Inspirational Sharing
The meaning of life
Let the beauty we love be what we do.
There are hundreds of ways to kneel and kiss the ground.
~ from Open Secret: Versions of Rumi
It doesn’t matter what the state of the world currently is- chaotic or calm, irrational or lucid, happy or sad. There is always a need to recreate our planet and ourselves to move onto a higher plane of existence. The key component to this is self discipline, and letting our external circumstances take their course.
Discipline & Control are usually applied via external sources and create stress in individuals who naturally resent and resist them. This is the reason most externally induced discipline & control methods fail to produce sustainable transformation.
Self discipline that grows from a deep understanding liberates the individual and creates a freedom that is naturally embraced by the individual which leads to sustainable transformation.
However, deeper understanding requires a higher awareness that arises from the reduction of the ego. This is the reason why small children and wise adults can learn and be sustainably transformed by what they deeply understand, wherelse normal adults, no matter how intelligent they are can only learn but are not sustainably transformed by their superficial understanding.
What is it that we do have influence over. We can influence our health, we can invest in our energy, and we can be a contribution to our world through service. However it must begin as an individual journey, gathering accomplices along the way. What we cannot begin, and see the completion for ourselves; we cannot hope others to follow. Let’s revolutionize our lives.
Individual Transformation
Much has been said about working on the individual. Even Gandhi advised that we must be the change we wish in the world. Many religious and philosophical traditions encourage this form of change. We can also see from the proliferation of self-help books and the number of people pouring over them in bookstores, that it can indeed be quite a lucrative market. So what is the individual to do?
On the one hand, the amount of information out there on this topic can make one confused. But on the other hand, it is hope that you are not alone, that there are others out there willing to help and share their experiences. But what we need to remember is that essentially, it is just that- information. Information is meaningless until we internalize it and process it into deep understanding, with which to live by.
It is in this living that we can affect others, who will in turn touch more people within their sphere of influence and so on. This is a powerful ripple effect, starting from the revolution of one person.
Community
No difference can be made at the communal level if the individual is uncommitted to self-transformation. If there is anything we wish to see different, improved, bettered, and especially new, we have to make the change at the micro-level, which is within ourselves. The people around us will get the message through our living it; we become the message.
What happens then is that beyond living the message, we communicate ourselves to the universe we are in. The absorption of this message by others is a form of education. It is living in a creative state, which in itself implies constant renewal and revival. Such dynamism has more power than stagnation, and it is the law of the universe that the new shall overcome the old. Therefore the individual transformed with strong principles and purpose will plow a way for the flourishing of the new self within its environment. And if its environment is unsuitable, but the principles and purpose are that of a redeeming nature, then the environment simply must change.
In today’s world where much healing is needed let us consider living by simple principles that are universal. Let’s live meaningful lives through good health, vibrant energy, and service to each other. The changing of the environment to accommodate the transformation of the individual based on these practical principles will be the transformation of the community, both immediate and the global.