Transcripts
1. WELCOME to Life Crafting: Hello, I'm Charles Collins. For more than 30 years. I've been researching, writing, and speaking about life
crafting and books, articles, podcasts, and videos. Last year, I was invited to appear on more than
50 podcasts around the world to discuss life crafting and making a
masterpiece of your life. Here are a few live
unscripted excerpts from some of those podcasts. Everything you just described is a framework for what I know myself and millions of other people I craving
for your hitting right on it tells the
master stretch strategists, and I see it live as a craft, puts forward the idea that if we are capable all
over the world of doing this from our early days up through the rest of our life. Why does that have
to be focused in on one thing such as our
career or vocation. Why can't we take that same principle
structure and apply it to everything we do
in our lives with the end objective of making a masterpiece of
our entire life. I love that mask. I'm kind of
speechless right now. My mind is racing
right now because my day job is I'm a
middle school teacher. And when you said Yeah, when you said that
life curriculum and then listening to
your five elements, which by the way, I did download
your book on my Kindle. Super excited, can't wait to read through it because
I have children as well. And yes, I mean, this topic actually
has come up build from the knowledge
you've left and they can stand on the
shoulders of giants. That is the amazing
proof I had finished. I mean, standing on the
shoulders of giants. That's the legacy phase. If everyone had the
thought process of this and everybody
actually practice this, imagine what the world would be. In this workshop, you'll
understand life crafting is a powerful alternative to
living life by trial and error. You will learn to achieve
success by design. Instead of hoping for
success by accident. You will know exactly how to make a masterpiece
of your life as the end goal of your personal development and professional
transformation journey. You will learn to practice
life as a well-defined craft, the same way we
learn and practice any trade, occupation,
or profession. Please join me in the next
episode as my guest for a complete overview of life crafting the system to make
a masterpiece of your life. I'll see you in the workshop.
2. OVERVIEW: What You'll Learn: In the past decade, a new dimension and education is taking root in high schools, colleges, and universities
around the world, including Harvard, University
of California at Berkeley, and Rotterdam University,
just to name a few. A new subject called life crafting has been added
to their curriculum that is fundamentally changing
what is being taught in our schools and what education looks like
in the 21st century. While each of these organization has a different approach to life crafting and the skills that
you learn in their program. They'll point to
a recognition of how important life skills and not just career skills
are to the development of a well-rounded individual
prepared to meet the challenges going
into the world after college or university. For many people, live, crafting will be a new subject
category that they have never fully explored or have
been exposed to before. But the truth is,
even though it is an emerging modern discipline in today's college curriculums, it is actually based
on a program of training and education that has been used in the cultures of the world for more
than a thousand years. Life crafting, as it is described today,
generally speaking, is focused on an individual's
point of view of where they see themselves in
1020 or 30 years from now. It includes learning
how to set goals and have an agenda for one's
life that includes career, family, and personal
development. The idea of crafting
means that it is a conscious workman
like approach to shaping your life
in a planned way versus ad hoc
success by accident, rather than Success by Design. Crafting also invokes the idea that someone is skilled
at what they are doing. That they have trained
and learn how to work with the material and use tools in a specific manner to fashion a vision of something that they have in
their mind that will be the end
result of their work. Crafting is a
skillful approach to the way that you are
managing your life. Going back further in
time to its roots, crafting has been a practice of humankind for
thousands of years. In every culture in the world. Each culture has craftspeople. They work with their
hands and crafts people that work with
their minds both create objects of
beauty and objects of utility that not only
benefit themselves, but also society at large. Each craft, no matter
how simple it is, begins humbly by a
single practitioner. Over time, the craft develops into a highly
refined art and science and eventually practiced by thousands of skilled
practitioners around the world, each coming from
different schools or approaches to the craft. So wildlife crafting
has its roots in the skilled craft traditions found in every
culture in the world. And the master workshops
active in those cultures. Life crafting is
concerned with developing a high level of
skill to bring to the entirety of one's
life experience. Not just one's career
or one's family, but all of the elements
that make up each of us as a complete human being. What you decide to learn
and practice throughout your life is your
life curriculum. Much of it was learned
from your family heritage. Much will be added
as a result of your personal heritage
experience and choices. Life as a craft contains
five categories or elements for organizing
all the content you have already learned. And we'll learn
across your lifetime. Life as a craft is an organizing
framework that allows anyone to learn and practice
life as a defined craft. The way that someone learns and practices textile
weaving or woodworking, by observing how
something is done, practicing the same process, and incrementally improving
one's performance. Five key elements organize
your life curriculum. How well you develop
your knowledge and practice your skills in these
five key elements during the four phases of your
lifetime is the key to making a masterpiece
of your life element. One is family and
personal heritage. It deals with what we learned from the heritage in
cultures that we come from. How they shape us and the legacy we leave to
the next-generation. Element two is family and
household management. This has to do with
the knowledge that we apply to manage the
people in our home, the guidelines that we set up and the environment
that we live in. Running a successful
household is very much like running a
successful workshop. Element three,
family and personal finance deals with
the methods that we learned to produce income and managed money to
operate our households. How we integrate our personal
financial style with our partners style can
make or break a household. Element four is the human being the primary material
of the craft of life. What we have learned and
believe about the structure and functioning of our inner self
and outer self is our mind, our body, our spirit,
and our emotions. Element five deals
with tools for living. The devices that we use to
shape ourselves and others. The technologies, systems, frameworks that
we use to craft our lives. You will learn to organize the live content that
you have already learned and new content that you will learn into the
thigh master categories, the same way that schools
and workshops organized subjects into master categories
for easier learning. Every trade and occupation has an initial period in which the curriculum of the
craft is learned, followed by the time span in which the trade is practiced, skills are
incrementally improved and new knowledge is
progressively acquired. Following this
time-tested structure, life as a craft
spans a period of approximately 80
years in four phases, as taught in practice
for centuries. In the trades and
occupations of the world. Phase one is apprenticeship, age 14 to 25. This is the learning phase. Your primary focus
during this phase of your life is dedicated to acquiring deeper skills and knowledge in key live subjects, such as a future career. Phase two is journey work, age 25 to 45. The building phase. During this life phase, lasting about 20 years or so, you will go out
into the world to practice and develop
your career skills. Likely set up a home
and start a family. You are laying a
solid foundation for your continued personal growth and the lives of your family. Phase three is masterworks, age 45 to 65. The masterpiece phase. By now, you have likely
reached a high level of skill in your career and
your family management. Your focus can now shift to creating masterpieces
with confidence, Recording key insights and lessons for future generations. In your master's journal. Phase for mentorship,
age 65 to 85 and beyond. The legacy phase. In this phase of
life as a craft, you will focus on creating a tangible legacy of
lessons, artifacts, and tools that you will leave
to the next generation of apprenticeship in your
family and the world. You will learn the main goal and focus of each life phase and incrementally improve
your practice of the craft of life
across each phase. And to fashion a masterpiece
of your life as a legacy to the next-generation
way of craftsmanship. How you do your work. Life as a graft recognizes the ancient principle
of craftsmanship for performance excellence as a guide to measure
one's proficiency, knowledge, and acquired skill in any subject you endeavor
to learn in your lifetime. The result of practicing
craftsmanship in everything you do will significantly improve
the quality of your personal and
professional life and the lives of your
family and loved ones. You will learn the way of craftsmanship as a
way of thinking, a way of doing, and a way of living. If you are age 14 to 25 and want a clear reason why you should
learn particular skills and how to choose the right
subjects to focus on and not waste your time with
useless information made for another generation. This course is for you if you are age 25 to 45 and the
building phase of life. And want to manage content
overload and burnout that comes from building a career and family all at the same time. This course is for you. If you are 45 to 65 and feel you have achieved depth
of knowledge and skills, you are ready to
create masterworks, including reviewing
your master plan and beginning your
master's journal. This course is for you. If you are age 65 and beyond, you are in the legacy
phase of life. It is time to begin your
masterpiece collection of stories, knowledge, family, air looms, and more as a heritage that you will leave for the next
generation to build. This course is for you in the way of craftsmanship
as practiced for centuries across the
cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
3. INTRODUCING: 'LIFE' as a 'CRAFT': Life is an ancient journey. For some it is a journey
measured by the time that passes between the twin
events of birth and death. For others, it is a timeless, never ending journey
into eternity. However long, whether
it's finite or infinite, at one time or another, many of us have wondered
what to make of our lives. For a lot of people, life was
never taught as a system of parts fitting into the
machinery of the universe. For most, life is more
like a balancing act. From balancing the
checkbook to balancing the spiritual and
emotional needs of ourselves and
those around us. At other times, life
is kind of like looking through the racks and
a vintage clothing store. Somewhere among bits and pieces handed down through
the generations. One just might find a treasure. However, much does
seem old and outdated. Yet we continue to
search looking for a priceless heirloom worth safeguarding for the
next-generation. Looking back from
our vantage point across time as adults, many of us realize that our parents didn't
have a system for teaching us life anymore than we have one for
ourselves and our children. It's no surprise then that
many of us find ourselves flying through life by intuition and the
seat of our pants. We have learned that
to successfully navigate the journey
of life requires the application of
learn skills to improve our chances of success in
whatever we decide to do. But which skills are the
right skills exactly. Imagine, what would
you say today if someone from the
next-generation asked, What is life all about? Will you say it's about
getting a good education, working hard and making
money to buy things, to have a comfortable life. Will you say it's all about
being a good human being? Or it's about God's plan? Or will you say something else? How would you answer the
question, what is life? Which skills would you learn and teach the
next generation? What is the curriculum? Like a school curriculum? Life as a craft is an organizing structure
to guide anyone to approach the subject of life
as an integrated practice. It is a framework of life skill
subjects categorized into five elements upon which a well-rounded life
skills education can be built to practice life crafting. The way that someone
mindfully practices a single trade like textile
weaving or software coding, requires that all the
activities we perform each day must be organized
and taught similar to the way that we organize, learn and perform our trades, occupations and professions. For thousands of years, humankind has developed and practice countless
trades and occupations, from carpentry and stone masonry to the bakers art and
computer programming. Each successive generation
of practitioners, from the young apprentice
to the journeyman, the master craftsman,
has grown and nurtured their crafts from
simple beginnings into highly refined
Arts and Sciences. Over time. As each craft becomes more widely
known and practiced, an individual or group of
persons arises to record, catalog, and
preserve the body of knowledge developed by
practitioners of the craft. They observe and record the diverse techniques,
methods, procedures, and tools of the craft as it is practiced and evolves
from place to place. And over time. From this experience
come to teachers. Individuals dedicated
to the preservation of the knowledge and
development of the craft. Schools arise wherein the systematically
recorded practices are carefully taught
and the knowledge and the skills of each apprentice
are carefully measured and tested for proficiency
in each area of the craft. At the appointed time. After years of hard work and study comes the crafts
person's journey work. The time to go into the world armed with the knowledge and the skill to use the tools of the trade and to
distinguish oneself as a journeyman or journey woman
in the applied practice. Craftsmanship. Among this wide range of
crafts practiced by humankind, we have found certain basic
elements in common use. There is a distinguishing
Body of Knowledge or curriculum which defines and differentiates each
craft as a whole, making it distinct
from all others. Often we find the
curriculum segmented into different sections or
elements making up the whole. These may include different
historical time periods and the growth and
development of the craft. Or sometimes a
particular approach to the craft by an
individual or group. Composing schools have
practitioners within the craft. Next, there is a hierarchy
to the curriculum. From the simple principles
to the more complex. Usually dictating
which portions of the knowledge are
appropriate for learning. At each stage of development. Starting with the apprentice, the beginner, and moving on to journeyman
and journey woman. Skilled practitioners,
to master crafts person, advanced practitioner, and
to mentor respected teacher. Each craft's contains a system
of principles and methods employed in the preparation and use of the materials
of the craft, the performance
of the activities which make up the craft, and the equipment,
instruments or tools used in the
practice of the craft. There is also a body of standards for measuring
craftsmanship. The skillful practice
of the craft, according to principles
often established and regulated by a collective of
practitioners called gills. Societies and associations. Like other crafts, life as a learned craft defines the development of specific
skills to shape our physical, mental, and spiritual
experiences human beings, with the end goal of making
a masterpiece of our lives. The life craft curriculum is
divided into five elements. Each element acts as a
container for organizing the individual life
skills subjects that you choose to learn
over your lifetime. The objective of practicing
life as a craft is to achieve incremental
excellence over time. In particular,
subjects you decide to learn within each of
the five elements. As an all crafts, the hierarchy of
knowledge in life crafting is learn
progressively over time. The four phases of living is the physical timeframe in which the craft of life will be
studied and practiced, similar to the average for calendar years to acquire
a college baccalaureate. In life as a craft. Each phase of living lasts about two decades, more or less. Like schools, colleges,
and universities. The approach to practicing a particular craft
is established upon a particular philosophical
foundation which guides the study and practice of the skills
to be acquired. Life as a craft is built on the foundation
of craftsmanship, excellence in the
finished result. Examples of which are found a thousand variations in every
culture across the world. The work that each
of us will do in all the subjects we will learn and practice in our lifetime, must adhere to a standard for measuring our craftsmanship
in the finished result. A standard is a model used to measure and compare the
quality of your craftsmanship. It is the foundation
that you will build your practice of the
craft of life upon. A true crafts person will
always use a true standard. There is no room for
substituting a false standard, giving only the appearance
of craftsmanship. If the work is not done right, one day it will be uncovered and the crafts person
will be discredited. To practice life as a craft, you will have to choose a standard to measure
your craftsmanship. Craftsmanship perform to the
highest standards, endures. Workmanship of lowly standards, reveals itself eventually
and does not endure your ultimate decision
of which standard you will choose when you become
a crafts person of life. We'll set the background
for your everyday life, the results of your work and your relationship with
the world around you. Thus, for life crafting to be in applied system and not
simply a quaint metaphor, you must decide
whether or not you accept the idea that life can be practiced as a
well-defined and managed craft with the goal of making
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of a craft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
4. ELEMENT 1: Family Heritage: The first element of learning
and practicing life as a craft is your family heritage. Your family is alive
with the past, the present, and the future. It is the place from which human beings emerge and
connect to in some form. All the days of our lives. Who you are and who you become
is greatly influenced by your connection to family is the basis of who we first
see ourselves to be. To master this first
element requires the knowledge and understanding
of your family's past, it's present, and its
path toward the future. You may have a rich tradition that is yours by birthright, and you should contribute to that tradition and
be proud of it. These are just a few of the many family heritage
topics that you will learn. Ancestry. This is also known as geneology and
your family tree. Family rituals, special things that you
do together as a family. Family symbols, a family
emblem or a coat of arms, your family name, family
air looms and memorabilia. So to begin, let's ask, what is a family? Is a collection of
people who are joined in a relationship that is based upon a promise of faithfulness. Examples of family
relationships based on promises are the
marriage vows that two members of different
families make to join with one another to build a new branch of
their family tree. However, there are many
examples of families which are formed by people who are
not married to one another. In the traditional
or legal sense, marriage forms one
kind of family. A pledge of faithfulness can form families of another type. And even after pledges have been broken or formerly
cease to exist, the ties which
create a family are often difficult to erase. They have made their
mark upon our lives. Human beings cannot seem to
live without family ties. In some way. Family is a power that goes beyond all of us as individuals. In some sense. We're all part of the same
family, the same tree, a tree of many
branches with fruit of many colors and shapes. This means that every
tribe, every clan, every people of every nation
are somehow in the end, all relatives in the
family of humankind. What is heritage? Heritage refers
to the full range of our inherited assets, both tangible and intangible. Tangible, such as family
objects and air looms, financial assets and the like, to broader shared assets,
like architectural monuments, sacred spaces, and intangible assets such as
family stories and legends. And outward to our present and past national cultures
and languages. Thus, heritage is both
immediate family. And the wider cultures
we associate with. Our heritage includes our
traditions and rituals, meanings we assigned
to people of other heritage and behaviors
that we draw from them. Heritage includes but is
much more than preserving, displaying, or restoring a
collection of all things. It includes traditions
or living expressions inherited from our ancestors and passed on to our descendants, such as oral traditions,
performing arts, social practices, religious
rituals, festival events, knowledge and
practices concerning nature and the universe, and knowledge and
skills to produce crafts and ways
of craftsmanship. And family heritage refers to the past generations of family members from
which you descend. Your ancestors are
those family members, especially having lived
before your grandparents. The study of your birth lineage beginning with yourself
and tracing back through your parents and
further back into the past is called genealogy. Genealogy is the study
of family history. It is a record or table of the descent
of a family through its members from an
ancestor or ancestors. The study of your
families ancestry is an important part of your
practice of life as a craft, which can span many
fascinating years of discovery and adventure. Some of the interesting
things you will explore are your narration and includes
more than 2 million members. In some cultures. There is nothing
more important than knowing one's place in the family tree and one's relationship to
common ancestors. Understanding family
relationships or kinship is a significant element in your practice of
life as a craft. Most people understand
their kinship to parents, grandparents, aunts,
uncles, and cousins. But beyond that, relationships
can be confusing. While determining relationships
between individuals is a critical element in constructing
an accurate geneology, there is a deeper
rooting that comes from connecting outward into the larger network of
people we call family does not mean that because
someone is related to us, we will instantly
become best friends. It is a start to a very special way to
get to know someone. The ancient
philosophers believed that the nature and
character of things, or condensed and represented
in their family names. In many cultures, a person inherits the name
of the family known as the surname or lastName into
which he or she is born. And depending upon the custom, each will be given
a personal name or names by which
they are known. Each individual's
personal or given name is a record of that
person's presence in the world for all time. It is one of your most
permanent possessions. It remains when
everything else is lost. It has always owned, even by those who
possess nothing else. Your family name is your
shared property by birth. And greater than any
individual family member. It has a life of its own. It is the product of all
the individual lives of all your family members who have ever lived
under its veil. And it is entrusted
to your care to pass on in good health to future generations who
will live under it. When you inherit
your family's name, even before your life
has barely begun, each one of us partakes of the good fortune and shares
and the achievements of those family members
who have lived before and who contributed to the
value of the family name. When you accept the gifts you inherit in your family name, you must also accept the
responsibility to care for it and see that it is not harmed through
your careless family. Something bigger than yourself. It is a representation
of your family. It's struggles and
its successes. It's past, is present, and pride in the future. Collect and care for your family heirloom and
memorabilia with pride. Family symbols can be an
informal design or object which the family holds
dear and identifies with as a representation
of itself. In a more formal sense. There is an art and science of families symbolism
called Harold. Harold Urey developed
simultaneously in the 12th century in Europe where it is referred
to as a coat of arms. And in Japan, where the
family emblem is called mn. However, in the
last few decades, according to heraldic experts, in the Western world, coats of arms are more widely used and more new
coats of arms have been designed and recognized than at any previous
time in history. While having originated within
a class structure society. Among those who
called themselves, the use of family symbols is not an indication
of great wealth, pretension, nor even in the case of newly created
arms of old family, nor for that matter, of a high level of
cultural attainment. Family symbols,
whatever its form, serves as a constant reminder to descendants who bear them. They're continuing
responsibility to lead lives of honor and service and thereby bring even greater honor and recognition to the
families symbol. A registered coat of arms, or other less formal families
symbol probably represents an active and present
relationship between members of a family and a visible linkage
between the past, present, and future generations. In the practice of
life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. Characteristic of
professionalism and personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list
of four guidelines. To complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
5. ELEMENT 2: Family Management: In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of a craft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
6. ELEMENT 3: Family & Personal Finance: The third element of life as a craft deals with
managing money. To master this element
in all its variations, can be a lifelong quest. For this reason, many
mistakenly believe they cannot hope to achieve even a moderate level
of craftsmanship. In this seemingly
complex element. The result is either
great distress or distrust on the part of
families and individuals. When it comes to dealing
with this one of life as a crafts five elements. The truth is families
and individuals can achieve
incremental excellence in this critical element. Providing abundance
of resources for family and personal growth. Subjects for study in
this element include financial planning,
income, budgeting, taxes, credit, investing, contributions, personal
financial goals, insurance coverage,
and estate planning. Financial management is the
process of wisely budgeting, spending, saving, and
investing the money you earn. Managing money, an
important part of being in a relationship and
family wellbeing. Finances can affect
the health of your relationship and
your family, for example. When you and your partner wants to spend money
in different ways, it can lead to disagreements. Consumer debt and
financial problems such as credit card debt or payday loans can cause stress
and increased conflict. Healthy financial management
and a relationship involves learning how to spend and manage your money wisely, using communication and
conflict management skills and building and maintaining
a strong foundation of trust with your partner. Couples who communicate
openly about money have little or no debt, or who are actively
working toward paying off their debt and don't spend
more than they earn, tend to be happier and more stable in their relationships. Couples who struggle
with financial issues often have increased stress and tension in their relationships. Sit down with your partner and
discuss questions such as, what would our lives be like if our finances
were in order? Talk about different
types of goals you can set to help work
toward that future. Start with small goals like writing down your
household monthly budget. Then work towards saving for your emergency fund or paying off a specific
high-interest loan. Everyone needs to know how
to manage money skillfully. In the way of craftsmanship. Learning, good financial
management skills can help you and your partner build a happier and more
stable life together. And the life of your family. Seek out master
craftsmen and women in the financial
crafts to learn and discuss skillful financial
management practices. Then practice and develop the skills that
will help you and your partner be happier and more prepared to deal
with times of stress. Although some financial
problems are caused by poor financial understanding resulting in unwise decisions. Research suggests that
most financial problems are caused by
non-financial behavior. Problems such as impulse
buying, excessive materialism, preoccupation with social image, using money to control others. Addictive behavior. Scholars have identified
several factors that drive financial behavior, including emotions, personality, and an individual's
attitude toward money. Money is closely connected
to our emotions. Have you ever spent money
on others to control them? Perhaps. Have you acquired
debt to buy gifts and relieve feelings of guilt
because you neglected someone? Or have you gone on
a shopping spree to overcome sadness
or loneliness. Our personalities also affect
our financial behavior. A spouse who is carefree
and values spontaneity may resist financial planning,
budgeting, and saving. On the other hand, a
spouse who values order, control and authority may resist spending money
on anything but absolute necessities and may have difficulty sharing financial control
with their partner. Your financial behavior is also influenced by your
attitude towards money, which is partly determined
by your childhood. Money can symbolize
feelings like control, fear, guilt, or abandonment. You resist discussing
financial matters with your spouse because your parents argued about it frequently
when you were young. Did your spouse grew up in an affluent family
and consequently, does not understand the
need to budget and save. Do you need to have a new
car to feel confident, a sense of affluence or
projected image of success. In addition to you and your spouse's individual
financial behavior, your relationship has
a tremendous impact on your family's
experience with money. Researchers have identified
the following qualities of a marriage that affect
financial security. Emotional intimacy, mutual
respect, and communication. Effective communication
about family finance and goals is critical
to money management. Do you know your spouse's
attitude toward Money? Do know and understand his
or her financial goals. Do you talk to your spouse before
painting a large purchase? You consult with your spouse about how to spend extra money, like tax refunds,
gifts, or bonuses. Do you understand your spouse's
feelings toward money? Do you understand why money matters make your
husband or wife anxious? Do you understand that your spouse is motivated
to save money for a rainy day because his or her family had money problems when
they were a child. Do you use money to
control your spouse? Do you go on shopping, sprays and exceed
the family budget because you are angry with
your husband or wife. Do you respect your partners
desire to save money for new curtains or to save
money for a trip to Hawaii. Do you consider your
spouse's feelings before making
financial decisions? From their research, scholars
have provided insights and recommendations to help families manage their finances
more effectively. These recommendations
are based mostly on changing behaviors
and attitudes. They include learning to distinguish between
needs and wants, communicating openly and
honestly about family finances, using a budgeting
or financial plan. And understanding the connection between money and
family relationships. Where that each individual has different values, standards, and goals that influence his or her view of
money and its uses. Understand the family
financial rules that existed in your spouses family of origin and how they affect his or her
financial perspective. Communicate openly
and lovingly with your spouse about your
family financial patterns. Assess your family
financial rules and decide which ones you want to keep and which
ones you want to change. Increase your financial
understanding and skills by using resources like libraries,
schools, and seminars. Consider the motivation
behind your financial habits. Do you spend money
just to keep up with the Joneses or improve
your social image? Do you spend money to buy the love and
affection of others? Do you control the
family money too much because you do
not trust your spouse? Plan a family activity to teach all family members
about family finance. For example, casher paycheck, and show your children how
the money is allocated to various expenses
and savings programs. Manage your money with
a written budget. Make the list defining each spouse's financial
roles and responsibilities. This does not mean
that both have two equally perform financial tasks. If one is more skilled or
likes to do it, that's okay. Many craftsmen is workshops successfully operate with a
single financial manager. Just be transparent
with reporting and access in case of
unforeseen circumstances. Make purchases that are
appropriate to your income level. Make a list separating your
basic needs from your wants. Keep expenses constant. Even when your income increases. Give family members
some allowance to spend how they choose without
being accountable to anyone. Avoid impulse buying. Make a shopping
list and stick to it before making
large purchases. Be sure you have
the money set aside or can pay it off quickly
if you use credit, buying anything on credit is the most expensive
way to live. Establish a limit to the
amount of money either spouse can spend before consulting
his or her partner. As long as it is
within the limit, whether it is twenty-five
dollars or 5 thousand. Consider the purchase and
use of expensive items. For example, purchase
a snowblower with your neighbors or purchase a cabinet or a boat
with your family. Establish an emergency
savings fund of at least three months. If the family has
only one breadwinner, consider having savings
of six months income. This is one of the
most difficult goals for most people to achieve. It requires laser-like
discipline and not giving into the
little impulse purchases. Burn $500 in a month. You could have saved to your emergency fund
that much quicker. Insurance. What do you really need and
how much medical insurance, depending on the
country you live in. Maybe a requirement you
have to budget for. Life insurance is useful if
the family does not have sufficient financial
resources to manage after the
death of a spouse. It may be unnecessary. If the survivors are
financially self-sufficient. Property insurance
on your home and vehicles helps to mitigate the total cost to repair or replacement in the
event of being damaged. And a state is the property to which someone is
lawfully entitled. In traditional law, the word referred to property and land. A person's estate consisted of the interests of rights
in that person's land. Courts in the United
States have ruled that the word estate covers
everything a person owns, both land and personal. No matter what
your net worth is, it is important to have a
basic estate plan in place. Such a plan ensures
that your family and financial goals are met
after you are gone. And a state plan has
several elements. They include a will, assignment of power of attorney, and a living will, or
health care proxy. When putting together a plan, you must be mindful of both federal and other
jurisdictions governing a States. Family, and personal
finance is element three or five in the practice
of life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
7. ELEMENT 4: The Human Being: The fourth element, the
primary material of life as a craft is
the human being. As wood is to the carpenter
or clay to the potter. So as the human being, to the practice of
life as a craft, a natural, uneven material. The human being requires
very special handling. It is both fragile and resilient under
the right conditions. Human beings come from the
gardens we call families. For this reason, we
placed knowledge of family heritage and family management
as elements for study in advance of
the human being. The ultimate goal practicing
life as a craft is to make a masterpiece of your
life and to teach our children to make a
masterpiece of their own. Subjects for study in
this element Include your outer being, birth,
sexuality, death, self-preservation, diet
and nutrition, exercise, health examinations, grooming,
and personal appearance, and personal care,
hygiene and etiquette. Your inner being, beliefs,
emotions, spirit, values, personal goals,
self-expression, education, knowledge, career
and livelihood, relationships and companions. Your life is unique and in the primary care of
a single crafts person. You are that crafts person. Your life is a work in progress. It is always changing
and evolving. Sometimes the progress
is rapid, indistinct. Other times it is slow
and imperceptible to you. While to others, the
changes may be dramatic. To shape your life into
a masterpiece requires skill and the
careful application of the tools of
the craft of life. To become a master crafts person is gained only
through experience. You must act. This is the practice
of life crafting. During your apprenticeship,
you will apply yourself to the study and understanding
of life as a craft. You must learn the characteristics
of the human being, the raw material of
the craft of life. Just as the potter studies clay or the physician human anatomy. Like other natural substances, the human being is organic. It is not a perfect
uniform substance like gleaming sheet metal. Each one is therefore as unique as the
trees of the forest. Like trees, human beings are both very strong
yet very fragile. They must be handled with
great care or they will break. You must also dedicate yourself
to perfecting the skills necessary to use the tools
of the crafts person. Tools are very
powerful instruments when used in the hands
of a train journeyman, or journey woman, they can
produce superior results. But if used carelessly
or by the untrained, they can cause great
and irreparable damage to the human being. The principles of practicing
life as a craft or as well-defined as
any other endeavor to which human beings
apply themselves. In this element for you
or being introduced to the principles
surrounding the care and development of
the human being. And resources such as
teachers who have spent their lives studying
this unique material. Making a masterpiece of
your life concerns itself with gaining the
knowledge and skills progressively over
your lifetime, allowing you to manage
the overall balance of your inner self
and your ourself. In a state of good
health or wellness, a state of physical, mental, and social well-being, not just the absence of
disease or sickness. Your outer being, the
tangible or physical. The outer human being or physical body is
comprised of groups of organ systems that
work together to make a complete
functional human being. The primary material
you will work with in your practice
of life as a craft. Breaking the outer human being down into a series of systems will help you more
easily understand each system and its parts, their relationship
to one another, and together as a
whole human body. A few examples of systems
include the circulatory system, the respiratory system,
and the digestive system. Your inner being, the
intangible or mental. Your inner human being
is also comprised of an interconnected system of intangible or
invisible functions. Some of these functions
include consciousness, imagination, memory,
and thought. Wellness of your inner being
is defined as a state of well-being in which each person can realize their own potential. Cope with the normal
stresses of life, work productively
and fruitfully, and is able to make a
contribution to one's family. The conflict between
the inner and the outer self begins when the inner self or the outer
self are out of balance. In its simplest terms, a conflict between the
inner and outer self refers to a mismatch. You think one thing
perhaps, but do another. The greater the conflict, the wider the difference
between what the inner self believes is right and
what the outer self does. This conflict ultimately causes stress that can be
damaging to the mind, body, and emotional state. Often this conflict
arises due to spending too little time
considering your inner self. How much of the time you
are running on empty, just struggling to get
through the demands of the day without
considering whether your actions and
behaviors are in line and imbalance
with your inner self. The conflict between the two
cells can result in stress, which makes you more
vulnerable to illness. Your daily functioning
may also be affected when you feel successful on the outside but
empty on the inside. Balancing the inner
and the outer self. Craftsmanship is concerned first and foremost with balance. Balance is defined
as a condition in which different
elements are in the correct proportions and placement to function
as intended. A craftsman work or masterpiece which is submitted to a jury of his or her peers, known as a guild, will be
judged, among other things, on its balance as a characteristic of its
intended functionality. In other words, if a
craftsman is masterpiece, their finest work
does not perform well according to its
intended function. It will likely be found upon
examination to be out of balance and likely
fail acceptance as a masterpiece for
admittance to the guild. As a master craftsperson, the work will have
to be done over. And so it is with your life as your
masterpiece in the making. Should you find it
does not perform or perform as well
as you intended, you will likely find
and probably with the help of skilled
mentors as in any craft. There's an imbalance between the inner and the outer human being. Once located, you can set about the task
and a craftsman like manner of bringing your
work back into alignment. The five elements
of life as a craft were developed for
exactly this purpose. By understanding the
elements that go into making the inner and
outer human being. The crafts person of life, can refer to the
workshop manual or Handbook to identify
which subject, in which element to focus on. And bring the inner and outer human being back into a state of well-being or balance without the five elements to guide the crafts person in their
work of the craft of life. One is left to figuring it
out as you go flying by the seat of your pants and acting intuitively
by trial and error. This often results in over-concentration in one
element or subject and applying too much pressure on one area or another of the
inner self or outer self, interfering with the balance and function of your work product. The human being is
element four or five. In the practice of
life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
8. ELEMENT 5: Tools for Living: The fifth element
of life as a craft concerns itself with powerful
instruments called tools. Generally speaking, tools are objects
specifically designed to help us perform a
particular task with a high degree of performance. Ideally improving the quality
of the finished work. We use tools of many types in diverse applications
within all of the first four elements
of life as a craft. However, there are
craftsmen and women specifically dedicated to
the craft of toolmaking. And therefore, we have
identified tools as a separate fifth element because we feel they are a
unique creations. A tool is an extension
of the crafts person, an instrument to
harness and shape the energy within us
and around us and skillfully focus that energy on the primary material
we are working with to achieve a change
that is a desired result. Looking at tools as agents under the crafts person's control for delivering the crafts
person's intended result. We can define the
word tool to mean any device specifically
modified or fabricated for application on a given material to alter or shape it in accordance with the craftsman intended
outcome or result. By this definition, an
extraordinary array of tangible and intangible
objects can be harnessed for use by a craftsperson
as an instrument to concentrate and magnify the crafts person's
energy force. Whether it is a
medicinal tool, ie, a drug designed for delivering an intended outcome to the
inner or outer human being, or a vehicle designed
to transport people are cargo from
one location to another. The crafts person is responsible for the outcome
produced through its use. Therefore, instruction
and practice in the use of tools for life crafting is essential for
achieving the desired outcome. In the way of craftsmanship, learning how to select an
appropriate tool for a task, and the skillful application of the tool acquired through
continuous practice is fundamental to
achieving the goal of producing a
high-quality work product. Many people attempt to use
tools of one type or another to produce a desired change or outcome and an area
of their lives. Without fully understanding
the functional capabilities of the tool they're using, or it's skillful application. In the practice
of life crafting. This often results in damage being done to the human being. The primary material
of the craft. Damage which can be difficult to repair by anyone after the fact. What differentiates the way of craftsmanship from the way
a skillful workmanship is. The craftsman is requirement
of understanding first the desired
outcome or result, which precedes selecting
the tool to be used in the process of
achieving that result. In the way of craftsmanship. This procedural way of thinking is usually learned in phase one, apprenticeship in the workshop
of the master craftsman. Here tools are studied, examine, and understood for
their intended use before The Apprentice is ever allowed to grasp and apply the tool
to a material, the apprentice would have to demonstrate a proficiency
of understanding. By first name each tool. They are primary
and often secondary intended uses and the proper maintenance
and care through the daily task of
having to clean, maintain, and store the tools of the workshop journeyman
at the end of the day. As for the master's tools, only a senior
journeyman picked by the master could be relied
upon for that role. The master's tools were often masterpieces of toolmaking
in their own right, expensive to produce and custom balanced to meet the masters
unique specifications. Further in some
craft traditions, the apprentice would be
required to look at a piece of Kraftwerk at a
particular stage where the master craftsman would
point out a particular item or characteristic where the
apprentice would have to name the tool which was
used to achieve it. This close examination
would often rely on the apprentices growing skill
in recognizing tool marks, sometimes known as signatures. To be effective, the appropriate tool for
the task must be applied skillfully and the results interpreted to ensure the
desired outcome was achieved. Understanding the
desired outcome comes from knowing what to do. Then from the experience
of actually doing it. User manuals and videos provide knowledge but not experience. The first time a tool is used, it is unlikely it
will be used as effectively as it is
for the 50th time. Proficiency is gained by
ensuring that knowledge of the tool is learned
beforehand and by practicing. To gain control and achieve
the intended end result. Understanding the
intended result is a distinct characteristic
of the way of craftsmanship. Distinguishing it from
skilled workmanship, which demonstrates only
the mechanical application of a tool to the material. Craftsmanship through
its characteristic of understanding the
intended result before beginning the work, will use quality improvement and problem-solving tools
to give indication of areas where the
intended result was not achieved and
realignment is needed. Realignment is another
critical characteristic of the way of craftsmanship. As it focuses the craftsman is attention on fine
tuning or adjusting the application of the
tool so as not to damage the primary material and
improve the intended result. Here are just a few
example tools for study in element five. Books are one of the crafts
persons most valuable tools. A book is a containing device, forethought objects of
a particular size or volume frozen at a
particular point in time. It is an excellent
focusing tool as it has a defined
beginning and ending, making it fixed and manageable. It is also an excellent tool for treating a subject in depth. However, the content
contained within any book can become outdated as new
knowledge is discovered. That does not necessarily
mean it is no longer useful. Its capabilities and
limitations must be clearly understood to determine whether it is the right tool
for the job at hand. Newer electronic or
e-book formats allow authors to make updates
to their books on-demand, which helps to remedy some of the freshness limitations of the earlier ink and
paper technologies. As a tool. Books and journals serve both
teacher and crafts person as instruments for organizing
and transmitting knowledge, as well as a reference which
can be turned to time. And again. It is a
highly versatile tool, usually portable and easy to utilize in a wide
variety of environments. Keep your most important books
handy in your workshop or in your toolbox for easy
access when you need them. The integration of information and communication technologies into every sphere of contemporary life has had profound implications for
how people learn in school, solve practical problems, and
function in the workplace. Network computing and
communications technologies and media have become
essential tools of practically every
profession and trade. Including those of
lawyers, doctors, artists, historians, electrician's
mechanics, and salespeople. These devices make it
possible to redistribute learning and work experiences
over time and space. This category of tools includes a wide variety of technologies like
computers and software, networking systems,
and an array of handheld digital
devices for accessing, managing, creating, and
communicating information. Today, the number and types
of tools available to you for fashioning your inner and
outer Kraftwerk is vast. Not only the
categories of tools, but the array of
variations and suppliers. Just consider the number of advertisements on
television, radio, and the internet every
day offering some sort of tool for fixing or improving some aspect of your
inner or outer self. From exercise machines
that fit under your bed, to meditation apps that
run on your mobile device. While the abundance of
life crafting tools in our modern age can be
set to be a blessing. The results of inner
and outer injury due to little or no training
and unskilled misuse of these tools are
staggering and often classified as accidental
injury or death, either self-inflicted or
through the agency of another. Tool management is
the applied practice of craftsmanship
to the learning, selection and skill
practice of any tool used in contact with your inner
or outer human being. This includes everything from pills that deliver
substances into your body to affect a change on your physical
or mental material. To electronic devices
delivering information content onto the workbench of your mind. Which tools you choose, and how you use them always
have an effect on you. The primary material
of the craft, that is what they
were invented for. Now, look at the tools you are using in your practice
of life as a craft. In the way of craftsmanship, you should be able to give an account just
as the apprentice does in the master's workshop
of each tool by name, its intended function,
its care and maintenance, the principles of skillful
application or they use and control of the tool
on the material of the craft. That is, how often and
what amount of pressure to apply without causing damage to achieve the intended outcome. The crafts person who is not
in control of their tools, runs the risk of injury to themselves and potentially
others around them. Where to begin taking
inventory of your tools and applying proper tool
management practices with the tools in your workshop. Start with your mobile device. Tools for living. Is element five of five in the practice
of life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work. Make a masterpiece of your life.
9. LIFE PHASE 1: Apprenticeship: Apprenticeship is
rooted in the word to apprehend or to
understand something. It has as much to do
with learning how to learn as it does
with what to learn. And learning life as craft. Apprenticeship is the
specific period of time during which one
learns to comprehend the nature of the
raw materials of the craft and the skillful use
of the tools of the craft. In many cultures, the
apprenticeship phase takes place sometime
during a 12-year period, beginning at about age 12 to
14 and onto age 22 to 24, depending upon a variety
of circumstances, including requirements
for training and one's chosen vocation, as well as other life
responsibilities which may have to be taken up. The apprenticeship phase
in the practice of life as a craft is comprised of
three clear goals to focus the attention of those in the apprenticeship phase as a defined, measurable outcome. Goal one, transition
of responsibility. The rite of passage. Around the world
when young men and women reach their early teens, we act out ceremonial
rituals or rites of passage, signifying the end of
childhood about age 12 to 14. The stage when an
individual is considered to be fully in the
care of his or her guardians who are fully and legally
responsible for their well-being and the passage or crossing the threshold entering
the society of adults. It is the beginning
of apprenticeship where the individual with
the continued support of his or her guardians and mentors formally receives
from their guardians a transfer of ownership
and responsibility for making a masterpiece of
one's life Going forward. Depending upon the culture, coming of age rights
marking the beginning of the apprenticeship
phase run from the purely ceremonial to the physically extreme in the practice
of life as a craft. The traditional way
of craftsmanship, marking the beginning of
the apprenticeship phase, is a cooperative agreement between Guardians,
The Apprentice, and mentors together to achieve within a
certain timeframe, the apprentices
demonstrated proficiency in the knowledge and
skills required to successfully crossover from
one's apprenticeship and enter the journey work phase of life as a skilled
craftsmen or crafts woman, and make one's own way in the world through the applied
practice of craftsmanship. For guardians, It is
a rite of passage, marketing their recognition
of release over the total decision-making
responsibility for a child. And the beginning of a
new adult conversation of self-determination, rights
and responsibilities. For The Apprentice. The rite of passage marks the realization
and acceptance of the responsibility for making a masterpiece for one's own life has begun and is
now in your hands. The craftsperson
of your own life. Goal to, is learning how to learn the way of craftsmanship. From the beginning
of our history, human beings have
interacted with the world around us
to understand and make sense of what something
is and how it all works. We are inquisitive by nature. An inquiry is any process that has the aim of increasing
knowledge or solving a problem. It is a particular
approach or method, a process for
understanding something. There are many forms or methods of inquiry for learning and understanding
something that have been developed over
thousands of years, each with its own particular
set of rules or process. For example, a
traditional approach to learning in many crafts, occupations and
professions is to observe and mimic
what the mentor is doing through
continuous practice until the outcome is deemed
correct by the mentor. This method of learning
by doing handed down from generation to generation with often very little
change in technique, has many practical benefits by eliminating the
painstaking process of trial and error having already been suffered by
previous generations. Providing the
Apprentice a fast-track to proficiency in the craft. We call this standing on a foundation built on
the shoulders of giants. In the practice of
life as a craft. Very often we're
going to be called upon to perform by
producing works of quality and durability for
which there is no mentor to guide us through the process
to a successful outcome. Whether it is someone throwing
a mess across your desk at work or managing a family
situation at home. We have all been in that place flying blind by the
seat of our pants, trying to figure it
out as we go along. In the way of craftsmanship. A critical goal of the
apprenticeship phase is learning appropriate
methods for how to extract the knowledge of how
something was done that lies hidden within the
finished work itself. It is a form of reverse engineering inquiry with the invisible crafts person who created the original work. In the late 19th century, Charles Wesley Emerson founder
Boston's Emerson College, developed an approach for learning that is
reverse engineering. The great literature
of history from ancient times to the present. In order to interpret
them for audiences of presentations of
eloquent oratory. In his words, the
world's great literature was meant for the hearing. It is a simple method
in four steps that can be applied to learning
a great many subjects and extract the
lessons contained within when there is no
craftsmen or mentor present. Step one is the hole. Looking at an object from a distance in order to
see its full perimeter. Put a frame around the
object like a painting, by placing it inside a set of defined borders so that
we can set it apart from all other things
in order to focus our intention on that
one thing alone. Some things are easy to do
this with as their edges, like an artist's canvas, can be easily defined. However, many subjects and objects such as
thoughts and emotions, appear at first glance
to be a tangle of shadowy edges making it very difficult to get
your arms around it, leading to the common feeling of overwhelm and lack of control, leaving you unable to cope or understand what this
thing is to be learned. The exercise is to start with familiar objects and practice
defining them as a whole, setting them apart from
all other objects, then progressively move on
to more complex objects. In time, you will perfect the ability to see the
whole of an object clearly through the static
of the world around you and the distracting
thoughts within you. Step to the parts. Next is to identify the main
component parts which are bound together to make up what we first see as a whole object. If it were a work of literature, it might be the chapters which collectively form
the book as a whole. And automobiles main parts might be the suspension system, the foundation that supports the entire automobile,
the propulsion system. And then finally, the passenger
cabin and the interior. Next, the exterior or
outer body defines the edges of the object
as a unique whole. This exercise through
reverse engineering, is to analyze what the
original craftsman defined as the unnecessary
parts to form the whole. From this process, you
will learn that anything large can be broken down
into manageable parts. Step three is the
relationship of the parts. This takes us into the
connection between the parts as independent
objects themselves. Each part a whole unto itself. However, by itself, it sits in isolation without
being connected dynamically in an
innovative manner to other parts within
the system as a whole. Thus, the parts in
relationship to each other demonstrate which parts receive energy from and which parts
energy is passed to. This exercise teaches
the apprentice to observe and learn the
process at work among the parts in order to achieve a particular end result
defined by the original hall. Now we move to step four parts in relationship
to the whole. Using the skills in
step one of defining the whole of an object
through clear focus. The Apprentice can now see the original hole as a system of interconnected parts joined together through
skillful craftsmanship. Through practice. The apprentice has learned
one method of learning how to understand something
when no mentor is present or available
to teach them. It is a way of thinking. However, in order to shape a similar object as the
original that one studied, the apprentice must learn
the characteristics of the materials used
to construct the original and skillfully apply the tools to create
the desired result. In the practice of
life as a craft. This means understanding
the unique characteristics of the inner and
outer human being. That is, oneself as the
primary material of the craft. And the gradual application of the tools of the craft through incremental practice
so as not to damage oneself and achieve the
desired end result. To make a masterpiece
of your life. Goal three and apprenticeship
is the curriculum. What is to be learned? In the practice of
life as a craft? Your life curriculum
is organized into five elements that
act as containers for storing the many
different subjects or topics which make up the curriculum you will study over the four
phases of your life. In the apprenticeship phase, you will select subjects
for learning in each of the five elements in
partnership with your mentors, who will help you
approach each subject. At the appropriate
level of complexity. Like weightlifting, you begin light and gradually
increase as you build your knowledge
and skill at each level during the course
of your apprenticeship. If you fake it and give
only the appearance of understanding and skills
in a given subject, you will likely
be discredited as incompetent when you enter
your journey work phase, and present yourself to the world as a skilled
crafts person. This can be harmful to
both your reputation and your pride and set you back in your plan to make a
masterpiece of your life. Each subject contained
within each of the five elements is a
body of knowledge unto itself with its own levels of learning from apprentice
through to mastery. The goal is to achieve incremental excellence
in the subjects contained within each
of the five elements, beginning in the
apprenticeship phase, and then progressively over the four phases
of your lifetime. By seeking out your mentors. And in the absence of a mentor, you must discover on your own by practicing the
skill of how to learn the lessons hidden within the craft work of the
invisible crafts person. Apprenticeship is
phase one of four. In the practice of
life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of a craft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
10. LIFE PHASE 2: Journeywork: The journey work phase
and the craft of life is comprised of the years of
work after apprenticeship, age 25 to 45, by a competent, but as yet undistinguished
journeyman or journey woman. During this 20-year phase, the journeyman
craftsperson distinguishes themselves by the quality of their craft work in subjects across the five elements
of life has a craft. The journey work phase is filled with
wide-ranging contrast. Feminine feast, love and
war, hope and despair. It is the time we raise our young families,
practice our vocations. Plant seeds for future harvests, tried to make ends meet and come face-to-face with the
reality that the journey is indeed more arduous and full of perils and
opportunities than we had first imagined from within the inexperienced
and structured world of our apprenticeship. Journey work, as its name means, is the act of performing
the day's work. It is a test of endurance, a repetitive routine of
often imperceptible gains. Journey work takes strength
and endurance and reliance upon one's apprenticeship
training and growing experience to
complete the work. In the way of craftsmanship, that full pleasure comes not only from the
finished work itself, but from the manner in
which it has been done. The journey work
tradition is alive today in many crafts
and professions where young craftsmen and women
are reviving the custom of journeying to visit
and work with masters of their trade
to build their skills. And while each craft and location have their
own unique rites, rituals, and codes of behavior. For those in the journey work
phase in the craft of life. There are some key lessons from traditional journey
work practices that we can apply to
our own daily work of making a masterpiece
of our lives. Traditional journeyman
carry a pocket size diary to be filled
with stamps from cities visited and testaments of work accomplished
along the way. Traditionally, these books
were used as a resume for finding work and as
a travel journal. The journal Men's Journal, is a record or proof
of the day work performed to distinguish oneself as a skilled craftsperson. It is a tool used to fashion
thoughts and the workshop of your mind and record
them for future reference. Traditionally, a journeyman
was not allowed to travel or seek work within 60 kilometer
radius of their hometown. A guide intended to
encourage an exchange of ideas among those
practicing any given trade. Today, it still remains a way to ensure that journeyman
and journey women developed self-reliance
and the necessary skills to make a unique
masterpiece of their life. If you're in the journey work
phase of life as a craft, you will be at work practicing subjects from within each
of the five elements, building your knowledge
and your skills in each subject that you
have chosen to study. And you will also be choosing new subjects within each
of the five elements. As you move across the journey work phase over
the next 20 years or so. In element one family heritage, you may decide to
establish a family symbol, like a coat of arms, graphically representing the
values and ideas that you wish to share with this
and future generations. In element two,
family management, you may likely find
yourself raising a family of your own
and being called upon to run an organize a household and deal with
individuals and their needs. Like it's successful master
craftsman is Workshop. You must learn to skillfully
manage the business of your family with clear
and thoughtful rules and procedures and
communication processes that build cooperation
in the way of craftsmanship among apprentices and
journeyman and journey women of your family
household element three, personal and family finance subjects that we'll come
to the forefront in the journey work phase of life include creating and
developing sources of income, budgeting income for
different purposes, including long-term growth, such as investing
or wealth building, funds from family
member education, and managing
day-to-day household operations element
for the human beings, subjects that you will
work on and learn in the journey work
phase will become progressively more challenging
and several key areas. First, as a human being, you will undergo significant
changes brought on by exposure to the forces
of man and nature. As trees bend and sometimes
break and heavy storm, you as the craftsperson
of your life, may have to deal with
unexpected changes in your primary material and the conditions under
which you are working. This is what your apprenticeship is designed to make
you ready for. But once it happens, it will challenge your
craftsmanship skills. And force you to learn new
and more powerful ones. Secondly, you will very likely be in a
position where you are directly influencing the growth and development of
other human beings. Skills which you
may be applying for your own life
material may not be appropriate for nurturing
or younger human being. The knowledge and application of nurturing skills will come to the forefront in this phase of life as a craft element five, tools for living in
the journey work phase will depend a great deal upon which subjects within each of the five elements are on your workbench at
any given time. It could be genealogy
software for organizing and researching
your ancestors. To online investment tools
and money management. Look at your workbench. Which tools are you using? What subjects are you having difficulty making progress with? Is it a lack of knowledge, lack of tools, or
unskilled use of tools. Remember that tools are an
extension of the craftsperson. Instruments to
harness the energy within us and around us. And if you are using
your tools every day, they are being worn and must
be maintained and above all, used for the purpose
they were intended. The endurance of journey work. If there is one word to
describe it, it is endurance. Endurance is defined
as the ability to withstand hardship or adversity. And ability is a skill acquired through
study and practice. Endurance training, whether
physical or mental, is conditioning to skillfully regulate one's performance to go the distance and
achieve the result envisioned for this phase and
each of the five elements. This endurance training
ideally begins in apprenticeship and
further improves during the journey work
phase when it will be at the very center of
your daily Kraftwerk. As you move between crafting
your personal masterpiece, the lives you touch
in your family, and the demands of
the world around you. Often in the form of delivering your work skills in
the marketplace. As a crafts person
and the craft of life training for this
central skill requirement of the 20-year journey work
phase will prepare you to excel during this period by practicing daily
endurance training, the alternative to
training is burnout. A state of emotional, physical, and mental exhaustion caused by excessive and
prolonged stress. It occurs when you
feel overwhelmed, emotionally drained,
and unable to meet the constant demands
of the journey work phase. It is not a single event, but a process in which
everyday stresses and anxieties gradually undermine one's physical and
mental health. Look around you. Burnout is one of the
most common states people in the modern world
experience every day. And it is often caused by the incorrect amount of pressure being applied
to the human being, by the individual
crafts person and from those outside who are often
suffering from burnout. In order not to be overly affected by those in
a state of burnout, you need to develop the skill of emotional and mental endurance. Emotional and mental
endurance skills training is designed to develop your ability to maintain a state of confidence
and balance. Making new capable of enduring
the journey work phase. Emotional endurance
training results include feeling a sense
of control and optimism, having a high threshold to
handle change and the unknown. Demonstrating
personal resolve and resiliency in the
face of setbacks. Managing your energy
effectively so you don't burn out
or feel overloaded. This new state of
emotional endurance replaces the state
of tension caused by the anxiety of not being sure of how am I
going to get through this and not knowing what tools are needed
to get the work done. The ability to endorse
something means you are able to produce the necessary energy
to sustain the encounter. Whether it is a triethylamine or a challenging Zumba class, those who practice physical
endurance training adopt a regimen of progressive
strength building and pacing, measured release of
energy necessary to maintain momentum and
achieve the desired outcome. In other words, they
increase their strength over time to build
energy reserves. But learn how not to burn
more than is needed at any given moment as
it is a waste and will likely run out before
the encounter is complete. If you start out on day
one of your training, working at the level of
suffering through it, then you will always
be suffering. And that is going to
limit your reach. If you stay below the
suffering pain threshold. And work to raise the level
of what you can do easily. You can keep raising the easily
bar for a very long time. Your goal is to work
within the world of easy, sustainable, and enjoyable,
and then expand that world. That's the realm with
the most potential for developing emotional
and mental endurance. In the way of craftsmanship. A key practice is the clear understanding of the goal of the
journey work phase. Emotional and mental
endurance through strength, building and practice, and being able to
articulate this goal. As taught in the Greek
view of craftsmanship, is what this means. In your daily practice. It is the release rather than the acceptance of
ideas, worldviews, and the behavior of others that demonstrate a
complete lack of understanding of the goal of the journey work phase or
the way of craftsmanship. Such things draw energy away from you and will
exhaust you prematurely. Journey work requires stamina, the ability to sustain prolonged physical
or mental effort. It is the result of
learning to pace yourself stamina
rather than speed. This is the craftsman secret
for avoiding burnout. In the journey work phase. Journey work is phase two for in the practice
of life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practice for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
11. LIFE PHASE 3: Masterwork: The masterworks
phase, age 45 to 65, begins at the culmination
of the journey work years, during which time
one distinguish oneself as a skilled
craftsperson by the quality of their work. If you have learned
endurance and practice stamina during
your journey work phase, you will arrive at
the masterworks phase with both strength and confidence based on
demonstrated experience as evidenced in your craft work. The masterworks phase
is the time for executing a master plan
based on the resources and energy developed
during the journey work face many men and women
approaching their mid 40s, who after striving through
their journey work years, arrive at the threshold of masterworks only to be confronted
with painful questions. What is it all been for? What shall I do with the
rest of my life after having given my best years to the
company or raising a family, or having been the
faithful spouse. What is there for me to do now? What is the plan for the
crafts person of life? The masterworks phase
is a very dynamic time. It is the time in one's life after having struggled to master the balance between oneself and the unstable
world around us, that we are both young
enough and energetic, yet old enough to
have wisdom from experience to achieve
great heights. Masterworks is the
time for executing your master plan and
creating masterpieces. You will need the approximately
20 years of masterworks to finish pieces of quality
work or masterpieces. In some of the subjects who have chosen to study and practice earlier in your apprenticeship and journey work phases of life. If you look at masterpieces
created in any medium, the master crafts
person will often tell you it took time and effort stretching them beyond their limits to new
levels of craftsmanship. In the masterworks phase. In the way of craftsmanship, we discussed the fundamental
principle at work through all four phases
of life as a craft. That true satisfaction comes not only from the finished work, but also from the process
by which it was done. The skill that
requires some, say, more than 10 thousand
hours of practice and refinement to perfect one, apply to one's own life as the
masterpiece in the making. The masterworks phase
opens the next level of accomplishment in
each subject within the five elements of life as a craft element, one
family heritage. Masterworks in
this element might include completing research
on a family tree and rendering it on a
genealogy website where current and future
generations of family members can
access it and learn. Or it might be establishing a new family tradition to
be observed and passed down to future generations and element to
family management. During the 20 years of
masterworks age 45 to 65, the children and many
families will have gone to their own journey work and
started families of their own. Others may stay in the
family home as adults while building and saving to
set out on their own. These and circumstances
such as parents needing elder care change the dynamics of family management
in this phase. Bringing new subjects and skill requirements to the
forefront for the first time. In element three, family
and personal finance, the masterwork years often represent the peak
earning period. They may also represent
peak spending, particularly in key categories including higher education, the home and elder care. It is also the time to refine your financial plan
for supporting your life in phase for
the mentor ship stage, age 65 to 85 and beyond. And then a state
plan for passing any remaining financial
assets to your descendants. In element for the human
being, mastery of yourself, the primary material of the craft has been
challenging up to now. Just when you think
you understand the characteristics
of the material, you wake up one morning
to discover it has changed, sometimes
quite unexpectedly. Fortunately, many
crafts practice by humankind work with
organic materials like the human being that change their characteristics due to the passage of time
or environmental influences or response to treatment supplied by the
craftsperson themselves. During the masterwork phase, the crafts person will need
to continue focusing on incremental improvement of
the masterpiece and progress. But will likely have to study new topics and acquire
new skills through collaboration with other masters and mentors in key disciplines like a state planning to make skillful alterations to
your master plan as needed. Masterplan topics
you will want to consider directly
related to the care of yourself include a
health care proxy and powers of attorney in the unforeseen event
you are incapacitated. Element five, tools for living. As we move through
the masterwork phase, we will have become skilled
with a variety of tools, many of which are
associated with our professions,
trades and vocations. A tool we may not be using or thinking about up to now
is the masters journal. Your record of the knowledge
and skills being acquired during this heightened
masterwork phase of life as a craft. It is a tool that will have an important use during the
coming mentor ship phase, age 65 and beyond as a primary source
for transmitting your masterworks experience
to a parenthesis. Journeyman, and
other masters alike. We have already learned
that the journal is a day record of work
done and places visited. It is an ancient
practice in the way of craftsmanship across almost every craft
practiced by humanity. How one keeps the journal
is up to the craftsperson. There are so many
recording tools available to choose from. What is important
to remember about this tool is what
it is intended for. According to some
craftsmanship traditions. It is to record an account
of the craft, a reflection, including the goal of the craft, its processes and proper use
of the tools of the craft. Reflection has been defined as a process regarding thinking about and exploring
one's experience. It has been said that reflection distinguishes expert
practitioners from their peers. And expert crafts person uses information from
previous experience, as well as the
insights gained from the reflective process to improve
decision-making ability. As apprentices and journeyman progress
through their development, they must practice, enhance, and habitually use their
reflective skills. Although many strategies exists
to promote this process. One method that has been used in the way of craftsmanship to make one's reflections tangible to
others is journal writing. The masters journal
is focused on a future dialogue
that will take place between the student
and the mentor. This dialogue facilitated by the mentor should be
designed to challenge the student to reflect on his or her experiences and compare them to
those of the mentor. Both as advanced
knowledge of what they may experience or perhaps not, as well as the
tangible benchmark. A craftsman reference point
that serves as a standard to measure or compare one's own
work to that of the model. Therefore, the masters journal
writing process should be well-planned and have explicit student
expectations in mind. The masters journal is a
work product that you will develop over the 20-year period
of your masterwork phase. It is an article of
your craft work to be delivered during the
mentorship phase as a teaching a to
others and part of the legacy you will leave
to future generations. It is therefore more important
to transmit a clear, uncomplicated idea
of what has been achieved so that it can be
used as a tool by others. Rather than overly
concerning yourself with strict grammar or writing
style and sentence structure, which may result in
the student losing a sense of the purpose and
meaning in the writing. It is a work which
must speak for itself. Craftsmanship. In the masterworks phase. A masterpiece is
an individual work having received critical praise for outstanding creativity, skill, and depth of workmanship, usually by one's
peers in the craft, has having met or exceeded
a standard or benchmark measuring skillful execution for the master crafts person. There is an
additional dimension, Measuring the craftsmanship
of a masterpiece. It is the dimension of process. The manner in which the
finished work was completed. For pleasure comes not only from the
finished work itself, but in the manner in
which it was done as the result of the crafts
person's attitude of mind. We call this mind craft
the first human craft. Using reflection, a
tool of Minecraft. The craftsperson
forms and account describing the manner in which
the masterpiece work was done and makes the
account visible by recording it in the master's journal for
others to experience. This is described by Plato as a unique characteristic
separating the craftsman from
the skilled artisan. During the journey work phase, we conditioned our
bodies and minds, the inner and outer human being, to operate and flow in
a synchronized manner. Both being in the same place, at the same time, neither getting ahead of the
other, causing resistance. Athletes, performers, and many other crafts use
the term being in the zone. If you have ever been there,
you know what I mean? Having developed the skill
of getting in the zone, on-demand, developed in
our journey work face. The way of craftsmanship
in the masterworks phase, opens the door to more fully develop the tools of mind craft, the original human Crafts. By the time you arrive at
the masterworks phase, if you have developed
a good degree of progress toward making a
masterpiece of your life, you are likely
feeling strong and confident about yourself
and your skills. This is a very common experience described by people everywhere when they reach a state of mastery in one subject
area or another. And where do you
feel this strength? Perhaps in your body, but also in your mind. In the modern era, there's a great deal
of attention on discussing the way
of craftsmanship as understood through
the craft artifacts produced by the
intelligent human hand. And we learned many
lessons from this outer human being
encounter with the world and its materials in the way of craftsmanship and the
practice of life as a craft. There is the world of Minecraft, a wide collection
of practices and tools applied to the needs
of the inner human being, equal to the material artifacts for use by the
outer human being. Some Minecraft practices
can be learned, applied by the
individual craftsperson, including mental
focus, training, imagination development, and managing one's emotional
state under stress. Other Minecraft
disciplines require master craftsmen and women specifically trained
to deal with more acute situations in
the realm of mental health. There are also the
well-known Minecraft of mathematics, language arts, computer programming, philosophy, knowledge
management, and oral history. Each of these being crafts with specific and different goals, identifiable processes,
and specialized tools. However, unlike the
external crafts, using many different organic
and synthetic materials fashioned by the human hand. Practitioners in the
named mine crafts universally work with a
single primary material. Human thought. While there are countless
definitions and writings that proclaimed
human thought is not a tangible
substance like ward or clay that can be shaped
by the skilled hand. There is equal evidence, according to practitioners
in the mind crafts, that within the
workshop of our minds, we are capable of creating
and progressively fashioning thought objects with
clearly defined borders, component parts, and substance, which we are capable of storing
and retrieving out of memory onto the workbench
of our minds to further develop into a finished work using the mind craft tools
we have trained with. These thought objects are known to us by many names
including concepts, ideas, plans, theories,
and the like. In the masterworks phase, building on the
foundational skills developed in the
journey work phase, you may now turn your attention to an expanded dimension
of craftsmanship. Creating masterpieces
of thought. Masterworks is phase 34. In the practice of
life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
12. LIFE PHASE 4: Mentorship: In Greek mythology, mentor was the trusted
friend of Odysseus, Ulysses and the tutor of
Telemachus, Odysseus's son. During the Trojan War, odysseus entrusted the care
of his household who mentor. Since then. Mentor has become a reference to one who was a
trusted advisor. Mentoring as an act usually implies direct
interaction and the role of a guide with learner or
mentee inequality manner. In life. There are times and
places when we're called upon to mentor another in
the traditional sense, who is facing a challenge
and needs a trusted advisor. But these situations,
as they may appear from time to time
throughout our lives, last only a moment. After all, we are
engaged full-time and apprenticeship journey
work or masterworks, which place our own
lives as the center of attention in the practice
of life as a craft. The mentorship phase,
age 65 to 85 and beyond, is the time when we can now turn our attention from
the constant column I. Two thou. In the way of craftsmanship, The primary objective of
the mentorship phase, which spans a 20-year period, is to display and make accessible to those
who would seek it. Select masterworks, knowledge and skills
development exercises, as may be recorded in
the master's journal, pertaining to the crafts person's experience
in the subjects they chose to practice from within
each of the five elements. And an account of their
practice of craftsmanship. In the apprenticeship
phase of life as a craft, The Apprentice is focused
on what to learn, that is, which contents within
the five elements, curriculum and developing
the skill of how to learn or self-educate in the absence of teachers
are institutions. Today. The tools of distance learning available throughout the world make this more attainable than at any other time
in human history. In the mentorship phase, the master craftsperson
is focused on selecting which masterpieces, craft knowledge and
skills to transfer, and selecting the
appropriate vehicles for transferring
these artifacts. Thus, the primary
work to be done in the mentorship phase is
comprised of reviewing and selecting which
individual work products and content from one's
masters journal should be called out as examples
of successes and failures in the task of
making one's masterpiece. This is not a simple task. Making a masterpiece never is. In the Japanese and
broader Zen way of craftsmanship is a
principle known as marr, which recognizes the
empty space or void between solid objects as an
object in and of itself, given formed by the
adjacent solid objects. Something like a shadow is the negative object created
by its solid counterpart. It is in this empty space that the solid
objects stand out, making it easier to
focus one's attention. In the mentorship phase, you will have to
decide what to leave out from among the many
artifacts you have gathered throughout your
life in order to have enough adequate empty
space for others to focus their attention on the artifacts you have decided to display. In the way of craftsmanship, where one's craft work
is intended to benefit the well-being of the world
around us as well as oneself. These selected artifacts are a tangible contribution
to one's family heritage. And the next generations
of apprentices. Having selected
artifacts for sharing, you will need to decide how to make them available to
others for learning both thought objects and objects created
in other mediums. For thought objects, there are many powerful information and communication technology tools that can be used to
accomplish this objective, including social
media platforms, web blogs, self-publishing and paper backend e-book formats, journaling applications,
audio podcasts, video podcasts, and family
genealogy websites, just to name a few. This latter channel is
particularly important as it is a direct tie back into achieving full mastery in element one, family heritage by placing
your master's journal on the family tree as a legacy
for future generations. For masterworks and
other mediums that are physically tied to
one location and time. Today's technology tools allow
many physical works to be experienced virtually through
video and audio records, and perhaps through
replicas if possible. Finally, there's the
direct personal transfer of life craft works, knowledge and skills through the traditional act
of mentoring both one-to-one and one-to-many
element, one, family heritage. What is being left for
the next-generation to learn from hasn't been
gathered together. Is it well presented? Can it be learned? There are many subjects within the family heritage
element to be considered. This is the time for
reviewing, selecting, and contributing your family
heritage Kraftwerk element to family management. You have transitioned from Parent guardian to
grandparent guardian. In some cultures, there may be a rite of passage to
the status of elder, which may carry with it new
responsibilities regarding one's role in the family as a balancing influence
between generations. In other cultures, it is common for generations
to live apart and sometimes as a distance during the journey work
and masterwork years, and perhaps rejoined adult
children and grandchildren under one roof at some point
in the mentorship years, is the family home space configured for all
members to live together? Will there be an atmosphere of understanding and acceptance? These are questions for you, the crafts person of
your life to consider. Seek out your mentors to
help answer these questions. Element three, family
and personal finance. Among the subjects to polish and the mentorship phase is
your financial estate plan. If you do not have
significant expenses in the way of deaths like
mortgages and medical expenses. Consider an inheritance
contribution to the next generation. Or you may consider external contributions
through gifts and donations. If you find yourself facing a shortage of
financial resources, understand your
options available to you from both public
and private sources. If you are able consider
generating income on your own, or perhaps in cooperation
with one or more others. In a similar circumstance
who may have developed sharp income generating skills
during their work-life. In element for the human
being for many years now, your inner and outer
human beings have been shaped and work done by you. The principle crafts
person of your life, as well as others. And environmental forces. Your organic material
has also aged. Signs of both forces. Your Kraftwerk and natural age should be visible in the
masterpiece that is your life. However, your work is
not yet finished due to the inevitable wear
caused by the effects of time and use on your inner
and outer human being. The skill of conservation
practiced in many crafts across the world for the maintenance and
preservation of your work. Now comes to the forefront. Here are several key
conservation guidelines developed by master
craftsmen and women that should be learned and skillfully applied to
your conservation work. In the mentorship phase. Physical activity,
diet, sleep together, have a significant effect on conserving the
integrity of your work. Connecting with people across different age groups
whenever possible. Use your Kraftwerk masterpieces, knowledge and tools, skills
as your unique calling card. Providing value to
your social network. Staying meaningfully active by continuing your life crafting. While the mentorship phase
begins at about age 65, it may last for
20 years or more. There are many subjects within the five elements you
have yet to consider, and subjects which you may take to the next
step of development. Consider the work of
these craftspeople, Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signatory to the American Declaration
of Independence, was 70 years old. Nelson Mandela was elected president of South Africa
when he was almost 76. Peter Mark crochet,
who retired from London's Royal Society
of scientists at age 70, when onto published
the first edition of Raj's thesaurus at age 73 and oversaw every update
until he died at age 90. There is work to be done
making a masterpiece of your life before it is time to close the workshop
for the last time. Element five, tools for living. As in all phases of life, you will likely learn to use new tools in the
mentorship phase, depending on the open
subjects on your workbench. And the level at which
you are practicing. The mentor ship
phase is the time for selecting tools
which you have used in your inner and outer Kraftwerk
to include as artifacts together with select masterworks knowledge and skills from
your master's journal. The way of craftsmanship and
the mentorship phase as we have learned in the Japanese
view of craftsmanship, to achieve the title of Tacoma, a craftsman of the highest
skill is said to require 30 thousand hours of practice
to attain in one craft. Imagine that ten times 10
thousand working hours of your life from the age of apprenticeship up to and
including the mentor ship years, studying and practicing across many subjects in the five
elements of life as a craft. In some subjects, you
achieve the level of mastery as judged by your self and other
practitioners of that craft. In other crafts, a lesser
degree of proficiency, but common to all, no matter what level of
proficiency you attained. If you practice the
way of craftsmanship, that is excellence,
have execution. Each experience would
have contributed to the process of
continuous improvement. Or kaizen. Now, reflect upon all
the subjects you have learned and the skills you have practiced
in your lifetime. Take the time. They are
more than you think. Review how each of them
added in some measure to the continuous improvement of your practice of craftsmanship. That is, perfection of execution or the manner in which
the work was done, improved quality in
your finished work. And finally, the
effect upon yourself, the crafts person and admirers, those who have come
into contact with your work and have
appreciated it. The primary objective of the
mentorship phase is to point the way of craftsmanship through the evidence
of your work. Choose your artifacts
with deliberate care, set them on a hill, and light the way. Mentorship is phase four of four in the practice
of life as a craft. Your objective over
the four phases of your life is to select
subjects for study and practice within each of the
five elements and achieve incremental excellence to
improve the quality of your craftsmanship and make
a masterpiece of your life. In the way of craftsmanship as practiced for centuries across
the cultures of the world. Mindfully developing and
practicing the skill of reflection is a key
characteristic. Separating a skilled
practitioner of aircraft from a
master of the craft. Thus, reflection, together with skillful
execution of one's work, is considered by many to be a key characteristic of professionalism and
personal development. As you will see
throughout this course. At the end of each episode, there is a reflective
practice assignment containing a list of four guidelines to
complete the assignment. This is an important
life crafting skill development
exercise to help you incrementally improve
the quality of your work and make a
masterpiece of your life.
Charles Paul Collins, www.CharlesPaulCollins.com
