If You - A Note to Self - Francis Berger

If You - A Note to Self

5/30/2019

If you obsess over security, you will not be brave. If you crave comfort above all else, you will not be courageous. If you think and act only when convenient, you will not think or act heroically. If you experience constant anxiety, you will not be free to discover purpose. If you are not free to discover purpose, you will not create. And if you do not create, you will never experience life at its fullest.

2 Comments

Andreas B

6/6/2019 14:39:02

"If you think and act only when convenient, you will not think or act heroically."

I think this is really insightful. For some time I have been very careful about what I say for example in my workplace, always trying to be prudent. In part to avoid being counter-productive in my speech.
Over time I have noticed this have made me less inclined to say or do things, even when it is warranted, even when some higher value is threatened. In order words, it has cultivated a kind of cowardice rather than prudence.

Francis Berger

6/6/2019 15:59:57

@ Andreas - Thanks for the comment. In this post I deliberately avoided speech and focused on thinking and action in this post.

Speech is a tricky issue for me, especially at workplaces. When it comes to speech (which is not free, despite all argument to the contrary), I think it is wise to be prudent because many discussions at work tend to be baited traps.

When confronted with something like this, it is often best to see the thing for what it is and simply say something like, "I would rather not discuss that at the moment" or "That's really interesting. What do you think?" then it would be to take the bait. This is not cowardice, but prudence.

Think of the way Jesus responded when confronted by the Pharisees. He recognized the trap and refused to walk into it. The "render onto Caesar what is Caesar's" response is a perfect example of this.

And even if you feel this is cowardice, at least you can recognize it as such and repent. This approach maintains honesty and integrity. It is imperative to know the difference between courage and foolhardiness. Rash words and impulsive actions are the hallmark of a fool, not a creator.

From a broader perspective, the key to this post was the discovery of purpose. If you begin to orient yourself toward your true purpose, you will begin to recognize those things impeding purpose. Once you recognize these things, you may discover ways to overcome obstacles and make the necessary changes (and perhaps sacrifices) over time. You will begin to think creatively and focus on creating the conditions needed to fulfill your purpose rather than reacting to preconditioned behaviors and expectations.

Thinking is free and that is where creation starts.

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If You - A Note to Self

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