Fear is Overrated

We always hear the word ‘quit’ and usually it comes with the extra advice of not going ahead with the urge to do so. Quitting is for cowards (here we go back to the last chapter) and in no way highly thought of. So we have to learn Discipline of Action.
In the third lesson, Lord Krishna says that

“A man cannot escape the force
Of action by abstaining from actions;
He does not attain success just by renunciation”

Whenever we, in life, come to the circumstances in which we have to apologize for our unbecoming acts, reveal ugly truths, or face things we will do when they serve ice cream cones in hell, we decide to abstain from doing them, taking the easy way out. Well, it turns out by not facing our fears, we will never learn, we won’t advance in life, we won’t live. Quitting may seem like the easier route in the beginning (and it is), but later on you will come to find that by not facing an obstacle in the road, you will go through varied measures to still head in that same direction. Like Babe Ruth once said, “Don’t let the fear of striking out, keep you from playing the game.”

We are also introduced into knowledge and its importance: Krishna quotes
“The wise say a man is learned
When his plans constructs of desire,
When his actions are burned
By the fire of knowledge.”

Deep, I know. Well, honestly, the actual meaning of this quote beats me, and yet it seems to have a strong focal point in the lesson. I am guessing he is trying to say that humans are very deeply affected and twisted by their materialistic and natural desires, they are born with greediness and such things. The fact that most everything we do in life, we do for ourselves, our own personal benefit, is what he refers to when he says actions based on constructs of desire. We have to learn to do things, not for our benefit, for what we will get out of them, but just for the sake of doing good because we know it is what’s right. . . Also, probably the importance of knowing yourself, your wants, your goals, is basic in achieving a fulfilled and blissful life.

The fifth lesson has to do with the Renunciation of Action. Renunciation, the denial, the rejection of action. Reject in the way of not doing anything? Denying the reasons for certain things we decide to do in life? The title of the actual lesson has yet to give me any actual reference to what it’s trying to seep through to my conscience.
I see this quote:

“Seers who can destroy their sins,
Cut through doubt, master the self,
And delight in the good of all creatures
Attain the pure calm of infinity.”

Here it is basically amplifying the need for everyone to truly learn to understand themselves. In a way, it sort of leans towards reaching high self esteem and mastering your self, your soul. He explains that when you know yourself, enough to know what is right, with no doubts that overscome you, no sins that you can’t identify and withdrawal, you can achieve many things. The most important thing is to love yourself and be in complete harmony with your decisions, be in peace with your surroundings. It may be that I completely missed the whole concept and am just digressing to random relevant things that could justify its meaning. Either way, whatever was just stated above, and my aforementioned opinion on its exact connotation, it ends up kin of making sense.

Just, love yourself, be sure of what you want, who you are, and it will all be okay.