Re-re-dedicating
Posted: Tuesday, September 04, 2012 by Travis Cody inI started a journey about this time two years ago. Thus the odd post title. The journey derailed just a bit over the last couple of months. Sometimes that happens. We lose track of the path. There are a lot of things that I can do better. And I will.
Today I re-re-dedicate to the dedication I put into words on 9 September 2010.
This is always a tough time of year for me, as we approach the commemoration of the terrorist attacks of 11 Sept 2001. I can feel it coming as August turns to September. This year, it started early and I didn't recognize what was happening. My mind started to shut down and I became distant. As each day passes now, I find more retrospection, leading me to introspection, and finally again to a new dedication.
Dedication: The act of binding oneself, intellectually or emotionally, to a course of action.
I am now returning to this list of things to do, with intent.
- I'm a kind person. I like the way being kind makes me feel. So I shall re-dedicate myself to being kind.
- I believe that when one is denied the inalienable rights set for the in the Declaration of Independence...life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness...then those rights become meaningless for all. So I shall re-dedicate myself to advocating for equal rights for all.
- I was taught that there is honor in service itself, not in the type of service. So I shall re-dedicate myself to serving in the way that seems best to me.
- I was taught that knowledge is power. So I shall re-dedicate myself to learning all kinds of things.
- I realize that spirituality is a uniquely personal thing, and I understand that not all faiths and forms of spirituality easily stand side by side, and that some may reject any form of faith or spirituality. So I shall re-dedicate myself to respecting the faith and spirituality, or lack thereof, of all.
- I believe that hate and prejudice are learned behaviors, mainly based in ignorance and fear. So I shall re-dedicate myself to becoming more aware of my prejudices, to understanding the root causes of them, and to overcoming and eliminating them.
- I was taught that I am responsible for my actions, my words, and my choices. So I shall re-dedicate myself to positive actions, positive words, and positive choices. I shall own them all.
- I believe that diversity need not be divisive. So I shall re-dedicate myself to the celebration of infinite diversity in infinite combination.
How about joining me with your own dedicated journey?
As you may have noticed, I love taking a few moments out of every day to sit and ponder a quote. One of my favorites, which probably comes to mind at least once a day, is:
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
― Socrates