A Clean Slate

There are a few times in life when a particular event causes one to reflect inward. It could be a tragic event, such as 9/11, turning a particular age, the death of a loved one, marriage to a sweetheart, or in my most recent case, the birth of a child. My wife and I were blessed with another little girl a little over a month ago. Even though we've now been through this four other times, I had forgotten how tiny a newborn is, and how absolutely dependent they are upon their mothers.

Reflecting on my own life, and recollecting my earliest memories, I had the thought -- Knowing what you know now, would you want to do it all over again? I don't have a definite answer yet, but I'll share some of the things this question has made me think about.

First - I believe we all existed as energy forms or spirit beings before being born into this mortal life. I believe there is universal free will, or agency, which governs each of us -- even allowing us to have some level of progression and make choices during that pre-Earth life. I believe this is why we are born with different talents, personalities, etc. (I can speak from experience that each of our five children is unique... eventhough they each come from the same genetic pool). Our mortal bodies are the physical "homes" for our spirits as we continue our progression during the journey here on Earth. At death our bodies and spirits separate; the physical body is buried, but the spirit continues living. I believe there will be a resurrection, or reuniting of the spirit with a perfected body, at a future time after death and that this experience is all part of God's great plan for mankind, and part of our collective and individual progression.

Second, with the gift of free will that we all enjoy, I believe we are prone to make mistakes while we progress through our Earth life. It is through those mistakes that we learn (and hopefully don't repeat the same mistakes more that once), but it is also how we experience the opposites in Life; Joy and Sorrow, Pleasure and Pain, Happiness and Sadness. It is the gift that allows us to grow through hard work, getting smarter, and overcoming obstacles. I believe our greatest challenge comes with the required changes that are necessary when we recognize we have made mistakes. Those changes often require us to break bad habits, step out of our comfort zone or traditions that have been created, face embarassment or make restitution. If we simply step back and face our challenges and mistakes with a broader, eternal perspective and recognize that God has prepared a way for us to experience the positive effects that come from correcting our wrong choices, and make the change permanent, then we progress.

So, knowing what I know now, would I do it all over again? It depends. While this may not be the perfect analogy, I will use it anyway to explain my thoughts. When I go to an amusement park I love to ride the rollercoasters. They have lots of ups and downs, twists and turns, loops and corkscrews... just like Life. From that perspective, I guess that wouldn't mind doing it all over again -- I enjoy the experiences I have had. But, on the other hand, I often leave the rollercoaster thinking that the ride was too short. While thrilling for the moment, I recognize that all I am really doing is going in circles. From that perspective, I would not want to do it all over again -- I would be right back where I started.

So, as I look at my daughter and recognize that she has started mortal life with a clean slate, I am awestruck with the potential that lies within her. She has a spirit that is strong and willing. I assume right now her physical body is placing limitations on her ability to progress consciously - she can only express herself with being quiet or crying (not even any babbling yet). She is however, growing and developing at a rapid pace... imagine all the neuronal synapses that are forming and dying each second from the onslaught of information her neural receptors are collecting. Absolutely amazing!

I also recognize what awesome potential I have if will approach each day, hour, and minute as an opportunity to wipe my slate clean and start anew anything that I discover needs to change. As I step off the circular rollercoaster, that doesn't get me anywhere, and onto, what is referred to as the straight and narrow path (eventhough it still has Life's ups and downs; twists and turns) which has a forward direction and eternal perspective, I am pursuing excellence and perfection.

Two quotes come to mind in closing this post; Louise Heath Leber said, “There's always room for improvement, you know-it's the biggest room in the house.”

And, as the Greek Philosopher, Heraclitus, taught "The only constant is change itself!"