A Voice in the Wilderness In Defense of "Mere Conservatism"

GK Day: New Years Resolutions

By: Jacqueline Otto, Guest Contributor

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“The paradox of courage is that one must be a little careless of life even in order to keep it.” – G.K. Chesterton  

I am not entirely sure where I first ran across this Chesterton-ism, but it was one I had scribbled on a post-it note and stuck to my desktop monitor many years ago. As times modernized, the quote was transferred from a post-it note to a Facebook quote and eventually a tweet which I favorited.   As a result, this quote grew with me over the last few years without even knowing the significance of the author. In college I took a literature course on the Inklings, which lead me into a kind of a C.S. Lewis/G.K Chesterton Renaissance. A surprise to me, when I realized that Chesterton’s words of wisdom had already been influencing my life.

Coming into this New Year, it’s time to take stock of our lives and make goals. This nugget of Chestonian wisdom is one that I remember at New Years.

Society has a way of predetermining paths for us to take. There is a lot of pressure in the world, even from well-intentioned family members, for young people to go to this college, or major in this subject, or go to the law school that is their parent’s alma mater.

Many people will abdicate to society the authority to make decisions. These people find themselves with a degree they don’t want and debt they don’t need. They find themselves living somewhere they don’t like, married to someone they don’t love, and in a career that is leading them no where but to their psychiatrist’s couch.

The paradox to which Chesterton is referring is that your life will be lived by others if you don’t make the decisions necessary to keep possession of it. What you may need to do will seem risky if it goes against what your family, or your friends, or your culture tells you to do.   But America is a country of risk-takers. Christianity is a faith of those who listen to their God before they listen to anyone else.

If you find yourself out of step with the pre-determined life that other are taking, then you will find yourself in good company.   When making New Years resolutions for 2012, remember to be courageous and take risks. You won’t reach your God-given potential if you let society live your life.