Ralph Waldo Emerson was an American essayist and poet who – among many other achievement — essentially founded transcendentalism (a belief system that primarily suggests a) that the divine — or “God” — is suffused within the entirety of Nature, b)  that reality can therefore be best understood by studying Nature, and c) that an individual may live in either of two states — the busy, “divided,” and “degenerate” state where he does not thrive but instead but identifies with his occupation vs. the “right” and “elevated” state of being where he consciously acts as being at one with all of humanity, indeed, with all sentient kind) … In addition, Emerson had the courage and the temerity to publicly challenge the conservative religious institutions of his day – a choice which led to him being soundly denounced by many … Later in his life he again became unpopular for his outspoken support for the abolition of slavery, stating at one point, “We must either get rid of slavery, or we must get rid of freedom.”
“Do not follow where the path may lead. Go, instead, where there is no path and leave a trail ::: It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, ‘Always do what you are afraid to do’ … Finish each day and be done with it … Tomorrow is a new day; you shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your past nonsense.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Filed under: In LOVE with Humanity by Scaughdt