So what does Living on the beam mean anyway?
According to thefreedictionary.com “on the beam” is defined as “On or along the correct or proper track or way of thinking. A reference to the former practice in which aircraft would home in on a radio beam in order to navigate to their destination.”
I love the entomology of words and phrases and this one is super interesting to me. Living on the beam means being on the right path. Just as a plane needs to stay its course, an individual needs to stay his or her course as well, otherwise they might end up somewhere they don’t want to be.
Below are some key concepts of activity and thought that is online with living on the beam for me:
Being honest.
Having faith – whatever that means to you
Being brave, and having courage.
Being grateful -perhaps the most important concept for me)
Staying calm
Being modest
Purposeful action, like work or volunteering
Having trust
Forgiving others, and at times yourself.
Being tolerant – from bad drivers to people with different opinions
Having patience
Being considerate
Responsibility – see through your commitments
Living on the beam is living with love
Now contrast this with a few symptoms that indicate I may have gone off course and am off the beam:
Deception – telling lies and covering things up
Fear – quite possibly the opposite of faith and probably the most dangerous emotion out there
Being scared to do what you need to, backing out of commitments
Having jealousy or being envious of others.
Rushing to anger, yelling and carrying on
Boastful – having far too much pride, bragging, making it all about you
Being lazy – everyone needs a breather but being a sloth doesn’t to anyone any good
Suspicion – although good in moderation – something is up when you don’t trust anything
Resentment, not letting things go holding grudges
Intolerance of others beliefs, opinions or attitudes
Being rude and inconsiderate
Impatient – when is my order going to get here anyway?
Inconsiderate, cutting people off talking over others, letting a door shut on someone
Being irresponsible – spending the electric bill on a fancy dinner, not showing up when you say you will
Living off the beam is living with hate
Just as the pilot needs to be active in their responsibility to steer the plane, I have to take an active role (read responsibility) to remain on my best course, in my highest good. I cant just think about what I should do, I need to play an active role and stay on the beam! Now, this doesn’t mean lock yourself up in study all day or beat myself up over things that went wrong or unplanned. With the key indicators above, and some mindfulness I can correct course where needed either that day, or as I reflect and move on to the next one.
I would like to hear from you, am I missing any symptoms of life on the beam or off the beam? Email me using my contact form if you would like to share.
Thanks for stopping by Im glad you did!
ev
