The Gas Station

[Justin]

Originally Posted by chad3006

For a moment (at least) there was happiness--whether or not the little old lady really needed or appreciated it. It was a bargain at only $5.00.

You are correct indeed. For the $5.00 it cost, it brought me a feeling worth far more than that. Maybe that's why it's said that in giving and regiving of yourself, you find yourself... finding one's self is worth far more than money.

[pokemasterat]

You know, she could have been a lady on the run, for all you know. Maybe she stole the car and didn't bring her own money, so therefore she took the money out of the change compartment. Sure, she was happy, but what if she went on to kill somebody in the adjacent state? You never know... It's good to think about all the possible consequences ;3

[Justin]

While I understand your recommendation of thinking about the consequences, the only thing that I am in control of are my actions and my thoughts. What she does after the fact simply isn't a part of my world because it's not something I can control.

Seriously, if I sat around thinking of all of the what-ifs for every thought or action, I'm afraid that this would just be a wasting of life. I don't think it's wise at all to consume energy thinking about the negatives of any situation.

What a person thinks most often, he or she will attract. If for every good deed a person did, they had to stop and consider all of the negative consequences, there would be no good deeds at all.

[boagie]

Hello!

Read Mark Twain's,"What Is Man." it will put this type of thing in perspective.

[pokemasterat]

Originally Posted by Justin

While I understand your recommendation of thinking about the consequences, the only thing that I am in control of are my actions and my thoughts. What she does after the fact simply isn't a part of my world because it's not something I can control.

Seriously, if I sat around thinking of all of the what-ifs for every thought or action, I'm afraid that this would just be a wasting of life. I don't think it's wise at all to consume energy thinking about the negatives of any situation.

What a person thinks most often, he or she will attract. If for every good deed a person did, they had to stop and consider all of the negative consequences, there would be no good deeds at all.

Now, that's extreme. If you didn't know her, you had no clue what the effects of what you were doing were. I'm saying that this situation didn't really call for a necessary action. If you knew her and could make a character judgement of what she would've done with the money, go ahead. There would be good deeds, but they would be predictable...

[Justin]

Boagie, thanks for the recommendation on the book. I just went onto Ebay and purchased the book, 1917 edition in excellent condition for $10.00. Can't wait to read it!

Extreme, I don't believe so. That's thought put into action, and for every action there is a reaction. Positive actions breed positive reactions and it all starts with your thoughts.

When I felt inclined to do something to assist a fellow human that looked to be in need at that moment, I just did it. Very small in terms of financial commitment... $5.00... I couldn't imagine standing there thinking to myself that this woman may just be a murderer in some adjacent state. I'd have to sit down and have an interview with her because I can't possibly weigh all the possibilities of future actions and their outcomes... in which I have no control of anyway.

Either way, when I pulled away, something about it just felt good. Was it? Truthfully, I don't know. I'll probably never see the woman again in my life so I won't ever know if she is a murderer. Either way, I can't control that or her so it's not a part of my world. Nor do I wish to predict the future effects of a present positive action. I know it was positive because it felt so.

[pokemasterat]

I suppose it's pretty much just a matter of outlook. Is the glass half full or half empty? I'd say half of it contains water, half of it contains air.
But, to be nitpicky, you have evidence that it was a positive action. Technically, your feelings aren't the end-all argument on the situation's outcome, one which you never heard of. And I meant that it was extreme to never do good deeds. (Assuming you know what good is) You could balance it out and only do good deeds when you believe that they are, in fact, good deeds.

On a final note, to answer my own pickiness and no real posed question or perceived one: the lady may have run out of gas, and been found by a cop car if the money hadn't been given. Just a repetition of what I said that makes more sense...

[Justin]

Thanks for the clarification. You're right, it's all a person's individual outlook or perception.

I try to do my best to view everything in a positive light because it seems to always outweigh that of the negative. Since thoughts are things... first comes the thought, then comes the manifestation of that thought which expresses itself in energy and that energy we send out responds the like. We will end up attracting that in which we think about most often so in practice, I feel it's important to look past the negatives and find the positives in everything because there are so many.

The whole Universe is a mirror which reflects back to you, that which you reflect into it.

- Lao Russell

Great discussion. Thank you young man for desiring to discuss philosophy.

[pokemasterat]

I've got to! If I didn't make my brain jump hurdles and traverse tunnels of great depths, and fall through worm holes, I'd just poof away into a random statistic...

Three cheers for the love of wisdom!

[cjames]

Great last post Justin, and you are so right.

“Whether you think you can or can’t either way you are right.” - Henry Ford