From The Daily Dialogue
From The Daily Dialogue
Broadcast of 4/30/98
Subject: [DailyDialogue #120] Trust
"Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live."
- Johann Wofgang von Goethe
The plays and novels of Johann Wofgang von Goethe reflect profound understanding of human individuality. When we believe that our distinguishing characteristics and abilities are important to honor, then we will truly be living. At age 40, Johann Wofgang von Goethe antagonized court circles by living with a young girl. Seventeen years later he married her. Despite society's criticism, he relied on his inner guidance that the relationship was right for him.
Relying on our own abilities may take time. Johann Wofgang von Goethe spent 50 years on his two-part dramatic poem Faust. Faust is one of the masterpieces of German and of world literature. Its emphasis is on our individual power to create our destiny.
Faust was reputedly a schoolteacher in various university cities in Germany and traveled about performing magic tricks and telling fortunes. As the legend goes, Faust made an agreement with the devil, in which the devil increased Faust's knowledge of magic and gave him 24 years of pleasure and power. After this time Faust's soul was to belong to the devil. In one version, at the end of the 24 years the devil carried Faust off to hell, and Faust repented for bartering his soul for illusory knowledge and pleasure. Johann Wofgang von Goethe's version is the greatest and most famous. His version differs in that Faust genuinely desires to increase his knowledge, and in the end he is not damned.
Goethe reminds us that as we recognize our abilities and trust them, we will experience life to the fullest.
Experiment: Dialogue with your partner about your distinguishing characteristics, abilities and knowledge. How are you using these abilities to experience life to the fullest?
Affirmation: I am trusting my gut.
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