The Heart of a Man: What Do You Think About?
(Post 2 of 8)
Have you reflected on the fact that 80% of American society seems convinced that 50% of America is completely delusional and at fault for all that is wrong? Have you noticed that you rarely disagree with anything in your news or social media feed?
A familiar story is being told about you, and not the ones you may think. In the story, you are the damsel in distress. You are the victim.
Think about it. Marketing tells you that you need a product to rescue you. Cable news and podcasts tell you you need a politician to come to your aid or a talking head to tell you "the truth." Fitness centers tell you that you can't do it without them. They are all saying the same thing: you are the victim. Every single one of us has been wronged, hurt, betrayed, damaged, and wounded. But there is a difference between being victimized and being a victim.
When you allow yourself to see yourself as a victim, your life becomes a reaction to others, circumstances, and what you see, hear, and feel. When you react, you are not thinking. When you react, you are not creating. When you react, your personal sense of well-being is transferred to something else or someone else. Your life becomes derivative, not deliberate.
It is easy to listen to this and say, "That is why I don't trust anything." First of all, that is a complex statement to defend. Second, that is still just reactionary, a fear-based response designed to protect you from what you fear (everything). There is no genius in criticism, and skepticism is a self-defense for people afraid to be seen. The thinking of a secure person will always be solutions-oriented, constructive, and not…well, reactive.
It is a central choice for men to choose to think for themselves and not receive the label or identity given to them by the algorithms, employers, family members, and power-mongers given to them. You get to think for yourself and, even more importantly, think about your thoughts. You are not your thoughts; you are not your feelings. You get to choose where your mind and heart go. Just because you have a passing thought, fear, or feeling, you do not need to indulge it. You (see question #1) are more significant than a collection of synapses; you are not a victim of your thoughts, feelings, and fear. You can think. What will you think?
