When I visualize the idea of self-restraint, it is not a dramatic surrealist painting of a man on never ending stairs, nor is it a depiction of someone locking themselves in a cell and swallowing the key, I see a simple picture of a person with their hands folded.
Sometimes we simply curb our will to act, and that is enough to give is the pause we need to focus on what is important. This practice of holding back comes in handy, especially when in certain kinds of conflict or strategic decision making. Reasonable people tend to make better decisions when they are tempered in their thinking.
But this is not always the case. It is just as likely that our inhibitions can be what keep us from pursuing worthy causes, as we sit back trepidatiously hoping for a sign or signal of what to do. This faculty can be as much a gift and a curse.
This double edged sword is one that can be our greatest tool to maintaining balance and harmony, not letting ourselves become undisciplined or loose focus. At the same time we run the risk of becoming our own greatest foe with our limiting beliefs, and repressive behaviors that keep us from reaching our highest heights.
Through trial and error, learning , and wisdom we can possibly better manage ourselves and know when to push and when to pass, this being the true mark of maturity.
Thank you,
Maceo Paisley
Director, Citizens Of Culture
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