Wednesday, May 8, 2013

"Title"


As a man, a son, a brother, and a friend, I contemplate just what is my role in the world? Why am I here? And although this is a very vague question that can be taken in many different directions, my thought process wanders inconspicuously in a way not many people my age think.  As a human, we all have titles (Father, Mother, boss, employee, doctor, ect.) correct? And we earn those titles either by marriage, by working your way to a diploma and gaining a job, and proceeding to excel at that job.  But, before you ever “earn” a title, you do in fact have one.  What is this nonsense in which I speak? Let me clarify.  Just as every person is given a name at birth, every person is meant to play a role on this planet. You were put here for a reason.  Although I am a highly religious man, I will refrain from making this a matter of faith.
The point in which I am trying to make is that a title can be given, but the most important title is given to you.  You have the title of human.  With that title you can lead many different directions, positive and negative. This direction in which you perceive your “title” is how you lead your life. Every person is given an opportunity to do great things. Each person has talents, some undiscovered, and some that will benefit the world in a form or fashion.  The thought process each person has leads to the degree in which the talents you are given are used.
So how do we demonstrate our maximum potential as human beings?  Allow your mind to see past life’s everyday frustrations and tragedies and move in a direction swaying from the norm.  Sounds easy enough, right? So why isn’t every human being meeting their full potential and the world full of peaches and cream by now?  Easy, that takes effort.  Human nature is slothful and I am as guilty as anyone.  And as slothful as we are, we are just as vain, selfish, vindictive, and angry.  Someone has wronged you.  Your parents are not the parents you feel you should have had.  Your girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse left you with no real explanation; better yet they cheated on you.  Human nature is to shut down and become the entire list stated above.  Can a person in this state of mind meet their full potential? Of course not.  Will a person go throughout their entire life and never have any bump in the road occur? No way.  So it is impossible for a person who had something bad happen to them to immediately be back on the track to a sound mind, well not quite.  Don’t allow a blip blocking the sun to take away all of its rays, move and allow yourself to get warm.
The meaning of life? Such an easy question, such a complicated answer.   My opinion? Take the title you are given and make the most of it. Use your title to the fullest degree.  Be the best human that you can be.  Will this happen? For 95% of us, no.  Is this a problem? Very much so.  This may seem as if its condemning to everyone, that is not the case.  The human mind is capable of love, compassion, caring, understanding, wisdom, and knowledge.  The combination of those is a large part to gaining a grasp of the concept of “life”. Just think, what if we, who are given the “title” of “human” really and truly let go of all petty things and allowed themselves the opportunity to take that title and run with it? As long as a human mind is available to learn, there is always a chance. 
“it isn’t really the capacity to think, but rather the choice of what to think about” –David Foster Wallace