I was skimming through my old copy of Vernon Howard’s, A Treasury of Trueness (http://www.anewlife.org/html/home.html) the other day and came upon this passage:
“When you don’t know something and stick with that unknowing, there
is no conflict. Conflict occurs when you don’t understand something
about life but pretend that you do by grabbing your own answers.”
This is not to say we shouldn’t think and work hard to find the answer. Not only is that effort totally acceptable, it might perhaps (I say “perhaps” because I certainly don’t know – and to state otherwise would be my pretending that I know by grabbing my own answer) 🙂 be what we are put on earth to do.
What I believe Mr. Howard meant was that we should do our best to seek the answer and to figure it out, but to know that we don’t know, and to be able to accept that.
And, one more thing: when we’re pretty sure that we have figured it out and that we do know . . . we should still probably question our own answer.
What a nice way to go through life. Seek, and ye shall find. But, you might not always find. And, that’s okay. There’s a lesson there, as well.
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Just now I had a quick thought to what I think I’m doing – assuming what I do is for a purpose. And the thought I came up with is
I’m marketing my own brand of life in the universe.
Didn’t give too much more thought to it but that’s my thought 🙂
I like it, Christopher! The key is that you ARE thinking. That right there puts you a step ahead. 🙂
Ha ha. Hey, feel free to quote me next time you’re in front of 7,000 people 😉
Happy Thanksgiving too!
Thank you. I always need good sources. 🙂
Vernon Howard wrote in a brilliantly simplified manner, illustrating clearly “the way out” of confusion. I refer to him for life’s daily questions. You can open his books anywhere and begin.
Hi Esmerelda,
I agree with you completely about Mr. Howard. Amazing, wasn’t he?
And, yes, I often will pick up one of his books from my bookshelf, turn to any page, and find a passasge or vignette that helps me tremendously.
Thank you for sharing.