What is heaven? What is heaven for you? It seems to me that many people are living their life only to learn how to die in order to go to Heaven. Going through life more worried about the end than the means.
Don’t get me wrong, the end in most situations is very, very important. I see the means as what is actually important. Whether you believe in Heaven and Hell, or dust and dirt is completely up to you. Before you get there, learning and experiencing life is important.
Doing things you enjoy, with people you enjoy, building relationships, and giving to others are the things people should be concentrated on. Fear is a very effective motivator some a lot of people. “I can’t eat that, I’m scared I’ll get fat,” or “if you do that your mom will be really mad.”
There is nothing wrong with fear being a motivator in many situations. But I see many people more worried about their eternal fate than what is happening now. Of course you need to plan for the future, things like school, career, health care, and retirement are all things that should be planned for.
Living life just learning to die just seems counter productive. I’m not exactly sure what to expect after I die but if I do meet Peter at those Pearly Gates I don’t expect him to look at me and list off all of my mistakes but to look at my presence and the positive ways my presence influenced people.
I don’t believe Heaven is just a place you go when you die, I’m pretty sure Heaven is a place when you are living your life in a way that you actually feel alive. Improving someone’s day, supporting a family, improving your relationships, capturing the sun breaking through the fog as it hits a snow covered peak, those types of things is where Heaven is.
Good far out weighs bad. Not doing bad doesn’t mean you’re doing good. The act of good takes effort, takes thought, I can sit on my couch and not hurt anyone, and therefore not doing bad, but whom am I helping? What difference am I making? What relationship am I building? What mountain am I climbing?
Totally agree! Although I think that we should try not to do bad, even if we are doing lots of good. :)
ReplyDeleteSo, you're saying religion is just opiate for the masses, huh?
ReplyDeleteI truly believe K, that Dad is waiting to kick your butt when you get to heaven--no matter what kind of good you think you have done here. I live so that when I get there, I won't be worried about what he is going to think. Fear whatever...it works (okay once in a while I still screw up)!
ReplyDeleteThis isn't to say religion is an opiate for the masses, this isn't saying there isn't a greater place after you die, all I'm saying is I believe people are living more for that than they are now. Trying not to screw up instead of actually doing something good.
ReplyDeleteYou can't be so scared to screw up that you don't take a chance to do something great.
Although I do believe that we will one day be accountable for ALL of our actions, I do see your point. President Monson recently gave an awesome talk about "living for today." My favorite quote of his is "If we live only for tomorrow, we’ll eventually have a lot of empty yesterdays." I don't like to think about death (I have major thantophobia) so I just try to do what will bring me peace and joy TODAY. It has been a trial-and-error for me to figure out what real happiness is.
ReplyDeleteI guess I just don't understand by what you mean by "You can't be so scared to screw up that you don't take a chance to do something great." I mean, what do you expect from people? Maybe some real examples would be helpful to understand what you're trying to say. I've always thought it was a shame that society seems to think that only highly publicized actions are great or good. Being a hard working person of kindness, charity, and humility no longer qualify for greatness. But in my eyes, people like Grandma/pa Austin were great, but I don't know that they did anything that was even published in the local newspaper (besides die, I guess). Or Grandpa J -- I don't think you could call him scared. He was in the Pacific during WWII and then was a cop. I guess I just don't see where you're coming from, talking about people being "scared" to do "great things." Maybe our definition of those words are different.
ReplyDeleteI'm obviously not very well spoken (or written in this case) but Brian's point is somewhat of the point I was trying to make. The accolades is what it seems like people are striving for. Instead people supporting their family or donating their time and living their life they are trying to make that billboard or newspaper.
ReplyDeleteWhen I said scared to do great things I meant people are self interested and doing more of the things to gain recognition than doing the great things like Grandma and grandpa's did.
That is where I see society now leaning, unless you're in the paper you aren't doing good, which is completely false. I see parenting slacking and service slacking unless they have the chance of getting on CNN Heros or something like that.
I would dare say Brian would get five votes for father of the year. Kali, Caleb, Emi, Jamie, and probably myself. Five votes doesn't win awards. It's the things without awards that make people great.
So don't be scared, or dare to be great without anyone knowing. Impress without impressing, Be great for now and I figure everything else will work out.
I figure. This is all just my opinion, I had no idea this blog would generate such activity. I hope my thoughts are not offending anyone.
Now you're just making me blush.
ReplyDelete