Thank you Transformation Earth for nominating me for The Sunshine Award. I am new to blogging as well, so I hope I do justice in responding accordingly. First, allow me to state my gratitude as I have come across other blogs and read entries related to nominations and awards and I thought the idea was sweet and thoughtful.
My answers to the questions are as follows:
“Live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” – Gandhi
Death is certain, which is not intended to start with a melancholic tone, but rather a calling for understanding the phenomena in order to elevate the physical form. The Stoics viewed death in a manner that aided human purpose. By philosophizing on our impermanence they were able to reason ways in which fear of death could be replaced by honoring living. Continue reading “Death & Dying”
“The Stoics actually both say that the wise man will experience love, and they define love itself as the effort to make a friendship from the semblance of beauty. Which love, if there is any in the world without disquietude, without longing, without anxiety, without sighing, then so be it! For it is free from all lust.” – Cicero
Love is made difficult throughout history, and perhaps more in modernity than in previous eras, because not only are unsolicited expectations thrust upon another unknowing individual and are later expressed as premeditated resentments, but also because some individuals forget, consciously skip, or are unaware of the first critical step to loving others is to love the self first. The power to love another human being reaches its capacity potential from self-derived and self-aimed love. Continue reading “Philosophy & Love”
A must-read article and its accompanying comments section on the definition of success.
What does it mean to succeed in life? By definition, success refers to achieving a desired aim. But what if your desired aim is to be a world-traveler and you are willing to work odd jobs in random countries for minimal pay? This is not a conventional image of success. We feel the weight of society upon us whenever our personal goals deviate too far from the social norm. Even though we all just want to be happy, our happiness is in constant tension with our need for acceptance.
When the need for acceptance wins, we give up our own version of success for the conventional definition. Chuck Palahniuk says it best in Fight Club: “The things you own end up owning you.” Even though you may still feel like you’re in the driver-seat, you know deep down that you’re driving down the wrong road. As the sense of…
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“We see, feel, and ultimately attract what we focus on.”
― Brain Drain The Breakthrough That Will Change Your Life by Charles F. Glasman M.D.
Output equals input. Thoughts, emotions, and behavior released into the external world are the same thoughts, emotions, and behavior received. Exercising a positive attitude attracts more positivity, and the opposite is also true by which exercising negativity attracts more negativity. Continue reading “Law of Attraction”
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.” – Pericles
All human life is special regardless of occupation, status, achievements, material acquisition, and any other socially derived label. Living is courageous. Individuals must learn not to fear or run away from it, but instead embrace it wholeheartedly. Continue reading “Special”
“I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not know.” -Epicurus
There are two broad camps of thought; one camp states human beings live in order to acquire meaning, while the other camp claims there is no meaning to life and human beings must learn to live happily and content within the stated framework. Continue reading “Pursuing Meaning”
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” – W.B. Yeats
Life is about learning to persevere and answer uncertainty with courage and conviction. No matter how much human beings attempt to predict and control the future, chaos is ready to emerge at any moment’s notice. Regardless of race, sex, religion, creed, or socio-economic status, chaos, disorder, and uncertainty are equal-opportunities embedded in living and ergo the human condition. Continue reading “Mastering Starting Over”
“The ultimate value of life depends upon awareness and the power of contemplation, rather than upon mere survival.” – Aristotle
The key to all of life’s frequent and pressing questions is balance. Multi-faceted questions are typically asked in terms of which side of the spectrum does an individual stand. For example, should one act or not, should one live for the present moment or live for the future or past, and should one hang on or let go of a dream, of an idea, or pursuit. However, framing the question as to illicit a “this or that” response leaves much unexamined. Continue reading “Balance”
Change is inevitable; yet, nothing need be forgotten or used to remember times of great joy and happiness. Previous relationships from friends to romantic partners even family members change, which subsequently changes the nature of the relationship. You change. Without change one remains stagnant. Continue reading “Change”
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