*Finally, Zone 3 enthusiasts (the truly Enlightened) are those who choose to purely enliven at least one of the Noble Virtues in any given interaction¹ – Virtues which are always enlivened with the benefit of others in mind, Virtues which always bring Harmony to others & Peace to oneself, and Virtues (like their Zone 1 & Zone 2 precursors) are ever manifested in the following nine primary forms …

01: Instead of blasting their condemnation at others or being merely tolerant of them, Zone 3 participants enliven the purest form of Acceptance – having understood that truly Forgiving a wrong-doer does not require affirming his or her harmful deeds or passively allowing the same to continue; one that understands that pure Acceptance is essentially a verb – a gentle grace extended to others despite their behaviors, not because of them. As such, those who powerfully enliven the same are the ones who choose to be openly kind to their enemies (even while denouncing the harms those enemies have perpetrated); the ones who persevere through life undaunted – by exuding Kindness to others (stranger and friend and enemy alike) during their own times of trial, tribulation, turbulence, or trauma.

 

 

02: Instead of oozing sloth or being merely productive, champions of the Zone 3 Path enliven the highest realization of Patience – understanding as they do that bring earnestly Patient is in no way “calm” or inactive or laid-back; that it actually has nothing to do with focusing on a future goal or waiting for things to inevitably “get better” or others to eventually “get it.” Indeed, real Patience is a Here&Now phenomenon – only found in the present moment and always in motion when so found. In essence, pure Patience is nothing short of a vibrant & spontaneously flowing embodiment of one’s innate freedom to – in every single instant in one’s life – be true to the selfless inclinations of one’s highest Self. As such, those who fully enliven the same are the ones who cease pondering their potential actions (e.g. waiting for the “right moment” or “better time” to act, or for a “more important” or “better suited” service to fulfill) and simply set forth to Do Good (any Good) instead. These are the ones exuding the courage to care in ways that are unconventional – these are the ones who choose to serve others nearby (especially in those moments when they are “too tired” or “too ill” or “too injured” or “too busy”).

 

 

03: Instead of regularly exuding their greed or living lives that are merely balanced, Zone 3 enliveners instead choose to manifest the true pinnacle of Generosity – having come to understand that deeply profound Generosity has little to do with the sharing of material possessions, and nothing at all to do with doing so in times of personal abundance or comfort. No, these are the people who know that truly potent Generosity comes to life when one chooses to willingly & joyfully give when least inclined to do so – in times of personal lack &/or to those “least deserving” of the same. As such, those who sincerely enliven the same are the ones who regularly choose to give anonymously to their friends, give self-sacrificially to their enemies, and give boldly to their associates & strangers.

 

 

04: Instead of leaking their envy upon the good fortune of others or being merely thankful for their own, supporters of Zone 3 instead enliven ultimate expressions of Gratitude – understanding as they do that truly pristine Gratitude is neither verbally expressed nor reciprocally offered. Instead, it is most potently given in those moments one is least inclined to do so. As such, those who authentically enliven their Gratitude are the ones who choose to rejoice in others’ victories more than their own (including the victories enjoyed by their enemies), the ones who choose to exude an encouraging faith in their own innate Strength (instead of worry or envy or complaint) during times of trial or trauma (and a faith in the innate Strength of others in similar times of trouble – instead of sending them concern or pity or sympathy), and the ones who choose to evince a profound & heartfelt thankfulness for life itself during times of pain, frustration, difficulty, &/or debilitation.

 

 

05: Instead of ladling callousness over their interactions or being merely friendly towards others therein, Zone 3 enthusiasts enliven the most vibrant manifestations of Compassion – having come to comprehend that truly crystalline Compassion has nothing to do with either entertaining mere intellectual pity or expressing mere emotional sympathy, and everything to do with actively immersing oneself into the plights of another. After all, Compassion literally means “to suffer together” (or “to have a heartfelt empathy for”), and as such it is impossible to be truly compassionate towards those in need – and thereby exude an affection for them that is truly helpful – without boldly reaching out to relieve their burdens &/or increase their peace. As such, those who actually enliven this Virtue are the ones who choose to unabashedly (i.e. publicly & effusively) Care for strangers, the ones who choose to deal tenderly with all who would “use” or “leech” from them, &/or the ones who choose to extend flagrant acts of Kindness to all – especially those “least deserving” of the same.

 

 

06: Instead of booming variations of deceit upon opponents or being merely loyal to friends &/or causes, adherents of the Zone 3 Way enliven untainted effusions of Honesty – knowing as they do that true Honesty actually has very little to do with the content of one’s verbal disclosures (i.e. what one says to others) and a great deal to do with the integrity of one’s actions and their underlying intentions (i.e. what one does and why one chooses to do it). Honesty that is truly immaculate must embody a heartfelt harmony between what one feels, what one thinks, what one intends, and what one does. And, seeing as how what one supra-consciously feels for others is always reflective of our innate knowing that all humans are members of the same Great Family (and that all our non-human sentient cousins have been entrusted to our Care), acting in any way that does not intentionally & selflessly serve others is nothing less than deceitful on the deepest level. As such, those who are earnestly Honest are the ones who choose to be openly encouraging to those who are down, the ones who choose to be openly forthcoming (without the smallest hint of justification, explanation, or persuasion) to all those who inquire, and the ones who choose to be silent & still (while smiling) whenever an honest answer would cause dismay or an honest deed would cause harm.

 

 

07: Instead of lashing out with arrogance or being merely wise, Zone 3 contributors instead enliven supreme embodiments of Humility – fully comprehending that pure Humility, while refusing to fall into the pits of conviction or dogma, is neither obedient to any ideal nor deprecating towards oneself. In contrast, actual Humility is fully open-minded towards that which one cannot know (most importantly: the motives behind others’ actions) and courageously affirming of that which one does (most importantly: the ability one’s selfless actions have to effectuate great positive change in the lives of others and great escalations of Harmony to one’s community as a whole). As such, those who actually enliven this Virtue are not the ones who choose to demurely sit back and do little or nothing (because they are “only human” or because they are “only one person” or because it is “none of their business”), but rather are those who choose to boldly-yet-gently do whatever they can, wherever they are, for whomever is closest by in need.

 

 

08: Instead of dripping boredom onto their circumstances or being merely enthusiastic about the same, agents of the Zone 3 realm enliven fully undiluted reflections of Wonderment – comprehending as they do that truly viable Wonderment has very little to do with being in awe of the magnificent, amazed by the rare, &/or captivated by the beautiful. Instead, those who profoundly enliven the same are the ones who choose to experience amazement when encountering the “familiar,” feel reverence when interacting with the “normal,” know excitement when engaged with the “boring,” and see beauty when met by the “ugly.” These are the ones who regularly remember that they are alive within a great and glorious miracle, these are the ones who regularly express their Joy over the same, and these are the ones who just as regularly share that awakening with all nearby.

 

 

09: Instead of steadily staining their thoughts with doubt or being merely brave, Zone 3 attendants choose to enliven uncontaminated demonstrations of Faith – having come to know that bona fide expression of this Virtue are neither certain of their convictions nor focused upon any one-day manifestation thereof. No, instead of wrapping their minds in learned beliefs or indoctrinated dogmas &/or limiting their lives to the confines of hollow hopes &/or desirous dreams, those opting for the far greater Faith know that they cannot know – just as they know that it is precisely this inherent inability (we humans do not have the physiological equipment required to perceive reality objectively, much less the psychological stability required to discern the truth of our beliefs accurately) that enables them to act powerfully in their everyday encounters with others. Indeed, because we can never know others’ true motives with any certainty, we can always choose to have Compassion for them. And because we can never predict the outcome of any selfless choice – and because our most primitive sociological programming would have us use this as an excuse to avoid reaching out to others at all – those choices are incredibly difficult to make, and thus become enormously powerful (transformative, even) once made anyway.

 

 

“The true value of a human being can be found in the degree to which he or she has attained liberation of the True Self from its egocentric impostor.” ~ via Albert Einstein

 

 

“Enlightenment isn’t inbred. It’s something that repeatedly re-awakens and steadily expands within you whenever choosing to radically Care for others regardless of personal risk or cost. Is this choice frightening? Of course it is. Does it hurt? Quite often it does. And yet when you start to truly Care for others you stop caring about the fear and pain that come along for the ride. And the best thing about it is that there is no need to strive or struggle your way to thereto; that full-bodied Enlightenment comes immediately to all those choosing to enliven it earnestly, and remains robustly viable for as long as that engendering choice is maintained … So be bold enough to live life on your Soul’s terms. Be bold enough to go against the grains of inner ego & external convention. Be bold enough to take the road much less traveled; to smile gratefully upon all instances of adversity; to look before you leap into the ocean of selfless Love – and then leap into it boldly regardless.” ~ inspired by Margery Bianco & Mandy Hale

 

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Filed under: Enlightening Enlightenment by Scaughdt