Joshua's blog: "The Royal Path of Life"

"The stone, flung from my careless hand into the lake, splashed down into the depths of the flowing water, and that was all. No, it was not all. Look at those concentric rings, rolling their tiny ripples among the sedgy reeds, dippling the overhanging boughs of yonder willow, and producing an influence, slight but conscious, to the very shores of the lake itself. That stray word, that word of pride or scorn, flung from my lips in casual company, produces a momentary depression, and that is all. No, it is not all. It deepened that man's disgust at godliness, and it sharpened the edge of that man's sarcasm, and it shamed that half-converted one out of his penitent misgivings, and it produced an influence, slight, but eternal, on the destiny of a human life. Oh, it is a terrible power that I have--this power of influence--and it clings to me. I cannot shake it off. It is born with me; it has grown with my growth, and is strengthened with my strength. It speaks, it walks, it moves; it is powerful in every look of my eye, in every word of my lips, in every act of my life. I cannot live to myself. I must either be a light to illumine, or a tempest to destroy. Dear reader, this necessary element belongs to you. The sphere may be contracted, thine influence may be small, but a sphere and influence you surely have." Every human being is a center of influence for good or for ill. No man can live unto himself. The meshes of a net are not more surely knit together than man to man. We may forget this secret, silent influence. But we are exerting it by our deeds, we are exerting it by our words, we are exerting it by our very thoughts--and he is wise with a wisdom more than that of earth who seeks to put forth the highest power for good, be his home a hut or a hall, a cabin or a palace. -------------------------------------------------- (End Quote) The power we all have is something we often don't think much upon. Though it is surprising to reflect upon the significance of any small or trifling occurrence. How many times have you discovered something you felt was so profound to you but couldn't share it with another because of its seeming insignificance to them? Say what you will about chaos theories, butterfly effects, energy lay lines, free will, and destiny, but know that everything you do has an effect. Historical figures become legendary icons or villains because of the effects of the things that they did. We all have this same power in greater or smaller degrees. Many people worry about the state of the world that we live in. How many times a week do you hear a like complaint or thought uttered? The task of improving our position is daunting. It is nearly impossible to imagine how we could possibly "fix" our situation. There is so much confusion, angst, strife, pain, suffering, and "evil". But... We created all that. It wasn't hear before we got here. We made all the problems we have. Yes, of course there are incurable diseases and awful circumstances which can't be prevented. However, we ARE the ones who are responsible for not having figured out a way to properly deal with those problems. Every human being is responsible for the world we live in. Whether you are crippled from birth or born to rich parents, this does not change. We all own this world. We are all part of the human race and condition. Every person has the same power to influence those they come into contact with. It is the one thing which you can be absolutely certain of. Even if that power is so small that you can't see it, you can be certain it is there. A person can fall from a building and survive the next day fall out of their chair and break their neck. The small are not incapable of having sway in the world. What is missing in our world is a sufficient amount of consciousness. We don't lack leadership. We are ALL leaders at every moment in our lives. We simply need to be more aware of our own impact. Think upon what impact you have on the world in everything that you do. You are going to make a difference today and tomorrow and every other day that you live. You just have to decide what difference that is going to be.

Those who have the fewest resources in themselves naturally seek the food of their self-love elsewhere. The most ignorant people find most to laugh at in strangers; scandal and satire prevail most in small places; and the propensity to ridicule the slightest or most palpable deviation from what we happen to approve, ceases with the progress of common sense and decency. True worth does not exult in the faults and deficiency of others; as true refinement turns away from grossness and deformity, instead of being tempted to indulge in an unmanly triumph over it. Real power, real excellence does not seek for a foil in imperfection; nor fear contamination from coming in contact with that which is coarse and homely. It reposes on itself, and is equally free from envy and affectation. There are some persons who seem to purposely treasure up things that are disagreeable. By the rules of justice, no man ought to be ridiculed for any imperfection who does not set up for eminent sufficiency in that wherein he is defective. If thou wouldst bear thy neighbor's faults, cast thy eyes upon thy own. It is easier to avoid a fault than to acquire a perfection. By others' faults wise men correct their own. He that contemns a small fault commits a great one. The greatest of all faults is to believe we have none. Little minds ignore their own weakness, and carp at the defects of the great; but great minds are sensible of their own faults, and largely compassionate towards inferiors. To a pure, sensitive, and affectionate mind, every act of finding fault, or dealing in condemnation, is an act of pain. It is only when we have become callous to the world, and strangers to the sentiments of compassionate love, that we are able to play with unconcern the parts of persecutors and slanderers, and that we can derive any pleasure from malignity and revenge. He who is the first to condemn, will be often the last to forgive. ----------------------------------------------------- (End Quote) This segment is very potent. There is no way to deny that any person residing within this world has faults. Yet, blame and criticism are almost entirely forces which we direct upon other individuals. I don't believe it is a conscious decision that causes this. When I was very young, my younger brother and I were swimming in my grandmother's pool. Neither one of us was much of a swimmer at the time. My brother had gotten to the edge of the slope for the deep end of the pool and as he began to slip below the water he panicked. Reaching out he grabbed me and pulled me down and kicked off of me trying to force himself back into the shallow safety. I, however, was propelled down into the depths of the pool to fend for myself. I see this same thing happening everywhere in the world around us. People find themselves, so overwhelmed by the weight of their own imperfections and shortcomings that they feel their very existence is in jeopardy. They reach out for anything they can take hold of and try to use it to keep themselves afloat. What of the people we are forcing downwards into the depths? They are left to fend for themselves. It is not our job to make sure they survive as well. We have a hard enough time keeping our own heads above the water. Right? This mentality is doing so much damage in the world. What are we going to do when all of the fellow swimmers have been drowned under our feet? When all the people have been chastised for their faults and lay broken beneath you, what then? Perhaps we should all think more about what is going on inside of ourselves. What is really causing our discomfort? We all live in the same "pool". There isn't THAT much difference from one person to the next. You may think you are better than others and that is okay. Most of us started with those little floaters on our arms too. Just think how much better things would be if you actually learned how to swim though.

That we may be known by the company we frequent, has become proverbial. For, when unrestrained, we are prone to choose and associate with those whose manners and dispositions are agreeable and congenial to ours. Hence, when we find persons frequenting any company whatsoever, we are disposed to believe that such company is congenial with their feelings, not only in regard to their intellectual capacities and accomplishments, but also their moral disposition and their particular manner in life. Good company not only improves our manners, but also our minds; for intelligent associates will become a source of enjoyment, as well as of edification. If they be pious they will improve our morals; if they be polite they will tend to improve our manners; if they be learned they will add to our manners; if they be learned they will add to our knowledge and correct our errors. On the other hand, if they be immoral, ignorant, vulgar, their impress will most surely be left upon us. It therefore becomes a matter of no trivial concern to select and associate with proper company, while avoiding that which is certainly prejudicial. We should always seek the company of those who are known to possess superior merit and natural endowments; for then, by being assimilated in manners and disposition, we rise. Whereas, by associating with those who are our inferiors in every respect, we become assimilated with them, and by that assimilation become degraded. Upon the whole much care and judgment are necessary in selecting properly that company which will be profitable. Yet this is not a point of so great interest among women as men; because they are not necessarily thrown into associations of such diversity of character as the latter. Nevertheless, the greater care and prudence are requisite to women, should they happen in such circles, to avoid the pernicious influence of such associations, to which many are too prone to yield. The reflection is pleasing, that it is in the power of all to acquire an elegance of manner, although they may be deprived of the advantages to be derived from a liberal education. At least they may attain to that degree of elegance and manners, by judicious selection of company, that will render them pleasing in any social circle, whether at home or abroad. This will excite interest, which will grow into respect; from which always springs that pure ardent and affectionate attachment which alone forms the only generous and indissoluble connection between the sexes; that which the lapse of time serves only to confirm, and nought but death can destroy. If so much importance be attached to the prudent selection of company and associates, and if this be of such vital interest to every young female, how careful should she be not to take to her bosom for life a companion of dissolute habits and morals. Such an act might destroy all the domestic felicity she might have hoped to enjoy, and be a source of constant sorrow to her through life. For no connection or friendship can be fond and lasting, where a conformity of inclination and disposition does not exist; but where this exists, all passions and finer feelings of the soul gently harmonize, and form one common and lasting interest. ------------------------------------------------- (End Quote) I chose to post this segment because of a MuMM I encountered. There is a remarkable level of transposition between people who choose to interact with one another. People are osmotic creatures. We absorb our surroundings and there is a tendency to herd and group en mass around activities, cultural trends, and ideals. There are a number of things in this segment that I disagree with. I don't understand how superior company can be sought by all while allowing for progress. If we all seek only those of higher "stature" than our own, what of those below us that seek to improve themselves by associating with us? Are they not lower than us? There are flaws to be found everywhere. However, the value I find in this segment is within the way we choose who we will interact with. We do absorb our surroundings and often enough people will take on traits to impress or fit in with a group of individuals. I was having a discussion with a friend of mine today. We were talking about the ways in which people choose to fight with one another in the MuMMs here on Fubar. She chose to leave the MuMMs today because she found the flow of conversation to be too mean for her taste and left. We went on to talk about what it is like to lower ourselves to that level of interaction and how we feel or might feel if we participated in it. I quite often choose not to participate in the MuMMS at all when I find it meaningless or without substance. Often enough the interactions which we choose to engage in on the internet are entirely emotionally driven. People take out their aggressions on others and vent their desire to be vulgar and unpleasant at will here. I believe it to be caused by a lack of a constructive way to do this within the realm of their physical and tangible lives. People seek the company of those who resonate with their own causes. MuMMers are people who enjoy a specific type of interaction. There are different types of people who MuMM and they tend to group together in their own ways, sharing what they feel is valuable to one another and taking what they feel are traits which are valued by the group they come to value. It is my belief that a person should be always conscious of the tendency to absorb your surroundings. A strong willed individual might prevent much transposition of undesirable characteristics. Any individual might simply choose not to go into a place that is filled with unhealthy or nonconstructive entities. Or perhaps leave a place that becomes filled with them. Often an individual will choose to accept things which don't resonate with their own heart in order to ward off the oppressive force of solitude. I would say that it is better to be alone in the cold dark than to seek shelter in the den of animals, lest you become an animal yourself. I suppose it depends on what you value in life.

Beauty and style are not the surest passports to womanhood--some of the noblest specimens of womanhood that the world has ever seen, have presented the plainest and most unprepossessing appearance. A woman's worth is to be estimated by the real goodness of her heart, the greatness of her soul, and the purity and sweetness of her character; and a woman with a kindly disposition and well-balanced temper, is both lovely and attractive, be her face ever so plain, and her figure ever so homely; she makes the best of wives and the truest of mothers. She has a higher purpose in living than the beautiful, yet vain and supercilious woman, who has no higher ambition than to flaunt her finery on the street, or to gratify her inordinate vanity by extracting flattery and praise from society, whose compliments are as hollow as they are insincere. Beauty is a dangerous gift. It is even so. Like wealthy it has ruined its thousands. Thousands of the most beautiful women are destitute of common sense and common humanity. No gift from heaven is so general and so widely abused by woman as the gift of beauty. In about nine cases in ten it makes her silly, senseless, thoughtless, giddy, vain, proud, frivolous, selfish, low and mean. "She is beautiful, and she knows it," is as much as to say she is spoiled. A beautiful girl is very likely to believe she was made to be looked at; and so she sets herself up for a show at every window, in every door, on every corner of the street, in every company at which opportunity offers for an exhibition of herself. And believing and acting thus, she soon becomes good for nothing else, and when she comes to be a middle-aged woman she is that weakest, most sickening of all human things--a faded beauty. These facts have long since taught sensible men to beware of beautiful women--to sound them carefully before they give them their confidence. Beauty is shallow--only skin-deep; fleeting--only for a few years' reign; dangerous--tempting to vanity and lightness of mind; deceitful--dazzling often to bewilder; weak--reigning only to ruin; gross--leading often to sensual pleasure. And yet we say it need not be so. Beauty is lovely and ought to be innocently possessed. It has charms which ought to be used for good purposes. It is a delightful gift, which ought to be received with gratitude and worn with grace and meekness. It should always minister to inward beauty. Every woman of beautiful form and features should cultivate a beautiful mind and heart. ------------------------------------------------- (End Quote) I chose to use this segment first because we are so often guided by our first impressions of people and those impressions are primarily derived from our sense of sight. We focus so much on how we present ourselves to each other visually. The way we dress. The pictures we choose to show ourselves to others on the internet. There is, I believe, significant truth to be found here. Take for instance the fact that individuals choose to use pictures other than their own to present themselves. There has become a need for something called a "salute" just to verify your own visage to others. Why is this even necessary? Are we so shallow that we not only seek to misguide others by hiding ourselves but ALSO to misguide ourselves by demanding that we see a person "for what they really are" when we all supposedly know that the true value of a person is within their person. Do you really think you have some intention of ever actually physically seeing this person that you have met online. Many of us might have thoughts of this nature. However, to those of us who don't; what reason do you assign to your desire to see an individual? I believe this to be telling of a weakness within ourselves. Seek to know a person in the way they interact with you. Avert your eyes to your desire to judge an individual for things which are beyond their control. We cannot change how others see us but we can change how we see others.

I found a book which an individual wrote 125 years ago. I have to be extremely careful with it because the book I have is that old. It is full of interesting things. The author believed he was outlining the best ways to go about life and to look upon various things in life. He was a Christian and makes it obvious in his writings. I don't find that it makes his statements any less relevant to people who are not followers of this faith. It is my intention to present fragments of his writings in an effort to show the value I have found therein. They will be direct quotes though I often find that some of the references to people he makes are historical figures which don't deliver the impact to us that they once may have. I at times will leave out paragraphs or sentences because of this. My focus is on the message and I find that they distract from the message when you don't possess the knowledge to see the relevance. I will not alter the material otherwise.