How Anastasia’s GRAD Theory Offers Hope In These Troubled Times

Do you wonder, these days, how we, as Americans, are ever going to get through these troubling times with Donald Trump in office?

It would be hard to be fully present to what is going on around us, day in and day out, under Trump’s administration and be completely at ease. 

But I am here to tell you, with all my many years of experience working with individuals, couples, families, groups and organizations, added to more than forty years of research and strategic intervention development, based on what Watergate taught me, that we, the citizens of the U.S.A., our Congressional representatives and our courts, are on the right and proper track.

Do you want to know why I believe this, so wholeheartedly, even though I, like yourself, am struggling most days to remain “tranquil”?

The bottom line for me can be found in the almost bottom line of my GRAD theory.

Interpreted it goes like this: The Dark Side (i.e. addictions and/or any other manifestation of the RSC) cannot hide out, indefinitely in a community. Community life will not sustain it!

The reason being:  Over the long haul the character aspects (of the Dark Side Warrior) are antithetical to community life – and – humans are, by nature, communal animals. Thus, in a democracy, to go against that which builds and sustains communal life cannot sustain itself, indefinitely. The weight of the majority will not tolerate it.

Trust in this! And, do your best to be the best you can to be a part of the healthy whole!

To the end of strengthening your resolve  -- and – your efforts to hold on to your hope, your highest ideals and your everyday commitments, today I am editing and adding to my description of the GRAD theory to provide you with highlights and guidelines to help you navigate this challenging era.  

The Power of One is what I am stressing, added to the power of the many.

Please use what I am offering! 

Apply the tenets laid out, as best you can. And contact me at: SuperSleuthDSW@aol.com, if you need further assistance.

Together we can weather this storm, as people are doing, this very day, in surviving Hurricane Harvey in Texas.

Winners And Losers: A Paradigm For Each

Winner Survivors* Do These Things

Scroll down on Winner and Loser lists for new additions, today, August 6, 2017

• Confronts and deals with reality;
• Strives to live in the Light;
• Lets go of resistances and defending;
• Avoids trying to control others;
  
• Is consistently open to learning from life's lessons;
• Sets intentions to learning from others;
• Is determined to succeed at all levels (body, mind and spirit);
• Takes risks to improve relationships with others;
• Resolves conflicts with others, including managing anger in healthy ways;
• Takes responsibility -- is transparent and accountable;
• Participates fully in life, daring to be all one can be;
• Uses fullest capacities;
• Makes and keeps commitments;
• Always tells the fullest truth of their knowing (Except when genuine threats to survival are present.) Added October 29;
• Experiences, fully, reality-based pain and other emotions;
• Grieves losses fully;
• Expects others to be transparent, responsible and accountable;
• Acknowledges limitations;
• Learns from mistakes;
• Allows self to be inspired and empowered by nature (fresh air, sunshine and the great outdoors); Added 8/6/17
• Attends to nutrition, exercise, physical, emotional and spiritual health; Added 8/6/17
• Seeks to find joy, appreciation and inspiration in others (Quakers call this "Looking for the G-d in every one); Added 8/6/17
• Is loving, caring and compassionate toward self and others.

Loser Survivors* Do These

• Avoids dealing with full reality;
• Stubbornly holds on to being right;
• Invests in defending him/herself;
• Sabotages the well being of self and others;
• Avoids taking risks related to being fully honest with self and others;
• Shuts others out/keeps others distant;
• Invests in illusions;
• Holds grudges and resentments;
• Avoids full involvement in life;
• Makes excuses for personal stagnation;
• Exploits personal fears to justify hiding;
• Avoids or breaks commitments;
• Avoids valid emotional pain;
• Avoids necessary grieving;
• Avoids personal responsibility;
• Lies to self and others;
• Fosters personal survival-based addictions;
• Encourages addictions in others;
• Holds on to controlling others;
• Avoids acknowledging limitations;
• Often seeks out and/or creates chaos; Added 8/6/17
• Often complains and holds grudges; Added 8/6/17
• Instead of learning, repeats mistakes;

Which of these paradigms are you living in? 

Which one is you being all you aspire to be? 

Which one is you doing all you would like to see yourself do?

Check these out to see where your strengths and weaknesses lie.

The Survivor Addict Inventory and the Catalogue of Survival Driven Behaviors are tools that can help you with this assessment.

* Use this link to read how the "mysterious capability" of our biological survival instinct plays a critical role in our being "winners" or "losers." It's a matter of choice, more than anything. But nature and nurture do play important parts.