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%FALSE ENTHUSIASM COMMUNITY VITALITY SPIRIT CONFORM 960504

     Often  members of a community will bestir  themselves
to  show enthusiasm,  spirit and excitement---before  they
are deeply grounded in  being true to  themselves and each
other.  In such instances they are often putting on a show
for their own benefit and satisfaction.  They often merely
conform themselves to their own expectations of themselves
and each other.

     Renewal efforts and long range planning efforts which
entail  coercive efforts to appear to have arrived at  the
expected  destination---in  advance of the development  of
any real communal  integrity---often  lead  to  a sense of
emptiness and futile business.   There is a haunting sense
that  something  is  not  quite right  in  the  systematic
planning for a new day and a new life.

     Decisions  that  in principle  the  community  should
achieve  specific goals---when the goals are  set  in  the
absence  of  expressed authentic interest on the  part  of
members of the community to become  personally involved in
the  work required  to  achieve  the  specific goals---are
empty decisions which are likely to lead to futility.

     Decisions  regarding which goals to seek  to  achieve
are  unrealistic  decisions if they come before there  has
been adequate community  building  efforts  to  lay secure
foundations for people being and feeling secure in working
to achieve the envisioned goals.   If the community is not
yet  mature enough to be ready to deal openly and honestly
with the conflicts which will be encountered in working to
achieve  the  goals---it will be premature to  presume  to
commit to seeking to achieve the envisioned goals.

     Leaders   cannot   lead   effectively   towards   the
achievement  of goals that will entail conflicts which the
community  is not ready to deal with openly and  honestly.
Enthusiasm  will  be dampened by  hidden  conflicts  which
cannot  be  seen,   understood or resolved.   It  is  then
frustrating  to  try to clearly define goals,   for  clear
definitions  must entail clarity regarding which conflicts
must  be  resolved.    If people cannot  deal  openly  and
honestly with conflicts which are already present; how can
they  hope  to  deal  openly  and  honestly  with   future
conflicts  which  are  over  the horizon and  are  as  yet
unknown?

     Followers  cannot  be  enthusiastic  about  following
leaders who are engaged in dimly sensed pretense.  At some
sub-conscious level the lack of integrity is sensed,   and
there is  a foreboding sense that an awful lot  of  energy
will   have  be  spent  in  maintaining   appearances---in
addition  to the energy  which  must be spent in  actually
doing the essential work.

     Community  building must come before making decisions
to deal with threatening situations that entail  conflicts
which  have not been addressed openly and  honestly.    If
community  building  does not come before trying  to  make
such decisions,  the decision-making process is likely  to
lack integrity.
                                                                                                                               
                         (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in      
                    (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy)  
                                                                                                                               
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