Nine Days To Go!
BREATHE!
QOD: What if the world you see is a reflection of your own mind?
"Until you make the unconscious conscious, life will seem a matter of fate."
MAGIC is already in the air. In nine days, we have another opportunity to find out who we really are.
Followed the best Maps and listened to the best MENTORS
Made at least 1% progress every day. Taken control of my Diamond Hour, the first hour of the day. ACTION.
Maintained a sense of GRATITUDE that allows me to balance my emotions.
Clarified my INTENTIONSs, the What, the Why, and the How.
Continually connected everything to my deepest sense of CORE self.
So…MAGIC is in play. An opportunity like this demands the very best I can be, and the Three Gates seems the best candidate. Oh, the Stoicism I'm studying is powerful, but there is a way that it specializes in just one of the Gates: "Is it Useful." Perhaps "What is True?" as well. Certainly relies upon the capacity to determine truth.
But Kindness isn't stressed directly. So it is wise, IMO, to consider it a tool, not a toolbox.
The Three Gates are such a toolbox. So…every day we might want to dive in and see what they can offer us.
QOD: Why do the Gates feel universal?
Because you can find pretty direct versions of them in widely separated cultures, which suggests that they were OBSERVED, not "invented."
It is TRUE that caring about Truth and honesty gives long-term advantage. Short term? Sure, robbery seems like a short cut. But one that leads to a dead end. Beware the values of anyone who argues with this.
Is it KIND demands empathy, the capacity to feel and understand the inwardness and humanity of others. It is startling how many people will claim they care about communicating with others, who miss this first step.
Is it USEFUL is a step down from "Necessary", which feels too restrictive. It’s a discipline for Monks. Useful, something that moves you in the direction of your intentions, is good enough. But even here, it is startling how many people will not relate their philosophies to the real world. It makes sense in their HEADS, and that's enough. A philosophy that doesn't express in your behavior is pretty useless.
What is the last complaint or bit of bad behavior you've observed that wasn't a matter of one of these three?
Here's a potentially useful question: What is the time you spoke (or didn’t speak) because of one Gate. How did it shape the outcome?
For writers: what kind of story could you build around this observation?
Gates are safety rails. Short cuts are dead ends.
Steve
