Flying Dogs... of course!

Virtues - that's an interesting topic

When i think of virtues, it makes me think about qualities i like about me but also qualities I aspire to have.

Instead of thinking about just words to describe a virtue, in some cultures they choose an archetype /figure who is the embodiment of that virtue. This way when one thinks about that particular figure (alive or mythical), they automatically relate to the virtues that go with that archetype. This is why we have many mythological creatures like Pegasus, griffin or dragons in the stories we were told when we were young.

Aside from mythological creatures and archetypes, we have been taught from childhood that certain qualities resonate with specific animals, plants or people for eg. lions as courageous, an oak tree as strong or a dolphin as friendly. Looking at it another way, we have been taught from a very young age to " stereo type" people based on our first encounter with them. I believe that the more we do this , the more it becomes our reality. If we see someone as evil or difficult , then that person has to become that to fit into our reality but more than that we become stuck in one view point of that individual. Life is not flat with one dimension, it is multi-dimensional and dynamic. When we can acknowledge that we have changed over time, why cant we give others the same break?

Some people say that old dogs cant learn new tricks. I think that this is true if all things remain the same but if the playing field changes and if the change threatening in some way, even those who are fixed in their ways will find a way to change. We don't go out of our way to embrace change as human beings, we spend half our time, resisting change. I have a belief that "either you catch life by the collar or life will catch you by the collar"

The current recession is forcing many people to change their ways. We don't have a choice with this, if someone loses their job, they have no choice but to deal with it. How we deal with it is what will set us apart from ordinary to legend. We create our own stories as we go through life, we choose whether we want to be like some mythical character , strong, courageous and formidable. or let life beat us up.

Me - I want to be a Flying Dog, a Japanese mythical creature, a cross between a dog and a lion. They are found outside temples and buildings. The story goes that if they have their mouth open, they are there to scare away evil spirits and with their mouths closed - to keep the good spirits in. Reminds me of these two huge statues ( a bit like fierce armed warriors) that stand on either side of a hotel entrance in Asia. When I asked the hotel what they were, I was told that they were "Door Gods." I really like the concept of a "Door God. " I think a good leader is a bit like a "Door God", a guardian of an organisation, facing the external world and only letting whats good and useful to come in.

We need to choose our thoughts wisely as it has a way of turning back and becoming our reality. If we are in leadership positions, we also need to shape the thoughts of others consciously as group thinking is powerful and it shapes communities and economies. Now is the time to make that choice because the world needs it badly.