Inspiration
Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.
Helen Keller
The Philosopher’s Corner
The realization of Self is not a destination, it is a journey. The term Nirvana comes to mind here. The ontology of this term means to be “blown out,” or to be “extinguished” from the perpetual birth and rebirth motif. But when one thinks of the birth, death, rebirth cycle, we naturally gravitate towards the idea of life’s finality and a process of re-incarnation. However, this is not the only form of birth, death, rebirth cycles we undertake during our lifetime.
Let us explore.
Remember the time when you had that zenith of childhood joy? Maybe you sang at your heart’s content. Maybe you just simply danced without worry or fear of how you were being perceived. But then it became taken away. You began to put more weight on what others perceived of you, versus just being with the natural elements of what moved you in the moment. In essence, you grew up, began to know as God does the paradoxes of what is good or bad, or simply put, you became conscious of your nakedness, and the world of associated opposites.
11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known. 13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. (Bible, New International Version)
We die a thousand deaths during our lifetime. When we are children, we think, reason, and speak as a child does. When we mature, we develop ever more complex forms of reasoning, which is a natural course. But remember, no element can be truly known without causal relationship to what is its perceived opposite. Cold does not exist outside of direct knowledge of heat. Nor does light exist without ever having known the dark.
In today’s quote, Mrs. Keller writes of the natural state of soul development. It is bucket work at its finest. We dig and pale within, sift through the ashes, and expose those glowing embers within. It is from this dark sooty area that character arises, ambition is identified, the soul becomes strengthened towards it true nature, and success is achieved.
Love, Prayers and Blessings Friends. Don’t forget to Believe… Achieve… and Advance Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams.
Siddhartha: The Psychology of Realizing our Inner Potential
I wrote Siddhartha: The Psychology of Realizing our Inner Potential as a psychoanalysis of the Buddha’s plight to realize his inner potential. It is based upon the novel Siddhartha, written by the Nobel Laureate author Hermann Hesse. In it, I will take you through a storyline about through the 4 seasons of life.
Like Siddhartha, you too will explore the wonder of traveling through the spring of childhood plight, and celebrate the arrival of summer passion common to romantic love’s delight. You will wax and wane through the Fall of middle-age, sit back and reflect upon the the sun’s night-sea’s journey in Winter’s wise-age. I truly hope you enjoy.
May Prayers and Blessings Find You and Your Family. May you Believe… Achieve… & Advance Confidently in the Direction of Your Dreams.
One response to “Character: Through Perseverance, Success Achieved!”
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