“Life is a Work in Progress”
“We all know, yes we know, we shoulda know, how d thing go.”
The struggle to achieve and to survive in this life requires, from the inception, constant and consistent efforts to achieve a healthy mental, spiritual and physical balance, which is a prerequisite for personal development and the building of character.
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Achieving positive advancement in life calls for a commitment to perfect love, objective truth, clarity of vision, logic and reasoning, and to the exercise of a wholesome discipline.
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A true consciousness and understanding of the Self is the key to Liberation. It requires self-awareness, self-knowledge, self-esteem, self-control and wisdom to achieve this objective.
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In order to properly advance in life, we must develop courage and overcome fears, anxieties, worries, doubts and insecurity. We will never have all the answers; we will always possess weaknesses as well as strengths; therefore, we are only required to make the effort and do our best with confidence, efficiency, perseverance and determination to attain our fullest potential. We must keep trying, seeking and questioning, and exercising critical and holistic thinking to resolve problems, obstacles and challenges that arise in life. We must rise again when we fall, and learn from our mistakes and those of others.
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We must discover, the inner force/spirit within us, the true Self, the creative force, pure consciousness that subsists in everything, everywhere, always. We must draw on our natural, inherent, unlimited potential and inner abilities to help us to be successful and to navigate a path to liberation. The commitment must be to achieving self-confidence, self-control, self-mastery and conquest, a wholesome discipline and submission to the principle of perfect Love, which is the foundation for our humanity and world outlook.
We must rise above the limitations of the external world, i.e., the boundaries of space, time, energy, matter and our five senses, to expand awareness and attain a sense of unity, oneness and wholeness with existence and All Life.
Our experience of Life takes place within us, from the inside/inner world, with or without stimulus from the outside/external world. We control our inner life; therefore, all that is needed to create our own destiny and to develop spiritually is our conscious and wholehearted involvement in self-discovery, self-knowledge, self-control and self-mastery.
We must discover our Self and purpose to become progressive and mature beings, critical thinkers and instruments of positive change. We must become family and community-oriented, socially conscious and committed to the continuous struggle for justice, equality of opportunity and treatment, and equity.
Commitment to the Love principle brings out the best in us and fosters goodwill, patience, empathy, compassion, courtesy towards and respect and appreciation of others. It leads to the development of integrity, selflessness, righteousness and loyalty. It builds trust, solidarity and confidence in us as we interact with others on a daily basis. Liberated and progressive persons are always committed to, and involved in creating a world and social order free from the exploitation and oppression of others by the cynical, selfish and self-centred few.
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Awakening, noticing, developing awareness, acknowledging, and reflecting are crucial prerequisites in the development of character and personal growth. This is the process of continuous dialogue with Self throughout life by which we reflect on our actions and responses and make the necessary changes and adjustments. We must always rely on right knowledge, right thinking and right action to inform our perceptions and dealings in life.
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We must always strive to resolve problems by seeking objective Truth, and using logic, reasoning and critical thinking to arrive at a solution. We must search for and find the right way, the right answer, no matter what it takes because the right way is the only way to adopt to ensure success, peace and harmony in the social order.
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We must view the challenges, obstacles and trials in life as opportunities to help us gain knowledge, humility, patience and experience. The effort to overcome problems in life helps us to develop confidence and courage, to solve problems, gain advanced awareness, deepen knowledge and understanding, and develop the skills necessary for our development.
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Patience, tolerance, empathy, compassion, calmness, goodwill, courtesy and a willingness to forgive are qualities that emerge from perfect love and make us perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.
The consistent exercise of these attributes requires a wholehearted commitment, wholesome discipline, an open mind, and a questioning and holistic approach when dealing with situations or interacting with others.
It requires flexibility, mutual respect, mutual understanding, integrity and a genuine commitment to resolving problems in an equitable manner. We must strive to be unbiased and free from prejudice, superficiality and irrationality, in order to exercise impartiality.
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We must recognise and accept that nothing comes to us without effort from us. Each person is capable of knowing, understanding and accepting the universal principles, laws, rules, values and norms that govern our existence in this world.
We will find, upon reflection, that when we follow the rules etc., we are able to navigate a path to success, striving, struggling, suffering and sacrificing to overcome challenges and obstacles. The guidance and answers in the rules and principles are the keys to correct living and interacting with our society and environment.
Our input, our will, our knowledge, our actions, works and deeds are vital aspects in our struggle to achieve satisfaction, happiness and fulfillment in life.
We must understand that self-growth and development is a process that takes time, requires patience and determination, and depends on our wholeheartedness, discipline and consistent efforts.
We have to make the effort for ourselves, each person seeking and committing to right knowledge, right thinking and right action. We must rely on the mind, brain and body to achieve success.
We must realise that no one will do it for us and that, in the final analysis, the responsibility is that of each person.
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The desire for happiness and pleasurable experiences is eternal and embedded in humanity. As a result, humanity has always created for itself the illusion that gains from wealth, fame, power and status will make us happy and fulfill us. Humanity fails to see and accept that this happiness is fleeting and transient and will not lead to fulfillment.
Excessive love of the material and finite achievements, from inception, has led to the downfall of the human being. The most serious challenge that we face in life is to overcome the love of Mammon.
We must constantly and consistently strive to free ourselves from an unhealthy attachment to the material and the disposition to be greedy.
Martin Luther King, a pastor of prophetic Christianity and brilliant progressive thinker, said when referring to humanity, “The richer we have become materially, the poorer we have become morally and spiritually … We have the ability to reestablish the moral ends of our lives in personal character and social justice.”
In other words, love of the material redirects and distorts our inherent focus, foundation and purpose of being agents of the love principle, by making us self-centred, selfish, individualistic and cynical human beings.
Understanding this helps us to develop self-control and a healthy detachment that enables us to pursue our goals and objectives with an attentiveness to ethical norms, and with a concern to avoid causing harm and suffering to others. We can seek to attain wealth, but it must not be insatiable accumulation without regard to ethical conduct and the common good.
The love principle is embedded in each of us. When we commit to a life based on love, we live at a higher reality, awareness and consciousness.
The direct opposite of Love is Hate which is linked to Evil—wrong and bad, just as love is linked to good and right.
There is a creative tension between these attitudes which moves each of us to make a choice: either the conflict and disequilibrium that Hate and Evil bring or the calm, unity, solidarity, bliss, equilibrium and happiness that Love brings.
Through the ego, we exercise free will and make free choices, manifesting our personality and experiencing the consequences of the chosen path.
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We must not live like fools but like those who are wise and make the most of any opportunity, even viewing obstacles and challenges as opportunities to test abilities, gain experience and develop maturity and character.
We must constantly seek to attain the highest values, principles and norms of human existence in order to fulfill our purpose in this life and to gain satisfaction and happiness.
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From the moment the individual commits to the love principle, to right thinking, right knowledge and right action, live life on the basis of ethical conduct, exercising a wholesome discipline, a healthy skepticism and detachment, he/she starts the process that leads to the development of character and personal growth.
The individual must cultivate a patient, generous and tolerant approach, show gratitude and appreciation, goodwill, courtesy and good manners, and be compassionate, empathetic, understanding and willing to forgive without compromising his/her commitment to principle and justice.
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The process leading to the development of character and the attainment of spiritual liberation may seem hard. Still, the irony is that, in reality, it isn’t hard once the commitment is made.
From the beginning, once we surrender wholeheartedly to perfect love and accept and commit to Objective Truth, to right knowledge, right thinking and right action, we feel a sense of happiness and satisfaction.
We awaken our self-awareness and conscience and seek to be more at one with family, community, society, humanity and nature.
Our approach to life and existence becomes positive and open. We avoid self-righteousness, self-centeredness, selfishness, individualism, prejudice, superficiality and self-delusion.
We find that we are still able to achieve and be successful even though we choose a path of giving, selflessness, empathy, tolerance, goodwill, compassion and fairness towards All.
We resolutely strive to avoid arrogance, inflexibility, selfishness, individualism, materialism and greed because doing so always leads to personal growth and development.
Therefore, we must strive consistently to unleash the love principle in our hearts, which is the foundation of our humanity and world outlook.
We must practice loving with wisdom, exercising common sense, and relying on knowledge, experience and good judgment as we face situations and interact with others.
We must be forever courageous, hopeful, determined and consistent in our efforts to achieve personal growth and social consciousness.
Each person will contribute on his/her level and develop at his/her pace.
We must learn by application, goodwill, patience, courtesy and respect for and understanding of each other.
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We must see ourselves in each other so that we will relate with each other on the basis of mutual respect, mutual understanding, patience and courtesy, an approach that builds trust and solidarity.
We must recognise the interconnection, interrelation and interdependence of all creation. This underlying commonality enables us to develop a commitment to family, society, community, nation and environment on the basis of love, understanding, sensitivity and solidarity.
The struggle to be an agent of the love principle and of positive change is eternal, with each generation playing its part to fulfil our desire to achieve peace, freedom, solidarity and equity in or society.