That's not bad - it certainly is better than the money-grubbing, selfish, materialistic aims too many people have, but it is not the whole story. In addition to working out how to get along with others (which would certainly be a help when we move into the astral after this life, and find all our emotions are a hundred or so times stronger without a body), there are ideas - things I will describe as noble concepts: freedom, equality, liberty, peace ... RESPONSIBILITY, HONOUR, MATURITY ... LOVE
These things, although they can be argued to be part of "working out how to get along with others", perhaps others who happen to living elsewhere and be directly impacted by one's environmental responsibility or irresponsibility, or one's caring for those who are hungry or going without despite one having a comfortable existence, are too important to not be mentioned - I certainly had the impression the person I am referring to was thinking only of direct, face-to-face interactions, not these other noble concepts ("other", because her concept is itself a noble concept).
Another topic I wanted to cover here is that of success or failure.
Now, I am aware of Kipling's poem "If", which says to treat both these the same - with some validity, I will concede, especially if one looks at this from a long term perspective. By that I mean the "wheel of life", where someone is a beggar one life, poor the next, successful one life, learning fortitude, patience and perseverance the next by being unsuccessful - which basically means that, by maintaining a good attitude despite setbacks, one at least has the "victory" of improving one's character, Pyrrhic though that victory may seem to be.
This is OK, but I KNOW just how much people can do if they go beyond their limits. I am thinking, in particular, on the special op's people, as written about by Bryce Courtney in "The Persimmon Tree", who performed things that many suburban people, people who have perhaps never tried to push themselves physically, think to be impossible. I know what my fitness levels can be if I exercise, but I consider the time I devote to my family and other matters more important at the moment - and I now have issues such as arthritis, diabetes and collapsing disks to consider.
I also know what I did when I was working up to 15 hours a day, 7 days a week on psychic work (rescue and clearing) - but, again, I have a life now. I also consider that things such as levitation, telekinesis, invisibility [1], creating physical light etc, etc, etc, are also probably possible - IF you put the time into it.
In some cases, these skills may require development over several lifetimes - for instance, perhaps Mozart had several lives developing his musical skill until he was born an absolute prodigy. I've felt a few times in this life that I could be better at music, but I've chosen - deliberately, consciously, to put my time and energy elsewhere.
Does that make the small amount of time I do play music (well, I'll call it that, at any rate :) ) a failure? No - it's all that I wish to do.
On the other hand, if I fail to use my psychic abilities for the betterment of others to the full extent that I am able to, is that a failure? Yes, I consider it is. (I also consider not getting my housework done today a failure ...)
Some people would judge my life, as it is now, with a loving relationship, friends, families, job, home, reasonable health, etc to be a success. Yes, those things are wonderful, and attaining them does constitute success, but there are other matters as well. In my case, I was born with a sense of purpose - psychic purpose, and I consider I should be doing as much rescue and clearing work as I can. If I don't, if I become smug or complacent and stop trying to do what I consider I should, then no matter what else I have achieved in this life, I would consider it a failure.
This is a little bit like not resting on your laurels. I've done stuff in the past - in this life, I mean :) - that I am proud of, but that is in the past. I refuse to sit back and say "I've done my bit, and, even though I can do more, I will declare that what I have done is enough and become an old person recalling past glories". I'd like to have some acknowledgement of past achievements from time to time, but I tend to consider we are only as good as what we are doing now, to some extent. If we're bludging off others when we could do more, using past achievements as an excuse not to get off our backsides, then, no matter how much we've done in the past, I consider that to be a failure. (Mind you, there is a valid need for rest and recuperation, which can go for quite some time - new arrivals in the astral may need years or even decades to get through the first stage of recovery from their recent past life.)
On the other hand, much of the get-up-and-go motivation of overachievers such as atsronauts is entirely unsuited to some people, who's life purpose is to do something which is- validly - big to them, but may not seem so to others ...
How does one make a judgement, a decision, about which things one should pursue, and which things one should let go, and which things can be combined with others (that is an aspect that is, in my experience, too often neglected - people tend to think they must be one thing or the other, but never even contemplate trying to have both in their life)?
Unfortunately, I think experience is the main way: making decisions, and experiencing the consequences of them. Make the decision is the spirit of maturity, and with full acknowledgement of one's responsibility for others (so, for instance, if you have dependents, don't walk out on them!!!), but nevertheless, this is something one probably has to learn for oneself by doing.
Love, light, hugs and blessings
Gnwmythr
(pronounced "new-MYTH-ear")
Notes:
- As a child, I was once playing hide and seek with a cousin, and laid down in some grass that was only a bit longer than I. When my cousin tried to find me, he swore he couldn't see me, although when I had him lay there I could see him perfectly well, and he had seemed to look right at me. I recalled stopping myself from thinking, which is something Lobsang Rampa's says is the key to invisibility at will ... maybe it worked then? I haven't replicated it since, though, so maybe my cousin was ... being nice ... Anyway, I'd rather be able to manifest physical light :)
Tags: attitudes, love, peace, purpose, responsibility, motivation,
First published: Sunnudagr, 26th June, 2011
Last edited: Sunday 26th June, 2011
