Over the years I have heard statements by various people expressing what they thought they had learned either from an experience in their life or from life itself. I, too, have learned a few things over my eighty five years on earth. The expectation is that as a person ages their experiences in life should reflect a certain amount of wisdom and/or knowledge. Those experiences should also vary from person to person. The following statements are what I feel I have learned, kind of like my testimony of life:
- I have learned that the entity, (intelligence/spirit) that is in me, always has existed and always will exist and that knowledge has been, and is, a very valuable perspective of life for me. What is true for me should be true for all. Abr. 3:18) “…spirits…have no beginning; they have existed before, they shall have no end, they shall exist after, for they are gnolaum, or eternal. (even co-eternal with the Father) Abr. 3:18. There is a story about a doctor who transferred to Utah from a southern state. He was surprised to find a significant difference in the view that Utahns have of death that they in the south did not have. Their views were so much different. So different from that which Utahns had. The Southerners were afraid of death and Utahns, generally were not. Our belief that we are the children of a loving Heavenly Father and that life is eternal lessens the fear. To them it is the fear of the unknown and to many Utahns it is a known. At least the, approximately, 50%, that claim to be or are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
- I have learned that there are many paths that one can take in life, and just because one is chosen in youth doesn’t mean another, altogether different path, can’t be selected or chosen later. As a 20 year old soldier, I smoked, drank and swore in my common vocabulary. With that background I then chose a different path to walk. We all have the capacity for both good and bad. E.D. Martin said:
Within my earthly temple there’s a crowd;
There’s one of us that’s humble, one that’s proud;
There’s one that’s broken-hearted for his sins;
There’s one that’s unrepentant sits and grins;
There’s one who loves his neighbor as himself;
There’s one that cares for naught but fame and self;
From much corroding care I should be free,
If I could once determine which is me!
What may cause us to change direction, either for good or ill, may be as simple as a single word spoken at a moment of susceptibility.
3. I have learned that the thoughts and behavior of a mature adult often reflects the same as when a youth. The boy is still in the man! That may or may not be a positive reflection.
4. I have learned that man’s agency makes him responsible for the consequences of his behavior, not God. We are the masters of our soul. Those who believe otherwise and who blame God for their woes, will be unable to learn from their trials and tribulations. Many religions and philosophies teach the doctrine of ‘predestination’. Those who believe this way believe that man’s life and very being are directed by a controlling God. To them man is no more than a puppet hanging from strings extending down from heaven.
5. I have learned that appetites can be controlled. A selfish desire is the appetite that is most difficult to control and the one most responsible for financial problems, mis-spent time, and for problems within the family. Worldly desires can become insatiable, the more it is fed, the more it wants. It can only be controlled after it is truly understood. Once a desire is obtained it is no longer a desire but rather a possession. Then another desire steps in to take its place. Hopefully, one can look at desire and say, it is not important, it is only a desire. Look in your closets and in your garage and see all the things that are now possessions, things that were once desires, but are now only things taking up space.
6. I have learned that the fewer desires and/or accumulated things one has collected there is more time for the more important things in life, such as time with family.
7. I have learned that unselfish sharing (charity) can cause one to realize that things should never be equated, value wise, with people. A charitable person grows in their appreciation of others, as well as developing a greater appreciation for the things that they do have. Their greatest treasure becomes not their possessions, but rather their attitude, their attitude about the value of a human soul, an attitude which moth and rust cannot corrupt nor can thieves break through and steal. For: “In as much as you have done it unto the least of these my brethren ye have done it unto me”.
8. If your thoughts are not occupied with the wholesome and good things of life, it will be occupied with the other. Every action begins with a thought and It has been suggested that when our thoughts start wandering into wrong paths, that we have a spiritual song we can start humming or even singing.
9. I have learned that initiating friendships and having a genuine love of people is the very basis of a satisfying and stimulating life. All people, regardless of how young or old they are, need love and companionship to thrive and to be happy. I have learned that love has more influence(power) in our lives and in our behavior than any other force on earth. Love for self, for family, for others, for this life, and love of God, are the only emotions where a fullness of joy will be found. When love is lacking it manifests itself in a feeling of emptiness. (in N.Y. City- on a subway, Our son enjoyed watching his mother and I being friendly to strangers. He later said that in N.Y. people just do not do that. But we are friendly wherever we are.)
10. I have learned that emotional prejudices are found among those who have not been able to develop a healthy kinship with the earth’s family of beings. Those who have not been nurtured to have a love of self, tend to turn their discontent with self, outward, hoping it will provide some inner relief.
11. I have learned that a sincere smile is more attractive than a pretty face and that laughter is healthier than a crisp apple.
12. I have learned that wisdom can be found in the most unusual places and circumstances, even when it was not sought after. However, one must always be in the mindset to receive it. ‘Whatever’ and/or ‘We’ll see’ are not those mindsets.
13. I have learned that education, whether formal or informal, combined with practical experience, will propel a person forward in life faster than one without the other.
14. I have learned that one who has a thankful heart and expresses that gratitude frequently, is in awe of most things on this planet earth and in his universe. For gratitude is the mother of humility.
15. I have learned that man is a duel being with both spiritual and physical entities, both of which need to be nourished in order to thrive and to experience the greatest joy in life. The natural man is an enemy to God and to himself, a mere pigmy of what he can become once he discovers his spirit, a giant, he can then become. In the Bible, David was the giant, not Goliath.
16. I have learned that service to one’s fellow man is service to God and very often has an immediate reward in terms of self satisfaction and personal spiritual growth.
17. I have learned that structured religion is important as it provides a frequent reminder to a man of his relationship to God in the presence of others. A place where we are touched by others spirits and we learn wisdom from that source. A walk in the woods may make a person appreciate nature and God’s handy work but it will not provide him with an opportunity to serve his fellow beings and be touched by their spirits.
18. I have learned that as long as I exist in mortality, I will learn. When I go to the other side, I will continue to learn, because that is man’s destiny.