Foul Language

"Cherish that which is within you, and shut off that which is without; for much knowledge is a curse." — Zhuangzi

In what way could knowledge be a curse? As I had mentioned earlier what we think we know is actually what we believe. We rarely put conscious thought and effort into choosing our beliefs, and fail to realize how much power we surrender by not being more careful in what we believe. When i start believing that bad things are going to happen, or believe that I can't accomplish something, because I know that's just the way the world is, I have cursed my self. I have turned away from my destiny and chained myself to my (self-imposed) fate. I create my fate through my beliefs, and embrace my destiny by exercising conscious choice.




curse - n. an evil that has been invoked upon one; the expression of a wish that misfortune, evil, doom, etc.,befall a person, group, etc.; v. to wish or invoke evil, calamity, injury, or destruction upon.

invoke - to cause, call forth, or bring about.

evil - characterized or accompanied by misfortune or suffering; unfortunate; disastrous

"The meaning of good and bad, of better and worse, is simply helping or hurting." — Ralph Waldo Emerson

To embrace my destiny is to choose life. This means making my decisions based on what helps me grow in a healthy and constructive manner. Choosing what is good for me. Which means I sometimes have to choose to suffer and struggle. To invoke positive growth requires me to persevere in the face of adversity. In body building (or weight lifting) we grow our muscles by working them to the point of failure, pushing them until we exceed their capabilities, so that after they have recovered (healed) they are stronger than before - and the limits of their capability has been expanded. This means that neither failure, nor success, are inherently good or bad. If I am always successful in everything I try, then I am probably not pushing or challenging myself very hard, and I am likely not seeing much growth.

suffer - to endure pain, disability, death, etc., patiently or willingly.

growth - the act or process, or a manner of growing; development; gradual increase.
grow - to increase by natural development.

Growth rarely occurs without some discomfort or suffering. Suffering is something we actively (willingly) participate in. Despite popular belief suffering is not something we do passively. It really is impossible to avoid suffering, although the Buddha may disagree. He says it is possible, but only by ridding ourselves of all desire. Which is next to impossible for most of us. Even Buddhists believe accomplishing such a task is the work of many lifetimes. Despite my lack of confidence in my ability to successfully achieve such a goal, I believe the attempt to be worth the effort. To believe otherwise would be a curse.

failure - The condition or fact of being insufficient or falling short;

success - the favourable outcome of something attempted

Success refers to something attempted. True success requires effort, and if not outright failure (every time at least) then at least the very real possibility, or risk, of failure. It is a common maxim that failure is a much better teacher than success. I do not attempt to do something that I can easily do, I just do it. I do not attempt to cross the street, I just cross it. A river might be something I can attempt to cross, since this would be something of which success is not guaranteed. The price of failure here might be too high for me to overcome my fears, to break the curse. The rewards of success though is enough for many people to make the attempt anyways. Telling myself that I can't succeed at something, so don't bother making the attempt, would be placing a curse upon myself.

attempt - v. - to make an effort at; try; undertake; seek; n. - an effort made to accomplish something

"If someone in your life talked to you the way you talk to yourself, you would have left them long ago." — Carla Gordon

In the recovery community, negative self-talk - cursing ourself - is called "stinking thinking". It is a leading cause of relapse. The most common curse of the recovering addict are that we cannot cope with life without drugs. This is often subverted into the devious curse of thinking that I can handle "just a little". What makes this curse so dangerous is the way in which it doesn't appear negative. I forget that beneath the idea that "a little won't hurt" or "just one" is the assumption that I am not okay right now, which is why I need to change (my perception of) reality. I forget that it is only my perception that is changed, not reality. It is a vicious cycle. Instead of removing the curse, the self doubt and self loathing which prevent me from loving me, now, I ingest something which allows me to "forget" that I hate myself. I am convinced it is the external which has been changed, instead of how I perceive it. I must always be mindful that my perceptions are neither true reality, nor my true self. But just reflections of both. The belief or idea that mind and mood altering substances make life better is just as toxic as the drugs themselves.

toxic - acting as or having the effect of a poison.

poison - a substance with an inherent property that tends to destroy life or impair health.

impossible - not possible; unable to be, exist, happen, etc.; unable to be done, performed, effected, etc.

Arguably the most powerful curse is the concept of impossible. I usually fall prey to this curse under the guise of "can't" (can not). Anything is possible until I (choose to) believe otherwise. "Can't|" get it's power by replacing the word "won't", or "will not". Not is a "no" or negative. It is not necessarily that I am unable to do something, but that I am unwilling. Not just unwilling to try (and, in my belief, fail) but unwilling to believe that I have any hope of success, or even able to survive (certain) failure. Not only am I unwilling to create or manifest a positive future (will or believe), I am unwilling to believe such a future is even possible. That is the curse of "can't". It is quite possibly the most powerful curse-word in the English language. Almost all other curses are just more ways to convince us that I can't.

possible - that may or can be, exist, happen, be done, be used, etc.

Can - to be able to; have the ability, power, or skill to.

will - v. - am (is, are, etc.) disposed or willing to; am (is, are, etc.) capable of; can. n. - the faculty of conscious and especially of deliberate action;the power of control the mind has over its own actions; to decide, bring about, or attempt to effect or bring about by an act of the will.

When I fall under the curse of "can't", I "won't". When I "will not", I will something to not happen. I eliminate possibility. I turn possibilities into impossibilities. I turn a statement of belief (or disbelief which is still belief) into a statement of fact. I create a "truth". I curse my self.

The other main type of curse besides the curse of the "impossible" is the curse of the "other" or that which separates me from humanity (myself). The curse of "them", the proverbial "they" who are the cause of all my woes, and who will screw me if I don't get "them" first. The way to overcome the curse of "them" is to take ownership of myself. To think only in the sense of "I" and "me", to lose all concept of "us" and "them". "Us" is not as bad as "them", because at least it includes myself, but it dilutes my part in things, and allows me to dodge full responsibility for my thoughts and actions, if it is what "we" all wanted. To use only "I-statements" is to take full responsibility for myself, and how I experience life. It is to bestow blessings upon myself, and to weaken the curses that I may be under. It allows me to break free from the curse of my fate , and to embrace the blessings of my destiny.

bless - v. to bestow good of any kind upon; to protect or guard from evil.
blessing - n. something promoting or contributing to happiness, well-being, or prosperity; a boon.

boon - something to be thankful for; blessing; benefit.

The only effective way to overcome the curses I have invoked upon myself is to counter them with blessings. If I curse myself by believing I can't - by saying I won't - then I bless myself by believing I can - saying I will! There are many ways I can bless and curse myself. The biggest difference is that I rarely curse myself on purpose, and even more rarely bless myself by accident!!

invoke - to call for with earnest desire; make supplication or pray for; to cause, call forth, or bring about.

"The most important thing to remember is this: To be ready at any moment to give up what you are for what you might become." — W. E. B. Du Bois