Blog 6 - HERO

I have been thinking about this question in my head, going through person after person trying to figure out who that one person I would anywhere would be. I really started to struggle with this question, and it got me thinking, What is a Hero anyway? What are certain qualities that make people willing to drop everything to follow someone anywhere? In class we have talked some about leaders, and 'Heroic leadership.' These heroes can be anyone from a religious leader like Ignatius to a Basketball coach like John Wooden or to a businessman like Bill Gates. It makes sense that this type of thought exercise would appear in the spiritual exercises. Ignatius wants us to be able to imagine giving everything up to follow someone on their mission like he did with Jesus. Imagining following a king or hero helps us to form an image in our minds of what that feeling or interaction might be like with God. I believe Ignatius would say that most if not all the attributes of valiant heroes and kings that cause people to want to follow them or traits that could be attributed to Jesus. The thing that all the leaders I mentioned have in common is that they all had a clear vision about what they wanted and they had the ability to lead and to inspire others not only to follow them, but for each person to fulfill their own individual potential and ultimately become a better person. For me personally, I would want to follow someone who led by example, who wasn't afraid to get their hands dirty and make tough decisions, who is never phased in the face of adversity. I guess more important than anything is the mission. You can be as charismatic as there is, but when it comes down to it, your mission is what inspires people. Ignatius saved souls and Steve jobs founded a billion dollar company. Those two types of leaders attract different sorts of people, but they are both accomplishments nonetheless. As for my Hero personally, I'm still at a loss. I suppose I could name people like Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King or Mother Theresa, but I'm probably supposed to choose someone more modern and those are just cop out answers anyway. I find myself trying to say someone like Bill Gates who is not without his critics, but no one can deny the tremendous percentage of his wealth he has given to numerous charitable causes through the Bill Gates Foundation. He represents someone who could easily symbolize greed in society wanting to truly give back and make an impact on the world. I think that notion is important in a modern society where so many people see achieving wealth and power as the end all and be all of life. But still, I struggle with definitively saying I could follow anyone blindly into a cause. I feel like I need to be able to know someone and relate on a personal level to be able to make a commitment like that, but maybe that's just because I don't know myself well enough yet to identify any "heroic deed" I care strongly enough for to give up everything to pursue.

Blog 5

In the Principle & Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises, Ignatius asks us to be indifferent (become unattached to anything material, to find balance) in our lives. He states, “We should not fix our desires on health or sickness, wealth or poverty, success or failure, a long life or a short one.” What are your own failures in this challenge? What are your own false gods? Are there things/ areas / habits in your own life that you know you have to work on to achieve ‘balance and freedom’? Have you been successful to achieve balance ….or not? What are the things/ actions in your life that cut you off from your loved ones, from your God? Ignatius carries this question throughout the first week of the exercises, and asks us to be truly honest with ourselves. It is a tough personal question. It may a challenge, but try it. I guess I should start out by saying that I, like most people, are more concerned with my own personal success and well-being than I am with most others. That sounds bad to say, but when it comes down to it, I guarentee most people are that way even if they won't admit it. People want to be healthy, they want to be successfull, and having a little bit of money on top of that wouldn't hurt either. These things are practically textbook definitions of what the average person strives to achieve in their life. To suddenly become indifferent to all of these things after being raised from birth with certain societal values is a daunting task to say the least. I know however, that Ignatius' point was to turn people away from living their life for one material, or "false" purpose. I have heard it said before that everyone has their own "god," even atheists. Everyone lives their life for something; Ignatius wants people to live their lives for the right purpose. So I suppose what Ignatius is really asking is, do I put God or God's mission first in my life? My answer would probably have to be no. I don't know about there being material "false gods" in my life. I have never felt like an over materialistic person. I was never one to obsess over clothes or cars or anything like that. I just drive the car that was available to me and wear the clothes that I can get at a good price. I suppose my only fault on that front would be electronics, of which I am a little bit of a sucker for. I love having the newest phone or newest gaming console, but I wouldn't say I structure my life around those things to the point which Ignatius would consider them to limit my balance in freedom. So as far as material things go, I think I am okay though I know I probably should start to limit my technology consumption. That is not to say there aren't habits in my life that do limit my balance and freedom. There are many moments in my life where selfish motivations take precedent. I would say that one of my greatest vices and one of things I'm most ashamed of is my laziness and complacency. I have never been the kind of person to get fired up about something or driven to take action which is sometimes good and sometimes bad. The world needs people who take action though, and the talk and visit from Mark shriver really made that hit close to home for me. His whole family seem to live their life for a higher cause, and though they are not without critics, the last thing you could say about anyone in his family is that they are lazy or complacent. As far as bad habits go, I suppose procrastination would be up there. That habit kinda goes along with the immediate pleasure mindset that I tend to have a lot. That is probably the greatest thing that limits me; I tend to live with the "what's easier for me now" mindset without thinking about the future. I wouldn't say I am a completely selfish person though, I help others I just rarely take that "extra step" like the shriver or kennedy family that is often necessary. I suppose I am more of my own worst enemy, and the fact that I know that makes it all the more frustrating.