"Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it himself." ~ A.H. Weiler
Life certainly has challenges and difficulties, but I think that's why God gave us others. Of course, the ultimate spiritual aim of life has to be reached alone ("the flight of the alone to the alone" as Plotinus aptly explained) but the rest of the world is much easier conquered together. There is no greater weapon to fight off fear than the presence of an other. When we have someone with us, we get pushed to new heights, challenged to bring out our best, and comforted in moments of weakness. It is why it behooves to never embark on life's journeys alone.
We've all heard the saying, "Man is known by the company he keeps." I often wonder how it would be fair to judge someone based on the people around him. But as I've gotten older, I've realized that there is some strange cosmic order by which we attract people who are like us. We are born to parents who are suitable for our goals and our growth. We have siblings who connect to us in strange ways. We find friends who are on the same path as us, who have similar shortcomings, similar aspirations. It's all a big mystery to me, but I know that the people we surround ourselves with certainly say a whole lot about us as individuals.
So why is nothing impossible for a person who isn't alone?
Life certainly has challenges and difficulties, but I think that's why God gave us others. Of course, the ultimate spiritual aim of life has to be reached alone ("the flight of the alone to the alone" as Plotinus aptly explained) but the rest of the world is much easier conquered together. There is no greater weapon to fight off fear than the presence of an other. When we have someone with us, we get pushed to new heights, challenged to bring out our best, and comforted in moments of weakness. It is why it behooves to never embark on life's journeys alone.We've all heard the saying, "Man is known by the company he keeps." I often wonder how it would be fair to judge someone based on the people around him. But as I've gotten older, I've realized that there is some strange cosmic order by which we attract people who are like us. We are born to parents who are suitable for our goals and our growth. We have siblings who connect to us in strange ways. We find friends who are on the same path as us, who have similar shortcomings, similar aspirations. It's all a big mystery to me, but I know that the people we surround ourselves with certainly say a whole lot about us as individuals.
So why is nothing impossible for a person who isn't alone?
- You'll never lose sight of your goal. If you're alone, you can get caught up in a distraction and be lead astray. With someone by your side, they'll always be there to reorient you and send you off in the right direction.
- You'll never feel helpless and hopeless. When failure occurs (which is inevitable), you won't be so quick to get down on yourself. The person by your side can give you advice, support you and get you motivated again.
- You'll never become self-centered. The downfall of successful people is often their ego. When someone else is doing it with you, you can never fully take all the credit. The other person makes up for your weaknesses, but reminds you that you are far from perfect.
May we all find those amazing people in our lives--friends, siblings, parents, or spouses--so that we never falter in any endeavor.
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