Life On The Potter's Wheel

 “There are two days that are important in a person’s life, the day you were born and the day you decided to live”.- Mark Twain 

The beginning of a new year always is a time for pause and reflection, as well as a hope for better days to come. For me as well as many others, this time of year, brings both a promise of a new beginning and a great deal of reflection. If you haven’t guessed it, I’m a reflective learner, so here we go… 

In 2017, I will be fifty years old. Like so many others, I choose to look at this time, as a time to take stock in life. Also, like many others, I have endured the pains of grappling with health issues and fall out from the domestic violence of a horrendous divorce. Having lived a quiet life, I choose this time to share and celebrate my journey with you. 

Along this road, I have come across many kind and nurturing souls, many of whom are a part of the Linked In community. I want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the people who gave me a “hand up” and inspired me to move forward.  

Because of all of you, I have come to understand something very profound. So profound in fact, that it shook me to the core. It is something that is very personal and essential in both my personal and professional life. It is the literal use of one’s self to initiate and inspire.  

If you think that such talk is “mumbo jumbo”, think again. No one has ever achieved any level of success with the assistance of another, at some point. 

There is an image that I have been dwelling on, courtesy of a man that I have never met, but have come to respect, simply for his positive outlook and insights into various facets of the human condition, without being judgemental: Joel Osteen. Although we share the same belief system, what captured my attention about Mr. Osteen, is his unique insights into various calamities that befall the Human Condition, such as poor self-esteem, addiction, faith, and working to set meaningful life goals, just to name a few.

Mr. Osteen is always uplifting and never judgemental. And yes, he does weave parts of the Holy Bible, into his sermons, but he does so to simply tie in his ideas and metaphors, to fit into modern life, and equate them with scripture. I realized long ago, that one must act with great caution when choosing one's heroes. As far as I'm concerned, his words have meaning, as long as he is contributing to the positive well-being, of those who watch him. I would say the same of Buddha, Allah, and Jesus Christ, even though technically Mr. Osteen is not in the same class, as these great teachers, but I think he's got the right idea.

However, as I reflect upon the inspirational leaders just in my lifetime: Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King, other Saint Mother Theresa of Calcutta, Nelson Mandela, John F. Kennedy and yes, even President Obama, my pal Joel is in pretty good company.

The point is simple. These people were not only inspirational,  "master teachers", that emphasized the importance of love and kindness towards all people. It is a sermon that I can always listen to, and a lesson, that never grows out of date, no matter who is standing at the pulpit.

Life is a potter’s wheel, and we are but lumps of clay to be molded. This is how we come into the world, how we go through Life and ultimately, what we will leave behind. It's easy to focus on all of the things that we have lost or do not have. It's easy to get caught up in our own misery. 

In many cases, the problems that many people deal with did not start with them. In many cases, problems became things that are handed down, from generation to generation. Things such as poverty, lack of education, alcoholism, drug addiction and mental illness, do not just start with a single event.  

Calamities of this magnitude, require a great deal of behavioral reinforcement over time. They are things that people do not necessary choose on their own, but many time choose out of a perceived necessity or lack of healthy alternatives. 

As I often tell my teenage students, nobody is born into this world, expecting to inherit great misfortune. Infants are simply innocent creatures, that need to be nurtured in order to grow. They rely on adults that are in their family system to provide for their needs. 

The trouble is that all parents do not come equipped with the same skill set or resources. As a result, children grow up only as good as the options that are afforded to them, by their caretakers and the environment, that they are living in. Furthermore, there are another host of factors, that comes into play, simply through genetics. If there is someone in your family that has a mental illness or is an alcoholic, there is a good chance, that through no fault of your own, you could become mentally ill or addicted. The same holds true for many medical conditions such as Hypertension and Diabetes. 

Knowing that these "risk factors" really do hold a very real place, in the lives of ordinary people, can be a positive tool to help them to live their lives, and change the course of their respective destiny. This seems simple, but the truth is, in everyday life, it is not. 

People who have alcoholics in their family, and may have this knowledge ahead of time, still abuse alcohol. People who come from abusive homes, often act in the same way as their abuser. It is both contradictory and confounding, but very much a part of reality, for many people. This begs the question: so what are the answers for people, who suffer and how can they break the cycle of suffering? 

Of course, there isn't a single answer that will change the course of the suffering of many people. Such change takes insight courage and will, that unfortunately, many people who suffer, simply can not muster. Many have been worn down by the burden of their troubles over time. 

However, what I am beginning to discover (in my old age), is that we are all but clay on the potter's wheel of Life. We are constantly growing and changing. This transformation even follows us throughout life and even in death. Our bodies wear down over time, and eventually decay and wither. This is nothing earth shattering, but simply a reflection of the cycle of Life. 

However, as clay on the potter's wheel, with the knowledge of the potential risks that we face, we have the ability to make changes, that can not only change the course of our own lives, but can actually change the course of history for generations to come. 

Imagine this: what if one person, who has a family history of Diabetes and Obesity, decided with the knowledge of their family history, environmental factors, and own personal habits, decides to try to deal with these problems instead of just giving in? What if people were empowered and encouraged to make a decision to live their lives differently? Could they then change history? As my upbeat friend Joel Osteen points out, the answer is "absolutely"! 

As educators, medical professionals and even social service providers, we are already working with such people, and know these things to be true. We also know that as professionals in our respective fields, doing our part alone is not enough to facilitate change. 

It is through a higher calling, and belief that one is part of something much bigger than themselves, their problems and even the people who are trying to help them. It is Faith in a greater good that inspires change and creativity. Faith is the engine that drives innovation and helps people to live better lives. 

Faith is essential in all aspects of Life, and despite all of our imperfections as people, has allowed the human race to continue to prosper. So, why is it so hard for people, from all walks of Life, to share the various aspects of their faith, in order to contribute to a better world? 

I think that this answer to these questions is very simple. It comes down to how we choose to treat each other, every day. It is living in the moment, and relishing in the blessings that lay before you and learning to take nothing for granted.  

I believe that in the 21st Century, it is going to be how we choose to treat each other that will have the biggest impact on our survival. It will be our ability to teach and foster Faith in something larger than ourselves, that will ultimately deliver us from the things that we ultimately have little or no control over. It will be this grand acceptance of diversity that will bring individuals and nations together, to heal each other and the environment. It will be faith that allows us to change the fate of our mutual destiny on the Great Cosmic Potter's Wheel of Life. 

It will be our faith that will shape each other and the world, on the potter's wheel of Life.