Elections Self-Governance & Recovery

“The people cannot have a true democracy as long as the game of party politics continues. Party politics is not democracy; it is opposed to democracy…. And this civilization will likewise be destroyed unless the thinking and the thoughts which guide the tongues and hands will be for democracy as self-government.”

-Harold W. Percival

The longer one is in recovery from all addictions, such as substance abuse, negative emotions, anger, social media, and egoic attachments to outcomes; the more clearly you are able to think, feel, and be present. Creativity grows, and intuition gets stronger. You start living and seeking answers from inside of you by being still in sanctuary. You can ignore the chaos of others outside of you.

You begin to take full responsibility for yourself. Your character and integrity become stronger because honesty and truthfulness is in alignment with your behaviors. Your beliefs and behaviors match; living with peace of mind. You are no longer living in “sin.” You are aligned and unified within. You are no longer betraying yourself, which once caused you to lose your peace of mind.

You learn to control your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors by staying calm in the chaos around you. You have the ability to seek your own answers and stop looking for others to answer these questions for you. You direct, steer, and pilot your own thinking, behaviors and actions as well as learn how to govern yourself. This is one of life’s greatest accomplishments to have your own sovereignty and freedom! This is the ultimate goal of recovery—self-governance.

It has been said the greatest form of slavery is the appearance of choice. As we head into another major four-year election cycle here in the USA, again to be followed by a minor cycle in two years; the tension between two party lines amps up, creating intentional division between its citizens, races, families, friends, and neighbors.

This reoccurs in every country at different times but with the same intent to create political theatre and disunity among its people. Oh, how our egos LOVE judging what is “right and wrong” morally, religiously, and politically. Why does almost every country only have 2 or 3 different parties or candidates? These two people are the “best” our country has to offer its citizens? Really? I am sure it is coincidence, and they are not being controlled by their handlers.

Left-wing, right-wing, it is all part of the same. When are we the people going to wake up? When are we going to stop being played or entertained, watching the same puppet theater of two “opposing” characters where one is a “villain” (the bad-guy) the other is the “hero” (the good-guy) who both being controlled by the two hands of the same puppeteer?

The etymology of the word government means “to steer a ship, control, direct, pilot, to command.” What are governments trying to control other than their citizens? What easier way is there to control people physically than mentally? Fear is one of the most powerful means. (Read Fear Part 1.)

Government is a form of mind control to steer, direct, pilot and command the ship or vessel the way its citizens believe it should go. You are the ship, vessel or body they are steering. Again, I am sure this simply a coincidence.

Most of us in our addictions are so deeply attached to what is “right” and what is “wrong” or what is “good or bad” politically and religiously that we are enslaved by and to this invisible force.

Harold W. Percival writes, “To be free is to be unattached. People sometimes believe they are free because they are not slaves or are not imprisoned. But often they are as firmly bound by their desires to the objects of the senses as any slave or prisoner held fast by his chackles of steel. One is attached to things by his desires. The desires are attached by one’s thinking. But thinking, and only by thinking, the desires can let go of the objects to which they are attached and so be free.“

What then is true freedom?

Percival continues, “Freedom is unattachment; attachment of oneself to the state, condition or fact of being, in which or of which, on is conscious.”

What is liberty?

“Liberty is immunity from slavery, and the right of one to do as he pleases so long as he does not interfere with another’s equal right and choice…one will give the same consideration to the rights of others as he expects for his own.”

So how do we attain true freedom, liberty, and become great in order to reach our fullest potential?

“Greatness is in being self-governed. One who truly is self-governed can serve the people well. The greater the service to all of the people, the greater the man.”

“It is custom for the strong to consider the weak to be slaves: chattel.”

Chattel is where we get the word cattle.

Most governments treat its people as its property; cattle which it controls, directs, steers, and commands. It is outside of the people NOT in, a part of, for, or with. Cattle have no “rights,” own nothing, and have no voice. Cattle are fed, bred, vaccinated, fenced in, and then slaughtered for food.

“One of the reasons is that our governments of peoples are outside the people and are against the people; whereas true democratic governments is within the people and is for the people.“

Most of us spend our entire lives “making money” to live, thrive, and experience the “American Dream.”

“A man or woman can make money, but money cannot make a man or woman. Money is a test of character, but it cannot make character; it cannot add to or take anything from character.”

I believe money is neutral. Money makes good people better and bad people worse. Why do politicians have no character? Or are they just an actor or puppet playing a character? They seem to want nothing but more and more money.

“And character must be and will be valued above money.”

“A man or a woman is responsible for civilization. And if civilization is to continue, man must become self-responsible. To become self-responsible, man must know more about himself. To know more about himself, man/woman must think. Thinking is the way to self-knowledge. There is no other way.”

What does thinking for myself have to do with the law?

“The law is: You are as you have thought and felt: think and feel as you want to be; you will be as you think and feel.”

Most do not even understand what is lawful is not legal, and what is legal is not lawful. Attorneys are not lawyers, and lawyers are not attorneys. Their oath to the BAR is loyalty to the Queen of England only. Your legal name is not your lawful name. The dishonesty, deception, and disloyalty to the people is very deep.

So what is good character?

“Honesty and truthfulness are the distinctive marks of good character.”

“The only real way to change the government is first to know what is right, and what is wrong. Then to be honest and just with oneself in determining what to do and what not do to. The doing of what is right, and not doing what is wrong, will develop self-government in the individual. Self-government in the individual will necessitate and result in self-government by the people, true Democracy.”

“Self-government of the individual, when extended to the people of the country, is democracy. With rightness and reason as authority from within, the people will elect as their representatives to govern them only those who practice self-government and who are otherwise qualified.”

We all have access to the truth, and the truth is the light in each of us. Truth is the conscious light within (the spark), because it does show things as they are.

“Thinking is the steady holding of the conscious light on the subject of the thinking.”

What kind of REAL work are these elected leaders accomplishing? Why are they compensated so well?

“The dislike of work leads to ignoble work, such as immorality or crime, and the effort to avoid work causes one to try to get something for nothing. The unnoticed subtleties of making oneself believe that one can get something for nothing interfere with, or prevent from doing, useful or honest work. The belief that one can get something for nothing is beginning of dishonesty. Trying to get something for nothing leads to deceit, speculation, gambling, the defrauding of others, and to crime. The law of compensation is that one cannot get something without giving or losing or suffering! That, in some way, soon or late, one must pay for what he gets what he takes. “Something for nothing” is a hoax, a deception, a pretense. There is no such thing as something for nothing. To get what you want, work for it. One of the worst delusions of human life will be dispelled by learning that something cannot be had for nothing. One who has learned that is on an honest basis of living.”

This not only explains the lazy workforce and the decline in work ethic we all see and feel around us. This explains the elected politician, in office as well as many federal, state, county, and city servants.

What can the people, the men / women of a country do about it?

“But the best citizens will be those who individual standard for thought and act is based rightness and reason, that is, law and justice. This is government from within; it is self-government.

…as soon as man recognizes that these principles of true democracy are in himself. They must be in him if they are the principles of democracy. As people recognize these principles in themselves, they will be able to express their unexpressed hopes, to articulate their inarticulate aspirations, to voice the unvoiced innermost ideals of all people for a new way, a better way, of life—toward which all alike may thing and work, each in his own manner, but for the common good of all.

Will the people be party-conscious people and deceive themselves or allow themselves to be deceived by party politicians to elect party men to power, and to be bamboozled and bossed by the politicians until they lose their right to think and speak and the right to vote by ballot?, or elect to government only able and honorable men who pledge themselves to govern in the interest of all of the people, regardless of party politics?”

Are you getting this? Do you understand why your sobriety and recovery is so important to change your community, country, and the planet? All the answers to your questions and problems are inside of you and inside the person next to you. STOP! Stop and wake up from the lies, delusion, and mind control that the election; the person, program, and their policies you vote for are going to change anything for you.

Governmental change will only happen when you change your thinking. Change yourself from the inside-out become self-responsible, sovereign with small things each day. To think clearly you must be sober in active recovery. Educate yourself, unlearn what you think you know to be true. Be one percent better each day. In 30 days, you will be thirty percent better. No one is coming to save you. Become self-reliant.

Democracy is only accomplished when each person is self-governed holding their own court. When each Man and Woman remembers and correct that they are highest court in the land over ALL governments under God/Creator/Source; truth will then be revealed. Be the spark that starts the fire. This election and every election forward choose and elect yourself.

-Source: Democracy and Self-Governance by Harold W. Percival 1952

Cory Schortzman Executive Director

Cory Schortzman is an author, speaker, teacher and licensed mental health professional. Since 2008, he has served as the Executive Director of Transformed Hearts Counseling Center in Colorado Springs, CO. He is the founder of SARA, the Sexual Addiction Recovery Association. Cory is passionate about helping couples and individuals overcome sex addiction. He is also passionate about bringing awareness to the public and supporting the elimination of sex and human trafficking. Cory has been married since 1998 to his beautiful wife, Kerry, and lives in Colorado with their four daughters. He and Kerry have been seen on the CBS Early Show, Inside Edition, and ABC Good Morning America, Fox 21 News, and TLC/Discovery discussing the harm of sex addiction and the joys of recovery. He has also been heard on numerous radio programs.

Cory’s books include: Out of the Darkness, Into the Light the Workbook, Into the Light the Steps, Ashes to Beauty the Steps, 301 Dating Ideas, 301 Conversational Ideas, 301 Ways to Say I Love You, 301 Ways to Love Your Children & 301 Recovery Tools & Tips.