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Huzzah. Before we embark on this Quest together it’w worth considering how deep do you want to go. This Ritual of Becoming might seem overwhelming* to some—what with the 70+ video modules and whatnot—the reality is: you can Choose Your Own Adventure here.

* Which is surely better than underwhelming, right? The centre of gravity of our Relative Whelm™️ differs for each of us, so: always aim for more overwhelm than less, I say! And trust that folks will manage.

There are at least three paths on offer for you

Or well: four.

Hello, meta-narrator here. In future iterations of this programme I might make this more of a ‘single track’ ritual. 

I originally thought I was doing folks a favour by allowing for non-linearity and choice, but I have come to find that there’s a certain charm to a more stolid curriculum. Kinda like how ‘The Artist’s Way’ is spread across 12 different weeks of challenges and activities. In doing so the journey can be more easily shared, as each week serves as its own reference point. 

But, hoho, that’ll be sometime later: in The Future. In the meantime: you need to Pick a Path ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

1. YOU CAN TRY FIND YOUR WORD IN 3 MINUTES OR LESS

Here’s a short video on how to do that. Not recommended.

The ‘Word’ we refer to here is the ‘fuzzy contextual beacon’ you cast forth ~12 months into the future to serve as a temporary ‘north star’ to guide your way. It is emphasised in the videos of this programme, but unfortunately the concept is too easy to flatten/reduce by those who might be taking a more superficial approach to self-development. 

I don’t really mean to pass any judgement here—it’s all fine, of course. But in time I shall de-emphasise the Word element.* Or have it less prominent. 

For the Word we choose is the fruit borne of the Ritual. A Word plucked from the aether without The Ritual of Becoming (with all of it’s reflection, introspection and projection) will unlikely be a Word of Power, and will unlikely serve you as well as it might.  

* And tbh I would probably want to de-emphasise the role that I play in these videos. Or maybe one day we will have budget enough to make it much more like a collective documentary-seminar-series-thing. That’s the dream anyhoo.

And now here’s a video on why you really ought invest more than 3 minutes.

Hoho, I’m afraid it’s a bit of a sore point for me. We have become groomed to expect instant answers and ready-made fixes (instead of rising up to the complexity of the challenges that face us). I don’t generally believe in quick fixes—for they often serve merely to perpetuate the default. You can do better.

YOU CAN INVEST AT LEAST 3 HOURS TO FIND YOUR WORD

I’m sure of it. An evening of introspection, perhaps?

In any event, look for the lessons marked with a triangle ( ∆ ) in the Table of Contents—these are essential.

YOU CAN ALSO APPROACH IT AS A 3-DAY THING

Something completed over a long weekend, perhaps?

For this, take the essentials ( ∆ ) and add in some of the extended elements—those marked with a rhombus ( ◊ ). These videos bring further richness and depth to the program.

YOU CAN ALSO APPROACH THIS AS A 3-WEEK THING

This is perhaps the best approach if it’s your first time—some of the provocations in this program are intentionally unsettling, and may take some time to process. Three weeks ensures you aren’t just skimming the surface.

FOR SEASONED QUESTERS: YOU KNOW THIS IS MORE LIKE A 3-MONTH THING

Once you get into an annual rhythm with this Ritual of Becoming, you'll start to glean the intermittently continuous nebulous-patterns of selness much earlier in your year (and your ability to reflect/introspect/project will be much more attuned).

FINALLY: ESOTERIC VIDEOS

I've given these the double-dagger symbol ( ‡ ). Watch at your own peril.

Here’s a key:
∆ = essential
◊ = extended
‡ = esoteric

What do I mean by esoteric? Watch the next video and you'll see...

To contemplate…

How much time are you willing to invest in your own development? Does self-development seem selfish or indulgent? What concerns flair up in your, if you were to consider investing more time in self-development? And… what if you were to do less? There are no right or wrong answers here. What is self development anyway?

Hoho! I struggle with this too. Conscious self-development can be one of the hardest things to prioritise. In any event, you get to choose your own adventure here. See you in the next lesson, wherein we shall explore Bonini’s Paradox (my fascinating caveat).

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This a work-in-progress ‘virtual book’, meta-blog and online programme by Dr Fox. Illustrations by dangerlam. (CC BY-NC-SA)