Big Goals

At the onstart of a fresh year it seems logical to focus on the primary goals we ought to spend our treasure – all of our treasure including mind, spirit, energy, focus, money, health, etc. – so what comes after is useful to all of us. Here are the ones that come to mind most often and with the deepest of conviction:

1. Eliminate oil as the globe's primary energy source
2. Provide education to all people to the extent they need it and can absorb it
3. Encourage all people to fulfill their maximum potential; for self enjoyment, satisfaction, and benefit to others
4. Care for all peoples of the world so we see few distinctions among the many
5. Build lasting world peace 

I know some will leap to the statement, “You gotta be kidding! There’s evil in the world and others are out to get you. You have to protect what you have from the greed of others.”

Well yes, I get that message. The problem is we have normally allowed that message to cloud the existence of the other messages, all good ones. In fact if the good messages were heeded and supported, I suspect the defensive postures would fall by the wayside. If everyone shares the good of the earth and of life itself, why yearn for what others have?

I know the world is not a place of Zen. It is much more chaotic than that. I wonder, though, what would happen if we really, really tried to seek Zen and calm the chaos, long enough for the good messages to be heard. I wonder then if the evil would abate and the good ascend?

Might the end result be worth the risk?

If a person accepts the primary goal of his life to ‘make good things happen’ then it seems to me the rewards will overwhelm the risks quickly. Sure evil, mental illness and crime will continue but hopefully in lesser amounts, yielding to the good that will snuff out their causes. I wonder if this is possible. I wonder if this is too much Utopian thinking on my part. I wonder where I got this form of thinking in the first place.

Our spiritual roots and faith traditions teach us these things. Why then do we not fully extol them and live them fully?

If the opposite of living along this continuum is chaos, crime, death and evil, all very, very bad, then why don’t we attempt to live on the opposite continuum? It seems a logical question to me. What about you? Do you think this impossible?

For the moment let us not ponder improbable. Let’s give ‘possible’ a chance to survive and work its wonders. Now that’s a big goal. Who among us is willing to try?

I’m raising my hand. Yours?

January 2, 2015