A few weeks ago, I started posting about Fourfold Fitness [see intro], which is a tool that helps me focus my intentions.
It might seem like an obvious statement to say that physical strength [see table] is integral to a healthy life. I’ve noticed a couple of disturbing abilities in myself, however; one is taking for granted the strength I have, and the other is adapting to my incremental loss of strength. In other words, I don’t tend to think very much about developing or even maintaining physical strength. And as various muscles atrophy, I just work around my reduced capacity.
I’m committed to altering that trajectory; its eventual destination is not where I choose to go. My skeletal frame needs support and connectivity. I need muscle in order to do what I’d like to do without damaging myself. So I’m slowly building resistance training into my routine.
There are many other things I’d rather do, so it’s important for me to remember the big picture of my life. I have to consciously consider what my “ten-years-from-now self” would say to me; that a decade of small choices directed toward good habits (practices) will profoundly effect my future quality of life.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Showing posts with label Fourfold Fitness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fourfold Fitness. Show all posts
Monday, November 13, 2006
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Generosity
I think generosity is the heart of emotional flexibility. Physical flexibility improves the fluidity of my movement, allows me to flow more symbiotically with life’s currents, and helps fend off injuries related to brittleness. Generosity brings analogous qualities to my feelings, reactions, and moods.
A readiness to share what I have, whether material, relational, or spiritual, keeps my soul pliable and supple. It seems to increase my capacity to “roll with the punches”, and ease my tendency to jump to conclusions.
Kindness is among generosity’s most beautiful faces; softness to another soul. Sometimes it’s harder to share than cash! But its power to radiate blessing is remarkable – even small acts of kindness can emit wellbeing in all directions.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
A readiness to share what I have, whether material, relational, or spiritual, keeps my soul pliable and supple. It seems to increase my capacity to “roll with the punches”, and ease my tendency to jump to conclusions.
Kindness is among generosity’s most beautiful faces; softness to another soul. Sometimes it’s harder to share than cash! But its power to radiate blessing is remarkable – even small acts of kindness can emit wellbeing in all directions.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, October 23, 2006
Cognitive Endurance
Honesty ^ Curiosity ^ Follow-through
Clear, productive thinking can’t be sustained without honesty. Without it, cognition gets tangled, threadbare, compromised, structurally unsound…
Curiosity – an appetite for discovery – is a sustainable fuel. It steadily propels the soul's rambles, pilgrimages, and ascents.
I wonder if follow-through can become a habit. It is certainly a discipline – a practice I seek to cultivate and deepen. I aspire to the art of finishing; I suffer the empty ache of failing to finish.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Clear, productive thinking can’t be sustained without honesty. Without it, cognition gets tangled, threadbare, compromised, structurally unsound…
Curiosity – an appetite for discovery – is a sustainable fuel. It steadily propels the soul's rambles, pilgrimages, and ascents.
I wonder if follow-through can become a habit. It is certainly a discipline – a practice I seek to cultivate and deepen. I aspire to the art of finishing; I suffer the empty ache of failing to finish.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Friday, October 20, 2006
Joy (emotional strength)
“This day is sacred to our Lord. Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:9b
I pulled these words out of their context, which is not a recommended practice. However, I believe the heart of what Nehemiah stated here is a universally transferable truth. The joy of the Lord is your strength…
In my experience, there is a sense – maybe more than a sense… maybe it’s closer to an assurance – of “all-rightness” that seems to be related to the presence* of God. It is not always rational or even explainable; sometimes it is flatly counterintuitive. But it’s as though the Creator smiles, touches, communicates, “It’s going to be alright.”
Sometimes joy violates my sense of justice. I might attenuate my celebration of someone’s good fortune because it strikes me as dissonant to their choices. This embarrasses me; I’m committed to learning a better, more generous-hearted way.
Sometimes I abstain from joy because I don’t think it’s congruent with my circumstances. I recognize my ridiculousness in this, but can still be very stubborn about it. Joy isn’t a wage – it’s a gift. Once received, it enlivens and empowers the rest of life.
*God's Presence is a huge topic unto itself -- one I'm not up to tackling today...
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
I pulled these words out of their context, which is not a recommended practice. However, I believe the heart of what Nehemiah stated here is a universally transferable truth. The joy of the Lord is your strength…
In my experience, there is a sense – maybe more than a sense… maybe it’s closer to an assurance – of “all-rightness” that seems to be related to the presence* of God. It is not always rational or even explainable; sometimes it is flatly counterintuitive. But it’s as though the Creator smiles, touches, communicates, “It’s going to be alright.”
Sometimes joy violates my sense of justice. I might attenuate my celebration of someone’s good fortune because it strikes me as dissonant to their choices. This embarrasses me; I’m committed to learning a better, more generous-hearted way.
Sometimes I abstain from joy because I don’t think it’s congruent with my circumstances. I recognize my ridiculousness in this, but can still be very stubborn about it. Joy isn’t a wage – it’s a gift. Once received, it enlivens and empowers the rest of life.
*God's Presence is a huge topic unto itself -- one I'm not up to tackling today...
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, October 02, 2006
Peace (& Humor)
Peace is elemental to Emotional Balance; in fact, it fundamentally impacts the health of the whole person.
“A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
The ancient Hebrew idea of shalom connoted wholeness and well-being: physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. It’s this sort of peace that Jesus promised his followers in John 14:27.
For me, one way of cultivating peace is to practice nonviolence: interior (toward my own soul), interpersonal (toward other souls), and environmental (toward creation’s soul).
And I’ve found that the power of Humor mustn’t be underestimated in these pursuits. Laughter is not a luxury; it’s impossible to engage the fullness of life without it.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
“A heart at peace gives life to the body,
but envy rots the bones.” Proverbs 14:30 (NIV)
The ancient Hebrew idea of shalom connoted wholeness and well-being: physical, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual. It’s this sort of peace that Jesus promised his followers in John 14:27.
For me, one way of cultivating peace is to practice nonviolence: interior (toward my own soul), interpersonal (toward other souls), and environmental (toward creation’s soul).
And I’ve found that the power of Humor mustn’t be underestimated in these pursuits. Laughter is not a luxury; it’s impossible to engage the fullness of life without it.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 23, 2006
Transformation
To deepen Spiritual Flexibility in myself, I’m committed to a lifestyle of Transformation.
Transformation presupposes Humility; it is to embrace to the truth that I’ve not yet become what I’m becoming.
Both the means and the end of my transformation is Christ. Christ, the perfect human iteration of Creator Spirit, continues to create me into a new creation – one that becomes increasingly more reflective of Christ.
To remain in the lifelong moment of transformation is, arguably, the essence of true worship.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 (Today’s New International Version)
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Transformation presupposes Humility; it is to embrace to the truth that I’ve not yet become what I’m becoming.
Both the means and the end of my transformation is Christ. Christ, the perfect human iteration of Creator Spirit, continues to create me into a new creation – one that becomes increasingly more reflective of Christ.
To remain in the lifelong moment of transformation is, arguably, the essence of true worship.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2 (Today’s New International Version)
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Friday, September 22, 2006
Teachable
Cognitive Flexibility means taking a “bend, don’t break” approach to beliefs. It is to be teachable.
In 2nd Timothy 2:24-25 Paul writes, “…the servant of the Lord must not engender strife, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those in opposition.”
(21st Century King James Version)
Complimenting the explicit phrase “apt to teach” is the implicit characteristic of “apt to learn”.
Perhaps it’s slightly counterintuitive, but maintaining a teachable mindset calls for fearlessness. The fear of being wrong and – even worse! – going public with it by changing my attitudes, opinions, and ideologies is frequently enough to keep me from becoming genuinely open to new ideas.
I suspect that cognitive flexibility is at least as difficult to cultivate as physical flexibility. Stretching is a uniquely irksome form of pain. Sometimes I have to remind myself of why this intention is important in my quest to more fully engage my life. But, as with my body, I want my intellect to enjoy the entire range of motion for which it was designed.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
In 2nd Timothy 2:24-25 Paul writes, “…the servant of the Lord must not engender strife, but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, in meekness instructing those in opposition.”
(21st Century King James Version)
Complimenting the explicit phrase “apt to teach” is the implicit characteristic of “apt to learn”.
Perhaps it’s slightly counterintuitive, but maintaining a teachable mindset calls for fearlessness. The fear of being wrong and – even worse! – going public with it by changing my attitudes, opinions, and ideologies is frequently enough to keep me from becoming genuinely open to new ideas.
I suspect that cognitive flexibility is at least as difficult to cultivate as physical flexibility. Stretching is a uniquely irksome form of pain. Sometimes I have to remind myself of why this intention is important in my quest to more fully engage my life. But, as with my body, I want my intellect to enjoy the entire range of motion for which it was designed.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Monday, September 11, 2006
Coin
A few posts ago, Craig-Bob (of Out Of Fellowship fame), asked about the rogue row beneath my Fourfold Fitness table: Finances. He wondered why it was set apart from the main grid.
My answer was that the financial dimension began as a subset of Physical, but since it isn't physiological, per se, it seemed to warrant a separate row.
T-Wolf argued that “Finance is not a component unto itself but rather an intention zone of the cognitive + the attribute strength.”
Craig-Bob followed with the idea that "Financial might fall on a z-axis because it has attributions in each of the 2-dimensional cells […] defined.”
Michael C. brought in the notion of metrics, suggesting that money measures momentum in each of the sixteen zones. He referenced Jacob Needleman's book, Money and the Meaning of Life.
For now, it remains a fifth row in my provisional paradigm. At some point, however, I intend to incorporate an additional four-directional plane to the map. It describes the way I think of resources: Time, Energy, Money, and Affection.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
My answer was that the financial dimension began as a subset of Physical, but since it isn't physiological, per se, it seemed to warrant a separate row.
T-Wolf argued that “Finance is not a component unto itself but rather an intention zone of the cognitive + the attribute strength.”
Craig-Bob followed with the idea that "Financial might fall on a z-axis because it has attributions in each of the 2-dimensional cells […] defined.”
Michael C. brought in the notion of metrics, suggesting that money measures momentum in each of the sixteen zones. He referenced Jacob Needleman's book, Money and the Meaning of Life.
For now, it remains a fifth row in my provisional paradigm. At some point, however, I intend to incorporate an additional four-directional plane to the map. It describes the way I think of resources: Time, Energy, Money, and Affection.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Vision
Vision is cultivated in a context of Hope, and connects directly to Emotional Endurance [see table].
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
“Without a Vision is a people made naked”
Proverbs 29:18a (Young’s Literal Translation)
I had no idea that this was the literal translation! In the ancient context, nakedness meant poverty and shame; there was nothing erotically provocative about it.
In this proverb, vision obviously refers to something more than physical sight: it’s the ability to look into the future and see the prospect of joy, abundance, accomplishment, meaning…
This sort of vision has to do with attending to invisible things. I believe that every human is given something that only she/he can see; an internal treasure that needs to be externalized – the intangible made tangible. It relates to incarnation. Each of us is to champion what’s been entrusted on a spiritual level – sowing, cultivating, harvesting, distributing… to the enriching of our relational circles.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Hope
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God, for I shall yet praise Him, who is the health of my countenance and my God.”
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Psalm 42:11 (21st Century King James Version)
Hope is integral to Emotional Endurance [see table]. What feeds my heart’s fire if not hope? And what distinguishes hoping from wishing? For me, hope is the belief that God is planting goodness in the future so that it’s already taking root and blooming as we step into each unfolding day.
Here's an ancient prophetic poem that was composed by a person who understood the valley of deep trouble. His words have the heartbeat of authenticity.
“There I will give her back her vineyards,
and will make the Valley of Trouble a door of hope.
There she will sing as in the days of her youth,
as in the day she came up out of Egypt.”
Hosea 2:15 (New International Version)
First, God promises to restore vineyards, which represent abundance and gladness. Then follows an image that I find profoundly moving: God will transform the valley of trouble into a door of hope. The lowest, most disturbing circumstance becomes the threshold to a good future.
The second sentence begins with the response of the people, which is carefree singing: a picture of rejuvenation and festivity. The closing line references release from slavery, and the long-awaited freedom to engage life.
That’s what this Fourfold Fitness thing is about, really [see intro]. I don’t need to be a slave to disconnection and disintegration; by God’s grace, I’m free to cultivate practices that increase my capacity for living.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Rooted
For me, there are three essential dimensions of Spiritual Balance [see table].
1) Beauty must be celebrated, and Wonder relished.
2) Upright is an old-fashioned word, but I like its imagery: spiritual balance means I stand up in my full stature, walking tall. Dignity.
3) It also connotes Grounding – having my feet solidly beneath me. Rooted.
“Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.”
Colossians 2:7, Contemporary English Version
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
1) Beauty must be celebrated, and Wonder relished.
2) Upright is an old-fashioned word, but I like its imagery: spiritual balance means I stand up in my full stature, walking tall. Dignity.
3) It also connotes Grounding – having my feet solidly beneath me. Rooted.
“Plant your roots in Christ and let him be the foundation for your life. Be strong in your faith, just as you were taught. And be grateful.”
Colossians 2:7, Contemporary English Version
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Motion
Physical Flexibility [see table], or range of motion, is a fantastic thing: acquiring it… not so much. Flexibility doesn’t happen without stretching, and stretching is viscerally unappealing to me. It makes me cranky.
But I believe in it – I believe it’s important enough to warrant assimilating yoga practice into my lifestyle.
I think flexibility is a proactive prevention of future injuries. I like the idea of doing my part to avoid preventable suffering (my own and that of others).
I also like being able to move fluidly – having a body that can flow with the riffles and rills of existence. To my way of thinking, it’s an important dimension of enjoying and honoring creation. If I want to fully engage my life, I’ll cultivate flexibility.
But I believe in it – I believe it’s important enough to warrant assimilating yoga practice into my lifestyle.
I think flexibility is a proactive prevention of future injuries. I like the idea of doing my part to avoid preventable suffering (my own and that of others).
I also like being able to move fluidly – having a body that can flow with the riffles and rills of existence. To my way of thinking, it’s an important dimension of enjoying and honoring creation. If I want to fully engage my life, I’ll cultivate flexibility.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Fourfold Fitness Table
Strength | Flexibility | Endurance | Balance | |
Spiritual | Integrity | Humility Transformation | Courage Loyalty Perseverance | Grounding Beauty Upright |
Cognitive | Creativity | Teachable Broadminded | Curiosity Honesty Follow-Through | Wisdom Awareness |
Emotional | Joy Gratitude | Generosity Kindness Adaptable | Hope Vision | Peace Humor |
Physical | Muscle | Motion | Stamina | Agility Rest |
(Financial) | Income | Giving / Spending | Savings | Budget |
Friday, September 01, 2006
Creativity
Cognitive strength is valuable to me; I intend for it to be among my primary character traits. One of the ways I choose to cultivate greater capacity in this intention zone is by practicing creativity.
When I’m at my best, creativity is radiating into every territory of my life. It isn’t contained or compartmentalized. So it wouldn’t be out of place in any of my sixteen zones.
But for the sake of focus, I center Creativity at the intersection of Cognitive & Strength [see table]. In my experience, my mind nearly always comes into play when I’m being creative. Thoughts are sorted and shuffled, and arranged in new constellations – new categories are framed and tested – new pathways, sequences, connections are mentally sketched out…
It’s a very satisfying form of exertion: it feels like pushing a stalled car that I didn’t think would budge, or hiking a little farther than my imagined capacity, or splitting a cord of firewood. Creativity makes me feel strong.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
When I’m at my best, creativity is radiating into every territory of my life. It isn’t contained or compartmentalized. So it wouldn’t be out of place in any of my sixteen zones.
But for the sake of focus, I center Creativity at the intersection of Cognitive & Strength [see table]. In my experience, my mind nearly always comes into play when I’m being creative. Thoughts are sorted and shuffled, and arranged in new constellations – new categories are framed and tested – new pathways, sequences, connections are mentally sketched out…
It’s a very satisfying form of exertion: it feels like pushing a stalled car that I didn’t think would budge, or hiking a little farther than my imagined capacity, or splitting a cord of firewood. Creativity makes me feel strong.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Fourfold Fitness
The soul’s topography won’t fit within the languages of tongue or pen. It’s like trying to capture the vastness and detail of a natural landscape in the frame of a photograph.
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
But knowing the terrain of our own depths is necessary for fully engaged living. Some people have an innate knack for soul navigation; others need a map and compass.
I use a four by four grid, where the intersections create “intention zones” integral to my joie de vivre. The four components of my humanness are: Physical, Emotional, Cognitive, and Spiritual. The four key attributes of fitness (IMHO) are: Strength, Flexibility, Endurance, and Balance.
The next few soul-friending posts will describe some of my intention zones. I hope there will be ideas and inspirations for you. However, I hasten to underscore that it’s just a map I’ve sketched to help make sense of my personal topography; it’s not intended to be comprehensive, absolute, or directly transferable. But maybe it’ll provoke you to undertake your own “depth cartography”.
Copyright Scott Burnett 2006
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