Wednesday, February 4, 2009

My name is Landen

Depending on how you look at that quote I can both agree and disagree. If you say the quote means helping the world which is what the book is talking about then yes staying in the shadows of the world will keep your soul from growing. If connecting with with this world means connecting with those around you then it will too often mean doing things that one shouldn't be doing to fit in. It seems to me like the ones who are most hidden and unaccepted are the ones who have the biggest souls cause they don't fit the social picture well enough to be accepted. Sometimes shrinking away is the only way to keep individuality and stay directed towards success rather than being pulled into negative behaviors.

As for the public issues I feel that it's important to fully understand the issue you are arguing before putting yourself out to contradict other beliefs. If not then its arguing for the sake of arguing. Personally I feel that I speak up about, potentially too often, about issues I feel strongly about. It can sometimes get me into trouble and bring about a bigger argument but I think if you feel strong enough about it then why hold back.

My favorite saying so far in the book was a quote taken from rabbi Susya saying, "God will not ask me why I was not Moses, He will ask me why I was not Susya." To me this means that we are all capable of doing great things not only in our lives but in the lives of others. We need to use the strenghts God has given us to make the most out of our lives and those who are given more need to show more for what they have. To me the biggest downfall of our society is greed. Greed for time we don't want to share if it's helping a community or waiting too long for a car to turn on green. Worse yet is the greed of money. Many times the rich who could give the most want to keep the most because everything in life becomes a compatition. At that point they want to have the best of the best and if they don't have it then they are not where they want to be. As long as we dedicate our life it doesn't matter who we are, we are all able to accomplish great things.

2 comments:

Dr. V said...

GREAT REFLECTION! Sometimes people don't speak up because they think others will look at them funny and say "there goes one of THOSE people". Good Job!

Kelsey Hughes said...

Landen,

I really enjoyed your post because you looked at the quote from both sides which is great! And I believe that you are right about those that stay silent, they usually have the most to say. However, I think that sometimes if you are not extremely knowledgeable about a topic but you have an opinion about it, it is best to speak up. That may be your opportunity to learn the most as well as accepting what others have to say. Great job!

-Kelsey