{"id":23552,"date":"2022-09-28T23:01:08","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T03:01:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.mentordiscoverinspire.org\/?p=23552"},"modified":"2022-10-04T19:01:37","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T23:01:37","slug":"state-of-mdi-letter-from-the-editor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mentordiscoverinspire.org\/state-of-mdi-letter-from-the-editor\/","title":{"rendered":"Letter From the Editor"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
James Anthony Ellis<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n And so the topic of this edition of the Legacy Magazine is: “The State of MDI.”<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n As in considering a \u201cstate of the union address\u201d for a nation, the common response here would be to rush to MDI leadership and check in with them. How are we doing? What is the plan? Where are we going? <\/p>\n\n\n\n And though we are taking the time and space in this October edition to receive updates from Regional Coordinators, former Presidents, and the current MDI President, I believe there is another resource to query. It may be the most important source we address.<\/p>\n\n\n\n And that\u2019s you. The membership. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The state of MDI? Very simply, MDI is doing as well as the men who constitute the organization. MDI is as healthy as the men participating in this empowerment process in which we engage. <\/p>\n\n\n\n How are you doing? <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your answers will tell us how you are doing on one level. And they may change from day to day as we are all in a continual process of reaching our potential. Likewise, as part of our collective, the answers will reveal how we are doing as an organization. We are as high or low as our fellow members. We are as strong as the weakest link. As an organization we are our brother\u2019s keeper, and as long as we are in the process and engaged as teammates, we are on the path of growth and excellence at various steps along that path. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Everyone\u2019s impression of how our men are doing will be different. But since I\u2019ve assumed this role of Editor and since this is a “Letter From the Editor,” I\u2019ll give it a go. Even though I interact with many members at various levels of leadership, my obviously filtered take from limited reach, if not as projection, would see our state of being this way:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n First off, it’s miraculous that we are even here!<\/strong> How can such busy men, with all the various responsibilities and schedules, find themselves circled up week after week? What kind of crazy commitment and deep bond holds this thing together? Think of it! The couch calls. The control clicker. The significant other at home. The fridge is there too! But no, week after week, without pay or fanfare, these men find their way \u2013 at the beaches, the bonfires, the garages, the fields \u2013 in order to gather in their circles of honor. Must be some powerful shit that is truly happening here on levels of which we may not be aware. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even with all the great work being done, there are the ways of being that need attention, areas in which we can improve<\/strong>. Or so it appears:<\/p>\n\n\n\n So, there is work to do. But yeah, so what. Of course, it wouldn\u2019t be men’s work if we didn\u2019t have something to work on.<\/strong> Even with some hills and mountains to climb, this is still the only circle I know where a man can receive the immense “patience of the men” as he authentically reveals his heart, his gut, his pain, his challenges, his best. There is this sacred silence at times when men are taking in a man as he rips off the mask or honors his own. MDI is still one of the only spaces with such high intentions for an honorable world where \u201cHonor, Selflessness, Commitment, Integrity, Training, and Learning give men the wisdom and courage to serve all men, women, and children for the betterment of humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than ever, this world needs our men\u2019s circles producing such high-quality men. The men we\u2019ve always wanted to be will lead the way, as our nation, society and world go through any harsh or troubled times.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n We are in the game, we are in our teams, we are learning, growing, mentoring, discovering and inspiring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The State of the MDI? The State of the Men of MDI? <\/p>\n\n\n\n In progress. <\/p>\n\n\n\n In process. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If we quit on the process, we fall prey to a barrier right where it stands. If we continue beyond the barrier, we\u2019ve created a new normal and a new plateau, ever higher on our upward journey to being the men we\u2019ve truly wanted to be \u2013 for the sake of our families, our careers, our communities, and our humanity. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The State of MDI? Moving along \u2026 as long as we keep moving.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The State of MDI? <\/p>\n\n\n\n It is up to all of us.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" James Anthony EllisEditor, Legacy Magazine And so the topic of this edition of the Legacy Magazine is: “The State of MDI.” As in considering a \u201cstate of the union address\u201d for a nation, the common response here would be to rush to MDI leadership and check in with them. How are we doing? What is […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":23715,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[84,36],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23552","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-state-of-mdi","category-viewpoints"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Editor<\/strong>, Legacy Magazine<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n