Recently, one of my students commented that he wanted a dog. “Why do you want a dog?” I inquired. The young eleve stated that a pet would only give love, devoid of any comment or criticism. Even if you had failed a test, didn’t complete a task, or were in a bad mood, the animal would always embrace you with joy and emotion.
Wow! I thought to myself. Out of the mouth of babes (1) This is a lesson we can all learn — not to judge, but to assist. We seemingly live in a world riddled with advice: how to dress for success, what to eat to stay fit, where to meet your soul mate — the list goes on and on! We are caught up in a cycle of failure and recrimination, yet the desire for personal freedom beats in every breast.
How does one gain liberty and live a life that we all deserve? We must throw off the shackles of blame. My life is 100% my fault if you will. Whatever failures or successes come to me will be of my own doing. And yes, life is fickle and unfair, but that is part of its intrigue.
Emerson has a wonderful essay on self-reliance. (2) He notes that I must learn to trust myself. Who is my teacher? I am. That said, we need mentors, people who guide us forward in life. It would be foolish to claim that I am fully self-educating. What is meant by this expression is that I must take control of the direction of my future. Now, this can be done at any age — at 16 or 60. Many people find a new metier at a much later time in life and this is perfectly reasonable. We must believe that to find my mission in life is always possible.
Some tools: A routine is very necessary to begin the journey. We exist in time. If I do not manage my time, it simply slips away. The day must begin with some excitement. The bed should be made, the notebook annotated, and the prayers said. Then the day can begin. It is often thought that cerebral organization will further my aims and goals.
The difficulty does not lie in success but in failure. How do you stay on any perceived path in life if you have been subjected to repeated failure — continual underemployment, lack of money, poor relationships, nasty comparisons? What is one to do? The answer is to never, never, never, never give up on you and what you believe to be necessary in your life. Then, in the end, you will find the love that you deserve — or at least die trying. Dostoevsky leaves us with a thought: To love is to suffer and there can be no love otherwise. (3)
A closing thought: Each morning that I am alive is a new beginning — a recent storm has cleansed the earth, and a new day begins with the warmth of magnificent sunshine. When we crawl on the earth completing our day-to-day tasks, it is hard to see the sky. Sometimes we must mentally soar like eagles to see what life could truly be like in its magnificence. To do so, we must strive to do our very best — always excellence: why not?
To sum up: This week, we spoke about finding love.
To be noted: From 1 Corinthians — Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.
Just for fun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1igz9UMoJk&ab_channel=CordlessMusic
For reflection: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vuxq9Hoe62U&ab_channel=PeterWelle
This week, on your contemplative walk, please ponder what love means to you.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Don’t be a wage slave – critical thinking is great!
Quote: Never give up on you.
Footnotes:
1) Psalms 8:2 — God ordains strength out of the mouth of babes and sucklings
2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33QDZiu6p7E&ab_channel=illacertus