Did you ever have a great fall? - Don't Be A Wage Slave

“Humpty Dumpty sat on the wall, Humpty Dumpty had a great fall, All the king’s horses and all the king’s men, couldn’t put Humpty Dumpty together again.” Have you ever felt this way in life? You are at a point where you feel damaged and weakened. But, what do you think you should do? The Stoics (1) are among many philosophers who strongly understand the suffering associated with human beings. They counsel that the only solution, barring mental illness, is to step inside the self and to open the door to the personal journey of self-discovery.

Now, what does this mean? The way we frame life (2) results in its eventual outcome. History has taught that those with the greatest financial affluence need not necessarily be the happiest. Strange! It appears that joy is something I ultimately give myself. The most dire of circumstances will not kill the human spirit and the desire to overcome adversity. (3) I recently read that after the Second World War, many people lost their conviction in the power of God.

This is a misplaced and foolish understanding of the value of faith and something bigger than the self. We must first enact our personal control of the power of the mind, then good things will come. We do live in a physical environment. Nature is subject to its own natural laws and occurrences. Life is fickle and has always been. That said, the way I understand my life and its moral value is the most important.

It is a curious question, isn’t it? The monk without any wealth to speak of can withstand all suffering and deprivation, and yet members from affluent societies when faced with tragedy and loss, stumble and are crippled at a moment’s notice. This is the merit of an inner dialogue.

One of the most valuable of practices to develop some modicum of psychological comfort in a time of private disaster is a routine. Why? Usually, when a person experiences an individual sense of loss or catastrophe, one’s regular pattern of life is disrupted. Like a ship in a violent storm, the vessel must be righted and thrust once more into the wind. Failure to do so will result in the craft capsizing and spiritual and moral collapse. It is essential to immediately take control of the situation, no matter how broken and nauseous you may feel.

In this way, the riddle or rhyme (4) of Humpty Dumpty can have a positive ending. The great poet and novelist Maya Angelou (5) leaves us with a thought: You may encounter many defeats, but you must not be defeated. In fact, it may be necessary to encounter the defeats so you can know who you are, what you can rise from, how you can still come out of it.

A closing thought: One of the most interesting of books is “On the Consolation of Philosophy” by Boethius. (6) Here, he describes how, through an inner journey, I can find solace in a temporal life and, metaphysically, overcome its vicissitudes. He gives us ideas that are as relevant today as they were in the 6th century. The lesson: I can prevail in all, and he means all, circumstances!

To sum up: This week we spoke about overcoming adversity.

To be noted: from Boethius — He who is virtuous is wise; and he who is wise is good; and he who is good is happy.

Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TQkf2d1EaTo&ab_channel=ClassicalTunes

For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdyKHMkfYZM&ab_channel=SamuraiInsights

This week, on your determined walk, please reflect on how you plan to overcome future crises.

Every day, look for something magical and beautiful.

Don’t be a wage slave – critical thinking is great!

http://www.dbawageslave.com

Quote: Promise yourself that you will succeed in your life.

Footnotes:

1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9OCA6UFE-0&t=20s&ab_channel=TED-Ed

2) https://medium.com/swlh/success-demands-framing-everything-in-a-positive-way-7e80f8bcb866