Defining Spirituality

Lesson 12 ~ Defining Spirituality ~ Schopenhauer ~ Essay

By:  Rev Trent Murman, OSM, OSF

 

Write a paragraph regarding living with negativity in our lives.  I had a close relative that constantly lived with and in negativity.  It seemed everything that was said was like a knife stabbing at the other person.  If the person had just bought a new dress, she would say oh why did you buy that color.  Hair cuts….why did u get it so short.  Food…how can you eat it well done?  Anything….well I wouldn't have done it that way.  Negativity seemed to be the vehicle she drew her life's energy from.  Nothing never appeared to be good enough for her.  Which also caused her friends to be dwindling rapidly.  She and I had a heart to heart chat one day and I confronted her about this negativity she was displaying and what do you think happened…yes it was all turned around on me…like how dare you think I am being negative or mean to other people.  You see most people that live in this kind of world they have created and immersed themselves in don't realize what they are doing.  They feel they are always right and if something doesn't go their way it is either not done properly or in their world of delusion they cannot accept another theory or hypothesis and agree that there is another way of doing things…just not theirs.  Through witnessing this blatant negativity I have come to the realization that this is definitely not the way our lives should be lived.  He would not and does not wish people to live like this.  It can also affect their medical health and general wellbeing.  In this kind of delusional world one can die a lonely old person.  It is very difficult to accept and help guide people like this into a new way of thinking, but if the negativity is profound within them…there is no possibility of helping them.  We as ministers need to come a resolve that we cannot help everyone we come into contact with…but, with God's help we are at least obligated to "give it a try".  GO IN PEACE