Review of the Three Alternatives, and a Look Forward to Future Columns
By Richard Eyre

Editor's note: For 12 columns during 12 weeks, Richard Eyre has outlined and defined “The Three Deceivers” of Control, Ownership, and Independence, and detailed how our obsessions with them can ruin the quality of our lives. Three weeks ago, we began the second phase of the column, with the new name “The Three Alternatives” and the attitude of Control was replaced with the approach of SERENDIPITY. (Click here to review that column. Two weeks ago, the paradigm of Ownership was replaced with Stewardship. (Click here to review that one.) Last week’s column outlined the alternative to Independence. Click here to read that column. In future weeks (always on Fridays and staying posted on the front page through the weekend) Richard will elaborate on why he believes these are better and more spiritual alternatives than each of the three deceivers and in doing so will open to you a new world of thinking that may change how you live. He continues to welcome your feedback and suggestions. Write to him at Richard@meridianmagazine.com. If you missed any of the earlier columns in this series, you can go to the Deceivers Archive (see right sidebar) and catch up. Today’s column reviews the three alternatives and discusses how they fit together and enhance each other. In the next few weeks (always on Fridays and staying posted on the front page through the weekend) Richard will elaborate on why he believes these are better and more spiritual alternatives than each of the three deceivers and then there will be a month's worth of columns on each of the Three Alternatives (4 on each one) to more completely discuss and explain their implementation in our everyday lives. He continues to welcome your feedback and inputs. Write to him at Richard@meridianmagazine.com . If you missed any of the earlier columns in this series, you can go to the Deceivers Archive (see right sidebar) and catch up.

How the Three Alternatives Work Together

We have now established the Three Alternatives — three alternative paradigms or ways to view the world that can take the place of the Three Deceivers. The exciting and adventurous (and faith-promoting) attitude of Serendipity can replace the obsession of Control. The humble and guidance-seeking approach of Stewardship can substitute for the prideful and self-centering addiction to Ownership. And the connected, trusting and inspiration-drawing perspective of Synergicity can take over for the false notion of Independence.

Each of these three new alternative attitudes can stand alone and make a positive and joyful difference in your life, as I hope the last three columns have explained. But the added bonus of the Three Alternatives is that they support and prompt and encourage each other, so that working on one of them makes it easier and more natural to work on the other two.

When we approach life with a Serendipity attitude, relishing and appreciating the unexpected, and looking for the good (and for the opportunity) in what life places before us and watching for the nudges and impressions of the Spirit (and giving and acknowledging all control to God) — when we do all this, it makes it very natural to also feel Stewardship for all God has given us, and to find Synergicity in all the connections and "coincidences" of the day.

When we choose to view all that we have as Stewardships entrusted to us by God, the true owner of all, it becomes automatic to seek His guidance and Spirit in all the choices we make and all the things that we do, and this seeking of His input and His will also makes us aware of life's serendipities and helps us notice the synergicity that connects us all.

And when we look for and appreciate both the synergicity of working with and being interdependent with others and acknowledging our complete dependence on God, we trigger both an awareness and appreciation of our stewardships and become increasingly inclined toward a very spiritual form of serendipity.

How You and I (Writer and Reader) Can Work Together

As I have mentioned before, one of the advantages (and the thrills) of writing on line is the instant feedback I get from readers. Since this column began, I have had hundreds if not thousands of emails from you — guessing what the three Alternatives would be, making suggestions, asking excellent questions, and giving me inputs that, time and again, have become part of what I have written in future weeks.

I like to think of it as working together in creating and clarifying a new mental picture of living the Gospel in this complex and often contrary world — and three new attitudes that can help us to be in the world every day without being of the world. I love the "working together" part. That happens by me throwing out my ideas and you responding to them and helping me refine them.

We are at a transition point in this column right now, shifting from the tearing down and exposing of the falsehoods contained in The Three Deceivers to the building up and sharing of the light-giving paradigms of The Three Alternatives. The process itself should be done with Serendipity, Stewardship and Synergicity. We should all be discovering serendipitous new approaches to our everyday lives, sharing our ideas synergistically on how to magnify and appreciate our stewardships.

Be involved by hitting the link Richard@meridianmagazine.com and sending a thought or a reaction. Tell me what you think of the Three Alternatives, all of them or one of them. Which surprised you most? Which do you need most? Which of thee three do you think is the hardest to live? Are they attitudes that can make us more receptive to inspiration, to peace, to joy? Do they make us more aware of Christ? Do they mirror the approaches and the attitudes that Christ himself lived and loved with?

Have you tried to apply one or more of The Three Alternatives to a problem or worry you are facing right now? Has it helped you to see anything more clearly or to pray about something more effectively? Can having an attitude of Serendipity, or of Stewardship, or of Synergicity help you to exercise more faith, or to have more hope, or to feel more charity?

Thanks for exploring these questions of life with me. The Restored Gospel contains all the answers, but the Three Deceivers can close us off and make us unaware and unreceptive of the answers we need. I hope that The Three Alternatives can open us, tune us, and point us toward the Light.

What do you think of theThree Alternatives? Do they preserve all of the good aspects of Control (initiative, discipline, responsibility and so on) but eliminate all of the negative aspects (judgment, jealousy, conceit, presumption, envy, covetousness, frustration and other deceiving and damaging qualities)? Does a serendipitous perspective help us to see “things as they really are”? Does a stewardship "trunk" grow good and righteous branches? Does an attitude of "synergicity" open us to inspiration and personal revelation? Upcoming columns will explore each of the Three Alternatives individually and in much greater depth. All through the process, Richard will continue to appreciate your input at Richard@meridianmagazine.com.

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