Myopia

The lack of sight leads to the slow death of a man.

Among the many diseases that plague a person’s vision, myopia best illustrates the trend our culture is developing. Myopia is a unique illness that causes extreme nearsightedness. A man that suffers from Myopia, will not be able to see past the objects in his immediate vicinity.

Our communities have a problem. It is the problem of myopia. People seem to only be able to look a few moments into the future. While this way of life creates a lot of dopamine (a neurotransmitter associated with momentary pleasure), it leaves little lasting fulfillment. I believe that the epidemic of myopia is the reason we have so many young suicides. So many young people without purpose, vision, or drive. In the Bible, there is the story of Jacob and Esau. They both were to be granted a birthright but there was one problem. Isaac, their father, loved Esau more than Jacob. This lead Jacob to act in jealousy and trick Esau to trade his birthright in for a bowl of soup. I go back to this story and have pinned it “The Esau Complex.” Why is this so rampant in our society?

Each one of us falls victim to “The Esau Complex” every day. We find ways around an eternal mindset and focus on only surface level things. We ask only the bare minimum of ourselves. (“What will I eat?”, “How will I get my work done as easily as possible?”, “Can I eliminate the obstacles in front of me?”). All of these questions are dopamine raising questions, but they leave little hope for accomplishing life’s greatest goals. Each one of us is searching for fulfillment and we each do what we “think” is best for us. The problem is, we don’t have the slightest clue of what we most deeply desire. Many chase money, only to sacrifice their relationships. Others choose fame, which leaves them bare, never having enough. Too many turn to drugs, which takes a life and spits on it before it destroys it.

My point is, you can never have enough of what you don’t really need. We have to lose our Myopic perspective and realize where we are. We are living among the stars, suspended in air on a pale blue dot, where everyone has ever lived and died. I pledge my allegiance to the intelligent creator who meant for me to live in this reality.

An Eternal Perspective

The Story of the Businessman

One of my favorite stories is about a stressed out businessman who decided to take a vacation to Mexico. One morning, the businessman went out to the docks to watch the sunrise. As he took in the brisk air and vibrant colors, he couldn’t help but notice a middle-aged fisherman coming in from a morning of fishing. The businessman was confused as to what the fisherman was doing coming in to shore so early.

The businessman asked,

“Hey, may I ask what you are doing?”

The fisherman responded,

“Oh, I am just coming back from a nice morning of fishing!”

“Well what do you do with the rest of your day?” the businessman asked.

“Well, I usually just go home. I like to take a nap in the mornings, spend time with my family, and I play in a mariachi band with my friends at night!” the fisherman said

The businessman began to offer advice to the fisherman saying,

“You are doing it all wrong! I will help you make more money, but first you are going to have to stay out on the water for longer! This way you can hire another employee and make more money!”

“Then what?” the fisherman asked.

“Well then, you will be eventually making enough money to buy another boat.”

“Then what?” the fisherman asked.

The businessman was taken back but was determined to answer.

“Then you will be able to buy other boats and produce more.”

“Then what?” the fisherman asked.

Visibly agitated now, the businessman started

“Well then, you will have a whole fleet of boats, produce enough to where you will have many distribution centers, and be sitting in an office in New York City, making milions!”

“Then what?” the fisherman asked one last time.

This made the businessman think deeply for a moment and he thought about what he would do.

“If I were you, and I had all that money, I suppose I would move to Mexico, fish for the fun of it, take naps, spend time with my family, and play music with my friends.”

The fisherman laughed.