This is http://www.essayz.com/a9404212.htm Previous-Essay <== This-Essay ==> Following-Essay Click HERE on this line to find essays via Your-Key-Words. {Most frequent wordstarts of each essay will be put here.} ========================================================== %LETTING GO SURRENDER SELFISH WILL EGO COLLUSION 940421 True fulfillment and integrative living entail a letting go of our disintegrative egos, desires, wills and fears. The dilemma is that when we are clutching to and imprisoned by our disintegrative egos, desires, wills and fears---they may seem to us to be the means to salvation given to us by God. It is not enough to listen to the admonition to let go and do so; for in letting go we may fall into the imprisonment of a systemic collusive game of mutual self deception which is being played by people near and dear to us. It is not enough to listen to the admonitions of religious, professional or political leaders who are saying that we should let go and trust their leadership-- -and do so; for they may be leaders in systemic collusive games of mutual self deception. It is not wise to fall into the trap of believing that the key to our salvation is throwing our trust upon authority figures outside of our selves---in the conviction that we are incapable of being the articulate authors of insights which come to us, and which can lead us in the ways wherein we can be people of integrity working with integrity within communities of integrity. It is true that wisdom involves letting go of fear and learning to trust the integrative powers of Love; but the meaning of that, and just what it entails in practice, is not obvious. In tragic ways letting go can be perverted into falling into disintegrative entrapments which are dishonestly collusive and addictive. We need to be careful to look for signs of fearful dishonesty, collusions and addictions---even as we seek to understand what it is that we need to let go of. High levels of fear of rejection, excommunication, and/or exclusion are usually signs that our motivations are neither integrative nor wise. We need to beware of leaders of any kind who help us to be preoccupied with fear and who promote fear of rejection, excommunication and/or exclusion. Frequent personal manipulations, coercions and violence are signs that we are imprisoned in systemic expressions of disintegrative ideals, values and paradigms. Preoccupations with technologies, plans, formulas, formalities, systems, and goals---are often signs of clutching to that which we need to let go of. Preoccupations with conformity, rules, regulations, prohibitions, prescriptions, proscriptions, laws, judgments and taboos---indicate that we are the victims of clutching to idols which we need to let go of. Many combinations of intolerance, arrogance, self righteousness, pride, presumptuous certainty, personal insecurity and defensiveness are clear signs of a need to let go of idols. It is disintegrative for us to deny, be dishonest about, repress, suppress, or be secretive about the reality of our own experiences, desires, fears, hopes, aspirations, emotions or thoughts. If we in the dishonest service of any person, spirit, group, ideals, values, goals, laws, rules, regulations, prescriptions, proscriptions, community, city, state, nation, profession, religion, addiction or collusion---if therein we deny, are dishonest about, repress, suppress, or are secretive about the reality of our own experiences, desires, fears, hopes, aspirations, emotions, thoughts---then we are most likely imprisoned in idolatrous practices; worshiping realities of our own creation which are not God. When we are dominated by fear our egos lead us to fear honesty, openness, vulnerability, responsiveness, authenticity and integrity; for fear often leads to the skillful playing of collusive games of mutual self deception. When we are dominated by fear we fearfully avoid letting go to Love and cling to our fearful defenses which include dishonesty, secretiveness, reservations, artificiality and attempts to be in control, or to be under proper control. Fear leads to disintegrative preoccupations with conformity and control. Love transcends such dis-integrative fear. When we are dominated by fear we cannot accept the gift of security which is the freedom to be safely vulnerable; so we work hard to achieve security for ourself through dishonest, joyless, secretive, manipulative and violent defensiveness. When we are dominated by fear---we fear to be honestly descriptive about the reality of our own experiences, desires, fears, hopes, aspirations, emotions or thoughts. Instead we are preoccupied with conformal prescriptions and proscriptions. (c) 2005 by Paul A. Smith in (On Being Yourself, Whole and Healthy) ==========================================================