one sense, than the middle-class citizen whose biggest concern is which coffee to buy at Starbucks, it also makes them more receptive to the realities of life and the opportunities for change. Put another way, compared to our friend at Starbucks, the kids on the street “Get it.”

Whatever your personal politics, it helps to recognize that these kids understand the cause and effect of their actions and can teach the rest of us something important.

Life is not forever!

Since November 4, 1968 I have known of my own mortality. One of the most important results of this awareness, was that I wanted desperately to improve as a person; however, there was so much wrong with me, that I didn’t know where to begin. Then it hit me: If you improve your mind, your ability to see how to improve the rest of you would increase dramatically. I also realized that to be most effective in life, I would need to develop my mind to its fullest potential. I reasoned that the better my mind operated, the better my perception of, and ability to deal with, life itself.

The problem of course was that there was no magic way to ‘get smarter’ and so I began searching for something different. In this process, it occurred to me that the mind came from the same conception point as the body, and like the body, it responded to challenges (resistance). I theorized that if the principles which I had learned from training as a swimmer were applied to my brain, it would respond in a manner very similar to the way the body responds to conditioning, rest and other general principles of aerobic conditioning.

Developing my mind was extremely intense and was approached in the manner discussed above. The process helped me develop the philosophies you’ll find throughout this site.

Of particular relevance is the fact that these systems—later named PATHWAYS TO EXCELLENCE-- have been tested and retested for over twenty-five years, in settings ranging from the law school classroom to maximum security juvenile halls. In each of these settings the system has been validated by increased performance and motivation, and in the juvenile hall setting additionally, by a dramatic reduction in violence. Participants got to experience the results of consistently choosing honesty vs. dishonesty; focus vs. laziness; sharing vs. hoarding. They also got to see the benefits of positively moving towards a goal and how one needs to take a small step in the same direction every day. As the Chinese proverb tells us: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”

Those asking themselves what they wanted to be one day included many of the kids in the maximum security units in the Los Angeles County Central Juvenile Hall; the Ventura County (CA) Juvenile Hall; the California Group Home system for abused, neglected and probation youth; and at the Hollenbeck Youth Center and Inner City Games, Los Angeles.

Many members of this group came to understand that earning what they say they really want means getting an education, not using or selling drugs, and remaining focused on reality and the world around them. Those not up to the challenge end up in prison for most of their lives.

So what about YOUR prison cell?