Wizards and Wanderers - As Symbols

"Not all those who wander are lost."
- "The Hobbit", J.R.R. Tolkien

Throughout Time and within the fables and mythologies of all
cultures we hear of Wizards and Wanderers who roam free and
occasionally assist a worthy soul in pursuing and accomplishing
a noble Quest.

Wizards and Wanderers are cast from a rare and special mold.
They are the true individuals who cannot "settle down" to the
conformities and dictates of society. These individuals remain
eternally free of the restrictions and demands which society
imposes upon its unwary and all-to-compliant subjects.

Wizards and Wanderers smirk at the folly of being imprisoned in
Towers of Self-Imposed Limitations and instead Choose to roam
and Travel wherever they wish - or to wherever they are currently
needed. They are the Seekers of Truth and Wisdom and are
constantly pursuing new Adventures and new Horizons.

Wizards and Wanderers are open-minded and are continuously
acquiring new knowledge, new skills, new understandings, and new
magic. And it is because of these acquired talents and abilities that
they are able to form strong bonds and extraordinary friendships
with like-minded individuals, mystical beings, and the Elemental
Entities of Nature.

Wizards and Wanderers are the Independent Thinkers, dreamers,
and doers who are labeled as Non-Conformists and rebels by the
mundane masses; labels and badges which they gladly accept,
and wear, with a self-comforting pride.

Wizards and Wanderers are very comfortable with their Chosen
life style. They are able to live on their wits and they savor their
ability to do so. These true individuals bear the scars of their Travels
proudly; scars acquired during their many tests and journeys while
in far-away places, less-Traveled environments, and unusual realms;
scars of growth and Adventure.

Wizards and Wanderers understand that they are "in this world but
not of it". They find comfort in knowing that their Quest is noble
and their vision remains forever focused upon the Higher Cause.
Perhaps this is why so many of us secretly desire to share an
Adventure with one of these truly free-spirits and eventually
Become a part of their very limited, very unique, and very
legendary order.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2010

Love

"What is Love?"
-Age Old Question

"Whenever we place a condition on what
we perceive to be love, it is not love."
- Joseph Panek

Perhaps the most talked-about, fantasized, and misunderstood issue
confronting us in our current Incarnation is the concept of feeling
and sharing Love with another person.

Love...it is a Word that is so haphazardly tossed around that its true
meaning has become diluted and confused. Is it any wonder, there-
fore, that we are so bewildered when we attempt to understand the
true meaning of that Divine Essence which we call Love?

Numerous books and articles have been written about Love. Yet,
it seems the more we read about "Love" the less we are able to
understand this Divine and mystical concept.

We ache to receive Love. We long to share Love. We fantasize about
a perfect "other" to be in Love with. But how can we possibly find
Love, give Love, and receive Love if we do not honestly understand
what true Love is?

Perhaps the simplest way to resolve this age old dilemma of what
Love is is to first determine what Love is not.

Love is not to be confused with infatuation, lust, passion, or
possessiveness. It is not a fleeting interest, a momentary desire,
a tempting flirtation, or a temporary excitement.

Love is not obtained, or given, under any form of duress, guilt, or
force. It is not a contract with rules, regulations, expectations, and
Consequences spelled out. It is not demands imposed upon one
another, nor is it an agreement, treaty, or Compromise.

Love is not an empty Oath given, or taken, under the guise of force,
duress, guilt, loneliness, lust, jealousy, possessiveness, platonic
motives, group acceptance, mutual benefits, or carnal expectation.

And finally, Love is not expressed by way of a far-off, dreamy, and
deluded smile of false ecstasy which some adopt into their behavior
to both convince themselves, and impress others, that they are
"in love".

Simply put, Love makes no demands; nor does it burden itself
with expectations. In addition, Love makes no attempt to "live up
to the expectations of others".

WHEW! Now that we have all of that out of the way, let's take a
look at what Love IS.

Love is any Action we perform for the benefit of someone, or
something, else for which we expect nothing in return. Love is
expressed by way of a Selfless Act, Unattached Caring, and the
voluntary Sacrifice of oneself to a Higher Cause. In short, if we
were to define Love with just one Word, that one Word would be
"Kindness".

With this in mind, let us examine the different ways in which Love
manifests itself through us by Acts of Kindness.

The Selfless Act and Unattached Caring are very closely related
to each other. They are the simple Kindnesses which we
unconsciously bestow upon someone, or something, else. Some
examples are: placing a divider on the conveyor at the checkout
stand for the benefit of the person behind us; providing a bowl of
milk for a hungry, lost, and frightened kitten; healing an injured
bird's wing and nursing it back to health so we may set it free; and,
comforting someone when they are emotionally distressed.

The Higher Cause is a much rarer form of Love which we may
experience perhaps only once or twice in our lifetime. It is when
we voluntarily forego personal safety, personal gain, and
egotistical theatrics for either the betterment of humanity or the
well-being of another person.

Those who find themselves participating in A Higher Cause are the
unsung heroes of the Spiritual human condition who experience the
highest form of both Self-Sacrifice and Love. (See: The Higher Cause)

Love, therefore, may best be described as a warm, inner glow; a
state of oneness, contentment, and Harmony in which the purity,
or Kindness, of our Action Becomes our Unexpected Reward.

This is why romantic novels, movies, songs, and poems move us
to tears. They stimulate our deep, inner longing to participate in,
and share, true Love. A longing that can only be fulfilled by
experiencing the results of Unselfish Acts of Kindness on our part
which Harmonize with, and draw out, the highest Spiritual virtues
and rewards available to us in the material realm.

True Love is rare. True Love is pure. True Love is unselfish,
compassionate, and tender. And although our experiences of
True Love can be fleeting and rare, they are certainly worth the
Quest. For our Quest may eventually lead us to a Compatible
partner who shares the same feelings, Beliefs, and dreams as we do.

Then we can experience the kind of Harmonious Romance which
is probably best expressed by our poets and ancient philosophers
through such tender and heart-warming phrases as:
"Love is One Spirit occupying two bodies"
- Aristotle
"Love does not consist of gazing at each other,
but in looking together in the same direction."
-Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2010

The Higher Cause

"It is a far, far better thing that I do,
than I have ever done;
It is a far, far better rest that I go to
than I have ever known."
- Sydney Carton, on his way to the guillotine,
in Charles Dickens' "A Tale of Two Cities"

To give up something that is extremely important to us for a
Higher Cause is both the Ultimate Sacrifice and Ultimate
Reward. This "Thing" can be our life, our safety, or something
(or someone) very dear to us.

A powerful example of The Higher cause comes to us in the very
touching final scene from "Casablanca". In this scene Rick Blaine
(Humphrey Bogart) gives up the woman he Loves, Ilsa Lund
(Ingrid Bergman), because he realizes that she will be a much more
valuable asset to her husband Victor Laszlo, who is the leader of a
multi-national Resistance Movement fighting the Nazis in World
War Two. Rick and Ilsa met and fell in Love at a time when Victor
Laszlo was reported to have died in a Nazi concentration camp.
It is in this scene that Rick tells Ilsa that "...the problems of two
people don't amount to a Hill of Beans..." in comparison to the
Higher Cause of the Resistance Movement during the "dark days"
of World War Two.

We see another admirable example of The Higher Cause in Charles
Dickens' "A Tale Of Two Cities". Sydney Carton trades places with
his look-alike, Charles Darnay, and goes to the guillotine in Darnay's
place. This allows Darnay and his wife to escape and carry out their
Work during the brutal oppression of the French Revolution. We
are left mesmerized by Carton's final Words on his way to the
guillotine: "It is a far, far better thing that I do than I have ever
done..."

The Higher Cause manifests itself over and over again in everyday
life:

...A fireman going into a burning building to rescue an infant;
...A passerby pulling an injured person from a wrecked car just
before the car catches fire;
...Someone without any life-saving experience risking their life
to save another person from drowning.

The list goes on but the elements of the story are always the same.
Someone risks their life in order to rescue a total stranger from
extreme danger; asking for neither recognition nor reward.
This person risks their life for A Higher Cause that is so
important that personal safety is not even a consideration.

When the "Hero" is later asked what prompted them to risk their
life for this Cause their reply is always the same, "I don't know...
I just did it."

The Truth is, we really don't know why we do what we do when
confronted with a Higher Cause, we just "do it".

At this moment some kind of a Higher Power consumes us. All of
our concerns about death, injury, doubt, and fear vanish. A powerful
force is awakened in us. We acquire a Strength and an
Unquestionable Sureness that enables us to carry out our Heroic
feat. We risk our life, or we give up something very valuable, for this
Higher Cause. And, again, we do this with no expectation of
recognition or reward.

It is a highly Spiritual and exhilarating, yet humble, experience.
It is a part of our Spiritual Nature. It is the overwhelming Power
of The Higher Cause.

Comments and Emails: I welcome comments and emails from
people with similar thoughts and feelings. My email address is
located in the upper-left area of this page. Comments can be
posted by using the "Comment" link located below each article.
Also: If you found value in this article please feel free to forward
it to other like-minded individuals, organizations and sites.

Disclaimer: None of my articles should be considered to be
either advice or expertise. They are simply personal opinions
and no more. Everyone is encouraged to seek competent
advice from a licensed, registered, or certified professional
should such advice or service be required.

© copyright Joseph Panek 2008