I think of life in a few ways. First, it's what we do - our actions, the things we say, how we decide (or not decide) what actions to take in a particular situation. Second, it's who we are - our principles, morals, ethics, ideals, and ideologies. And third, it's how others perceive us (or rather how we are received). Between all three, there forms a dance of how we interpret living, our choices, our worth, and the perceptions of the lives, choices, and worth of those around us.
It has occurred to me that these three facets of life serve as a checks & balance system, much like the US government was set up. For example, take the Grand Wizard of the KKK: He acts in a way which promotes racial supremacy, his beliefs are founded in the same vain, but there are many who do not agree with his life, choices, and worth. Take another example from Mother Theresa: She is regarded as one of history's greatest humanitarians, she holds the triumph of the human spirit, peace, and God in the highest regard, and yet she feels that she can never do enough to attain her goal in life.
I think it is this struggle that motivates each of us to do more, or to do things differently. Even though some aspects of ourselves may agree with each other and support one another, there will always be parts of ourselves that try to undo what we've worked so hard to accomplish. It is this feeling which pushes us to grow and become a greater example of what we once were, but it is also a double-edged sword. It can make us feel like we've trodden down the wrong path and don't know if what we've been doing has been productive or worth our time and effort.
It is here where resolve comes into play. Do you have the resolve to stay on the path and keep working towards your goals? Or have you been disappointed too many times and left with no control over your life that you simply lack the resolve to live and thrive? It certainly explains the lives of those who wish nothing more for themselves than bare minimums - maybe they are just tired of fighting for the ability to live the way they want to, so they just succumb to the way life has been laid out for them. Because although the path of least resistance offers no challenges and no inherent rewards, it is one solution which requires no acknowledgement of the true self to pursue.
So now that we've found the cure to the unexamined life as having resolve and the will to live according to one's true self, where does we find or culture a sense of resolve in ourselves?
