A Guild for the Advanced Soul

So I was thinking about some stuff that was upsetting me, political stuff mostly, when I decided to pull out A Guild for the Advanced Soul, a book with quotes from various people on various things. On the cover it says “Hold a problem in your mind. Open this book to any page and there will be your answer”. Well I have done this before and it works well. The secret of this book isn’t magic (it could be that too) but the fact that EVERY quote is a good one and even if it doesn’t apply to your thoughts, it’s still an up lifting quote that makes you feel better. Still about two out of three times it seems spot on. (for my more scientific friends I put in the word “seems” as I haven't actually done a test to check the numbers and YES I do know that my expectations can taint my perceptions) This time it hit me in the GUT, like it was a loan shark and I was a guy who had just lost a big bet. The quote it gave was this:
“Be aware of the reality of your feelings. As you become more aware of your beliefs over a period of them, you will see how they bring forth certain feelings automatically. A man who is sure of himself is NOT angry at every slight done to him, nor does he carry grudges. A man who fears for his own worth, however, IS furious under such conditions. The free flow of your emotions will always lead you back to your conscious beliefs if you do not impede them.”
Jane Roberts
“Ok, Bradleyman, what’s your point” I hear you ask “What has that quote to do with ANYTHING”
Glad you asked. I was becoming once again angry at both political parties (If you didn’t see that as part of the problem then this must be the first time you have read my blog, Welcome) and unreasonably so. The “I called you a traitor for not supporting the President during the Bush years, but say worse things about Obama and am too stupid to see it’s the same thing” branch of the Republicans and the “Look we are nicer then they are so please ignore the Two years we controlled the congress under Bush AND the fact that we can’t get ANYTHING done even with a president who matches us” Democrats, had combined in my head to make the “Two big groups who don’t have a single person capable of admitting that a mistake even could be made, much less need fixing” a monster that was causing me to RAGE. If we believe the above quote (and I do), that means I am unsure of my political position.
To quote the old Batman Show “,ZOT! POW BAM!!!!” WHAT!!! Ouch... It was true, I am uncertain. Despite planting my feet firmly on about three issues, and stubbornly refusing to be a party to either party, I am uncertain on A LOT of political stuff. I DO NOT have the answers for many issues, not do I know anyone who does. The one thing I am sure of, on a deeply personal level is that niter of the big two parties in this country have the answers either. However, that I know they are both wrong, doesn’t mean I have clue one what the right answers are, and not having those answers is indeed the source of my frustration which sadly keeps turning in to anger. Once it becomes anger I direct my energies at being mad rather than at a possible solution. Now I’m not saying I would have an idea or the energy to enact it, just because I had the idea, but I might, or some else might have the time and energy if I told them. However I CAN NOT have an idea while being pointlessly angry.
So what am I going to do? I am going to try to maintain my cool while becoming certain in my convictions. I am going to try to aloe the free flow of my emotions to lead me back to my conscious beliefs, and try not to impede them. This will be hard in the face or Republicans who think defending a traitorous war monger is in some way moral, or Democrats who think spending lots of the money while talking much and doing little is a good way to govern. It will be hard while I don’t have at least an idea of an answer to not attack the inaccurate ideas of both parties. It will be hard, and this paragraph shows me I have a long way to go. It will be hard, but it HAS to be better than being frustrated and disappointed. It will be hard BUT it will be worth it.
Now don’t fear reader this doesn’t mean I won’t be blogging or even that I won’t be ranting about these things in my blog. I have other things I can blog about and hopefully I can make my political rants amusing again. Also I have a LONG way to go and there is a still lot of time for both parties to annoy me.
However, my new goal is not to take quite so personally all of this political BS that is thrown at me by the big two. After all if they are angry enough to yell, or accuse the other side while ignoring their own problems, or post NOTHING but political comments, links, and blogs then they are according to the above NOT sure of themselves either, and knowing that about all of them (you?) I can relax a little.
So here’s to being calm and rational
Bradleyman