Monday 24 December 2012

Homer Speaks the truth



Homer Simpson has said some pretty cool things, which is very impressive given he is portrayed as being a Neanderthal. But never the less one of his best was when he crashed his car, after doing something else idiotic,  and he yelled "why do my actions always have consequences ".

The consequences of our actions don't always directly have an effect on us but our actions do have consequences, and they can be either positive or negative to us or others. The best result of our actions is one that both benefit others and ourselves.

Now I actually started this post before the events of the 2day FM station prank call incident and the tragic massacre in the US. So in light of that fact I say with all sensitivity, that our actions will always have a consequence, and our forethought doesn't and won't always allow us to envisage the consequence of our actions. The prank was one of any number that these kinds of stations play all the time and never did they think that something like this would happen. Though I am not saying either that they are at fault for the suicide that occurred after the prank, but that there is and always will be an effect, result, an outcome, a Consequence of every action. Consequence - the effect, result, or outcome of something occurring earlier

What happens most of the time is, we see the end result of earlier actions but we don't always get to see the preceding actions that culminate, at times, in the final tragic act. And even saying "final tragic act" isn't correct, as it doesn't finish their, because obviously  now we have the effect of those actions on those that it has affected and so on and so forth. But it doesn't always have to be doom and gloom, some actions will have good or positive consequences and in the end we have the ability to decide whether we are going to make it positive or not despite the earlier action.

In this post I'm not taking into account any form of mental health or psychiatric illness, I am however taking the easy road and putting everyone on a level playing field when I say that we have control over our actions and the ability to control the path our life takes, in spite, despite and regardless of what has happened to us.  If examples are needed, then you really don't need to look much further than Nelson Mandela. The man spends 27 years in prison for sabotage, whatever is meant by that, but instead of becoming a bitter man with revenge at the forefront of his thoughts and actions, he instead becomes one of the most inspirational and recognisable people that has walked the earth, and as history now shows he went on to be the president of South Africa and one of the world’s most influential people.

This following passage was credited to Nelson Mandela and although he did use it in his Inauguration speech it was actually written by Maryanne Williamson, and is just an awesome passage and it also makes an appearance in one of my favorite movies "Coach Carter".



Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.

It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.

Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.

We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.

And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.


 
There are endless other examples, but rather than give more I will just finish with, be the example and the inspiration rather than looking for them, it’s definitely in all of us.
Merry Christmas to you all!