stone savage

“The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” - Luke 6:45, NASB

What fills your heart? Fear? Loathing? Love? Loneliness? I could go on naming a million adjectives, and the ultimate reality is that what fills our hearts is all of this. Our hearts are filled to the brim with all of these feelings and states of being - at all times and in all places.

The question before us is… which elements do we choose to be what drives us forward in our life experiences? Do we draw from the desire to “belong"? To be wealthy? To be compassionate? To be selfless? When we look into our soul’s well, what do we see and what do we ignore?

Whatever the failure or accomplishments - what did you end up with seared in your memory? Was it the hope of growing into honorable strength or the shame of a coward running from it instead? Do you know how to tell the difference? There’s an easy way to tell…

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Ask yourself if you had things to do over again - would you do them differently. If you would change anything then you must ask yourself why you aren’t already doing them differently. You see, if you know you started something or ended something badly - and that if you could redo it you would change something about it… the obvious question is, why haven’t you already changed it?

If the answer to that question is one you cannot answer or does not lead you to immediately take action to actually create that change rather than continuing to agonize over why things ended badly or might end badly or have always ended badly or forever will end badly becomes a moot and most irrelevant issue. What you will have discovered in this situation, though you may not come to accept it for a very long time, is that you are not that person of your romanticized ideals nor the person who others admire and respect and turn to for mentorship and advice. Instead you will have proven beyond any doubt - except your own - that you are that other person.

So my advice to you - and take this for what you will - is plain and simple. Be who you wish to be, and realize that who you are being is exactly who you have chosen to be.

That may be a little too existential to some readers of this blog, and if that is the case I look forward to a future entry where I spend more time on this concept. For now, however, I simply ask you to take a very easy and simple statement and turn it over in your mind for a while.

If you wish to be honest - then be honest. If you wish to have integrity - then have integrity. If you wish to be a person of honor - then have honor. If you find that you have none of these things then it should be clear that you are not the person who possesses these qualities. Stop pretending that you are and make a choice to change or to accept who you are.

What comes from your heart - what fills you from the inside - is what there is to give to others. Who you are comes from within and within you is a wealth of capability. Which part of you are you going to allow to grow and fill you to become the part which you give to others?

There is no need to struggle with this idea. It is a very simple and peaceful reality of life. You are who you choose to be. You choose to be who you are. They are tied together and the reality so many people do not understand is that what will be already is - who you can become truly is a part of who you already are.

So, what comes from your heart? What fills you? Who are you to the world? If you are not happy with the answers to those questions, then ask yourself whether you wish to be what you have been, or if who you wish to be is something you’re still figuring out how to become.

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