The Winding Stairs Episode 5 Where is your Courage? Not everything in life comes easy to us. There are many things that are difficult and sometimes downright intimidating. When we face these things which intimidate us, our default reaction might be to avoid them and engage in other things. Although this might be a natural reaction or an instinctual response, it does not always serve its intended purpose. If we think about human evolution, we can understand that the spirit of self-preservation would have moved primitive humans to avoid overly dangerous or challenging situations. However, in today's world we retain that instinctive inclination to find the path of least resistance, even when that path would lead away from reaching our dreams and achieving those things we desire the most. What can we do to fight this urge to "survive"?  and instead choose that path that will help us Live and thrive, not just survive? The secret is in finding courage. Courage to live a life that fulfills us and allows us to experience our dreams. This does not mean that we will be fearless; for fear is a natural reaction to uncertainty and danger. What being courageous means, is to decide to take action, not without fear, but in spite of it. Where is your Courage? The 5 Places to look for Courage As we go through life, we are bound to encounter situations, which can be difficult and discouraging. This fact is inevitable, but there are several things we can do to make sure we are encouraged and continue moving forward. Look Behind: Retrospection We often forget about past victories; Especially when we are facing a challenge. This is the time when we can draw much needed courage from remembering those past successes. Bringing these moments to the present is sure to re-energize us and remind us that we have already achieved great things. By looking behind at those past triumphs, we create a momentum, which can carry us further than we think possible. If your job requires sales or persuation, you will agree with the notion that a second sale is easier than the first. Sales coaches often advise sales people to capitalize on the momentum created by that initial sale. That momentum will increase the confidence in the sales person and help him create subsequent sales. Similarly, when we look back at previous moments of success, our confidence increases and motivate us to push through the obstacles and achieve our desired goal. There is a biblical example of this concept in action. When a young David was considering standing against the [give brief background about philisteins threatening the israelites] giant, he reached back in to the moments he had defended his flocks from the attacks of a Lion. This gave him the courage necessary to confront an enemy, who had been undefeated and presented an unprecedented threat to the Israelite. Look Inside: Introspection Introspection is crucial in the development of confidence and the increase of courage. When we analyze ourselves and try to identify those thoughts, which may be holding us back, then we can correct them and gain confidence. We first have to be aware the things within us, which might be discouraging us to pursue those things we want to do. Understanding the root of our fears allows us to find specific solutions to those fears, increasing our chances of executing those plans, which we on which we have been procrastinating. Is it fear of failure? Are we trying to avoid embarassment? Are we too worried about what other people might think? These are all good questions in the search for those reasons within us, which might be holding us down.  With the same intensity, we should look inside ourselves for those qualities that will become handy if we embarq on our desired journey. If we familiarise ourselves with those qualities, which give us a good chance at being successful in our endeavour, then we will have a ready arsenal at our disposal to combat or counterbalance thos...

The Winding Stairs Episode 4:  Veiled in Allegory Freemasonry is described elegantly as a Science of Morality, Veiled in Allegory and Illustrated by Symbols. If there is nothing sinister in a science of morality, then why should it be veiled? On this episode we explore the reasons behind the allegorical teaching method and how well it works with the human mind. We introduce two new segments to our program: Masonic History Masonic Conspiracies by Bro:. Robert Johnson from Whence Came You? Podcast. Masonic History Masonic Apron Protects County Documents During the civil war, In Brunswick County Virginia, an act of benevolence, perhaps brotherhood, saved the county records from being destroyed. On May 15, 1864, Union troops were approaching the courthouse. The reputation that preceded this troops was an unnerving one for the county officials; especially since in addition to burning bridges and cutting confederate communication lines, some union troops were burning down the historical records as they moved through towns. As the Brunswick's county clerk of the courts, Edward Randolph Turnbull, received news of the impending arrival of the Union Troops, he resorted to a quite unconventional way of protecting his county's documents. He stacked the priceless documents on top of a table in the courthouse and draped them (veiled them) with his Masonic Apron hoping that, as many other Union Officers at the time, the approaching one was a Mason. This unorthodox yet inspiring defense seemed to have worked perfectly, as the apron was later delivered, presumably by a Union Troop, directly to Turnbull's house. When Turnbull returned to the courthouse, to his surprise, the office was ransacked, except for the stack of documents he had entrusted to the care of his Lambskin. You can read more about this piece of Masonic and American History by reading the original story featured in the Richmond Times Dispatch on March 17, 2013. It was written by Bill Lohmann. Masonic Conspiracies The Alleged Connection between Mormons, Freemasons and Aliens On this segment, Bro:. Robert Johnson shares a very interesting Conspiracy Theory that is being shared on the internet, regarding an alleged connection between religious leaders, The Freemasons, The Illuminati and even aliens. Don't miss this insightful contribution to the podcast, by our Brother and Producer of Whence Came You Podcast. You can listen to other Masonic Conspiracies (debunked) and valuable Masonic Discussions at WCYPodcast.com Veiled In Allegory Why is this morality veiled in allegory? If we think of the great teachers that have made a difference in history, many of them expressed themselves through the effective teaching tool of allegory. One of the most efficient ways in which people can acquire knowledge is by learning new things while comparing them to already known ones. When we learn to speak, we learn a few first words and continue increasing our vocabulary by adding more words and learning how those words relate to the ones previously learned. Similarly, when learning the science of arithmetic, we begin with basic concepts and rules, which increase in complexity, but always retain some similarities to those initial concepts we first learned. Therefore, when we think of the great lessons taught by the great teachers of history and the way in which they were able to express complex concepts by comparing and contrasting them with already familiar ones, we can observe how this technique cements new ideas permanently into our mind. This veil of allegory is not merely put into place to conceal information from others outside our Order, but more importantly to aid in the recollection of these lessons, because they are intrinsically connected to other lessons and life experiences we already posses. We all know how marvelous the human brain is in its efficiency and complexity, but very few people really know that one of the quali...