Matot Masai: Time and Patterns
Matos Masei 5786 – David Lemmer
Patterns
The combination of these two Parshiyot is one to behold. To preface this essay I will start with this: I sit down to write a paper each week as my journal, blended into the weekly Parshah. The lessons that have been instilled into my heart and mind throughout the last few days are directly linked to the position I hold in life at this moment. Whatever you are reading right now is exactly to the point where my life has brought me to. Much like a Bar Mitzvah boy can say that “All my years have led me to this moment,” so too can I say that “Everything I know today is a result of accumulating prior years and thoughts.”
We, as humans, in the physical realm we call Gashmi, all have one thing we have in common. We recognize patterns. To prove this point I will ask, “Why do you know that the sun is real?” Think about it. “Why did you determine that it must be real?” The answer is because it is a recurring pattern! You look up to the sky during the daytime, and there it is. You look away for a few moments and look back, and still there it is. It repeats itself constantly, and since it does, it equates to the truth. Any repetitive pattern becomes fact in our lives. The sun is real because it is always here.
What other patterns do we constantly see in our lives? As I began, these thoughts I write on a weekly basis for over ten years now have become a repetitive pattern in my life. This has become a fact in my essence, and just as the sun is real before my eyes, this part of me is considered a fact of “me.” If someone were to ask, “How do you know that you are a writer?” I do not even need to answer with words. All I do is point and they will see. So if someone asks me, “Who are you?” I can comfortably answer, “I am the result of my patterns.” As the Sefer Hachinuch writes in Mitzvah 16, “A person is produced based on his production.” The person you become depends on the reality you see before you.
A pattern that repeats itself is something that you see over and over again in your life. Like the sun, when you repeat a negative belief about yourself to yourself ten times a day, this pattern solidifies itself into the fabric of “your” world, and it is your reality. You will start seeing and anticipating this pattern wherever you go. It becomes so entrenched into your life that you have a hard time seeing any other reality besides this one. Someone who is deeply depressed, or someone struggling with anxiety or addiction, will be able to attest to this idea. Their fears and struggles repeat themselves so often that they do not know of a possibility for any other way for life. “This is true because I see it all day!”
This recognition leads us to see how important patterns are in our lives. And since it is so, it is up to us to develop, integrate, and implant new meaningful patterns into our lives. Things that you see every single day of your life, just like the sun, so they become real, hard facts.
“But I do not know what I want to do with my life!” Oh, the many times I have asked this question to myself and how many more have I heard others asking me this question. I admire this stage of life very much since it is likened to a brand new baby who has the entire world ready before them. But the reason this question is so familiar is because we are clouded by a reality that we cannot see out of. We are so entrenched in patterns that make us see the world from a particular point of view that we get angry when we see someone thriving. We ask ourselves, “How can it be that so and so is smiling? Can they not see that the world is falling apart?!” We become upset not because we envy them, but because we so dearly want to have that life and simply cannot see beyond our cloud.
But our cloud was created through the patterns of our life. The things we do all day long, the environment we surround ourselves within, the noise of the world we entertain, they all contribute to the daily consumption of your mind and heart. It is no wonder that one who listens to news, politics, sports, or even fashion will only see what they train themselves to see all day long.
It is pretty obvious and self-evident that if you were to place yourself in a room for three days surrounded by screens that are blasting all that is dirty and defiled, that once you leave that room the world you see, the men and women who pass by your sight, will be suspect of the behavior you have just immersed yourself in for three days. You will envision them the way you have trained your mind to think, and even if they are completely innocent your judgment will conclude that they are up to no good.
So if we are products of our patterns, why not change them? For that we have to figure out what we want to do with our lives so that we can implement patterns that will lead us in that direction. We want to start doing things every single day that bring our vision closer to reality. We may have an idea that will take ten years to evolve into maturity, but we still have to do the grunt work up until then. It will not simply fall into your lap in ten years just because you once had a thought of it years ago. You probably will not even remember that you had this thought if you are not going to do something about it.
So for this we need to create a vision. It is simple. Name three things that you will be in ten years from now. I will go first. 1) Teacher. 2) On top of my game all the time. And 3) Build something great! Now it is your turn. 1), 2), 3). Wonderful! Good job, and good luck! Now you start implementing patterns into your life that will lead you in this direction.
There is something I must stress at this point. People get inspired to do very big things. For example they decide that they will finish Shnayim Mikra each week. This is a beautiful concept. Now they break it down and say, “I will do one part of the Parshah each day for fifteen minutes, and so it will get done.” This is the typical failing point. How many times have we decided that this year we are going to the gym each day? And were you able to stick to it?
The reason is that we need time to break into a new pattern. At the moment you are inspired to take on this challenge you are capable of doing more than just fifteen minutes per day. Actually, for the first few days this vision is still burning inside of you. This burning vision has the ability to have you focus and finish the entire Parshah in one sitting. So why are we limiting ourselves, and especially our burning desire right at the get-go? Halacha states that when we start saying V’ten Bracha on Pesach we have a period of 90 prayers that during this time if we are questioning ourselves if we said the proper words we must repeat our entire tefillah. This is due to the fact that we need time to break in a new pattern. But in the same breath we learn that if someone sat down for an hour and repeated the first 17 words of the Bracha ninety times we are exempt from this ruling and we do not have to restart our Tefillah.
So if we are excited about those three things to be part of our lives and we wish to start implementing them into our daily patterns, why should we postpone it? It is crucial that the first few days are solely dedicated to this purpose. This way the fire extends and already has a solid foundation. Think about it. If you were to apply fifteen minutes a day for 40 days, when those forty days are up you will have 10 hours completed of this pattern. And we all know that forty days is a long time, and in most cases the inspiration is already gone after a week or so. But if it is ten hours of foundational work that you are looking to implement, why not do 2.5 hours a day for the first week?
This concept is described in the Gemara Megillah 6b, “Yagati U’matzati, Taamin. I toiled and I found, believe.” This vision that you are creating is one of belief. “I believe that in ten years I can be a person with those three character traits.” This belief needs to become a reality somehow. How? Through toil. Physical labor and earthly matters are the vehicle to propel you to realizing your vision. It will only be after the toil that you will find, and then you arrive to “Taamin.” You will believe your belief.
It is time for the old patterns of actions, words, and thoughts that have not propelled us forward to be reevaluated. “Do I truly need my hours of scrolling?” “Will this gossip chatter grant me true liking with my manager?” We know the answer and we knew it for a long time already, but it is now time to do our purpose with meaning and purpose.
“Eileh Masei,” these are the travels of the children of Israel. It is easy to get lost in a corn maze, but when we have a clue to the direction of the exit, being lost is not permanent. We check to see the placement of the sun as we enter and use it as our location tracker. We create little external wake up reminders that will keep us moving forward in our pattern creation even as we are still stuck in the maze. The inspiration dies down eventually. The vigor we felt when we started may fade, but we still get up and do it every single day because we know that there is a guiding light we are aiming to achieve. We may not be seeing it, and at times life can create circumstances that cloud us in new thoughts, but deep in our hearts we know that if we look for our sun we will find it behind the clouds.
Having a weekly Shabbat wake up call is a beautiful step forward. One where we know that Shabbat was gifted to us so that we can remember why we are alive and that our spiritual wellbeing is the true purpose of life. Throughout the week we get clouded with a ton of responsibilities and feelings that tear us apart from true meaning, but with a wake up call on Friday we can shift our mind to walk into Shabbat as if we just walked out of it a minute ago.
Rochani and Gashmi, spirituality and physicality are like two functions. We were done a disservice by the educators who have taught us that the definition of Gashmi is dirty and defiled. They preached all day that as a Jew we must be dedicated solely and completely to the world of Rochani. In fact, the word Gashmi has no connection to the dirty world they envision. Rather, its definition is simple: “The work we do with our bodies.” While the definition for Rochani is “The work we do with our minds, hearts, and souls.” The word they are looking for is “Hevel.”
The Gashmi world requires us to follow speed limit signs, be present spouses and parents, and be financially capable. This body work is a mindset that we must get used to using. We cannot be sitting with our kids while we are stuck somewhere in our heads thinking of next month’s mortgage. I understand that those thoughts arise, but they need to know their place, or at least you must know their time and place. It is like pressing the Gashmi button as you walk into the house and come out of that airy and thoughtful place into the reality that sits before you. You are here to be the father and husband you are meant to be. You are the provider, caregiver, enjoyment, support, and whatever else they may need. And then as you go to Tefillah you switch the button to Rochani, and poof, you are soaring through realms of dancing thoughts and colorful feelings.
Rid yourself of the old way of life and the patterns that made you see darkness all day. Surround yourself with meaningful and purposeful goals and actions so that the actual world that you see before you is one of pure light. Learn to use those functions within you. It is a sad reality that many of us struggle with. We wish to reach heights in thought and purity while we leave our Gashmi lives unattended for months, and then we wonder why things never seem to get any better.
These are the travels of the children. We can be circling the desert for forty years, but this toil and hard work led us to the Promised Land. The belief we had on the onset materialized after the treks of those years. We must vow to ourselves to become the person we believe we are. This means that we can no longer in good conscience allow old, destructive patterns to cloud our view. The clarity that will be seen when we reach our goal will be so immense that we will laugh at every hard time we ever experienced.
This is my peace for this week. And I will end with one more note. We Daven Shemonah Esrei; we start at Avot and end at Shalom. How we all wish to finally reach that final word, Shalom, peace! This is exactly how our lives go as well. We have the many Brachot that we live through. Sometimes we deal with Refa’einu, sometimes Velamalshinim, and many times Shema Koleinu. We are yearning to finally arrive at that final stop of Shalom. But it takes time to get there. It requires a lot of diligence, discipline, and focus to make it happen. So ask yourself, “How bad would it be if you remained at the brachah of Modim for an extra year or two?” Bring thankfulness into your life. Fill yourself with gratitude, because true peace comes when you are at peace with the life you were gifted.
Shabbat Shalom
David Lemmer
LemmerHypnotherapy.com
–-
For Additional Reading:
Time, Patterns, and Peace
Abstract:
Time is a core rule in the universe we live in. For believers this rule began ticking on the first day of creation, and for non believers this rule exists as a fact of our consciousness, This concept, not the idea of time alone, but how we perceive it, makes the entire difference between a life well spent or one that was lived simpler than the rock’s.
We have to examine the brain patterns of the B-believers and NB-non believers, so that we can definitively discern among their psychological wiring. For they are two humans with ever-opposing views, and why not seek a way for peace?
This leads to the next topic called: Peace. Since the concept of peace is what the concept of time naturally leads to, we get to understand the purpose of it. Because only when people come together can the greatest changes occur. When the arguments are done and when we all agree to a path through the we we have, or the time we were given…
This is a simple man’s calculation. I’m just a concerned citizen wondering how others live their lives, and the feeling of peace had me questioning. Follow me, come along on this thought with me, let us find our common ground together and plant a tree in it. We’ll grow from there.
Introduction:
Why does this matter to us at this time? It matters because at this time, today, right now, change can happen. I believe it can. Change will inevitably happen, either your world wins, or ours, or why not try the middle path and change it together.
I would like to share a snippet of an analogy I once envisioned. A thief thrown in a pit-for-a-prison, being beaten mercilessly, tortured physically and mentally, kneels and questions his choices to see how low he’s fallen. He wants to know where he went wrong and maybe choose a new path in life. He’s learned his lesson and decided that he will never do this again.
He begs to be given one chance to prove that he changed, “Please give me a job to prove that I will be loyal.” For a few weeks he kept asking until they finally gave him the luxury of cleaning out the sewer lines in the basement, during the hottest days of the year. He jumped at the opportunity. He whistled during work, he laughed at his special fortune. Look, I’m standing in a dump, but at least I’m not being mercilessly beaten by savages.
That night he thanked his boss with tears in his eyes, he said, “Thank you for entrusting me today, i am eternally grateful for the freedom you provided me with today.” He found joy in his heart even in the hardest of times because he learned to believe that he can become even better tomorrow.
It matters because we can all live a better tomorrow, if we so choose. I’m not here to convert or even to pick a fight, I honestly just want to plant a seed that only one day, in times of future, will we judge how tall the tree has grown. How much peace will the thief find as he keeps climbing to more and more levels of freedom? Maybe he’ll even be able to get another hug from his mother. Maybe a shoulder tap from his father.
This future requires us to live focused and intentionally. And so too, will this article require those. I strive to leave no open questions, and would be willing to entertain any questions that interest you. Come along, hop on the train.
Subsection 1: Time:
We’re going into the tunnel of time in our minds. We are looking for all and any thoughts we have about time. The first thought that comes up is a clock, then, as swift as thought drifts, you already saw a watch as well. Association kicks in: this occurs when the mind, for example, thinks of a clock or a watch, all files related to ‘clock’ ‘time’ ‘watch’ all open up. “Stories of visiting the Clock Tower in London. Memories of staring at the clock in the classroom. That cool watch you got from Grandma and Grandpa.” Those are directly connected to the thought of time, but that’s not where we are going.
We’re going to the files we have on time itself. Those files contain other kinds of thoughts. Thoughts like, “You know how it’s funny that time seems to fly during vacation?” We think about the use of time as euphemisms, and the use of our daily schedules. In this file we have these kinds of thoughts regarding time, “I have to be there on time.” “We all live for a certain amount of time.” “Do you remember that time…?”
I see those thoughts and wish to find a common denominator among them all. The first thing I understood was that since they are all in this file called Time, then they have to be related. So, my question is, what bonds them together? Now time is interesting. It rules over us, as a rule. We know it for a fact, and we know that there is no escaping it if we want to live. So yeah, basically, time is our rule in life. A rule is a measure, it keeps things in place. It bonds the scattered and rules over its pile. So naturally, as a rule it stamps itself into each one of those sentences. Interesting how this thought mirrors how an actual palace works, isn’t it?
When we live under a ruler we are obligated to follow the ruler’s rule. Which means, we do as we are told. Time says “There are twenty four hours a day,” and that’s exactly what there is. There is no escaping this true fact, no one has ever invented a way to slow down or speed up time. It is not a mainframe any one of us is capable of rewiring. Its rule is so vast that it has become part of nature and we can’t even fathom questioning the rule to see if there is possibly another way for existence.
This is the reason for having two opposing views on time. Not because one can quicken time with their belief while the other will have to prove it scientifically, but in theology. Can I submit to a rule, or not? If I allow myself to submit to the fact that there is a Ruler called Time, I then open myself up to a whole new window in the realm of esoteria and vision. One might say, “I don’t choose to allow myself to entertain myself with thoughts of such outlandish concepts” “If it is a fact, study it, otherwise bury it.”
But for this we have to challenge ourselves a little bit. Because we all go to sleep every night. Also as a rule, by the way. This is the nature of man to tire after a number of hours. Just like time is a rule in nature, so too is going to sleep. One who chooses to only examine and trace factual, physicality, must now admit that there is a higher rule above Time. Because it is Mother Nature that rules over more than just Time, it rules over the seasons, mood statistics, births, creations, and everything else we know. So alas, you must loosen your argument on time just for this thought alone.
But when we do sleep, time doesn’t exist. It is actually in this same place you wished not to enter into. That window of esoteria and vision, this is where your dreams only start when you first fall asleep, in the beginning of night. First off, you can wake up and think that only moments went by, and at times as though years in the future have been lived already. Secondly, since this dimension of thought is a necessary part of the human experience, why not entertain and examine it, periodically, consciously?
So time is an endless rule that exists beneath the rule of nature. We’ve explored a little bit about nature and the power of its rule. I would understand if one would choose to back out at this moment, but since you inevitably know what comes next, since we’ve seen that the rule of time isn’t as significant as we thought on the onset, since it has a towering ruler above it. One may wish to stay away from asking, “And Who or what rules Nature?”
But since we’re not shaking hands on peace yet, we’ll hopefully tie back around here at the end of the three subsections. In order to have everlasting peace we will need unity from the common ground and up, so let me not force a belief, after all, “A belief is only a belief if you believe it!”
So now that we’ve gone deep enough (for now) into the psychology of time, and we’ve seen it being a ruler, and got to know his mother, let’s get back to our topic at hand. Time has a purpose just like any other area in nature. The purpose is for mankind to live upon it by depending on them to provide. Tie is one of those rules, and we are better for it. Just like the ground pushes out vegetables, time pushes out productivity. The reason I choose the word ‘productivity’ is because today would not be here were it not for the productivity of our species. Time is the main driver behind those decisions and changes. This life you see today demands productivity, time is the driver and you will be productive in Time.
We have to be productive with things that last. Like having children, growing foods, building infrastructure, being a mother, a farmer, a builder. This is what time demands of us, and if we don’t it lets us know. Time is like a bus that leaves right on time, and if you miss it you must chase after it. And as long as you’re running you will feel terrible. But imagine the feeling when you finally relax on the seat when you do catch up. It’s the struggle in our feelings that we deal with on a day to day basis. That need for more productivity in life, that feeling that pushes us to meaningless pleasures only to satisfy our hunger. This feeling, when unnoticed, will wreak havoc, until you learn how to spend your time with real, meaningful, and eternal productivity.
But nobody likes being forced to do something. So look at all the positive benefits life has to offer. Do it for the benefits of life, like spending time with family, learning a new instrument or subject, or reconnecting with old friends, etcetera. Those are true pleasures in the heart, so why choose the unproductive life and grab pleasures as you chase and keep chasing the bus, over a life on the bus with calmness? This is the simple truth that you are looking for, here it is.
SS2: Patterns:
Time works mysteriously, as does all of nature. Some try to predict it based on past experience, some try to foresee what nature holds for us based on learned knowledge. You have crop farmers who have read weather patterns for years and predict the coming year, you have gamblers who trust their past luck, you have day traders who track patterns all day for the sake of prediction.
Why do we rely on patterns so much that even the greatest billionaire companies rely on algorithmic pattern reading in their top money generation softwares? The simple answer is, “What you see is what you get.” To explain it deeper, “The sun in the sky is a fact since you see it over and over again without fail. This means that the sun rising and setting is a pattern that has repeated itself in your life since you know yourself. And so too have all before you said the same thing. The pattern that repeats itself constantly becomes a fact in life. What you see all the time, is exactly what you get in life.”
Now the question is, “Can one create repetitive patterns in their own life so that all they see will be as factual as the sun?” Yes, of course. My father is The Telephone Man, because the pattern he lives, has him seeing telephones all day long. I on the other hand formed my pattern differently than his and therefore I am not known as The Telephone Man. This is not a title for me, and neither do I deserve it. It is the person he became over the years, by living a certain repetitive pattern.
People with addiction deal with this all the time, literally. People with addiction have fallen for the infatuation of Comfort. Due to it being repeated over and over and it has become a repetitive pattern in their life, it becomes a fact as much as the sun is a fact. “My hand holds a cigarette.” And when the cigarette is not there it feels weird. Because it is weird, since, otherwise, you’ll be destroying a pattern. All other patterns in life, good and bad, are similar to addiction, since they are always repeated.
Patterns don’t like to be broken. This is called the comfort zone. Since they’ve gotten addicted to repeating themselves, their entire environment became influenced by the way they lived. Their friends, music, schedule, actions, words, and thoughts, they are all the repetitive patterns we’ve created for ourselves. So if we choose to change a pattern, be prepared for everything in your environment to change. Turn a marriage into a fact like the sun, turn your minutes to productivity that last, appreciate the freedom that was given to you under the strict rule of Time.
Much like a household is run. The patterns that the children see repeating themselves become a fact in their mind, and as we know, when something is a fact we feel secure. “If I know that bridge is safe I’m willing to go on it!” I’m not asking that someone should swing a wrecking ball to it to test its strength, rather, I see people walking on it and none had a complaint about its strength. There is no doubt left in this person’s mind that if the chance comes up that they will be eager to pass through it. The patterns in the household are the fact before the eyes of the children, if they see parents hugging and kissing they learn its lessons, and if they see them worry about finances all day they will learn a sad lesson. This is what they see, this is what they get.
Their outlook on the world is different from others in the world right around them, because the things we all see all day are different. Families see more of the same, classes, and work forces bond because they share more time together. Seeing similar patterns and shaping their world accordingly.
Spending time with someone is the greatest gift we can give. Spending time with them over and over again is an even greater gift. Sharing memories, building something big together, growing a huge tree, this is satisfying beyond.
So what pattern can the world take upon itself so that we as a whole can start seeing a world with a bright future? Much like an addict to whom every lone bottle on the roadside ‘may’ be an opportunity to find that feeling, what can we be addicted to, something so intoxicating that we always search for more? We want to see the world through such lenses, because logic has brought us here. This isn’t rocket science, it is simply a brainy calculation. And the answer is: Peace:
SS3: Peace:
As detailed above, the goal of unity is peace. We have found common ground in our beliefs with the undeniable concept of time and patterns. We have reached a conclusion that choosing to change for the better would be the greatest thing a person can do for themselves, for their families, communities, and of course, for the world. Growing together is the ultimate mission.
In order to get to a destination we must first have a destination. I know this is simple and even a kindergartener would say this, but seemingly, the world has lowered its standards so I may as well do the same. What I mean when I say that the world has lowered its standards is this: We have allowed ourselves to be sucked into immature and destructive patterns that have absolutely caused harm to ourselves individually, and to the world collectively. The entire social media apparatus has distanced true relationships and turned them into virtual ones. It has taken true connection with people you know or wish to know better, with complete strangers.
Think about it, you would entertain the thought of marrying a person who is above the weight level set in your mind, and below the earning range you wish for, all because you have gotten to know their heart and character. But as you scroll across social media the only feature that you search for is the physical and financial image that you so desperately wish to have part in your life. It is a tragedy that so much energy is being wasted on fantasies, while what is actually true and real before our eyes is neglected.
So, in order to truly reach a peaceful destination that would require man and woman alike to decide what their aim is. We’re not going to ask for a world-wide project where everyone works together on a single project. What we’re asking for is that you take care of yourself. You get yourself to where you truly want to get to. “How will you spend your time? What patterns will you let yourself entertain? How will you change that internal struggle into a work of passion?”
The outcome will be a world of satisfied people, and we already know that arguments and brawls don’t occur with level-headed and stable humans. But our focus is on our immediate self and circles. We are no longer in the pattern of apologizing for our errors, we are moving into the next stage called peace. If we wrong another we surely will apologize because that is the road to peace, but we will avoid even getting ourselves into such situations on our own. We cannot be perfect all the time, but we can set ourselves up in a way that truly allows us to enjoy the bus ride of time.
Peace is not something we pick up in the convenience store, it is a mindset of unity. The body being peaceful means that no other entity or cell is involved in opposing the peace. Any sickness is an attack on the future growth of this body and we must be ready and willing to fight it. The same is with any part of nature. If the elements get the best of the wheat field you will have no food for tomorrow, so take the necessary precautions and prepare yourself with readiness to take on the storms of nature.
Peace in one’s personal and emotional life will face its enemies, domestic and foreign. The interal doubt will have much to say, and the old beliefs and comfort zones will pop up at all times that you are not focused or letting your guard down. You may decide that you have huge plans for the future and you will start changing the patterns in your life today, but that destination you are reaching for must have a light that can dispel any darkness that comes its way. The passion must burn inside so that even on the cold and dreary days you will have the fortitude to repeat the good pattern again even if you’re not feeling it.
This is the power of belief. “When you believe strongly in a possible outcome, and have envisioned it with deep emotion, this belief will be your powertrain and motive to your actions.” I know that some readers may choose to remove themselves of belief in a Creator, but I’m not asking for that belief, I’m asking for the concept of belief to be imparted to you. Believe in something bigger and work toward it every single day.
For the world to change we will face very similar enemies. Some are idealistically motivated while some are simply comfortable in their lives. How do we reconcile these two? Well, if one ideology is anti-life, it would be a great benefit for them to reconsider their position. I’m not saying this because I’m shaming a religion for their beliefs, rather, because the only way religion can live is through the achievement of true peace. Vanquishing the enemy is a last resort, and have you tried the nice way? The nice way being that we are in agreement over the principles and foundations of our beings. Start with your personal happiness, we’ll get to world domination once that’s done.
If one truly believes in a future they must first prove belief at home. Much like getting a high paying job would ask for your credentials and experience to determine your fit, so too must you prove your extent in belief when serving a greater one. If you want to take over the world you must be determined in your essence, eat, drink, sleep, and wake with it. Practice it at home, choose your belief and watch it turn to reality with your repeated actions and thoughts. Become obsessed with whatever you wish for and see your body move in its direction.
Of course this may be advice to a suicidal maniac as well, but our goal, as articulated above, is to strive for betterment and eternal peace. It is preposterous to think that death and destruction is the goal. The death of a tyrant is applauded and celebrated, their legacies go down in the charts of infamy, and are remembered only with the sadness they imparted throughout their lifetime. This knowledge is agreed upon everywhere humans grow. Some take it too far with their mistrust of foreigners and decapitate their so-called ‘threats’ immediately, but this too is in vain if you have proper precautionary measures.
Peace is an existence not too far away, actually it is close by, it is the moment in time that you have decided to be the person you were meant to be. You will face struggles on your climb, some seasons might not bring enough rain to your tree, but with the calmness and peace you have chosen to live with you will have enough water to supply to your growth. So what if it means that I have to carry buckets on my shoulder to feed my family! A peaceful person can do it all. Their moods don’t control what needs to be done, the cold and heat cannot sway the way of the believer.
Once one believes in a future they are immediately transformed into the subject of its possible eventuality. You may not have your dream actualized but every step you take in that direction will satiate your craving. Unlike the immediate pleasures that tickle the pallet momentarily and leave behind a mess to clean up.
The belief in God works the same way as we just detailed. It is a level of peace that we achieve when we are surrendered to the future vision of God. Living with such a belief must also be passionate with a clear beaming light so that the storms cannot sway the way or to blurry through the hurry. And all it takes for the person to act according to the rules of this belief and each step, no matter how outlandish it may be, will be purposeful and meaningful.
And if we are already agreeing to the fact that belief is the driver of our lives, why not implement the greatest belief of them all? A belief that will allow you to stop honking in traffic for no apparent danger, and one that keeps you calm when looking at financial statements or getting a nasty email from your home owners association. Aren’t we trying to live a life of bliss? If that’s the case wouldn’t we seek out more and more opportunities for it? Well, the answer is here, give up on the tight control you think you have let nature take its course.
Every choice you take will be one that furthers your work and deepens your patterns. All of your actions, words, and deeds, will be united to bring peace to the “good old ticker” in your chest. Nourish yourself with calmness at every point in life. This requires one to be aware of their goals, this demands that one finds a belief worth aiming toward and building on top of it. This is the work of finding common ground, planting your seed in it, and helping it grow every single day.
Peace is a calculation that asks that we get off our lazy behinds and act. What good will it be when a kid says, “I’ve learned my lesson,” but then goes and repeats their mischief? Learning a lesson means that we are ready to implement this lesson into our everyday choices.
Discussion:
Now that we have gotten down here in these pages I wish to open up a panel for all of you readers. I know that these thoughts are not as foreign as some may think, they are simple knowledge that us humans obtain from birth and possibly before it. It is the ability to see them in words that actually sorts out the commotion in our hearts and minds.
I also know that many of us deal with lots of resentment and shame toward ourselves, others, and even God. “Why did I do that?” “Why is this person constantly bothering me?” “I never chose this life!” It is the human condition to face hardship so that we can learn what to do next time, and there will be a next time. Each one of us in our state of being will have a recurring pattern that will only stop once we put an end to it, for good. And each one of us is capable of creating a pattern that will stay here for good. Just ask your addiction that planned on living inside of you forever, and you’ll see that you are capable. All you have to do is find an area that will bring you more pleasure than any addiction ever can.
What are your three things that you are working toward?
Write them down and see what you can do today in order to make it real. It will be real’er as you keep repeating them. And in thirty years you and others will say, “Look at this guy, for thirty years he hasn’t missed a day of going to the gym!” “Take a hold of this person, for thirty years no one has seen them get angry!” “Learn from them to become better, and even better!”