From: Amara Graps (amara@amara.com)
Date: Sun Sep 24 2000 - 02:20:31 MDT
From: "Emlyn" <emlyn@one.net.au>, Sat, 23 Sep 2000
>Striving for excellence is excellent. Where's the room for
>spirituality/mysticism/religosity? Why do we need it?
psychological support, connectedness, strength, warmth
However one defines "god" for oneself, that extra dimension
(spirituality, etc.) in one's life can give the above. For me, this
is true, even if one defines "god" to be some aspect of yourself.
Why is that? Because each of us are alone.
No matter who may be around us for giving love and support,
ultimately each of us are alone. I don't think many people
understand and know the value of facing their own Abyss, but this is
the psychological place where one must learn to sit and have a quiet
tea in order to learn how not to run away from ourselves. The Abyss
is a terrifying freefall place where one sees that there is no
support outside of oneself. And the Abyss provides the
framework with which we can grow our true selves.
Growing our true selves, following our life path, is a process:
---------------------------------------------
oops oops
/ \ / \ /oops
/ \ / \ / \
\--- |-----\ / \---
\ /
\ /
oops
---------------------------------------------
Failures and mistakes are an integral part of living and growing and
taking risks, and sometimes it's excruciatingly hard to know if one
is following in the right path of being true to oneself. So
therefore, the "psychological support, connectedness, strength,
warmth" etc. become very helpful (and important).
I define the word "god" in my own way, given that I'm an atheist by
most people's definition. And in my quasi-Buddhist-Amara's-god-universe-
perspective, my spiritual world is important to give me support when I
hit those OOPSes on my life-path.
To end this note, here are some inspirational words that I like alot.
(I substitute "Universe" wherever the word "God" appears, but please
substitute whatever is appropriate for your world-view.)
---begin{quote}
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn't serve the world.
There's nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It's not just in some of us; It's in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
We unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
Our presence automatically liberates others.
---end{quote}
Nelson Mandela
1994 Inaugural Speech
Amara
********************************************************************
Amara Graps email: amara@amara.com
Computational Physics vita: finger agraps@shell5.ba.best.com
Multiplex Answers URL: http://www.amara.com/
********************************************************************
"Sometimes I think I understand everything. Then I regain
consciousness." --Ashleigh Brilliant
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