Have we fallen privy to a society that puts such enormous pressure on the importance of being branded, labeled, and trademarked that we feel we must do this to ourselves too?
I know that bad things happen to us and that children die of illnesses that we can’t cure. I know that are children in Africa walking around with rifles and that a staggering number of our nations youth don’t know how to read. I know that some things are unexplainable and painful. I know that some things make us laugh but someone else won’t think it’s funny. I know that some days will be better than others. I know that some people go through there whole lives never wondering about anything and that’s okay too.
I’m not one of those people. I want to know things. I am what you might call the W Chaser. I want to know who, what, why, when and where of every little thing.
If I had to give an appellation to myself, I don’t think I could give myself just one. Can’t we be more than one thing? Isn’t it relative anyway? I’ll try to pick one.
Is what we are, based on a belief system that we learned from our parents, read in a textbook, or in an ad while riding the A train? Is there a chart for the system or a graph or something along the lines of the periodic table? Or are we left to devise the meaning as it pertains to us now, today, in this moment?
Wikipedia says that a belief system can refer to a life stance, a religion, a world-view, a philosophy and an ideology. So what? Do we study the individual beliefs and choose one? Or can we subscribe to all of it, you know, kind of like the One World Alliance and we would get travel points?
I’ve decided. I’m a “believer”. I am a believer in all things tangible or intangible. A believer in a higher power, in Judaism, in God, in Kabbalah, in philosophy, in science, in Buddhism, in the Universe, in love, and in myself.
If I believe, then I can have the wonderment of a child, faith in change and the unknown. I will have an uplifted spirit so that I may try to lift someone else's and my Id will know true balance. I will be my own-self and I will be devoted to the greater good of purpose. I will continue my development as an individual and embrace my courage to better myself as a human being. I will not lose sight of my intentions to help make this world a better place.
We just need to believe in our family, in our friends, in our neighbors, and in strangers. Good-will toward others. We need to believe that our plants will grow and the sun will shine and the fish will swim and that a smile will always brighten someone's day. Because one person really can make a difference, if we believe in each other and in ourselves. The potential for greatness is limitless if we just believe.
This is dedicated to my friend Will. If it wasn’t for our long inspiring phone conversation last night, these words would not have found there way to the page today. Hope this helps... and Thank You.
© 2010
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