I was watching this hokey series on Netflix called Iron Fist. I just started watching it and so am not that acquainted with the whole premise of the show. Anyway the main character is talking and says, " our purpose is to find our purpose. " The character gives credit for that bit of philosophy to Buddha. Not being a Buddhist I don't know if that is accurate or not. Years back it was always Confucius that provided that wisdom. I haven't heard much from him lately. I do know that half of what was attributed to him, he never said. Hey, Yoga Berra had the same problem. Yogi famously said, " half the lies they tell about me aren't true. " Now any statement similar to that may be credited to him. I did read where he was amused by all of that. But I was thinking about the purpose of life, and the thought that our purpose is to find our purpose. My first thought was, where should I be looking ? Will we found our purpose or will it be revealed to us ? That is the essential question to ask in my opinion. I lean toward the later. It will be revealed, I'll know it when I see it.
I have written this before and still believe it to be true. There is little that can be said that hasn't been said before. It is only in the choice of words that sentiments change. It is sentiment that the majority of us wish to express, although in more modern times we are becoming fact based. That is part of the reason for religious belief being on the decline. That's the way it is becoming in the information age. There was a day in America when the volume most often referenced was the Bible. I don't believe that was a bad thing. That book was the source of wisdom for the Christian world. Well, truth be told it still is. Many are repeating what is written on those pages just paraphrasing to sound different. Like a salesman selling the same product, only to a different customer. The good salesman adjusts the pitch ! He will point out different features to different folks. The things that are important to them.
I began thinking that perhaps our purpose will be found in the knowledge we seek. That is to say, where we collect our wisdom. Traditionally that was given to us by our parents and grandparents. We listened and learned. When we didn't listen , we were held to account and corrected. For the majority of us we gained an understanding of the way the world works. Now it seems that wisdom is coming from the Internet and social media ! I believe that is not a good thing. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, a great tool, but can also be harmful or confusing. Information introduced prematurely can cause problems. Just like reading a book, don't tell the ending in the second chapter. I think that is what is happening these days. Too much, too soon. We are rushing ahead and failing to learn those basic life lessons essential to living in the real world. That's why you see so many claiming they are " empowered " by doing the things that should have been doing all along. Basic life lesson are coming as revelations to these folks. Same reason everyone is now a " survivor. " A survivor sounds like you have overcome some life threatening experience above and beyond expectation ! Growing up we called that, gettin' by. Of course back then I didn't think much about my purpose, I just did what was expected of me, to the best of my ability. Guess I figured that was my purpose. The best example of purpose came in the Rocky movie. Remember when Adrian wakes from her coma and says to Rocky, win ! Mick exclaims, PURPOSE, what are we waiting for. For Rocky wasn't that to do what was expected of him ? To win ?
All of this is just speculation on my part. I don't profess to have any great wisdom or inside knowledge. I just enjoy thinking about it and writing down my thoughts. Could be that is my purpose at the present time. I do think our purpose may change from time to time, seems reasonable to me. As to the big picture I'll only be able to really see that from a distance. I'll have to be patient, I'll be distant from this world one day. I'm thinking it is then I will see the big picture and know the answers.
I have written this before and still believe it to be true. There is little that can be said that hasn't been said before. It is only in the choice of words that sentiments change. It is sentiment that the majority of us wish to express, although in more modern times we are becoming fact based. That is part of the reason for religious belief being on the decline. That's the way it is becoming in the information age. There was a day in America when the volume most often referenced was the Bible. I don't believe that was a bad thing. That book was the source of wisdom for the Christian world. Well, truth be told it still is. Many are repeating what is written on those pages just paraphrasing to sound different. Like a salesman selling the same product, only to a different customer. The good salesman adjusts the pitch ! He will point out different features to different folks. The things that are important to them.
I began thinking that perhaps our purpose will be found in the knowledge we seek. That is to say, where we collect our wisdom. Traditionally that was given to us by our parents and grandparents. We listened and learned. When we didn't listen , we were held to account and corrected. For the majority of us we gained an understanding of the way the world works. Now it seems that wisdom is coming from the Internet and social media ! I believe that is not a good thing. Knowledge is a wonderful thing, a great tool, but can also be harmful or confusing. Information introduced prematurely can cause problems. Just like reading a book, don't tell the ending in the second chapter. I think that is what is happening these days. Too much, too soon. We are rushing ahead and failing to learn those basic life lessons essential to living in the real world. That's why you see so many claiming they are " empowered " by doing the things that should have been doing all along. Basic life lesson are coming as revelations to these folks. Same reason everyone is now a " survivor. " A survivor sounds like you have overcome some life threatening experience above and beyond expectation ! Growing up we called that, gettin' by. Of course back then I didn't think much about my purpose, I just did what was expected of me, to the best of my ability. Guess I figured that was my purpose. The best example of purpose came in the Rocky movie. Remember when Adrian wakes from her coma and says to Rocky, win ! Mick exclaims, PURPOSE, what are we waiting for. For Rocky wasn't that to do what was expected of him ? To win ?
All of this is just speculation on my part. I don't profess to have any great wisdom or inside knowledge. I just enjoy thinking about it and writing down my thoughts. Could be that is my purpose at the present time. I do think our purpose may change from time to time, seems reasonable to me. As to the big picture I'll only be able to really see that from a distance. I'll have to be patient, I'll be distant from this world one day. I'm thinking it is then I will see the big picture and know the answers.
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