Louis Armstrong references aside, this post is a bit of a departure from the others. There is no BLUF, OpRes, or cyber. Instead it illustrates the world from a stoic (Marcus Aurelius/ Epictetus/ Seneca) philosophical standpoint. Your world.

We each have a world where we are god, a world we created.

This is understanding your own life in a construct that acknowledges you having direct control of your world, but only your world. It’s knowing everyone else has their own, which may touch or orbit your world. But only you have control of your world, and you’ve no control over anyone else’s.

There will be exterior events that will intrude on your world, but you control the impacts and responses, and how they colour or shape your world. Every external influence is only influential because you give it permission. For anything or anyone to add to your world, you allow it. They may do or say things but it means nothing to your world until you accept it. You’ve the power to render judgement to all things, determining if they are allowed entrance into or impact upon your world. There is no other god in your world.

Being responsible for your world is not a choice, but requires acknowledgement. No one asked you to build this world, or if you wanted to. It was foisted on you since birth, although others work to influence what goes into it. Not until you start exercising control in a manner interpreted as productive or conducive are you left to your own devices. Despite the rather strong influences, you were always in control of your behaviour and responses. They just might have greater control over what followed after.

When you let go, it’s ok in your world. You let someone else help run things for a bit in your world, that’s ok as well. You unshackle your inner beast to howl in frustration? It’s acceptable for your world. So long as you understand it’s in your control. One of the beauties of your wonderful little world.

Now, no man is an island. But each of us has our own world. How do we get consensus amongst all these little worlds? What do we need for organisations to function, or function better? How do organisations become toxic and how do you sort them?

1. Recognise you don’t control their worlds, nor do you want to. Bring your world into a similar orbit and understand what you’re introducing into theirs.
2. Sometimes your perspective and theirs will not align. It’s ok, as you both still allow something common to persist.
3. Many don’t recognise their roles in their worlds, and will allow others’ influence to be misinterpreted as control. Make certain you handle those allowances with care.
4. Others will offer glimpses into their world – directly or indirectly. Regardless how it resonates or differs from your own, act as a good guest in those spaces.
5. Lessons taken from others may help you shape your world. Far easier to avoid what you don’t want than pursue what you do.

So often I find myself quoting Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and Seneca. Their work has direct interpretation and actions taken. What it often lacks is a framework to make sense for others. These beliefs are not an overlay, but a starting point.

To understand wonderful worlds – our own and those of others.

Perhaps this post helps.

-scl