Remember Y2K? I can’t believe that was almost 10 years ago. Although there was wide spread concern about computers throwing off our cyber existence and lifetime records to the point of mass confusion, it was also the beginning of a new millennium. It held the promise of a new world enfolding. Beginnings always hold such promise.
We should hold commencement ceremonies more often than we do. Perhaps we celebrate the wrong things. Imagine if we celebrated things like:
And of course the rites of passage celebrated in every culture:
puberty, coming of age, marriage, death
All significant moments, no doubt.
But is there anything more significant than finding inner peace? Is there anything more significant than happiness, fulfillment, and contribution?
I think not.
If everyone’s goal in life was simply to be fulfilled personally – imagine the magic that could create. You cannot feel fulfilled at someone else’s expense. You carry too much of a burden on your psyche if someone suffers because of you.
There are many natural examples of commensalisms in nature. Relationships where one species benefits from the other at no cost to the source of the benefit. The opposite of this would of course be parasitic relationships.
There are too many parasitic human relationships on our great floating world to explore in one blog or even in one book, or even in a lifetime perhaps. There are far too many people benefiting at someone else’s expense.
But in preparation for a new decade coming our way….a new beginning, let’s make a promise to ourselves that we will not harm another in any way and that our challenge in life is to always seek conclusions where either everyone benefits, some of us benefit, but none of us suffer. This needs to happen on the smallest and the grandest of scales. It starts with each individual.
We should hold commencement ceremonies more often than we do. Perhaps we celebrate the wrong things. Imagine if we celebrated things like:
- Found peace and contentment in a moment of quiet contemplation
- Let go of anger for fellow human beings and replaced it with empathy
- Found a creative spark and ran with it
- Our first car
- Our first home outside of the nuclear family home
- Our first (or second or third, or…) relationship where we attempt to partner with someone to show up in the world with every day
And of course the rites of passage celebrated in every culture:
puberty, coming of age, marriage, death
All significant moments, no doubt.
But is there anything more significant than finding inner peace? Is there anything more significant than happiness, fulfillment, and contribution?
I think not.
If everyone’s goal in life was simply to be fulfilled personally – imagine the magic that could create. You cannot feel fulfilled at someone else’s expense. You carry too much of a burden on your psyche if someone suffers because of you.
There are many natural examples of commensalisms in nature. Relationships where one species benefits from the other at no cost to the source of the benefit. The opposite of this would of course be parasitic relationships.
There are too many parasitic human relationships on our great floating world to explore in one blog or even in one book, or even in a lifetime perhaps. There are far too many people benefiting at someone else’s expense.
But in preparation for a new decade coming our way….a new beginning, let’s make a promise to ourselves that we will not harm another in any way and that our challenge in life is to always seek conclusions where either everyone benefits, some of us benefit, but none of us suffer. This needs to happen on the smallest and the grandest of scales. It starts with each individual.
Here are some ways you can help and benefit at the same time:
KIVA
CHILDVOICE
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Christian Children's Fund
DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION
KIVA
CHILDVOICE
AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL
Christian Children's Fund
DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION
Wishing you a pleasant week.
Photo Credit ~ Sylvia Armstrong