The more success you have, the more temptations will come your way. It is easy to think of yourself as different or special when you outperform your peers. You may begin to rationalize that the basic rules don’t apply to you, but they do. Just look at the history of world leaders and their actions. Character is indeed forged in the fires of adversity. However, you also learn a lot about someone’s character when everything seems to go his or her way. The saying goes, “If you want to know who a person truly is, give them money and power.”
Life is full of temptation, especially in a society that constantly bombards you with advertisements glorifying self-satisfaction. We are regularly reminded of our shortcomings and what we don’t have. Happiness is presented to us through a lens of hyper-materialism, self-indulgence, and unending sexual vitality. Winning is everything, and our personal happiness is always the objective, regardless of the consequences. Feeling good has become more important than doing good.
We all need something to ground and guide us to make the right decisions. Without rules or expectations of moral behavior, any behavior can be accepted. When our family or peers look the other way, ignore, or even condone bad behavior, we are adrift in a sea that leads nowhere. Our thoughts and actions define us, especially when no one is watching.
You will always encounter people who have more fun and more money, are married to more physically attractive spouses, live in nicer houses, have more power and prestige in their work, etc. Please don’t get caught up in wanting what they have. Do not get in the habit of keeping a score of the wrong things. More is not always better.
When you look at others’ lives, remember that you don’t know how they got there or what it takes to keep it. The other side of the fence is never as green as you think. Upon closer inspection, all that green may be thick weeds. When you are tempted to do things that you know to be wrong because you desire something different or want to feel a certain way, step back and reflect on the potential consequences of your actions. You can never successfully rationalize immoral, unethical, selfish, or mean-spirited behavior, no matter how hard you try. The further you get away from doing what is right, the closer you get to living a life of remorse and regret.
Related articles
- Root Temptation (dragonintuitive.com)
- Temptations (theway2fullconsciousness.com)
- Lead us not into temptation…we can get there on our own. (myvuze.wordpress.com)