“The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by.”
— Felix Adler
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We always get to go first.
It might be a bit of a nuisance – it would be nice if we didn’t have to take the lead, but the truth is you get what you give. The seeds you plant are the fruits you harvest, and all that good stuff.
Karma baby!
Instead of waiting to be introduced, introduce yourself. Instead of waiting for people to smile, stick your tongue out. Instead of hoping that they will give you what you want, ask for it, see what happens.
Instead of unconsciously doing life the way everyone else does, regularly stop and take stock, take a bearing to see if it’s working for you. And if it’s not, change it up, head down a path that works for you.
We get to go first.
But it’s liberating in the end, when you get used to getting over yourself and just move forward, because you’re not waiting for someone else.
You’re creating life as you see fit, as you want it, regardless of what other people may do or not do.
And this is a key point –
One of the biggest sources of disappointment, disillusionment, and/or resentment is looking to a group of people to fulfil an ideal or a value of your own.
Other people – a tribe! – is important to us. People on the same wavelength, with a similar vision and values is a wonderful thing. We need other people.
But!
It’s important not to rely on them to give you what you value.
They can help, but so often other people will disappoint. In fact, one person can ruin your relationship with the whole group and what you thought the group stood for. One person can ruin your whole relationship with the ideal itself.
I was with a cool group of people last week and this was one of the main threads of our conversations – other people and how they frustrate and disappoint us.
But it wasn’t really about the others’ action or lack of action – it was about the ideal that they thought they’d bought into.
When the ideal is compromised, it’ll really throw you – you start to doubt that the ideal you so valued could exist at all.
Hey –
Don’t give one person that power. Don’t give anyone that power.
Other people will always disappoint your values for that precise reason – your values are not their values.
You get to go first.
It’s a little bit heroic, in the original sense of the ancient Greek where hero means “protector” or “defender”.
A hero is a tall tree that nurtures smaller trees so they can get established.
A hero takes what they experience and instead of unconsciously passing it on, transmutes it into something higher. A hero turns abuse and confusion and neglect into support and understanding and kindness.
As such, heroes are not just protectors of people, but of ideals and values.
Whose ideals? Yours. The highest ones you can imagine.
Just because someone else has fallen short, don’t wait for someone else to defend or model what you know to be true and right.
You get to go first. Even, and especially, when you have to take a deep breath before you do.
This is the courage of a hero – to put their heart and soul on the line for what they know to be true. It may not feel like a blazing light, as our man Felix puts it in the beginning quote, but nonetheless, you create an example others can follow.
It’s your own journey, and a tribe can help, it really can. But you get to go first, always.
And what a ride that is!
Go well, and have fun with it.
Arjuna
PS.
Next Ascension meditation course is 12-14 April (starts 7pm Friday).
It’s not “just” meditation – it’s a way of getting out of your limited and negative thinking habits and aligning you with what you know to be true.
It’ll increase your energy and lighten your load so you can follow the heroes path – your path.
Sustenance to live a life you love.
Let me know if you want details, hit reply or comment with “interested” and I’ll get them to you. Talk soon.