life and managing your time in the most
meaningful and effective way.
In the realm of physical desire, this includes being focused on investment in
what is necessary and meaningful, rather
than material acquisition for its own
sake. It means not sacrificing your financial peace of mind and security for the
short-term ephemeral thrill of buying
something you like rather than need.
Debt is one of the most soul-destroying
spirit-draining forms of slavery.
In the intellectual realm, slavery is represented by concern and obsession with
prestige and power, rather than self-respect. There is a world of difference between being worried about how others see
you and whether they recognise your value
or not, and being someone who draws admiration and respect because of who you
are and how, through your deeds and way
of being, you inspire and enhance the lives
of others. An example would be throwing a
tantrum because of where you were seated
at a wedding. Humiliating yourself by sinking to the maturity of a spoiled toddler
and causing unnecessary stress to the
hosts harms your self-respect and undermines your standing in the eyes of others.
The paradox of personality is that when
you try to manipulate others to give you
what you believe you lack – in this example, honour – you drive that quality further away from your life. Not only does
your performance in such a situation not
serve you, but deprives those around you
from the potential good that you could
have contributed. Imagine if, instead, you
had used the opportunity to give the bride
and groom a memorable start to their married life that will serve them beyond the
wedding by contributing wholeheartedly
to their joy and celebration.
The third category of slavery is emo-
tional. This would include issues like envy,
which distracts you from your potential,
or bearing grudges, which keeps you
trapped in negative feelings.
In life, things have to change in order to
stay the same. When you are stuck