What do you strive for?

[Kaspar]

I have been thinking about all the great people and what they stuggled to do for example Nelson Mandela fighting for the end of aparthied and Toussaint L'Ouverture who fought the British, the Spanish and the french to make Haiti then San Domingo the first black slave Republic. He was a slave with no power and managed to raise and army etc.

Personally I think fighting for your country, fighting repression or battling racism or sexism are noble causes. But i think on the other end of the spectrum if you want to fight something negative and destructive its important to have your own positive vibes and support systems so you don't turn into your enemy or lose you own mind.

Reading Nelson Mandelas autobiography he had thousands of things to keep him in good mind. He says he read lots of books that were smuggled in to the prision when he had been imprisioned. He also sand lots of songs and him and his friends who had also been imprisioned with him held lots of educational meetings where each person who tell the rest his knowledge for example the history of south africa, zulu dancing, etc.

I listern to lots of positive music which helps me through tough times and i talk to my parents about things on my mind. I think these are some good things you can do to keep yourself alive and able to cope with the many demands and pressures in life.

Back to the Original question "what do you strive for?" This is about what do you think are good values or morals to lead a good life. Christians follow the ten commandments...
and i follow my own philosophys.

I think that what you think about most, what you study makes you who you are. This for me makes education important. If you still have the skills to make mistakes and learn from them and have an open mind then you will continue to develop your character. I don't think anyone ever reaches the point when they have learnt enough. When they have found the way and dont want to know anything more. The process of finding new things or remembering old things and not getting it right is fundamentally important to living well.

I strive for educating myself and the understanding and acceptance of everyone.

What does everyones else think? Does anyone agree that it is essential to keep learning and seeking things that you like?

I went to church and the preacher said you must keep seeking the lord. You must emmerse youself in the Lord. I am not a christian but I can relate to the idea of filling yourself with positive energy.

Peace.

Kaspar

[Mister Emu]

I strive for many things.

To be the best Christian I can.

To reverse the tide of anti-religious expression here in the U.S.

To halt the multimillion life holocaust of unborn children.

To bring people to know the Lord.

are just a few.

[Blessed87]

What is it that is driving us, shaping our respones, giving us a reason to live just one more day? I have thought on this question recently. No one is without desires and motivations, there's always something, conscious or unconscience, that's controling us.

For me, that driving force, the motivation behind my life is not myself.
It is not.....
my family
my friends
my ego
my self-image
my religion
my fun

All of these have failed me when I felt I needed them most. Who am I, as a speck in this vast world, to say I'm worth someting? To say I should live another day? What determines this? Too often solutions I come up with do not give me fulfillment.

The answer?


I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?

My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.

He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;

indeed, he who watches over Israel
will neither slumber nor sleep.

The LORD watches over you—
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;

the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.

The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

-Psalm 121

[path_of_one]

I strive for love.

Emerging from love of God and love of all beings, can come everything else... ethical action, compassion, peace, joy.

In striving for love I both fight the negative in the world and simultaneously open my heart to the healing energy of loving-kindness.

Of course there are my "pet" projects in the world, those I feel best equipped to help with. But ultimately, it's all about love for me- these are the bonds that unite me with God and all creation.

[Bandit]

Originally Posted by path_of_one

I strive for love.

Emerging from love of God and love of all beings, can come everything else... ethical action, compassion, peace, joy.

In striving for love I both fight the negative in the world and simultaneously open my heart to the healing energy of loving-kindness.

Of course there are my "pet" projects in the world, those I feel best equipped to help with. But ultimately, it's all about love for me- these are the bonds that unite me with God and all creation.

Path, you strive for love only? i strive for wealth, power & fame & lots of cars (teasing)

[Kaspar]

For me love is a two way thing you love something and it loves you back. I would find it difficult to hold my life together over a one way love of something.
How do you do it?

[path_of_one]

Originally Posted by Bandit

Path, you strive for love only? i strive for wealth, power & fame & lots of cars (teasing)

Well, love... and a barn full of horses.

[path_of_one]

Originally Posted by Kaspar

For me love is a two way thing you love something and it loves you back. I would find it difficult to hold my life together over a one way love of something.
How do you do it?

I see love as a state of mind and action that results from choice, rather than a reciprocal relationship. It is seeking to give rather than receive, focused on others rather than self. So I guess part of the point for me is to try to move beyond having expectations for my life at all, to detach from the distinction between myself and God, myself and others, myself and nature. It's a bit of the old adage that there are two ways to achieve happiness- to get what you want, or to change your desires.

Ultimately, my own spiritual experience is that love cannot be a one-way endeavor. It may be so with certain individuals, but in the grand scheme of Reality we are loved. My experience is I am loved back constantly by God, and of course I also regularly get to feel love from sundry others too. There are, of course, people that are difficult to love. In those cases, God's love for me is a well-spring from which I can draw and pass on to others, even if they do not love me back.

[Vajradhara]

Namaste all,


interesting question and responses...


i, such that it is, strive for the ending of birth, old age, sickness and death, not for my sake alone, but for all sentient beings, such as they are.

sometimes, i feel as if i'm making progress in this endeavor.. but, mostly, it is a bit difficult to tell... as i say, i am a very poor Buddhist in most respects.

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

I strive for understanding (and for :kitty: fixes. )

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[InLove]

Hi, and Peace, Everyone--

I try not to "strive" too much--I prefer to "endeavor" (spelling? Been proofreading all day--too tired to look it up) . And I am totally in agreement with Phyllis--understanding is a great endeavor (peace is good, too--as well as clarity of mind, harmony, and wisdom--wisdom of Love, of course. Truth is always a good thing to shoot for, as well)

I do, however, tend to "strive" with deadlines. Been working for hours and hours and--oh poor me!

Phyllis, I just don't understand when my cat has time to come see you--I really do watch her very well, but whenever you post, she is right there. Clever kitty--what do you feed her?.

InPeace,
InLove

[lunamoth]

I strive to live a holy life. I hope that doesn't sound sanctimonious; most of you kind of know me by now, right? But, to me it means trying to discern God's will and then trying to align my life with that.

' course, I fall very far short each day, dust myself off, and try again.

peace,
lunamoth

[Jaiket]

Equality.

Civil liberty.

Humanism.

The end of hate, poverty, and murder.

[Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine]

Originally posted by InLove
Phyllis, I just don't understand when my cat has time to come see you--I really do watch her very well, but whenever you post, she is right there. Clever kitty--what do you feed her?.

I "dose" her with fresh catnip (yeah, I'm turning her into an addict. )

Phyllis Sidhe_Uaine

[hammer]

Having a wonderful time?!!!