5 x 5 - A Transdimensional, Transformational Matrix

My @elwin15208 Twitter profile says:

"Level 1 = hate the player. Level 2 = hate the game. Level 3 = learn to play. I strive for Level 5."

I'm just a tiny bit disappointed that no one has ever asked me, "What's Level 5? For that matter, what's Level 4?"

But since you're here and I'm here and it's late, I'll tell you.

Level 4 = play the game really well.

Level 5 = create your own game. That can be an extension of Level 4, where you play the game so supremely that even people on the court/field with you acknowledge that while you're both in the same physical space, you are playing a different game from the one they're playing. Even a non-sports fan like me feels safe in saying, "There's basketball, and then there's that thing that Michael Jordan did."

Or it can truly be a new game, in which you write your own rules. Maybe you even invite others to play.

Level 5, you see, is the level of creativity.

I don't remember when, where or how I first began thinking in terms of Level 5. But it was some years ago, and over the years, I have become quite fond of the construct, which grew into the idea that in any endeavor, any field, any area, there always a Level 5.

Or to put it differently, that Level 5 is always available. We can choose the level from which we will operate

Such thinking has been useful; it has helped me to challenge myself with questions like, "What level am I acting from?" or "What would be a Level 5 response to this situation?"

I have even imagined that "Level 5" (tm) could become a fashion label, with designs that convey a sense of freedom and creativity that makes classics contemporary.

(Okay, that last part is my way of saying that for me, the 1940s were the peak of fashion. I want Indiana Jones's look from the last scene of "Raiders." Anyway...)

Somewhere along the way I devised a set of five 5s. I heartily proclaim them unscientific, although the "Experiencing Life" one cribs from Abraham Maslow.

FIVE LEVELS OF GAMES (all kinds of games...)
Level 1: Hate the player
Level 2: Hate the game
Level 3: Learn to play
Level 4: Play excellently
Level 5: Create your own game

FIVE ECONOMIC LEVELS
Level 1: Lack
Level 2: Sufficiency
Level 3: Excess
Level 4: Wealth
Level 5: Abundance

FIVE LEVELS OF EXPERIENCING LIFE
Level 1: Basic physiological needs
Level 2: Safety needs
Level 3: Psychological needs
Level 4: Self-Actualization
Level 5: Peak Experiences

FIVE COMPONENTS OF PERSONHOOD
Level 1: Behavior
Level 2: Emotion
Level 3: Intellect
Level 4: Will
Level 5: Spirit

FIVE LEVELS OF ACTIVITY IN THE WORLD
Level 1: Destructive
Level 2: Reparative
Level 3: Preventive
Level 4: Cultivative
Level 5: Creative

I may expound on those later; I may not. Buried in the cross-hatch are implications and notions (not developed theses) like defaulting to ecstasy, the abundant nature of the physical world and the infinitude of creativity, and the sufficiency of operating from Level 3 most of the time  - and for Christians, the extremity of redemption and the supremacy of the resurrected spirit (Level 5 of personhood; for the non-Christian, the highest level would be the will.)

But not tonight.aysl

Getting more done.

Over the last week-and-a-half, I have had three articles, one "The Week That Was," and two posts to "My Homewood" published. That level of productivity feels good, especially after a period when I seemed to struggle to produce one or two pieces a week.

I don't know what makes the difference between the two levels of productivity, but I need to get more deeply rooted in getting more done. To put it another way, I need to notice what I'm doing when I'm getting more done, and do more of that.

Here are the articles:
"Summer doesn't mean you can't dress for success"
"Game on: Software company may bring headquarters to Pittsburgh"
"Saturday Diary: Life in the slow lane"

"The Week That Was" is not so much an article as a look back at the week's business news (in the Business Department we call it "Weekback). I like doing them, because they're a chance to have fun, and they force me to read the paper (confession: this newspaper reporter is a magazine junkie. I have just received my first check for writing a magazine piece, from Pitt Magazine, the alumni magazine for the University of Pittsburgh - in fact, my first check for a freelance piece, period. I am excited about that.).

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George Carlin is dead, and the only thing I can think of to say is *%$##!!&*@&!! - that would be any two of the "Seven Words You Can't Say On Television."