A Conditional Love

Love... Love... Love.

What a feeling...what a word...what a choice!!! Yeah, I said it. What a choice. There are so many opinions on the word and what it means. So many conflicting views that make it hard to believe there's a defined meaning. To me, it's just a word in which we as humans use to relay the ultimate endearment towards someone or something.

So just what is love? Is love a state of being or is it an emotion?

Love is regarded mostly as any of a number of emotions related to a sense of strong affection and attachment. The meaning of love simply touches basis on so many topics. So before you can know love, you must first understand it and where it comes from.
So to keep it simple, I'm going to keep this on the subject of the love between  two humans. And when I'm done, you want view love as you have.

Most folks don't understand that the strongest human trait is self preservation. It's the one thing embedded in our DNA code that can't be changed. It's directly tied into fear.
The reason we are curious by nature is not because we are eager to learn things that bring joy. It's because we want to be made aware of things that can harm us... it's why you proceed with "caution" doing things that new with you.

So when people tell you love is the strongest human emotion, tell them it isn't. Fear is the strongest human emotion.

Now you're probably wondering why I brought up fear when I initially started talking about love. Well to understand something, you have to know of it's origin. And it's my belief that love was derived from fear.

What???

Yes, love was birthed from fear. In order to love someone or something, there has to be a fear of losing them. For you see, love is nothing more than the appreciation of another person or thing being apart of  your life. It's as simple as that.

Think about this for a second. What's the first emotion or lesson we learn as young adolescents? Were you taught to love or were you taught to fear? See fear is the most simplest of all human emotions to grasp. You can give a cause and effect with two simple jesters.

For example: FIRE

Put a child hand over fire and they learn that it's hot and that extreme heat can cause pain. Children don't like pain(no one does). So they learn to fear it... self preservation in it's simplest form.

So, it's my opinion that love is a choice. One that we have been taught to believe is a uncontrollable emotion that just happens. Love isn't something that's embedded deep within our core. It isn't some special bond between a parent and a child that is a given to stand the test of time. It isn't some Divine emotion from a greater being.

Love is nothing more than a trait created by man to express one thing... appreciation.

We chose who we love when we decide who we will pay attention to and who we will appreciate for being in our lives. Sure some degrees are higher than others when we talk about "how" we love, but the choice in who we love is still a choice.

It's a choice that can be beneficial and it's a choice that can be self-serving. It's a choice that can bring great joy and it's a choice that can bring great pain.

Yet, still it is and forever will remain, a choice.

Control Your Faith

Hello world, or should I say FAMILY!!! Before we take another journey together(this blog). I need you to understand something about me, as to provide a better view of who I am. I am a child of reason and logic, that was raised on faith and spirituality... it is my strength and my joy(tears in my eyes). In my opinion, it's the best way to view life. It's also my father's greatest gift to me. And I would just like to take the time to thank him... Willard Theophilus Parks(greatest dude ever). Now let us proceed, my faithful observers.

Faith is a very strong human manner. It is a trait only shared on this planet by one species... as far as we humans know. It is a manner that man created out of a need to insure himself that whatever desires could be dreamed, would be achieved. Basically, it's the ability to display confidence in a conscious form... nothing more and nothing less. In my opinion. There are two forms of FAITH. The spiritual aspect and the logical aspect.

The SPIRITUAL ASPECT is directly tied into religion. People that walk with this faith, for the most part, believe in a supreme being that created all that is and will come to be. Most that don't understand what this means, usually think that people of a spiritual faith believe that what happens is what's meant to happen. They also believe that if they follow the teachings of their religious word, they will be rewarded as their GOD sees fit. Heck, even some of the religious folks that claim to have faith believe this to be the fruition of the word. Well it isn't... SMDH!!! Spiritual faith is some of both and none of neither. Huh??? I know, confusing. Just bare with me. Spiritual faith isn't about sitting on you behind and waiting for your life to be handed to you. We are creatures of free will. With every passing breath, we have the ability to either do or don't. Nothing and no one controls that aspect of your life but you. If your God wanted to live your life for you, he would've just deprived you of such a gift(choice).
Spiritual faith is the belief that everything will be alright because GOD will never give you more than you were meant to bear. That's it... nothing more and nothing less. If you do not understand this, if you do not believe in this... you cannot call yourself a person of spiritual faith.

There can be no logic and reason applied because, technically, the definition of those words go against everything that SPIRITUAL FAITH stands for.

The LOGICAL ASPECT is something that I derived from my own thinking and understanding of what it means to have fortitude(strength of mind that enables a person to encounter danger or bear pain or adversity with courage).
I call this aspect REASONABLE FAITH. It's basically an understanding that if you want your life to go in a certain direction, there are defined steps that must be taken. There can be no short cuts. One must accepts these steps as building blocks or better yet, a stairway to where they want to be in life. Each step taken builds the strength needed to endure whatever obstacles that may come about. There are no guarantees that what you want, will ever come to be. But isn't that the whole point of life??? Isn't that part of what makes it worth experiencing??? It's not about believing in FATE(destiny). But it is about showing FAITH(confidence).
Reasonable Faith gives understanding and strength that the likelihood of a goal or plateau being reach is greater than not, if a individual applies the proper effort needed to attain it. It's as simple as that.
This is because of one important teaching of understanding... CAUSE and EFFECT. Don't remember what this is, well you should. It's a part of human development. It's how you became who you are. It's a basic teaching of life, that goes as, "For every action. There is a reaction".
Examples: Put one foot in front of the other and you move ahead... that is your Faith. Engage in unprotected sex with multiple partners and end up with STD... that is your faith. Go to bed smoking a cigarette while you're half a' sleep and wake up with 3rd degree burns all over your body... this is your faith. It's as simple as that. Some people will be luckier than most, that just the law of averages taking place, not some Divine being picking and choosing who gets better treatment than the next. I don't believe GOD works that way(wouldn't be shocked if he did though... he was crazy enough to create us)(now watch the religious folks not understand the humor in the joke)(Geesh).

There is no need for spirituality or belief in a higher calling in order to walk with REASONABLE FAITH. It's a journey of thinking, planing and execution. It's a understanding that any "thing" isn't possible for every person but every "thing" that is", can be attained through planning, acting and enduring the hardships along the way. You just have to know your possibilities. And that doesn't mean you sale short the value of your being. It's more about understanding your place in life based on the steps you have taken thus far. Basically, you can't decide you want to be the President of the United States if you weren't thinking and planning since age 17. If you're 20 plus and haven't even been to college, it will never be your FATE to be president... I don't care how strong your FAITH is.

In conclusion, I want tell you what kind of FAITH to have. I will only ask that you have faith. It's needed to strengthen the mind... and the mind is needed to strength the body... and the body is needed to endure the struggles of the human spirit.
So instead of walking through life blindly, enjoying momentary happiness. Seek out your faith and take hold of it. But most importantly, control it. The power lies within you... I hope you embrace it, faithfully.