Life is a Ladder to Our Highest Selves

As much as we'd like to think, once born into this world, we really have very little control over anything - I believe our paths are laid with predestined events and circumstances we must encounter to grow; our free will lies between the cracks of that path. I see our free will to be much like a river, cutting through the land over years and years and years. I believe that we as humans are incredibly blessed to be given the choice of free will; with each new day, we have the awesome chance to learn, to alter ways of thinking, and improve our lives and ourselves. With such a powerful tool at our disposal, it’s important to use it wisely but with even that in mind, we will never stop making mistakes - it’s an unfortunate side effect of being human. And we can’t avoid facing tragedy and sadness. Once again, an unfortunate but necessary side effect of being human. But I feel in my heart, it all happens for one purpose - we are meant to find, through living, our higher selves.

I believe it’s perhaps important to not see the events that happen in our lives as the basis for our growth, but our reaction to them. The emphasis and the majority of our learning comes from how we react to our environment and to others, the outer stimuli just lays the groundwork for that learning. If the singular goal of life is to meet our higher selves, no matter the differences in our lives and the paths we go down, it all leads to the same realization. Mistakes will be made, maybe the same mistake even twice or more, and we will face suffering. The essence of our character is built upon our being open to learn, to shed unproductive ways of thinking, to admit when we’re wrong in our actions and reactions and to face with courage challenging and sometimes painful events, strong in the belief that we are capable of growth and that our real selves can never truly be broken, for our souls are always there. . . just waiting to be met.