Why Did Ron Paul Do So Good In Iowa?

Why is Ron Paul so successful in spreading the libertarian message? Maybe it's because he lives the second lesson of the Course in Political Miracles:

"Nothing comes easily if I hold in my mind contradictory desires."

The law of non-contradiction works powerfully in my mind. If I desire one thing while at the same time desiring a second thing which ultimately contradicts the first, then my mind is split and serves both goals, creating neither very quickly, and maybe sabotaging the achievement of both.

Contradictory desires rob me of my potential, not because it is sinful or evil to hold conflicting goals, but because I cannot desire with my whole being a goal and its antithesis.

I know I cannot eat my cake and still have it. But I may not be aware of how many ultimately contradictory goals I hold in my mind. This week I will search my mind for goals which are ultimately contradictory.

How many people do I know who speak glowingly about political freedom but then turn around and support some form of government activism? Are they pretending their goals are compatible? If so, why haven't they looked deep enough to see the contradiction?

Am I doing this with any of my goals? Are my goals really, really, really compatible? Or am I kidding myself?

During this week, as my temporary goals come to mind one by one I will ask myself this question:

"If I could have the one thing I really, really, REALLY want ... would this other temporary goal I am supporting continue to be a goal I would hold onto?"

For example, if my ultimate political goal is a social structure which reflects the freedom of my spirit, then would I continue supporting government activities other than the simple protection of citizens and their property?

Or if my goal as a political activist is the simple protection of citizens and their property, would I continue to support a law which relies on the immoral act of extorting money or property from people (taxation) for its purposes.

Or if my goal as a politician is the elimination of involuntary servitude, would I continue spending a great amount of time and energy attempting to make a taxation-supported government more efficient?

What temporary goals am I pursuing which contradict my ultimate goals?

Every morning this week as I waken to a new day, I remind myself:

"Today I make my life simple by not pursuing desires which ultimately contradict my deepest, truest goals."

Also, as I go through each day, I take a moment every hour to close my eyes and repeat to myself a few times:

"Let me keep in mind what I really, really, REALLY want."

Then 3 or 4 times during the day, I close my eyes for 5 whole minutes and repeat to myself today's lesson:

"Nothing comes easily if I hold in mind contradictory desires."

At the end of each day I give myself a few moments of pleasure by remembering how good it feels when I let go of contradictory goals in order to fully pursue my deepest, truest goal. I might even say to myself before I go to sleep:

"This is fun ... creating what I REALLY want."

To understand the evil psychology of modern "liberal progressives," read Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged"

"God's laws will keep your minds at peace, because peace IS His Will, and His laws are established to uphold it. His are the laws of freedom, but yours are the laws of bondage. Since freedom and bondage are irreconcilable, their laws CANNOT BE UNDERSTOOD TOGETHER. The laws of God work only for your good, and there ARE no other laws beside His. Everything else is merely lawLESS, and therefore chaotic." -Jesus Christ in A Course in Miracles