LIFE: THE POWER OF PROMISE

Life is power! You're alive aren't you? You have more power within you than you'll ever need. You don't feel it, because you've never believed it, and by never believing it, you've never put it to use. Such a waste! You're not out to tap into this far-reaching power in order to swindle your fellow man, to lie your way to an undeserved position, or to cheat the government. Once you tap into this force, which leads to the fulfillment of one's real needs, then your life will be different. You don't have to achieve this capability by going back to school and getting another degree or going through certain, designated hoops. The power's already in you! Use it; it's undepletable. In fact, the more you use it, the stronger its effect. Some people go all through life and never realize what resource was given them, when life was given them. They trusted only in what they felt they could safely do (through their own strength), and they usually lived a life that may have been safe, but certainly far from satisfying. Believing that you have great strength within you that will enable you to achieve all the good that is meant for you, means a changed life - a life changed for the better.

Let's assume and hope you take this leap of faith. (And why not, your own methods weren't getting you anywhere). One of the first (and perhaps almost foreign) sensations you'll probably feel is hope. Hope is promise. But, hope is the foundation of many promises. Once hope becomes a natural part of your being, that feeling of fear (which played out as immobility) will begin to dissipate. This is so, since two, such strong and conflicting feelings can't live together at the same time. I agree how strong a force fear can be. With time and practice, you'll see that hope (sometimes displayed and translated as faith) will become the stronger.

Getting back to your present life, it's only when this power is applied that it has meaning and value. So, realistically, you have two choices: (1) Leave your present situation and - with a stronger belief system - do your very best to succeed in another environment; or (2) Stay in that situation and change yourself. How? By using this force to achieve the promise of peace and tranquility, the state in which man was meant to live. No, you can't change those around you to any noticeable degree - neither in the way they think, talk, nor act. No, the paperwork won't suddenly lessen; the criticisms won't stop; the favoritism won't be eliminated; or the general pettiness won't disappear. None of these things will probably change. Then what will make the difference? You'll change.

You may not be able to escape the same negative or frustrating people and circumstances, but you won't look upon them in the same way either. Their actions won't change; but, your reactions to it all, will. And you'll do it through the power you can always draw from, the power within you. If you make up your mind that no one or nothing will disturb "the calm peace of your soul".... no one or nothing will! You're stronger than you think. You once made the choice (whether consciously or not) to let those around you and the things that happened, bother you. Now, you've taken a new stance or position. You'll remain calm through it all, because to do otherwise, only buys into physical, mental, emotional, and social distress. This is what you want? Also, taking a moment - in the midst of the worst of times - to repeat something that will have a calmly effect almost always helps. My favorite is: "This too shall pass".... and it always does. Note: Old, bad habits really are hard to break. Take heart. With time, you do get better. Also remember, chaos and tension were never meant to be man's natural state; peace and tranquility are.

This power within all of us provides the hope, possibility, and means of achieving all of the promises that are rightfully ours. So in addition to the promise or hope of peace and tranquility, man also has the possibility of gaining many other things, as well: Respect and the feeling of belonging; knowledge and understanding; freedom; love; self-esteem and self-worth; equality; justice and fairness; faith and trust; strength; protection.... and much more.

But having the promise of all these concepts is not the same as them being promised. The former relates to the hope and possibility of their attainment, through the capability within us, ourselves; the latter infers that no matter what we do or don't do, these attributes are ours. This is not the case. Although they may be the very elements that are meant for us, and created to satisfy all our real, human and spiritual needs, they must be claimed by us, starting with our power to believe, to have faith, that this is the case.

To look at this list of achievable promises is to look at a list that also represents many sources of our heartaches and bitterness. This is because we have not always fully understood or successfully mastered how to obtain these legacies, and thus, they're often defined as a classic slate of our problems, weaknesses, and bondage. Until people work to claim their due, as a means toward their betterment, this state of affairs will continue. All that we want and need has been provided for us. But, we have to believe that we have both the power to claim it and the ability to use it wisely....which we do.