Pathway to Greatness

Looking back through my posts, I find them abounding in references and reviews of books and things I've been reading. "Am I becoming just another humdrum book reviewer?" I ask. But I can't excuse myself. Education is the first step to doing anything great. I've been reading Eleanor Roosevelt's You Learn By Living. She makes some good points throughout the book and I consider it worth reading- to learn from her life. No doubt Eleanor's life was filled with copious good causes and a myriad of people were blessed by her attentions. Unfortunately, she lived a life of sadness and trouble. She struggled as a wife and mother- two of life's most important roles. Certainly we all learn through trial and error, but to live a life of trial and error with only the things we ourselves have learned and figured out gives us a very limited aspect indeed. So many have lived and learned, developed and discovered before us that to not use the knowledge they've gained and the knowledge gained from history displays a bleak picture for the future because it will just be a repetition of the past. Confucius' wisdom captures my sentiments…

The ancients who wished to illustrate illustrious virtue throughout the kingdom, first ordered well their own states. Wishing to order well their states, they first regulated their families. Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their states were rightly governed. Their states being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.

It can't be said any better than that- start with educating yourself!