The insight is one thing. Integration is another.
That’s what I’m noticing today as I reflect on how many insights I’ve already had in this process—and how few of them I’ve actually lived out in the wild. Take “Claiming My Seat,” for example. That was a Day 6 insight I really felt in my bones. It raised the question of what a rite of passage could look like to really earn the badge so to speak. So I’m starting to imagine this 30-day process like a kind of personal program of self-initiation.
Each insight I collect is like a symbol—potential energy. I started to become concerned about the possibility of thinking of too many ideas to keep track of them all and getting lost in a sea of hypothetical potential. I started to think about ways to create a container that would allow me to collect up an unlimited number of diverse ideas that are not necessarily connected. The first idea that came to me was to create a system similar to merit badges in the boy scouts. I thought that identifying the concept of a new character trade as a symbolized by an icon, then later identifying a rite of passage that would define what it means to earn the badge would be an interesting concept to play with.
I had to fight the impulse to tell Sheila about this idea because we agreed we weren’t going to read each other’s content for the first 30 days. I think what I’ll do instead is select a title of the post that will allow her to see it and be curious about it. I’ll see what she thinks of my strategy at the end of the month when we are finally looking at each other’s posts. Hopefully she won’t accuse me of cheating for thinking this way…
Super Powers List
I haven’t been sharing the content of my exercises up to this point, but today I thought it would help make sense of the merit badge images, which I asked ChatGPT to produce based on my list of ideal character traits.
- Story-sensing: the ability to taste or smell anything and tell an entertaining story about the sensory experience
- The Eye Of Opportunity: I can spot the opportunity in every situation
- Character Trait Conjuring: the ability to whip up courage, discipline, fearlessness, endurance, justice, or any character trait as needed by the mission
- The Truth Glare: a look that removes anyone’s ability to lie (but leaves the choice to be silent)
- Third Eye of Focus (shows me exactly what to pay unwavering attention to in every moment)
- The Inner Voice: A whisper in my ear that guides me to the next step of my mission
- The Word of Power: the perfect response falls right off my tongue when it is my time to speak
- The Midas Yes: When I say yes to something, it happens
- The Red Field: my vision turns red when about to say “yes” and regret my choice
- The Tingle: my palm itches when I’m not getting a square deal, warmly glows when the offer is good
- Joke Master: the ability to make anyone laugh at any time
- The Eye Gaze: make any woman feel beautiful, adored, and special
- Focal Amnesia: the ability to forget everything except the single task I am working on until finished
- Voice of Unlocking: when I speak with a certain tone of voice, the fear of speaking the truth disappears from the room
- Archetypal Vision: the power to see everyone’s highest potential in real time
- Attention Posture: the power to direct the attention of others based on my physical stance
- Radio Ears: my ears tingle when there is something going on that I really need to listen to
- The Radiant Smile: when I smile in silence, joy radiates outward from me, starting slowly and picking up steam
- Sleeperfection: the ability to drop into a deeply restful sleep, waking up abruptly at the drop of a pin when my mission needs me or when it is time to awaken, unwakeable otherwise, whether for a full night’s sleep or a short nap
Given the above, here are the badges. I will most certainly change these over time, but I like the initial pass at the idea.
