Do not confuse this essay with preaching. It is intended only as a way to share my own thoughts on a subject that is near and dear to me, and also to many other readers, writers, and thinkers. Moreover, the marriage of art, science, and philosophy was the hallmark of the Italian Renaissance—a period of time that brought about a breakthrough in human thinking, That occurrence, alone, is worthy of our gratitude.

With that said, those of us who have had to face the stark realities of life from an impoverished perspective know—first, and foremost—that life is unfair. There are unmarked and unwelcome divisions everywhere: Rich and poor, abled and disabled, strong and weak, brave and cowardly, gifted and dull-witted, handsome and ugly, happy and sad, determined and desperate. Moreover, if you have had the misfortune of finding yourself on the short side of too many of these divisions, life can and will come at you with the viciousness of a cornered ocelot. It wants to own you after it chews you up, swallows your soul, and spits it out.

Still, there is a glimmer of hope, a counter argument, so to speak. Before all the negatives explode in your face, you will be tested by another divisor: survival favors the fittest. But if you want to become a member of the “fit” club, you must meet one more test: This final divisor is probably the only one that can help you overcome all the other negatives over which you had no control. It is this: fortune favors the brave. The operative term in this mellow advisory is “favors.” To be certain, the Greeks learned this term long before America wrote its inheritance laws. Life guarantees nothing. But sometimes nothing can soothe your soul like discovering that there are a few aspects of life that will give you a fighting chance to “level your own playing field.”

Fortune has many faces, none of which is crowned by money. You must choose from among them. They know all about you. You can earn their respect. Fortune is an opportunity, not an outcome. It is not to be found in any visual location, or under ideal conditions. It rises up from within you. It is part of your soul. You must look inward to find it. And, once found, you must learn to accept its verifiable sources of enlightenment.  No lies.  No fake anytihing. You must dedicate your life, your trust, and your sacred honor to them. Do not search for truth; only wisdom. Only then can you find the drive to jump on the fast track to a life of survival and some worthiness. How? Know your strengths; know your limitations; ask nothing from life; but become determined to be the master of your fate, the captain of your soul. Develop your inner skills. Learn to trust in them. You will know you have arrived when you can say “I am free. I will live as a free person, or I will die in the trying. No man or woman is my master. Fame and fortune are not my goals. If they choose me, I will give away their benefits. I will live, love, and leave this world as I came in: naked, alone, and with nothing left to give. I will therefore adopt as my guiding principle this acknowledgment: The richest person is not the one who has the most, but the one who needs the least.

Inspiration and wisdom are where you find them. You will need help in your search. Adopt a mentor, perhaps many mentors. They will speak to you from the grave. Let them in: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Jesus Christ, Joan of Arc, Galileo, Mohandes Gandhi, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Katherine Bates, Edna St. Vincent Millay, Bertrand Russell, Rudyard Kipling, Marie Curie, Amelia Earheart, Cole Porter, Rosa Parks, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Walt Disney, Eleanor Roosevelt, Carl Sagan. There are many others. Draw from their wisdom. Learn from their achievements and from their mistakes. Adopt their attitudes. Then develop your own.

To live life means you must defend the things you love that are at once simple, elegant, and wise:  kindness, caring, giving, understanding, loving, and forgiving are good examples.  Those who give up the honor of trying are traitors to the pleasures of comfort. Those who forgo principles to greed are traitors to wealth. Those who would strip others of life, liberty, and happiness and take them as their own are thieves. those who pollute the Earth are tyrants.  And anyone who looks away from an injustice that they can help stop or change is a coward. Giving, caring, sharing, and consoling, are all better reasons for living and dying with honor than are taking, ignoring, indulging, and condemning.

Redemption is the inspirational belief that we can all change for the better. It is probably our last refuge as a shelter from the consequences of our own shortcomings. Oh yes.  I have one last thought--vaya con Dios.