Friday, June 2, 2017

Destructive Male Energy

A man must learn to think with the eternal mind, to feel with the eternal heart, and to become one in the service of the eternal work. Only in these things does he find his completion. (Manly P. Hall)

My father in law is a shadow of his former self. His mind is still as sharp as ever, but his hearing has weakened, and his eye sight is deteriorating rapidly. He is a man who cares about his family, but he also doesn't have qualms abusing the people he loves when it came to his ambitions and fears.


A colleague at work was once part of senior management, and he still aspires to be, but his health has become a handicap and seems to be getting worse. The weight of the decisions he feels he needs to be involved in is undermining his health in a life-threatening way. Yet, he simply can't let go of the subconscious drive for power and approval.


I saw Tiger's tv footage when he was examined by the police for driving under the influence. Clearly this man has seen much better days. We were once so taken in by his aggressive energy on the golf course. Yet, the same energy that made him once the most fascinating athlete, and one of the richest people in the world, appears to be driving him into the ground today.


Three men falling from grace in their own different ways. Everyone can make adjustments, and everyone can learn from mistakes. Yes, we can refine and recycle this destructive energy. No-one needs to be taken to the cleaner by the ego, but it requires hard, and often soul-wrenching effort to change the ways that we take for granted. Most importantly, it requires the honest assessment that something is off.


I am hardly any different. Yes, I have made a career out of studying and solving my inner and outer conflicts with spiritual means, and my readers benefit from my observations and self-reflections. In a way, I am living Manly P. Hall's vision for self-less service with a reflective mind and a loving heart. So yes, my yang energy is no longer as destructive thanks to the WAY, but will this inner restlessness and drive ever leave me?

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