enlightenment - noun - the action or state of attaining or having attained spiritual knowledge or insight; the awareness that frees a person from the cycle of rebirth (in Buddhism).
Looking over the titles to the 319 articles I've posted on blogspot since the pandemic started and forgot to end, I have found that those with references to "light" and "love" seem to be read more frequently than others. I have also noticed that one of my songs "Looking for the Light" off my debut album Heart Walk seems to be attracting a few more listeners lately, comparatively speaking. Clearly, most of you are attracted to light or optimism as opposed to darkness or pessimism. Which is definitely healthy. Cheers!
Enlightenment, according to Buddhists, is the achievement of ultimate light as it emanates from within and is sparked when you are able to deny satisfaction to a specific portion of your ego. Rather than tell yourself you are wonderful, special, God's gift to everyone around you (as all narcissists do), enlightenment insists on humility, the deflation of the enlarged sense of self that might have started to spin out of control twenty years ago when participation awards were first handed out to you kindergarteners who theoretically didn't participate. I can't be too hard on Generation X's parenting, though, because self-centeredness and entitlement are two abstractions that have always been associated with human nature. But I digress. Buddhists believe that if you reduce your sense of self-importance, you begin to separate yourself from your body and mind so that you can walk down a spiritual path, free from pain brought on by egocentric demands. I suppose it makes sense, but it takes a sufficient amount of motivation and effort to do something counterintuitive: deny yourself the self.
Personally, some of my more advanced human friends achieve their own sense of enlightenment simply by maintaining a sense of humor. You can pretty much endure just about anything, even the fluctuations of your own ego, just by "laughing off" a potential insult from your closest family member or anything else remotely similar. It is also the perfect way to redirect a conversation that has run amuck. Buoyancy can be obtained for all with a comedic sensibility that is relatable, kind, not insulting. Even if you aren't naturally witty, you can simply not take someone else's faults or your own all that seriously. Because after all, we all have them. Faults, that is. Also remember that if you know or are related to a number of narcissists, you cannot correct their behavior, no matter how egregious it may become. They will only use your advice to manipulate and subsequently do more damage. So it's best to take what they say and do with a grain of salt and/or a shot of whiskey, whichever suits your tastebuds, and then add a hearty har-har to the mix. Wa la! Instant enlightenment, or at least, light in the room.
To enlighten can also mean to share knowledge to a positive end. I hope I have done a little bit of that for you today so that you can enter 2023 feeling a bit lighter on your feet. Are things starting off well?
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