LIFE LESSON: PRINCIPLES OF A MAN
“At the back of every life there are principles that have fashioned it.” – George H. Lorimer
A very old ship with a very combative old captain was out on the deep seas when it saw the lights of another ship directly in the line of its movement. The captain took up a megaphone and bellowed into it, “Turn immediately and get out of my way or you will be utterly crushed.”
There was no response and the light drew perilously closer. Unused to being disobeyed, the old captain yelled out once more, “This is your last chance to turn away from imminent destruction.”
After some time, a voice called back, “You rather have to turn; I cannot move because this is the lighthouse.
Just as the lighthouse is fixed and changeless, so the laws which govern life are fixed and unchangeable. We consequently have to place, move, or govern our lives by them if we are to find our way successfully through. Successful men conduct their lives by certain fixed principles or laws.
They do not live at haphazard, neither do they choose in a careless manner.
A principle here means “a law of nature as formulated and accepted by the mind.” It is also defined as “an essential truth upon which other truths are based.” In all spheres of life, there are controlled sets of principles behind every element. These never change with time, so learning them and working with them will pay markedly.
“Expedients are for the hour, principles are for the ages.” – Henry Ward Beecher.
One such law, The Law of Cause and Effect, provides that for everything in life, there is a cause that creates an effect. If you want to have health, happiness, freedom, and prosperity in your life, it follows then that you will have to sow the seeds or causes that will develop into those desirable effects.
The roots of this theory are embedded in the work of Greek philosopher, Aristotle in 350BC. Ironically, this significant breakthrough in thinking occurred during one of the most superstitious times when human beings believed in the gods on Mount Olympus and the effect of flowers, trees, rocks and the elements on human life.
Aristotle held that everything which happens does so for some reason, even if we do not know what the law is.
The Law of Concentration also says, Whatever you dwell on grows. Look at your life for the last several years: what are the things that have been growing? That may be a reflection of your focus. If you do not like what you see, then stop focusing on your disappointments, pains, and failures, and refocus your mind on your goals, expectations, and aspirations-that way, you will become more aware of opportunities to attain them.
That means this is in close relation with the Law of Attraction, which states that your life attracts whatever people and circumstances are in harmony with your dominant thoughts and goals.
In the words of renowned American author and trainer Brian Tracy, “When you arrange your life to be in harmony with these timeless principles, you start to accomplish things you never dreamed possible and with less effort than you previously thought necessary.”
This is your time. As never before in the history of the world, we live in an age of unparalleled opportunity for economic empowerment and wealth creation. Those who dedicate themselves to living lives of principle can be at the leading edge of their generation.
Key Thought: It is time for me to reorganize my thoughts in keeping with eternal verities; to align every element of my being in the direction of my goals.
