There is a Fundamental Law -Daily Meditation 10.26.23
Today’s quotation:
There is a fundamental law that the tissue of the human body will waste away through idleness and disuse. Conversely, muscles and vessels that are stressed grow and increase in capacity. This same basic law also applies to spiritual and intellectual growth and can only be achieved through continual nourishment and daily living effort. – Clarence F. Robison
Today’s Meditation:
One of the ways that I try to motivate young people to learn what they’re studying in school is to use the analogy of sports. To become better at a sport, one has to go out and practice repeatedly- it doesn’t just happen. Well, the same thing is true for reading, writing, math, and any other intellectual pursuit–the only way to get better is to practice it and do it over and over again until it becomes second nature.
We seem to think that we’re good readers just because we know how to read. I have to design assignment after assignment that shows my students that just because they know how to read doesn’t mean they understand everything they read. Instead, they need to put some effort into their reading skills and practice to get better at it. Until I prove it to them, though, they don’t see any need to work any harder–after all, they know how to read, don’t they?
“Continual nourishment” are the two words that Clarence uses, and they’re an excellent way to express what’s necessary if we want to continue to grow spiritually and intellectually. It is a shame if we stop learning and growing because we won’t come anywhere near reaching our potential if we’re not trying to better ourselves. We should be constantly working towards fulfilling our potential, even if we know that we’ll never reach our full potential before we die, simply because when we grow, we become better at helping others grow and learn and improve.
Our spirits are who we are, and it doesn’t do anyone any good if they aren’t helping their spirits to fulfill their potential. Let’s not be idle, and let’s not be lazy. Let us do our best to improve ourselves through action all the days of our lives so that we can become people who help others live their lives fully. Only if we do this can we honestly say we’re living our lives up to their potential.
Questions to consider:
What do you do regularly to ensure spiritual and intellectual growth?
How can we grow and improve ourselves without some action?
What kinds of actions can you take today to help yourself to grow?
For further thought:
The soul is made for action and cannot rest till it be employed. Idleness is its rust. Unless it will up and think and taste and see, all is in vain. -Thomas Traherne
If you missed our last Daily Meditation, it is here.
