When I was little, practically anytime I observed or experienced what I considered a serious injustice, it seemed like practically all I could do to deal with it was to internalize a feeling of exasperation so intensely that I would clamp my teeth down on my cheeks and tremble.

When feeling frustrated to a similar degree recently, I was grateful to have the thought occur to me that I must be connecting with something too directly than I should for such a feeling to be possible and was reminded of the idea of ground in circuitry. (I incidentally love that the electric symbol for ground implies dissipation.) While the concept is nothing new and by no means anything I invented, this helped me understand better that the answer, it seems, is to regain a sense of peace and then go to my own source for an improved perspective.

On Orderliness

While I have already written about the topic at length, it has felt important to revisit the idea of order recently and with a particular emphasis on individual purpose.

One of the reasons I felt so inspired to research why it is important to examine, improve, and protect gifted education programs, several years ago now, is that, at least in theory, the more in tune individuals are with their unique gifts & purposes, competition lessens and collaboration (& therefore progress) becomes more natural. (These programs, critically, need to nurture all kids’ gifts.)

Just like Georgia, a state I have been grateful to call home for much of my adult life, early committed to a number of worthy foundational principles, allowing it to become the only American colony that prohibited slavery at the outset (when founded, Georgia banned slavery and lawyers), but erred in about the worst way possible in order to challenge unscrupulous competitors, numerous originally well-intentioned media organizations seem to have lost their way in fighting for their place in the world, getting stuck in competitive efforts to form others’ opinions rather than simply providing helpful information and welcoming each audience member to form her own view.

On Energy

While I have not been able to find it in searching today, I was reminded this afternoon of an interview I once saw of Natalie Portman relaying an idea shared with her by director Mike Nichols. It was something along the lines of there are things more important than life and, while communicated partly in jest, he had a point.

While I’m far from fully understanding it, I love how, in Luke, Jesus says “My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.” Where self-righteousness drains, a focus on eternal reality energizes and rejuvenates. It’s a wonder what a good mentor can do, and I believe a large part of the world today feels mentored in unexpected ways (although certainly not by organizations that have, increasingly, dominated our world’s primary means of communicating).

Several times in my life, I have found myself feeling worry so heavy that I literally felt almost as if I could not physically walk any further. But as I’ve persevered in such moments, there have, more than once, been people who entered my life right when needed to provide incredibly helpful inspiration and encouragement.

In feeling the heaviness and heartbreak of the Larry King leadership team’s (even now still unaddressed) meddling in my life and career, I remember once feeling in graduate school like I couldn’t take another step under the weight but, after completing my walk to a seminar, meeting a still-dear friend that very day.

Later, feeling perplexed at difficulty I’d encountered in taking an exhausting stand for what I felt was obviously right in reaching out to a university administrator, I felt a similar weight before walking into a documentary premier where I had the privilege of not only meeting but speaking at length with civil rights legend C.T. Vivian and being encouraged by him in a long, individual talk.

I left feeling restored and like I could run if needed.

Since real leadership encourages others to take their unique, authentic, and individual places, it is not cronyistic. And it knows accomplishing its purpose is the definition of success. How many people’s lives have been touched and energized by the courage and determination expressed by Pres. Volodymyr Zelenskiy (who has already won, in a way, by leading much more than Ukraine) this week?

Mine certainly has been.

On Paths

Probably the very most serious challenge experienced during the time I felt trapped by the Larry King Live team was that the man who seemed to control practically every aspect of my life after I agreed to relocate and work for his boss was that he seemed to target, more than any one thing, my relationship to God. (I sincerely doubt that in his heart he meant to do this.) While he had only been supportive of this relationship before, minimization of ideas of religion and anytime I expressed that I intuitively felt that steps this man wanted me to take were wrong were suddenly treated as normal.

For a long time, it seemed that because I had made the error of going along by taking the job, moving into an apartment I did not want, and feeling abused, the answer to regaining any semblance of my life – getting past this resistor, so to speak – and getting on a right path again would involve this person; but, although there still does not seem to be any sort of resolution, perhaps there will be one that blesses.

Much is said about traditional markers of success – what many today call improper “privilege” and others consider to be “favor.”

But how can one tell the difference?

While I hope this changes, it certainly seems as though wealth, fame, ease, and power are still obtained as often through immoral means as moral. The only way forward, then, would be to seek non-traditional markers, or, more enlightened and enlightening fruits, as guideposts toward individual place and purpose. I’m grateful Mr. Zelenskiy’s leadership shows so many do seem to be doing so today.