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"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail". ~Ralph Waldo Emerson Historic trails of adversity are blazed by rugged individuals whose sense of self reliance is a beacon of inspiration. But it is often the witless prattle of idiots that makes its way into the history books (and eventually into our beliefs). The rugged individualism of early American pioneers, described by Frederick Jackson Turner, has been slowly disparaged by those historians who fear the awesome power of self confidence. The objective of these usurpers of self-worth is disempowerment of the individual. These planters of self doubt would have you crawling on your belly with a self concept of a weak sniveling worm that is incapable of survival without modern technology and government intervention. Disempowerment is something you do to yourself by thought and belief: eventually it leads to the absurd in problem solving methods such as that demonstrated by the most recent runaway bride. The only ingredients required for Empowerment are a willingness to face adversity without equivocation and with absolute trust in yourself. With empowerment comes the courage to blaze new trails regardless of the risk to life and limb. (Bloginservice Survival Guides). The valor and courage that pushed the Vikings to cross uncharted oceans is no different than that required of parents attempting to raise a child in an urban ghetto ('life in the ghetto') or of a firefighter entering a burning building: all are walking into the unknown . When adversity exceeds the ability of one person to solve a problem or when government refuses to act, it is then that the valiant once again join forces. Most recently this is seen in the Minuteman Project which demonstrated that US borders could be secured by a handful of aging gray-haired patriots. And how will the historians report this trail blazing event? Unfortunately, control of 'historical truth' and communal belief is the providence of those in control of the mass media lies such as President Bush who recently 'characterized' the members of the minuteman project as "vigilantes" . In addition, popular opinion is influenced by the whining squeals of dimwits and the outright manipulation of news events (05/13/2005) and lies of government leaders. "Delay, deny and deceive" are the tools of those who foster disempowerment of Joe Six-Pack and anyone else who has the intestinal fortitude to take charge of their life space. And when all else fails those in control use poison (Aspartame , Fluoride , Chemtrails) to insure a passive and weakened populace. Can anything penetrate the iron veil of conspiracy that regulates our sense of personal control (Koehler's expose on the 2004 voter fraud)? Not very likely, but we can develop an immunity by actively pursing a course of self empowerment. The tools of empowerment are not difficult to manage, the major requirement is consistent and diligent focus of attention, as well as an open mind (knowledge is power). The first steps toward empowerment are to develop a healthy diet and a simple daily exercise program such as walking. Even those of us confined to a bed (Christopher Reeve) can become self empowered, however the energy to complete the journey comes from the fires of self discipline. Next on the list is a bit of mind and body exercise (Tantric) (Yoga) (Zen). The mind body connection may sound 'offbeat' to some, but these methods do work and are very effective in increasing our energy level, as well as stimulating clarity of thought and peace of mind. These exercises are all fairly simple to initiate, and while they will strengthen our mind and body they will not change those behaviors, such as not speaking up, that prevent us from achieving our goals. For that we need some assertion training which fosters self confidence coupled with self therapeutic methods which prevents the negative thoughts or beliefs that keep us chained to self defeating emotions, such as fear or depression. There are also many esoteric tools of empowerment and healing. The more traditional method is the power of prayer. However there are a variety of other spiritual systems such as EFT, Spiritual Tarot, I Ching, Casting Runes and Witchcraft. Of course there are some individuals whose sense of empowerment is so egocentric that it leads to the very self defeating behavior that it was intended to prevent. We offer the following Buddhist story as an example. _______________________________________________________________________ Su Dongpo was an avid student of Buddhist teachings, and often discussed them with his good friend, the Zen master Foyin. The two lived across the river from one another: Su Dongpo's residence on the north side and Foyin's Gold Mountain Temple on the south side. One day, Su Dongpo felt inspired and wrote the following poem:
Impressed by himself, Su Dongpo dispatched a servant to hand-carry this poem to Foyin. He felt certain that his friend would be just as impressed. When Foyin read the poem, he immediately saw that it was both a tribute to the Buddha and a declaration of spiritual refinement. The "eight winds" in the poem referred to praise, ridicule, honor, disgrace, gain, loss, pleasure and misery - interpersonal forces of the material world that drove and influenced the hearts of men. Su Dongpo was saying that he had attained a higher level of spirituality, where these forces no longer affected him. Smiling, the Zen master wrote "fart" on the manuscript and had it returned to Su Dongpo. Su Dongpo had been expecting compliments and a seal of approval, so he was shocked when he saw what the Zen master had written. He hit the roof: "How dare he insult me like this? Why that lousy old monk! He's got a lot of explaining to do!" Full of indignation, Su Dongpo ordered a boat to ferry him to the other shore as quickly as possible. Once there, he jumped off and charged into the temple. He wanted to find Foyin and demand an apology. He found Foyin's door closed. On the door was a piece of paper, with the following two lines:
_______________________________________________________________________ The paths to empowerment are as varied as proverbial snow flakes. To dismiss a path out of closed mindedness is simply another link in the bondage of cultural-urban disempowerment. For a general view of self help methods you might want to visit the web site of Dr. Clay Tucker-Ladd. Remember that in the face of adversity it is laughter that will maintain sanity in a world gone mad. Wishing you a cool head and a warm heart, Love From The Enchanted Forest Jill and Nevyn
Guess Who Said It? "Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear." |
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