Todo me es lícito, más no todo me conviene

"Todo me es lícito, más no todo me conviene"

“I have the right to do anything, but not everything is beneficial”

August 25, 2012

By: Gina Yoryet Román

While going through my email inboxes a few minutes ago, I stumbled into this alluring message that brought out a smile and the first thing I exclaimed was, “How adorable, but I don’t even know this man!” More than being sweet, the young man who sent it deserves A LOT of credit because not only did he make his best effort to write in a language unknown to him but he was also very creative and sleek in his approach.
“Hola!! Hoy fui donde el médico ♥...El psicólogo me dijo: que jamás podré borrarte de mi mente, el psiquiatra me advirtió que podría enloquecer si un día me faltas, y el cardiólogo me diagnosticó un ataque fulminante si me dejaras.. Así que por razones de salud es estrictamente necesario tener tu amistad por siempre: espero haberte robado una sonrrisa. Con el cariño de siempre: besos... unknown

If I had gotten this message ten years ago I would’ve immediately jumped into the game of curiosity and drawn a bridge of communication…

Not today though, at this phase in life I reflect more, I analyze, measure and calculate each situation and decide whether it’s worth the effort or if it’ll be beneficial, not in a materialistic aspect but in the matter of, “I have the right to do anything, but I will not be mastered by mundane desires.”

Since I hit the BIG thirties I’ve learned to differentiate my wants, needs, desires, would likes, must have’s and will do’s,  based on the fundamental of my morals, values, ethics and principles. Despite of being content with who I am and with what I have, I sometimes tend to covet more just like any human being.

My wants: Have more friends, more adventures to share, travel and have more material things.

My needs: In reality I don’t need anything as I’ve been blessed with many gifts. Why not instead put others' needs before mine?

My desires: I am infatuated with the hot man I recently met (and I can’t wait to see him again), the one who is looking right at me when I am peering at him ‘discreetly.’ But I won’t even dare make a move on him because in the back of my mind I am contemplating the long-term results and I wouldn’t want to ‘lend’ my body for a momentary desire which in the long run will leave me with a much bigger void of solitude.

Would likes: I would like to get to know a man who is NOT for me. Therefore, I simply shrug my shoulders and redirect my mind to another route. Why even go there!?

Must haves: I must have a new this, new that, go here, go there. I question myself instead, “Should you really have this? No, so you must NOT have it.

My will do’s: I will do this if it is the most prudent and appropriate action and will it guide me in the right direction to reach my purpose faster?

Right now I could say, “I have the right to do anything, to listen to my body’s needs and grant my selfish nature to have its way every time I want.” I am entitled to saying, “This is what I want, I have to have it now and I will have it no matter what, without addressing others' feelings and giving a damn about the long-term consequences." There are many choices to favor me, but I avoid falling into the world’s most crippling disease; ‘I, I, I, me, me, me, and my, my, my.’ I refuse to fall into that game.

So when I am getting distracted with self-centeredness, vanity, materialism, superficiality and shallow matters, I try to engrave these words in my mind.

1 Corinthians 6:9-12

“I have the right to do anything, — but not everything is beneficial. “I have the right to do anything”—but I will not be mastered by anything.

1ª Corintios 6:9-12

“Todo me es lícito, pero no todo me conviene y tampoco me llevará hacía el camino correcto. Todo me es lícito, pero no todo edifica.”