.
Evaluating Personal Ownership
Values are supposed to strengthen and maintain
conditions for optimal living. When results prove this is not the case, then values, obviously devalue, which, of course, is
self-defeating.
One such self-defeating value is the value of personal ownership.
It's my life, it's my child, my family, my friends, my man, my woman, my property, my stuff, my decision, my team and so on. It sounds good and feels good but none of these things can you own – not in reality.
First of all, you are a created being. What is created is always owned by whoever creates it. Since everything in the universe is created by the Creator, it is impossible for humans to own anything. Humans have not created any of the atoms, molecules or elements that go into the things humans create. Humans fundamentally and essentially own nothing.
You can think you own something and act like you do but that doesn't make it true. You do not have personal ownership of yourself or anyone else or anything else.
What It Really Means To Own Something
You own something when you can create all you need to bring that something into existence and you can control, change and preserve it at your discretion. Nothing else can have any impact upon that something unless you establish the conditions to allow it to be so. If you can do this, you have ownership. If you can do this, you have moved into a position higher than the Creator. The only way for this to be possible is to be self-created.
For this reason, you do not own “your” life. Your life is dependent on many things, a few of which are water, air, sun and earth – none of which you can create. Neither can you create genetic code instructions to bring it all together to make it all work.
Evaluating The Results Of Personal Ownership
Personal ownership is an illusion that causes confusion. All around you are the problems that occur when the balance of things you value are not in agreement with the original Holy Book and natural processes. Personal ownership without stewardship and collective benefit results in conflicts on all levels for all dimensions for everything in creation.
Wherever the value of personal ownership exists, fiduciary duty does not. Very little is for the best interests of the common good, brotherhood, neighborhood or is conducive to things being as they should. Trace every problem and you will run into the false notion of personal ownership.
“In the African world, humans are not the masters of their own lives or the universe; they are beneficiaries.” (1) There is no God-given dominion over other aspects of creation.
Though old enough to be considered grown
Knowledge of self is all you can own
(1) Asante, Molefi Kete and Mazama, Ama Editors, "Encyclopedia Of African Religion," (2009) p. 199.
