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THERE COMES A TIME IN THE LIVES OF THOSE DESTINED for greatness when we must stand before the mirror of meaning
having been endowed with the courageous heart of a lion, do we live as mice?
examine why we waste so much time sniffing at ev...
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why we cower at the thought of revealing our true sel...
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why we scurry so quickly from conflict, and why we cons...
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why we participate so humbly in society’s frantic race, allowing ourselves into its mazes of mediocrity and settling for scraps of reward when nature has offered unlimited freedom, power, and abundance to ...
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We must ask if our desires to feel safe and accepted are in fact enslaving us to popul...
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it becomes necessary to ask such questions and to dissolve the beliefs and behaviors that have limited us, assuming once more the full powers of our being
we should declare the motives that impel us to exert our strength and to separate ourselves from those who stunt our vitality, growth, and happiness.
all men and women are created equal, though we do not live equal lives due to differences in will, motivation, effort, and habit.
incumbent upon each of us to be vigilant and disciplined should we wish to attain such a vital, free, and happy life.
the greatest of human powers is the ability to independently think for ourselves, to choose our own aims, affections, and actions.
in the hearts of humankind lives a natural instinct for freedom and independence, a psychological predisposition for self-direction, a biological imperative toward growth, and a spiri...
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To secure these Rights and this Personal Freedom, men and women of conscience must not consent to be controlled by fear, convention, or the will of the masses. We must govern our own lives,
We must exert our power, improving how we think and how we interact with the world.
When a long chain of self-oppressions and social controls has reduced our strength and independence, it is our right—our duty—to throw off such a life, rise anew, and charge unencumbered through the gates of greatness.
We have patiently suffered long enough, hoping that someone or some kind of luck would one day grant us more opportunity and happiness. But nothing external can save us, and the fateful hour is at hand when we either become trapped at this level of life...
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the history of our actions too often tells a tale of self-injury and unhappiness, stemming from our blind desire to be judged worthy, acceptable, and lovable by people who hardly know our true hearts and powers.
We forgot to set clear intentions and standards, and too often failed to voice our desires and dreams. Randomness and mediocrity too often ruled the day, and the loud and the needy dictated who we were and what we should do—our lives becoming subject to the tyranny of fools.
so let us right our lives. Let us face the mirror and be candid.
We have forgotten that the natural foe to life is not a distant death, but a present, in-the-moment detachment from living.
WE SHALL MEET LIFE WITH FULL PRESENCE AND POWER.
We have ceded control of our daily lives. Amid incessant distraction, our discipline in pursuing high ambitions has vanished.
we have become hypnotized by a false but compelling need to respond to all the needs of others. We are pulled at from every angle, torn from meaningful efforts by frivolous pursuits or false emergencies, and we are often unsu...
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We are too often detached from what is most worth fighting for; our busywork consumes our day bu...
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A life of greater joy, power, and satisfaction awaits those who consciously design their life. For this, we now declare: WE SHALL RECLAIM OUR AGENDA.
whenever we push beyond our comforts; whenever we choose to be authentic and loving in a scary world; whenever we seek to make a difference at the cost of our own position; whenever we desire something magnificent that, to obtain, would require hardship and work. Our internal demons poison us with worry and fear whenever we might be vulnerable, stunting our growth and vitality. Our destiny is decided by how well we know our demons of Doubt and Delay, how well we defend against them, and how many battles we win against them each day of our lives.
We are on constant pause; we wait and we wait, to find out who we are, to declare our dreams, to struggle for what we want, to open ourselves fully to love and to life. We await personal courage to arise within us, or for society to grant us some ill-defined permission to activate our potential. We have forgotten that courage is a choice, and that permission to move forward with boldness is never given by the fearful masses.
Most have forgotten that seeking change always requires a touch of insanity. If taking action before the perfect conditions arise, or before we receive permission, is unreasonable or reckless, then we must be unreasonable and reckless. We must remember we are not the sum of our intentions but of our actions.
ADVANCE WITH ABANDON.
Where is the energized, heightened, exhilarated pulse one would expect from such a chosen and capable people?
PRACTICE JOY AND GRATITUDE.
Too many of us believe ourselves strong when a long gaze across our lives would sight a pattern of quitting or withdrawing too soon, often when our loved ones needed us to be strong or right when our dreams were just within reach.
We must not follow any impulse to be weak or heartless. Instead we must have a strong refusal to break, choosing that mighty lift of courage, that soaring commitment to love, that grand ascent to the realm of character that is congruent with our highest values.
To stand emotionally open before the world and give of our hearts without fear of hurt or demand of reciprocity—this is the ultimate act of human courage.
Generation after generation is failing to hold the line on the ideals and virtues of humanity. The low hum of mediocrity and the heinous pitch of narcissism have replaced what was once the chorus of society singing to virtue, progress, and selflessness.
Our talents and collective focus are not fully invested in personal mastery and social contribution but squandered on voyeurism and base sensationalism. Too often we don’t call out a wrong or expect ourselves or o...
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INSPIRE GREATNESS.
Hurry has become the master. We have stopped sensing the stillness, the stunning fullness and beauty and divine perfection of the moment.
Most barrel through life, unaware of their senses and surroundings, deaf and blind to the magical qualities of…this…very…moment. We are not supposed to miss it all, this life, but we do, all frazzled, stressed, and stripped away from Now. The cost is immense—so many moments blurred by speed and worry and panic, all stacki...
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Life is meant to be a vibrant, deeply felt, growing mosaic of long, meaningful moments.
WE SHALL SLOW TIME.
Most of these problems in our lives have been self-imposed. Yet even when we became conscious of them, we sought change in the most humble terms: we set realistic goals and worked to achieve them.
fearful of unleashing our full power, we saw our will fade, we aimed low, and even our mighty efforts were dampened by distraction or t...
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We complained with angst and anger that it should be easier, forgetting that much of the negative energy that pervades our lives comes from despi...
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humanity’s story has only two perennially recurring themes: struggle and progress. We mustn’t wish the end of the former, as the ...
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the small, complaining, undisciplined part of ourselves—the distracted character wanting nothing but convenience and ease—is unfi...
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mustn’t let social pressures poison our potential.
Let us awaken now and realize there is greater vibrancy, joy, and freedom available to each of us. There is more feeling. There is more power. There is more love and abundance. But gaining access rests on our shoulders, for only two things can change our lives: either something new comes into our lives, or something new comes from within.
we have the full power to exert our true strength, live our dreams, find peace, create wealth, love openly those who have our hearts, contribute without fear or permission, strive for personal greatness, serve the common good, and do all other acts and things that independent and motivated persons have the right to do.
