Influence ---
We are influenced throughout our lives by events and people. School, parents, our first trip overseas.
These shape our lives.
It could have been our first job, our first friend, lover, first wife, any number of things.
We are now living our lives according to how we felt at the time of those events.
Some of us cope and some of us don't.
This has been going on since the time of the Buddha, 2500 years ago and even back to first recorded history from the Vedas of India, 5700 years of recorded history from China, and from the Testaments of the Middle East.
The Buddha was influenced by events such as death, for the first time, when he left the palace.
The Buddha then gave thousands of Dharma's on how people should live and behave.
Of course the best way to live our life is not to be influenced by anyone, or anything, but to live according to ones own credo.
"To do the right thing,
because it's the right thing to do," is a good start.
Should we wish to change our lives, we can decide to
'Begin Again', and the first step, is the choice to take the step.
The choosing and re-choosing of what we want and who we want to be, is what makes us human.
We can begin now to make a habit of the person we want to be, as in the past we formed the habit of who we currently think we are.
Should we not like who or where we are, we can 'Begin Again.'
We eventually realise that all that constrains us, and all of our sufferings are temporary and mostly imagined.
Were we someplace else,
or someone else,
our circumstance would change, and our suffering would be different. Nothing changes,
nothing is different, until we decide to change, and make our circumstance different.
So why not decide to
'Begin Again.'
A new life's story, getting rid of the old, to make room for the new.
Sit in silence.
Consider what, where, and who we are, more specifically,
who we are not.
Choose to 'Begin Again.'
Nathan
