Somewhere in the world today at this very moment, a middle-aged husband and father of young children is being told by his doctor that he has only months to live; a mother is learning that her child has died; and somewhere in the world today, someone will come within a heartbeat of death and have a completely different perspective on life...
Do you think any of those three people are concerned about the "financial crisis?" Do you think they are thinking of money, material wealth or social status now?
Often it takes some kind of shock for us to realign our priorities.
Let's reflect on a few thoughts from historic figures, both ancient and modern, that have been faced with extreme challenges that make our current financial fears seem like just a speck of dust to be flicked off of our shoulders...
"I tell you that virtue is not given by money, but that from virtue comes money and every other good of man." ~ Socrates, from The Death of Socrates, as quoted by Plato.
Socrates was known for his belief in the virtues of contentment and self-awareness. He lived a very frugal and simple life and could often be spotted observing Athenians at the market making their purchases. When his students asked about this, he replied, "I love to go and see all the things I am happy without."
Socrates' pursuit of virtue and his strict adherence to truth clashed with the "might makes right" and increasingly immoral path of Athenian politics and society of the time. Socrates was given an ultimatum to denounce his philosophies or be forced to die by drinking a cup of hemlock. Socrates chose death...
"When we are no longer able to change a situation -- we are challenged to change ourselves." ~ Viktor Frankl
Victor Frankl, Jewish psychiatrist, author and Nazi concentration camp survivor, observed human behavior in the concentration camps. He noticed some people died, others didn't -- and it was tied in no way to physical strength.
Frankl concluded that the most important driving life force for man was the search for meaning. Every human being has to have a task, it doesn't matter what it is but it must be his own. Without meaning to live for, the energy to pursue life is diminished.
"If your kids want to paint their bedroom, let 'em do it. Don't worry about the resale value on the Randy Pausch, after given a six-month sentence to live, gave a moving speech to his colleagues and students at Carnegie Mellon University. There was not even one mention of money, material wealth or social status in his last lecture… He mostly spoke of his life's adventures, passions and relationships. "What is important in life is life, and not the result of life." ~ Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe If you do anything today and this weekend, please take a moment to recognize your greatest priorities. Would you rather have health or wealth? Would you rather have strong personal relationships or strong personal finance? We were born with nothing and we will die with nothing. Now go hug someone you love, embrace life Turn off the media noise and tune in to your life… Related Posts: Mind vs Brain Part 2: Priorities, Pursuits & Productivity house." ~ Randy Pausch
and thank God for the opportunity to realign your priorities today. Do it now.
Andrew & Padre:
You both address, in my humble opinion, the idea of "being and nothingness," which is fundamentally a Taoist belief but also propelled in some ways by Hegel.
I like these quotes both from the same philosopher, Ram Dass:
"Resistance to the unpleasant situation is the root of all suffering."
"You spent the first half of your life becoming somebody. Now you can work on becoming nobody, which is really somebody. For when you become nobody there is no tension, no pretense, no one trying to be anyone or anything. The natural state of the mind shines through unobstructed -- and the natural state of the mind is pure love."
Posted by: Kent @ The Financial Philosopher | October 12, 2008 at 11:09 PM