Applied Freemasonry: Lessons for Everyday Life
Written by Right Worshipful Brother Chad M. Lacek
As I approach my 18th year as a Freemason, I paused to consider what I have learned that might be useful and applicable in our day-to-day lives. I hope you find some value in these few discoveries, presented in no particular order:
Charity is Love in Action
I’ve learned that the word charity is interchangeable with love. Whenever you hear the word charity in our ritual, replace it with love and discover that the meaning is the same. The belief that charity is measured in dollars and cents is mistaken. It has very little to do with money.
Charity is providing what is needed, not necessarily what is being asked for. Have you ever met a Brother that talks so much that you feel the need to escape? You know the person who seems oblivious to your body language and keeps talking to you even when your shoulders are turned away, your hand is on the bathroom door, and your facial expression shows you are eager to enter? We all know that Brother. I know a few of them. What do you do when you see him? Do you give him a wide berth and avoid eye contact? Everyone does. This makes their situation even worse. They are obviously in need of some human contact, some attentive ear, someone to see them and acknowledge their existence. When they finally get a victim in their grasp, they cling tightly because they know they won’t get many chances. Our avoiding them reinforces that tendency. One form of charity is willingly approaching them, with the foreknowledge that you’re going to be there a while, and listening with a smile on your face. It’s easier to give $20. You know it is. But that’s not what this Brother needs. He needs a little love and attention, and you and I both have some we can spare.
Right Worshipful Brother Chad M. Lacek
Be the Cable Tow: Work on Autopilot
The Cable tow functions automatically. Unlike the other working tools, which need to be selected and applied often, the Cable tow works on Autopilot. After spending several years in Lodge, listening to repetitive reminders of duty and obligation, our subconscious takes note. I realized this six years ago during a winter storm.
I had just finished shoveling snow for over an hour and was about to relax with a mug of hot tea. Just then, I heard a noise outside that drew my attention to the window. I saw my elderly neighbor futilely chipping away at a huge mound of ice. I felt a sense of dread. I did not want to help her. I had just removed my wet clothes and put on some warm flannel pajamas. I had just sat down in my favorite reading chair. I tried to find excuses to remain in warmth and comfort. After a few moments, I stood up, got dressed, grabbed my shovel, and headed across the street.
I didn’t decide to do the right thing. I didn’t decide anything at all. I knew, instinctively, that I did not have a choice. What I did was against my will, but in accordance with my newly formed character. We are becoming better men, as Freemasonry promised, whether we like it or not.
Reading as a Tool for Personal Growth
I discovered the tremendous value of reading. As a child, my relationship with books was reluctant at best. We would occasionally be assigned a book report in school, which would require the briefest possible skimming of the text in hopes of getting a C on the exam.
Freemasonry introduced me to the idea of reading for personal growth, as well as pleasure. Reading books on Masonic subjects quickly led to the foundational works of Plato and Aristotle. Reading is nothing short of magic and time travel. Want proof? How many Roman emperors do you know? Same here, zero. Yet, we have free access to the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius, the personal diary and reflections of the most powerful man in the world during 161-180 AD. We get to sit next to him in his most private chambers, listen to his intimate thoughts about life, what it means to be a good man, and our place in the universe. All the best minds in history are available to us.
We have the potential to be the smartest generation in human history, only to be outdone by the next generation, who will benefit from our contributions. What we learn in school, besides how to pass tests, is how to learn. The accumulation of knowledge does not end at graduation; it begins. I spent over a decade walking around with what little I knew and trying to pass that on as wisdom. A love of reading and my library card are the greatest gifts I’ve ever received.
Time is Finite - Prioritize What Matters
I’ve learned that people budget their time and money for the things that truly matter to them. We tell a lot of lies when it comes to time and money. We even lie to ourselves. When we say, “I don’t have time,” we actually say, “That activity is not valuable enough for me to prioritize it above the existing demands on my time.” Don’t bother inhaling to load up a disagreement. It’s true, and you don’t owe anyone an apology for it. Each of us has precious little time in our days and precious few days in our lifetime. Spend your time however you see fit, but don’t kid yourself. You have all the time you need for the things you truly want. If you don’t feel that way now, you should examine your true motivations. Everyone has a job. Everyone has bills to pay. Everyone has people in their life who lay claim to some of their time. If you let those things decide how much of your time they get, that’s you deciding to let that happen.
The same holds for money. “I can’t afford it” means “I choose to allocate my limited funds to expenses other than this one.” The notion of affording something is absurd. It suggests helplessness, that the situation is out of your control. Whatever money you have, be it a nickel or a fortune, is completely in your power. Yes, if you don’t pay the mortgage, you may face eviction. You chose to buy that house or rent that apartment. You could live in a larger one, or a smaller one, or a van ‘down by the river.’ If the big house is a priority, then that’s what you’ll spend your money on. Since you spent the money on the big house, you might not have enough for the big boat. You can afford the big boat if you’re willing to sacrifice the big house. It’s a choice- your choice. You have the time, and you can afford it. So can I. Continue to lie to others if you think it helps preserve their feelings, but let’s not lie to ourselves.
Our Thoughts Inform Our Actions
I grew up an only child of divorced parents. This resulted in me spending a lot of time alone. My imagination was constantly employed for my amusement and soon grew to limitless proportions. I discovered that I could create any fantasy in my mind, and there was no way for anyone to catch me or discipline me for whatever I did there.
The most daring and exciting thing my young mind could conceive of was robbing a bank. I was the scourge of the American banking industry and law enforcement in those days. I would barge into the bank brandishing whatever weapon de jour took my fancy, then grab the bags of money, you know the ones, with the dollar signs printed on the outside. Sometimes I would go so far as to imagine how I would spend all that money. I never gave a single thought to the terrified bank tellers, the traumatized patrons, the police I shot during my daring escape, or their grieving families. After all, this wasn’t real. I couldn’t get caught, and no actual crime was committed. I thought that whatever happened in my mind had nothing to do with the real world outside. It wasn’t until I studied the Emblems lecture in our third degree that I realized our subconscious mind doesn’t know it’s make-believe.
The Book of Constitutions guarded by the Tyler’s sword reminds us that we should be ever watchful and guarded in our thoughts, words and actions. My subconscious mind was repeatedly trained that I am the kind of person who commits armed robbery and murder. I am pleased to report that I have not robbed any banks (yet), nor have I shot anyone. Nevertheless, I was poisoning my mind with criminality and violence. We are what we concentrate on and surround ourselves with. That voice in our head is part of our identity. I used to be very hard on myself when I made mistakes. I would call myself an idiot, or worse. Sometimes much worse. I now realize that every time I did that, I was educating my subconscious mind that I was stupid and useless and more besides. When we talk to ourselves like that, our subconscious believes us completely. Think well, feel well, do well. Be kind to your inner voice. Encourage him. Forgive him. Tell him you’re proud of him, even when he doesn’t fully deserve it. Post a Tyler in your mind and direct him to let no thought pass or repass but such as are duly helpful and have your permission.
We are Part of the Universe, and the Universe Exists Within Us
Freemasonry has lots of enigmatic phrases like “As Above, So Below” and “As Without, So Within.” They sound neat, but it took me ages to begin to understand what we are supposed to learn from them. We are a fragment of the universe, and the universe exists within each of us. The elements that make up everything we see were forged in stars. All the elements heavier (by atomic weight) than iron were made during supernova explosions. The calcium in your bones, the iron in your blood, the carbon in your muscles, and the oxygen in your lungs were all made deep within the raging furnace of countless stars. All matter and all life obey the same laws in every corner of the endless universe. We are an inseparable part of that unimaginably complex plan.
I can think of no better name for the maker of that plan, or perhaps even the plan itself, than God. I think the single greatest acronym in all of Freemasonry is G.A.O.T.U., which stands for Grand Architect Of The Universe. Can you think of a more perfect way to sum up all the world’s religions to their essence? No matter where or when you were born or what language you speak, you offer your thankful prayers and mournful pleas to the Grand Architect Of The Universe. Call Him by any other name if you please, but His title is unchanged. You will find Him everywhere you look.
Every leaf, every grain of sand, every drop of water. More important to our purposes, you will find Him inside you. When you close your eyes and calm your mind, you will be in the center of your own fragment of the universe. Everything that exists out there exists in each of us. You are a small fragment of the universe, inseparable from God. It’s deep stuff, I know, but it’s unavoidably true. The observable, measurable laws insist that it can’t be any other way. We are all chips from the same stone.
Masonic Working Tools are Reminders
Have you heard the phrase “What gets measured gets managed?” We can only change what we are aware of and pay attention to. Becoming a Freemason does not make someone better. Freemasonry doesn’t change anything. It does give us tools to bring our awareness to places that are frequently overlooked. The working tools point out which things we should be measuring. When you hang a picture, do you step back and look to see if it’s done properly? You might use a level if you’re not sure. What about our actions? Do we ever step back to view them through the eyes of others? The working tools are a reminder to take a moment and make sure that we are satisfied with our work.
Mutual Respect
Freemasons are people, and many people are stupid. They are also frequently disappointing.
Do you ever feel like everyone around you is an idiot, and you can’t figure out how they managed to get this far in life without setting fire to themselves? Have you ever observed someone’s behavior with an open mouth, speechlessly wondering how they could think that what they are doing is acceptable? I experience this most often while driving in traffic. The bizarre reality is that they look at us the same way. We all think we’re the smart one in a sea of dullards. It can be frustrating to live in a world with people who aggravate us, but it’s useful to remember that we aggravate them. It’s easier to forgive Brother Mason, since he is supposedly trying to be a better version of himself. It’s much harder with the population at large.
My wife bought me a singing bowl as a gift many years ago. This small brass bowl is shaped so that when you circle a wooden shaft around the outside rim, the vibrations cause it to ring in a pleasing, relaxing tone. There is a large Hindu symbol emblazoned on the bottom of the bowl, which I was curious to understand. It is the Om (or Aum), a sacred symbol in Hinduism. An exploration of this symbol introduced me to the phrase “Namaste.” One translation of this word is “The divine in me bows to the divine in you.” It is one of the most beautiful concepts I’ve ever known. Please consider that for a moment. “The DIVINE in me bows to the DIVINE in you.”
You will remember that each of us contains a fragment of that divine spark, or plan of the universe (whether we like it or not). It is not “The imperfect, foolish, idiot in me” bowing to the “Inconsiderate, unreliable, cheapskate in you.” There might only be this one good thing in me, and you may only have that singular virtue in you…but that’s more than enough for both of us to love and respect each other.
The Secrets of Freemasonry
Every organization has secrets. Your family has secrets. Freemasonry has secrets, the easiest of them to communicate are published all over the internet. There are deeper secrets, the kind that are difficult to tell. It’s like trying to explain in words what Love is to someone who has never felt it. The practical value of superficial secrets is greatly diminished today. There were times when membership in Freemasonry was dangerous, and concealing your involvement was necessary. There are still places where that is true to some extent, but fortunately for us in America, we can proudly admit our membership.
There is one important function I have found for these secrets, even the ones that are now common knowledge. It’s a test. Are you the kind of person who can be trusted with a secret? Even if that ‘secret’ is published on 1200 websites, the question is: will YOU disclose it? You promised not to. Are you the kind of person who keeps their promises? When you make a vow before God, are you bound by honor and duty? It is particularly important for you to know the answer.
Transformative Freemasonry
Subduing our Passions. It’s what we said we came here to do. I’ve learned that subduing them is misleading. It sounds like we are supposed to keep a lid on them, control them, limit them to an acceptable extent. We don’t eliminate them; we keep them in a cage or place them on a leash. How are we supposed to do that? I guessed that we’re expected to employ our willpower. I was wrong.
Willpower is, at the best of times, a band-aid with very little stickiness. It will fall off, and soon. The only way I know to permanently change a behavior is to consciously change your identity. If you’re trying to lose weight and you’re walking past the box of doughnuts someone brought to the Lodge meeting week after week, one of these days you’re going to have powdered sugar on your fingers. With willpower, you must fight the desire for something and win every single time. It will inevitably fail. If you roll the dice long enough, you will get every possible combination.
Wanting something and denying it to yourself does not work. What you can do is decide that you’re the kind of person who eats a healthy diet. You don’t eat fatty, sugary foods. It’s not that you do or don’t want to; it’s that you’re the kind of person who couldn’t care less about it. This does not happen overnight, of course. But it will happen faster than you think. At first, you will need to tell yourself what kind of person you are. After a while, you will start to believe it. Eventually, you will become it. Start telling yourself that you are the kind of person you want to be. You will be amazed at how quickly you can transform your will, without the need for willpower.
Looking for more reflections on Masonic Principles? Read our blog about the Speculative Craft of Builders.
Frequently Asked Questions
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In Masonic teaching, charity is closer in meaning to love than to donation. It's about providing what a Brother actually needs — attention, presence, patience — rather than defaulting to a dollar amount. Whenever the word "charity" appears in our ritual, you can substitute "love" and the meaning holds.
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No. Financial giving is one expression of charity, but often the easiest one. Sitting with a Brother who needs to be heard, showing up for someone who feels invisible, or offering time and attention are frequently more meaningful acts of charity than writing a check.
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Look for the Brother — or the neighbor, coworker, or stranger — whom others tend to avoid. Approach him instead of stepping around him. Listen without checking your watch. Charity, practiced this way, costs nothing but attention and patience.