11.4.2020.
As I queued for the Supermarket today–a queue spanning right around the block and marked out every two metres with white and red striped tape–my attention was drawn to a sign on the floor:
“Be Kind to each other.”
Fostering a mindset of kindness is something that requires divine aid.
It’s easy to be nice. That can be faked, performed, and fabricated at a moment’s notice.
Kindness?
This needs nurture and cultivation at God’s leading…
The best description of kindness as well as the root of how to actually be kind is founded in this single verse:
“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ, God forgave you.”
Kindness emerges out of a heart that has made forgiveness its foundation: No grudges. No bitterness. No keeping mental records of wrongs about anyone.
(16) FOMO comes to life
1999 – 2000. Age Sixteen.
In this year, I learned what I was missing out on in life during a family vacation.
Women.
Beautiful Women.
On this holiday, I’d met many confident American girls and didn’t know how to talk to them.
Returning from vacation, it tore me up terribly.
I realised just how monumentally massive my mistake was in choosing an all-boys’ school to spend my entire teenage life.
This began a severe depression where I’d spend extremely long periods of time playing computer games to escape.
I was also learning powerful lessons about the human condition in my school studies.
Through Shakespeare and the study of Machiavellian villains, I became sure of some very specific theories regarding ‘living one’s best life.’
I worked out that a sociopath/psychopath disposition was the most freedom a man could experience in this world.
In it’s most basic definition, a sociopath/psychopath is: “a person with a personality disorder manifesting itself in extreme antisocial attitudes and behaviour.”
Usually this behaviour reveals itself in no empathy for others and care only for one’s self-preservation and exaltation above the rest.
There’s no pain to be had because there’s no belief in relationship or caring.
What people in today’s 2020 have affectionately titled YOLO, FOMO, ‘Live Your Best Life,’ ‘Do You,’ is dangerously close to hedonistic, narcissistic, sociopath tendencies; it’s all about what makes the individual happy and to hell with the rest; a truly self-indulgent way of life that’s justified by the individual saying: “I just want to be happy, is that so wrong?”
But back in 2000, I was learning that this was the optimum way to live and to be selfless was foolish.
‘Nice guys finish last,’ was a prominent saying, that taunted my mind.
But…I refused to subscribe to it.
I wanted to be a good, honourable, and selfless man despite the world’s blatantly relentless message.
Message from Jesus – “Walk in the light.”
Message from the World – “It’s clear! The best way you can protect yourself is to only care for yourself. Look at Iago from Othello. He was invincible. He could do what he wanted, because he didn’t care for anyone. He couldn’t be hurt.”
Leave a Comment