With Thanksgiving just around the corner, the perennial question is who should we thank for all the things we have experienced during the year? Notice that I did not say all the good things because everything, good or bad, makes us who we are. If we like ourselves, as we should, then the mix must have been just about right.
Most religious people take some time to thank God, but I do not think God, if you believe in God, does anything to help individual human beings. If God did then God would be very busy because most of us are constantly asking for God’s help and merely sorting out who deserves help would keep God overworked. The belief in God, a Supreme Being, or even a natural concept may influence human action, but that is not direct intervention.
My personal view is that, for the most part, humans influence their own world with their souls. I do not use the term heart because the heart is merely an organ, a pump to move blood, whereas the soul is who you really are – the total of your being. The soul has nothing to do with any physical attribute or economic condition; you can be beautiful and wealthy and still be unhappy because there will always be someone more beautiful and wealthier than you are.
If you are content in your soul nothing can change that condition, but how can one come to that place? Start by respecting yourself and respecting others and do not forget to thank those who have contributed to the development of your soul, you know who they are and it’s different for everyone.
Happy Thanksgiving,
Marty and Joyce Richman