Zíste tin Alítheia (Live the Truth)

One cannot fully discuss personal choice until one has considered the ways in which we do not have choice, or those things which are not "ours" to choose. One version of the well-known serenity prayer begins with:   "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I should; and the wisdom to know the difference." One of the first gifts of consciousness is the gift and responsibility of Free Will (or Choice and Accountability).   One cannot exercise choice until one has the ability to be accountable. Therefore, our ability to be truly “free” to choose our own destiny is dependent upon the progressive growth of our understanding. In scripture, it is described as by “line upon line and precept upon precept”. As children, we may learn that “sharing” makes us feel good and often results in others sharing back with us. And upon that, as adults, we may further learn that there is intangible reward in being unselfish even whe...

What is the shadow self, and how do we embrace it?  “The adversary” or “The Enemy” Whether you believe in an entity of evil outside of yourself or you do not, I’m not here to debate. But, we are all fighting against negative and soul-destructive forces. I would like to refer to these forces as “the adversary”. All human beings have a shared enemy; you could think of it as self-doubt. It is the belief that we are not worthy, not capable, or that it is too late for us. This is a lie. It is not our weaknesses or frailties which are our enemy, for they are the gateway to opportunity and ultimately to strength and self-mastery. If we cannot see the “room to grow” in ourselves because we are so afraid of what darkness we might uncover, then we are trapped in that “sin” we perceive. In essence we are “damned” or blocked by our own self-judgements, unable to progress. It is our own choice whether we choose to allow ourselves to be defined by the limits of our shadow-selves, but on that pat...

I also believe in the power of positive envisioning and manifestation, meaning that if we think we are something, then to some degree, we are that something. It’s why the idea of “Fake it ‘till you make it” works. Perspective and belief have the power of will behind them, which is the power to manifest in reality. In that way, perspective basically IS reality. So, cultivate your own carefully. Your perspective has the power to define you, to define your limits.  And to that end, as we delve into the uncomfortable experience of seeing our own “failings”, it is important to preparatorially cultivate a strong, positive perspective from which to view them from. Remember that these “faults” do not define us. They are simply a moment on the pathway which is meant to be fleeting. These weaknesses do not eclipse or reduce our value. In fact, I believe If we could only see them through an eternal perspective (one where we’re standing at a more fully realize position then) we would see them ...

I think it is a universal truth that mortal beings all have potentials and frailties . Notice I didn’t mention that we all have strengths. We do; but it is my view that our strengths and potentials are basically the same thing. The difference is simply a matter of scale on a developmental timeline. I cultivate this perspective because I don’t believe that, while we still have breath in the body, we are ever done developing those strengths. So, I’m saying that we don’t have time to rest on our laurels. It is helpful to celebrate our accomplishments and recognize our value and worth when we need it. Sometimes, we need to take a moment to reflect on accomplishments and strengths, in order to have the motivation to continue or to bolster our self-image and banish doubt. But the truly self-actualized individual, carries the awareness of those strengths within themselves continuously, because they know their own worth. So, how do they accomplish that? And, what about those of us who haven’t ...

How does one develop character?  As you become more self-aware, it is natural to find more awareness of what we like and don’t like about ourselves. I think one of the central purposes of this life is to evolve and develop self-mastery. There are many virtue systems out there to study, but perhaps one of the most universally familiar is to look at the example of Christ. Christ was supposed to embody perfection, and therefore all of the desirable attributes of character and self-mastery. We can refer to these virtues as Christ-like Attributes. Some might also refer to these as Victorian values. In fact, they are universal character values which are recognized and touched upon in many religions and philosophies. I consider them a good foundational starting point.  They include virtues such as:  Hope (A perfect brightness) Faith Charity (Brotherly Kindness or Pure, Altruistic Love) Virtue (Purity, Truthfulness) Knowledge Patience Humility (Meekness is not weakness) Diligence...

Alignment (Morality and Ethics) I don't know if you have any familiarity with pen-and-paper RPG-type games, but I'm going to borrow the concept of "alignment" commonly used in determining character behavior. There are two planes, X and Y. One is moral alignment, e.g. good versus bad. And the other is societal ethics, or lawful versus chaotic:  Good Neutral Evil/Bad Lawful Lawful-Good (Believes that following the rules is how to be good, but may interpret them with judgment) Lawful-Neutral (Strictly follows the letter of the law without moral interpretation) Lawful-Evil (Uses the law, and loopholes, to gain power) Neutral Neutral-Good (Mostly follows the rules, but considers whether the rules are "good" before committing to action) True Neutral (Believes in balance in all things) Neutral-Evil (Without moral compass and without boundaries. Often considered the alignment of insane characters) Chaotic Chaotic-Good (Does what seems good, irregardless of the rules...