The Edge on LIfe - Part 3

This is the final instalment of my Three Part Post on "The Edge of Life". So far we have discussed mostly what I call the Misfit Paradigm. That is, that there is a group of Humans that have this inherent feeling that they do not fit - Mistfits. 

This inherent feeling is elusive and unshakable and manifests itself in this particular Misfit as restlessness, discontentment and an inescapable feeling that there is something missing - something more out there.

Photo Credit: www.onlineradio.hk

Jeff Goins' book "Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams into Your Comfortable Life" is based on young people working in some of the poorest parts of the world and how they become Wrecked from the experience (among other things).

He describes being Wrecked as follows:

".. to be “wrecked” ... means to have a redemptive transformation, often catalyzed by a brush with the pain of a dying world... being wrecked means that everything you believe about this world, yourself, and your destiny is now in question. Because you’ve seen something larger..."

As a Misfit I immediately identified with being "Wrecked". I have always had a deep sense of something larger, of the inequities in our dying world and how the priorities of our consumer culture have become distorted. 

In my case this knowledge did not lead to a noble pursuit such as working with missionaries in poverty stricken regions - I took a more classic, rebellious approach - such as lighting poop-filled paper bags on fire and running away. Rather than providing service I engaged in conflict. My heart was in the right place but I was acting out of anger and frustration rather than adding value with tolerance and compassion.  

As a result my Misfit status took a negative connotation and my conflict with the Humans became more acute. As a twenty-something I was spinning my tires in frustration. The ineffectiveness of my approach had become apparent. 

My Newest Misfit

My "redemptive transformation" came after I was already Wrecked. I came to understand that I needed to move towards the positive rather than away from the negative. 

This simple change in thinking marked a profound paradigm shift. My ability to affect change increased exponentially. I went back to school and became educated far beyond my intelligence.  I found a career in Community Development working in Rural Indigenous Communities building houses, playgrounds and employment opportunities. I created a successful consulting business, a home and a family. I became part of the solution - being a Wrecked Misfit, once my greatest weakness, became my most valuable asset.

Don't get me wrong, freedom from the shackles of negativity is a work in progress. I learn the hard way and I seem to make every mistake at least once. My Uncle once called me "the King of Adversity". I took this as a great compliment. I didn't bother to point out that I created most of my own adversity. My ex recently described me as a "train wreck" ... well she's half right. 

This is how I am Wrecked and why I don't fit - and I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Today I am moving in the right direction. I embrace the Misfit Paradigm as the heart and soul of my internal compass. I root for the underdog and listen to those with no voice. I believe the strong should protect the weak, not eat them (well not all of them). When I stumble and give into one of my litany of shortcomings I am able to draw on the experience of those Misfits who went before me, dust myself off and move on. More often than not I am better for the experience. I believe that there is a relationship between my ability to fail and succeed - and as a result I embrace both success and failure. 

Life is short and there is allot of work to do. There is no time to waste on the small stuff.

Through this Three Part Post I have moved through some of the big chunks of who I am and what I believe.

I hope some of you Misfits can relate. 

I mentioned in the first installment of this series that my Blog Title is riddled with double meaning. Parts 1 & 2 were titled "The Edge of Life". The underlying meaning being, as a Misfit, I have felt I am on the outside looking in on much of Life. This 3rd and final Part is Titled "The Edge on Life". The underlying meaning is that with our new perceptions of being a Wrecked Misfit we now have an advantage, or an Edge, on Life.

Watch this short video if you've ever doubted yourself ...

Respectfully, From the Edge.

The Edge of Life - Part 2

My all Time Favourite Misfit

"We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them." Albert Einstein 

When I started Blogging and attempting to build an online community I ran into the idea of a "Tribe". Bloggers that I aspire to be like when (and if) I grow up including Seth Godin, Jeff Goins, The Robert D and all those crazy talented content writers over at Copyblogger talk about their Tribe to describe the Global Online Community.

A Tribe forms by attraction to clearly presented and well thought out ideas and experiences written by Bloggers. These Tribes give life to a writer's work and ultimately become the driving force behind it.

For Misfits a Tribe can be extremely powerful.

The formation of a Tribe can alleviate some of the long term personal fragmentation and self-doubt built up over years of feeling "I don't fit". As a members of this Tribe, I am now able to focus more energy on being what God intended me to be:  a parent, spouse, friend, protector, provider and Human

I have more energy to be the best Sam I can be and focus on doing the next right thing.

A small Tribe is gathering around Notes from the Edge. I seem to be slowly attracting this Tribe of Misfits through nothing more than the development of Authentic and Experiential Content.

I found that I am not the only one in the Blogosphere who identifies with a Tribe of Misfits. Jeff Goines, wrote a short e-book entitled the Misfit Manifesto. I was forwarded a free copy of the Manifesto by joining +Jeff Goins' site.

The Manifesto not only embraced what I have come to call the Misfit Paradigm but also the concept being Wrecked., In fact, The Misfit Manifesto was a launching pad to Jeff's Book, Wrecked: When a Broken World Slams Into Your Comfortable Life. The content of Jeffs writing closely mirrored my thoughts and feelings about my world view and value system. 

As I continuing on with this series of posts on the "Edge of Life" I will examine what it means to be Wrecked. how this relates to being a Misfit, and how this is working in my life and helping me in my ongoing efforts to do the Next Right Thing.

I would encourage you to read Jeff's Free E-book and if that makes sense to you read Wrecked available on his website Here.

I will send a copy of the E-book to my mailing list. It is a great read and only a couple of thousand words in lenght. If you are not on my e-mail list, please join my site by entering your e-mail in the "Follow by E-mail" Widget at the top of the right hand side bar and I will send an digital copy to you. Alternatively you can go to goinswriter.com and download it yourself.

Jeff has another great free e-book called the Writers Manifesto - which is basically a call to action for writers and available for download on his site.

As I wrote this Post it occurred to me that I have very openly referred my readers as Wrecked Misfits and this may not be a s flattering to others as it is to me.

Bear with me -  the Edge on Life is intended to be a three or four Post Series series. I am hoping that being a Wrecked Misfit will become something we will proudly identify ourselves with and even form a community bond around this idea once properly explored..

The Question I post to you ... If we get enough Misfits together doesn't that make THEM THE MISFITS!!!!!. 

The Misfit Revolution?

Ummm unlikely, but a great segway into to this song by another misfit.

To be continued ...

Respectfully, from the Edge

The Edge on God

I have been alive for 17001 days. 

I found this out from Robert D Smith, a Guest Writer on Jeff Goins' Blog. I don't follow many Bloggers faithfully; however, I do enjoy Jeff's writing on life, advice on growing my Blog and his network of talented Bloggers. A network I would be proud to add myself to Jeff ... if you're listening.

So that's enough shameless sucking up to Jeff.

I have decided that at the ripe age of 17001 days I should come out of the closet. 

When I started Blogging I decided I would try to stay in the Centre of most polarising issues as not to alienate one side or the other (this strategy tends to piss of both sides by the way). There is an issue that is a growing part of who I am that I have skirted around and managed not to come right out and own up to in my posts ...

 I'm a Christian.

How many of you thought I was going to say I was Gay?

How many of you wished I said I was Gay?

Photo credit: www.wellspringcounselinggroup.com/blog

Anyways there it is. This may not be as big a deal as I think it is but I come from a science background and there was a significant period in my life where I was either agnostic or atheist. In fact, the very mention of God, would have led me to believe that you were of a weaker and less intelligent species and sent me off on a rant on creation and evolution.

My road to becoming a Christian was slow and painful. I would not consider myself a traditional Christian by any means and my belief in God is the single most personal thing about me. So sharing it with you folks is as intimate as it gets.

I can't talk about this subject without talking about my wife. She is the reason I am a Christian and she is what I believe God had in mind when he made Christians. I am proud to be a Christian because of her. Other than my wife, there are two very important things that being a Christian brought to my life - Prayer and Community.

So from now on we will begin each post with a prayer... Just kidding.

I won't change the nature or content of my posts much. I am just no longer going to skirt around the issue. This is part of my commitment to being Authentic. But prayer is a part of my daily life. I pray with my wife and 5 year old.

My 11 year old has decided that being a Christian isn't cool and I am fine with that for now. I just put the information in front of her and let her make up her own mind.  Coming to grips with an understanding of God, or higher power, or whatever is a life time process.

So in the future when I refer to God that's what I mean.  If you prefer Creator, Buddha, Mohamed, or the Great Out Doors please, do whatever works for you. To close this post on God I will share a prayer I stole from the Alcoholics. My 5 year old says it whenever she is sad or misses her big sister.

God, 

Grant me the Serenity, 

To Accept the Things I Cannot Change,

The Courage to Change the Things I can, and 

The Wisdom to Know the Difference.

Respectfully, From the Edge