I am in awe of universal truths. They are never ephemeral. Try as you might, they are impossible to break or alter. They are just true. The one that my grandfather continually reinforced was that “You create your own reality.” This, of course, does not mean that you can necessarily alter your physical reality. I can improve it, but a radical change is often difficult, to say the least. My mental state, however, I can change. The emphasis here is on the “I” – I can change – there is no one else who changes me but me. I do this by altering my reality – the way I see the world. We have the severe example of Dr. Frankl in the death camp. (1) He changed his perception and survived when most didn’t.
In a more humble vein, we can easily arrive at the excuses for inaction that are always omnipresent. “I want to become better trained, but I can’t quit my job and go back to school.” “I want to travel the world, but I can’t seem to save enough money to go for more than two weeks.” “I want to be happy, but …” and the list goes on and on. The one thing the lives of iconic people communicate is that they overcame all imagined or real challenges through determination and, of course, hard work. There is no excuse for me. There can’t be, unfortunately. This is my piece of life. It belongs to no one else. Wouldn’t all of us love to “offload” a painful decision on to someone else?
When you ask a person, “What is your goal in life?” you will often hear, “I just want to be happy.” What does this possibly mean? It is true to say that as you age chronologically, the “dust clears.” What appeared to be so very distressing and upsetting twenty years ago has now faded in the fog of memory. Is that not the way it should be? We gain experience in the world over time. This assists us in adapting and learning. If someone strikes my thumb with a hammer, I react in pain and anguish — often using specialized language to express myself. I would usually not be tempted to place myself in the same circumstance a second time, I hope. That cannot be construed as happiness, however. Aristotle (2) tells us, “He is happy who lives in accordance with complete virtue and is sufficiently equipped with external goods, not for some chance period but throughout a complete life.” Thus, in this definition, happiness is a process, not an arrival.
It is then possible to experience a bit of sadness on a given day without feeling that your overall journey has been suspended. The answer to the question, therefore, should be framed in more concrete terms. “I want to discover a goal or life mission that will minimize my personal angst and maximize my joy.” Two mountain climbers recently perished attempting to climb Nanga Parbat (3) – the world’s ninth highest mountain. (4) In this definition, they died in a state of happiness because they were doing what they loved. The one man’s mother, Alison Hargreaves, (5) was a famous international climber who conquered Mount Everest. Her motto was: “It is better to have lived one day as a tiger than to have lived a thousand days as a sheep.”
What is often not discussed is the idea of inner strength. This is a collection of perceptions: self-worth, self-respect, stick-to-itiveness, a belief in a higher being, an understanding of the value of my piece of life, a conception that every life is, and has, a mission — the list is endless. There are thousands of books and lectures on how to refine your concept but the one thing is very true. If you don’t have it, however small, you don’t easily acquire it and if you lose it, you do not easily retrieve it. This is the problem with poverty thinking. If I think I am poor, I am. If I think I will achieve nothing in life, I will achieve nothing – guaranteed! Thankfully, most feel that we have, at least, a kernel of value. It is our job, as human beings, to “ferret” it out in everyone. As educators, parents, teachers, and students, we must talk to people. The terrible atrocities that occur in the world are often perpetuated by people who find their dignity through violence. This is just ridiculous and nonsensical. We must recall the universal truth: In life everything is possible. The great baseball pitcher, coach, and manager, Tommy Lasorda (b. 1927) leaves us with a thought: The difference between the impossible and the possible lies in a man’s determination.
A closing thought: It is important that we find value in everyone and in everything. The followers of Jainism (6) believe that all life has value. It is an interesting way to frame your daily occurrences. Look for the meaning in all actions and aspire for understanding in every happening. The other day at a gas station, an old woman felt that she had been overcharged a very, very small amount of money. She got into an enormous argument with the attendant that descended into “a screaming and threatening match.” At first, I was nonplussed and then I realized that, to this woman, this was an enormous amount of money. She undoubtedly grew up in tremendous poverty – the money had real value. It is all perception, isn’t it?
To sum up: This week, we spoke about universal truth. What is this concept and how can we use it effectively? Its power is not to be dismissed.
A philosophical question: Traffic normally moves very quickly. Why then does it slow to “almost a crawl” when you are in a tremendous hurry?
Just for fun — Puff The Magic Dragon and for more fun Puff The Magic Dragon
This week, on your spritely walk, please reflect on the universal truths that you live by.
Every day look for something magical and beautiful.
Quote: I must learn to talk to myself. There is no one else who can truly communicate with me.
Footnotes:
2) Aristotle
3) Nanga Parbat
4) Tom Ballard: Bodies found in missing climbers search
6) Why Jainism Is The World’s Most Peaceful Religion