Parable of Martha Stewart

Martha Stewart began her journey as a follower. She watched and learned the ways of her predecessors in order to follow into their success. She climbed steadily up the mountain behind the chosen few she admired, all the while growing closer in stature with those of power. Soon the summit would arrive and all could rejoice in their achievement.

As Martha stepped into the realm of her gods, she felt the warmth of their reception. Her intuitions ignored, Martha grew doe-eyed and wandered deeper into the trap. Those that she had so faithfully followed had led her astray. Now was the time for her to be sacrificed at the hand of those she adored, for crimes they had shared with her. She was to be offered as the sole responsible party and would be punished with imprisonment and exile.

This was to be a lesson for all, yet Martha rejoiced in her guilt and accepted her punishment. She had learned more than expected in her first climb.

As the imprisonment drew to a close, Martha had rebuilt a mountain of her own. Upon her release, she was escorted to the summit to once again rejoice in her achievement. The lessons she had learned, and demonstrated for all with her actions, had brought renewed success.

Now, as Martha stands in awe of the summit she commands, it will become even more difficult for her to see the reality of the situation. The more time that passes with her atop that summit, the more distant and secluded she will become.

For an enlightened one sharing her perch, it is agonizing to watch a fellow human blissfully ignore the truth all around her. For if Martha were to open her eyes, she would see her achievement for it's true value. Martha would quickly see that her mountain was nothing more than a hill among mountains of immeasurable grandeur. Mountains surrounding her with their summits obscured, summits that truly must be hidden in the clouds. This new sight, this new vision, would bring new choices. Choices to stay and rejoice atop the hill or to relinquish the hilltop and begin anew.

If the desire arises to find the summit of this new, gigantic mountain, the choice must first be made to descend the peak you are upon. For Martha the choice is much more difficult, for her descent is much further. For most everyone else, the choice to descend is a difficult one to make because the truth is clouded with man-made ideologies arguing against such a decision. And it's hard to sacrifice everything for something everyone else cannot see.

So I ask you...Why not challenge the validity of the achievements of those who came before you? Why not question the direction you have chosen? Why not ask if what you are aiming for is the correct target? Why not try to find out what the true mission should be? Why not start descending your hill? For you see, once down at ground level, the journey up can begin in earnest. This journey is not guided and there is no path to follow. This journey cannot be undertaken without sacrifice and belief. The reward cannot be known, but no valuable journey is about the reward. The journey is about the experience and this journey is for everyone. A choice unmade will be made for you.

For every action, there is an equal but opposite reaction. Therefore, for every inaction, there is an equal but opposite action. Choices are everyone's responsibility and I plead with you to choose wisely.