“Pinging” and “Thunking”

Have you ever held fine crystal?  It sings sweetly at the tap of your finger – it “pings”.  On the other hand if you tap a cheaper piece of glass the sound you get will be a “thunk.”  Have you ever thought about why this happens?  To make glass of any quality the ingredients (primarily sand) must be heated to at least 2,400 degrees Celsius in order to melt and then shape into a final product.  During the melting process if there is any remaining scum in the glass it rises to the top and is removed with ladles.  The finer the quality of the sand and the longer it is in the fire the better the quality of glass.

To enhance the quality of the glass lead is added to increase the weight, the index of refraction and make cutting easier.  The finer the crystal the more it has been purified.  Despite its fragile appearance it possesses strength and durability.  It is a beauty to behold.  The pieces that have been sculpted to have many facets to them refract light – to catch the colors and lights around them and reflect them. 

Using this analogy, the question would be when you are “tapped” do you “ping” or do you “thunk”?  The honest answer is “both”.  There are times when we act beautiful from the heart outward – at those times we “ping” – we sing sweetly.  At other times, for whatever reasons, we act in surface ways – not in honest truth.  At those times we “thunk”.

The question then begs to be asked and answered – Why?  Why do we ping at times and thunk at other times?  What causes us to act differently at times?  Mostly what seems to decide which we do is from our decisions regarding three questions:

    * From where or whom do we seek to get our affection and security?
    * Who do we most want to please? For whom do we perform?
    * From where do we seek to get power and control?  And how do we use our power and control?

The answers to these questions determine our reactions and responses to life circumstances.  If we look to those who surround us for these answers then we had better surround ourselves only with people who are ALWAYS grounded in truth and honesty.  A wise writer said it this way: “ . . . you’ll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious – the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse.  Put into practice what you learned, what you heard, and what you saw and realized.”  Seek your affection and security, who you want to please, and your power and control from wise sources.

The biggest problem with “pinging” is that it always hurts to get to this stage!  Just as fine crystal must be purified in the fire to have its musicality – its ability to “ping”, so we must go through the “fire” of life.  Purging ourselves of impurities will always cause pain – it’s the long, hard road.  It is difficult even though it’s rewarding.  It’s painful even though it’s also full of joy.  No one enjoys pain – no one wishes for trials and problems.  And yet, everything that is valuable must go through some type of refining process; (e.g. gold is put in the fire to purify it; knives are sharpened by filing away the edges).

Oftentimes those persons who have the most musicality are the young, innocent children and the older ones who have successfully weathered the storms of their lives.  Young children have no guile; older people have often learned that guile doesn’t work . . . you have to remember too many lies.  People who choose honesty, authenticity, and graciousness ‘ping’.  It is a daily decision that each person gets to make – in fact, it’s often a moment-to-moment decision.  It is not always easy to do, but ultimately it brings peace and joy to the inner-most part of one’s soul.

When you are ‘pinging’ it is easy to hear the ‘thunk’ of others.  When you are ‘thunking’ you can only hear yourself . . . and only then, if you haven’t seared your conscience to not hear.  People who ping are a true joy to be around – they bring hope and inspiration to all around them.  Are you pinging today?