The amazing connection between heart and mind (#1125)

I was just welcoming a new friend on Facebook and was reminded of how both my mind and my heart are interconnected to bring out the best of who I am. One used without the other is incomplete in it's real effectiveness. It is like having half the amount needed to complete a purpose. As a human being, we are gifted with care and wonder, these two natural instincts compliment each other in their maturation. When we do the things in a smart and caring way, we execute the most potential of who we are. To even consider one without the other is to deny that we are human. We are what we are and nothing else will do. It is constructive for me to think of myself as a human data processing entity, because of my five senses, while at the same time knowing that human emotion will often derail the best of logical precision. That is the little detail we all need to keep at the forefront of our analysis and reasonings about life in general. The human experience is made up of not only curiosity and the answers that curiosity brings but what we perceive as viable answers when we are also intertwined with care at it's most prescient. To see an outcome that involves the logic of now with the emotion of the future is breathtaking. It is also what we are able to do on a consistent basis if we allow that both the heart and the mind need to work in conjunction with each other and not in spite of each other. yesterday's post was about happiness and our search for living in happiness as much as possible. Well, we get there by using the best of who we are and that is our minds and hearts. It is helpful and purposeful to also think of what can be possible and what that can bring to all of us and not just to some of us.

The bigger picture (#1124)

When will those who claim to know so much begin to see that there is more out there than what they think they know. It is as if the learning has ended and now it is time to declare what is right and wrong. I get so letdown when those around me begin to act like they are the arbiters of logical policy when they don't know all that is going on. Specifics are for the most objective to being able to understand. When all the facts of a situation or problem are known then a course of action may then be implemented. it is not as if most all of us don't want good things for our society but it is in how those good things are realized is where most often things get chaotic. Our country, since it's founding, has been about the ideal of fairness and justice for all. Yes, even those who were legally proposed as property were still seen as equal among the more enlightened of our founders. Our country has as a goal, the pursuit of happiness. Surely this must mean that happiness is the subject of the phrase and not an adjective of pursuit. The bigger picture is that when happiness is the goal, the means to happiness must be reflective. Isn't that what we all want is to be happy? Nothing else is really all that important in life. Although many have tried different ways to attain happiness, even to the extent of ruination of themselves and others as their intent to be happy. Logic dictates that if a happiness is to be obtained then happy thoughts and actions must be included. The idea that others know what makes us happy in our lives is a bit presumptuous. Certainly, in a general sense, there are policies and activities that open up opportunities for happiness and those should be increased. But for those who want to legislate or control how we perceive happiness, there is only one term that fits their character, shame!

The cradle of change is in our minds (#1123)

Our imaginations will sustain us and advance what we can do if we can find ways to enhance them. Imaginings are what separate us from the other species but also from each other as well. It is a shame that we are not all capable or willing to imagine with equal vigor, but some of us have chosen philosophy over ever changing enlightenment. It is a fact that there are many among us who wish to not imagine at all and are quite satisfied with a version of an illusion that escapes reality. I am not one to dismantle belief systems per se, however to acknowledge that belief systems are the answer to our future is blinding oneself to imagination. Let me make this one point clear, belief systems are just that, belief systems, not proven truth systems. I personally have a belief system but it is mine and not for advocacy. I "believe" each of us has to find a place within ourselves where we can justify all the good and bad of our society. I have this place and it is a comfort to me. However, that deals with my frailty, not my reality. My destiny lies in the knowledge I ascertain from any and all sources that have credibility. I am a data processing human and that is my nature. I live to learn and I live to care. Simple but it seems not easy for everyone to grasp. Fear will always allow for greater participation in many lives for belief systems to dominate their perspectives. It is how they cope and I cannot allay their fears with mere words alone. They must find their own comfort but not at the expense of the rest of us who are trying to fulfill our destinies through our imaginings and knowledge. If one must be afraid of reality, then step back from the forefront of realty's advancement and learn to find the curiosity that is your nature by birth, so the rest of us may continue to fulfill our destinies.

Scaredy cats and lying traps (#1122)

Like a lot of my posts, I seem to have many similarly varied versions of what fear does to inhibit our growth and maturation. Fear is such a formidable sensation/mindset that not enough can be done to try to pry fear from our lives. I always try to caveat fear in one positive respect, as it pertains to our caution when danger is imminent. However, that is the only usage of fear that is acceptable to keep in our behaviors. Then there are also the advantage takers, those who use language without foundational truth to manipulate those who are afraid to think for themselves. So two different dynamics going on here, those who are afraid and those who take advantage of that fear. The importance of acknowledging that I still have fear for lots of things is significant for you to understand that fear is not a disease that can be cured. It can be treated by allowing some small measure of courage to begin to develop and finding ways to stare down fear in the face of it. When we consciously accept we are afraid but do not wish to remain in fear, we can slowly push ourselves into finding some courage to face the fear. Often times the fear is hollow and just doing some little courageous act of defiance, instead of cowering, we then see how fear can be lessened. As to the lying traps, which I mean to describe the people who play on our fears for their or others' gain, only finding our way through fear can we then recognize the liars for their intent. A clarity of purpose, serenity and understanding follows courageous acts. That is the payoff for fighting against those feelings, actions and thoughts that would make us lesser humans. Our worlds become wiser because we have survived the worst of our fears. In fear diminution, we find more courage and boldness to live the lives we expect we should in our best manner.

Inculcating our best behaviors (#1121)

Here is the simplicity of life in one little phrase, a good life is about making good choices. We all have choices to make everyday. Some are trivial and of little consequence and others are much more important in the priorities of our lives. However, every choice must be approached the same way by us. We must have some defining principles in our lives that begin every choice on the same foundation. In other words, our first choices in life must be about who we are and what we want to represent. For most all of us we share the same starting point, we are human and have natures that define that both psychologically and physically. As physical beings, we have for the most part the same sense perceptions and body utility functions. This allows us to define boundaries that are very similar with each other. We also have the same psychology in that we can think and assess, both reason and analysis to a conclusion. This logical sequencing allows us to arrive at similar conclusions, which then can be formed into preferred behavior patterns about our society but even more so about the future of our society. Choices, this is all about choices and each and every one of us has to be involved with our own input. We are responsible for our own selves as natural rule of life. We must all take the time to know the best of humanity and desire for it to be a part of our own humanity. We are not born with pre-knowledge of why we are living here in this existence, yet we are given some abilities to live in this existence, and as such we should use those abilities as best we can to be the best we can. The choices we make define who we each are and we are each given the choice to make it so.

Man of Hope: Fear is a thief (#1120)

We all have limited minutes on our life plans, to use a mobile phone plan analogy. When we spend the minutes of our lives being afraid, we have given the value of our time for nothing in return. We are left with little or nothing to show for a depressing feeling. Now fear has it's place in our lives but only as a defense mechanism when caution or an effective pause is called for. Of course nothing in life is really just simple, so we must always try to proceed with some regard for our thoughts and actions but not to the point of freezing up or allowing fear to dictate the terms of our decisions. We are all a little culpable to fear when we do not spend the time to learn what we don't know and instead allow the unknown to defray us from our earnest intentions. There will always be unknowns that we will never get the privilege to know but one certain trait we humans have had since the birth of our species is curiosity with a boldness. To allow some imagined or possible fear based scenario to be the undoing of our best efforts to keep us from completing our dreams or plans then we have left off the best of who we are for the lesser of who we are. All of us are capable of a strong mind and principled outlook transformed into action and when we do not parlay our innate instincts to a greater priority than our fear of some thing that may happen, we lose the time and space from our lives that in a finite world is precious. The cost benefit of being afraid is always a losing proposition. Cheer up though since once we decide that fear is not a worthy extension of our destiny, we begin to hack away at the times fear can influence us.

What a surprise (#1119)

Today's blog post is a bit more about my day yesterday than anything else and the reason is because my day yesterday was unusually happy. No particular reason but it seemed that most everyone I encountered was having a good day. I was also having a good day which just added to the fun. I went to the veterinarian for medication for my sick dog yesterday and got her on the mend and had a very nice time there and then went to a doctor's appointment at the Sutter Hospital downtown Sacramento and had an especially fun time there as well. Every department I went to had happy people enjoying their work and interaction with others. I felt good there when otherwise hospitals have not been such pleasant experiences. I guess the law of averages had to swing positive eventually. I had my faith in humanity reinforced though and if people elsewhere were enjoying their lives like those I saw yesterday, then the outlook for our society is an upbeat one. Of course there was no smooth sailing, but when obstacles presented themselves solutions were found in a manner that had fun attached. People being helpful and effective while smiling and laughing about life in general. Not too bad for a hospital visit where doom and gloom can have the majority of the people's mindsets. When all was said and done I realized that I had brought the happy and smiling with me and kept it up all through my day. I guess by me being happy others were able to show their happiness as well, and vice-versa. I got home yesterday afternoon with the confident sense that much that I accomplished yesterday was thrust upon me with not much warning but in the spirit of succeeding, I managed to get everything done. What a surprise and a happy time doing it as well.

The telling of lies and keeping of secrets must end (#1118)

There are no good lies and no good secrets. In the long run, only the truth keeps us sane and constructive. Our society and our species needs the facts of things so that we can know what to do next. We harm and fail each other when we withhold the truth. I know it seems and can actually be callous to tell hard truths, but the overall effect of lying about truth or keeping things secret has a greater harmful effect on our ability to adapt and survive. We live in an imperfect world and deplorable disgusting things happen. That is nothing new and anyone who would stigmatize should look in the mirror before casting judgement on others. We are not the boss of others unless others ask us to be their boss through law. Our own life is hard enough to live, without thinking we can control what and how others know and act upon. Telling the truth and standing tall behind virtue will always be the correct choice, regardless of circumstance, every time. The lying and secret keeping must stop and let the truth carry it's own weight, it doesn't need our interference. We are indomitable in our human spirit and just about anything thrown at us of a negative nature will not destroy us. We are survivors by nature. It is what we do regardless of time and space. We must trust our natures, that we all share as a species. Tell the truth of things even if the uncomfortableness of it is hard. Never withhold facts that have an effect on what others may do because a thought occurs that not knowing something would be helpful. That is an illusion, since we all feed off of knowing what is about us. Have faith in our species, let us experience the truth of this existence regardless of the situations life throws at us. We are strong and ready for the future but we must know what our past and present truly is.

Happiness (#1117)

Happiness is the result of good things happening inside of us. Without those good things going on, happiness would be elusive and just a dream. It takes work for happiness to come to fruition. Even the simple thought to smile when you have no reason. The choice to be happy has to have a foundation and that foundation begins within us. We are not here in this existence to be entertained, no, by my reasoning, we are here to explore and enjoy each others company. Two very simple understandings that should dominate our every actions. I know I try to let them dominate mine. By doing so I have found that every thing is much clearer and sensical. I write this blog for the sole purpose of forwarding that we are a species that survives so that we can be curious and caring. Simple again. By trying to define who we are I am then able to determine how we could live. None of us should be making any decisions of great magnitude without knowing the foundation of the subject. As well we should know the foundation of us. We care and we wonder along with a will to survive. Is there anything that I have stated that doesn't make sense? If we know who we are, and I mean all of our species, then we can begin to live with our decisions based upon that very foundation. All of us deciding to do things based upon our caring and our curiosity. Does this sound like a future worth living in? It would be factual and true! The key to the answers we need to find for our combined futures will always be through the door of our natures. Once we all know of our natures, then crossing the threshold to the future will be bold and anticipatory. Remember, when we are denied our true natures of compassion and curiosity, it is then when we become what we are now, a greedy brutish lot conflicting with our better half. It is past time to loose the chains and free our caring and curiosity so that happiness is the result we all see in each other.

The clarity of our cores (#1116)

I have had some very profound moments in my life, not unlike what most all of us have had. When the clarity of my core is raw and right at the top of my being. I still think about how I feel when my emotional and mental acuteness is all that matters. The thoughts about what is important in life are absolutely clear, yet in the past when some little time had passed I had once again gone into a forgotten mode and lost that precious insight. Not so today as I am much more mature about how I think about what I do. I have gained a process of evaluation when thought has to be planned and organized. I consider the values for life that I have gained from moments of clarity and implement my actions through them. I often talk about principles for living and what I mean by that is what do I hold in the highest regard about humanity. The single greatest understanding I have about thought and action concerns virtue. I hold virtue as the highest honorable human trait that can be recognized. I would die for honorable virtue. That is as simple as I can describe my core. The artful beauty and magnificent logic of virtue are my principles for living. What is virtue? From Wikipedia: "Personal virtues are characteristics valued as promoting collective and individual greatness." I only strive to attain virtue in my thoughts and actions, but by doing so, I am elevated from less desirable processes. I place myself in the realm of at least giving the effort, with occasional success, and thus giving myself the opportunity to live where my core does. It took my core to remind what is important, and now it is the rest of me to keep myself living like my core.

Everything we do matters (#1115)

We spend our whole lives sacrificing what could be for what is. Our hopes and dreams are the pinnacle for our life here in existence, yet we find the limits to our hopes and dreams are real. We must come to terms with mortality and the relatively short time life allows us. Given our inability to have what we think is our due because of our very existence and the fact of the looming, ever-present ending we all face too soon, we must focus on the things we do while we have time to do them. A bit cryptic, but not really. We have this one short life in which to accentuate our time in it. What is to be done if we cannot have or do what we think we should? The only competent solution I have found is to make the best of what I am. I do not get to realize the greatest of what is concluded from my hopes and dreams yet I can still live the best of what my hopes and dreams represent. If I am denied what could be the perfect, I am determined to accept what will be the imperfect and be glad for it. I did not get to request my time here in life, I showed up as an offspring from those before me. How I came to be the thinking analyzing man I am today is another perfect question I have no answer for. However, not knowing will not dissuade me from hoping to learn and if I can't learn then I will press on into other subjects. I feel like I am an irrepressible force whose consistent failure to achieve my greatest wishes is no deterrent to how I manage the quality of my life. Even in the failure to achieve the perfection my mind and body demands, I am still resolute to achieve whatever is available and be glad for it.

Blaming the messenger (#1114)

Today's post is about poverty and it's effect on the one's who are in it and those who perceive the one's who are in it. It is always a great advantage not to be trapped in the never-ending cycle of poverty. Certainly there are ways out of poverty and many have found those ways, however, those ways are not straightforward nor equally distributed. The problem is that the great amount of people in poverty can be overwhelming for those who see poverty as a stymied reality. Instead of working to alleviate the roots of poverty, many have chosen to blame those who are trapped in poverty for their own plight. This is the effect of ego and the danger here is that ego will not allow understanding to be part of the solution. Ego, will instead demand that humanity be judged by it's ability to provide an accountable worth, regardless of humanity's circumstances. Ego has no heart nor compassion for others, so allowing ego to determine the outcome of human frailty is a cold and ruthless endeavor into declassifying humanity into greater or lesser values. Now that may seem to be just in the world of elitism, however, most of us do not live there. We are not privileged through nepotism nor patronage, like most elites have experienced. I have tried very consistently to remind everyone who would read my blog posts that our natures consist of compassion, curiosity and survival. Granting that I am right, then not being in compassion and allowing ego to determine the worth of our society and the values it creates, is a step away from who we are and not in line with solving any problem that deals with all of our humanity. Poverty is the direct result of unequal economics overpowering democratic ideals. When we are able to live within our natures with the purpose of heightening our compassion, then we will quit blaming the messengers who tell us they are poor and instead of blaming them we will actually put our ego to rest and begin to work on solving the problem of poverty.

Integrity is earned (#1113)

Prestige is a valued commodity in our society. Some earn prestige by through their personal and professional integrity, while others earn prestige by any other means necessary to attain it. There is a difference here, whereas prestige earned properly is valued by not only the one who holds the position of prestige but also by those who see the integrity of the one as well. I was talking to a friend about how some people attain positions of authority for reasons that have more to do with their own search for recognition or through their own vain-glory. It seems that we have many in positions of authority who have gotten there through less than noble means. Nepotism, deceit and wealthy posturing are a few ways the inappropriate-to-the-position find themselves where they want to be, instead of people, who have earned their integrity through bona fides and meritorious examples of thought and action. The adage that the cream rises to the top is stymied by the obstacles to opportunity we have in place in our society that seem to benefit those who can buy their way or can manipulate it without much resistance. So be the reality of our incomprehensible system of societal structure. I am not being pessimistic here but I am a pragmatist. Knowing something is inherently wrong is not the same as condoning, on the contrary, I am making some little fun of it. As important as it is to have the right people in the right positions for our society to function as smoothly as possible, it seems we must all recognize the problem before we can fix it. I wish I could pull some miracle out of my pocket and make the living of life comply with our own best natures, however, I cannot and in lieu of that I can only continue to live my life with as much integrity as I am able.

The intractable progressive nature of humanity (#1112)

Try as some might to block our natures with illogical dogma, progress is our destiny. We are a species that has been continuing to evolve since our beginning to a greater version since that time. Our advancement has been incremental and full of fits and starts, however the great momentum is unstoppable. I will continue to say this until my dying breath, we are curious, as a natural instinct. We cannot change who we are in the core of our beings. The beauty of our natures, caring and curiosity, is that there are many of us to care about and a Universe so immense and unknown for us to learn from. We are the little engines who could in a land of never ending hills to climb. I use that analogy because nothing about the era of humanity has been easy. We are our own worst enemies at times since we do find ways to sabotage who we are in order to get something from ourselves by being who we are not. As we continue to evolve though our understanding of our natures will continue to become clearer and then less likely to be manipulated by ones with no good common vision for the future of all of us. We are not children who need a sovereign being or force to guide us into our futures, instead we are the guiding force we need. We are capable of applying the logic of virtue into action and providing rules that reflect as such. We are the masters of our own destiny once we understand that by being the best of who we are and living in our compassion and curiosity, we fulfill our purpose within the time frame we are given to exist. Never before in human history have our futures been so closely linked as they are today and never before in human history has our understanding of humanity and our environment been so clear. We are standing at the threshold of a new dawn in the evolution of humanity. Together we continue to progress forward as one with the purpose of living our best while trusting in our virtues.

We are all one together (#1111)

The only one true way we can be ourselves is if we work together to create the cultural atmosphere for our individuality to express itself. Nothing we do alone can efficiently increase our chances for fulfilling our own lives. We all have a common interest we share, to know and understand who we are while continuing to grow into who we will become. The only scenario that will allow for this to occur is for a consensus on our part to support each other in the most basic ways. We must make sure that we all have some form of security to survive on this planet that does not denigrate, lessen our opportunities or leave us in unhealthy squalor. The beauty of being human is our desire to improve ourselves. We are the most curious species in existence. We know that for us to satisfy our curiosities, we must have some foundational beginnings that secure our health, education and opportunities. The time for selfishly advancing one's privilege as an accepted paradigm for society has no merit. The time for unselfishly advancing equality of opportunity as an accepted paradigm for all has all merit. I am Carl first, and for that my responsibility to me being as perfect an example of the best of humanity is an utmost priority, secondly, my loyalty to my national heritage and it's bountiful steps toward just egalitarianism is of the highest priorities. Yet being a human and part of the greatest species in existence, has me tied to our natural instincts with all of the world of humans in a way that is profoundly and more importantly absolutely necessary for me to lift humanity up as the single greatest priority in life. Our species must remain in existence at all cost to either self or even intellectual logic. I will battle the rest of my life to maintain an intellectually logical growth for us but, in lieu of that, as a species, we must survive to fight another day as a default endgame, if intellectual progression fails.

Pushing through the hard (#1110)

Doing what has to be done despite the degree of difficulty. I am not just talking about ability or availability, I am talking about whether one even has the strength to do what needs to be done. The power of raising above one's own understanding in order to accomplish a task that seems highly unlikely. I know what my strengths and weaknesses are yet despite that, I do find a way to manufacture a good result out of sheer force of will. An undying determinism that speaks to how we as a species are capable of greater imaginings than what is normally expected. I amuse myself sometimes with my inventory of doubts about what I can or can't do and then when something needs to be done, there I go and get it done. It is a good thing I don't just rely on my own calculations about my abilities, sometimes it just takes a hard nosed effort to complete that which seems difficult at best. These are the times when we get our best stories to tell, when we complete a project under circumstances that often belie credulity. it is in the hard that we find our most compelling self-worth. It had always been some little thought in my head as I was growing up that I needed to validate the worth of my life. I wanted to justify that I was worthy to be called a human by the definition of human I held in my mind. Of course I grew out of this need to justify myself to others for the wrong reason and instead, grew into the need to justify my own personal value to myself. I do that by being honorable at every chance I am able, by being noble and just in my dealings and for the most part, standing behind my word when it is given. I am not always successful in how I justify myself to myself, but that I don't quit or shirk my responsibility is the point and even when the responsibility is hard, I push through with my best and let the fact of the matter define my truth.

Embarrassing selfishness (#1109)

With some of us, our skin has become so thick that reality nor logic has the ability to penetrate it with the facts of our thoughts and actions. We are acting as sovereign beings with no responsibility to anyone except ourselves. It is the gambit of the illogically enlightened that this existence is ours for the living as we please, with no by-your-leave necessary to the rest of existence's inhabitants. A foolish paradigm to live under but nonetheless still viable to those who are under the illusion of their own grandeur. What has been obvious is that when a person gets to the point where they think that they are the sovereign because no sovereign exists above them, the predictive behavior attracts toward selfishness. A sense of disassociation from having to verify their claims becomes their pattern. As a demi-god, the rite of passage through time is theirs more for the living and less for the learning. A privilege or a sense of deserving occupies the foundation of selfish thought, so much so that a pejorative conceptualized thinking is all the rationale needed to satisfy any doubt to their fledgling omnipotence. I do get a bit poetic but rationalizing selfish behavior does bring the colorful language out in me. lol. I just find the whole exercise of describing behavior that is hopelessly without soul a fever of viral intent. A spinning out of control with the absurd idea that any of us has anything more special than any other of us. I does grieve me and put some little level of a depressing atmosphere around me to think that there are those out there who have lost the spirit of humanity and have in that vacuum, ingloriously taken on the persona of an elusively impossible figure, deserving of a sovereign mantle.

Controlling our/my emotions (#1108)

Now this is one of the greatest understatements of all time. So easily said yet so hard to do. It is as if our emotions are directly wired into our thought patterns. Like they they flow as one when emotion is triggered. Personally, I find that many of my emotions have been controlled by me and that offers some hope but with some others I have been unable to corral them. I am still working on corralling them but I am 56 years old and haven't as of yet. lol. Still though, I do have some success which keeps me trying. The main reason though to keep trying is that when I am not able to control my emotions, it seems that trouble follows right after that. Either I upset some others with my childlike behavior or I make decisions that hurt myself and/or others. Out of control emotion, manifest as behavior in me, is not a value or a positive event. Why I am not always able to keep my composure when I do get emotional is a failure on my part of maturity and self-control. Accepting that emotion will play a role in my life has somehow totally eluded me. When I am not vigilant about my emotions is when my emotions get the best of me. Here it is for me, I am sensitive to wrongs or harms being done and want to lash out at those who are committing them. I have a bit of a hero complex with a sensitive awareness. This dynamic within me is the catalyst to me doing things beyond my logic to analyze first and then proceed. I get angry and lash out. I am human and thus will make irrational decisions. This is no excuse but it is the premise for my unwanted emotional displayed actions. If I can keep myself frozen in time when my emotions are triggered, that few seconds before reacting would make all the difference in the world. I am working on pausing before reacting and hopefully before too many years down the road I will have achieved much better success.

People want to feel like they belong (#1107)

More than anything with us humans is that sense of belonging. For most all of us we have a yearning and a motivation to put our best forward to each other in order to show that we are worthy of belonging. All through our lives we do the little and big things necessary to show each other that we have attractive features and qualities in order to showcase that we are not some ugly, nasty brutish beings. We dress up for each other to show we have style. We greet each other in ways that show our interest. We do make efforts to ease each others problems in order to show respect. We act out in many ways to help ourselves and others to fit into what is deemed desirable by our species on whole. We are individuals seeking justification within communities of each other. We strive to be recognized for achievements that elevate us to some cherished stature among us. Everything we do has a consequence on others and most of us want that consequence to be rewarding and fulfilling. I say most of us because like any population of species, there seems to always be some that have a different psychology about the give and take between individualism and community. Regardless, the mass majority of us relish in the opportunity to be a part of a larger group that identifies with respect and care. Understandably, since I posit that we are essentially, curious and caring. It is my evaluation that we are all born curious and caring and that those who do stray from these natural instincts have been led astray through environmental factors, less physiological anomalies. What we crave in our lives is the knowledge that we belong within the group of all of us and that is how we will most successfully all go forward.

Money is not the only motivator (#1106)

Contrary to almost universal exclamation, money or monetary enticement is not the only value attributable to motivating innovation and enterprise. I know I need something to do with my life and regardless of what it is I will be doing something. The first rationale is that we must all stay busy doing something whether money is in the equation or not. Secondly, being rewarded for doing any something is a bonus, not a necessity. Unfortunately we have made an exchange for goods using money to represent some cost/benefit arrangement. Having the usage of a monetary system does seem harmless, however, that same monetary system has been used in ways where the exchange between some values and others are tremendously out of proportion. What is actually a simplified and easy system, monetary value, has become a sacred manipulation to our extremely prejudicial harm. Not to get off subject here, I want to return to another motivation besides money that fuels our desire to create and build enterprise and ingenuity in a moment. Personally, I have learned that individual ownership of ideas has an imbalance to it that perpetuates class distinctions. I would hope that others like I, do care about this because the ability to create is within us all. That some have advantages to get to patent creating ideas before others has more to do with economic disparity and lack of educational opportunities than it does to some having more intellect than others by some superior born mental prowess. All I am saying here is that I like creating things and building on them but I have no desire to monetize myself to a point where I am disassociated because of wealth accumulation. The attainment of wealth is not my ambition yet creating a better world is.

Taking a chance (#1105)

You do need to be careful when taking a chance. Some chances are small and the cost/benefit is worth the risk. However I am not talking about buying a lottery ticket or small friendly wagers. I am talking about life long commitments that are anything but inconsequential. What am I talking about? Could be it is a relationship or a major purchase or a major change in living standards. Whatever the chance that is being taken, it is always best to have the right attitude about it. Know what the real consequences will be despite whatever the outcome becomes. Measure the risk by what you are willing to accept. Our values come into play and ignoring them for the hope of the best outcome is childish behavior. For me, some things are never worth taking a chance on and that is how I stay grounded. Yet still there are so many other areas that I am willing to take a chance on, especially relationships that, although not perfect, at least could bring joy and comfort. As to purchases of significant expense, a wise man told me that if you cannot turn around and sell that which you just bought for an equal or greater amount, then it is not worth buying. In today's economy, that doesn't leave much unless a really good deal can be found. But by far what most of us are experiencing is downsizing. Changing from an ideal we either had recently or hoped to have as a goal in life. Today's reality has changed what we had previously perceived as the American dream. There is not enough money flowing in our working class structure to afford us to hope for what we had just 30 to 40 years ago. The money has found it's way up to the top of the income earners and they are not sharing their fortunes with us in an equally beneficial way. The hard truth is that regardless of this inequality of economic power, we working class stiffs need to adjust until a new dynamic which also includes us comes into being.

The importance of a well rounded education (#1104)

Everyone needs to be educated and not just in the big three; reading, writing and arithmetic. Those first three are important but they are just the beginning. More time needs to be spent on teaching us how to think and not what to think. Critical thinking about ourselves and our environment is just as crucial as the big three and even more so for how we live the rest of our lives. Too many times I have come across those who have little understanding of their unmovable positions on policies. It is frustrating, despite the best evidence that logic has to offer, misconception continues to be the foundation for so many. It is as if some can only see a portion of the argument being held and anything else is just not viable. I often move away from those conversations since they are so subjectively parlayed with no hope for an objective analysis. It is like many things in life that have little to no hope of changing, it is better to move on in order to keep my own sanity and accept that I have done what I could at that time. Life is to be lived with an eye toward happiness and not to be spent in frustration where uneven, thoughtful principled combat is ever continuing. This is our dilemma as a society, we have not yet figured out how to educate all of our citizens to the highest levels of their ability. It is incumbent upon our society to quit placing obstacles to education in the paths of our up-coming generations. We have a duty to our species to leave them the offerings of a better world and to have that future they will need to be better educated than we were. Not only better educated but all of our children must have the opportunities for education that only some or most of us now have. We have much work to do!

How does virtue come out on top? (#1103)

Virtue comes out on top by being fought for with all our might. The saying, "might is right" is absolutely true when we are fighting for virtue. All others may fight for lesser realities but their soul will not be invested as heavily as those whom fight for a perfect ideal. This is where all my strength comes from, the idea that the best of us is stronger than anything else about us. There is real power in the conviction, if the conviction is virtuous. Now some will fight hard and dirty for the lesser realities of ill gotten greed, power and glory, however, a steadfast perseverance is the key to overcoming these immoral selfish attributes. It is a sad undertaking in having to fight for what is right when being right is something we all should make happen. Why our society continues to reward nefarious actions of success is indicative of our immaturity. We all know better, yet we continually choose to live in a paradigm that idealizes the idea of virtue but does not consistently practice virtue in our actions. If we cannot individually control ourselves enough to highlight and practice our best natures, someone else eventually will. We are a unique species in that we know what is really best for us but somehow cannot summon the will to live that knowing. We are drawn in by our own lack of self-confidence and the allure of illusory machinations. Courage to live our virtuous ideals is not normally economically profitable, but it does build within us a high self-esteem. Tell me, which do you prefer? High self-worth or dirty economic success. I have no doubt the majority would go for the latter, which is my point here. Keeping my virtue as a rule and not trading it away for some powerful, glorious success is my paradigm and the health and happiness of my soul thanks me for it.

The quiet used to bother me (#1102)

Perspective is a word I had little knowledge of when I was young and that is the way it should be when one is young. Perspective is gained through trial and error and experiences. These things take time and now that I have time behind me I understand what perspective brings. Which is why I do appreciate the quietness of life when it shows itself to me. I was sitting here at my keyboard trying to concentrate and meditate on what my mind would bring to the fore as to what today's daily blog post would be about. What is remarkable is that normally thoughts are forming and ideas are gathering in an incoherent way in my mind. Not so this morning, I found myself just listening to the sounds around me and appreciating the quiet times between them. I like the quiet now more than ever. I know this may seem to go against my nature to survive and the struggling noises associated with that, but contrary to that understanding is the one that sees the quiet as an in-between time from all the noise. Quiet is also seen as step toward our own demise and that if we keep the noise around us it will somehow relieve anxiety of our eventual fatal condition. That is just fear raising it's head to muck up quietness and the joy it can bring. For anyone who has been bone-tired, quiet is an absolute gift within life. It has it's short, by perspective, time factors but nonetheless, quiet is a positive experience. One other thing quiet reminds me to do and that is slow down and enjoy my environment, regardless of the circumstances. Remembering that the struggle to improve life is always predicated on the inadequate reality of life. Quiet serves as a plateau from which to re-energize and move forward.

Commonalities, not power (#1101)

We should have the same ambitions for each other and finding those similarities is done through conversation. We must talk with each other in order to find our middle ground for living. Nothing should be unacceptable when we begin to discuss our common futures. It seems though that that is the problem, us getting together. We must find a way to understand our commonalities. If we cannot all have the idea that together we do better, then we are in for some more upset. I feel the tension that is in our society through the air waves and in certain relationships. Why that is has more to do with what is wrong in our world and not with what is right. However, we can do more to make the right overwhelm the wrong. But it won't happen unless we can agree that we need each other. How one would go about rationalizing that they are better off alone in this world is inconceivable. yet many do and actually isolate themselves from as many people as possible. Hoarding their resources in a way that their lives are lived through fear and not through curiosity. I don't know how to tell people to just appreciate everyone like you would like to be appreciated and that is how it is done. I say the sentence like the previous one but it does not seem to be enough for hardly anyone. We all must come to our own conclusions. Funny though that many will abdicate their thinking to some who have some illusory sway over them but will stubbornly cling to thinking that has no rational basis. I am confounded by our species and our inability to find common ground, yet, I keep trying. My lifespan will end and others will come along and be perplexed as well but eventually something will happen to allow us to all find our center at approximately the same time. Here's hoping it is sooner and not later.

The haughty among our species (#1100)

A contemptible disdain of condescension from some of our fellow beings is unremarkable, considering what is justified as evidence. I am often amused by those who would project their views on us as if from on high and as a favor to us who are not able to envision the all understanding, self-greatness they posses. In other words their conceit is all consuming in their own minds. I suppose it is just what makes us all different that even in a an advanced society, some would have personalities that adhered to demi-godness. I have often written on the power of the ego and it's ability to take that which is unreasonable and fallacious and turn it into a cause of great concern. Always though, through examination of the language being used and the rules that apply to language we are able to break down their understanding through principles of logic. What we always find is that those who believe they have cornered the market on intellect have been fooled themselves through some illogical premise. Such is the pathway of ego. Ego does have value and it should be harnessed in motivation and creative idea, however, ego unchecked will lead to disappointment, dishonor and harm. To counter the effects of ego, humility is available to be utilized. A conscious effort to maintain the reality that we are not Gods of any form but just beings who are in an existence we have little to no control over is what is needed to remain firmly grounded away from the effects of ego. We may have opinions on subjects that matter to society but opinions are not facts and thus must be taken with all trepidation and not with any absolutism.

Solutions require more than just math (#1099)

I don't wish to offend economists and bean counters but life is more that just a set of problems on a page. Life has real consequences that affect our quality of being and those virtues. The obvious mathematical solutions are not the answer in most cases. We are not just data processors, we are also empathetic. Our Universe of existence requires that just doing the cold logical solution mostly leaves our compassion without a solution. The old "buck up" is fine when motivating oneself to do more but not to dismissing our compassion in favor of a quick solution. You may be wondering what specifically I am referring, in one case within me is how we euthanize our animals because we have no room for them. Instead of providing animal farms that work with animals and humans to find homes we are too often in a hurry to eliminate our furry friends as a cost cutting efficiency. We do the same with humans when the poor and homeless have little comfort from nature, we tend to dismiss that they exist and don't try to find long-term solutions that would alleviate structural deficiencies within our society. Too much the reality of life inculcates that, even here in the most forward nation the Earth has ever had, we still turn our heads away and search for quick solutions that don't address the problem but instead promulgate the problem. "An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure", is a wise saying that deals with thinking out ahead instead of thinking from behind. Our minds must move forward from the past into what we want our future to resemble. It is all in our hands, each one of us has the power to direct the present toward a better future of solutions. Shall we start?

Beyond greed (#1098)

I want to write about something that is bothering me. I know that average normal people look for great ways to add to their retirement accounts by using the tax code to their advantage as it relates to their nest eggs. It is understandable since most Americans make little extra money these days. But, and I mean but, when rich people use the tax code to add to their wealth, since they already have plenty for retirement, then they have crossed the line and are more representative of what greed does to a soul. I do not mind that some can make millions of dollars and continue to do so but what I do mind is that once an amount needed for retirement has been obtained, the continuing of taking advantage of tax codes or even lobbying for tax codes that benefit them even further, at the expense of national interest, is absurd and beyond greedy. Our national interest is something we all can take pride in. We are a noble species capable of so much more yet when our individual economic goals are more than met, we tend to get a god complex and see ourselves of worthy of all the best without regard to what is left for others. It is the mindset of selfishness. Motivation and driven work ethic are admired and should be rewarded but not at the expense of the national interest. Practically none of our individual success could have come without the environment of our American society. We all owe our forefathers and predecessors a huge debt, which is why we must pay forward the advantages and opportunities we received and were lucky and foresightful to be a part of. Creating more opportunity without regard to our own self interest is the starting point. Remember, those who have enough and more to retire on have a duty to humanity to create an atmosphere of opportunity for those who don't. Life is short and the quality of life we live should be our number one priority and purpose.

Feeling good today (#1097)

It is special when humanity restores my faith. It isn't as often as it should be for all of us but when it does happen it is an indication of what life can be like. There are certain times in our lives when the need for an assist is received when it is actually needed. Not before or after but right then when it is most timely. I have several examples of these situations lately and the happening of them is most humbling to me. I know that good things happen to those who try to do good as much as possible but that is more of a dogma about karma than an actual truism. Still though, how perfect life when can be when I put my expectations into the ether and just rely on every minute of of me being the best I can be with as much action to prove that by making a difference in other's lives. How fortunate I am for having found a key to my life. I let my hero self live all day long and let my humble self rule my hero self. I am a character in my own imagination it seems, but life has no real rule book for living and if I can be a force for good and it makes me happy then what is wrong with that? I have already lived my selfish life in the past and it did not fit my nature. That is why I am who I am now and loving every bit of it. I keep my word, I follow through on promises and I do extra things where I know they make a positive effect. I am not much but what I am is true to myself. If every day can feel this good then there is no force on Earth that can entice me away from it. The only real things that matter to me is to lessen pain that can be lessened and provide comfort and support to those I can do that for. Life is really good and it isn't about me anymore, it is about those who have not found what I have.