What is the role of a government? What policies should a government implement? What makes a good government?
LRN LAF LUV LIV for Governments provides an excellent framework for answering those questions. Based on the life-elevating concepts in LRN LAF LUV LIV for LYF, this framework can be applied to better any government at any level (local, national, multinational, global) and in any area of the world.
Implementing this framework creates a government of goodness, a government that embodies and embraces goodness in everything it stands for (its values), everything it does (its strategy), everything it is (its mission), and everything it aspires to become (its vision). A government of goodness both elevates the government itself and fosters an environment for its citizens to elevate their lives.
Let's take a brief look at the reason the LRN LAF LUV LIV framework works so well for governments and the major concepts that make up LRN LAF LUV LIV for Governments.
The Framework is about People
Every government past and present was created to protect people. It may have been to protect a group of people against outsiders, to protect the ruler or ruling class against other people, or to protect the rights of citizens against other citizens. It does not matter the form of government. Governments are used to create and enforce rules and policies for (or against) people. Governments exist only because people exist.
The LRN LAF LUV LIV for LYF framework also works for governments because the framework is all about people and each individual life like you and me. LRN LAF LUV LIV for LYF describes our life's mission (what to live for), vision (why to live this way), strategy (how to live), and core values (the way to live).
LRN LAF LUV LIV for Governments uses the same concepts and applies them to elevate the government itself. If a government successfully implements the concepts and becomes a government of goodness, it protects the sanctity of its citizens and supports people in elevating their lives.
The Core Values of an Elevated Government
An elevated government has the same set of core values as an individual: goodness, open-mindedness, gratefulness, respectfulness, and courageousness.
Goodness serves as the foundational core value of an elevated government. Goodness is its north star and is embedded in everything it stands for and does. Open-mindedness (open to improving its governance and understanding the multiple perspectives of its citizens), gratefulness (appreciative of the citizens that give it its power and thankful of the role it performs), respectfulness (being courteous and fair to all of its citizens and to its own institution), and courageousness (brave in its support of doing the right thing for its citizens and unafraid to rectify issues caused by misalignment with its values) round out its core values.
When a government successfully embeds its core values in its policies and its actions, it fosters a culture of goodness within government and with its citizens. Just as corruption in government permeates all levels of society, goodness in government serves as a beacon and role model to all individuals and institutions.
The Mission of an Elevated Government
An elevated government has a two-fold mission: grow true wealth in its governance and give true worth to its citizens. Its mission, in essence, creates true value (wealth and worth) for itself and its citizens.
True wealth in government refers to the goodness of its governance and governing bodies. It is the value the government has in its capabilities to govern with goodness and the goodwill it has among its citizens. An elevated government is continually growing its value in every way to govern better, more effectively, more efficiently, and more justly so it may continue to give true worth in all the ways it can.
Examples of true wealth in government include capable government resources to administer governmental duties, effective and efficient processes to perform governmental duties, and trust of government among its citizens.
True worth in government refers to the goodness it gives to its citizens. True worth is given in many ways by a government, from services it provides to support its citizens to policies and rules it implements to protect its citizens. Giving true worth to its citizens is what makes a government truly worthy in its role.
When an elevated government focuses its mission on growing true wealth and giving true worth, it also fosters an environment for individuals to grow their own true wealth and give their own true worth. Government staff and contractors, citizens, and other individuals beyond the government's jurisdiction benefit from this environment, which in turn, benefits the government in furthering its mission.
The Strategy of an Elevated Government
An elevated government performs four deeds of goodness (LRN, LAF, LUV, and LIV) to grow true wealth and give true worth. These four deeds of goodness are performed with intention, with action, and with goodness. It is this strategy––how to govern––that provides goodness of action inward toward government and outward toward its citizens.
Inward, an elevated government improves (LRN), enjoys (LAF), values (LUV), and realizes (LIV) itself and its governance through its deeds of goodness.
Outward, an elevated government empowers (LRN), uplifts (LAF), nurtures (LUV), and inspires (LIV) its citizens and beyond through its deeds of goodness.
The Vision of an Elevated Government
Being an elevated government––a government of goodness––should be the vision of every government. An elevated government is a government that is full of goodness in mission, in action, and in character. It is one that is clear in its purpose, continually improving its governance, and providing its full capabilities in servicing and protecting its citizens. It is one that empowers, uplifts, nurtures, and inspires its citizens to elevate their lives.
An elevated government helps elevate the world. It spreads beyond it own boundaries and citizens, inspiring individuals beyond its borders and other governments to embrace goodness and elevate their own lives and governments.
Let us all work toward a world where LRN LAF LUV LIV for Governments is embraced and implemented and where all people LRN LAF LUV LIV for LYF.
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