My Credo - Part One

While traveling on a long journey, have you ever just “found yourself lost”?  I might say, “I believe this is wrong way.” That is a confession of your take on reality. On your journey, while believing you have lost your way, have you ever seen something to indicate that you were not lost at all but still on the right path? On the other hand, have you noticed something that confirms your waywardness? “Now I know I’m lost!”  We form such beliefs all the time.

I have gathered certain beliefs over the years. 

I believe that everyone is wounded. With some the wounds are right at the surface, while with others they are well hidden or disguised – but they are always there.

I believe that the greatest sources of joy are within an arm’s reach.

I believe that everyone has a legitimate self interest in all matters. The faster you to can discern what that interest is, the faster you can learn to get along with that person. In conjunction with that, I have learned that it is wise for me to know what exactly I want and be ready to clearly state it. This is true in negotiations and true in prayers of supplications. “God, this is what I want; this petition is the desire of my heart.” I believe Mick Jagger is correct in his observation that “We don’t always get what we want, but what is get is what we need.” I believe that we must be prepared to accept, with gratitude and praise to God, the outcome of any circumstance regardless of its measure of pain or pleasure.

I believe that there are few things of value that are free of cost in this life. In economics there is a concepts called “opportunity cost.” Sometimes it is as simple as “You can’t have it both ways.” If we stop here for a while, then we won’t have time to stop where we planned to stop later." "We can’t afford to do both things; it is either one or the other." A choice to go in one direction precludes the choice to go in the opposite direction.

I believe when folks say, “You gotta minute it is rarely sixty seconds long.”

I believe the very same person who is capable of great kindness is also capable of great cruelty. I believe that everyone has a mixture of virtue and vice, generosity and niggardliness, sexual purity and sexual perversion, temperance and wanton abandonment, wisdom and foolishness. No one is purely good nor purely evil. Even in a single action contrary elements will be present.

I believe the surest test for a falsehood  is when someone declares, “I am telling you the God’s honest truth.”

I believe in temporal death; that my time on this earth is finite. I believe in eternal life, that my existence is forever. I believe that temporal life is more important than eternal life, if for no other reason than its relative rarity. We may live to 130 years temporally, but after 10,000 years of eternity we have just begun. Because of its brevity, this life we now live is more important.

I believe when someone says, “Folks don’t like it when you do that or say that” he or she is the“folks.”

I believe, in playing eight ball, it is generally better to choose the shot closest to a pocket than the one farthest away. In order words, don’t add complexity beyond necessity. Keep it simple, stupid?

I would like to consider more beliefs in future posts. It is our belief systems that serve as guideposts and help us stay on a good path.