Know yourself and you can better understand the universe, society, and everything in between!
This period of global unrest presents a great opportunity to reflect on the adversity humanity has faced and overcome before.
In this episode we also consider the horror the occasional Dental procedure and the ominous events which transpired, but often go unspoken, in the “childhood” classic Pinocchio.
Laughter is the best medicine.
First, consider the complexities of your life a decade or two ago… and how beautifully simple they appear to you today.
Next, imagine awaking tomorrow as an immensely happy and fulfilled 95-year-old with bookshelves of stories worth sharing, but no teeth…
Now, take the first bite out of this crisp apple.
Enjoy the simple things and endure the complicated ones, we’ll see both differently in time! 😉
The creature initiates its taunt with a leap off the ground that could out-rival the height of a third grader’s smile.
It latches its tiny arms around the 6-foot iron-rod with the ferocity of a concerned mother, then begins to scale.
Its approach to humanity and gravity is one of defiance, as it navigates upward with the agility of nature’s first Ninja Warrior.
Finally, while upside down, the squirrel finishes its feast out of the “squirrel-proof” bird-feeder. Then struts toward the coy pond with its tail in the air and, without breaking eye contact, begins quenching its thirst while gnawing away at my ego.
Winning the battle in your own backyard is not so dissimilar from conquering the battle within!
Time to tackle the Ego!
…a REAL human nature story.
Think about the things you are passionate about and actively pursue. Now, think about the things you are passionate about yet make no time for at all. Finally, think about the fleeting feeling you had as you considered each of those scenarios, and how infinitely different they were.
Modern society seems to applaud the ‘busy little beaver’ approach to a productive day… but maybe with a subtle change or two, we can have a more rewarding life.
Maybe it’s time to pursue a little more investment of time in YOU!!
Great hobbies are forever, and thankfully… circumcisions do not make the cut!
‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!
“Someone would open the door and I would hide my G.I. Joes like I was scurrying to cover up a crime scene!”“When you convince yourself something is a hobby that isn’t a hobby, you’ve made a hobby out of manipulating yourself.”
“‘Imagine circumcision at this age, four guys come in like ‘Stitch, we’re going to cut part of your penis off…’
You, or someone you know
…’It would take four guys to get that foreskin!'”
If you know this single word, power often follows.
As a verb? It describes actions in the future.
As a noun? It defines what we leave behind.
Whatever it is, whenever it exists, there IS always a way!
Will power.
‘GOTTA HEAR ITS’!
“What you see in me outwardly, is the relationship we have with ourselves inwardly ““‘Would you go forth with accomplishing your goal no matter what, even if it put stress on a loved one for example?’ — ‘Well, here’s the thing, I’m not just a dick.'”
“‘Recognize the moment of focus leakage.’ — ‘yeah! How do you do that?’ — ‘by recognizing the moments of focus leakage.'”
You, or someone you know
For GOODNESS sake!
“Measure the goodness of an individual…
…by their reaction time, to their own evil!”
“The GREATEST gift you can give to humanity?
Conquer your own Demons…
…so you do not pass them down to the next generation”
Want to improve the world? Improve yourself… the rest will follow.
“We choose what holds us back…
…and what moves us forward.”
~Master Splinter
WARNING: As the herd of Valentines weekend movie-goers eagerly prepare to contribute to what is sure to be jaw-dropping box-office numbers — the following point of view may be as controversial as the film itself…
The inevitable success of Fifty Shades of Grey is essentially a raised glass to the moral decline of values in the Western world.
BUT WAIT! Make no mistake… or better yet make mistakes: humanity is not perfect! And in a world where our experience is based on polarity and relativity, we never will be….AND THAT IS OKAY! Being perfect is not our purpose… nor is that point the purpose of this article.
The purpose is to use the latest of many points on our social trend line to reflect on the real threat our humanity faces: desensitization…. Evil needs to exist in order for “Good” to prevail… We will make mistakes, we will do evil… but will we recognize it?
The biggest obstacle which stands in our way of becoming a more loving and unified world is the blurred lines. Good and Bad used to be two opposing but clear perspectives, now its controversial. Right and wrong used to be Black and White, now it’s many shades of grey.
I admittedly have not read this book, so am not passing judgement on it — and CERTAINLY not on it’s readers or movie watchers. I wrestle with my own demons — and they would gain ground on me if I focused too much on the wrestling matches of others.
I am however using the controversial buzz as a springboard to remember that the single most important thing to do on the road to becoming a good person IS NOT to be flawless, but rather, to recognize your flaws. As long as we, as individuals and as a society, can be true to ourselves and discern what is making us weaker or stronger — then by simply recognizing our negatives becomes a positives…
There is NO greater strength than the recognition of one’s own weaknesses.
I HOPE ENJOY YOUR WEEKEND! It’s okay to indulge in a drink, some not-so-healthy eats, or the guilty pleasure of your choice, but as you do, I challenge you to challenge yourself with some self-evaluation and ask yourself the question “why”? Our weakness is demonstrated in how we ‘chase those highs’ — we enjoy the junk food so eat more and more of it, we enjoy the drink so go from 1 to 5… We lose ourselves in the chase of those highs, and become prisoners of our own device. Our strength, however, is demonstrated in our ability to enjoy those guilty pleasures with the discipline to do so in moderation.
And if you’ve already chosen to see it, then…
I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOW! And as you do, I challenge you to challenge yourself to recognize how the message of it, or other creations, can change you and/or others around you. Then discern whether or not the change reflects the type of person you want to be and/or the type of world you want to live in.
I HOPE YOU ENJOY YOUR LIFE! It’s okay to make mistakes — we are not perfect, on purpose! Every saint has a past and every sinner has a future. As you enjoy your life, I challenge you to challenge yourself to simply acknowledge them!
After all, WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES... the best of us will work on them, the worst of us won’t recognize them.
“The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn’t exist.”
~Kevin Spacey, “The Usual Suspects”
There’s only two sides; from Day to Night, Dark to Light, and Death to Life…
But between the extremes we lose site of what once was Black and White.
So why would you and I use the grey-scale for weighing Wrong and Right?
ENJOY!
Saying this prayer, OUT LOUD, (most) every night, is the single most important contributor to making me a (somewhat) better person than I used to be.
Lord, help me to be:
Courageous, Selfless, Loving,
Patient, Peaceful, Humble,
Hard working and Forgiving.
Help me to be a great husband,
a great father, and a great human being.
And help me to always remember.
PERSONAL TIP:
Every small epiphany I have in life, I ‘assign’ to this prayer… Every time I say I’ll pray for someone, I assign it to “always remember”…. So every time I say it, in my heart, those folks share a piece of my prayer…
I also wear, thanks to my wife, a necklace with the word “REMEMBER” on it — so I remember to never forget ;).
Throughout our peaks and valleys,
we kept calling it our prime…
But all the evolution we saw in writing,
was really in our eyes!
If I got better for you today,
it might make me worse in time;
Since living for other standards,
may take sacrificing mine.
Why cater to the valleys, when you can wait for them to climb?
My response to a debate thread on a board regarding “Why God Exists”…
Because life is a fractal relationship between infinite micro and macrocosms; as above, so below; the good and bad we see in others is also in ourselves, and that inter-connectivity is also a reflection of what is more and what is less.
And that inter-connectivity manifests onward and upward, inward and outward, at an exponential rate and fractal shape.
The fractal is all encompassing, “we were created in His image” – and thus, we create in our image. Whether through genetics – or whether through innovative feats of exceeding our own brain processing power and storage.
Neither good nor bad – He is wholly holy and holy wholly; as we continue to perceive ourselves as finite pieces and not perceiving the infinite puzzle we are apart of.
The yin and the yang of infinite and finite create the infinite decimals between 0 and 1 — the gray area between “yes” and “no” — which enables us to experience… it sets the stage for polarity — and relativity, both scientifically and emotionally.
…it also sets the stage for making us perceive ourselves as ‘separate bodies’ from the greater body.
…we are afraid of the unknown, and yet, the unknown is only known by overcoming that very FEAR!
Alas, the inter-connectivity of all things across infinite microcosms, macrocosms, and ALL TIME echoes the same truth ‘time and time again’ — but we deafen our ears to these timeless truths because of FEAR – and our NEED to hang on to our individual puzzle piece… the need to validate our ego.
YET even that FEAR itself, which prevents us from seeing the truth that is quite literally in us (et al.), nonetheless REFLECTS the same TRUTH! Fear itself is made of the same structure all things are made of — it too is a series of micro and macrocosms. And for human beings, one of the most recognizable ‘macrocosms of fear’ to overcome — the overarching fear from which all our mortal fears stem from — is our FEAR OF DEATH! Our need, once again, to ‘hang on to our ego’ — the concept of what we are today — because we cannot perceive the world without us… We are afraid of the unknown….
Face your fear of death, and unveil the face of God.
…we are afraid of the unknown, and yet, the unknown is only known by overcoming that very FEAR! Overcome this chicken-and-egg circumstance by finding peace. Find peace through love. TRULY confront this fear and relinquish your individual puzzle piece to be one with the puzzle itself – and you will not only believe in God. You will know Him as you know yourself.
This particular fear binds together all fears in the worlds of time and timelessness. Face your fear of death, and unveil the face of God.
We are parts; we are connected; He is whole; We are one. Father, Son, Holy Spirit.
TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN,
This letter came to you from the place you’ll soon find timelessness;
We hope you get the message… before there’s a need for writing it.
Hope… a redeeming quality which you had deemed too childish;
We were born to bring revival, but grown to be survivalists.
Saw you playing “Simon Says”; so we did as Simon did…
Only shown how to rock a boat, never how to right the ship.
Since innocence seemed ignorant, we sought our bliss from sciences;
Our character’s best measured by the depth of our one-sidedness.
Taught to win at any cost…. But when we lost, our fight would end.
So this time when you teach us, can you please try “try again”?
We have the drive of motorized rides equipped with nitrogen;
While working just as tireless as the hovercrafts we’re flying in.
And we were taught to dream, but not to sleep until retirement…
There’s no peace in counting sheep, while lyin in a lion’s den!
A pill for that, a pill for this; a pill so both will strike more quick;
A pill to help us swallow all the truth of our reliances…
Now we’re living even longer – thanks to stronger vitamins;
Our ignorance was thinking it’d bring incremental life with it!
A device for that, a device for this; a device to make devices quick;
So desensitized by devices, we don’t even see the vice in it…
Now we’re obnoxiously robotic, a product of our environment…
Great at catching breaks we’ll never make the time to fix.
A fight for that, a fight for this; a fight so that the fight exists;
Standing by our right for peace, we’ll never cease the fight for it!
What goes around comes around; we found the reason spite exists.
So you can pay the piper, and in time we’ll pay the piper’s kid….
Pride for that, pride for this; pride for pride we might omit;
Pride which is tightly clinched in a fist too mighty to be pried of it.
With a sense of entitlement stemming from senseless mindfulness;
You could find us in the darkest age, describing it as enlightenment.
Until one day: a device ended the fight, a pill killed off the viruses.
Loved winning; but having won – we didn’t take much pride in it.
Then suddenly, we were blinded by a liquid leaking out our irises!
Perplexed, we entered the question in our engine: “Why is this?”
Across every generation, the gap is bridged by righteousness.
It was the first message off the presses when Gutenberg provided his.
The trend reflects the plight of men, who rise then fall to rise again;
But the cycle can recycle; there’s no wound that time won’t mend.
SO TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN: Too few were too concerned…
But there’s still time to change your lesson plan, before our lesson’s learned.
Yours Truly,
GENERATION ALPHA, EST 2010
Your future is our present, help us change it today.
What if you had the chance to play a game of 20 questions… with someone you knew, for certain, had all the answers?
“First question first: what’s the meaning of life?”
For you to keep on asking until you get it right.
“Gee, great insight… what on earth does it mean??”
What it means on earth is the same as in your dreams.
“Um, elaborate please! Where do I find what I seek?
You’ll find it in the hiding place which only you perceive.
“That’s three questions for you – still no answers for me?”
Or maybe just not the ones that you think you need?
“Why answer with more questions?” To show you what they mean.
“How am I to interpret that??” That’ll be the key.
“Clearly understanding’s key, yet I’m trapped in ambiguity!”
The key’s to find yourself; the truth’s to set you free.
“Can you spell it out by chance?” In no language that you read.
“Please extend an olive branch!” Please accept the olive seed.
“I know less than when I started.” You’ll know more once you cease.
“How long can I ask the same question?” Until you answer it for me.
“HERE WE GO AGAIN!!” Here you go again.
“Why would ‘I’ go here again?” To hear it all again.
“Well this time, can you say it clear?” That depends on how you hear.
“You’re confusing with your words!” You confuse them with your ears.
“This is all one big cycle.” I’m glad you’re seeing it show.
“I think we’re digressing.” I think you’re beginning to grow.
“I think ya don’t know what I think.” You think you think all that you know.
“Your answers breed more questions” Your questions breed both.
“AND HERE WE GO AGAIN‼” And here you go again.
“I don’t see where this is going,” you don’t see where this has been.
“I’ve become a better person, and I never looked back…
But I looked forward for the answers”…And you never looked back.
“How many questions do I have?” Since you ask, you’re down to nine.
“Not surprised you counted that!” Those with less, use more wise.
“Where will this end??” That would be a start.
“I’m getting lost again…” Try following your heart.
“Just enlighten me; please, all I need’s a little spark!”
If you want to see the light, you need to start out in the dark.
“Can’t you just point me to the grail or philosophers stone?”
I can, and I have, and I will, by pointing you back home.
“I don’t see how you’re helping!” That doesn’t mean you won’t.
“I just REALLY wanna know!” Are you really sure you don’t?
“Well if you’re the source of truth, why do you keep me guessin?”
Because it isn’t learned until discerned by the source of the question.
“I turn to you once more, and get turned away again!”
You turned to me, and as before, I’m turning you within.
“So why does he who helps himself even need you in the end?”
The conclusion can’t be reached until he sees where to begin.
Before you’d only seek externally when conquering your doubt.
The outward helped you inward, now going in will help you out.
With no thoughts but their own, one can hear what’s hardly heard.
You will find the key alone… and then see you never were.
“So discernment is the truth?” No, that’ll be the key.
“and with the key, I’ll see the truth?” You’ll perceive the tree.
“and what’s the tree lead to?” Truth. Living in all you see & do.
As the creative root branches through all you’ve created too.
“Why didn’t you just say so?” It’s the cost of being free.
Those who don’t find it for themselves, find it harder to believe.
“Well, that’s 19! I got more than I could ask in a 20 question game,
so for my final one: how can I help others do the same?”
JUST GIVE THEM 20 QUESTIONS! Then listen to them speak!
How you learned how to learn is how I’d teach you how to teach.
For every soul speaks differently, each language is unique.
But each one has a key; tailor-made for them by me.
And forcing the key will more often lead to broken locks and pride.
But fortunately, the doors made to be opened from inside.
So note this, as you notice folks roaming off the road:
Sharing where ya been does more than showing where to go!
They won’t believe what you know ’til they perceive it on their own;
They’ll care little how big you are, but they’ll respond to how you’ve grown.
For while there are many different paths, there’s only one summit.
And the key to life is love…
…but that’s not what it’d be if I took the choice from it.
“Stay down or stay level?
…gave the latter a try.
Make it to this level?
…give a ladder a try.
Get 1,000 miles high;
…then after that, fly,
hit a glass ceiling and
SHATTER THE SKY!“
an optimist?! NEGATIVE! just positively positive
the secret of the universe relies upon the opposites
for context in our populous, how competent are colleges?
took a lot of ignorance to comprehend what knowledge is
it’s a problem which is relative, its apparent we adopted it
it’s extremely unique, so commonly it’s moderate.
see the glass as half full with a modest bit of cockiness;
but if ya never topped it off, the cup would still be bottomless.
without a winter would a summer even be a thing?
if I never had a fall, would ya ever see me spring?
it’s sink or swim; but what’s a swim without a sink?
I think that I know – therefore I am, I think.
we peak then plateau, and we gradually shrink
no matter how far ya go, ya always on the brink.
Do you have the opposite problem? it’s likely it’s so:
answer with yes, or no – it’s residing in both.
a friend, or foe, above, below – in binary code
the ebbs and flows, they come and go, a high and a low
we want yes without no, wanna know without lessons
never had the answer, but want it without question
seek some direction: east ‘n a south; north ‘n a west
from chaos there is order, we’re an organized mess
it’s simply complex, we want a grade without a test
wanna win, no contest; wanna host? be my guest!
every notion we protect, all the motions we object;
are all perpetual at worst, and immoveable at best.
beauty is skin deep… but how shallow is sight?
when beauty’s best seen by the beholder who’s blind
can ya find an absent mind present in a moment of time?
in some cases ya capitalize; others, lower than swine.
but it takes both to take off – a case where all the pigs fly
and its the lowest swine who go most high, hoggin the sky‼
Do you have the opposite problem? answer it wise:
the answers black and white but may range from day to night
no wrong or right, narrow or wide, just a demand to supply
the secret’s too revealed to hide, so expect a surprise.
find depth in our shallowness, fulfillment in our hollowness
our future leaders will rise from those who can follow this.
Problem Solved.
Make no mistake, we are at war friends.
Our enemy is deceitful, conniving, and…. surprisingly logical.
Our adversary will strive to convince us that it is not a foe, but a friend.
Our opponent will remind us of all the great things we are, and attribute it to our successes. Then subsequently remind us of all we are not, and attribute it to the failures of others.
Our rival goes by the name of “Ego”, and it has been called the source of ALL conflict! Welcome to Project: E.G.O., the 3-step battle plan for shared victory in our individual battles.
Continue reading “PROJECT E.G.O.- 3 Phase Plan to Win the Conflict Within”
“Everybody is a genius, but if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid” ~Albert Einstein
Genius is a title which is typically received long after the creative moment occurred. Here are 4 tips to maintain the creative genius which you WERE BORN WITH!
Continue reading “4 Tips on Maintaining the Creative Genius in You – it doesn’t take Einstein!”
Jealousy? JEALOUSY?!?! when I typed in “How do I overcome…” the first one was jealousy?? Most jealousy stems from our need to protect our egos; and most egos do not want to admit wrong, and thus, most truly jealous people would not be searching the term “how do I overcome jealousy”.
If someone is typing that question in Google, congratulations, the inaccurate diagnoses of your condition also appears to be the cure!!
Complicated question: “how do I overcome jealousy?”
Simple answer: Continue reading “How do I overcome jealousy?”
Having typed “Why are we…” in google, the first suggested search query was “Why are we here?”.
Great question, one I should have anticipated, since it is the question that drives existence and gives meaning to ALL OTHER QUESTIONS!
Many of us have heard it before, but few take advantage of the concept enough: the most complicated questions often have the SIMPLEST ANSWERS.
At risk of sounding like a ‘cop out’, the answer is quite simple:
Q: “Why are we here?”
A: To pursue the answer to THAT very question.
As human beings, we often consciously (or subconsciously) “need” specificity in our day to day. Many of us approach life like a series of tasks – interwoven with a few great moments of down-time (vacations, hobbies, etc.). This question has existed, and will continue to exist, for all ‘active participants’ of life’s journey — the ultimate answer will be like an infinite jolt of ‘aha moments’. The jolt will not be due to the answer itself, it will be due to the awareness each individual has in one instance – as they understand the very reason they could not arrive at the answer during their journey.
The most important thing an individual can do is to “overcome the need to ask the question”. Our awareness to greater truths is most clear when we calm our minds. As we pursue the answer to this question —- we find that there are many roads to take up one mountain top, many separate lanes converging on the same highway.
Throughout history we have put great importance in those we feel “get it”, from prophets, to scientists, to explorers, to artists. Everyone “gets it” to varying degrees, many even “get it” more than they know. In fact, as an individual progresses in their understanding of “how it is all connected” – all subject matters begin to converge. I could go on another huge tangent here, but I’ll save it for another post.
Remember, however, using those types of ‘aware’ individuals throughout time as an example – it seems none of them could convey their comprehension of the answer in such a way that EVERYONE grasps. Those spiritual, scientific, and creative leaders all expressed the answer the best they could – and it’s ALWAYS a balance of “breadth and depth”. For example, most religions are founded based on TIMELESS messages which a broad audience could grasp. Jesus often used parables/metaphor/etc. — having cast a very wide net, breadth; while tailoring his message to his apostles (and thus, “speaking their language”), depth… In the end – the best we can do is accrue information that speaks to our soul throughout our journey, to understand how it is WE learn. Remember that understanding takes two things, the voice AND the ear. We are diverging from our quest for the answer if we focus too much on “looking for the voice” versus “understanding our ears”. Once you, timeless truth, “Know Thyself”, you are in a better position to learn about how “Thyself” fits into the greater whole.
The ONLY way I can fathom to help an individual understand the answer to this question is by suggesting the process to learning what you need to learn to understand.
There is a very high probability that by the time “seekers” out there grasp the answer, they will simply no longer care! Conceptualize, as always, “a world without time” – think about how you would understand this concept in a world without time — and REVISIT this question as you learn other truths about yourself as a microcosm and the greater whole as a macrocosm. At some juncture, the best way to obtain the answer to this question is by being aware of it BUT being at peace with it. Allow all knowledge, experience, faith, etc. to culminate, build, change and grow together — ask yourself the question with a smile, and in the interim, do not chase down answers, quiet your mind and absorb them.
I’ll summarize my interpretation of the best means to find the answer with the last line in a song I wrote about a year ago:
“So quit asking questions; you’ll find the answers listening;
and be content with being stumped, kind of like the ‘Giving Tree'”
~Loopholes on Life
The Giving Tree was content with being stumped, are you?
