In my book “The Divine Intention For Our Human Life” (ISBN# 978-0-9895428-6-9), the perspective is offered that the Purpose of our human life is to Learn. Learn as much as can be possible within one lifetime about all that makes up this miracle of Creation within which we exist … So it is worthwhile to periodically stop in the chaos and frenzy of our everyday life, look back on what we have seen, what we have experienced, and then examine more fully What We Have Learned on a broader, more general perspective … To that end, the following narrative identifies some of the Lessons I have been fortunate to learn over my current lifetime …
I – A Lifetime Journey
#1. Each of us walks a path that
defines the spiritual journey of our life. Over time, we move from one stepping
stone to the next, a series of adventures and milestones that constitute our
life adventures. It is a path unique to each if us, though we likely encounter
many companions along the way who appropriately fade in and out of our shared travels.
#2. Most of the stepping stones
we walk seem to be haphazardly arranged, a series of disconnected, accidental,
unexpected turns. Yet in fact the next stone in our sequence is the cumulative
result of the many stones we walked before … If we take the time to map out the
links and circumstances that have facilitated our journey to date, that map
will reveal a far more connected and purposeful life than we might have
assumed.
II – The Structures Of Human Life
#5. Every physical form that is,
also exists in different variations within that form … This multitude of forms
and their variations is purposefully meant to continually illustrate to us the
vastness of all Creation, while demonstrating that life takes many forms, each
acceptable in its own right …
#7. Conflict is an inherent part
of life … Conflict challenges us to look beyond easy answers, but rather to
look deeper into the source and impact of a given conflict, and then to reach
deeper into our creativity and accumulated knowledge for how to resolve that conflict
… This is to deepen our knowledge, notwithstanding the personal pain we may
experience.
#8. We are formed by the union
of a mother and a father. The result is that we are created both “male” and “female.”
Each of us manifests our dual female/male characteristics in varying ways … Yet
the male/female separation is simply for functional reasons, typically to
facilitate some of how we will function in this lifetime, some of the roles we
will play, and some of our life Lessons to be learned …
#9. We cannot change what has
already happened. We can only learn from it, build upon it in our future
actions. There is no backtracking, no undoing, no wiping the slate clean. There
is only starting over from a new place, newly informed. We are best served by
cutting our attachments to our past, but only after its Lessons have been
learned.
12. We are given a full range of
emotions to experience in our learning, arriving in sets of matched opposites. Love/hate
… happiness/sadness; success/failure … joy/sorrow; confidence/fear … etc. Each
partner in the match works together with the other so that we know both the
context and depth of each, by which we ultimately come to appreciate the unity
of the match itself.
III – The Search For Truths
#13. There is much for us to
learn as human beings, over a vast subject matter we call “Life.” In one
lifetime, we can only know and absorb a limited portion of all there is in
Creation. Our “knowledge” … should be continually humbled by respecting how
much we do not know.
#14. True wisdom is knowledge
(facts) gained by observation, which generates thoughts (opinions) which are
tested by experience, which are truly understood by reflection, which then
becomes the basis for new observations. It is a never-ending, repeating cycle.
#16. A Truth is unending. The
more we learn, more doors open for us as we revisit our Lessons and learn them
even more deeply. We pursue Truth to learn “The
Truth,” but our learning is never satisfied with a false completion. We would
like to see Truth as a singular “final” outcome, but such outcomes are only
temporary milestones of Wisdom. The pursuit of Truths continues.
IV – The Decisions We Make
#21. Our decisions often seem
random and disconnected with each other. But if we trace them back, we are very
likely to find a connected thread that ties them together. One decision leads
to an action, which leads to another decision needing to be made, which leads
to another action, which leads to another decision to be made, which … Our life
is not lived in a straight line, but proceeds instead in a series of starts and
stops, constantly changing direction.
#24. Decisions have an
expiration date. A decision at a past point in time is not necessarily still an
appropriate decision for today … We need to learn when to “cut bait” on a
decision that once served us well, but no longer does so; when to let go of a
prior decision and its resulting actions so that we can move on to our next awaiting
adventure …
#27. Our resistance to Change is
often overcome more easily when the topic becomes personal and directly
relevant to us. When seeking change in others, sometimes we have to help the
topic become personal and directly relevant to them in order to help motivate
those individuals to join in the Change effort.
V – Living Our Life
#29. Our inherent inclination is
to Love, but we are predominately driven in our actions by our Fears … Our
fears come from the mental and physical pain we experience … in interacting
with the overwhelming vastness and seeming superiority of all Creation.
#30. … Each human life reflects
the sum total of one’s experiences, thoughts, opinions, interactions, and
decisions, made over time, occurring within a particular geographical and
community / cultural setting(s), synthesized in a mix unique to that individual.
#32. Our greatest opportunities in
life usually lie outside of our current view. We can only see them when we open
up to their possibility.
#35. I cannot save the world. I
cannot “correct” all that I perceive is wrong in this world. Nor can I ease all
of the pain and suffering I see in this world. But I can make a difference in
some small part of the world, in some manner that is available to me … I should
try.
VI - Relationships
#37. Treat others as you would
want your son or daughter to be treated. Ill-treatments run on a circular track
back to its perpetrator.
#39. …Very little of whatever
success we have in our life is due solely and entirely on our singular efforts.
… The “self-made man/woman” should be applauded for his/her accomplishments,
but there are many fingerprints on their trophy.
#40. Every human being deserves
our best thoughts, our compassion for what they are going through, whether or
not their circumstances are visible to us. But their personal struggles do not
give them permission to act in unilateral ways to the inappropriate detriment
of others.
#42. Forgiving a person who has
wronged us can be hard, but it is warranted for our own peace. Ultimately,
their ill-considered actions toward us are best consigned to our past, lest we
remain a prisoner locked within their deeds.
#44. Do what you say you will
do. Keep your word. Be reliable. Those traits define character, and are foundational
for successful human relationships.
#47. A well-stated message, to
the right person, at the right moment, in a right context, free of any
expectations, is often the best-said message.
#49. We cannot substitute our
life and journey into another’s life. Each person must follow their own unique
journey.
#51. To get, one must give. To
be heard, one must listen.
*****
Some of the many Lessons
learned. Yet so much still not fully understood. So many Lessons still to be
learned from experiences had and to be had. The process continues.
“Nothing
ever goes away until it has taught us what we need to know.”
— Pema Chödrön, Buddhist Teacher
© 2022
Randy Bell https://OurSpiritualWay.blogspot.com
