Abraham Lincoln – Laugh your way to peace, love and joy

Thoughts to Ponder, September 28, 2016

“Truth is always calm. Still. Quietly and intensely alive.”

Martha Beck*

That quote seems contrary to the way most of us think. We can all remember various famous people who spoke with anger and derision in their voices. They shouted their beliefs loudly and repeatedly to convince others to their points of view. A few that come to my mind are various rulers who sought/seek to conquer, politicians wanting to make a point and preachers seeking converts. They persuaded many to follow their teachings, but were ultimately deposed or faded from public awareness. We read about them in historic and current books that show us the folly of their stances and their short lived dominance and fame.

Many of us still think that the loudest person wins the argument. Today’s politicians, commentators, co-workers and neighbors try to prove that point daily. They think that many big words and volume are persuasive. Instead of being persuaded, we are tempted to argue. Soon people are taking sides and trying to see who can yell the loudest.

On the other hand we find that teachers like Jesus, Marcus Aurelius, the Buddha, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Dr. M.L. King, the Dalai Lama, Pope Francis and many others spoke/speak their truth calmly, quietly and eloquently. Their teachings have stayed with us for generations. We can feel the truth of what they had/have to say.

If we emulate those teachers I mentioned and others like them, we will find that we will be more persuasive and, overall, the world will be quieter and calmer. It’s hard to argue with someone who quietly states the truth with knowledge and wisdom. If we disagree with their premise, we tend to copy that person’s speech patterns which results in a discussion rather than an argument. Discussion solves many more problems than do arguments.

Spirit,

Thank you for showing us that quiet and calm speaks the truth better than anger and intensity. We choose to live our lives quietly, calmly and persuasively.

And, so it is.

*Martha’s Daily Inspiration, September 15, 2016, info@marthabeck.com

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net, http://energywriter.me “Laugh your way to peace, love and joy” Author of Echoes of your Choices, 2016, available as an e-book or paperback at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and other online sites.

Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists, Voices of Williamsburg Toastmasters Club.

“Your individuality is the most valuable thing you have.”

Martha Beck

“All that we are is the result of what we have thought.”

Buddha

Message

Life takes many twists and turns. It leads us up and down hills, eventually to the beach. Often we slog through a few swamps or deserts on our way to the beach.

As children and young adults we are taught:

You were born to be poor. So accept it.
This family has been farmers since 1607, so that is your destiny.
College is for people who are too lazy to work for a living

Somehow, we know deep inside that we belong on the beach. We can be rich, city people or well-educated. We don’t know how we know, but we do. So we nurture those thoughts in secret until one day they burst into bloom. Then we know that we have to move forward or die inside. We were not meant to be the person that we were told we should be. It is time to move forward.

This applies to our personalities as well as our outside lives. We may have grown up in a dour family, but our natural inclination is a sunny personality. We, like Ebenezer Scrooge, can through off life’s hard lessons and become the person we really are. We can be the person who “is the result of what we have thought.” When we reach that point we realize we no longer have to “fit in” but that our “individuality is the most valuable thing” we have.

So what if you want to be an artist or an actor. We must follow our inside path, no matter what our age. Grandma Moses became a famous artist in her 80s. Others have blossomed late as well.

One example is Abraham Lincoln. He was born to be a poor farmer, yet he sought to learn whenever and wherever he could. I doubt he ever thought he’d be a United States President during our nation’s most serious crisis. But he knew he didn’t belong on the farm and he followed that path. His life story doesn’t indicate that he was happy, but he knew he was doing what he was put on Earth to do.

No matter our age or station in life, we can look inside and know who we are supposed to be. We can recognize those thoughts we’ve nurtured and begin to live by their wisdom. What others think no longer matters. We become what we think we are.

Meditation

Creator Spirit,

Thank you for planting a seed inside us that guides us to our real selves. Thank you for nurturing it while we face challenges and must keep the seed hidden. We are grateful when the day comes that we can let the seed grow and we finally become who we really are.

And so it is.

Sharon D. Dillon, energywriter@cox.net and Laugh your way to peace, love and joy at http://energywriter.me

Chesapeake Bay Writers, Erma Bombeck Writers Workshop, Southern Humorists, National Society of Newspaper Columnists

Author of one of 14 stories in The Book of Mom: Reflections of Motherhood with Love, Hope and Faith, published by booksyoucantrust.com. Available in print and e-format at Amazon.com

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