Aspiration (Updated from 4/27/2014)

ASPIRATION: To have a great ambition or ultimate goal; desire strongly for something of high value as to aspire to fame; to yearn (for) or have a powerful or ambitious plan, desire, or hope (to do or be something): to aspire to be a great leader; to strive toward an end: aspiring to great knowledge; to rise up; to soar.

Aspiration was a discussion topic on the monastery site, about nine years back.  The introduction, put forth by the discussion facilitator, was this: This morning a young musician was being interviewed and she was asked, "What is your aspiration?" She replied, "To be happy."  Is it that simple?  

We think we're so much better than the young, yet these young people are not jaded and beaten down by years of struggle.  Perhaps we simply forget what it is to aspire to something better.  Perhaps, it really is that simple, and we lost this simplistic focus somewhere along our path.

Many of the group, involved in the discussion, chimed in with responses and comments (including yours truly).  It wasn't difficult for me to find answers or comments, but the discussion did make me think, and when I think, I usually screw myself into doing a post.  Well, then, let's get to it.

Is the young musician's answer really that simple?  I remember she was very young.  I would love to know just how young, as her simple answer showed understanding beyond her years.

We can always take a copout by saying, as it relates to religion, to "aspire" is a sin unless it is for the greater glory of God. In this case, almost everybody is going to hell. The argument can also be made, that any endeavor, one aspires toward, shows what we are capable of, and this action of working toward our aspirations, in itself, demonstrates the greater glory of God. I like the latter argument, as it puts the onus back on us, without fear of judgment, to define and work toward our aspirations.

“Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky.”

-- Rabindranath Tagore

As I stated, for me, this was a no-brainer.  I spent years aspiring to be this or that.  In the military and the civilian business world, I aspired to get the highest ratings for the men and women who worked under me.  But I was making one large mistake.  The one thing I kept missing, what I kept forgetting, was to be me.  Sometimes our aspirations come at a cost, especially when we forget to take some of the credit we so easily hand out to others, or when we work so hard for the few that we forget the many who love us.

I ended up giving so much of myself that I ended up with nothing left to give.  I couldn't even recognize that I was still giving even when I was in emotional debt.  It cost me many possible friendships, it cost me a marriage, and I discovered I was never really happy.

"Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be!"

-- Miguel de Cervantes

You can aspire to great heights, and this can be a good thing.  It can be a better thing if you can, consciously, take yourself with you on the journey.  There is nothing sadder, to me, than to see a Ph.D. blow twelve years on education and not be happy because they don't remember who they are, or never took the time for self-discovery.  If you aren't happy before the journey, you probably won't be happy during the journey, or at the end.

For me, and I think for this young musician, the initial definitions of who we are, are at least as important as the final definition of who we become.  The trick is not to forget where we came from as we journey to where we are going.  I would be willing to bet this young musician rises up each morning - and soars!  We need to learn to love ourselves early in our lives and let every morning become our aspiration, our happiness.  I really think, in this way, life becomes simple.

“To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to.”

-- Kahlil Gibran

Many of us spend our entire lives working, simply to survive.  Our only aspiration is to just get through another day.  If we really consider the definition of aspiration, I think we would understand that this is not.  Aspiration isn't just about getting through another day; it is about making the next day better, and the day after that.  It is about soring!  It would be better if we made each day of our lives about the journey we are on and not settle for just sitting at the station, waiting for the impetus to move forward.  Carpe diem!  We must always seize the day!  Success in life is about being truly happy always and in all things, regardless of your circumstances.

Are aspirations a good thing, or should we just take what life deals us? Are we a bump on a log, or a tree soring toward the light? Maybe we should take a moment and consider what we truly aspire toward, become truly happy, and then move toward it.

“Ah, but a man's reach should exceed his grasp,

Or what's a heaven for?”

-- Robert Browning

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch, it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. An opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form opinions of their own, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint. 

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions and while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion, in an arena of mutual respect, concerning those opinions put forth. After over twenty years with military intelligence, I have come to believe engaging each other in this manner and in this arena is the way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience, and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with the United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and, finally, a senior manager. He spent 17 years, following his service career, working with the premier, world-renowned, Western Institutional Review Board helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research.

Ordained 1n 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As the weapon for his war on intolerance he chose the pen, and wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's own personal, spiritual, path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He currently resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony: tolerantpastor@gmail.com