Operating Under the Influence

DUI, as in “Driving Under the Influence” of mind-altering substances, is illegal. 

But OUI – “Operating Under the Influence” – of myriad factors in our ever-expanding universe – is standard practice, some of it legal and some of it not, some of it enlifening, some inspiring, some highly questionable, and some simply stupid.  

Things that influence us to varying degrees – for better or worse – include, but are not limited to:

·         Parents/Family

·         Friends

·         Marketing/Advertising/Packaging

·         Teachers

·         Things we read

·         Things we encounter on the internet

·         Things we see on television

·         Things we invent in our own minds

·         Bosses/Supervisors

·         Co-Workers

·         Casual associates

·         Intrinsic Driving Forces (Appetites, Virtues, Vices)

·         Cultivated Driving Forces (Dreams, Ideals)

CRITICAL NOTE

The degree to which we permit these elements to influence us –

and the direction in which they move us –

is largely our choice.

Here’s a visioning exercise to contemplate.

Imagine you’re traveling in space.  Each celestial body you encounter has a gravitational force of some magnitude.  Some celestial bodies also have repulsive forces.  You can either be “drawn in” to close encounter or be driven away.  The drawing-in or driving-away vectoring is more a function of your own internal inclination than it is of the external forces.   You submit or you do not submit.   

A well-charted destination and well-executed journey maximizes the beneficial influences and minimizes the detrimental.   

Point to Ponder

[From Wikipedia]

“In orbital mechanics and aerospace engineering, a gravitational slingshot, gravity assist maneuver, or swing-by is the use of the relative movement (e.g. orbit around the sun) and gravity of a planet or other astronomical object to alter the path and speed of a spacecraft, typically in order to save propellant, time, and expense. Gravity assistance can be used to accelerate a spacecraft, that is, to increase or decrease its speed and/or redirect its path.

The "assist" is provided by the motion of the gravitating body as it pulls on the spacecraft. The technique was first proposed as a mid-course manoeuvre in 1961, and used by interplanetary probes from Mariner 10 onwards, including the two Voyager probes' notable fly-bys of Jupiter and Saturn.”

NOTE:  We are not, in fact, going to make it the full distance to our celestial or non-celestial Destiny (never mind “making it” outside the putrefying puddle of our soft and fuzzy comfort zone) without making ourselves “helpable” – and “slingshotable” – a prime target for garnering the substantial influence of significant others. 

Other Points to Ponder

On Gravity

The gravitational “pull” of all that would hold you down and back becomes exponentially diminished at higher altitudes.

The more “gravitational substance” you have invested in your Dream, the closer and more powerfully it will be drawn to you.

BOTTOM LINE: Get some gravity (solid core capacity), invest liberally in the substance of your Dream, gain as much altitude as you can, and do some targeted vectoring that will maximize encounters with significant “influences” through which you can operate most effectively … operate most sustainably … and reap the best possible outcomes.  Make OUI work for you, not against you.  Quartermaster