Chain letters
Friday, February 8th, 2008Q. Masters, I keep getting chain letters from my friends that promise rewards and riches if I send them to five or more additional people “in the next half hour.” They also promise disaster (or at least bad luck) if I don’t send them. I know that there have been reports on the news that these are all ridiculous and have absolutely no truth to them, but I feel compelled to comply. What can I do?
A. You are used to following the requests of others, particularly anyone you perceive as an authority figure, such as your mother or aunt. You are hard-wired to respond to these requests without thinking. Then, after you have complied with them, you realize what you have done and get mad at yourself for being such a puppet.
We call such feelings within you “belief systems.” They are the rules and regulations by which you are living your life because they were imprinted on your mind as you grew up. Peer pressure reinforces this early learning when those around you insist that you must continue to follow the rules. But, truthfully, it doesn’t mean that you have to continue to adhere to them. You have freedom of choice to make your own decisions and go with your inner feelings.
Most of your peers are motivated by a sense that things like these chain letters will allow them to get something for nothing, and that if you don’t go along you will break the chain and be responsible for their bad luck. They simply refuse to take responsibility for their own actions and want everything handed to them on a silver plate!
You may continue to follow the desires of others, or you can start thinking and feeling what is right for you alone. The choice is up to you. Good luck with your journey.
