“Mighty is He Who Conquers
Himself” or similar quotes are usually attributed to Lao Tzu from the Tao Te
Ching. You’ll find Proverbs that are nearly the same and I’d be willing
to bet that there’s a country song that tells us the same in a second stanza lyric.
What does it mean? Slow to anger? Self control? Being able to stand where
you are now and be satisfied? I’m not really sure—but lately it seems to
ring in my head several times throughout the day.
The earth has spun around and
around and it seems that another birthday is nearly here. Another year to
reflect upon. To wonder what might have been and to acknowledge what
was. If I didn’t “conquer” myself over the last year, will I manage it
this year?
My life has been blessed.
Frankly, I don’t think I even know anyone that could not count themselves as
blessed in the big scheme of things. In this country, most of us live in
houses that are too big filled with too many things and throw more food and
abundance away in the weekly trash pickup than someone in actual need and
hardship has ever seen or managed to acquire at one time. There is
nothing physical to want. Nothing emotional that is actually needed if
the blessings were actually counted. But do we count them? Are you able
to stand where you are now and be satisfied?
We live in a world that is
constantly telling us that we need the latest smart phone or the newest
electronic gadget. We need a house with a separate room for every child
and a separate car for every driver. Ballet lessons and soccer, nannies
and maids, status handbags and physical trainers. If you don’t look like
the characters on your favorite television shows or dress like the magazines
tell you to dress, then you are lacking. I’ve even realized recently that
most conversations are carried on through text messaging. We’ve even lost
the nuance of voicemail messages with friends. Texting is easier because
it’s instantaneous. No having to stop and “listen”—you can text back and forth
while sitting with other friends—never having to give anyone your full
attention.
We are so overloaded with
blessings that we let them conquer us. These blessings have conquered our
memories and moments and we’ve become a population that is spread so thin with
passwords and emails and FaceBook and Twitter that we barely know how to be
with each other anymore. I’ve begun to notice that friends that don’t
participate in a cyber existence as much as other friends are left
behind. And friends that are really more acquaintances of the past or
casual friends in similar social circles are the ones I keep up with
more…simply because it is easier.
When the news ran this weekend
that a woman in Pontiac, Michigan had been dead for 6 years in her home with no
one noticing until her bank account ran out because she had all her bills on
auto pay and a nice neighbor continued to cut her lawn and her mail was sent to
the post office because she traveled and was sometimes gone for a few weeks, I
wondered really what we’ve come to in our world of blessings.
Take a moment and stand still
where you are. Look around. Is your life filled with moments or is
your life filled with false moments recorded electronically? Are you
aware of your actual blessings and those around you? Have you put away the phone
and had dinner with friends? Did you actually see that concert or did you
see it through the lens of a camera on your phone? Are you there or are
you making sure everyone in your social media group knows you are there?
My goal for this next year of my
life, if I am lucky enough to be granted such, is to conquer myself. To step
out more into the world and stop letting computers and smartphones live my
life. To stand still and be satisfied with the moment I am living. It may
seem convenient and easy to share my friends and family and life with the
assistance of an Apple product, but I’m sure I’m missing so many other things
while I’m looking at that screen.
Life is not “virtual”, Life is
“actual”.
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