We discussed in the previous article how you could begin to learn more about ourselves. I would like to continue on this line of thought and build on it.
What I think we all need and would assist us in this job is what is called in Hebrew “hitboninute”. This is, lets say, referring to actively being perceptive. If we will go through life without perception we will not only miss out on important opportunities but we will be living a very superficial way.
We will miss out on the chances to recognize ourselves. We run the danger of getting caught up with petty problems and living our lives without the main character-me!. The media assists the world today to live in this way. The superficial advertisements and the types of highly visual graphical experiences ofered take us more away from ourselves.
The famous work on Jewish ethics called “Mesilat Yesharim” The Path of the Just” describes the danger of this way of living. He compares this with someone going along the edge of a river with their eyes closed; a very dangerous situation indeed. He describes an even worse scenario. A person can start thinking that which is really evil or dangerous and harmful as being good positive and helpful. A person lives literally in the dark. The Mesilat Yesharimg compares this person to someone in the dark. Sometimes in the dark a persons eyes play tricks on them. They can mistake a pole for a person. In life it is no different. If someone goes through life in the dark they will also likely make similar mistakes, but with more serious consequences. How many “isms” and cults such mistaken and backward thinking has started?
Now is a time that we should try to evaluate how we are livening our lives? Are we using our perception to gain more understanding of ourselves and how to take that information and carry it further?
Could it be that we are afraid to meet ourselves like I referred to in the article called “Meeting A Stranger- Yourself” Why should I be afraid? Well maybe there are negative aspects that I rather not deal with? Or maybe I don’t want the responsibility of realizing my good and powerful traits? The first step in this undertaking is and openness and honesty to accept ourselves and be willing to be a little bit more aware about ourselves.
I would like to present the following equation as food for thought-
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