A MASON,EFFORT,PURPOSE & CHAOS

To be sure, Freemasonry has been a resilient gold standard. Infallible? Perhaps. Aspirational? Conclusively.  Mentors come and go. The best are those who understand how to instill a sense of trust and authenticity in others. Carrot and stick expects us to do the next thing right.  Ethics and values teach us to do the next right thing.  There are growing lists of examples of military and competitive sports franchises achieving greater success when they have brought values based training and education that recognizes the humaness of an individual, stark contrast to powerful systems that treat people as commodities.  We could call it volunteering but isn't it likely we are witnessing opportunity? Today educators know that teaching happens when students are receptive. Entire philosphies have been built around ways to enhance those opportunities and optimize learning. The results have been stunning. Communicating and sharing this wonderful outcome faces barriers even as common sense tells us the value.  When we have worked enough, studied enough, laughed at our shortcomings, or learned from our own mistakes and grown, those insights are known only to a single person.  No fanfare. No recognition. No ego stroking. Growth happening without carrot/stick.  It is odd in a way, that each of us tends to believe the mountain we climb is steeper than yours. The Order only shows the path, but the motivation is individual.  Character isn't limited to what happens to a man. Character is a measure of how we react to what happens.  So many choices, how is a man to know which to make?  Fortunately for us, Freemasonry covers that abundantly, in ritual steeped in values and ethics and morality; not standing around moralilzing, but applying our values becomes a moral imperetive.