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Recently, at a conference I attended, the keynote speaker was Juan Bonifasi, who operates an Acton Academy in Guatemala. I was encouraged by his insightful words. He was able to capture the driving force behind why I am so passionate about learner driven communities. Like Juan, I too believe the majority of people are focused on the effects of our cultural decay but disregarding the roots.
Juan states, “But let’s go back to the troubles the world is facing…What is the root cause there? Politicians? Corporations? Laws? Education? Our sources of energy? Our Fiat Money? The Central Bankers? What about lack of Freedom?… So, if we keep peeling the onion…what is the root cause? What if the root cause is the individual?“
He is right. We can point fingers at all the systems but at the end of the day it is the individual who drives these systems. If we wish to change the culture, then we need to focus on re-seeding civilization with better individuals. For me this would be servant leaders who are Kingdom minded and able to transcend through growth mindsets, honorable habits, and a love for others which supersedes a love of self.
As a coach, what are the emergent properties I wish my players to attain so that they might inspire us, give us hope and provide meaning to our lives.
They develop a high level of SELF ESTEEM. They identify many options in every decision they take and when they decide, they fully own their decision . Developing a high-level of CONSCIENCE, which to us means that they can see the consequences of their actions in time and in others.
They have a HIGH WORK ETHIC and can WORK WELL WITH OTHERS. That means they have superb communication skills and the abilities to keep themselves and others accountable to their commitments.
They understand the principles of FREEDOM and RESPONSIBILITY and how these two relate. They understand that Freedom comes from being responsible.
They become POWERFUL people, but they also know that power, to cite Lord Acton: “Tends to corrupt and absolute power corrupts absolutely”. So, you see them giving back this power, primarily to empower others in their journey.
Finally, a STRONG INTERNAL AUTHORITY. They have a strong sense of who they are and what is right for them. They have the internal fortitude to act guided by that internal authority even when there is discomfort, or it goes against the current thing….
I desire for young men to leave our football program representing the seeds of a more loving, humane, advanced civilization. As a learner driven coach, I witnessed these seeds that now carry themselves and are sprouting, growing, flowering and giving the fruits of that awesome world each one of them envisions. As learner driven mentors, our Mission then is to help reseed civilization. Nothing short of that. The future of humanity depends on it, and we are all protagonists. The world right now needs strong, local, voluntary learner driven movements to redefine how people in our area live and govern themselves in the future.
As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
Colossians 2:6-8
So, as coaches, we encourage truth seekers, rooted in Him seeking to be the light through guiding young men and women to discover their calling that will change the world. May God be our guide and may what we are able to accomplish bring glory to Him through a divine re-seeding of civilization.