23 Jan

A Challenge.

Posted by kjnelan in Society | Tags :, |

The Phantom of the Indifference

The Phantom of Indifference

I see with great regularity the rhetoric spewing from various orifices of people who either refuse to grow, or who stagnate and wither while complaining they have no culpability what so ever.

I see with great regularity sycophants and narcissists whose only motivation in this life is their own gain at the expense of those around them.

I even see the eager puppy type people who only do what is right because they are looking for the approval and/or attention, whether negative or positive,  of people around them.

All three classes of people mentioned above have no other motivation than self preservation.  Even those who refuse to grow only to stagnate and die are, in a way, preserving the self.  They feel change is a destructive force which serves no good so they hunker down and refuse to grow out of a base need to remain happy in their limitations.

This may, at first, seem to be a wild tangent, but let me tell you a story.  Hopefully you will see the connection.

Many, many years ago I had some very dear friends who just happened to belong to different faith than mine.  Theirs was a concept that one had to do good works on this earth in order to receive the benefit of many blessings either in this world, or the next.  I accidentally, well accidentally on purpose, made the statement, “I do good works because it makes me feel good, not because I’ll receive a reward.  Feeling good about myself is all the reward I need.”

Well, don’t you know my friends became infuriated that I would do good things for others without expecting some sort of return.  They couldn’t believe I would actually do something just to do it.  I tried to explain to them there is a greater need in this world than expecting something in return for a good deed, but no matter the example, they always came up with needing something in return.

The next day after the discussion we went to Denny’s for a quick, although greasy breakfast.  The waitress was really down on her luck and just had a table skip on their meal (in other words they didn’t pay for their meal.)  After paying for our meal, I returned to the table and thought no one was looking when I left a $20.00 tip with a note saying I hope her luck changes and that she needed the Twenty more than I did.

When I got to the car, my friends were very excited that I loaned the waitress what she needed.  I told them I gave her the money as a tip.  Their response was simply, “she wasn’t worth that much.  At least you’ll be blessed for it.”  I expressed to them my disdain for receiving a blessing for what we as humans should do naturally for one another.  At that moment, the waitress came out, hugged me with tears in her eyes, thanked me, and then went back inside.  I looked at my friends, and simply said, that was not a payment, but a grateful person expressing what was in their heart.  I did what I did because I wanted to do good in this world: not because I’m expecting people to treat me differently, or because I’m going to receive some reward.  I do what I do because it’s simply the right thing to do.  Nothing more, nothing less.  If you have to expect something in return, then it’s not really doing the right thing, you are being hired to do a job.  With that, I left.  They never spoke to me again.  I grew, they stagnated.

Okay, so what’s the point?

The point is this: we do so much in our lives with the expectation we are going to get something in return, whether that something is love, thanks, reciprocity, or some other form of return.  How often do we as a people do something simply because it’s the right thing to do?  Why does there need to be payment for helping our fellow human beings?

Too often people do things for their own good and lead others in destructive or irresponsible behavior, or are encourage inappropriate behavior with silence or accolades.

I do not wish to be a part of either group.  I will stand up for what is right, whether I receive thanks or not, and I choose to grow beyond my own limitations.  I refuse to hide the truth from anyone.  Maybe that makes me a monster, and maybe that makes me unwelcome in some circles.  That’s okay with me.  I can accept my lot in life because it’s a lot I created for myself.  I take responsibility for my actions, words, and thoughts.

Maybe one day, so will everyone else.  Wouldn’t this be a better world if they, if we, did!

The challenge is this: take responsibility for your life.  Stop blaming others for what is happening to you and accept your part in what ever comes your way.  Attempt to grow beyond your limitations.  If you stop growing, you die; do you want to die?  If you are mired in problems from your past, realize they are just that: in your past!  You have a choice to move on with your life, or live in the past.  Again, if you grow, you live.  Step outside your door today and look around you.  See that you are connected to everything in this world and that everything you do affects everything around you, then make a change in your life for the betterment of your private world, and the world around you.

Choose to live rather than wither away!

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