How many people do you know who are truly happy? Loaded question, in a way, so allow me to add a qualifier. How many people do you know who would choose to keep doing what they are doing because it’s their dream job? Maybe a few.
When I taught, that was a dream job in terms of the process. In terms of administration and idiot politicians, it was a nightmare. My students and I in the classroom? Loved them and the situation. The restrictions, though, made it unpleasant for all of us at times, but that was okay. It became time to move on — Heart and all that, you know! How many people know what they would choose to do if money had nothing to do with it? Let’s reverse engineer that one. How many people chose their job or stay in their job because of money? I cannot tell you how many times I heard young people thinking about their post-secondary careers making choices based on money. We had these interest surveys attached to some standardized tests. You might think I’m kidding, but this is honest to goodness truth. I heard a number of kids say they wanted to be things like a pediatrician through the week but a hairstylist on the weekends. Or 5’ 5” kids planning on a basketball career who had never played organized ball — just wanted the money. Why? What has society and life in general communicated to them, to all of us? Absolutely nothing. However, Ego does a number on us. We crave acceptance, believe we have to earn it, see that money, power, and control are respected, and have that modeled to us from earliest education, moral and religious training, entertainment, and society in general. But it’s our Ego that says we have to be like everyone else expects or we’re not normal. And when we don’t obtain our Ego dreams, we get upset, not for a day or week or phase of our life but often for our whole adult life. Yes, it’s our choice to be upset, angry, unfulfilled, and unhappy when we allow Ego to run our being. No one else causes us to fail or be miserable. We can choose Heart. And that brings me to the idea I have held all day long today: we all are, at times, unhappy gods. That Heart in us is Spirit, the Spirit, and we contain divinity in mortal bodies. Yet, most of the time we don’t act like divinity. We act like those ancient gods of Greece, bickering, scheming, battling on Mt. Olympus in conflicts that spilled out into the world and afflicted mortals. But we are gods, by and large unhappy gods like the ones on Olympus. We complain and groan and blame and lament and many even, as I did, mock Self: “Where’s the proof of all this power and greatness? I don’t have…” You name it for yourself. And this thought struck me. How great of an oxymoron is it for a human to be an Unhappy God? I’m not stretching these ideas. Are you aware that the inscription carved into the rock above the Greek Oracle at Delphi reads “Know Thyself?” They knew that was our purpose. And they knew what power we possess when we come to know Self, a power beyond Ego-driven gods. We can be mortal expressions of Heart-driven divinity, the essence of Spirit, not the likeness of Ego. Others have recognized this through the millennia, many others. However, this isn’t a historical exposition. This morning, the following two quotes occurred to me, one from Alexander Pope in the 16th century and one from Mark Twain. In Essays on Man: Epistle II, Pope writes of the paradox of mortal divinity: “Know then, thyself, presume not God to scan; / The proper study of mankind is man. // He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; / In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast.” We are mortal divinity, and we don’t know it. At least we don’t live it most of the time. Instances of this sort of truth, evidences, even subconscious ones, abound in literature, but I want to skip to Mark Twain’s quote: “The two most important days in your life are the day you were born and the day you find out why.” The day we are born, Ego becomes our default operating system, and it helps us to become a fully functioning mortal. However, that brings us to the point of choice for Heart, and that decision brings us to discovering that core Self and creating Purpose, of realizing our divinity. I created my Purpose and joy — Discover. And to help others discover through my writing. Everyone has their own options, their own ability to create as that portion of divinity we are. No rights, wrongs, or predetermination in the classic sense. We choose, fellowship with Heart, and engage. Money has nothing to do with it. Prestige or fame or acclaim has nothing to do with it. You choose based on Heart, and let your divinity do what it’s capable of. We do not have to be unhappy gods, not if we choose to exercise our divinity. Blessings!
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Questions to consider:How many times have you asked yourself or simply thought about the following questions?
Who am I, really? What is my truth? How do my actions reveal what I really feel and believe? What would I do with my life if I could do anything? What is my passion? Why am I here? How can I discover answers to any of these questions? If you have considered any of these questions, I hope that my experiences and writing will give you some guidance. Please read my blog and comment and share your thoughts. I would love to hear from you! Archives
December 2019
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