On the other hand, lethargy takes so many seductive forms. More energy is spent in any given day on managing fear through unreflective compliance, or avoidance, than any other value. While it is natural to expend energy managing our fears, the magnitude of this effort on a daily basis cannot be overemphasized. No matter what we do today, they will turn up again tomorrow. Tomorrow's another day." Those perverse twins munch on our souls every day. Turn on the TV, surf the internet, have some chocolate. Find a way to slip-slide away again today." And the one named Lethargy says, "Hey, chill out. The one named Fear says, "The world is too big for you, too much. Every morning we rise to find these gremlins at the foot of the bed. We carry life's two biggest threats within ourselves: fear and lethargy. Aging alone does not do it playing major roles in life does not do it. When we examine contemporary culture, we find these rites of passage missing. So, without a central committee sending out printed instructions, each civilization evolved rites of passage designed to ensure the transition from the naïveté and dependency of childhood to adult sensibilities that sacrifice comfort and sloth in service to the common interest. The tribe could not afford to have children idling about. In traditional societies, hanging tenuously to this whirling planet, surviving the onslaught of the elements, growing up was a matter of survival. Did we not grow up when we left our parents' homes, stepped out into the world and said: "Hire me-I can do that job," "Marry me-I will hold my end of the deal," "Trust me-I can carry that responsibility"? Have we not been grown-ups through responsibly exercising parental, fiduciary, relational and societal roles for years? And yet, when I have asked people in workshops-reasonable, accomplished, responsible people-"Where do you need to grow up?" everyone begins writing in a matter of minutes, if not seconds. What does it really mean to grow up? At first, that sounds like an easy question.
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