The Hard Road

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Someone once asked:

“Why do you always insist on taking the hard road.”

I replied:

“Why do you assume that I see two roads?”


~ no one ~

THE HARD ROAD

There are no easy roads. Not in this life. The easy road is one of little or no challenge. No wonder. No excitement. No substance. No enlightenment. No value. So, in reality, the easy road is just kickin' the can down the road, waiting for whatever may come next, with no direction and no expectations. Not caring what has already happened, and caring as much, or as little, for what will happen in the future. There is no path to follow on the easy road. There are no goals to achieve. There is little satisfaction. In the end, you find yourself pretty much where you started your journey of life, with a long way to go. In many ways, the easy road becomes the hardest road to travel, since it accomplishes nothing. So, therefore, by definition, there are no easy roads.


Someone once asked, “Why do you always insist on taking the hard road.”
I replied, “Why do you assume that I see two roads?”


I do not always insist on taking the hard road. First of all, I tend to call it the path. My path. But call it what you will, it is the adventure of your lifetime, starting from where you are today, to where you can be, tomorrow. Each step brings progress, and each step brings growth. A step does not guarantee a positive result, but even a negative experience can ultimately bring you closer to understanding and enlightenment. It may be the hard road, but it is the one I have chosen, the one I wish to follow. It is my road, and for me at least, it is the right road.

If there are in fact, two roads, I have long ago ceased to see the other road, since my philosophy unerringly leads me along the path that will bring me to that which I seek. Knowledge. Understanding. Peace. Contentment. Philosophy is the keystone to that goal. It brings clarity. It brings purpose. It makes the complex simple. And decisions easy. I embrace man as a thinking creature. I respect nothing as I respect intelligence and thought. It is what separates us from all the other animals. It is what separates us from many of our own kind. I revere the mind. I worship the power of thought. I embrace philosophy. It is who and what I am today, and what I will become in the future. I am attempting to be what I believe I should be, and I will be. It is what we need to save us all. From ourselves. I am, and continue to be, a Warrior. A Warrior of thought. A Warrior of the Mind.

To the warrior, there is only one road, one path. My path, the path of the Warrior. And it is not an easy road. Most people may see a choice between an easy road, and a more difficult one. The warrior does not look at his life in those terms.

The average person looks at life from a personal perspective. What is best for them, and their own life. I cannot deny them the luxury of thinking in those terms, but there is another perspective. It is the perspective of the Warrior, who decides only to do what is right, and nothing less is acceptable. To the warrior, the only choices that exist are to do right, or to abdicate responsibility and obligation, and do wrong. Since a Warrior is dedicated to only what is right, they do not even see a second road, and if they do, it is unappealing and of little or no value. The concept of hard or easy is of little significance. It is only the concept of 'right' that gives the decision value. If the path is easy, so be it. If the road is difficult, it was meant to be. Whether the road is easy or not, the choice of their path always is. It is the path of ‘right‘.

We all have the ability to be Warriors of the Mind. It is not a matter of physical strength. It is inner strength. The power of the mind. The resourcefulness of the heart. The resolve of the soul. It is something that we all need to contemplate and understand. It is the best way to be a part of the resolution of all things that plague this struggling species we call mankind. Mankind is inventive and resourceful. Creative and ambitious. It is powerful and has knowledge and intellect. What it does with these things is frightfully disappointing. The Warrior can direct these things towards that which is right, and beneficial. And he can do so by using a strength that nothing can withstand. Character. Integrity. Honor. Wisdom. Honesty. The purpose of the path is to achieve these things. To discover the way. To incorporate these things into our daily lives. To make it a way of life. All life.

The challenge is before us all. To do the right thing. It is the simplest of all things. And the hardest to accomplish. Somewhere inside we all know what that is. We all know the difference between right and wrong. You know it when you see it. Now is the time to make it so. Start today. Not tomorrow, for as we all know, tomorrow never comes. Become a Warrior of the Mind. It will change your life. Use your mind. Fill your heart. Calm your soul. Take the next step, of the rest of your life.

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The Hard Road