Learn the Earth and you’ll find your worth.
Cring talks about philosophies–what he calls a list of “ists”–and tracks them to their conclusions while giving great impetus to three ways to live this life.
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Where shall I begin? I do not want to become so informative that I slide into the great deadly pit of boredom.
So, I will do it quickly and then, if for some reason you miss something, you can replay it, and if you still missed it, I was probably too dumb to put it in.
THE MATERIALIST
Yes, the first “ist” in our list of “ists.”
A materialist is someone who evaluates their life on how much goods, property, stocks, bonds, cash and real estate they possess.
All of you ancient sorts out there may remember the song Madonna once sang:
I am a material girl,
Living in a material world.
THE ATHEIST
The materialist is different from the atheist, who believes our lives are just like the animal kingdom, and we can do with it what we want, because when we die we will spend all of our time in the ground. What you might call a “grave conclusion.”
THE HUMANIST
This person could be an atheist but possesses a bit more conscience and wants to leave behind a legacy of purpose and goodness.
THE BUDDHIST
This is a follower of Buddha, who believes in an ascending consciousness, where he escapes the dastardly need to want.
THE RELIGIONIST
These are the folks who believe that the many faiths on earth are there because the perilous predicaments on Earth and the adherents are allowed heavenly reward.
All of these “ists” have individual philosophies and, as with every point of view, their own ideas on how everything ends up.
The MATERIALIST keeps hoping he or she will be able to garner enough cash to buy whatever they want, not caring about what lies beyond the final breath.
The ATHEIST is completely convinced that the tomb is our gloom.
The HUMANIST doesn’t really know what happens after we are drained of all our blood and put in the ground or set on fire. He believes the power is in the effort we leave behind.
The BUDDHIST believes in reincarnation. Yes, we keep coming back and trying it again, like audiences returning to watch the Oscars every year, hoping it will be better.
As I mentioned, the RELIGIONIST is positive there is a great eternal life for those who manage to survive the dreariness of this lifespan.
But what is the truth of the matter? All of these “ists” fail miserably if they don’t understand a few important facts about life on Earth. So here they are:
THREE THINGS THAT MAKE EARTH WORK
Honestly, if you don’t learn these three, you’ll spend most of your time here snarling a lot and getting pissed off at getting held up during the drive-through lanes
Nothing happens of any quality—nothing grows and nothing prospers if we don’t:
First: LOVE LIFE
Any philosophy that tries to trim off our enjoyment of life is anti-Earth and will rob us of all the benefits that come our way by being able to breathe air.
Love life. It is the deep appreciation in our soul for every single moment we are allowed to walk, travel, scoot, crawl or habitate in any form on this beautiful planet.
When you remove the love of life, you take away the passion of the human soul. Anyone who sits around and takes cheap shots at the Earth, trying to make him or herself look spiritual or overly intelligent, is actually a thief, stealing human travelers of the greatest blessing of all:
“Good morning, life. I was so hoping you would show up. Now, what shall we do?”
How about a second one? No matter what kind of “ist” you are involved in, if you want to make progress as a pilgrim and learner on this planet, you must:
Number Two: CHALLENGE YOUR TALENT
No, you can’t say, “This is the one thing I do and it damn well better be good enough.”
Honestly, folks, it damn well is not. The Earth was created for those who are prepared to evolve, expand, create, and multiply.
And in so doing, they replenish their lives and surroundings.
Take your talent, learn it well, be grateful for it, and then ask it to do things that it has not yet envisioned.
If you involved in an “ist” that does not believe we have to be quite so intense or involved with our efforts, then honestly, you joined the wrong club.
So, Number 1: Love Live
Number 2: Challenge Your Talent
Which leads to:
Number Three: ALWAYS RESPOND; NEVER REACT
Your reaction will always be suspect. It can be tainted by a flair in your ego. Maybe you had insomnia last night. Maybe somebody told you that a different color skin should be treated differently. Your reaction is a tape that keeps playing the same program over and over again. That’s what a reaction is.
What you want is a RESPONSE. And a response takes time—at least the amount of time required to “turn the other cheek.” Or to pray for those who mistreat you.
It doesn’t make you weak—it gives you the power to select for yourself, instead of conjuring some ancestral tribal fit of retribution and hurting those around you without even knowing why you did it.
If you and I do not gain the power of our own choice, but instead, follow the dictates of our genetics and culture, then it does not matter what “ist” we represent, we end up foolish and diminished.
You can feel free to worry about what happens after you die. You can be cynical about it. You can contend that karma will give you another chance (even though you may return in an inferior position).
But if you really want to be a solid human being, you will learn the Earth and find your worth, you will:
- Love Life
- Challenge your talent instead of letting it snooze
- And you will respond instead of react–selecting your own personal, favored byline.
And if you learn these, when your name is mentioned what will be said about you?
“A lover of life, always expanding his or her talent, and patient with the world around.”
So, the good news is, if you want to be part of an “ist” from the list, then learn the Earth.
And the better news is, if you learn the Earth, your life will be so full that whether it’s going to be the grave or the sky, you will end up joyously finding your worth.
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