I love Martin Luther King Jr. I always have. As I look back on blogs past, I almost always have something related to him around his birthday and this year shall be no different...
I find him inspiring, his words invigorating, his process inviting, his courage overwhelming. He's not a perfect person nor did he deal with matters perfectly, and yet I found his path and his process to be as pure as he could make it. What does this mean? It means that no one is perfect - but that they attempt to aim for the best they can in each moment is about as good as it can get. With that I look to one of my favorite quotes from him:
" The means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
At so many crossroads I thought, well maybe I could do this thing for a while that isn't totally true because it will lead me to this other thing that is true down the line. But, I never could do it, and I knew it. I knew in the process of doing that thing that was somewhat untrue I would lose my my path towards the bigger truth. Life doesn't work that way, we can't break links in our life chain, to build a beautiful gold life chain in the end. We must take each step, and we must feel good about each choice we are making in the moment. We must stay true to the to the dream of authenticity in each moment, to reach the big dream. As we all know Martin Luther King had a big dream and there was no way he was ever going to come close to it unless his path was true.... and it was. It does not mean that we will be perfect, but it means that our path is pure.
The thing about the pure path is sometimes it's not the quickest path, it's definitely not the easiest path, sometimes it's not the most respected path, but it is the path that that leads us to the deepest and truest life. The way to build true confidence and respect for yourself. Only you know if you cut corners, only you know if you did that thing that was untrue to you, and therefore to those around you. Only you know.
I can tell you this: if the means you use are as pure as the ends you seek you will be rewarded. Maybe not in the moment, but in the lifetime, and definitely in the legacy. You will be rewarded with peace in your heart even if your hands are hardened from labor, a restful night's even though someone may have done you wrong, and love bursting in your in heart from being one with a true presence. Take the risk of choosing the path that is pure in each and every moment. Trust that if you do that life will take you where you need to go. The means must be as pure as the ends we seek, and let us look to Martin Luther King Jr. and his life and legacy of true guidance and inspiration in that process.
I find him inspiring, his words invigorating, his process inviting, his courage overwhelming. He's not a perfect person nor did he deal with matters perfectly, and yet I found his path and his process to be as pure as he could make it. What does this mean? It means that no one is perfect - but that they attempt to aim for the best they can in each moment is about as good as it can get. With that I look to one of my favorite quotes from him:
" The means we use must be as pure as the ends we seek."
- Martin Luther King Jr.
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| Photo By Allen Wyler |
The thing about the pure path is sometimes it's not the quickest path, it's definitely not the easiest path, sometimes it's not the most respected path, but it is the path that that leads us to the deepest and truest life. The way to build true confidence and respect for yourself. Only you know if you cut corners, only you know if you did that thing that was untrue to you, and therefore to those around you. Only you know.
I can tell you this: if the means you use are as pure as the ends you seek you will be rewarded. Maybe not in the moment, but in the lifetime, and definitely in the legacy. You will be rewarded with peace in your heart even if your hands are hardened from labor, a restful night's even though someone may have done you wrong, and love bursting in your in heart from being one with a true presence. Take the risk of choosing the path that is pure in each and every moment. Trust that if you do that life will take you where you need to go. The means must be as pure as the ends we seek, and let us look to Martin Luther King Jr. and his life and legacy of true guidance and inspiration in that process.
