“The greatest achievement of the human spirit
is to live up to the opportunities, and make
full use of one’s resources.”
This
clear and very precise observation was made by the 18th century
French nobleman, author and moralist, Luc de Clapiers, in his
masterpiece publication entitled, “Introduction to understanding the Human Spirit.”
More than most people, he was a wonderful testament to the power of the
human spirit, especially in the way he was able to achieve his success despite
being seriously disfigured by a bout of smallpox, and being almost blind from
an early age. In his brief and tumultuous life of only 31 years, he fulfilled
perfectly, that successful image later described by Leo Tolstoy, the
great Russian author and Nobel Laureate when he noted:
“There is something in the human spirit that always survives and prevails. There is a tiny and brilliant light burning in the heart of man that will not go out, no matter how dark the world becomes.”
The
human spirit is that powerful force that provides a person with the
confidence to face the uncertainties ahead with strength and optimism, and without
any fear or apprehension. It is the indescribable feeling inside the person that
assures him that any obstacles ahead can be overcome, that the differences with
others can be overlooked, and that any of the problems in life that occur, can
be resolved. It is that intangible sense of security that incorporates the
whole being, and includes the individual’s psychological and emotional makeup, his
personality, his perceptions and his thinking. It is, if you will, the pure and
unadulterated soul of the individual that transcends human frailties and
weaknesses, and provides purpose and meaning to his life.
Over the centuries, the human spirit has been variously
described by others as the ‘real person’, ‘the core of one’s being’, ‘the
essential strength of one’s existence’ or ‘the true basis of the human
being.’ Yet because of the impossibility to accurately describe or even
characterize the features in any formal way, it can in fact be consistent with all
of these descriptions, and many more. Perhaps it could best be viewed as an essential
component of human behavior that includes both the expressive aspects: intellect,
emotion, passion, insight, awareness, and the psychical aspects: personality,
memory and reasoning. Together these provide a platform that
represents the fabric and the meaning that make up the human spirit, and the
reasons why it transcends the basic animal instincts of just the survival of
the species.
From
the Christian aspect, this ‘gift’ by Almighty God the creator, of the breath
of life is the unique human spirit was given to man, in order to
differentiate mankind from all other living beings. The direct reference to
this action is contained in The Book of Genesis, chapter 2, verse 7. It
unequivocally points to the stated intention of Almighty God to create man
alone ‘in his own image’, while granting ‘life’ to all other
living beings:
“Then the Lord God formed a man from the dust of the earth and breathed into his nostrils the breath if life, and the man became a living being.”
Because of this very special privilege, man alone
has acquired this special ability to use as he chooses. He now possesses a free
and uninhibited will to think, communicate, feel, express love, or hate, plan,
create and construct, and all the other characteristics that none of the other
living creatures on earth are capable of doing. This indeed was the promise to
mankind by God, contained in St. Paul’s 2nd letter to the
Corinthians, chapter 3, verse 17:
“Where the spirit of the Lord is,
there you will find
freedom.”
In a practical sense, the human spirit can be seen as the nucleus, the very core of every human being. In those situations when it is fully understood and used correctly, it becomes the most powerful ally available to mankind. Without question, no activity of consequence can in fact ever be achieved without the influence and participation of the human spirit. It is the fundamental source of the feeling of calm confidence that propels a person forward even when everything points to failure, and the courage to persevere even when hope is lost. It is the engine that insists on moving forward, even when the rest of the body cries out to stop, and also, the fountain of energy that keeps the emotions balanced and positive, rejecting all the negative influences to resist or desist. It is the friend that always secures good relationships, and helps to expose the bad ones, and the power that kicks in to provide the urge to try again.
The
uninhibited human spirit does not accept defeat, and if allowed to do so, will
continue to try over and over again, for as many times we fall, or succumb to
failure, or give up in anger. But like so many of man’s other responses, it can be rendered fragile, vulnerable, and easily broken by wrong influences and by personal
weaknesses. It can be seriously destabilized by fear and by feelings of
inadequacy or insecurity, and made impotent by feelings of doubt, fear and
uncertainty. Beyond question, the single, most significant flaw in the human spirit
is the presence of doubt in one’s ability to complete a task. If instead of
being guided by good sense and a desire to achieve fulfillment, we choose the
limitation of doubt and settle instead for an easier alternative, we end up, as
we so often do, burying our spirit deeper into the sands of conformity. Whenever
we reject the demands of our human spirit, we always risk diminishing our full
experience, losing all the benefits available to us, and accepting instead the
easier, less challenging options offered by complacency. President Ronald
Reagan, the 40th US President, and an accomplished screen actor,
fully recognized this weakness in mankind when he observed:
“There are no constraints on the human
mind, no walls around the human spirit, no barriers to our progress, except
those we ourselves erect.”
The
strength of the human spirit can only be diminished by the spirit of failure.
The damaging stress that flows from the resulting attitudes of negativity will
inevitably sap all the focus, motivation and energy needed to succeed and
induce feelings of inertia and complacency. When we allow ourselves to become
trapped in this identity, our self-image undergoes changes, we lose the urge to
complete the task, content with mediocrity and eventually lulled into
complacency. Before long, we become convinced of our inability to achieve
anything and we give up, accepting the new identity of failure and dependency.
And when this happens, instead of trying to search within ourselves and trying
to correct our failures, we prefer to turn to other people and to other
measures, to find help. This is precisely what Robin Williams, the great
American comedian and accomplished screen actor was warning us to avoid when he reminded us that:
“The human spirit is more powerful than any drug.
It needs to be nourished with work, play, friendship and family. These are the things that matter.”
-This indeed, is the true measure of the human spirit. It is a gift available freely to every human being which, if used correctly, will provide great joy and satisfaction, but if it is ignored, will lead to unending pain, regret and disappointment.
< >
.
No comments:
Post a Comment