Jumping Off a Bridge

How many people were asked, "Would you jump off a bridge if your friends do?" Many believe this is an empowering statement to encourage decision making. However, if a person jumped off a bridge because their friends do not jump off bridges, did they make a personal decision or are they still influenced by people?

We go happily along in our lives until someone puts us down and says we are wrong. This creates a schism, forcing us to attach logic to our behavior. Some choose mentors. They are happy; however, there is no happiness in trying to be someone else. People have trouble distinguishing the difference between what other people want and they want. When feelings are tested the findings are we don't know anything about ourselves.

Gaining personal insight into one's spirit and motivations is a long journey. We can list our physical stats and our accomplishments. Pay an astrologer to compile our natal chart and identify ourselves with numerology. Remember our experiences to derive future outcomes, even when we were not happy the outcome or eliminate an option.

The meditation in "Improving Sensory Perception" helps us find our true path by encouraging a person to see things as they are. The concepts in "Born Entrepreneur" help us identify and achieve goals. A person can live, make money and still be unhappy with relationships due to an unyielding contrarian viewpoint. Another person slips through the cracks because they quickly say "yes" to anything. Neither of these options relies on current circumstances to identify a person as a unique individual with unique needs.

When a person knows themselves, they are enabled to choose a rewarding course of action. Often people's paths in life are long and winding. This does not mean they are on the wrong path or doing the wrong thing with their life. They may need a great deal of knowledge and experiences to craft their skill or make a larger contribution to society. Every experience is a chance to gain knowledge for the future. "Whatever does not kill you makes you stronger."

It is important to know yourself and dismiss other people's input. I like studying. I like writing. I received excellent grades in this class and understood the homework. Regardless of what other people have done, I am a unique person. These are all important questions when defining a person's virtue.

I am not into extreme sports. Therefore, it doesn't matter if someone says, "It is okay to jump off a bridge with a rubber band tied to your ankle." It isn't going to happen. No one controls my lack of interest in jumping off a bridge. However, if I enjoyed extreme sports, I would be saving money to jump off a bridge.

Without considering anyone else's point-of-view, regardless of what another person says, would you jump off a bridge?

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