What traditions do you adhere to?

Traditions are the beliefs and customs that are passed down from one generation to the next.

In 1971, the movie "Fiddler on the Roof" debuted. My grade school class took a field trip to watch the film. The musical comedy-drama was an adaptation of the 1964 musical by the same name. The film, set in early 20th-century Russia, centers on Tevye, the father of five daughters, and his attempts to maintain his Jewish religious and cultural traditions as outside influences encroach upon the family's lives.  

Tradition is the opening tune in the musical. Sung by Tevye, the song highlights the importance of tradition in providing stability and identity to the characters in the face of external influences and pressures. 

Tradition provides stability and an identity that is passed down to each generation. Some examples of traditions are:

The Highland Games: A Scottish tradition of culture and sport that includes tug-of-war, caber toss, and dancing. These games celebrate Scottish heritage.

Thanksgiving: This American tradition is celebrated on the fourth Thursday of November, a time to gather with family and express gratitude for the bounty we have received.

Russian Orthodox Easter: This tradition is symbolized by painting eggs, usually red, as a remembrance of the blood Jesus shed on the cross. The eggs represent new life and are blessed by the church before being shared with others.

Growing up, my family had a special Christmas Eve tradition. We would attend the 4:00 PM Mass, have pizza for dinner, and open the gifts we had purchased for each other (in our parents' case, that usually amounted to new pajamas, robes, and slippers so we would be presentable for the Santa photos the following morning). That is a tradition that we passed on to our daughter, and she is passing it on to her family.

While traditions are important in families and cultures, they are equally crucial in companies.

Some of the benefits of establishing and carrying on traditions in companies are:

1. It Develops and Maintains a Culture - Traditions help to reinforce the beliefs and values an organization was founded on, and give employees a sense of identity.

2. It Maintains Continuity - Traditions link the current employees to the past and provide stability, and give the group a sense of connectedness to its history and legacy.

3. Recruitment and Retention - Well-known and time-honored traditions attract new thoughts and ideas to the organization. People want to be part of something that has meaning and value and that appreciates their connection to the organization.  

Whether it's a company, family, or heritage, traditions foster a positive and productive environment where people feel connected and part of something that provides meaning and value in their lives.

Please leave me a comment about your thoughts on the importance of traditions in a person's life. Your opinions and perspectives are important, and I'd enjoy hearing from you. 

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Which reality do you live in?

What does reality mean? Reality is the here and now. It's everything that is happening that exists outside the imagination.

Albert Einstein is reported to have said, "Reality is an illusion, albeit a very persistent one." What Einstein was trying to convey is that everyone's reality is different because it is shaped by a person's beliefs, experiences, and values.

Science tends to look at reality in three parts:

1. Objective Reality - This is the scientific standard of what is real and tangible. Anything in this category can be measured and observed. It would exist if people did not exist (e.g., air, roses, the laws of physics).

2. Subjective Reality - This pertains to how you view the world based on your beliefs. There is usually significant evidence to support a person's view. If you were to graph a particular belief, it would resemble a bell curve, with a few people on the left and right fringes and most of the people clustered in the middle. (e.g., political beliefs, religious beliefs, how you view others.)

​3. Intersubjective Reality - This is a subset of Subjective Reality. These are things we believe exist to the point where they are almost a matter of objective reality. (e.g., money, faith, laws.)

​If something is objective, it is a waste of time (although many people try) to say that it doesn't exist. You can rail against something objective as much as you like. However, you only end up hurting yourself because, like it or not, a tomato is still a tomato, and just because you call it a grapefruit doesn't make it true.

Subjective reality gives you alternatives. You want to choose beliefs and views that make you better, happier, and more productive, even if there is no scientific proof to support your beliefs. Examples of this are discipline and excellence. If you want a better life, you choose traits that make your life better.

While it is usually a disadvantage to ignore intersubjective reality, there are times when it's necessary. For example, suppose you ignore traffic laws and drive without a license. In that case, you will pay the consequences of being pulled over by the police and potentially getting arrested and paying fines, even if you disagree with the law. However, suppose you are looking to develop a vaccine or medication for a symptom or disease that is plaguing humanity. In that case, you're likely to have to deviate from current scientific practice.

Most of us spend our days moving in and out of the three types of reality described here. We do this so that we can have the best possible mental, physical, and emotional life.

Where people break down and get in trouble is when they spend all or the bulk of their time attacking or denouncing an objective reality because they believe their subjective reality should be objective. As hard as they try, they can never seem to make the square peg fit in the round hole.

You can determine how the different realities work for you to have a great life. Just don't force your realities on someone else. We're all entitled to view reality in our unique way.

Please leave me a comment about how you use the different realities to create your best life. Your opinions and perspectives are valuable, and I enjoy hearing from you.