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BY: T. Franklin Murphy | February 2017 (modified January 3, 2023)
Constructive action
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Life has natural laws. Our successes and failures follow rules. To succeed, we must learn the rules.
​

There’s order in the universe; events don’t occur randomly—they follow laws. We shouldn’t confuse the order of laws with purposeful action by projecting human qualities of planning and intention on the universe. Natural laws (order) govern the functions of the universe. The laws apply to life in the universe. Laws create predictability. Acting within the laws grants an associated blessing. Unfortunately, living isn’t always predictable even though life is governed by laws.

We can’t boil down every action to a corresponding reaction. Life is too complex. Several laws come into play, overlapping and creating trade-offs, priorities and limitations. Our action may honor one law while defying a second involved law. We also must include the impact of others obeying and defying laws. Their actions collide with our lives, impacting outcomes, changing trajectories and introducing new variables.

​Complexity blurs simple cause and effect predictions because millions of laws are in effect simultaneously; while we attend to behavior to incur the blessing of a specific law, other laws of order may interfere. We may proclaim unfairness; but the outcome honors the order of the universe. We may eat healthy and exercise but still suffer from heart disease. We don’t live in chaos— by living according to the ordered laws, we often reap the blessing. Healthy choices untainted by more powerful unknowns invite the healthy consequences.

See Life is a Complex Problem for more on this topic
​

Natural Laws and Their Consequences

We can't hide from the natural consequences of behavior. We may dodge immediate repercussions but our avoidance compounds the impact. Eventually, wrong behaviors reap hurtful rewards. The more they compound, the heavier the impact.

If I lie to my partner, I may not be caught. I keep secret the small element I feared to reveal. However, my simple lie motivates more protective lies. The relationship begins to build on falsehoods. Eventually the web of lies is revealed and the relationship collapses in a heap of untruths. The natural consequences of lying (disconnection) playout.
​

"As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness."
Henry David Thoreau
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Taking a Wider Perspective

We need a wider perspective to escape the interference of unknowns. Evaluating a single behaviors by an obvious consequences can be misleading. Blessings of living right descend not from single choices but bundles of choices, working together to change current life trajectories. Not every choice is immediately rewarded—good or bad.

We can’t eat the Danish pastry instead of the apple and expect improved health. But a pattern of healthy eating—overtime—provides necessary nutrients feeding the mind and body; creating healthier functioning and shedding of unneeded fat. The same holds true for relationships, finances, and career enhancement. We act according to groupings of natural laws and the natural order of the universe responds.

​See Behavior and Consequences for more on this topic
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"Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future."
John F. Kennedy
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Examining Our Life

​If you haven’t experienced success in the critical arenas of your life, revisit behaviors. As you closely examine your life, you may discover entangling deceptions that confuse assessments. Unfortunately, we mislabel the effectiveness of our actions. A caveat of a thinking brain; we justify, dismiss, and mold explanations to make the harmful appear healthful.

​In self-preservation, we misjudge our behaviors, examining the self through the cloudy mirrors of bias, relieving the self of painful responsibilities; we blame others for our failures. We comfort guilt, sorrow and anguish by ignoring personal blemishes—our brain short-circuits—reverting to the barbaric childhood defense of blaming others. We act wrong and call it right. When our compass is out of whack, losing contact with magnetic north, we will squander.

​
We need clearer vision. We need realistic understanding of the laws of succeeding. If we violate major groupings of applicable laws, failure is bound to follow. Avoiding responsibility, declaring freedom from the order of the universe, will eventually haunt our futures. We may fool ourselves, but natural laws remains in effect. Learn the laws, act accordingly, and reap the blessings.
​

T. Franklin Murphy
T. Franklin Murphy
Wellness. Writer. Researcher.
​T. Franklin Murphy has a degree in psychology. He tirelessly researches scientific findings that contribute to wellness. In 2010, he began publishing his findings.

​Other Flourishing Life Society articles of interest on this topic:

Motivation. Tips for Staying Motivated. A Flourishing Life Society article image link
Life, Pain, Sorrow, and Joy. A Flourishing Life Society article image link
Wise Mind. Blending emotion and logic. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Internal Link: Pursuit of Happiness | If the sole purpose of our existence is to increase pleasure, we will never be satisfied. Living a full and rich life experiences many emotions. Happiness is a balance of healthy thoughts and growth promoting actions.
There is a lot of hype on what we should and shouldn't do to be well. The mind and experience are complex. However, our lives improve immensely when we concentrate on a few of the basics.
A Flourishing Life Society article link. Balancing Life's Opposing Demands
Accepting life on life's own terms, frees us from the magical thinking of paradise and allows us to make the most of reality.
Self-Actualization. A Flourishing Life Society article link
Setbacks. Stumble forward.  A Flourishing Life Society article image link
Human Growth. Healthy Transformations. A Flourishing Life Society article image header
Primal World Beliefs. A Flourishing Life Society article image link
FLS Link. Realistic Optimism: Optimism brings energy to action, motivating persistence in the face of difficulty. Our wellness benefits most from optimism when it is based in reality.
Life is governed by laws. Many actions involve several laws competing fro dominance.
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