“The secret of true living—mental, physical and moral, material and spiritual,—may be expressed in five words: Live up to your portion. This is the magic formula that transforms air-castles into fortresses.” ~ William George Jordan
There are, generally speaking two types of people: those who live up to their portion and those who don’t. Those who live up to their portion tend to be the busiest and happiest people around. They set about their day with a clear purpose and they work swiftly, earnestly, without apology or excuse.
Those who don’t tend to spend the better part of their energies justifying why they didn’t. They are forever covering their tracks with excuses, often blaming others or their circumstances for their shortcomings. They sit on the sidelines waiting, hoping or praying for a mental breakthrough, a material windfall or a spiritual awakening.
All that you require to fulfill your purpose in life comes as you live up to your portion. You may find that in living up to your portion you have to fill in for others who have failed to live up to theirs, but you typically do so willingly, without begrudging those who come up short, while looking for ways to inspire them to give more fully of themselves.
Fulfillment is the byproduct of living up to your portion. You may not accomplish the goal you’ve set for yourself, but if you are living up to your portion in every aspect of your expression, you fill each and every moment to overflowing, whether you be at work, at rest or at play.
Shame is the failure to live up to your portion. Blame is the failure to address the cause of your shame. Both are remedied as soon as you return to living up to your portion, though the results of your about-face may take some time to appear. Be patient. Keep moving forward.
The secret to true living is not really a secret. You needn’t search for it, for it is at hand. It is present within you. You need only do the work, that is, live up to your portion.
Gregory Hake 
Practical, common sense post – thank you
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Regadless of apparent extent or comparative quality of what we begin with, our present ‘portion’ is representative of much more. EAch task, each opportunity is something in itself, sure enough, but it is also a symbol of a greater scope of fulfillment. If we judge, belittle, reject or dondemn the portion, we destroy the only factual link with the larger sphere of fulfilment. Here is the simple secret, either of self defeat or of potential actualized!
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What inspiring words, “live up to your portion”. It’s already been given; we now have to live our lives so they are worthy of the gift. Beautiful post, thank you.
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That word portion has some interesting implications. It can be your allotment of life energy, what you’ve been bestowed, your dowry for living – it has to do with a higher meaning to your life than simply what biology can explain. If a cup could represent the vessel or vehicle – your body with all its attributes – and then a given liquid filling the cup could represent the purpose for that cup – for a cup’s true purpose can only be to hold something – then we must decide on the nature of the substance that is going to fill it and then go about the filling. One thing though before we begin, is that both fluid and cup share a similar origin and they ultimately have one common purpose, the purpose of expanding creative forces – basically good will. If this is to occur, next there should naturally follow some spillover and this is where the sense of lasting fulfillment occurs in a personal way and to the greater beyond.
And so we come back to our portion – our cup of life. Let’s fill our cups to the brim and even allow others to drink as we have from our own benefactors. Here’s a nice way to further good will in the world!
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Excellent description of the causes of shame and blame, and, conversely, the cause of fulfillment!
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Great post!
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Simple enough, do the work. Happiness is a by-product of doing your job.
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