E-Book, Englisch, 152 Seiten
Reihe: Home
E-Book, Englisch, 152 Seiten
Reihe: Home
ISBN: 979-8-3509-7645-8
Verlag: BookBaby
Format: EPUB
Kopierschutz: Adobe DRM (»Systemvoraussetzungen)
Ahmed A. Lotfy is a behavioral and spiritual enthusiast who spent a significant period of his life exploring comparative religion, physics, psychology, and social & behavioral sciences. He is also the curator in the Global Shapers Community, Doha Hub; a World Economic Forum initiative, targeted at shaping people and the environment toward contributing to a promising future.
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ENTRY 1 –
TESTING OUR BELIEFS THE HELM OF RESPONSIBILITY We tend to want the people close to us to be like us, but do we ever wonder what they want to become? Do we ever wonder if we are everything they need or want? Accepting someone the way they are with no judgment requires constant self-discipline. If we were the same as our parents, how many battles would we not have had to fight, or what could we have learned about ourselves otherwise? Would a lack of conflicts and differences have hampered or accelerated our growth? Our parents may have chosen to have us, but we did not choose them. Because we did not choose to come into this world, we may have grown up believing that our guardians are responsible for the decisions we make. As a result, we wind up lurking in their shadows, contemplating life, and wondering if we will ever assume responsibilities. Most confrontations provide opportunities for growth; they reveal aspects of ourselves that differ from others. Such noticing, for the most part, leads to one of two decisions that we can make: conform, thus suppressing our unique identities, or set a path for self-discovery. Our ancestors shaped our world, sometimes in the hope of preserving their bloodline and sheltering us from those who are different or look different. They most likely acted in good faith, but they may have allowed fear to drive their lives and control those closest to them. Because of this, only a few ventured to question the majority’s beliefs, and eventually fear spiraled out of control, turning every attempt to challenge the status quo into an existential threat. Those who risked stepping into the unknown understood very well that they would face unbearable resistance. Fear has an indirect impact on those who are passionate, as it is rare to lead a life of true passion without navigating uncharted territory. Being passionate about anything, much less pursuing it, is considered, in many instances, uncertain, confusing, outrageous, or even dangerous to those who have never experienced or followed their passions. Even when it is encouraged, in most cases, one can easily wander off the path, as any failure experienced is associated with “passion” being its fundamental cause. We gradually distorted our understanding of purpose, severing its connection with passion. Today, people associate “purpose” with a career or future plan, regardless of whether or not they are passionate about it. Conventional jobs are designed to capitalize on individuals’ pre-existing potential, not to bring out their best potential. Those who primarily pursue their passions confront a system that has shaped our conditioned principles—one that deliberately intends to stifle creativity and turn us into money-making machines. The societal order has imprisoned us, restricting our natural expressions and silencing opposing viewpoints. We are conditioned not to see beyond what is presented to us, and we no longer have the courage to question our preconceived beliefs. If we ask ourselves why we chose the careers we are in, why we go to school or work every day, and what our actual purpose is, we may notice that these questions seem hard to answer for many. If answers tally in favor of money, then our existence is in dire need of deeper questioning. If we cannot relate to this energy field around us but feel stuck in this material-based culture, breaking out calls for an immense amount of courage, intelligence, and perseverance. In modern society, finding opportunities that align with our core identity and aspirations can present challenges, as such desires may lead to ungoverned pathways that can make one unpredictable and, in a sense, dissolve limitations. Once we acknowledge our expansive nature and limitless potential, we understand why these limitations were established. Unlimited potential means that outcomes of intelligence, creativity, and power are indeterminate, and when it comes to rulers, they cannot live with this kind of uncertainty, hence the development of frameworks that restrict our individual and collective potential. When we are constantly chasing time, trying to secure the future or resolve the past, we leave no space for the present moment to be innovative or lead our lives the way we want to. Instead, we find ourselves surrendering to false entities, idealizing, worshiping, or giving importance to the wrong people. We must raise global awareness to reach our full potential as humans. Misinformation is currently plaguing the collective; to take one example, agencies of control have long employed religion as a tool to shape behavior into predictable norms. Those in power use religious values, which typically teach moral behavior and help people become decent members of society, to justify the development of societal structures, boundaries, and policies that govern daily lives. Sometimes, when necessary, policymakers take advantage of religious principles to turn the populace against one another. Sadly, there have been many instances of power abuse and historical truth-falsification that have fostered animosity and division—exactly the opposite of what many religious faiths have attempted to disarm. Therefore, it is crucial to differentiate between the original teachings of each religion and their propagation to the general public. GOD IN DIFFERENT RELIGIONS The concept of “you” and “I” exists because of the will and power of a mysterious force expanding within us. It is hard to define existence and sum it up in words, phrases, or even books. Is there a higher power that propels us to reach our highest selves? Does God exist? Are these questions unreasonable? There is a covert force driving our ability to believe anything we set our minds to. Every individual, living their own truth, contributes to an ever-growing mystery that transcends any single belief. Unanswered questions created a void, and the belief in a God filled it, giving many people’s existence meaning and vigor. Prophets and messengers laid the foundation for a variety of beliefs by developing value systems that promote character development. Humans are perfectionists by nature, but because mortals cannot achieve perfection, the concept of a holistic idol emerged as a reminder of our imperfection. Our imagination needs inspiration, just as children idolize superheroes and admire their bravery. We consistently set the highest standards for ourselves to aspire to. We also hold deep reverence for a higher power or a higher self, which fuels our motivation to emulate our idols or ideals by improving, learning, exploring, and evolving. We never stop pushing the boundaries in our pursuit of excellence. Why then did we branch into various forms of belief when most of the shared ideals are of the highest and purest kind? Are these ideals entirely different, or are they just different cultural interpretations of the same thing? And why are we not equally tolerant of different beliefs, even though they may have similar intentions for refining character? Tales that resonate with the culture, traditions, and history of the communities in the same geographical locations naturally captivate people, as they lack credibility otherwise. Parables that are relatable become more acceptable because they are relevant to the environment and the nature of their corresponding community. It is difficult for us to relate to things we do not know, and we most likely reject what we do not know because we do not understand it. However, acknowledging our ignorance makes us more tolerant of those we disagree with or reject. Belief in an external deity is not necessary to experience the infinite possibilities eternally present in our minds. Beliefs are of different sorts; however, they all point to the same source of creation. Exploring our origins holds varying interpretations; some would say it is the science of understanding the origin of the universe’s Big Bang theory, and others would suggest it is the emanation of a divine miracle. How different are these elucidations? They both sound like wonders from a fairy tale. Who knows what triggered the universe’s expansion and what existed before that? No one can confirm; therefore, no one is in a position to substantiate their beliefs. Non-belief in an external God is also a type of belief, depending on what the term “God” means to those who do not believe in an external deity. In Arabic, “Allah” is the translation of “God,” and the literal meaning is “everything and nothing” or “one.” The definition does not refer to a supreme being that is separate from everything else. The word ‘Allah’ (‘Al’ and ‘La’) alludes to one thing and its opposite, or the sacred something and the sacred nothing, such as matter and antimatter, light and dark, masculine and feminine, and so on. People in the Middle East have used some variation of this name for at least four thousand years, from the time of the Old Canaanite (Allat or Ellat) to Hebrew (Elohim), Aramaic (Alaha as used by Jesus), and Arabic (Allah as used by both Muslims and Arab-speaking Christians today) (Douglas-Klotz, 2005). “Tawhid” in Arabic means “unification or oneness with God.” It is the concept of indivisible oneness that reflects Islam’s monotheism. The entirety of Islamic teaching rests on the principle of Tawhid, which is unifying everyone or bringing people together by encouraging them to live in harmony regardless of their beliefs. It is not the preconceived notion of forcing everyone into the same belief system. It is virtually impossible to make billions of unique minds think or...
