I find it frustrating at times, being ‘the nice guy’ according to those I hang around with. It isn’t that I have a problem with being perceived as this caring, attentive, helpful person…but there come times when it ends up being a very taxing aspect of life. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t change it for anything. I -do- enjoy helping and listening and being there for others.
I just wish that sometimes there wasn’t such a demand for so much of me in so many directions all at once. I suppose it isn’t all that bad. I just have a tendency to have a shorter fuse on my tolerance when things pull me in too many directions without downtime. As a result, I’m sometimes rather short with my friends. This is what actually upsets me about the whole thing.
Maybe some people would see it as a justified reason to have an outburst or to tell a couple of people exactly where they can get off for a bit. I don’t. I really don’t think there is ever a justifiable reason to do that to a friend that is asking for some help or even just a friendly ear. It’s just one more thing I have to work on in the never ending project of improving myself and learning to control every aspect of my being. In reality, I believe that should be the ultimate goal for each and every person on this planet…complete master of one’s self. Would there really be anything left in the realms of the impossible (or highly improbable as I prefer to look at it since I believe -nothing- is impossible) if we all managed to completely master our own minds, emotions, thoughts, and souls?
I am very much an idealist when it comes to my thoughts of possibilities. I like to think that if we all managed to achieve such a goal, the world be be an infinitely better place to exist. With complete mastery of one’s self, prejudice and malice would cease to survive. Greed and jealousy would be forced to retire. Love and respect and honor would again hold sway and power. It sounds much like a childhood fantasy world. And that’s the real tragedy. People get so caught up in the whole idea of having to ‘grow up’ that they lose the ability to dream. They lose the ability to hope and wish and strive for what gets labeled later in life as ‘a childish flight of fancy’. There is nothing wrong with these things. It is possible to be ‘more mature’ and still cling to one’s imagination. I’ve done it. Others have done it. But we are a minority.
Unless more people can turn from Mother Culture and see that the key to our survival as the Human Race lies in the ability to dream and the desire to pursue these dreams, well…let’s just say the road we’re on is heading very quickly towards a bridge that’s out. The war, famine, strife, and rampant injustice in the world -does- have a weakness. Our minds and hearts are the true weapons to defeat all that is wrong in this world. Mother Culture has decided that life is much easier if we cage these things in terms such as maturity and responsibility. Mother Culture may be right. Life might be a little easier this way. I mean, if you aren’t pestered with little things like actually pursuing a dream to make it a reality…life is much easier to get through. But how hollow is that life? How empty is such an existence?
Would it not be better to forsake inhibitions and pursue thy dreams? Even if the dreams are never made a reality, you will have lived a full and true life in pursuit of a worthy goal. The destination on such trips is never the true purpose. The trip is both the challenge and the reward. Every experience teaches something about one’s true nature and desire if one is willing to look upon the view with truly open eyes and mind. Let’s be honest…if you don’t know yourself then how well can you possibly know anyone else? We base our observations of others on comparisons to ourselves. This leads to the inevitable conclusion that the better you know yourself, the better you can understand others and understanding is the key to life.
It never ceases to amaze me how few people are able to see things like this after walking the road of life for much longer than I have. Don’t take that statement as conceit. It isn’t. I do not for a single moment think that I’m some really wise sage. I just make observations. I’m certain more than a few have been wrong just as I am certain I will have more in the future. If I can get enough people to look at the world through open eyes and open minds, perhaps more of the truth of life can be uncovered. That would be a wonderful thing to witness. Humanity might even find the power to change course before hitting that bridge that’s out. I cannot speak for anyone else, but given the choice I’d rather survive.
The Human Race has a massive untapped potential for doing great things that could shape the entire Universe. The problem is that the Human Race has a massive untapped potential for doing terrible things that could shape the entire Universe. We witness some of what we are capable of every day on the news, courtesy of Mother Culture. The media revels in the joy of shocking headlines and in-depth stories about atrocities committed by our Race. On very rare occasion do we see half-hearted stories about the use of our potential for kindness and tolerance. In a perfect society, we would not need encouragement to bring forth the better angels of our nature. Unfortunately we don’t live in such a society. We have not nearly evolved enough emotionally and spiritually for such a society to exist and survive.
We must look within ourselves for the encouragement to bring about the potential for great things. This is not an easy task to be given. Nothing in life worthy of pursuing is easy, though. And that is one of the great crimes of the times. Mother Culture has brainwashed the masses into looking for the easiest path for the short-term reward. She has taught us that this is the best way to live life. Short-term effort for empty rewards. Monetary and materialistic gains are achieved for the mere sacrifice of everything that can make us a truly great Race capable of cultivating within the Universe the seeds of a true utopian society. Few of us are left that look to the future with child-like eyes capable of seeing the alternatives to the path our world is on. But we persevere. Why?
We hope.