Become the de-terminator




 

 

The longer I live, the more I am certain that the difference between the great and the insignificant is energy—invincible determination—a purpose once fixed, and then death or victory.” — Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton

I’m always on the lookout for real- life examples of people who demonstrate exemplary character from which we can learn and grow.

One such example unfolded when a young mountaineer named Aron Ralston became pinned by the arm underneath an 800-pound boulder in a remote Utah canyon. After five days with no sign of help, this man did the unthinkable, amputating his own arm below the elbow with a dull pocketknife.

After the “surgery” he had the clarity of mind and strength of body to rig a harness, rappel down a 60-foot cliff and hike out to safety. Can you imagine the focus and determination this amazing man must have had to pull this off?

When asked how he did it, his reply was, “I felt pain and I coped with it.”

I don’t know about you, but this really makes me reevaluate my resistance to going to the dentist.

Aron’s story is living proof that when the chips are down a human being can do just about anything with determination and a clear sense of focus on the end result, which in his case was simply staying alive. When he determined that dying was not an option, something indestructible emerged from within him.

You could say he became “ The De- Terminator” like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the movie. Something nonhuman kicked in and lifted Aron above his fear and pain, giving him the clarity, power and courage to do what he had to do.

Of course, we know that something nonhuman is pure essence, God, the unlimited power of spirit and mind. Irrespective of whether Aron knew it or not, he had summoned the greatest power in the universe, accessing two inherent qualities that determine our life experience: intention (born in the intellect) backed by desire (born in the heart).

He intended to live a long life, and his desire to do so made it a reality, guiding and empowering him to take the appropriate action in the moment to ensure that his intention would happen.

To draw value from this lesson, it’s vital to understand that the intention and desire came from within him, not outside him, and his determination tied the two together.

Thankfully, most of us have never been rendered helpless by an 800-pound boulder, but at one time or another nearly all of us have felt emotionally pinned down or encumbered by some situation, condition or event.

The point is that the same power that got Aron Ralston through his ordeal also resides within each of us, waiting to be summoned. We don’t have to wait for help to arrive—it’s already there, at the core of who we are.

It’s our divine potential. It is the intelligence, strength, wis- dom, creativity, genius, unlimited power and unformed essence of God, and there is no limit to what it can do.

However, God can only do for us that which God can do through us. We have to be the conduit through which it reveals itself.

In Aron’s case, it was his own invincible determination and strong sense of purpose in that moment that brought that potential forward.

So if there are any “boulders of burden” holding you down today, consider becoming “The De-Terminator”: Choose to determine your own future rather than be a victim of circumstances.

How? Develop the determination to fix your attention on the power that is greater than the egoic you, which dwells at the very core of your being.

Then realize that your soul purpose in every moment is to seek a fuller expression of the life that God gave you, knowing that nothing can impede that power—nothing!

It just needs to be called upon, and it is your determination that places the call.

Aron Ralston made the call, and so can you and I.

Dennis Merritt Jones is a local spiritual mentor and keynote speaker. This column was excerpted from his book, “The Art of Being: 101 Ways to Practice Purpose in Your Life,” reprinted by permission of Tarcher/Penguin Publishers.

Contact Jones at www.DennisMerrittJones.com.


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