Our inner strength
Dear friend,
When you achieve a goal
that is important to you
is it due
to capabilities
you were born with?
Or is it due
to your social/emotional
environment?
I doubt
it is due to either.
I think
the main factor
for all of us
in whether
we achieve a fulfilling goal
is our psychological
and spiritual strength.
And we have to
build that ourselves.
Parents
teachers
coaches and preachers
analysts
writers
and other such creatures
can contribute
to the foundations
of our strength
but ultimately
we have to
do the work ourselves.
That is what
Emerson means
by Self Reliance.
I’m relying
on myself
right now
to write these words
to offer you
psychological
and spiritual insight
with which
you can build your own
inner strength.
Why can’t someone else build it for you?
No one else
can build it for you
because your inner strength
must be the vehicle
of your own individual values.
If someone else
builds your inner strength
you will simply
become an extension
of them.
You will have
no individual identity.
This is what happens
in cults.
This is what happens
in far right and far left
political groups.
This is what happens
in absolutist religions.
The individual soul
is lost.
The questioning mind
is lost.
In the compulsory youth groups
in Germany
in the 1930’s
all capabilities
of the young
were channeled entirely
to serve Nazi goals.
Those kids
had no opportunity
to question
their indoctrination.
They had no chance
to create
their own lives.
They simply became
what they were expected
to become.
Today
Unfortunately
many forms
of coercive control
continue to limit
our freedom.
Some
is conducted online.
Some in person.
Much of our religious
and political education
remains a form
of indoctrination.
Few children
are raised
to think
for themselves.
Most have no say
in determining
basic aspects
of their own direction.
Whatever faith
a child is born into
usually determines
his or her religion.
Questioning that faith
is not welcomed.
It is much the same
with politics.
Is the kid
born into
a conservative family
free to become
a liberal?
Is the kid
born into
a liberal family
free to become
a conservative?
Are you kidding!
Most families
control that decision
like the Taliban.
The misuse of children
Many parents
do not live
their own lives.
They live through
their children’s lives.
Thinking
they own them
they mold them
and use them
to live out
their priorities and values
and achieve
their goals in life.
Such parents seek to correct
their own failures
and redeem themselves
through their kids.
They push their child
toward “success”
to reflect glory
upon them.
The child
is not free
to seek and find
their own light
and to develop
the inner strength
to shine their light.
The child is
not allowed
to independently
evaluate reality
and decide
for themselves
the values and goals
and ideals
they want to serve.
Establishing independence
No matter what
stage of life
you are in
if you were raised
to be anyone else’s
redemption
or reparation
it is time
to stand up
and establish
your independence.
It is time
for you
to be the person
you always
wanted to be.
Our freedom
It is beautiful
to realize
that we
were never meant
to be the extension
or savior
of anyone.
Nor were we
meant to be
submissive parrots
capable only
of repeating
what we are told.
We are free.
And because
we are free
not helpless victims
we accept
the responsibility
that freedom brings.
Declaring
that our inner strength
and the values
we promote with it
are not determined
by our birth
by our parents
by our society
means we stop
blaming them.
We stop making
any of these factors
our scapegoat.
Yes there may be many
personal and social factors
hampering us
but instead of
hiding behind them
we take delight
in rising above them.
Our own decisions
As we build
our psychological
and spiritual strength
it is we
who will decide
what
we will create!
It is we
who will envision
new dreams
of what
we will build!
And as we give
our gifts
to the world
and to our country
that needs us
so badly
it is we
who will decide
what values
what goals
what ideals
we will serve!
Are you ready to dance?
Here’s Dylan
Ya Gotta Serve Somebody
Think, act, dance, be! 🕺
Brilliant column
With every challenge a chance to rise