Pixel Poppers has an interesting approach on how we might use of videogames in education. The thesis of that informally written article is that some play to perform while others play to master.

The author argues that those who play to perform (or those who play games that encourage performance) become reliant on extrinsic forms of motivation like praise. On the other hand, those who play to master are more intrinsically motivated.

Instead of arguing about this dichotomy, I’d point out that games often have the potential to promote both. Of course they are limited by how they are designed, but they can be used socially and educationally for other purposes. Let me give you two examples.

Video source

Role-playing games (RPGs) require players to go on missions or quests. But some gamers create machinima instead. My son loves the Wii LEGO series of games, but he finds some quests tough. So he enters the non-play areas to tell stories with the characters or to experiment with their abilities. In both examples, the players leave performance mode (as defined by the article) and enter mastery mode and storytelling mode.

The outcomes and uses of games are not fixed. What educators might focus more on is how to take advantage of online games or off-the-shelf games to promote things like online collaboration and digital storytelling. Gaming experiences or phenomena can be used to talk about issues or concepts in math, geography, history, etc. In other words, educators might consider using the language and culture of gamers to teach them real-world concepts.

After all, if you don’t reach them, you can’t teach them.

I read Brandon William’s blog entry today which asked “How is your synergy?”  This is a really good question.  It got me thinking, heavily.  Of particular interest was the part about focussing on what you want even when you don’t know what you want.  I quite like that notion. It implies hyper-creativity and a manifestation of ideas and constructs from the places inside of us that get repressed during our everyday struggles.  Synergy can also be about taking struggle and all of the components attributed to problem solving, adaptability, and a relentless need for ambition.  In other words, clarity can at times come from the working from clear questions of the personal and of the subjective.

I have been experiencing a lot of synergy recently.  Quite recently.  For example, I have been organizing an event to be held in a few months.  Something that will involve guest speakers, intrigued audiences, media coverage, publicity (the sexiest word I know right now), and the development of ideas and discourses.  One of my goals in this project, which I am not going to name or say what it is going to be just yet, is to produce some kind of productive convergence between academic prowess and commercial development.  Look forward to hearing more about this in the coming weeks ahead.

But back to the concept of synergy.  Yeah, lots of things seem to be beginning to happen as I am focussing on my reinvention from idle academic to media pusher-junkie-harnesser.  As Brandon states, synergy emerges as one produces synergistic relationships.  As in everything, ideas and events become real when they are produced through interaction.  I suppose this is a different way of looking at methods of networking and building professional and personal relationships, but importantly as it relates to allowing relationships to come into your life that will direct you positively and democratically, not otherwise.

Part of this is from practicing the art of patience and privilege.  What I mean is, I provide patience and privilege to others around me who may at some point begin dialogues that can inspire, invent, and construct opportunities for creativity and agency, which I often define as the capacity for power-to-do or power-to-be.  I hope what comes from this practice is newly learned experiential knowledge on how to recognize moments to harness, as well as becoming part of so many great socially defined events with others.  How dull life is when everything is about you alone.  How mediocre days become when you spend all of your time inside of your own head, with your own thoughts and emotions.  That is one of the reasons why I had to leave graduate school and put a stay on academia.  It was aiding in the creation of a very boring ego, bent on self pity and doubt, depression, and very little synergy.

When you free yourself from your restrictive ideas and mindset, you become open to lots of other types of creative work that can be part of your everyday reality.  When that happens, so do relationships that offer the capacity to produce things that are greater than the sum of their parts (Williams, 2009)  That is when knowledge really becomes interesting.  When there is no mastery, only exploration.  When there is no need to force intent and purpose on reason, but the fluid rigour of exploration and creative work.  In other words, real ideas and achievements become foreseeable and recognizable, as possibilities and impressions of identity formational relations.

Richard Birch

Reference:

Williams, B.  (2009, December 4).  How is your synergy?  Retrieved December 4, 2009 from http://positivelite.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=205:how-is-your-synergy&catid=35:brandon-williams&Itemid=67.

Go to http://www.positivelite.com/ to read Brandon’s blog entry.

Have you been just taking up space and passing the time away until you pass away?

You are unique. In the whole universe of a billion, billion galaxies, each containing a billion, billion stars and countless more things we have yet to imagine or conceive of, there is only one you. There may be six billion other human beings walking around on this particular planet that you inhabit right now, but there is only one you.

Only one you with your unique attributes, your special characteristics, your distinct potentials and your exceptional opportunities to offer the gift that you are to the rest of life.

The rest of us, your fellow humans, are awaiting your contribution. The whole universe awaits — in anticipation — for your very next thought, feeling, word and deed. Imagine that. Everything that you are and do adds to the whole of creation. Each new thought contributes to the totality of the universe. Your every act ripples out like the sun’s radiation, a waveform that washes up against all else having an effect, whether you admit it or not.

The universe is, by definition, all that is. Everything that exists, exists within the universe. The universe, taken as a whole, is the sum of its parts. One of its parts is you. Therefore, every new thought you think, and every feeling you have, every word you speak, every action you take, adds to the whole. You cannot help but contribute to the whole of the universe. The obvious questions that arise out of that are: Of what value are your contributions and are you contributing consciously, intentionally, on purpose??

You are light. That is your essence. Physically, you are composed of recycled stardust. Metaphysically, you are composed of the same light or radiance that enlivens all creation. Are you shining bright enough to light the way of your fellow travelers? There is a lot of darkness out there. You can light it up. The more you are, the more you shine. The more you become, the brighter you are.

You light up my life. At least, you can if you but choose to. Have you been denying or hiding your light? Why? You really have no valid excuses. Many others, with less to offer than you do, have given more, shone brighter.

I am going to remind you of something that you already know… there are people with less education, less intelligence, less opportunity and less ability than you have who are creating more abundance in life, making a greater contribution, have greater enjoyment and are more fulfilled than you are.

Why is that? Can it be attributed to fate, karma, providence or just plain good luck? I don’t think so. I think effects have causes. I think having is predicated upon doing and being. I think that enjoyment, appreciation, abundance, contribution, happiness and success happen on purpose. They are a matter of choice, not chance.

Some people achieve a certain level of mastery in life because they have made a simple choice to live life on purpose instead of by accident. They know and practice something very important. It is this: clarity, congruency and control of your thoughts and beliefs are consciously causal and success and happiness are the resulting effects.

Mastery of the game of life, therefore, is all about bringing clarity (or lucidity), congruency (or coherency) and control (or focus) to the activities of your consciousness. Take charge of your own programming. If you must be a creature of habit, then choose those habits that serve you. Make it a habit to have a grateful appreciation of the gift of life; make it a habit to revere, relish and contribute. Get addicted to grateful appreciation.

Appreciate the gift. Your life is a gift. You are the gift. Revere, relish and contribute.

Be reverent of the miracle of your life. Become reverent in your own presence. Relish life. Enjoy your self. Contribute to yourself and to all existence. Become more. Create more. Do it on and with purpose. Stop being an accidental participant in life.

Do you find life bewildering, incoherent and out of focus? Perhaps it is because you are.

Do you have clarity? Are you being lucid? Are you being incongruent, incoherent? Are you in control, disciplined and focused or is your life out of control?

Want to have more out of life? Get lucid. Get coherent. Get focused. Get empowered. Shine your light.

“The shift from incoherence to coherence can bring dramatic effects: A 60-watt light bulb, whose light waves could be made coherent as a laser, would have the power to bore a hole through the sun—from 90 million miles away.”
~ William A. Tiller, Professor Emeritus, Stanford University, Science and Human Transformation: Subtle Energies, Intentionality and Consciousness

Now that is power. Imagine that: The light from a single 60-watt bulb, made coherent and focused as a laser, can burn a hole through the sun. Imagine this: You emit more light, more radiant energy than a mere 60-watt light bulb. What power you would have if you were to bring coherence and focus to all that you are and all that you do?

Get empowered. Start appreciating who you are. Stop diffusing the light that you are. Give the gift of you!

Rompuy has been requested to step forward from the back of the stage (or on the side) to play on the main stage in the spotlights. It was clear that the EU PM/Presidents didn’t want a big personality extra on stage; afraid the current Heroes would be challenged in their role on stage?

So they choose a sober hard working man with a humble attitude in service to a country in despair. Might he be be a protestant? Newly elected President of EU Rompuy, never a hero, always a worker.

He is not alone on the international political stage. With the rising of India (PM Singh) and China (President Hu) in the world of power and influence, the Workers are on the rise. The change of power in the USA and the election of Medvedev in Russia are also signs of ‘Worker’ attitude on the political stage. They join German chancellor Merkel starting her second term in office for me representing the Worker attitude as well.

These are the people with a moderate profile, relatively not outspoken in their opinions. It seems to me they think things over before anything is said or proclaimed.

On the other side I see some self-acclaimed heroes like Sarkozy, Poetin, Berlusconi, Chavez and former presidents/prime-ministers Chirac and Bush. Very outspoken personalities with charisma and opinions that leave you question the intellect supporting them in decision making.

What would make someone be a Hero or a Worker? What characteristics would one see as differentiating factors for valuating a PM/President. Below a quick list of 10 parameters I drafted based upon my personal viewpoint only!

1. Forefront – Background (Does the person present him/herself on the forefront of background?)
2. Realist – Idealist (Do you value him/her as an realist of idealist?)
3. Outspoken – Thoughtful (Is he/she outspoken or thoughtful to you?)
4. Risk taking – Risk averse (How does he/she value risk?)
5. Black/White – Shades of grey (In what way does the person portray his/her opinions?)
6. Speaking – Listening (What do you see him/her doing most?)
7. Scoring – Assisting (Are results in the political arena caused by him/her scoring or assisting?)
8. Attention seeking – Attention giving (Does the person seek personal attention or give people in society attention?)
9. God – Disciple (Is he/she identified as God or a Disciple?)
10. Action – Reflection (What modus would you see him/her in?)

How does your PM/President score on these parameters? I would say each parameter is a scale of 1 to 5. The lower the score the more Hero attitude this person would express to me. Sum up the scores from all parameters and you will get a figure in between 10 and 50. An archetype Hero would score 10, an archetype Worker would score 50.

Now let me give you my rating of the Dutch PM, Balkenende. He has been PM during four consecutive periods since 2002 and didn’t make it to become the first EU President. Coming from the background in 2002 and rising to the PM role he would have gotten a score in the 40-50 zone. Nowadays his results and behavior are leading me to shift my opinion:

1. Forefront – Background                        2
2. Realist – Idealist                                     2
3. Outspoken – Thoughtful                       3
4. Risk taking – Risk averse                      2
5. Black/White – Shades of grey              3
6. Speaking – Listening                              2
7. Scoring – Assisting                                 4
8. Attention seeking – Attention giving  2
9. God – Disciple                                         3
10. Action – Reflection                                 4

Total score:                                                         27

With this score the Dutch PM scores just above the normally distributed average, expecting an equally distributed population of Workers and Heroes in the office of PM/President. More a Worker than a Hero.

What would your PM/President score? Is he/she a Hero or Worker?

Hele volksstammen lopen met hem weg met een Apple notebooks onder de arm of een iPhone aan het oor. Hij vernieuwt de IT industrie met zijn iPhone, iMac, iCal, iTunes, iPod producten. Hij is een veelbesproken persoon met vele voorpagina foto’s op zijn naam. Hij weet zichzelf erg goed te presenteren. Hij kent pieken en dalen in zijn leven. Hij is een van de meest succesvolle ondernemers/directeuren van de Verenigde Staten. Hij is ontslagen uit zijn eigen bedrijf en is via de achterdeur weer teruggekomen. Hij is oprichter en directeur van een van de meest succesvolle bedrijven in de Verenigde Staten. Hij heeft een consistente personal branding: draagt een zwarte coltrui met lange mouw, blauwe spijkerbroek en sneakers. Hij is Steve Jobs.

Voor wie nog niet weet over wie ik het heb, hier een kort overzicht van hoogtepunten en dieptepunten.

1. Geadopteerd toen hij werd geboren, 24 februari 1955
2. Drop-out van de universiteit, 1972
3. Mede oprichter van Apple, 1975
4. Steve Jobs wordt ontslagen bij Apple, 1985
5. Oprichter van NeXT, 1986
6. Koopt Pixar Animation Studios, 1986
7. IPO Pixar en daarmee miljardair, 1995
8. Overname NeXT door Apple, 1995
9. Herstelt van pancreas kanker, 2004
10. Overname Pixar door Walt Disney, 2006
11. Levertransplantatie in 2009

Zijn levenslijn is indrukwekkend en het inspireert me in mijn eigen leven. In al zijn menselijkheid en met al zijn falen en successen is hij een lichtend voorbeeld voor mij.

Steve Jobs heeft het vermogen om mensen te betrekken bij een groter doel in het leven. Dat kun je niet ontkennen als je naar die resultaten kijkt. Bekijk eens een aantal speeches van hem op Youtube en je zult het zelf ervaren. Dit is een succesvolle zakenman die zich kwetsbaar en nederig toont en daarmee anderen raakt. Binnen enkele minuten weet hij bij mij kippevel op te roepen, word ik stil en emotioneel. Met name wanneer hij spreekt over zijn persoonlijke leven, zijn jeugd, studie of gezondheidsproblemen voel ik me enorm betrokken bij Steve. Zo’n ondernemer met zoveel succes daar ken ik er niet nog een van. Ik zit werkelijk aan zijn lippen.

En er zijn meer die aan zijn lippen hangen. Hij is zeker iGod en kent zijn fans op straat en in de boardrooms. Steve wordt alom geprezen:

1. Fortune – CEO of the decade – #1 Steve Jobs
2. Fortune – 25 most powerful people in business 2007 – #1 Steve Jobs
3. Forbes – The World’s Most Powerful People – #57 Steve Jobs
4. Forbes – The 400 Richest Americans 2009 – #43 Steve Jobs
5. Glassdoor.com – CEO with highest employee satisfaction 2009 – #1 Steve Jobs
6. Bill Gates – Most inspiring person I worked within the industry – Steve Jobs
7. Askmenn.com – Most influential men 2009 – #7 Steve Jobs
8. Forbes – Best paid CEO 2006 – #1 Steve Jobs
9. TIME – World’s most influential people 2008 – #82 Steve Jobs
10. TIME – TOP 10 Commencemant Speaches – #2 Steve Jobs
11. Informationweek – Top IT influencers over the last 25 years 2007 – #2 Steve Jobs
12. Premiere Magazine’s – Power Ranking 2004 and 2006 – #1 Steve Jobs
13. Vanity Fair – The Vanity Fair 100 2007- #2 Steve Jobs
14. Thinkers50.com – Top 50 Thinksers 2009 – #4 Steve Jobs
15. CNN – Top 25 fascinating people of last quarter of a century 2005 – #16 Steve Jobs
16. USAToday – Top 25 memorable quotes of the last 25 years 2007 – #17 Steve Jobs
17. ComputerWeekly.com – TOP 10 greatest IT people 2006 – #1 Steve Jobs
18. Silicon.com – TOP 50 Agenda Setters 2009 – #1 Steve Jobs
19. CRN.com – Top 25 Executives 2005 – #10 Steve Jobs

Tja… en wat heb ik dan nog toe te voegen. Wil je meer lezen, zien, horen en ervaren? Hier enkele mogelijkheden om Steve Jobs in alles te ervaren.

1. Best Steve Jobs Speeches Ever
2. Top 10 moments in Steve Jobs’ career
3. Top 10 Steve Jobs Quotes Of All Time | Odeo
4. Steve Jobs’ Best Quotes Ever | Blueverticalstudio
5. Youtube videos of Steve Jobs
6. Steve Jobs Biography
7. Steve Jobs Information on Apple website
8. Amazon Books on Steve Jobs
9. Flickr pictures of Steve Jobs
10. Steve Jobs Magazine Covers
11. Wikipedia on Steve Jobs

One reason for clutter could be how we feel about our work–or, more precisely, the lack of autonomy, mastery and purpose we feel when we are working. Dan Pink, author of Motivation, The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (due out December 29, 2009) spoke about his findings at this past summer’s Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference whose theme is cutting-edge, innovative thinking. He gave a glimpse of his new book’s thesis: It’s not money that motivates us to work. It’s our sense of autonomy, mastery and purpose in the workplace, what he calls “intrinsic motivators.”  See U-Tube video “Daniel Pink on the surprising science of motivation.”

Let’s explore the three components Pink cites:

Autonomy, Mastery & Purpose

Autonomy is “the urge to direct your own life” (Pink). In the workplace this could mean the freedom to choose your time, task, team and the way you want to go about doing it. How many of us actually have this kind of freedom at work? For many of us, the room to be as creative or innovative as we would like is limited. We have to be accountable, show up for meetings, and work 40+ hours a week. This lack of autonomy at work can spill into our personal life and show up in a variety of ways at home. For some, it comes in the form of clutter. “Since I don’t have autonomy at work, why should I care about having autonomy at home?” Things begin to pile up and before you know it, clutter has taken over.

Mastery is “the desire to get better and better at something that matters” (Pink).  Does your work matter to you? Is it a subject you want to master? For many, work is a means to an end, rather than a subject that inspires us to be a master of it.  Inability to be masterful  at work can parallel an inability to be masterful at home. While some compensate by creating a home where they feel creative and proud, others slump into lethargy and let the clutter accumulate. Mastery becomes a subliminal subtext: the desire for mastery is always there, but many of us don’t let ourselves be conscious of it.

Purpose is “the yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves” (Pink). Few of us have taken the time to clarify what our purpose is. We get so caught up in the quick-paced, day-to-day responsibilities at work that after awhile we can’t remember we had a purpose that serves something larger than ourselves. Getting an education and securing a well-paying job are often the benchmarks of success in our society, but what is our purpose? If our purpose were more clearly defined, we may see that much of the stuff we fill our lives with doesn’t matter.

Nurturing Self

By shifting our focus from the conventional demands of work as most of us know it today to a new way of working that honors who we are, we begin to nurture ourselves. The external clutter we possess might well become less alluring, and the internal discovery might actually become riveting.

Consider Dan Pink’s three components of motivation in the workplace. Ask yourself how they factor into your life. Are you filling your life with clutter—unaware that you might want more autonomy, greater mastery and a clearer purpose? More attention to your inner world could mean less attention on filling your life with objects of the external world. Motivated at work could mean more engaged in your personal life, and more engaged in your personal life could lead to clearing your clutter.

I am in the business of show business and yesterday was the annual grand final of a popular television show at the Wh1t3 S@1ls Asylum. I have worked on this event for every one of the last seven years.

Working on major events that require you to be on your feet for over 12 hours outside at the mercy of the weather is challenging and yesterday it was 38 degrees celcius.

On Again Off Again

I have had this yo-yo cycle which translates to about 8 months on diet and 4 months off. The 8 months covers spring to mid winter and then I give up until spring rolls around again. So for five of the last seven years, from 2005 to 2009, I have been monitoring what I eat.

This high anxiety day has seen me end up in a binge (2005), eating very low carb (2006), on a Body for Life free day (2007), and a low calorie low carb diet (2008). I have been completely preoccupied with how to eat enough to get through the day without blowing my diet.

Yesterday Was Completely Different

• 7-00am I went for an hour long walk
• 8.30am breakfast ~ oats, banana, peanut butter and yoghurt
• 1.00pm lunch ~ cereal and yogurt, two slices of toast with peanut butter
• 8.00pm dinner ~ sausage in a bread roll
• 11.30pm supper ~ chicken and salad (left half of it)

It might not sound very impressive to someone else, but for me it was the first time I have made it through this mega day without even worrying about food. I knew that I would get something when I needed it, so I mostly forgot about it. I was also particularly calm and relaxed. This is miraculous progress and makes me confident that I am truly the master of my destiny and finally starting to reap the benefits of the seeds I have sown.

Did you see me on the telly? I was the one with the flouro vest and the two way radio

→ photo : Jiaren Lau

Thunder Bolt
Master Level: 20
Type: Active
Description: Using the power of lightning, deal a critical blow to a single enemy.
Level 1: MP -16, 84 Basic Attack, 15% Mastery.
Level 2: MP -16, 88 Basic Attack, 15% Mastery.
Level 3: MP -16, 92 Basic Attack, 20% Mastery.
Level 4: MP -16, 96 Basic Attack, 20% Mastery.
Level 5: MP -18, 100 Basic Attack, 25% Mastery.
Level 6: MP -18, 104 Basic Attack, 25% Mastery.
Level 7: MP -18, 108 Basic Attack, 30% Mastery.
Level 8: MP -18, 112 Basic Attack, 30% Mastery.
Level 9: MP -20, 116 Basic Attack, 35% Mastery.
Level 10: MP -20, 120 Basic Attack, 35% Mastery.
Level 11: MP -20, 124 Basic Attack, 40% Mastery.
Level 12: MP -20, 128 Basic Attack, 40% Mastery.
Level 13: MP -22, 132 Basic Attack, 45% Mastery.
Level 14: MP -22, 136 Basic Attack, 45% Mastery.
Level 15: MP -22, 140 Basic Attack, 50% Mastery.
Level 16: MP -22, 144 Basic Attack, 50% Mastery.
Level 17: MP -24, 148 Basic Attack, 55% Mastery.
Level 18: MP -24, 152 Basic Attack, 55% Mastery.
Level 19: MP -24, 156 Basic Attack, 60% Mastery.
Level 20: MP -24, 160 Basic Attack, 60% Mastery.

Magic Guard
Master Level: 20
Type: Supportive
Description: For a certain period of time, a percentage of damage goes into MP.
Level 1: For 110 Seconds, MP -6, 13% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 2: For 120 Seconds, MP -6, 16% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 3: For 130 Seconds, MP -6, 19% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 4: For 140 Seconds, MP -6, 22% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 5: For 150 Seconds, MP -10, 25% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 6: For 160 Seconds, MP -10, 28% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 7: For 170 Seconds, MP -10, 31% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 8: For 180 Seconds, MP -10, 34% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 9: For 190 Seconds, MP -14, 37% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 10: For 200 Seconds, MP -14, 40% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 11: For 210 Seconds, MP -14, 43% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 12: For 220 Seconds, MP -14, 46% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 13: For 230 Seconds, MP -18, 49% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 14: For 240 Seconds, MP -18, 52% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 15: For 250 Seconds, MP -18, 55% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 16: For 260 Seconds, MP -18, 58% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 17: For 270 Seconds, MP -22, 61% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 18: For 280 Seconds, MP -22, 64% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 19: For 290 Seconds, MP -22, 67% of damage taken goes into MP.
Level 20: For 300 Seconds, MP -22, 70% of damage taken goes into MP.

Fire Circle
Master Level: 20
Type: Active
Description: Use MP to attack multiple enemies with fire.
Level 1: MP -12, 26 Basic Attack, 15% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 2: MP -12, 27 Basic Attack, 15% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 3: MP -12, 28 Basic Attack, 20% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 4: MP -12, 29 Basic Attack, 20% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 5: MP -14, 30 Basic Attack, 25% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 6: MP -14, 31 Basic Attack, 25% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 7: MP -14, 32 Basic Attack, 30% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 8: MP -14, 33 Basic Attack, 30% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 9: MP -16, 34 Basic Attack, 35% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 10: MP -16, 35 Basic Attack, 35% Mastery, attacks 3 enemies.
Level 11: MP -16, 36 Basic Attack, 40% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 12: MP -16, 37 Basic Attack, 40% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 13: MP -18, 38 Basic Attack, 45% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 14: MP -18, 39 Basic Attack, 45% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 15: MP -18, 40 Basic Attack, 50% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 16: MP -18, 41 Basic Attack, 50% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 17: MP -20, 42 Basic Attack, 55% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 18: MP -20, 43 Basic Attack, 55% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 19: MP -20, 44 Basic Attack, 60% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.
Level 20: MP -20, 45 Basic Attack, 60% Mastery, attacks 4 enemies.

Teleport
Master Level: 20
Description: Teleports you a certain distance in front.
Level 1: MP -34, Teleports 131 distance.
Level 2: MP -33, Teleports 132 distance.
Level 3: MP -32, Teleports 133 distance.
Level 4: MP -31, Teleports 134 distance.
Level 5: MP -30, Teleports 135 distance.
Level 6: MP -29, Teleports 136 distance.
Level 7: MP -28, Teleports 137 distance.
Level 8: MP -27, Teleports 138 distance.
Level 9: MP -26, Teleports 139 distance.
Level 10: MP -25, Teleports 140 distance.
Level 11: MP -24, Teleports 141 distance.
Level 12: MP -23, Teleports 142 distance.
Level 13: MP -22, Teleports 143 distance.
Level 14: MP -21, Teleports 144 distance.
Level 15: MP -20, Teleports 145 distance.
Level 16: MP -19, Teleports 146 distance.
Level 17: MP -18, Teleports 147 distance.
Level 18: MP -17, Teleports 148 distance.
Level 19: MP -16, Teleports 149 distance.
Level 20: MP -15, Teleports 150 distance.

Soul Dragon
Master Level: 20
Type: Passive
Description: Empower your dragon’s soul, improving it’s basic attack.
Level 1: 1+ Basic Attack
Level 2: 2+ Basic Attack
Level 3: 3+ Basic Attack
Level 4: 4+ Basic Attack
Level 5: 5+ Basic Attack
Level 6: 6+ Basic Attack
Level 7: 7+ Basic Attack
Level 8: 8+ Basic Attack
Level 9: 9+ Basic Attack
Level 10: 10+ Basic Attack
Level 11: 11+ Basic Attack
Level 12: 12+ Basic Attack
Level 13: 13+ Basic Attack
Level 14: 14+ Basic Attack
Level 15: 15+ Basic Attack
Level 16: 16+ Basic Attack
Level 17: 17+ Basic Attack
Level 18: 18+ Basic Attack
Level 19: 19+ Basic Attack
Level 20: 20+ Basic Attack

Magic Missile
Master Level: 20
Type: Active
Description: Use MP to attack a distant enemy twice.
Level 1: MP -10, 11 Basic Attack, 15% Mastery.
Level 2: MP -10, 13 Basic Attack, 15% Mastery.
Level 3: MP -12, 14 Basic Attack, 20% Mastery.
Level 4: MP -12, 16 Basic Attack, 20% Mastery.
Level 5: MP -12, 17 Basic Attack, 25% Mastery.
Level 6: MP -12, 19 Basic Attack, 25% Mastery.
Level 7: MP -12, 20 Basic Attack, 30% Mastery.
Level 8: MP -12, 22 Basic Attack, 30% Mastery.
Level 9: MP -14, 23 Basic Attack, 35% Mastery.
Level 10: MP -14, 25 Basic Attack, 35% Mastery.
Level 11: MP -14, 26 Basic Attack, 40% Mastery.
Level 12: MP -14, 28 Basic Attack, 40% Mastery.
Level 13: MP -16, 29 Basic Attack, 45% Mastery.
Level 14: MP -16, 31 Basic Attack, 45% Mastery.
Level 15: MP -16, 32 Basic Attack, 50% Mastery.
Level 16: MP -16, 34 Basic Attack, 50% Mastery.
Level 17: MP -18, 35 Basic Attack, 55% Mastery.
Level 18: MP -18, 37 Basic Attack, 55% Mastery.
Level 19: MP -18, 38 Basic Attack, 60% Mastery.
Level 20: MP -18, 40 Basic Attack, 60% Mastery.

The energies that continue to flow from 11:11:11 Portal activate the three master numbers, 11, 22 and 33.

11 – The Spiritual Messenger; inspirational, spiritual teacher, channel, intuitive, peacemaker.

22 – The Master Builder; organizer, visionary leader, the ability to perceive something in the spiritual or cosmic realm and make it manifest on Earth.

33 – Master of Healing through Love: The Christ Seed, sensitive, loving, altruistic, protective.

As we move closer to the 2012 date, the higher frequencies (like the qualities of mastery) are flowing into the planet. This is like shining a light into a filthy room that has been closed for years (or centuries or millennia!). Now we can see that smelly, nasty stuff once again. All the hidden things that reside in the lower frequencies of fear, shame and greed are being exposed.

There is a Global Splash-Out flooding the planet. We are living in a dual reality, the Old Energy and the New Energy overlapping. According to Saint Germain it is absolutely necessary to stay conscious during these times in order to avoid being pulled back into the negative experiences within the Old Reality. We are being challenged more than ever as the Old Energy tries to suck us back in.

You are a master and it is time for you to claim it!

During this teleseminar you will:

Clear any remaining limitations; the very things that could be triggered by the Global Splash-Out.

Learn tools to maintain your frequency and stay focused on the New Reality.

Travel to Saint Germain’s cabin and join in the party with Kuthumi, Isis, Ahrazu and other Ascended Masters and Angels.

Remember who you truly are and connect with your spiritual gifts.

Bring in the highest frequencies and anchor them in your body.

And receive your unique gift from Saint Germain!

The recording of this teleseminar is available here.

Imix, in common Mayan usage, means root, waters. Its energy brings the qualities of primal nurturance, support, trust, and receptivity.

Tone 9 holds the purpose and intent for fulfillment, mastery, and completion of large cycles.

Red is the color of the East. Its element is fire. Its medicine is for birthing things.

So, the message for today is:

Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in, and feel your belly expand. Breathe out, and feel your shoulders release. Imix represents the Source of Life, the Divine Mother supporting everything, the foundation of all ventures. Today is an excellent day to be present to that deepest level of support and to fully receive it, knowing that you can master and fulfill your dreams. Fulfill the pattern you came to weave.

The Sensation-Seeking Personality

Artisan children are of good cheer and have an irrepressible love for excitement. These children shine in action, in any role that requires “tactical artistry” be it mastering a game, musical instrument, paint brush as well as handling people. Just as passionate they are about the interest of the moment (more so than other types of children) they can spend hours and hours manipulating the toy over and over again only to lose interest completely in the object tomorrow. Those who do not lose interest will practice endlessly on whatever technique they are drawn toward, until they achieve mastery in that action with gracefulness and fluency that will incite awe from their audience.

Parents of the Artisan child would do well to introduce activities which allow him or her to create artful works and encourage skillful handling of equipment as early as possible. Little Artisan responds to sensory details, noting vividness and variety of colors, sounds and tastes, which means they are apt to enjoy art, music and food. They love playing outdoors, to be free to roam and explore. They are usually hard on their toys and clothes and should be given sturdy, well-made things that can stand a lot of wear and tear.

The Archangel Michael is the chief of God’s army, a mighty warrior and the defender of heaven.

“In the rushing winds of negativity that confuses the lives of so many humans we angels want you to know that there is a place of calm and love in the very center of such turbulence and chaos.”

His message to me …

You are strong. You have been through so much and you are still standing. Compared to the struggles in the past, this new challenge is easy. It only seems overwhelming because it’s new. You learn fast, you are capable of anything you set my mind to and you are capable of this.

Look at the angel’s wings on your wrist and think of me. I am standing beside you with my strength and my sword, ready and willing to help you. All you have to do is say the word and I’ll be there. I am your guide, your friend and your greatest fan. You have been doing so well on your own, now imagine what we can do together!

When the world says, “Give up,”
Hope whispers, “Try it one more time.”
~Author Unknown

Did you know …

• My Diet Cycle post was featured on the Precision Nutrition Forum today ~ I’ve been doing this all day long ♥

New video post up for you guys, illustrating one important quote…

Enjoy!

When you think of the word Master, what comes up?

• Master & pupil in gilds
• Jedi Masters Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars
• Mastermind
• Master plan
• Bachelor & Master Education
• Master of Ceremony
• Toastmaster
• Master of Trinity
• Master and Commander
• The Guild of Master Craftsmen
• Masters of Material Arts
• Master Chef
• Old Master drawings and paintings
• Master and Servant
• Slide Master in Powerpoint
• Golf Master Tournament
• NLP Master Practitioner
• Masterclass
• Puppet Master
• Reiki Master
• Grand Master
• Zen, Buddhist or Yoga Master

Out of these I propose to focus on the following ones to discover what it means to be a Master.

1. Master & pupil in gilds (The Guild of Master Craftsmen)
2. Jedi Masters Yoda, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars
3. Masters of Material Arts
4. Old Master drawings and paintings
5. Master and Servant
6. Masterclass
7. Puppet Master
8. NLP Master Practioner
9. Reiki Master
10. Zen, Buddhist or Yoga Master

Where is Mastery expressed to you most?

Join the poll on the right and give your opinion! You can choose upto 5.

This blog’s purpose is to discover, to explore, to wonder and to inspire.

What is Mastery?
Who are Masters?
On the way to mastery what do I do, where do I go?

Achieving Mastery in life is a process of development, like a journey in life with milestones.
Therefore Mastery Journey is the title of the Blog. A journey with yet an unknown destination.

It has been two years since the Order of Scáthach was founded.  Last month we conducted a Mastering ritual that concluded the cycle of training for our first class of students, creating the first class of Masters of our Order.  Today we’re going to be doing an Arming ritual to induct new members into Knighthood.  We’ve come a long way, yet we’ve got a lot yet to do and many more people to help down this path we follow. 

The title “Master” suggests that you’ve arrived at the pinnacle of your profession and that the hard work is over.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  As Squires we separated ourselves from the world to follow the Warrior path.  As Knights we initiated ourselves into the mysteries of magick.  Mastery involves returning to the world with these newly forged abilities and facing the challenges and lessons of life.  Like other Wiccan traditions, we’ve got three levels of initiation, but unlike these other traditions, we wear martial arts belts (green, brown, and black) to indicate our rank.  To the cowan, the belts or cords seem to be the same thing:  Simply indicators of rank.  However, there is a subtle difference:  These colored belts of ours do indeed indicate rank, but more than that they advertise the fact that the wearer is prepared to face the challenges of life.  Just like the martial arts master, the Master of our order displaying a black belt is wordlessly announcing to the world and to their fellow members of the Order that they are willing to be tested.  It announces to the world that you are prepared to take a stand, face your fears, and defend your brothers and sisters.  It announces to the world that you’ve decided to face yourself, master yourself, and be glorious.

The recent Mastering ritual was a very emotional affair, with some awesome performances of the Battle of Proof.   All of the candidates announced their intentions for the coming years.  And this is when the real test begins:  That black belt places you in the public eye so that everyone can see what you’re doing and what you’ve achieved.  It announces that you accept public scrutiny.  Our Masters have all earned their laurel wreaths, but they cannot rest on them.  For them, this is the true beginning.   

Since the Gathering last August I’ve heard many in our Order talking about how we’ve become a family.  And so we have.  We didn’t get to choose our biological parents, and unfortunately some of the families we come from were dysfunctional, unsupportive, and even destructive.  We all strive to rise above that.  We’ve chosen this Order to be our family because we all have the same intentions.  We are all striving to empower ourselves.  We owe it to each other to make this family of choice as functional and supportive as possible.  It can be a challenge at times but, believe me, the outcome is well worth the effort, as I’m sure you’ll all agree.  Love your comrades in arms by being supportive, not enabling.  Honor your comrades in arms by being respectful yet honest.  Asking for help is a courageous act, and offering help a compassionate act, but remember the Challenge of the Armoring:  We’re not here to stand between you and your problems and fears.  We’re here to help you face them. 

Remember the motto that the Standard Bearer cries out when they point to the vexillum of the Order of Scáthach:  In hoc signo vinces!  In this sign shall we conquer!

In Her Service, Kerr Cuhulain

My wife is off traveling OS with the eldest… so I’ve got the 4 and 7 yr old, so I decided to take them to church today…. for something to do…. And I decided I’d journal through the service… so here are my thoughts, hot off the press.

First up I notice the whole stage is done up… looks like they’ve spent maybe 10-15K on curtains, sound proofing and paint. Something I wanted to do for years but couldn’t scrape the money together. They’ve been saving lots on wages since over the last 12 months five staff have left. The worship doesn’t seem better or any more vibrant, despite people telling me that there’s a “move of God” because of the new pastor. It’s basically the same – although there was less people. But then I guess why would it be the same? Unless things fundamentally change the outward expression can’t.

Worship has started. The new guy is still busy shaking hands. He comes over and shakes mine, which I’m reluctant to do… then he said sorry for starting on the wrong foot. I said, it doesn’t matter (I mean “whatever”).

The fact that he froze me out and refused to meet me gave me heaps of grief and I’m slowly coming to terms with that. But then again looking on the positive side, maybe it just helped me face reality that I am useless and really don’t have anything to offer.

I am not needed and have nothing to contribute that someone else isn’t already contributing and anything I could do that isn’t being done is simply not important.

We’re up to the third song now. I’m singing and worshiping God because I love him, but at the same time I’m thinking it’s great to not have to make this service happen. There are times if its dead I would feel stress and feel like I’d have to do something to make something happen. There was always the worry that people will leave saying its dead and when word gets out that its dead it’s like poison.

I don’t know this last song… so I’m just kinda hanging with God. I don’t feel like I need to be singing. I’m not sure what people think I’m doing on my PDA… they probably think I’m texting someone! Who cares!

It’s just dawned on me…. I just figured out what part of the body of Christ i am – the appendix. No-one knows what it’s good for… and if it causes a problem or breaks, you don’t fix it… you surgically remove it and toss it on the scrapheap.

The next thing that dawns on me as the music is playing is the amazing thing is, God even loves stuff that isn’t useful… Like thunder, sunsets, the stars and planets, art, and poetry. I guess if we only view things through the lens of modernity, effectiveness, and usefulness then we are going to misunderstand a lot about God and His kingdom.

I always knew God didn’t need me… I’ve even preached it. But why did he have to use this church – my church, to teach me such a painful lesson?

I really enjoyed worship although for some reason, the kids don’t go to kids church until afterward, so my two were restless and a bit hyperactive. Not sure how parents are really supposed to engage with God if their kids are running around… but I guess pastors who have teenage kids don’t think about that….

It is tough experiencing a modern church through post-modern eyes… For example, the pastor just jumped up and said something to the effect of “we are people of the book, etc… Believe the truth… The inspired Word of God… your emotions won’t set you free, the truth will….blah blah blah.” But once we realise that the truth is in fact a person, not cold hard facts, but Jesus, and the word is Jesus and that it becomes law when the two are separated, it’s a bit hard to swallow.

I think i will one day find a way to serve God outside of the conventional church, but inside his kingdom.

I reckon that because we value mastery over mystery we elevate principles and in doing so we become legalistic and religious and don’t need the holy spirit. The enemy gets us with a double whammy.
My former senior pastor and coach has flown in, and is preaching now, which is one of the reasons I decided to go to church today. He says the purpose of covenant is to bring us into union with God and into union with each other. He’s talking about something I believe deeply. That church is first and foremost relationship vertically, then relationship horizontally. I just wish there wasn’t so much baggage hanging off all that and it was much simpler. His son (a close friend of mine) who burned out a few years ago didn’t come… another victim in ministry.

It wasn’t bad but i was done by 90 minutes though with another half hour to go. What I listened to most was when my former coach talked about himself and when he gave an example of how he would pray the lord’s prayer, in fact I had goosebumps. The information side of things though (the hebrew definitions) I could do without.

Final thoughts… I guess i just love the church as it is, warts and all and to not be part of something one loves is really sad. I think that’s why its been so hard and painful. Yes, I know things need to change radically in the church, but that doesn’t stop me from loving what it is today.

Maybe i needed the pain to become disillusioned enough to look for something new and to truly see how crippled the church of today is.

On the upside, one good thing is that I don’t feel sick… just sad and useless… which is much better than sick!

I was in the thick of writing Extreme Fear when Chesley Sullenberger ditched his Airbus A320 in New York City’s East River. I was instantly struck by how perfectly his feat embodied the central paradox of the book: how is that certain people can respond creatively to intense, life-threatening crisis? I wound up exploring his story in Chapter 12, “Mastery,” in which I  recreated the incident in some detail. This recently released computer simulation, however, gives a far more vivid sense of what Sullenberger was going through.

Kudos to Kas Osterbuhr, the engineer at K3 Resources who created the video, and to Jason Paur at Wired.com for his posting it.

The concept of Shuhari was mentioned on more than one occasion while I was at Agile 2009 in Chicago this past summer. Alistair Cockburn was the first to mention it in his keynote speech I Come to Bury Agile, Not to Praise It. It then surfaced again when Declan Whelan spoke about Learning is the Key to Agile Success: Building a Learning Culture on Your Agile Team. Shuhari originated in Japan as a martial arts concept describing the stages of learning to mastery. The word is actually three words combined.

Shu – protect or obey. It is based on traditional wisdom where the student learns all they can from their master, and accepts any instruction and criticism they are offered. The master acts as a protector, steering the student and watching out for their best interests.

Ha – detach or digress. Up until this point the student did everything based on fundamental teachings. At this point the student will start to break with tradition and apply more imaginative techniques, building on what they have learned. They will also start to question and start to evolve based on their own personal experience.

Ri – leave or separate. At this point the learner transcends to a point where there are no longer specific techniques that are being followed since everything now come naturally. The student has learned everything they can from their master and leaves. The student bases their learning almost completely through self-discovery with no actual instruction.  Ideally the student should have surpassed the master, allowing for the art to progress.

I found this concept to be very intriguing and it got me thinking about how it applies closer to home.  The development team at Point2 is always in a state of learning. In many instances the student and the teacher roles are obvious. A new college graduate will likely be paired with a veteran developer in a mentoring role, while more experienced developers will pair with each other, hopefully learning from one another.  I really believe that the last point in the Ri description is key. In order for the art to evolve and progress, the student must surpass their teacher.

A dilemma arises when everyone reaches that Ri stage and no one is able to get back into the Shu mindset. If everyone believes there is nothing new to learn, an obvious problem is created – your team will likely fail because they will lose their ability to compete. This is where having a culture of learning is paramount. People have to think of ShuHaRi as a circular idea that has no beginning and no end. If an entire team is dedicated making their colleagues the best that they can be, and are willing to learn from each other, the possibility of stagnating as a team fades away.

How is Point2 attempting to keep Shuhari a cyclical pattern? We mentor our new recruits, putting trust in our veteran developers to lead them down the correct paths. We pair program nearly 100% of the time, ensuring that developers are always teaching each other new techniques and skills. We dedicate Friday afternoons to personal professional development. People can choose to present or lead a workshop for a group, get together to develop a small application, or just spend some me time reading a book or watching a webcast. The point being is that our development team understands the value in learning and can see the relationship between the development of their careers and the success of the business.  Shuhari may not be a well known concept in the halls of Point2, but that doesn’t mean it’s not alive and well.

By Hemant J. Naidu

1:- The level of your success is determined by what you think every second of every minute of everyday. Your thoughts shape your world. Mental mastery is the DNA of life mastery. Today’s thoughts will serve to build your dreams of tomorrow.

2:- You outer world reflects your inner world. If you want to change your life, you must start by changing the thoughts you put into your mind. Success on the outside begins with success on the inside.

3:- You alone are responsible for what you think. Most importantly, you can change the way you think and remove any negative thinking habits by the daily practice of mental display and conditioning. Thinking patterns are habits and ,like all habits, they can be changed when you strongly desire to change them and take concrete action towards your goal.

4:- A super successful mindset does not happen in a day. You have to work hard on it just like any other worthy pursuit in life. But with thirty days of daily , concentrated practice, you will note astonishing changes in the way you think , feel and act.

5:-One of the great keys to a better life is to change your self image. Our self image is determined by the mental pictures we constantly run through our minds. Our minds work through pictures and when we change the pictures to show what we really want in our lives and what we really can achieve , our self image will also improve dramatically. This leads to greater confidence and belief in our personal abilities and power. Goals are then easily achieved and the ordinary becomes the extra-ordinary.

6:- Anything you faithfully and honestly believe you can achieve , you will achieve if you take persistent action in that direction. Constantly keep your dreams at the front of your mind. repeat them all day, everyday. Never let go of them. when you concentrate all your mental and physical energy on a single purpose, dormant forces that you never knew you had are sparked into action. This is the secret of genius : finding what you love to do and then spending all your time doing it . As one wise person has said :”once you find what you truly love doing ,you will never have to work another day in your life.” People with far less than you have achieved great feats.

7:- The law of attraction is the dominant law of the mind. What you think about and believe is what you attract into your life. People who are happy and motivated attract such people into their world. People with a positive expectation of super success will attract opportunities to allow them to arrive at this destination.

8:- Your sub conscious mind plays a particularly great role in the outcome of your life. You must learn how to use it for maximum achievement. Again , mental pictures and verbalization play a big role in stimulating your sub conscious mind.

9:- Your mind has the capacity to hold only one thought in its focus at any one time. Using this knowledge you must ensure that each thought is a valuable and positive one. If a negative , disempowering thought does enter ,quickly replace it with a good one. As you develop the habit of thinking useful , energizing thoughts , week ones will no longer hold any power.

10:- There is a Success Mechanism inside your mind which craves positive stimulation. It awaits your instructions. When you realize this and start setting great goals for yourself it will spring to life and seize all opportunities get you to where you want to go.

I’ve just read this on  a university chat board:

If happiness was the national currency, what kind of work would make you rich?

Sadly, our first impulse is to try to answer the question.

Then we do a double take.  Are we trying to sell happiness?  Aren’t happiness and money two different currencies?

Then we get the real meaning.  What would you do that would make your friends jealous?

Happiness is not consistent with raw competition.

Happiness is consistent with good ’sportsmanship’ and fair play, yes.  We can  be competitive when competitiveness is kept within the bounds of pleasure and fun.  As soon as winning becomes so important that we care neither about how we behave nor how our actions impact others, as soon as competition becomes excluding, then happiness is inconsistent with the project.

When happiness means oneupmanship that is not happiness.  It is just the pleasure – the pleasure of meanness.

When we win we should be deeply grateful to the losers

This one always baffled my students.  When we win, we should be grateful to the losers, for without their willingness to engage in a race with us, we could not win.  The three cheers for the losing team is not a ritual.   When the three cheers  is not longer more important than the game itself, then maybe we should stop playing the game.

People won’t play when the refereeing is bad

When a game gets too rough, in it or in the consequences after the finish, people stop playing.  They simply won’t come back.

We can bribe some greedy players to take part, true.  The world is a big place and if we have enough money, we can always find enough people who are unscrupulous, unsightful, greedy or masochistic.

Sometimes we are dazzled by their participation to think that something is acceptable. After all, why not take the money and worry about the morality later?

Go on, then.  Do it.  But when you come back to play with us, remember that we will not necessarily be impressed by your spoils.  We won’t give you a headstart in our game when you return ~ because headstarts are not what it is about. Fitting in is what it is about.  Taking part is what it is about.  Playing a game that everyone enjoys is what it is about.

If you don’t fit in now

If you don’t fit in now, you won’t fit in later just because you ran away to prove you could do something.

You have three choices:

• Stay and make your way with us by fitting in.
• Leave and find a group where you fit in and you feel you can be loyal and they to you.
• Leave and take part in a race where winning and losing is what it is about ~ but enjoy the race for its own sake.  No one else will be impressed.  They aren’t impressed that you won it. They want to win to lord it over you. Get it?  So if you race, just enjoy it.

Race for the sake of it, not for the sake of money or happiness

So race because you want to.  Don’t race to get rich or to be happy or to impress anyone.

And if you enjoy the race so much, do it here!  Now!  If you just like racing and you don’t want to hurt anyone, they will enjoy your enjoyment and you will fit in.

And if someone insists on racing .  .  .

But if someone is racing against you and hurting you, if you cannot protect yourself, if your really, really cannot, then maybe it is best to leave and find a place where you can be yourself.

Leave to do what you must do but not because of them. Leave them to their misery and meanness

Happiness is just not competitive

Really it is not.  It is about finding a group where you are loyal to them and them to you.