The Problem:
We can do anything in life, except for that
Our abilities are great, our options endless
Most of the time we excel rather well
Except for that one place we would rather not go
We have looked the other way these many years
Hoping it would vanish or quickly disappear
Detours, shortcuts, and alternate paths we use
Attempting to avoid the one thing we won’t face
But on every new route we decide to take
Appears that dreadful thing, blocking our way
Taking different forms, but still unmistakable
Demanding our attention, if we hope to pass
For some, it’s that person they just can’t forgive
For others, an experience they can’t live anew
For Anakin, it was the fear of losing his wife
For me, the fear of failure my crutch it has been
Whatever the weakness, we all have a few
An Achilles’ heel we try to protect
While almost invincible we might be
And many strengths we possess to overcome
Yet, our weakness can obliterate us all
Killing us from the inside just like a virus
Our weakest link is the strongest we may become
Choking our talents and destroying our dreams
All that we hope to attain in this world
Happiness and love, goals and achievements
Are guarded and defended vociferously
By that one thing from which we run away
But reality is kind just as it is
Showing us our weakness in order to teach us
The path of fulfillment, serenity, and joy
When with our weakness, we cannot receive
The Mission and Vision:
This is the quest, the saga of our lives
The journey of a knight, the ultimate battle
Written and recorded only in epics
What dreams are made of, how legends are crafted
To venture into the darkest part of our souls
Wherein lies our unbearable pains, our greatest fears
The one place in the world we’d rather die than go
To vanquish the most unbeatable foe
Stronger than steel, more sinister than the devil
More powerful than Genghis Khan and his army
Because it knows how to eat away and erode
At our only power, the power to choose
A power that cannot be taken away
By anything else, no matter its threats
A power we can only choose to give away
When heeding the cunning of the dastardly foe
The top priority in life this battle must be
All other daily concerns pale to this
For how could we love or contribute to this world
If ourselves we can’t first bridle or conquer
Matters and pursuits that attempt to distract us
We must keep at bay and return to the battle
After we have let go of the darkness within
We then have the capacity to do all else
Why then do we place the cart before the horse
Avoiding our weakness passing through life
Wondering why we have this chronic dull pain
Not caring to find the source of our discomfort?
I can’t speak for the rest, but I’ll speak for myself
I won’t live my days as an ostrich in the sand
Regretting my life when I’m on my deathbed
So with a small group we start down the path
The Battle:
Inward we travel to our own gates of hell
Our demons, our past, our painful memories
Rise up to attack us immediately
Waiting in ambush, then pouncing upon us
Suffocating and strangling us nigh unto death
Until we can’t breathe, our hearts barely beating
Retreating back to the gates we desperately crawl
Surprised by the quickness of our own succumbing
We gather our wits and return once again
Gaining some ground, more prepared this time around
Again and again we return to the pit
Taking a beating, but still persevering
Surviving days of torture, months of despair
Pounding relentlessly like torrential rain
Against the treachery and lies of our fiend
Until that triumphant and glorious day
When our foe relinquishes control of our minds
His voice fading away, disappearing is he
Riches, happiness, and blessings are now ours
Power to change the world lies in our hands
We are free from ourselves, our most relentless foe
Thus, only a few choose to lead the epic life
Their stories recited and remembered through time
Envied, admired, and scorned by the herd
While the rest squander their chance in history
They’d been given the chance, but would not take it
Hoping to forget what was too hard to try
Still living in discomfort, they know not why
–Jason Westlake
Fri., November 10, 2006
