YOUR GREATEST POWER – Discovering It

This short book by J. Martin Kobe was first published in the 1950s. Kobe argues that the ability to make conscious choices shapes every aspect of our lives. Kobe was an American author and psychologist born in 1908. This short series of excerpts highlights the concepts shared in this book.  The reader is encouraged to purchase the book for the in depth explanations that it offers.

The First Chapter – Discovering It

"You are the possessor of a Great and wonderful power."

"Millions of people are complaining about their lot, disgusted with life..."

"Once you recognize this power and begin to use it, you can change your entire life and make it the way you would like to have it."

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to know and understand this power?  This short study series highlights excerpts from the book Your Greatest Power by J. Martin Kobe.  Your ability to make choices is the greatest power you have as a human being.  Learn more in this short series.

If this greatest power, the power to choose, is so great how come we don’t know much about it.

"...the individual fails to discover this great power that will change his life.  He doesn't recognize it, he doesn't even know it exists, he sees millions of others struggling the way he is and decides that THIS IS LIFE."

I like to think of this as our herd mentality – because it seems the rest of the herd is miserable, therefore I must choose to be miserable too.

"Too many times have we seen this great power demonstrated right before us, yet, we did not see it with all its possibilities...That is the reason we have devoted this entire treatise to this great power, the greatest power that man possesses!"

"Before we tell you what this great power is we want you to know about another story...an explorer who went into the wilds...took a number of trinkets along with him. Among some of the things that he took with him were two full-size mirrors. He placed these two mirrors against two different trees (for support) and then sat with the other explorers. A native approached the mirror with a (weapon) in his hand. As he looked into the mirror, he saw his reflection. He began to jab his opponent in the mirror as though it was a real (person). Of course, he broke the mirror into bits....the explorer walked over (him) and asked why he smashed the mirror. (He) replied 'he go kill me. I kill him first.' The explorer explained ...that was not the purpose of the mirror, and then led (him) over to the second mirror [and explained the usefulness of mirrors]." To this the warrior replied Oh! I didn't know.

"Many millions of people...go through life fighting it. They expect a battle at every turn and that is the way that it turns out. They expect to have enemies, and they certainly do. They expect to have one difficulty after another, and that is exactly the way it happens. ... for millions of people who fail to recognize this great power."

But isn’t life a battle, mustn’t  we fight cancer, fight crime, fight evil, fight “the other side.”  Life is all about war” isn’t it?  Just one big fight?  Read on….

"The answer it that we must understand life if we wish to make the most of it. The amazing part about this power is that anyone and everyone can use it. It doesn't require any special training or education. It isn't a power that requires any special aptitudes to make it work....it is a power that everyone it given at birth....the sooner we recognize this power, the more hope will spring into the hearts of others to follow this healthy pattern of life."

"The greatest power that a person possesses is the power to choose."

That’s the big secret?  That I can choose?  What’s so secret about that?  It’s too easy!  Let’s learn more about choices.

"You made [any particular choice] because you wanted it so. If the choice was bad ...some people will say 'it was God's will.' But was it? Perhaps you are familiar with the old saying 'God helps those that help themselves.' Regardless of what we believe regarding God, God does give each and every [person] the right to help [themselves], the right to choose."

Many people choose to use fear to manipulate others into achieving their desires.  For example: 

"Too many people have the very bad habit of telling their children that God will punish them...if they do something wrong....[filling the person] with the fear [apprehension, not respect] of God. [The person] chooses to be afraid of God. [Throughout life the person lives] with this fear. Is it any wonder that the average person's life is a shadow of what real living could be?"

This cycle of fear is perpetuated with each successive generation by "parents who fail to understand that the power to choose can change their lives. If [punishment] would prevent [all] evil doing, it would be alright, but look around you and you will see that [this is not so].” 

 

“On the other hand, if we would realize that the wrong doing itself carries with it its own punishment, then we will choose what is right, because we will then know that it isn't God that is going to punish us, but it is our own bad choosing that carries the punishment with it."

Agape.  Look it up

"We must, therefore, realize that there is nothing outside of ourselves to hurt us. God doesn't hurt us. God loves us. Therefore, what can hurt us? Only our own bad choosing. If we choose to eat so much that we make ourselves sick, who is to blame? If we choose to drive our cars so fast that we cannot control them, who is to blame? If we choose to allow ourselves to have nasty, disagreeable personalities, who is to blame?... If we have failed to learn how to live, whom shall we blame? God? ...We hurt ourselves through the bad use of this great power that God gave us, the power to choose."

Discover your greatest power, the power to choose, and continue with us as we explore your greatest power. 

NEXT CHAPTER: Choosing                   Coming next week