Viktor Frankl in Man’s Search for Meaning recalled as he marched with other oppressed and brutalized prisoners in the concentration camp, ‘A thought transfixed me, for the first time in my life I saw the truth as it is set into song by so many pets, proclaimed as the final wisdom by so many thinkers. The truth – that love is the ultimate an the highest goal to which man can aspire. Then I grasped the meaning of the greatest secret that human poetry and human thought and belief have to impart: The salvation of man is through love and in love (pps. 48-49).
If you’ve been loved unconditionally you know you feel safe, you know you feel accepted as you are, blemishes and all, there’s nothing else you want to do except return the love in kind without thought to one’s self. When we lose that love, we recognize a deep void that only love can fill. Love, love, and love some more.
When we lift the shade or open the binds light shines into our homes. It’s the same way when we open our hearts and minds to the light of truth, kindness, and love we become a mirror and reflect truth, kindness, and love to all who come our way.
“Someone’s opinion of you does not have to become your reality.”
“Have the courage to say no. Have the courage to face the truth. Do the right thing because it is right. These are the magic keys to living your life with integrity (W. Clement Stone).”
When we live a life marked with integrity we walk with our head held high, we make no excuses, we look others in the eye and not blink. We know we had the courage to face the truth, do the right thing at the right time, and the courage to say no to anything that is not right.
What do you see? Even when our vision is clear, we do not see everything in front of us, let alone what exists is our peripheral vision or behind us. What do you see? Each of us sees only partially what exists around us. We gain a clearer perspective when we ask others what they see (e.g., their opinion). The more people we ask the clearer and more accurate our estimation of what is true.
What if I shied away from those with all the answers and joined up with wanderers? We seek certitude and where certitude doesn’t exist we fabricate illusions and facts to mask our insecurities. Wanderers are comfortable with insecurity. The more they wander and search, the closer they come to the truth. It’s there just beyond their grasp, waiting to be revealed..
Not everything we hear is worth listening to. When we become selective listeners we can separate the noise from what is worthwhile hearing. If I ask myself the following questions if helps me to choose what is worthwhile:
If it doesn’t hit these five notes, it may be noise and not worth worth tuning in to.
If you want to speak out, speak out for honesty, truth, and compassion. You’ll never have to apologize. You’ll never have to say you misspoke. You may not be popular; you’ll sleep well at night, knowing you did the right thing.
