Theos-Talk Archives (October 2008 Message tt00444)

Or, as my parents said, "Families are for testing poisons on."  And  Aunt 
Josie was very good at it.  She poisoned her brother-in-law.
 
Chuck the Heretic
 
 
In a message dated 10/16/2008 8:05:14 P.M. Central Daylight Time,  
silva_cass@yahoo.com writes:

 
 
 
Or maybe the TS is experiencing its karma
Cass

----- Original  Message ----
From: Anton Rozman <_anton_rozman@anton_roz_ (mailto:anton_rozman@yahoo.com) >
To:  _theos-talk@yahoogrotheos-t_ (mailto:theos-talk@yahoogroups.com) 
Sent:  Friday, 17 October, 2008 5:39:53 AM
Subject: Theos-World Theosophical  Society as a Family

Dear friends,

We often hear that we, members  of the Theosophical Society, are a 
family, that we should solve our  problems within our family. So, I 
tried to explore a little some internet  sources on what constitutes a 
healthy family. I am sure you will find  these extracts interesting.

ââââââââââ..

The word "family" can  mean different things to different people. But 
no matter how our families  are made up, most share some common 
values. 

It's important to talk  about what binds us together â

â learn how to communicate so that our  messages and feelings are 
understood and we understand how other people  are feeling and what 
they are trying to tell us.

â learn how to  resolve conflict in safe ways that strengthen our 
relationships and  reinforce our values. Conflict is an inevitable, 
natural and healthy part  of family life. No matter how close we are 
to someone we will find  differences, and some of these will be 
irritating to us. But once we  understand the other person's point of 
view our relationship with them  will improve.

â learn how to make decisions and plan ahead as a family.  Regardless 
of our own background, it is possible for us to decide what we  want 
as a family and take steps towards making it happen.

by Hilary  Smith
8 December 2002
_http://www.relate._ (http://www.relate./)  org.nz/article_  000028.asp

ââââââââââââââââââ

What exactly makes up a strong  family that possesses good family 
values? A family that sustains its  members - that supports and 
nourishes the members throughout the span of  that family. A strong 
family unit creates a safe, positive and supportive  place for all 
members to thrive. They are able to utilize resources and to  live 
together in a fairly healthy manner. 

The adults in a strong  family set the tone. They are good role models 
that lead by example. They  reach out to friends and community and 
teach their children the importance  of doing the same - and that 
becomes part of who the children are. They  work together to solve 
problems, and they pass their skills on to the next  generation. Some 
important elements of a strong family system are family  cohesion, 
family flexibility and family communication. 

Cohesion -  In families cohesion would be defined as the feeling of 
being loved, of  belonging to the group and being nurtured by it. 
Although closeness is  good in a family unit, there must be a balance 
between being together and  being separate. A person must be able to 
develop their individuality,  while being supported and confident 
within the family. A few things that  bring a family together are the 
commitment of other family members, and  the spending of time 
together. 

Flexibility - There must be a  structure in a family or it will become 
chaotic and will not be a peaceful  setting for a family. Conversely, 
there must be flexibility or the family  becomes rigid and the 
authority figures become resented. We could compare  a successful 
family to a democracy. There are leaders, but the whole group  is 
involved in the decision making process. Although the leaders are in  
charge all members develop the ability to cope with stress, and at  
times lead. While the family works to avoid stressful situations they  
work together to solve problems, without blaming, criticizing and  
finding fault with each other. Families that tend to have a strong  
spiritual base seem to have a sense of well-being that facilitates  
this working together in times of stress. 

Communication - Ever  hear the saying, "What we have here is a failure 
to communicate? " A lack  of communication can rip a family apart and 
destroy them. Things that  facilitate communication are the things 
mentioned so far - family  closeness, flexibility, time spent 
together, spirituality. All members  must feel a freedom within the 
group to express themselves freely.  

Written by Mim Ford - Â 2002 Pagewise
_http://www.essortme_ (http://www.essortme/)  nt.com/all/ wahtarefamily_  
ralm.htm

ââââââââââââââ.

The seven Learning Family Values are  universal, built upon common 
principles found in nearly every culture in  the world. Identifying 
our values clearly can help guide us to becoming  the people we want 
to be. Our values tell others what kind of people we  are, and can 
help them understand our behavior. 

Each value  provides specific encouragement and direction. Together, 
they help us  realize individual happiness and collective peace.  

Individuality
We're happy with who we are. We honor those who work  to secure 
freedom to express our individuality. We respect others by  accepting 
their race, religion, culture, opinions, hobbies or other  interests 
as valuable to them. As we develop and express our various  talents we 
enrich each other's lives as well as our own. Wouldn't life be  boring 
if we were all the same? 

Integrity
Integrity means being  the same person inside and out, all the time. 
Whether in public or in  private, we keep our commitments, accept 
responsibility for our own  actions, and are honest and fair with 
everyone. And yes, it means always  telling the truth and being good, 
just because it is the right thing to  do. We know that personal 
integrity is required to earn another's trust,  and is therefore the 
basis of all human relationships.  

Industry
Only through hard work and dedication can we realize our  goals and 
dreams. We are diligent in our work, using all our talents and  always 
doing our best, no matter what the task. We expect fair  compensation 
for our labors but avoid excess. We strive to be  self-sufficient, 
never expecting others to do for us what we can do for  ourselves. 

Knowledge
The joy of learning can last a lifetime.  Seeking knowledge begins 
with asking questions, then pursuing the answers  with energy and 
creativity. We learn when we can accept the answers, even  if they are 
not what we expect. The freedom and understanding gained by  knowing 
the truth are our rewards for the pursuit of knowledge.  

Compassion
All of us have needed help at some time in our lives. As  well, our 
success always comes with the help of others. So we freely give  our 
time, talents and resources to those who are in need without  
reservation or expectation. We patiently seek to understand the needs  
of others, and offer our assistance whenever we can without waiting  
for someone else to help. 

Family
We all belong to a family. Our  family bonds gives us identity; a way 
to recognize ourselves with a  culture and heritage all our own. We 
support each other, depend on each  other, respect each other and 
comfort each other. We are also members of  larger families; our 
community, the human family, and the family of life  on Earth. We 
accept the responsibilities of being a part of these  families, only 
receiving what we need so that others may have their share,  and 
helping to strengthen the family through our service.  

Optimism
Life is full of promise. We have goals that motivate us,  and look to 
the future with a sense of purpose, knowing that we can make a  
difference. Though our individual influence may be small, it will  
spread from our family to others, and to future generations. Our  
purpose is to work together to bring about personal fulfillment in 
our  lives and peace in the world. 

Copyright  1998-1999, Learning Family  LLC.
_http://www.learning_ (http://www.learning/)  family.net/ about/values.  htm

............ ......... ......... ......... .........  ........

Best regards,
Anton

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