We are all Gods of Nothing, an Explanation

Seth, God of Chaos

Okay, it’s been awhile since I’ve wrote for my blog, over a month.  I’ve been working on other projects both writing and working.  Even now as I write I should be working on another project that I need to get done by tomorrow morning at the latest, but that can wait.  I’ve neglected my blog for far too long, and its purpose, which let’s face it is to hone my writing skills. That’s never going to happen if I don’t add more posts on a more frequent basis…

So today I’m writing about my persona “God of Nothing.”

Recently, I’ve come under a lot of fire and criticism from friends and family over my choosing of this persona, “God of Nothing.” Oddly enough, I have yet to run into anyone online, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and a host of other social networks, that have had any problem or even made the slightest derogatory comment about it or linked it to any religious reference.  In fact, those online seem to get the use of this name without question.  However, I’ve been made aware that those in my personal life believe that my use of ‘God of Nothing” to describe myself has religious undertones. This could NOT be further from the truth.  While I do have a strong belief in a higher power, I adhere to no formal religion but try to live my life in a spiritual manner using the same guidelines as most religions. For instance, “Do unto others as you would have done unto you,” is more than being nice to others, it is a way of life I strive for every day in every interaction I have with anyone.  I believe it’s a good way to live.  After all, we are all humans living in this world together.   Also, I do not mean to belittle any person’s religion or beliefs in any way.  I respect that all persons have their own belief systems and the right to believe and have faith in whatever they choose.

Now the explanation…

Sometime ago, I was living a wonderful life.  I had the job that I wanted and enjoyed, that could afford me the material objects that I desired, and allowed me to do the activities that pleased me.  My parents had taught me long ago that we create our own destinies, and through hard work I had created mine.  I wasn’t rich monetarily and I still had unreached goals, wants and desires, but I was happy and I was very wealthy in my heart and mind.

Then came the housing crisis that turned into an economic crisis that spread around the world affecting not only the US, but many other countries as well.  I watched as many of my friends lost their jobs, began to collect unemployment benefits, which was far less than they had previous earned while employed.  Some lost their homes and their cars and others sold everything they could just to stay afloat economically.  Eventually, it was my turn; I was laid off in a mass reduction of workforce and signed up for unemployment benefits which only provided me a small percentage of my earlier earnings.

I’m not complaining, nor am I feeling sour about my situation. I know there are others far worse off than I, living in conditions that make it look like I live like royalty.  In fact, I am lucky in that I can receive unemployment, my wife has a somewhat decent income, and for the moment things are not really that far different from when I was employed.  I just don’t do as much outside my home as I use to and watch my budget much closer.  While I may miss those things, they are not necessities, so I am thankful for what I have.

Up until this time, I believed that I created my own destiny and I still believe that with all my heart.  You can be a watcher of life as it passes you by or you can be the “Agent of Change” that constructs your life in the form and manner you desire.  Everyone has this ability to be what they want to be and accomplish their goals.

What hit me hard is that there are sometimes things you just can’t control, something happens that is out of your realm of influence and you have to live with it, face it, and overcome it whatever type of adversity is. I was laid off from my job because of a reduction of workforce due to budgetary concerns, not because I did something stupid or haphazard.  I had no control over the budget or the decisions made to conduct lay-offs.  I was just affected by it.  When these things happen, no matter what they are, hopefully you learn from them.  Hopefully they make you a better person.  Hopefully, they do not distract you from your goals, wants and desires.

It is these little bumps in the road that make all of us “Gods of Nothing.” While we can steer our lives in one direction or another there will always be some obstacle in our way, something to go around, over, or under.  These things make us stronger and give us a deeper purpose.

So, I am making no religious statements or remarks, only the observation that we control very little in our lives.  Most people that read this will probably wonder why I bothered to write it because they already understand this concept.  For those of you that don’t understand this, just look at your life, the things you can actually control vs. the things totally out of your control.  Whether you know it or not, we are all “Gods of Nothing.”