Blog entry for:
Wed, Feb 7, 2007 07:55:04 AM
α the hardships of life are a series of cosmic tests designed to teach me something? ω
posted: Wed, Feb 7, 2007 07:55:04 AM
BUT a loving HIGHER POWER does not test my recovery, my character, or my faith. LIFE just happens, and sometimes it hurts!
and sometimes it goes as smooth as silk, no bumps in the road, no awkward situations to extricate myself from, and no drama to deal with. so for me, if i believe that the pain in life is just that, pain that comes from living the human condition, then i cannot believe that the good things that happen are some kind of cosmic reward -- they too are just part of life being subject to the human condition. there is one more corollary i need to express before really diving in to this topic and that is that my experience is that a whole lot of my pain and suffering is the direct result of choices i have made, and the fulfillment of my dreams and goals are also the result of choices i have made.
so in a cosmology of no divine rewards, testes or punishments, where does the will of a HIGHER POWER come in? and exactly where does self-will end?and exactly how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? sounds like i could work myself into quite a tizzy just pondering these imponderable questions. well for one thing, if i was some monk, squirreled away in a retreat or heritage, i would have time to devote to puzzling out the answers to these questions and many more of the mysteries of life. HOWEVER, i have to live in the mundane day to day world of modern society. as a consequence, that means in order to function i NEED to cut to the chase, and that means accepting everything that comes my way as being just what it is -- life on life’s terms. yes there are the wills to contend with my true will, my self will and the will of my HIGHER POWER. the way i cut through all the bullshit about what is what is evaluate whether the results i desire are matching the results i am getting. if those results match, and i like them i must be exercising my true will as it is aligned to the will of my HIGHER POWER. if the results do not match my desired outcome than i probably am exercising self-will in opposition to that of my HIGHER POWER’s. and when something unexpected occurs, as it does every single day, i have the opportunity to learn from it, regardless if i consider that event to be trying, good or bad -- it is simply a function of being human and how i react to it is a function of being a recovering addict. yes i can wail about how unfair and unjust life is, and walk around as a DIVINE VICTIM. i prefer to live my life to the best of my ability and not allow myself to choose to see myself as a victim of any sort. i am entitled to recovery and i am entitled to a life without the use of drugs, BUT those entitlements come with the responsibility that i have to do whatever it takes not to pick-up and use anything today PERIOD. so off to the races and see what life has in store for me today!
and sometimes it goes as smooth as silk, no bumps in the road, no awkward situations to extricate myself from, and no drama to deal with. so for me, if i believe that the pain in life is just that, pain that comes from living the human condition, then i cannot believe that the good things that happen are some kind of cosmic reward -- they too are just part of life being subject to the human condition. there is one more corollary i need to express before really diving in to this topic and that is that my experience is that a whole lot of my pain and suffering is the direct result of choices i have made, and the fulfillment of my dreams and goals are also the result of choices i have made.
so in a cosmology of no divine rewards, testes or punishments, where does the will of a HIGHER POWER come in? and exactly where does self-will end?and exactly how many angels can dance on the head of a pin? sounds like i could work myself into quite a tizzy just pondering these imponderable questions. well for one thing, if i was some monk, squirreled away in a retreat or heritage, i would have time to devote to puzzling out the answers to these questions and many more of the mysteries of life. HOWEVER, i have to live in the mundane day to day world of modern society. as a consequence, that means in order to function i NEED to cut to the chase, and that means accepting everything that comes my way as being just what it is -- life on life’s terms. yes there are the wills to contend with my true will, my self will and the will of my HIGHER POWER. the way i cut through all the bullshit about what is what is evaluate whether the results i desire are matching the results i am getting. if those results match, and i like them i must be exercising my true will as it is aligned to the will of my HIGHER POWER. if the results do not match my desired outcome than i probably am exercising self-will in opposition to that of my HIGHER POWER’s. and when something unexpected occurs, as it does every single day, i have the opportunity to learn from it, regardless if i consider that event to be trying, good or bad -- it is simply a function of being human and how i react to it is a function of being a recovering addict. yes i can wail about how unfair and unjust life is, and walk around as a DIVINE VICTIM. i prefer to live my life to the best of my ability and not allow myself to choose to see myself as a victim of any sort. i am entitled to recovery and i am entitled to a life without the use of drugs, BUT those entitlements come with the responsibility that i have to do whatever it takes not to pick-up and use anything today PERIOD. so off to the races and see what life has in store for me today!
∞ DT ∞
The views expressed on this page are solely the opinion of the author.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
While the author is a member of a 12 Step recovery fellowship, these writings are not intended to endorse or express the published wisdom of any fellowship.
These writings are not meant to be socially or politically correct, and if you take issue with any opinions expressed, please seek the guidance of someone wiser than me.
Another Look!
↔ this is not a test ↔ 314 words ➥ Monday, February 7, 2005 by: donnot↔ life is... ↔ 402 words ➥ Tuesday, February 7, 2006 by: donnot
μ life can be terribly painful at times, but the pain is not inflicted on me by my HIGHER POWER. μ 498 words ➥ Thursday, February 7, 2008 by: donnot
α i came to recovery with the impression that the hardships of life are a series of cosmic tests ω 559 words ➥ Saturday, February 7, 2009 by: donnot
¿ the belief that the hardships of life are some sort of cosmic test ¿ 627 words ➥ Sunday, February 7, 2010 by: donnot
Α i have found a loving, personal HIGHER POWER, to whom i can turn Ω 855 words ➥ Monday, February 7, 2011 by: donnot
♥ there is no harm that life can do me ♥ 840 words ➥ Tuesday, February 7, 2012 by: donnot
• when something traumatic happens and i may be tempted to wail, • 396 words ➥ Thursday, February 7, 2013 by: donnot
♦ i will have faith that the will of the POWER ♦ 678 words ➥ Friday, February 7, 2014 by: donnot
¿ is it really a test of my character , 599 words ➥ Saturday, February 7, 2015 by: donnot
✠ this is ☮ 606 words ➥ Sunday, February 7, 2016 by: donnot
☯ life just happens, ☤ 672 words ➥ Tuesday, February 7, 2017 by: donnot
🌬 a series of 🌡 722 words ➥ Wednesday, February 7, 2018 by: donnot
😬 when something traumatic happens, 😭 576 words ➥ Thursday, February 7, 2019 by: donnot
🗣 testing, testing, 🗫 737 words ➥ Friday, February 7, 2020 by: donnot
💪 testing my recovery, 💀 444 words ➥ Sunday, February 7, 2021 by: donnot
🗹 a series 🗹 401 words ➥ Monday, February 7, 2022 by: donnot
🤕 not a test, 🤒 512 words ➥ Tuesday, February 7, 2023 by: donnot
🌬 recovery makes 🌀 542 words ➥ Wednesday, February 7, 2024 by: donnot
☯ The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao ☯
by Lao-Tse
Translated by James Legge
Book 1
3) (The Tao) produces (all things) and nourishes them; it produces
them and does not claim them as its own; it does all, and yet does
not boast of it; it presides over all, and yet does not control them.
This is what is called 'The mysterious Quality' (of the Tao).