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Fearful or Courageous – Could You Be Green Lantern?

August 5, 2011
By
I would save a lot of money if I could get everyone who wanted to see a particular movie with me to all go at the same time. Instead, I end up seeing the same film several times with several different groups of friends or family. As long as it’s a superhero film, I don’t mind one bit. The highly-hyped Green Lantern opened last weekend and much to my delight, I ‘ve found myself bathed in Green Lantern’s light three times so far- see the 3d version, it is better. I like stories in any form- books, told to me by someone or in a movie and although the acting is not Oscarquality, this story simply worth seeing. The #1 qualification for being in the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic police force, is to be ‘without fear’. The reason, according to the story, is that Fear is the enemy of Willpower- the source of the energy that charges Green Lantern’s ring. Sinestro, the leader of the Green Lantern Corps, tells Hal Jordan (Earth’s new Lantern) that “Will is what makes you take action, fear is what stops you, makes you feel weak…ignore your fear.” Hal Jordan, a Test Pilot at Ferris Aircraft appears by all accounts fear-less, but the truth is something else altogether... As a matter of fact, I’ve discussed the same situation with 1,000’s of people across my career, folks who live their lives like they’re totally ‘fearless’ when it comes to their health, when the opposite is actually true. You see, people who eat whatever they want without regard to its impact on their health and wouldn’t darken a Trainer’s door without the threat of a gun being involved might seem ‘fearless’ about their mortality. Their favorite sayings are “Eat, Drink and be Merry, for tomorrow- you may die.” And “Why would you want to workout to get in shape when you could get hit by a bus?” While it’s true that there could be a bus out there ‘with your name on it’ the Average Life Expectancy in these United States is 77.9 years, and that includes the possibility of catching a bus ‘the wrong way’. Since you might as well plan to be here awhile, doesn’t it make sense to Eat and Play like good health, a sound mind and the ability to do whatever you’d like to for 77.8 of those years would be a good idea? You see, those supposedly ‘fearless’ folks are deep down terrified of having a debilitating health condition that would cause them to slowly pass away, so they end up doing the very things that will guarantee it coming to pass- only sooner than 77.9 years. We’re talking about a lifestyle that 999 times out of a 1000 leads to a long, full-functioning life as a Spouse, Parent, Grandparent or a single person who is able to enjoy life to the fullest all the days they’re given. I don’t know about you, but from where I sit, that sounds pretty darn good. You see, every day we get is a Gift and if we appreciate it, we’ll live it in such a way that reflects that gratitude. When I was a kid, I can remember 100’s of times when I would get some new, shiny toy and when I would let someone play with it, they either broke it or it was a miracle that it didn’t break. They handled it roughly, without any sense of appreciation-like it wasn’t theirs. Even though folks take the same approach to indescribable Gift of Life, the choice to handle it roughly, break it or care for it like you mean it is totally theirs…and yours. While a devil-may-care, ‘whatever’ attitude towards your health reflects a fear of dying early and in the worst way, consideration of what you eat and getting enough exercise expresses a preparation for living later and the best way to do so. Instead of ‘fear of dying’ it is ‘having the courage to live’. Hal Jordan’s Green Lantern career began with the death of Abin Sur, the current Guardian for Sector 2814. When he crash lands on Earth, he orders his ring to seek out his replacement telling it to “Choose well’. Just before he dies, his last words to Hal are how being chosen is a great “honor and responsibility”, not exactly Hal’s strong suits. If you’ve been less than ‘honorable and responsible’ with your health, it’s not too late. Hal’s girlfriend tells him “The ring didn’t see you were fearless, it saw you had the ability to overcome fear, it saw that you were courageous.” No matter how close you are to 77.9 years old, it is not too late to make better choices about activity and what you eat, just have the courage to do something now. If you’re reading this, you’ve been given another Day, will you spend even one more day afraid to die, giving in to fear and trying to cram in more treats, sweet and TV before you kick the bucket? At the climax of the film, Hal Jordan challenges his fellow Lanterns this way- and I make the same challenge to you now…”Once you give in to fear, you never go back, don’t give in to fear. Fight it- fight it with me.” Hal was trying to save his world, I am too. Let’s start with you
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