Concsious or Conscience?

In life we are faced with the choice of living to the fullest or wallowing in our own self pity right? Eleanor Roosevelt said "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." but does that negate any responsibility for our own actions and feelings? If you are hurt isn't it ,in essence, your own fault for allowing yourself to be upset? That is what most people have turned to thinking. It is a great way to go about life feeling completely responsible for your own pain and completely apathetic to any pain you have caused. You are now free to roam about the world carrying only your own feelings of pain. Does this sound crazy to anyone? It sure does to me. When did we stop giving a damn? That is what I want to know! Ideas like this are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to what I refer to as "the true swine flu".
In todays world it goes without saying that self gratification is an epidemic. I won't say that it is world-wide, but it's effects are. We have numbed ourselves to the idea of pure selflessness. Even if we are somewhat giving, or caring, we are still caught in the rapture of our own agendas. I was at the movies yesterday twice. The first time was with my seven year old daughter. I took her to see the movie "17 again" with Zac Effron (she thinks he is so cute!). The movie took a look at a man who gets a second chance to make a big decision he regreted. His whole married life, the man regreted chosing his love over his future. I see this a lot. The youth of today associating love, marriage, and the "simple" things in life with a barrier that holds them back from their dreams. The second movie I saw with my girlfriends. It was called "Ghosts of girlfriends past". This film looked at a man who couldn't get past the idea that love was a falicy until he witnessed it (love) with his own eyes. He also had no real clue that he had hurt so many women just by leading them on. A real look at the way society today views reality. We are all convinced in some way or another that "Today" is the reality and nothing lead up to it! We conveniently forget those whom we may have hurt along the way so that we are not burdened by the thought of it. We have given an eye for an eye and become blind.
I am not saying that we are all bad, but we have not allowed Conscience to fully integrate into our lives. We are so preoccupied with our immediate day-to-day activities that we forget that we are all here together. We are all connected! Conscience is not Jiminy Cricket sitting on your shoulder telling you right from wrong. True conscience is the empathy that you feel for your fellow man. The way you feel when you see a horrifying news story, or when undenyable tragedy strikes. But most of us only know that feeling in those bad situations. We forget that we can carry smaller bits of that empathy and share them with the world.
So, if you have made a wrong in the recent past and you feel like you don't care, sit back and think about what would happen if you started. You would be truly free from the negative feelings of guilt that you may not even realize you are carrying. You will see the world differently...and perhaps, the world may see itself differently. Eleanor spoke of inferiority...and true, no one can take your power from you unless you let them. But power is not happiness. And let's not forget how despenseable that is. It has the power to be given or taken away with no permission. No "Sure, go ahead and take it all" or "No, let me keep it". Happiness is like running water. It can drown you or you can thirst for it...but it is all around if you know where to look.