"laestadian, apostolic, gay, lgbtq, ex-oalc, ex-llc, llc, oalc, bunner" LEARNING TO LIVE FREE: What We Choose to Emphasize

Sunday, January 26, 2014

What We Choose to Emphasize

This came across my Facebook page yesterday, shared by several friends.

I thought it worth posting here.
"To be hopeful in bad times is not just foolishly romantic. It is based on the fact that human history is a history not only of cruelty, but also of compassion, sacrifice, courage, kindness. 
What we choose to emphasize in this complex history will determine our lives. 
If we see only the worst, it destroys our capacity to do something. If we remember those times and places--and there are so many--where people have behaved magnificently, this gives us the energy to act, and at least the possibility of sending this spinning top of a world in a different direction. And if we do act, in however small a way, we don't have to wait for some grand utopian future.  
The future is an infinite succession of presents, and to live now as we think human beings should live, in defiance of all that is bad around us, is itself a marvelous victory."
-- Howard Zinn

5 comments:

  1. I LOVE Howard Zinn! He is one of my heroes. Good quote. Thank you for posting this, Free. SISU

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    1. My pleasure, SISU. I've been thinking about how we are so privileged here, first just being alive, and then all the other things we take for granted, including shelter, safety, fresh water, good food, let alone the ability to lead interesting and creative lives.
      It seems to me that the older I get, the more responsibility I feel to make a positive contribution. Less navel-gazing, more elbow grease!

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    2. The Finn in me has such a hard time with it, though! I still have a tendency to do a lot of navel-gazing. SISU

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  2. I have been wondering a lot lately if we are in hell right now. I wonder if God is made in the image of man, does he make mistakes, do bad things, regret, abandon, and forsake us as we do each other? I don't know. I've fought depression all my life and have not bought the program that God is perfect. Maybe all we can do is keep trying to ma a good life anyway, love like crazy, try to forgive and just hope there is something better than this after we die. I would hate to think it's more of same. Someone said we choose out soul family before we come here. We do it for our self-actualization while we're here. I wonder. I wonder if it's just some great big oops, and it just sucks to be us and all we can do is help each other through it. Shrug.......

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  3. I have been somewhat of a critical person all of my life. As of late my attention has been drawn to the verse in the Bible, our words speak either life or death. Then this anology came to me, our words are like fresh air or carbon monoxide. What are we breathing? What is our family made to breath? I know I have to change and watch my tongue.

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