There are those situations in
my life
for which I have to slow down - which is to
say,
which make me slow down (speed bumps). And there are those
situations for which I have to
stop
- which is to
say,
which make me
stop
(stop
signs). In this
analogy
there is a
big
difference between speed bumps and
stop
signs. It's a difference I matured into. Until I did, I ignored it
- at my own peril.
Prior to that, I had no
idea
there was any difference at all between the two (which is to
say
in
the past,
I hadn't
considered
they were different, and it didn't occur to me that I was bringing
no
rigor
to either) ... and then suddenly there was a difference. To live
my life
well, it's
clear
to me
now,
whether I'm
being
ongoingly mindful of it or not, demands that I
get
clear
about the difference.
When I tell
the truth
about it, my epiphany of realizing just how critical the difference
is, was made
possible
by (if not
completely
defined by)
listening
Werner Erhard
speak
/
share
the cost of
out-of-integrity
behavior in
his own life.
Upon
reflection
(which is to
say
upon
discovering
it for myself), I noticed ignoring speed bumps may vibrate
my life,
but it doesn't
stop
my life.
Ignoring
stop
signs on the other hand, brings
my life
to a
complete
standstill. That's ironic since the onus is on me to
stop
at
stop
signs. Yet if I don't
stop
at
stop
signs,
my life
gets
inexorably
stopped
anyway (I'll revisit the irony of this realization later in this
conversation).
Both speed bumps and
stop
signs interrupt my
natural
momentum and velocity in
getting
things accomplished. I could ignore them both (as I did in
the past
- not necessarily a good option). I could treat them both the same
way
(also not necessarily a good option). I could also distinguish
between the two (arguably the smart
choice).
Of everything I do (which is to
say
of everything it's
possible
for me to do), I've
discovered
something definitive about when I'll merely slow down, and I've
also
discovered
something definitive about when I'll come to a
complete
stop
(on all other occasions it's
full
steam ahead!). OK,
real
world
examples please,
Laurence.
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