On traditional values, social success and being inner-directed

             

           Traditional or lasting values have come about through (a) long experience/overview with some memory thereof, (b) sifting, weighing, studying and being honest with cause-and-effect dynamics, (c) consistent appreciation/usage of value/principle itself.  So (a) is either genetic memory/instinct or ethereal memory/inspiration; (b} is basically science/reason; (c) is devotion, belief, hope, commitment, refinement of the principle one tests out and cares about.

  A problem with being socially successful is that the maze of the world can be seemingly “solved” by willfulness and cleverness.  Thus a certain amount of worldly success appears to exist tangibly, at least from a superficial angle.  Money status often is a measure of worldly success, and power status is similar.  There is much superficiality in cleverness and willfulness--these elements do not require genuineness, full heartedness and rapport with life.  What cleverness, willfulness and superficiality do generally is to lead one to suppose various things and to play at things and to aim somewhat at things.  But it is a difficult act to see through to solid conclusion or to find the truth at root through such means; therefore we tend to get cynical, quite compromising, confused or convenience-oriented by going such a road.  Considering that mind, will, feeling and habit can drag us along a road that we may not comprehend, life is thusly a tough challenge which the badge of socially successful won't resolve.

  Inner-directed means a whole array including self -monitoring, -controlling, -determining, -discriminating, -accounting, -disciplining, -surrender to holistic life, -poise, -reliance, -calm in silence.  Out of this inner-directed effort and stance by and by will be born a greater rapport and opportunity with life, a sense of higher direction, timing, decisiveness, perspective, clarity.  One is one’s own touchstone for potentiality if one chooses so to be.  But then there is a great test in trying to integrate this whole array; so the inner-directed path is not such an easy road to go.  Yet it calls to brave ones, requiring however that we give way at times, learn patience and tempering, and give back to life instead of being overly self-driven.               -r, mt. shasta, 2-26-2018