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Today's
quotation:
I
call that mind free which is not passively framed by
outward circumstances, which is not swept away by
the
torrent of events, which is not the creature of
accidental impulse,
but which bends events to its own
improvement,
and acts from an inward spring, from
immutable principles which it has deliberately espoused.
William
Ellery Channing
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Today's
Meditation:
Is
your mind free? Are you able to make the best of
every situation, or at least see the best if the situation
is out of your control? Or do circumstances
determine how you feel, how you react, and how you see
yourself?
Part
of the purpose of our life experiences, I'm certain, is to
help us to learn to be independent of circumstances.
Yes, things happen, and many bad things happen to us and
to those we love. But when we finally reach a point
at which our own peace of mind or our own self-esteem
aren't affected by what happens to and around us, then we
are close to becoming the people we were meant to
be. When we constantly react to situations, the
person that other people see is depending on the
circumstances to define him or herself. We should be
able to define ourselves on our own terms, not on the
terms of circumstance or coincidence.
Yes,
it is difficult. It takes focus and effort to learn
from events rather than to let them define us. It
takes courage and commitment to devote ourselves to our
principles that will allow us to live freely and lovingly,
and to maintain that devotion even in the face of
diversity.
Life
flows, life moves, life changes. Part of our task
while we're here on earth is to establish ourselves as
islands in the stream, islands that will stand strong no
matter what the weather, islands that will withstand the
torrents of any kind of weather, living a life of
principles that will keep us strong no matter what life is
sending by us or to us.
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