History never did it for me. My early interests coalesced around science. I was one of those geeky kids who built Estes model rockets that you could launch. I was fascinated with energy conversion from solid rocket fuel to propulsion. Also, it was like sanctioned fireworks, and what sixth grader doesn't like fireworks.
I still like fireworks, but history is fascinating to me now. I'm trying to make up for lost time, I suppose.
Studying anything requires you to ask questions and find the answers. For example, why is the US Constitution considered such an important document? How was it developed? Who did the framers consult in drafting this most revered of documents? I've developed a rudimentary sense of the provenance of the Constitution.
French philosopher Charles Louis de Secondat, Baron de La Brède et de Montesquieu, otherwise known as Montesquieu, wrote his treatise "The Spirit of Law" in 1748. In it, among other things, he pleaded for the end of slavery, the preservation of civil liberty, and the separation of governmental powers. I thought if separation of powers can apply to governments, why not individuals?
Our personal legislative power defines us and what we believe and value. These are the agreements we make with ourselves. I've often referred to the "Four Agreements" by Don Miguel Ruiz. These are the kinds of laws we apply to live an optimized life.
- Be impeccable with your word
- Don't take things personally
- Don't make assumptions.
- Always do your best.
Our personal executive power is about execution. Execution is about attitude. Our attitude informs our actions. Our actions result in our achievement. As Benjamin Franklin said, "There are no gains without pain." The execution of deliberate practice is the common denominator for life mastery. Giving yourself the time to practice, unfettered, requires that you sever technology's tentacles and hold on to your attention. Before any of this, it's the executive level function of deciding and resolving to accomplish and understanding your reason why; Your performance necessity.
Our personal judicial power measures our actions against our beliefs. It is the self-correcting mechanism we, as humans, uniquely enjoy. We can sit in judgment of our day and our week, and our year. It's my practice to evaluate my day relative to the laws my legislative self creates, these agreements mentioned above, and others. If checked against your day, your internal compass will optimize your life faster than you'd expect.
These powers are intertwined, and understanding them is the first step to improving iteratively, One big feedback loop that takes your life to a higher arc.
More to come.
