Most people conclude the phrase; “If I could change the world, I would …” with, “I don’t know!” The immediate question that is called to mind is, why not? The “why not” is because most of us truly feel powerless in our reality. Once again, we must ask the question: “Who creates this reality?” the succinct and somewhat tragic answer is, “I do!” Now to be fair, we are overwhelmed with trivia and it fully blinds us from any introspection whatsoever; but, are we not “fighters?” Did we not build our societies on the efforts of those who had come before? This is a clarion call to all fair-minded individuals to embark on a path of thought and introspection. We must not be fooled by the digital juggernaut that threatens to cripple us, both intellectually and spiritually. It is time to think!
Every successful society is based on its history; however, hubris can be bane of any civilization: Western society take note. Have we overreached in the Middle East, for example? This morning I was reading Thucydides (460 BC- 400 BC) account of the Peloponnesian War (431 BC- 404 BC). “The Peloponnesian War reshaped the ancient Greek world. On the level of international relations, Athens, the strongest city-state in Greece prior to the war’s beginning, was reduced to a state of complete subjection, while Sparta became established as the leading power of Greece. The economic costs of the war were felt all across Greece; hunger and poverty became widespread in the Peloponnese. Athens, the queen of Hellenic culture, found itself completely devastated: it never regained its pre-war prosperity. The war also wrought subtler changes to Greek society; the conflict between democratic Athens and oligarchic Sparta, each of whom supported friendly political factions within other states, made the concept of civil war a common occurrence in the Greek world.
The concept of warfare, traditionally expressed in a limited and formalized way to conclude difficult disagreements, was transformed into an all-out struggle between city-states — complete with atrocities on a large scale. Shattering religious and cultural taboos, devastating vast swathes of countryside, and destroying whole cities, the Peloponnesian War marked the dramatic end to the fifth century BC and the Golden Age of Greece.” (1) Greek culture was saved, to a very large extent, by the Roman Empire (27 BC- 476 AD). The Roman elite spoke Greek and Latin, and immersed themselves in their conceptualization of the Golden Age of Greece.
Now, how can I change the world? I believe that I must begin by building a positive and dynamic concept of the self. This, as I have said many times, begins by looking inward. To quote Emperor Marcus Aurelius, “it is all within yourself, in your way of thinking.” The Y Generation, to its great disadvantage, is subjected to overwhelming exterior stimuli: a world of created images. Reality is just behind an iron wrought door. The key to this door is found in mental solitude and meditation. It is not an easy path, but it leads to a fulfilling and edifying life. Former Indian President APJ Abdul Kalam (1931-2015) leaves us with a thought: My message, especially to young people, is to have the courage to think differently, the courage to invent, to travel the unexplored path, the courage to discover the impossible and to conquer the problems and succeed. These are great qualities that we must work towards. When we tackle obstacles, we find hidden reserves of courage and resilience we did not know we had. And it is only when we are faced with failure do we realize that these resources were always there within us. We only need to find them and move on with our lives.
A small joke: At an elegant dance, a handsome man approached a bejeweled young woman and asked, “Are you going to dance?” “Yes,” the lady replied excitedly. “Great!” exclaimed the gentleman. “I have been looking and looking for a place to sit down. May I please have your seat when you go?”
This week, please contemplate how you will change the world, when you are given the opportunity.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: Remember: your grandeur exists within. Those who live in the exterior world, in the world of images, to paraphrase Plato, are living fatuous and inauthentic lives. However, each of us is free to decide the direction of our own intimate life journey.
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