That which calls us....

Thursday, December 13, 2012

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.  (The Declaration of Independence – 1776)

 

Though I have contemplated this statement from the Declaration of Independence for several years and written about it on various occasions, my passion and soul-initiated desire to enter a state of oneness with its enlightened meaning have yet to be satisfied.  The deeper I go, the more enthralled I become.  For me, the never-ending journey into the depths of this statement has become a path of enlightenment facilitated by a faceless guru infinitely prodding the curiosity and expansion of an awakening consciousness.

 

As a result of many a pondering, I came to the recognition that these unalienable rights are “inseparable from my being” because they are characteristics of Consciousness – the One and Only – and since I am Consciousness, these attributes are innately and inalienably mine.  Through continued and in-depth contemplation, life has become an opportunity.  As long as I am breathing….I have an opportunity.  In the same manner, I have come to know Liberty as the freedom to choose.  I am always choosing – consciously or unconsciously - and as long as I have breath…I have the freedom to choose.  Looking back, connecting Life and Liberty to their unalienable nature was natural – it made sense.  However, the pursuit of Happiness wasn’t quite so clear.  I wasn’t able to make the same connection with the same clarity.  I wasn’t certain as to how this particular “right” had made the unalienable cut.  I wasn’t sure what Thomas Jefferson meant when he inserted “the pursuit of Happiness” into the Declaration of Independence. 

 

A few days ago, I began reading a book by Jon Meacham entitled, Thomas Jefferson – The Art of Power.  The book includes excerpts from many a letter of Jefferson’s as well as family members, friends and others.  These writings have brought Jefferson to life for me.  It is through these personal correspondences that I have come to the conclusion that Thomas Jefferson meant exactly what he wrote.  I sense that he believed each and every person had the right to pursue that which called their attention, excitement, curiosity, passion or love nature.  After reading a large portion of this book, I believe this is the way he led his own life…pursuing – with great intensity – that which called him….he was constantly in the pursuit of Happiness. Though he came from an affluent background which perhaps more easily supported his many callings and desires, he truly believed that each and every person had this right – why?  It seems clear to me that to Thomas Jefferson - one of the more enlightened Americans in our nation’s history – the pursuit of Happiness may have been unalienable because it is natural to pursue that which calls our attention.  We’ve just been trained otherwise.  We are called constantly to something via excitement, curiosity, love, passion, etc.  It’s quite natural.  And because it’s natural for each and every one of us, it is therefore unalienable.

 

It seems to me that as we re-connect and awaken to the opportunity, the power inherent in the freedom to choose as well as the inner “happiness” compass pointed toward that which calls us – the world will continually become a much different place.  I sense that much of my own unhappiness has been due to “forgetting” the “set-up” I’ve been gifted.  Perhaps NOW is the perfect time to remember….. 

 

Much love,

Karrie