Guest Article By Thomas Parisi
One of the
greatest philosophical discussions of all time centers around the greatest gift
we've ever known as a species. It is something that is ever-present and often
overlooked. It leads us to our passionate and most joyful moments or to our
agonizing and painful mistakes. I am talking of course about Free Will.
Free Will exists in
every circumstance. Even when we are unable to affect the unalterable
confines of physical reality we can still choose how we think and act. We can
choose how to address and handle each situation. We can even choose how we feel
by reinforcing the patterns of thought and action that help us feel joyous and
alive, or by abandoning the ones that promote negative emotions and behaviors.
Feelings surround each of our choices, and if we recognize how we are affected
we can learn to choose wisely.
I have heard the
argument time and again that we do not possess Free Will. Proponents of this
theory believe that we are thinking, behaving, and existing solely at the end
of a long progression of events that have given us no choice as to what will
occur next.They make claims that Free Will is an Illusion. I find that
statement oddly ironic because believing that free will is only an illusion can
only be ascertained by exercising the free will to believe so!
While I understand that
yes, we are standing in the here and now, at the end of a lifelong progression
of events that have led us to this very moment, I wholeheartedly disagree that
we have no Free Will. We are not omniscient or omnipotent, so our freedom is
limited only to what we can control as sovereign beings, and that is our
choices.
Life is a series of choices.
Those choices lead us down an infinite number of pathways. Sometimes we choose
incorrectly and we feel as though we are trapped. We sometimes feel that we
have less freedom than we did before the choice was made, but this is only the
illusion of reality. We can choose the wrong path over and over again only to
feel trapped and in despair, but this is the true illusion. The illusion that
hope is lost and that Free Will is non-existent is the antithesis to life, and
it leads only to suffering and pain.
We are never without hope because we
can always choose again. We sometimes construct the negative thoughts and
feelings that keep us bound but they are just that; constructs. They can be
destroyed by action. No matter how confined you feel, or how stuck in your
current situation you think you are, that can all be changed by choosing to act
in ways that will change your situation. Action is always the result of a
choice, we need only become mindful of our choices.
As conscientious and thoughtful
creatures we possess the ability to think before we act. Consciously we can
choose each step carefully and with intention. This is Free Will at it's
essence. No matter how limited you believe your choices have become hope is
never lost. Through a persistent mindfulness to discern the proper choice (and
therefore course of action) you can begin to reshape the world around you, and with
it your life.
Free Will should be viewed as making
proper and healthy choices. Nourish yourself. Physically we must eat
nutritionally complete meals and get enough exercise. Mentally we must be
stimulated with information and experiences that keep us feeling fulfilled.
Spiritually we must feel connected with Life and each other.
Our sub-conscious minds collect and store
everything we think and experience, every action and every feeling is
catalogued to create a deep sea, and the undercurrents will affect you in a
plethora of ways. By choosing the healthy choice each and every time you are
enriching yourself. These proper choices add up over time- and before you know
it you can and will be free; Free to choose wisely in every circumstance.
Through mindfulness we can learn what choices
enrich and inspire us. We can learn how we are affected by the patterns that
develop from choosing one way or the other. We can choose to learn through
observation how our choices affect us, and our surroundings. We can choose to
exercise our Free Will and begin to step in the direction we were meant to. The
journey becomes better than the destination when each and every step is
better than the last.
Thank you Samadrita Ghosh for allowing me to guest post
here @ www.divergentoutlook.blogspot.com!!
Authored by: Thomas Parisi
Website: www.thinkhub.org Hoping to enrich and inspire toward
social good.
Contact: dogfishparisi@gmail.com
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Image from: www.visionair.nl
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Image from: www.visionair.nl
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