Just bad luck! The other day, I finished re-reading Rabbi Kushner’s book “When Bad Things Happen to Good People.” The book is predicated on the death of the man’s son from an incurables disease, and his relationship with God before and after the tragedy. I found this little manuscript thoughtful and, in strange sort of way, extremely peaceful. The net result of the book is, in my interpretation, that God affords us the moral authority that is necessary to live a productive and fulfilling life but he cannot micro-manage individual situations: and rightly so. We can pray for courage, justice and honor, but we cannot pray for a lottery win or to spare the life of my dear father, no matter how precious that special man is to me. Our prayers must be to request that “Pater” be given peace. This is a very morally freeing book: who now takes responsibility for your life? You do in partnership with God. You can freely make your own moral or immoral decisions. Juxtaposed against this piece is Tolstoy’s disquieting novella, The Death of Ivan Ilych. Ivan has it all: progeny, a beautiful wife, a fantastic legal career and good standing in the community. He, however, develops a terminal illness and comes to question everything in his life. The subsequent realization is that he is not satisfied with the way that he has lived and is truly dying, with no chance of reprieve. In my opinion, the obvious message of the book is that physical life is finite and has no chance to be revisited in this form, if at all. We must, therefore, lead a life of fulfillment and joy, not a life led in the shadow of others or consumed by the values of others. In this context, consciousness is a pure gift to be embraced and our personal mission achieved: not an easy task. Knowing this, one would have to question the societal ennui sweeping the earth. Why are millions of people seemingly lost and sailing in a rudderless ship when, to be happy, we only have to make choices? Simply put: we can’t! We are so imbued with the concept of ownership and the value of things that we feel immobile: any potential choice or option, by definition, has an element of risk or loss. Countless individuals toil in pointless economic activities with the mythical belief that their chosen activity will free them: from what they are not sure. Certainly it circumscribes some concept that borders on the American Dream or the delusion of financial “success.” Many intellectuals now place humanity at a crossroads. Can we continue to live in a civilization that allots the tiniest percentage of the population the greatest percentage of the society’s wealth? The answer is a resounding “no.” Socialist countries that seek to balance extreme wealth through taxation with the general needs of the nation might be a more equitable way to achieve economic parity. Few people migrate from the Nordic countries of Denmark, Finland, Sweden or Norway, for example. Is civilization improving or is it continuing an endless cycle of pain and suffering? Ultimately, this is a pointless question. The being that we can truly improve is the self. In that regard, we are totally in control: given that “life is fickle” and we are born with a set of givens: our sex, our skin color, our intelligence, etc. We are left with a thought by Steven Covey (1): Ineffective people live day after day with unused potential. They experience synergy only in small, peripheral ways in their lives. But creative experiences can be produced regularly, consistently, almost daily in people’s lives. It requires enormous personal security and openness and a spirit of adventure. (Reprinted from August 6th 2013)
A closing thought: Your sartorial style is not something to be easily dismissed. What is your personal brand: should it include a bit of verve and determination, or not? Given a choice between a slothful demeanor or one that exhibits the potentiality of you, you know the answer. According to www.Askmen.com, the ten signs of a successful man: 1) clean shoes, 2) well-cut hair, 3) good color coordination with your attire, 4) “good taste” in your clothing , 5) some classical clothing – like a tuxedo, 6) good grooming – manicured nails and a trimmed moustache, etc. 7) excellent accessories – exquisite cufflinks and beautiful handkerchiefs, 8) (if necessary) tasteful eyewear, 9) some tailor-made clothing, 10) confidence.
A small joke: My boss and I took a young job applicant to lunch: we tried with little success to get him to “open up” about his experiences and qualifications. My supervisor prided himself on understanding Generation Y. He pushed his salad aside and looked directly at the potential employee. He described a rather detailed problem and then asked, “So what do you think, what would be your next question?” “Are you going to eat your tomatoes?” the man replied.
This week on your reflective walk, please consider your own human, not only economic, potentiality.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful
Quote: Freedom is how little you personally own and how much you donate to the community.
Footnotes:
1) Stephen Richards Covey (1932 –2012) was an American educator, author, businessman, and speaker. His most popular book was The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People.