By TLB contributor: Chris Ellis
Recently, my radio partner Sally Nutter (Two Great Minds; Chris and Sally on Blogtalk Radio) and I did a show all about control. Yes! I am talking about The “C” Word! Control has gotten a pretty bad reputation in this day and age and yet, look where we are socially, politically and even personally.
One thing that is an absolute iron clad guarantee is that control is vitally necessary in life despite what those who have only experienced bad control (which is really no control) will tell you.
Anyone can see that a plane that did not have someone or something controlling it, would crash. A car that had no one controlling it would end up in a ditch.
A man with no control over his life is a danger to himself and others. A government with no control (which is what we have now) is violent and destructive, catering to the highest bidder and lining its own pockets while making itself ever more powerful.
Somewhere along the line, it has been socially unacceptable to assert any control over things and people and yet, it is the most vitally important thing an honest and ethical person (Yes, I do mean YOU!) can possibly do!
Ethics are defined as the actions a person takes upon himself to ensure that he is taking the most pro survival path he can across all areas of life. Without control, there are no ethics and without ethics there is no control.
At a glance, the country looks so out of control that it is overwhelming. I really believe that this is why so many people are completely ignorant of what our political leaders are up to.
Many people have chosen to silently give up control rather than look at what is happening and try to put in any control at all. This allows our leaders to continue to take us on a toboggan ride straight to Hell and our own demise.
If you don’t believe this is possible, please look at what has happened to Detroit. What was once a thriving city is now a wasted monument to corruption. Politicians were allowed to run free, looting the coffers at every turn and when they had spent the last penny, took off for other hosts for their parasitic lifestyle, leaving a ghost town and the ruined hopes and dreams of Detroit’s inhabitants
Detroit’s mayor was found guilty of corruption but you and I both know that he was not the only one. A culture of corruption must exist for him to get away with it for seven years. Detroit is a warning sign of what is happening to our whole country and planet if we all don’t act soon.
(Click here to read more about Detroit’s downfall http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/10/06/how-corruption-deepened-detroits-crisis/2929137/)
Control must be put in and ethics must be a part of that.
Control must start with the areas closest to one and then must be gradiently put in across all areas of life by each individual person and everyone has a responsibility to do so. Anyone can and must do it. Here is how it is done:
1) Control starts with you.
It is not difficult to figure out what pro-survival actions one needs to take to ensure that one’s body and immediate living and working situations are on a good path.
Do you eat right? You don’t have to jump on fad diets or do strange things to ensure that your body is well fed. Eat good nourishing food and cut out fast food and sweets, except occasionally.
Take vitamins if you need to. Ensure that your food portions are under control so that you don’t become obese and you will be in pretty good shape physically.
Exercise is also important. Move your body. It doesn’t have to be arduous, a short walk every day and some basic stretching will keep you flexible, strong and in good health.
2) Control your family
This sounds like something evil, doesn’t it? Well, it doesn’t mean that you have to be a slave driver. It just means be in communication with your family members and help them toward the path of greatest survival. Teach your kids about things they need to know.
Our schools are NOT doing this job as evidenced by illiteracy rates. You need to step in and make sure your kids are cared for in the area of education. Don’t leave it to our school system or your kids may be left behind.
Take care of your spouse and let him or her take care of you. Don’t cheat or betray and be considerate.
For more information in this area please check out my article on Lifehack.org here: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/communication/10-secret-tools-happy-couples-use-for-strong-relationship.html
3) Control your group
I know many people who feel there is nothing they can do about their work environment. They show up, punch the time card and go home at 5:00. Whatever the work or group is doing is second in importance to earning a paycheck. Look at the product of the company you are working for. Is it a good and worthwhile product or is it destructive?
Look for yourself. Don’t listen to the brags or the slander. If you think it is good, put your heart and soul into it. If you don’t, find a company whose product is beneficial.
People who lend their time and talents to companies that are destructive have crappy lives. I’m sorry to say it but when you commit harmful acts, you take yourself down. This is true whether you take responsibility for them or tell yourself that you have no control. And it is true whether you do it yourself or as a part of a harmful group.
4) Control your country.
Yes, despite what anyone else may tell you, you do have control over your country and it starts with a simple step. The first step is to lift up your head and LOOK. When you do you will see that things are not going well here.
The government here is controlled by lobbyists who pay off politicians to do their bidding. The top layer of lobbyists and politicians make out like bandits, siphoning off our hard earned tax dollars and taxing us more.
Companies and businessmen are fleeing the country to start up enterprises in areas where they are not taxed to death and where their new companies have a chance to compete in the global economy.
A country that really wanted its people to survive well would make it attractive for businesses and ensure that new businesses and hard working people had every opportunity to succeed.
States like Arizona, Texas and Nevada are doing really well simply because their focus has been to make it attractive for businesses to go there and set up shop. California, unfortunately, is chasing businesses and high income earners out of the state and to these other states by making it oppressive to produce.
The new idea seems to be that those who work are evil or deluded and the real American Dream is to be able to live without working.
Well, the money for welfare and entitlements has to come from somebody’s work. If no one is working, who pays for these things?
At the same time, politicians in power have made politics so confusing and distasteful that most people just don’t want to look at it.
Unfortunately refusing to look and to take control takes us straight into the jaws of destruction. Every civilization on earth has gone this way. We don’t have to.
Look and then get active. Start talking to people, Make your views known and do something about it.
5) Control all life on this planet
Our earth is a network of intimately connected life forms. One must learn what one can about how these life forms interrelate. It doesn’t take much to see that savagely stripping our forests and poisoning our rivers and food supply are not beneficial. Speak out against these things and do what you can to prevent them.
6) Control the physical things around you.
People survive better in life when they are surrounded by things that are kept in good order and are clean and presentable. Keep your stuff in good order. You will feel better and get much more done.
7) Recognize and nurture your spiritual side.
This, I believe is where the most work needs to be done on an educational basis. We have been given so much false information about who we are and what we are that many of us think we are bags of meat.
We are not. We are spiritual beings wearing bags of meat and bones and we’ve been plunked down in the middle of this universe for whatever reason.
Denial of our spiritual nature is the first step downward to our destruction. Understand who and what you are and educate others. It could be the ultimate salvation of mankind.
8) Understand your Supreme nature.
Several years ago, I wrote a story called “The Holy Man“. In my story, the Holy Man is a being of stellar qualities. He is strong, courageous, supremely ethical, caring and compassionate and contains all of the qualities that I admire in a person and that, in my view, makes him divine.
Shortly after writing that story, I had to ask myself how I, as a human being could come up with a character so perfect. The answer was simple. The Holy Man is me in my most perfect form. It is not me sitting here in my slippers typing this to you or me when I get cut off on the freeway and want to flip someone off. It is the perfect and most ideal Me I can imagine.
The next thing I realized was that I had all of the answers to any question at my fingertips. All I had to ask myself when faced with a dilemma is “What would my Holy Man do?”
If he is supremely good and ethical and loving and powerful, whatever he would do in any situation would have to be correct.
Sit down and take a look. Who is your Holy Man? Write down all of the characteristics that you would attribute to someone like that. Then, whenever you have a question as to whether an action is good or pro-survival, ask yourself “What would my Holy Man do?”
If you do this, keeping in mind all parts of life (Self, family, group, etc.) you will be correct. Get to know your Holy Man, care for him and trust him. He is your best friend and most sage advisor.
(For the whole story, click here: http://www.chasinglabellavita.com/tag/holy-man/)
Please write me and let me know if this has helped you.
You can find me at:
http://www.chasinglabellavita.com/subscribe/
Listen to “Two Great Minds; Chris and Sally” as we discuss control here: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/sallynutter/2014/02/08/two-great-minds–chris-and-sally–about-control
You can also find several articles on Lifehack.org where I am a guest blogger. http://www.lifehack.org/articles/author/christina-ellis
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