I Remember When
I remember when life was all about pleasing others, and it made me feel like a loser because could never do it right. Then one morning I grew up and found that life was about winning (not sure if this is the word I want here, but that is the word I wrote so that is what I am leaving in this spot). I am not talking about competition between myself and other people. I am talking about developing my own abilities because they contribute to my happiness and the happiness of society. If I do not please myself how can I please someone else and if I am not happy by myself how can I be happy with someone else or even make someone else happy.
I remember when I was growing up and when I was sad reading the bible made me glad. The same thing works today, except instead of the Bible I read the scriptures revealed by Baha’u’llah. I am a spiritual being having a material experience (do not know where I heard this, but it is true). The Baha’i scriptures make me happy when I am sad. I like reading the prayers aloud because my spirit can feel the effect. While I am having a material experience I must develop my own spirituality. I do this through prayer, meditation and reading the sacred writings. By developing my spirit I am winning. This is an interesting and probably unusual way of looking at success.
I have been thinking about success since yesterday (Saturday, January 21). Yesterday I went to a drivers class because I got a ticket in December and had to take the course. One of the things that was brought up by the instructor was that the way American’s drive has to do with their cultural. The main thing about the American (U.S.A.) culture is that we “go for the gold” so to speak. We do this in all aspects of our lives, but when driving it can be dangerous. When we get on the road we take on the persona of “I am going to get to my destination no matter what, because I am a winner.” (OK, so those were not the instructor’s exact words, but you get the idea). So anyway as I was saying or thinking, I need to change the way I look at driving, the way I look at happiness and the way I look at myself (but that is another story for another time).
Now what may you ask has driving to do with developing my spirituality? Well it is this way, when I leave the garage and/or the drive way I say a prayer of protection before I back out. However, saying that prayer does not relieve me of taking responsibility when I drive any more than making being with someone else relieves me of responsibility for my own emotions, my own happiness. So if I am to be happy or help someone else to be happy I need to take responsibility for my own happiness and developing my own spirituality. What I am getting at is I need to redefine my personal definition of winning and success. The test and difficulties I have been going through in the past year have been helping me do part of that, but I need to take a more active role in my personal transformation.
I am a butterfly emerging from my cocoon. However, I a sentient or self-aware butterfly which means I have responsibility in my own transformation. I must actively assist that transformation through prayer, meditation, reading the sacred scriptures, and (apparently in my case) writing. Since each person has different talents and abilities then an active role means something different for each person. Well I guess that is all for today.
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