Do you have strong feelings about public policy? Do you think the world would be a better place if you ran it? Be careful. Every tyrant thought the same thing. You have respect for the power of fire and of electricity and of machinery and moving parts, knowing that they can be harmful as well as beneficial. Are you an expert in the safe operation of these things? Do you have the same respect for political power, or power over others? This is an even greater peril and subject to even more abuse. You should hesitate to think that you would do a better job than those currently in power.

Do you understand the importance of empathy? Have you ever heard the enraged story of an angry person and become furious yourself as a result? Did you think of this as empathy? Was it beneficial for the person telling the story? You can empathize with an angry person but you don’t do it by becoming angry yourself. You don’t minister to a furious person by validating their fury, but you can empathize with their pain. A soft answer turns away wrath. Have you applied this principle toward those who are directing anger at you?

Have you ever gone on a trip with someone else driving? You may not have known where you were, but were you really lost if the person steering knew where they were going? This effect is even more pronounced for air travel or for a ship at sea. Can you see the parallel to your spiritual journey through life? You do not know what tomorrow will bring, or even today. Do you find it reassuring to know that the one who is ‘steering your ship’ knows the right course? I know what dangers lie ahead. I know what has to be done now to prepare for what will come.

Do you appreciate your freedom? What do you use it for? Someone without freedom has no agency for action, but one who has it must decide how to apply it. You can use your freedom for the benefit of yourself and others, or you can do things that are destructive to yourself and others. You could spend all your effort indulging yourself and being indifferent to others. Is it worse to have no freedom to act or to use your freedom to act badly? It was I who gave you a free will, so liberty is inherent in your being. Did I take a risk in doing this?