As I have gotten older I see now that truth and certainty are not absolutes but are only relative. Each person will have a different perception of what is true and certain in any situation.
The mistake I see made often is to believe that our absolutes are real and the only way things could be. We insist we are right. We insist that we know the truth.
Why is it that we seldom consider other options or points of view before deciding how we should respond or act in a situation? Sometimes there is no time to think. Other times our ego makes us blind to different possibilities. Complicated, isn’t it?
Alignment is a modern word for me. Growing up, my parents never talked about whether they were aligned with their family, their faith, their values or their beliefs. They were who they were and felt comfortable being who they were.
Today, I sometimes feel, we more easily stray from who we really are. We are more scared to become and express who we are for fear of rejection or disappointment. We don’t take time to think possibly that there may be other possibilities or points of view. We are so certain of what there is we convince ourselves that it can be no other way.
We have no alignment in our lives. Only extremes and absolutes. Technology steers us to thinking we always know. We choose what to read, see, and watch through technology. Our technology seldom presents us with a different point of view because we only visit sites we enjoy and that confirm our world view.
During this process, our egos become stronger yet more fragile at the same time. They become the aliens that have invaded our lives much like in a movie.
We choose absolutes instead of alignment. Believing we are right is much easier than seeking out different points of view before deciding if we are right.
Because of our rush to absolutes we need to be more like a fisherman than a race car driver. The race car driver has a clear idea of the goal. There is clarity that only the brute force and speed of his car can get him there. The race car driver is like the person who only believes in absolutes. That he or she is always right and they will race ahead believing “the world be damned”. Regardless of the outcome or degree of frustration.
The fisherman, on the other hand, moves his boat, changes his lure, and waits for the best conditions to try to catch fish. He aligns his movements, his actions, and his relationships with nature to reach his maximize his chances at reaching his goal to catch fish. He doesn’t trust only himself and doesn’t believe in absolutes. He always is watching to see what he missed.
He is willing to listen and adjust to better reach his goal.
Become like a fisherman. Leave your ego at the dock. Push the alien inside of you back. Listen, learn, watch, and adjust. It may make things much easier for you in the end.