THE ALPHA PROTOCOL

 

Far too many people think that starting over means going back to the beginning and repeating everything they originally did while expecting different results than those that initiated the “re-do.”  While reviewing the actions or decisions that did not produce anticipated results is an admirable component of any “recovery” effort, perhaps more could be gained by focusing on was NOT ATTEMPTED OR CONSIDERED...what might have been LEFT OUT or OMITTED...then initiating different approaches starting from a new and fresh perspective to achieve improved results.  This method of continuous improvement in life – of establishing ongoing new beginnings to accomplish unexplainable results – can be defined as leveraging the “Alpha Protocol.”

 Alpha represents the beginning...the start...where we must launch our journey before we can hope or expect to reach an end – which would be called the Omega.  Before we can “undo” what has been “done” we must identify what (specifically) did we not like about the direction our journey was going.  Before we can start over, we must identify WHY we do not like where we are (even if we have not yet figured out what we must do differently to alter the direction of our travels) and WHAT we are willing to do to alter the course of our journey.  Did you begin your journey at the request of another – moving in the direction you were pointed using the tools, concepts and pre-conceived beliefs someone else provided – or did you consider where YOU wanted to go before walking down a path upon which (perhaps) nobody had ever wandered?  Did you begin your travels from a clearly defined Alpha then monitor progress towards an Omega OR did you do what felt good at the time and hoped to build upon that foundation to discover greatness?  While one can always improve and grow, if one is relatively comfortable with the “omega” they have landed upon there is no amount of discussion, collusion or convincing that will force the investment of energy needed to create a new “alpha.”

In order for your efforts to culminate in a logical conclusion – an answer in which you can believe and feel comfortable – you must consider where you wish to go, how you hope to get there and what you are willing to invest as you define what you are moving from and why you wish to leave it.  Full implementation of the Alpha Protocol requires that each identified new opportunity...every new path upon which we may travel...begins at a place from which we must move to accomplish anything.  We cannot seek safety or comfort “where we are” if we want to accomplish or enjoy those things that have not yet been achieved.  We must realize (and internalize) there are many paths leading from a starting point to a different destination – and that each stopping point is truly just a place to collect and gather strength prior to seeking the next opportunity not yet revealed.  Each fresh start becomes another new “alpha” from which the next steps originate rather than an “omega” that will stand as complete against the test of time.  If one is comfortable enough to endure the irritations within what they have or more comfortable living in the pain of lost opportunity than they might be in experiencing the potential suffering to which untested beginnings leading to not yet discovered destinations would expose them, then he or she should settle for the satisfaction that might be found in what is rather than living for what could be.  Alpha moments come and go in life – greatness enters the lives of those willing to let go of their bad omegas as they seek new opportunities.  Dissatisfaction, despondency and depression often descend upon those unable or unwilling to identify the need to move on...accepting the miserable life they might have rather than reaching out for something different – accepting all the blame for the way things are rather than opening their eyes (and hearts) to what might be.

When choosing to act by intentionally selecting a course of action after much study, review and discussion, allow your journey to reach a conclusion (even if the “end” is but a rest stop on the road to a final destination) before changing direction prior to allowing your decision to reach a logical conclusion.  There may be many “alpha moments” during the accomplishment of each objective – new beginnings from which opportunity blossoms.  There are truly few “omega moments” in our daily lives as each “end” is but a new beginning on the way to another temporary end (there are very few “finalities” in life – death and taxes being two – while each day dawns with a new beginning before concluding with a resting point allowing us to prepare for another fresh start).  Unless we choose to live our lives as they have always been - expecting (and being satisfied) to receive that which has always been provided - everything we do begins at a place which must necessarily be left behind if we hope to move forward in life. 

Those who accomplish much in life tend to live within their Alpha more frequently than they succumb to their Omega moments.  They see life as a series of new beginnings rather than ends – of fresh starts rather than conclusions.  While accomplishing much, they feel much has yet to be accomplished.  They find peace in the discovery of new moments in which they can live, breathe and grow rather than from resting upon the discoveries they may have made and finding satisfaction within the comfort that accomplishment can falsely provide.  Our omega moments often serve as resting points from which we can recharge, refocus and redirect our efforts before seeking another destination...recognizing them as new alphas from which different experiences blossom rather than as ends that might bring a new beginning to a halt...launching us to move courageously forward rather than being left behind in the safety of our unwanted realities.

LIVING IN A COLORFUL WORLD WITH A BLACK AND WHITE MINDSET...

“Shades of grey” people can find more fulfillment in relative comparisons than in absolute positioning.  While there are several absolutes in this world, more often than not life is a series of subtleties that fall far short of the extremes demanded by a “black and white” perspective.   Far too often people view each situation they might come upon as being either fully and completely “right” or absolutely “wrong” as they apply a rigid set of standards to situations that have not yet fully been fully developed or implemented.  More often than not there is both right and wrong in every situation – parts of everything being both good potentially bad – the differences and applications being established by our experience, our perspective and our values.  When one shuts out the stark reality of black and white – the forced “go/no go” that we often face when operating within an absolute world - he or she can focus more on the possibilities of a situation rather than the reality of a closed door, an impractical possibility or an unconsidered potential.  Far too often we are distracted by the shades and hues of color within a setting or the starkness of either black or white when examining an image so much that we fail to find the soft relationships within the mist or the possibilities hidden on the other side of the fog.  Linking reality to the abstract pictures painted by grey-scaled photographs might be a better way to look at life – seeing things as being muted and shaded rather than sharp and undeniable.

A picture taken by Lake Michigan in winter – seen as a portal to the possible – is one example of focusing upon what might lay beyond what we see rather than seeing but a tunnel through the sand.  When we see but light and darkness rather than color and depth the wonders of the world can be revealed.  We can view an otherwise mundane tunnel through the sand as being our entrance into the vast horizons of opportunity.  Once through the gateway, rather than seeing but the harsh reality of a winter storm – with white covering the welcoming tan sands and blue waters – the removal of color from our lens provides a majestic beauty rather than a disappointing loss.  While striking as a colored photo, the lake seems frozen in time (figuratively as well as literally) when viewed through a black and white lens.  We often judge people, situations and opportunities by the “color they wear” or the expectations we have rather than the depth of their essence.  Perhaps we should all take the time to filter our initial impressions so we can identify and apply the value exposed through that sense of clarity.

Animals within the San Diego Zoo become a canvas upon which colors can logically be removed.  A panda within a tree provides a black and white perspective often lost within the green and brown foliage of its reality.  A resting tiger, majestic within its normal orange and black, becomes a powerful image of stark contrasts when stripped of its color.  (I avoided using the zebra that stood perfectly still – the reality of his world being black and white enough without being viewed through an altered filter.)  If only we could view others within our world through a muted filter – to see them for what they offer rather than losing ourselves within what we predetermine them to be – perhaps then the world would be less confrontational as the pride of plumage becomes but a muted blanket of comfort when we see each other as being the same rather than trying to “one up” each other. 

A neglected path in Kentucky becomes so much more focused when the colors of the autumn leaves highlighting the grass fading to brown as the sun sets upon the day are removed so as to reveal a winding trail which could lead to most anywhere IF one chose to take it.  While this path led to a mountain view, a similar path taken during a trip to Oregon led to a hidden waterfall near a wooden bridge.  We all must choose which road we will travel during this life.  Though many will follow highways that make their trip easier and their choices more defined, those seeking opportunities within shades of grey will often find beauty, peace and fulfillment when taking the road less travelled as they realize the subtle realities hidden within the paths that they take.

Giving a new definition to “peer pressure” were pictures taken in Maine and Virginia Beach.  While one may have to be a bit convoluted to link “pier” pressure with “peer” pressure, seeing a sturdy platform reach into the ocean always provides testament as to what can be done if we persevere – of what power and might we can harness when we seek to transform “what is” into “what could be.”  A pier stands as testament to the storms it has weathered – of the sunrises (or sunsets) it has experienced – of how it greets each new day (on the East coast) or welcomes the night into lives “out West.”  Too often we see only the surface of each situation we face – only the “practical purpose” of things rather than the possibilities not yet defined or determined.  When we take the time to look beyond what we see in life (a structure extending into the sea) to uncover the opportunities it hides (what travels beneath its surface or could be observed at different times of day or night) we can discover secrets revealed to us ONLY when we choose to close the book on what is and open it to see what could be possible beyond its covers.  A pier can be a dock or a window to a new world – its reality limited by our minds rather than its functionality.

Traditional pictures of a colorful world – waterfalls, rivers, seascapes, sand sculptures, bridges and birds (I seem to have some kind of addiction to birds – perhaps it is the freedom their world provides them or the limitless opportunities their flight reveals) – reveal beauty and reality in many ways.  Beyond pictures, however, are subtle differences that a grey-scale world provides – the shades that exist between “what is” and “what could be” made brighter or less defined by the lens we use to filter what we capture.  Vacation pictures can provide a different perspective when the “color of reality” is stripped from them – a perspective we do not often use when living our lives.  Perhaps we could all gain from looking at the obstacles we face, the people we live or work with and the challenges we wish to overcome through a different lens.  If we were to take a less conventional path to reach an unconsidered destination from which we could build a brighter future (rather than seeing a tunnel and wishing to determine where it began and where it ends...if we could intentionally alter our perspective to see where we might go after emerging from it rather than focusing on but what we see as we enter the light) – perhaps THEN life might truly become what we make it to be rather than forcing us to be content with what it offers us. 

We all share a common world but look at life through vastly different lenses.  The same object or person can reveal a variety of beauty, complexity, values and worth depending on how one filters what is observed.  Perhaps we could make more of a difference if each one of us could change our perspective by altering or modifying the filters we consciously and intentionally use so that rather than seeing only the surface of things – the reality within life – we might find the vast possibilities life offers beyond the obvious.  In a world of grey we can seek the possibilities of what could be rather than settling for the reality of what is as we identify the similarities and complimentary interactions we might share by being color blind to the differences that tend to keep us apart. 

INCLUDE OTHERS ON YOUR ISLAND TO GROW AND THRIVE

We need others in our lives to challenge, validate and support our direction, decisions and aspirations.  While most of us are able to move forward through much of life on our own, we can find encouragement to keep moving when we might prefer to rest if others are walking beside us along the way.  I recently spoke with an individual that had “issues” with everyone else in their world – they were either bull-headed, set in their ways, did not know anything about the “real world” or just would not listen – but the individual’s solution was “if only they would listen to me, all would be a lot better.”  THAT is island logic at its best (or worst) and the kind of thinking that might make an individual’s personal “island” more a volcanic wasteland devoid of companionship than a lush, tropical escape that could be shared.

Before we can expect others to accept us – to care enough about us to invest their time in making us better – we must first accept ourselves as we are THEN accept others as they are rather than as we think they could (or should) be.  The first step in this acceptance is to discover our own potential – fully accepting and assimilating the beauty of that reality into every aspect of our lives – before we could ever realistically hope to have another see value or worth in us.  We must identify our individual strengths and weaknesses, realizing the role that each plays both in our development AND to our detriment, then apply the positives while addressing and correcting the negatives – leverage the strengths that make a positive difference in our lives and the lives of others while addressing the weaknesses that can bring ourselves or others down. 

When one looks for weaknesses, assigns fault, or emphasizes failure they tend to focus more on what “was not done” than on celebrating success.  They often attempt to change behavior by identifying deficiencies that need altering (thereby becoming important as the identifier of another’s problems) rather than by encouraging the “cloning” of healthy behaviors they choose to exhibit themselves (leading by example). People acknowledging only their strengths often enter relationships to “fix” those around them – never fully exposing themselves to the scrutiny that true friendship brings.  Those that limit themselves by accepting shortcomings as ceilings rather than floors often seek friendships that mask their deficiencies by making themselves feel “much better” than their friends.  Individuals that plant themselves on “solid ground” and diminish others so that they can feel better end up being the best mediocre individual within a melting pot of mediocrity.  Those that lift others up and take them to the top upon their shoulders – raising all to the most that they could be rather than making them accept a lesser position in life – tend to thrive rather than to simply survive. 

Some people set low expectations to avoid ever being disappointed should they fail.  What kind of a meaningful relationship could develop from the premise that what “is” will never change – that wherever a relationship began is as far as it will ever go?  A relationship serves no valuable purpose if the melding of beliefs, values, ideals and accomplishments advances one individual more that it enhances the other – or the leader of a team more than the group to which he or she may lead.  If one can benefit from the input of another, how much could be accomplished when several come together to openly share thoughts and ideas without fear of reprisal as they seek to advance the interests of the whole – if the interests of the group were to be advanced by the efforts of the whole rather than by the selected options of a single individual.

Dreams are the destinations found at the end of the roads we choose to follow.  If we set no expectations – fearing the pain of failure more than we anticipate the rewards of success – we survive but will rarely thrive.  Those using failure as a springboard towards implementing a solution are more likely to succeed.  In order to assimilate dreams into daily relationships we must ALWAYS believe that the “light at the end of a tunnel” is a door opening to opportunity not yet realized rather than a train heading towards us on a collision course.

Relationships are the foundation upon which life’s accomplishments are constructed.  A relationship becomes successful when “we” becomes a given rather than “me” being the rule.  While one thinks he (or she) is an island, life will not be fully experienced or appreciated until the reality that to live we must share life has been realized – and that we are only as strong individually as is the group of close friends and confidantes we have around us.  We lose much that life has to offer when we focus only upon where we want to be rather than thinking about where we might want to go and considering how to get there and with whom we might wish to travel. Living on an island can be a peaceful place BUT living there alone can limit not only our contributions and ability to make a difference to others but also to our own ability to grow and thrive in our own lives.