Conditions explain and predict outcomes, but conditions are not conditional to an outcome from taking place.
The things I have, the person I am, and the life I live stem from where? The Zambian context I now live in is a result of what? The lives and situation my counterparts exist in happened why?
I was born into an enabled situation not because I necessarily deserve it, but because of the boundless interactions of the interconnected way of life, I became, gifted with faults, abilities, and opportunties. This cognizant being I now view life from began through uncontrollable circumstances.
However, the moment I realized a certain reality, either through conventional existence or ultimate existence, is exactly the moment it became clear: "There is a need to develop and to maintain confidence that our actions have consequences, that what we do makes a difference, that there are persons who suffer."
This understanding gives meaning to life.
This understanding empowers me to live to the best of my ability each and every moment.
This understanding protects me from attachment.
The ultimate sufferer is close to me. Through confusion, through sadness, through happiness, through new experiences, through monotony..., each and every breath is spent uncomfortably close to this person. He is my best friend; he is my greatest enemy.
Actions committed by this confidant, the only person who knows each conceivable thought, are attributed to externalities. Feelings of unease, the root of anger, foundations of addiction, stress, and setbacks are primarily directed from some otherness.
Afraid of hurting my friend, my foe blames others.
When mindful of where craving and aversion are created, the ultimate sufferer is exposed. A clairvoyant understanding that life is largely lived according to fabricated stories liberates this wayfarer. I finally live unshackled from misconceptions, full of patience, happiness, and with an ability to interact with others from their point of view, detached from where I am and where I think they should be.
I finally begin to understand that I hold the key to happiness and sadness. While I cannot dictate the outcome, I can act appropriately as conditions arise.
I live contentfully. I serve others wholeheartedly.