Every once in awhile one looks around and wonders where he is and how he got there. Of course, he knows where he resides and if he is lucky, even his place in the world. But it is a rare moment that he notices he is in too deep and thus snaps away the façade that he is in control of his situation. It is akin to walking through the forest and enjoying the warmth of the sun on his skin and the excitement of a rushing river through the rocks only to wake up and realize that it is getting dark, he is naked and he is without shelter. When life strips away these vestments of control and leaves him stark to the world he tries to remember what this was all about and how long he has been wandering in this forest. He therefore not only wonders how he arrived in this forest but starts to entertain the possibility that he has always been there. Why is he there? What is he trying to accomplish? Which way is up? Which way is down? In this vertiginous environment he has no way of focusing his motivations and decrypting his bearing. He is lost in the forest now and not enjoying the scenery at all. The trees scrape at his skin and the sharp rocks and cold river are threats that could be his undoing. Where is the control? Where is the preparation? How does he live one life at the top of the motivational and moral ladder while living his other in the dark alley of turpitude? Does he know what is right? Of course. His choice to adhere to part of the social pattern of accepted behavior and eschew the rest of it leaves his soul limping. He maintains one strong limb for walking but the other is a shriveled vestige that inhibits him from taking long vigorous strides toward his goals. His weak shortened limb isolates him and ensures that he will never walk in a straight line but is destined to drag himself in circles. He knows that he does this to himself and still perpetuates the behavior of his self-fulfilling prophecy without understanding or even asking; why. The auto destructive choices he makes should send a signal to his brain saying “get out of the forest and you will be ok”. He is chooses not to hear the creaking and groaning of the impending cave in over the raucous laughter and fickle impetuous shouts of his temptations. More than a warning, this klaxon of common sense falls on deaf ears that are determined to mask his eventual undoing.
-my friend-
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3 comments:
Einstein once said, 'The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.'
Everyone comes to a point and asks "what am I doing with my life?"
You may be spinning wheels wondering, trying "new" things but doing so in such a way that you realize you are still getting similar results and responses.
Your goals lie ahead of you... be sure to not take two steps back before taking one step forward.
Sandy,
Such a high school counselor level of response to this post. The original poster apparently never expects different results for his actions:
"Does he know what is right? Of course. His choice to adhere to part of the social pattern of accepted behavior and eschew the rest of it leaves his soul limping."
He knows what the results are and continues to accept them against his own logic:
"He knows that he does this to himself and still perpetuates the behavior of his self-fulfilling prophecy without understanding or even asking; why."
He isn't trying new things either. In fact, we see here that he wonders if he has always been in this "forest":
"When life strips away these vestments of control and leaves him stark to the world he tries to remember what this was all about and how long he has been wandering in this forest. He therefore not only wonders how he arrived in this forest but starts to entertain the possibility that he has always been there."
Finally, to say that ones goals lie "ahead of them" is a sophomorish and naive interpretation that one must always move forward. At times, ones goals are behind them and only by backtracking the steps that got them where they are, can they begin to move in the proper direction toward their goals again.
I won't even address the "be sure not to take two steps back before taking one step forward". Make sure you read AND understand the content of the passage before you add such shallow, one-size-fits-all advice if advice is what you think you need to add to the discussion.
Respectfully submitted,
D.
Great insight, D. Tho you could have left out the criticism of my writing and simply just added your thoughts. Adding comments here are just thoughts, not end all be all.
Cheers,
Sandy
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