This morning I was talking with a young warrior who suffers from PTSD. We hit a lot of different topics but then she asked me a question that I apparently hadn’t thought enough about! She referenced something I had said easier that Love, Kindness and the conscious thought of right or wrong should be involved in every decision we make if we want to be the kind of human being we were meant to be. She agreed with my thought and then came her question.
“But, What does it mean to be a human being? With my PTSD, sometimes I lose sight of who I am or even what kind of human being I am. Sometimes I’m not sure what a Good Human Being even is or not!” I started to give the first answer that popped into my head and then realized that it needed more thought! Oh I know about being kind and the Golden Rule and can name a bunch of people who I think are good human beings, but that wasn’t the answer to her question. “What does it mean to be good Human Being?”
We talked about it for a little more than an hour. We listened to each other describe what we each imagined to be the answer, but we each came up with lots of small examples but no definitive one. I remember reading Eckhart Tolle saying that it’s a two part equation, we are both Human and Being and the two must be in harmony for us to be the best that we can be. We talked about that, included other philosophers, religions and ideas as the time ticked away.
Our answer was that the conversation needed to be continued, but we did come up with several indicationsof both those who are working towards becoming a good human being and those who are taking the other road. Here are some of the feelings and indications we came up with that were on the right path towards becoming A Good Human Being. It seemed a lot easier to point out things for the people who were on the opposite trail! (I don’t see a reason to include those.)
So here are the traits that we came up with for
a Good Human Being…..
Realizes the absolute need to delve into the deeper levels about you and your thoughts and actions, even though they realize they might not understand all of it right now.
A Good Human Being knows what they believe based on facts and input and feeling from others, but doesn’t pretend to know what others are thinking. They strive to make their thoughts, actions, words and gestures further something towards a better end rather than just responding. They know even a smile screams louder and means more than hollow rhetoric or rationalizations.
Being Loving, being Kind, Hopeful and Honest with yourself and others but doing so in action not just thought or feeling!
Doing their best! Realizing they’ll succeed sometimes and fail others but doing their best in the only way to move forward on this quest.
Won’t allow fear to stop them! (Sometimes it will! Strive to be on the better half!)Ask the questions they might fear, just as she did with me this morning!
LISTEN!!!
They believe in themselves, including the parts they don’t know yet.
Develop confidence in their resolve, their insight, their soul, their guts and their love. They’re confident they carry these within them on every journey.
Believe that even the darkest darkness can be pierced by a single light. Every lantern shines a light from within, right? Well, do the same thing! “Fire that puppy up within you!” When darkness descends around, absolutely know that there is have a light within! It might be so dark that they can only see right in front of them. That Is Enough! Focus on the fact that that light within is there, not the darkness! FOCUS ON THE FACT THAT THEY HAVE THAT LIGHT WITHIN THEM, NOT THE DARKNESS!
The last thing she wrote down was that a Good Human Being cares! They care not only about what they want, but about the humanity. They care not only about others but about themselves. They care about being a good human being not so others can see them doing it, they care because that’s who they are, or who they’re becoming. They care!
When it was time to go, she took the list she had written down, folded them up and put them in her pocket. She told me that she wanted to keep them there, so anytime she felt those dark feelings, she could reach in her pocket and physically feel what we talked about, to get her focused on that path instead. I was honored!
I know this is longer than my normal One Minute Blog but I thought it was so important. The people like this brave warrior who struggle with PTSD 24/7/365 are amazing and struggle to walk in their light everyday. There are many others struggling with chronic pain or mental illness (…and their incredible caregivers who devote their lives) or people who live a “great life” who have never delved into themselves the way this young lady is. I hope they do. I need to do a better job of this myself. I’m so glad that I was put where I was put to consider these things today. I hope that some of this made some sense for you. I hope you’re happy. I am so grateful that I know so many of you who are Good Human Beings! Thanks for including me in your lives.
Peace
…..Gregg