On becoming a Hero or a Villain

It's coming to me that if we attempt to meet our own ends or be self-satisfied those ends find us to eventually be the villain of our own story, and far worse--the greater story. But on the other hand when we make our lives about what is outside our selves, about others, about the greater good, or greatest good, God, and so on, we become the hero of both stories.

So many times we look at the means rather than the end. We think of happiness as the end, for instance. Some of us do. I have. Various means are sought to find that end. Isn't it odd that it is the pursuit of happiness, the journey, which brings the reward? But it is. We may think that is a gyp, but life is about growing wise, not about constant amusement, no matter what TV tells us.

It is the virtue, the noble things, the selfless things that when pursued bring a lasting contentment no quantity of money could ever buy this, and no other thing can bring it to us. (Seldom are the rich content by just richness alone. Momentarily are they happy. The poorest countries have the lowest suicide rates and the richest have the highest says the research.) The good traits aren't pursued as much as grown into along the way and fulfilled when our minds have been righted by goodness and we get better at goodness toward others. The pursuit can right us or make us all wrong. From the inside out. Indeed, I think our hearts--our true hearts are revealed from the journey, by what we turn into and what contents us or turns us one day malcontent. By a sort of path we become Frodo or Gollum.

Where do we look for our satisfaction? Do we look toward the material? Money, houses, clothes, cars, thrilling vacations, fine food, wine, women, song. Do we look in status or prestige of some kind? Climbing corporate rungs, education degrees, political advancements, accolades. These falter and crumble.

It is in spite of these and beyond them where we may become the heroes of the greater story, which will in turn grant that our story come out best in the end. It doesn't work the other way around. Trying so hard to get our story right while neglecting the greater story of greater good, the story God is writing, clouds our destiny, and may make an antagonist of each one of us. Slowly, before we are wiser. God wants the players, if you don't mind, to love his children--the other players. In every story there are villains, but take care that you aren't one of them.