This freedom comes with the promise of happiness through self-discipline. It takes time, patience, and deep sympathy for others and the world we live in.
Letting go…
About ivonprefontaine
In keeping with bell hooks and Noam Chomsky, I consider myself a public and dissident intellectual. Part of my work is to move beyond (transcend) institutional dogmas that bind me to defend freedom, raising my voice to be heard on behalf of those who seek equity and justice in all their forms. I completed my PhD in Philosophy of Leadership Studies at Gonzaga University, Spokane, WA. My dissertation and research was how teachers experience becoming teachers and their role as leaders. I focus on leading, communicating, and innovating in organizations. This includes mindfuful servant-leadership, World Cafe events, Appreciative Inquiry, and expressing one's self through creativity. I offer retreats, workshops, and presentations that can be tailored to your organzations specific needs. I published peer reviewed articles about schools as learning organizations, currere as an ethical pursuit, and hope as an essential element of adult eductaion. I published three poems and am currently preparing my poetry to publish as an anthology of poetry. I present on mindful leadership, servant leadership, schools as learning organizations, how teachers experience becoming teachers, assessement, and critical thinking. I facilitate mindfulness, hospitality retreats. and World Cafe Events using Appreciative Inquiry. I am writing and researching about various forms of leadership, how teachers inform and form their identity as a particular teacher, schools as learning organizations, hope and its anticipatory relationship with the future, and hope as an essential element in learning.4 responses »
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ivonprefontaine
Teacher as Transformer 
I’ve not heard too much about self-discipline in the media so I have considered it to be a pariah. It is amazing to learn what it can do for all aspects of life. For instance in my experience it slows me down giving me time to think for better decisions. On the other hand it can keep me moving in order not to let things fall by the wayside that were supposed to have been done last week. Perhaps most important it keeps my mind focused on the magnificence of God, our heavenly Father, reminding me that prayer to Him and praise for Him are essential ingredients of life.
I agree Marie. Sometimes in popular culture we miss the depth of what things mean until we think upon them more deeply. Another word, actually two words, I find are misunderstood in popular culture are passion and compassion. They are the yin and yang of each other, so to speak. Thomas Merton wrote that we call it falling in love because it hurts and that is at the root of passion. It pain that makes us stronger. It is living life and taking things so they can help us become better. Sometime, as you point to, we have to go deeper to find meaning.
Letting go is the mantra of many religious and psychological mental health protocols esp in area of resentments. Also part of 12 Steps in addiction recovery. While I cannot deny the value of the protocol, all it’s advocates preach as though one has an off switch on the side of one’s neck to release a lifetime’s pain and suffering.
I agree Carl. I think part of the letting go is accepting that it is no easy journey. I know several people who are recovering addicts and those who to grips with it best do live one moment at a time. We need to be present to our self in the process of letting go.