Justice,
Rewards,
& Punishment
by
Marie T. Russell
Let's
look at the system of reward and punishment as
it is practiced among humans. We reward
ourselves or others when we judge an action to
be 'good'. We punish others or ourselves
for something 'bad'. Yet who calls the
shots on this. Who is the one qualified to
judge? Is our judgment based on what others
have told us? Is it based on what we
"think" is right based on our past
experiences? Is it colored by our own biases
and prejudices?
In
order to truly judge a situation one must have
the wisdom of Solomon, for truly from the
earthly position it is very difficult to tell
what the ramifications of an action are. What
is good for some may be bad for others. Take
the example of the weather: If your laundry is
outside drying, then rain may be 'bad' --
but if your garden needs water, then the rain
is 'good'. Everything has two sides. What
is "good" for one, may not be
"good" for another. When we decide
something is good, we do so based on what we
know and believe about it... and we may be
missing a lot of information.
What
may seem like a "bad misfortune"
today, may turn out, in the long run, to have
been a "blessing in disguise". And,
in the same way, something that seems to be a
wonderful blessing, may turn out to be a
tribulation. Many people who have won the
lottery thought that all their problems had
been solved by this windfall, only to find
that while some of their problems might have
disappeared, even greater ones were created or
came to light.
So
how do we "know" if something is
right? We often make decisions in life as to
whether something is 'good' or 'bad'.
On what do you base these decisions? Do you
base them on your learned rules of behavior?
Do you decide by considering what others would
think? Or do you go within and question
yourselves as to the appropriateness of your
behavior? You are the only one who knows what
your motivation was in any particular action.
Was your intention laudable in the eyes of
your inner truth?
The
only true judge as to the 'rightness' of
your actions, is you -- or more
specifically, your Higher Self. That highest
part of you is the only one who can truly know
whether your action was for the Highest Good.
Are you living out your potential as someone
who was 'created in the image of God?' Are
you being the best you can be?
Many
times, it seems as if people go around just
doing the minimum that needs to be done, not
more. What happened to excellency in being?
What about giving your all with enthusiasm and
joy? If you're doing something, why do it
only half-way? Give it all you got! Get into
it completely and do the best you can. Then
you will see the Universe reward you with the
exact same you gave out... the best it can.
The
old saying, 'what goes around comes around'
is definitely true in the realm of energy.
Have you noticed that the more energy you
expend doing something you enjoy, the more
exhilarated you become? This is only a case of
giving something your all and then being
rewarded with vibrant energy and life. When we
do something half-heartedly, then we get
half-hearted returns... low energy,
depression, low motivation, etc.
The
whole Universe works on a reward and
punishment basis, but not as we usually see
it. You are your own judge and executioner.
There is no outside judge and jury. There is
no one sitting on a throne waiting to reward
you or punish you. Whatever
you sow, you reap. If you withhold giving your
100% commitment to life then so shall you
reap. If you live like "Scrooge",
you get back what you've planted...
loneliness, anger, fear, etc.
You
can choose to live life with enthusiasm,
instead of boredom and humdrum. Get excited
about your life, your job and everything
around you. Get enthusiastic about what you
do. Put some energy behind your words and
actions.
You
can choose to live from the space of an open
heart... one which questions as to what the
"right" and loving action is. You
can close the door to fears, anxieties,
paranoia, greed, revenge, etc.
Open the floodgate to life
and love and they will open the gate of abundance for you. Love,
happiness and material prosperity will be your
just return. Give it your best shot and your
reward will be of the same intensity... the
best.
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