Essays
Essays This section contains a series of essays loosely connected under four categories: Self, Society/Humanity, Gods/Religion, and Earth. Some essays touch on one or more subjects. We will begin with an internal exploration of ourselves. Do you have a creed or document meant to direct your actions according to your beliefs? I wrote this for my Godson and presented it to his parents on the day of his baptism in 1992. My goal was to provide him some inspiration for how to embrace and live life fully. I will: * Live my life fully, seeking new experiences every day through people and places without falling prey to a monotonous, routine existence. * Understand that I am a part of a greater being and am a 80 Deep Dive special person in the eyes of God, who can make a difference in the world by loving the people around me. * Challenge myself and others to grow and learn; to diversify myself through art, literature, and music, while maintaining balance in my life. * Follow the footsteps of Christ and lead others down the same path by inspiring those I love and loving those who inspire me. * Respect my parents and listen to them, for their wisdom is of experience and is imparted to me out of love. * Look at the world through the eyes of a child by appreciating the little things like laughter, nature, and honesty. * Live my life with integrity, knowing that I am only as good as my word. * Thank God daily for all the gifts he has given me, not physical or materialistic things but spiritual, emotional, and intellectual. Some of these suggestions may or may not resonate with you. Like everything else in this book, take and absorb what you want and apply it as you wish. Our first essay will kick off a series of exercises that will help us understand ourselves better and how we view ourselves in relation to other important entities impacting our existence. In the end of the book, following our reflections and the 81 exercises, we will have a much better sense of our self and our purpose, which will help us better understand how we want to live our lives. 82 Deep Dive What am I doing here? —Dan Beeman Central to a pursuit of self-knowledge is how I see things (perceptions) and how am I spending my time (actions). How do I balance my talents, find my purpose, provide for my family, and serve others or God? Your Dharma, or raison d’etre is the intersection of your passion, mission, profession, and vocation. This is also the intersection of your calling as a productive member of society who supports your fellow citizens, community, family, and self. How you prioritize those four relationships dictates the path you choose. For example, a father of seven children may not do what he loves because he is prioritizing his ability to get paid for certain work in order to provide for his family. This was the case with my father. He loved broadcasting and did that while in college and the military service. However, he got married and had seven kids. His priorities changed. 83 What am I doing Here? / Beeman Since we have already completed our biographies and we understand that we all have unique perspectives, we will now diagram our own unique perspectives. One way to do this is by drawing Venn Diagrams. Venn Diagrams visually show how different things interrelate. Venn di·a·gram A diagram representing mathematical or logical sets pictorially as circles or closed curves within an enclosing rectangle (the universal set), common elements of the sets being represented by the areas of overlap among the circles. 84 Deep Dive Have you reflected on your priorities? How has that affected your decisions? Are you able to adjust or are you stuck in the current situation because you are afraid to change? Or afraid of failure? Have you and your family become accustomed to the material benefits of “What I can be Paid For” instead of “What I love” or “Good at Serving Humanity”? Since our journey begins with self, it is important to assess how we see the relationships among ourselves, society, religion, and Earth. To reinforce how we are all different with a subjective perspective, we have an exercise to do together. In the following diagram, we show one of the ways people see their relationships with the four broad categories impacting your existence. As you can see, 85 What am I doing Here? / Beeman this does not consider God or religion. Yours might. Environment Life Earth Economic Ecological Social Equitable sustainable Viable Bearable 86 Deep Dive How do you see the relationship between the four main entities? Take out a piece of paper or use a blank page in the back of the book and draw four circles containing the words, Self, Humankind, Earth, and the Gods, then add as many other circles with words as you want to create your own Venn Diagram. Don’t be constrained. Add or subtract circles as desired with categories or words that make sense to you in drawing your diagram. Take your time. Self Self-Awareness Healing Community Connection, Family Healing Giving Back Oneness Health Mind Body Spirit Earth Connection/ Protection of Nature Spirituality Faith Hope Connection 87 What am I doing Here? / Beeman Challenge Questions: What is the center? How do the circles interact? Is there a confluence? After you finish, ask yourself if this has changed over time in your life? How does it compare with others? How does your view of their relationship affect the way you think and act?
