Watch yourself

You don’t know who you are until you know who you are.

Markus Winkler Photo Credit

A common discussion in mobs of people is about the corrupt nature of politicians, unholy clergy men, and tyrannical leadership. What I usually ask myself is what make these people that way, why do they become that way, how did they get to be tangled in such complexities of negative vices. I usually picture them as children innocent without a clue about the world and then try to trace their progression up the mountain of their own demise. Where did they get it wrong, what changed them, where they always like that.

Through my life and short experiences, I have come across certain experiences that made me wonder about the nature of we humans. At some point I became very interested in watching myself than watching others, what are the values I have set and where am I transgressing. I realized that ever so often I fail on my own promises to myself even more than the ones I make to others. I wonder whether these are the ingredients for a demise in character. You might have noticed you don’t always do what you tell yourself to do. Learn to negotiate with yourself, you are not your own slave.

I often meet people who claim that they are after the good of others, but it is not so clear to me that they are. They carry the placard when it is convenient and drop it when it isn't. They use words when it favors them and throw it away when it doesn’t all for the pursuit of the greater good. They weaponize emotions for their own gains without give rational thinking to what they are doing. In the end, nothing better comes out of the activism, and the worst part is that they do not know they are the problem.

Human beings are not intrinsically good or bad. Don’t praise yourself for been “good”, but watch out for the days of temptation is coming. When we are aiming up to the pinnacle, there are lots of side attraction ready to take you off course, your initial stance might be that your can’t be bought over, but then comes the right price. Watch yourself.

Seemingly good people are just people and trust is a dangerous act that takes courage. You don’t trust people or yourself on logic alone, but with courage that you will withstand the days of troubles.

I once asked a friend, “as much as you have faith in God, would you restrain from spiting God if you become another Job”. That question is yet unanswered. People don’t think through these things, I don’t think they are deep questions, I think they are surface question left at the edge of the stories, read watchfully because the stories are there to serve as lessons.

Things to watch-out in yourself with some ideas

1. Do you keep promises.
2. To what extent do you let yourself off the hook for not keeping your promises.
3. Do you make justifications for things you know are not right.
4. Check your greed.
5. Check your true intentions. Refrain from willful blindness.
6. Do you confront your problems or make excuses or blame others.
7. Check for signs of entitlement mentality.
8. Be ready mentally, don’t be naive, for the time of testing will come. Access your readiness.
9. Most of people’s lives are in a neutral state, a less chunk is in a happy state and the least could be in very tragic state, you want to be the kind of person that can be relied on in any of these states, but especially in time of tragedy and evil.
10. Are you picking a path of discipline or a path of comfort. How each do you give into your flesh?
11. Take stock of your weaknesses and lock them up far away from you and work on strengthening yourself.
12. Stay watchful

As much as it human nature might seem friable, but self discovery is a great remedy, search yourself, fortify your soul, conquer your flesh, take control of your mind and get ready for battle, because you are built to withstand whatever. You just needed to know it and believe it.