Abandon all hope you who enter
here. – Dante
Dante
said this of a man who was about to venture into the underworld, to take a
journey under the shadow of death, guided by the dispossessed. It is a good
story, and it is a warning for those on the threshold of life as well, for the
world is dangerous place and there is not a single one of us who does not make
the journey in the dark, buffeted by the unseen, the unexpected and the
unknown.
There
is a consequences for everything we do, the repercussions of our actions are
like the fruit of the vine; each morsel ripening in the sun, and filled with a
thousand tiny seeds.
The
consequences flowing from the simplest things we do are innumerable. They flow
out from us, and away from us, slipping over the horizon, past the vanishing
point, beyond the constraints of our time on Earth.
It
is naïve to believe that our choices, that the actions we have committed, even the
seemingly smallest things, it is naïve to believe that they do not have the
potential to shape the fate of the world and the future of humanity.
Being
an actor in the world is a consequential matter, but not a hopeless one;
approach the role with caution, treat it with care.
Gather
all courage you who enter here.
As
human beings, each and every day we are faced with a multiplicity of choices,
the majority of which take place on an unconscious level. So much so that they
do not seem like choices at all, they are determined by habit, by impulse, by
routine behavior, such as: the way in which we greet people, or the way in
which we say goodbye, how we pour a glass of water, or how we lift a fork from
off our plates.
Note
well, every decision we make becomes a part of the eternal record of our lives,
our choices are like energy pouring into a wave, like the wind our choices push
us toward our future, or alternately, drag us to our end. Our actions determine
who we are, they shape the world around us, each and every choice playing its
part while adding to the life of every other person in our sphere of influence as
well, and that is everyone.
We
are co-creators of the world we live in, our thoughts and words, our deeds, our
triumphs and tragedies, our mundane routines condition all our relationships, every
single one, both the known and the unknown, and our environment as well, the
totality in sum.
Examine
everything.
The
decisions we make on the unconscious level are choices we arrive at through
behavior patterns we learned from specific experiences we had early in our
lives, when we did not have the critical skills to question their utility, and
the patterns for those choices were laid down like track for a railroad.
Those
patterns of behavior are programmed by family, church and school, through our
relationships with our friends and peers, by radio and television, and through our
extended digital-social networks.
Many
of the patterns we inherit are themselves the unconscious, unexamined,
uncritical habits of the people who raised us and had the most influence on our
upbringing.
We
participate in this programming through our fears and desires. As children our
participation is more passive than active, but as we get older, learn more,
become autonomous and self-purposive, a shift takes place and the programming
we entertain is more actively a matter of our own determination.
In
order to execute our own judgement, to be free from the coercion of these
influences we must be able to comprehend their nature. We must know how our
programming benefits us, and whether or not our programming facilitates a
greater or lesser understand of what is real and true.
We
must be able to step outside of ourselves to see them clearly, at times we will
need the help of others to do this.
We
must subject ourselves to scrutiny at all times, our judgement must be examined
and re-examined in a constant process of reflection so that we may determine
for ourselves how we will face the repercussions that arise from our choices, even
the most miniscule, seemingly inconsequential choices that we make.
When
we become aware that we have been programmed, we must then take responsibility
for that programming; we must rewrite the code.
Critical
analysis is the most important factor in the process of personal growth.
Critical,
analytical, thinking…listening, and feeling…
By
judging the impact of our choices in direct relation to their impact on the
world, the environment and our relationships, we enhance our ability to ensure
success in whatever goals we set for ourselves.
A
person must feel the impetus to fulfill their potential, feel it rising within
them, and master every tool at their disposal: memory, strength, speed,
dexterity, creativity, empathy, they must learn to observe and listen, learn to
communicate with the heart and the head both, to cultivate patience as a
precursor to understanding.
Develop
the relationships that will propel you toward the end you seek; to propel you
as you launch and assist you in your landing.
If
we have the ability to judge the circumstances we find ourselves in, to see the
whole picture and judge it according to its inherent values, if we are able to
see the world as it truly is, we can prepare ourselves to respond to it with the
requisite alacrity, confidence and certainty.
When
we know the truth about ourselves, we will see every other person within us, everyone
a part of us, no matter how far they are removed from us in time and space; past
present and future are gathered together in the locus of each and every individual
You
are the center of the universe, as am I, we are one, and the good of one
becomes the good of all.
