“There is something in the human spirit that will survive and prevail, there is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out no matter how dark the world becomes.”
~Leo Tolstoy~
I've been thinking lots about the human spirit lately..... mostly in terms of the will to survive, to keep fighting for life.... not giving up.... especially when all hope seems lost. What is it about that will to keep going? And let me just say right here, this hasn't been because I've been thinking of throwing in the towel.... nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, my only fear of dying is that I can't imagine being any happier than I am right now and (though I believe quite differently) what if..... what if???.....the next life isn't as good as this one? Deep down I really know it will be more amazing than I can imagine, but I love my life!! There's nothing I would change about it..... except maybe that yucky 'L' word..... ya know, the one that rhymes with 'dufus' and 'Rufus' (well, sort of).
Anyway..... it's mostly been on my mind because of how I stand in awe at witnessing the lives of others..... some close to me, and others I only read or hear about. And I guess I question that if I were in their place, would my spirit, my will, be strong enough, enduring enough, resilient enough, to keep going?
And so I've been googling this subject a lot lately..... with so-so results. I haven't hit exactly dead on the answers I've been looking for yet..... mostly about the enduring will to keep going even when it seems that everything ahead is a darkened tunnel, no light anywhere. However, the article below did touch on a few things I was questioning..... mainly on our dealings with others.... and so I've decided to include it.
Those answers of "why yes! this speaks to my soul!" still allude me....
The Plight of the Human Spirit
POSTED ON AUGUST 30, 2014 BY NOLLYODBANKS
The human spirit is a fragile and powerful thing that does wonders to affect and be affected by others. Does it not amaze you that people can be as powerful and magnetic like Oprah or Beyoncé yet petty and childish like that one friend in your circle?
The human spirit is an amazing disposition born into the human world bound, blessed and cursed to experience other souls trapped in fickle, flawed and desperately fragile human form. It is this by this misfortune of being trapped in human forms, forms that are different in all their unique ways that makes it so easy to think that every spirit is different. Every soul is basically good. You will make bad decisions, unforgivable mistakes and never to be spoken of poor judgement of a situation but you have a soul that is basically good. The goodness of that soul comes from a need to grow, learn, evolve and soak up the goodness that lies within and can be found within the warm depths of other such souls.
Being trapped in human form, it is easy to forget that you are as perfect as the next soul and therefore that much more acceptable to criticize the exterior of another soul which can often not be helped. Ask yourself what feeds your soul? What pond of soul quenching refreshment soothes you? Is it the knowledge granted to you by others? Is it the tears of others that come provoked by your cruelty or lack of kindness? Is it perhaps your success and that of your peers? Is it making your parents proud or is it getting an applause from your peers for committing to deplete the moment of joy from another soul, stealing a moment of pride or love by laughing at its source and validity for them? What makes you happy dear soul? What makes your spirit prosper and open up like a honey comb and ooze sweet nectar that can feed those around you with its sweetness? What makes your spirit crack, break and shatter into a million bitter pieces whose shards will pierce the eyes of those who witness your life and hurt the bare feet of those passing by in hopes of knowing you better?
By nature humans seek to be similar so as to fit in, but our human spirits know better for as strong as they are they are strong enough to be unique. All human spirits are basically good, that is the only similarity that counts and that is the only similarity that should guide us all to seek our differences. You will not be alone and lonely when you find out that you are different because if every soul determined how they are different, then we would be together in our “loneliness”. The difference between people is not one that can be fought or should be shunned, if anything is should be the deep pond that we all share in and enjoy to improve each other. There will come a time when our bodies decay and all that will be left is a memory, a eulogy and a stone. Let that memory be one that you are proud to make, that eulogy your favourite story to read and that stone a set of words that you wouldn’t exchange for the top selling hit of lyrics.
There is no valid enough reason to wish ill mental, physical or emotional health on another human spirit; that is an invitation for a dark cloud to come true upon your own life. There is very little reason to believe that another human spirit can be that depleted, however we are trapped in flawed forms and as unimaginable as that might be we live deep within it. If there is any hope at all for freedom from all of the struggles that we put our perfect strong souls through it is surely to come through death where our souls will hopefully find peace in non-human form.
~Leo Tolstoy~
I've been thinking lots about the human spirit lately..... mostly in terms of the will to survive, to keep fighting for life.... not giving up.... especially when all hope seems lost. What is it about that will to keep going? And let me just say right here, this hasn't been because I've been thinking of throwing in the towel.... nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, my only fear of dying is that I can't imagine being any happier than I am right now and (though I believe quite differently) what if..... what if???.....the next life isn't as good as this one? Deep down I really know it will be more amazing than I can imagine, but I love my life!! There's nothing I would change about it..... except maybe that yucky 'L' word..... ya know, the one that rhymes with 'dufus' and 'Rufus' (well, sort of).
Anyway..... it's mostly been on my mind because of how I stand in awe at witnessing the lives of others..... some close to me, and others I only read or hear about. And I guess I question that if I were in their place, would my spirit, my will, be strong enough, enduring enough, resilient enough, to keep going?
And so I've been googling this subject a lot lately..... with so-so results. I haven't hit exactly dead on the answers I've been looking for yet..... mostly about the enduring will to keep going even when it seems that everything ahead is a darkened tunnel, no light anywhere. However, the article below did touch on a few things I was questioning..... mainly on our dealings with others.... and so I've decided to include it.
Those answers of "why yes! this speaks to my soul!" still allude me....
The Plight of the Human Spirit
POSTED ON AUGUST 30, 2014 BY NOLLYODBANKS
The human spirit is a fragile and powerful thing that does wonders to affect and be affected by others. Does it not amaze you that people can be as powerful and magnetic like Oprah or Beyoncé yet petty and childish like that one friend in your circle?
The human spirit is an amazing disposition born into the human world bound, blessed and cursed to experience other souls trapped in fickle, flawed and desperately fragile human form. It is this by this misfortune of being trapped in human forms, forms that are different in all their unique ways that makes it so easy to think that every spirit is different. Every soul is basically good. You will make bad decisions, unforgivable mistakes and never to be spoken of poor judgement of a situation but you have a soul that is basically good. The goodness of that soul comes from a need to grow, learn, evolve and soak up the goodness that lies within and can be found within the warm depths of other such souls.
Being trapped in human form, it is easy to forget that you are as perfect as the next soul and therefore that much more acceptable to criticize the exterior of another soul which can often not be helped. Ask yourself what feeds your soul? What pond of soul quenching refreshment soothes you? Is it the knowledge granted to you by others? Is it the tears of others that come provoked by your cruelty or lack of kindness? Is it perhaps your success and that of your peers? Is it making your parents proud or is it getting an applause from your peers for committing to deplete the moment of joy from another soul, stealing a moment of pride or love by laughing at its source and validity for them? What makes you happy dear soul? What makes your spirit prosper and open up like a honey comb and ooze sweet nectar that can feed those around you with its sweetness? What makes your spirit crack, break and shatter into a million bitter pieces whose shards will pierce the eyes of those who witness your life and hurt the bare feet of those passing by in hopes of knowing you better?
By nature humans seek to be similar so as to fit in, but our human spirits know better for as strong as they are they are strong enough to be unique. All human spirits are basically good, that is the only similarity that counts and that is the only similarity that should guide us all to seek our differences. You will not be alone and lonely when you find out that you are different because if every soul determined how they are different, then we would be together in our “loneliness”. The difference between people is not one that can be fought or should be shunned, if anything is should be the deep pond that we all share in and enjoy to improve each other. There will come a time when our bodies decay and all that will be left is a memory, a eulogy and a stone. Let that memory be one that you are proud to make, that eulogy your favourite story to read and that stone a set of words that you wouldn’t exchange for the top selling hit of lyrics.
There is no valid enough reason to wish ill mental, physical or emotional health on another human spirit; that is an invitation for a dark cloud to come true upon your own life. There is very little reason to believe that another human spirit can be that depleted, however we are trapped in flawed forms and as unimaginable as that might be we live deep within it. If there is any hope at all for freedom from all of the struggles that we put our perfect strong souls through it is surely to come through death where our souls will hopefully find peace in non-human form.