Gazing in the Mirror

November 1 - Self-Reliance

The power which resides in
him is new in nature, and
none but he know what that
is which he can do, nor does
he know until he has tried.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson
on "Self-Reliance"

You have a strength of your
own that is great enough to do
all that is necessary. The
Almighty has implanted genius
within the soul of everyone
and what we need to do is to
unearth that inner genius and
cause it to shine forth.
~ Ernest Holmes

Knowing that the disruptions of natural events can promote self-reliance, as people are focused on sheer survival, is the topic on my mind as I write my essay today. I spoke this morning with one of our contractors about a job we are expecting him to do for us. He lives in Pennsylvania and his residence is affected by a prolonged power outrage – now in its 3rd day. Maybe 5 years ago, we finally invested in a small house load-capable gas-powered electric generator. My husband bought it on the 3rd day of a power outrage and brought it home just as the lights came back on. However the next year we had our own "superstorm" called a Derecho (like an inland hurricane) and our power was out for 3 weeks. We were certainly grateful we already had that generator. This morning my husband was sharing with our contractor how to safely hook one's home up to an independent generator. This is information the electric power companies don't willingly share. There are dangers but it is possible to protect yourself and your power company's assets (including their workers) from those dangers with a little bit of specific knowledge.

It is interesting how various people react to warnings of imminent danger. The most fortunate kinds come with plenty of time to prepare. Other natural disasters don't. Earthquakes and tsunami's strike quickly, so do tornadoes. There are people who believe in ALWAYS being prepared for uncertainty. We once had a strong prediction of a possible earthquake. We were one of 3 locations – and one of them WAS actually hit – but that one was not us. Still such advance warning for that possibility is rare and we had experienced a mild earthquake only weeks before that warning and it was still fresh in our minds. We got barrels and filled them with stable food, water in the proper kind of container and other survival items like tents, sleeping bags and tools. It was not a sustainable kind of preparation. Months later we felt the need to begin to unpack the barrels and eat through the food rather than to allow it to spoil.

Quite often people don't respond to whatever warning they receive for whatever reason. They don't want to evacuate. It's too inconvenient and they worry about their belongings. That is why you see so many people needing to be "rescued" after a major disaster but what about all the people who failed to act but didn't need rescuing ? Our lives are filled with many such decisions and it is rarely clear with any certainty what the best way to proceed is. So we follow our inner sense, our intuition, our instincts, our fears, whatever informs our choices and make the choice that we feel we must. Even to decide NOT to decide or fail to make a decision due to inaction is still a choice. Ralph Waldo Emerson said "Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind." Perhaps we would do well to remember that possessions can always be replaced.

Emerson also speaks in his own essay on Self-Reliance about consistency of action – "A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines. With consistency a great soul has simply nothing to do. He may as well concern himself with his shadow on the wall. Speak what you think now in hard words, and tomorrow speak what tomorrow thinks in hard words again, though it contradict everything you said today. — 'Ah, so you shall be sure to be misunderstood.' — Is it so bad, then, to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus, and Luther, and Copernicus, and Galileo, and Newton, and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood."

We often worry about appearing foolish. I wonder if Noah felt foolish building the ark ? We worry about overreacting and then later find out either our worry was unnecessary or our action was exactly what was necessary. Many "imminent warnings" of danger turn out to have needed little reaction from anyone but what about those that we should have taken seriously ? Second-guessing after the fact is of little usefulness. Truly, self-reliance comes from knowing that one can cope with anything – that there is always a way to make it through whatever. I personally believe that it is better to live largely and perhaps discover my strengths under fire. And I'm not suggesting that I would choose to live foolishly. There is a difference. Living large creates tales to tell afterward of being there and living through it.

When we feel confused and undecided and it is very important that we make a choice within a short period of time, I would take a moment to just get still. I value this method in order to quiet my thoughts and cease obsessing – to put in a breather, a spacer. I trust that whatever I decide things will still turn out well in the long run. There are no super critical choices in a life lived from an infinite perspective. I know that whatever I decide, I have within myself all that I need to make it through whatever demands I may face. Even in coping with apparent opposition I know I can make a claim upon the universe that a way will open up for me to do whatever is necessary. I seriously trust such thinking. I put the best thought I can contribute into my decision before it is made. Once I have made a decision, I treat that decision as the RIGHT choice every time knowing that whatever might be imperfect about it will actually be corrected and my confidence in its rightness will set the trajectory for that outcome.

~ perspective

I rely mainly on my own self
and my inner guidance.
I make the decision that feels
right for my own self and I
allow others to make the
decision for their own self
that feels right to them.
I know that every decision is
the right one because there
is a power in Life that will
take care of the remaining
aspects and details for me.
I do not put my faith in
external entities for my own
security.
I process information neutrally
as just another tool for me
to use to develop my own perspective
and for my own highest well-being.

#confidence #danger #decision #foolishness #knowledge #misunderstood #preparedness #rescue #responsibility #survival