"Reality is an illusion, albeit a persistent one!" Okay, who said that one Einstein? I am not going to tell you. You'll just have to figure it out for yourself. I am in a weird mood tonight so I thought I'd talk about reality.
When talking about reality, it's best to find out who's reality you are talking about so that there aren't any mistakes. My reality is much different than my mother's or my daughters' for that matter. In fact, your reality is also much different than mine. Yet we all pretend to be living in the same reality. Think of the reality of a five-year-old girl. Her reality is very limited. The extent of her knowledge is very small still, thus her ability to think about her options is limited. My daughter's reality is that I am here for her, as is her grandmother and her sister. The dog is a nice distraction, as is karate and cartoons. She loves to play, and everyone she meets is a friend. Her reality is one of happiness and love...and about an hour a day when she is learning to read and do math. Karate is something she does for fun, and when she gets better at it, her friends Hanshi and Shihan gives her a new belt. Trips to the dojo are fun, and an adventure. If she's lucky, she gets a treat from Mc Donald's on the way home. Her Grandma, sister and Daddy all love her, and she knows she loves them. Yet she doesn't really know what love is. It is a word that can be used for many feelings. She loves cookies and cheese, and her toys too. She also loves nearly everyone she meets and she believes they all love her as well. And, in a way, they do. Likely in the same way she means she loves them. My daughter Maddie's reality is more varied. The horizons are further off and not filled with the wonder of Ashleigh's. While things can still be new and exciting for her, they are fewer and farther between than when she was younger. Not everyone is a friend in Maddie's world. Some just can't be trusted. Those she trusts, she trusts with her whole heart, and it hurts her if she then finds out that they can't be trusted. Her reality is one of conflicting emotions, logic and hope. It is a mix of the physical, the spiritual and the soul. Like Ashleigh's it is still evolving. Her reality would not be recognizable by her sister. Not yet anyway. Karate is also a part of Maddie's life. it is a place to be social, a place to learn and to test herself. A place where, she too, is tested. Maddie is now at a stage where reality is changing for her on a nearly daily basis. While some things are constant, oftentimes she doesn't see the consistency and is swept away in her ever-changing reality. Relax munchkin. Some things will never change, even if you want them to. A father's love will always be there for you. To help you through your tough times. A grandmother's and sister's love will also always be there. Explore your world. See what works...and what doesn't. See how you can best view, and shape your reality. Be patient. It gets easier. Look for the good, and you will find it. Don't settle for less than what you want. Use logic to help shape the reality you want. My reality is different than either of my daughters'. To steal a quote from Alan Watts, "I have realized that the past and future are real illusions, that they exist in the present, which is what there is and all there is." I sometimes feel that half my waking hours I live in the past (memories). Thoughts of my wife, thoughts of things I've done. Memories both happy and sad. And each day, I try to fill my head with new memories. Happy ones to replace sadness. My morning hugs from my daughters, A moment of conversation with Maddie, playing with Ashleigh or having her jump on my back as we watch a video. These are my reality. What drives me to do everything else. A hard workout at karate, a new technique, a joke among friends. When I am away from my computer I live! Yet I work from my computer to allow that lifestyle. Reality needs balance, and I have yet to catch my balance fully since my wife's death. I live in my head. And yet I live in the physical world too. The action and the reality are where the two worlds collide. Reality for me now is like a comfortable couch, with a tiny cheese grater attached to it somewhere. It's comfy until you move and then you get the cosmic scrape. learn to move without the grater ripping into your soul, and life can be good. I find the memories sometimes have razors, though, so you have to be careful what you remember and when. There enough for one night. I am going to have to remember not to play hippy music when I sit down to write. Because for me, what a long strange trip this post has been! Take what you can from it.
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I like the rain. I put my raincoat and my pink rubber boots on to go walking. Also I took my umbrella
for when it poured. There was a big, big puddle and I splashed in it! It was so much fun. We'll do it agin the next time it rains. Ashleigh This is a quote by Marcus Aurelius. I love it so much because how I see it, it supports individuality and walking on your own path, not with the crowd. The ranks of the insane... it describes what our world today has become. Everyone is so highly opinionated and stupid in their judgement; and everyone desperately tries to be different by being... exactly the same as everyone else. Making "statements" by piercing your skin, getting a tattoo or dying your hair don't really say anything... because everyone else is doing it too. You're just following the crowd anyway.
There is no REAL way to stand out, because whatever you try; someone else is already doing too. But not falling into the binds of society helps... not feeling you have to conform to what the majority tells you. The world should not control your actions. By being yourself, you escape being pulled down into the whirlpool of pop culture and if you avoid media; with all its brainwashing... it's even better. I personally try to avoid TV and advertising, but it's everywhere and very hard to avoid. I try to be my own person, not what society tries to sculpt me to be. I've watched too many friends make stupid choices because they saw something on TV... and I refuse to be like that. I don't care if I "seem" to conform or not. I'm just being me; whether anyone likes it or not. If I appear to be going with society... Oh well. I'm just being myself. No one can truly escape it... it's just a matter of if you follow it on purpose or not. ~Maddie "Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves - regret for the past, and fear of the future." This is a quote by Fulton Oursler. What a powerful quote! After reading it, I just had to look him up to see if I could get a handle on how he came up with such an insightful quote. It turns out Fulton was a very interesting character. He was a writer in the twenties and thirties and was an editor for a number of magazines including Reader's Digest. In 1935, he took his family on a tour of the Middle East and when he came back, he became a Catholic. He had been an agnostic and had raised his family as such. Over the next fifteen years, they all converted, His greatest claim to fame is that he wrote the book "The Greatest Story Ever Told", I wonder what he experienced in the Middle East that made him convert?
Regardless of why he converted, his quote above has both a religious context as well as a humanistic one as well. The crucifixion between two thieves naturally brings up thoughts about Jesus dying on the cross. He was nailed up between two thieves who were also being crucified. Still the thieves and crucifixion are allegories for regrets and fears stealing from the present. While the past and the present both have a place in our lives, too many of us allow them to rule our present. The past has already happened, and there is no changing it. We can learn from it, however. In my past, I know I have made mistakes. Instead of wallowing in regret, I try to instead learn to not make the same mistakes. Some times, when I am alone, my regrets can overwhelm me. Not because of the impact my actions had on me, but for the impact my actions had on others. I have learned from my mistakes though, and I have apologized where I could. In some instances, I no longer have the opportunity to apologize for my mistakes. These are the ones that bother me when I am alone. Still, I try not to let them freeze me into bad decisions. Fear about the future is the other thief that can freeze us into inaction. Thankfully, I am not plagued by this thief. I look to the future with a sense of optimism. I like to try new things and to plan and start projects. A lack of time is more of a thief to me than fear of the future. No fear is a motto I try to live by. That doesn't mean I go out of my way to do stupid or dangerous things...No, it means that I am open to trying rational things that I may have never tried before. Or rational things that I have tried before but may have failed at. Failing at something does not make me feel like a failure. Instead, it makes me want to try harder to figure out where I made my mistake so that I can correct it. Unlike the thieves who were crucified with Jesus, regret about the past and fear of the future are more like the thieves that want to crucify YOU. Don't let them do it. Life is too short to get hung up about the past, and too beautiful to be afraid of the future. If you truly want to do something in your life, then make a plan and go out and do it! Don't limit yourself though! Don't make your focus so narrow that the odds of failing are greater. Instead of saying I want to marry so and so, instead say, "I want to marry someone who will love me as I love them and will make me happy." Pursue love. Pursue happiness. Make a plan to achieve them...no matter what those goals are. Don't be hung on a cross because of what you can no longer change. And don't be afraid to reach for the future that you want. That is the best advice I can think of for my daughters right now. "Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable."9/29/2015 I think this quote can be taken a few ways. I think that the quote is flawed first off for saying that we should "change the changeable". Just because something CAN be changed, it doesn't necessarily mean it SHOULD be. Some things are fine as they are. However, I think this is just me over-thinking the quote, and that what it means is that if something NEEDS to be changed, then do so. However, if you can't change something that you'd like to see changed... then just accept it and move on. Stressing over something won't do any good.
I'd like to offer a very recent example. Last night, one of my best friends was getting upset and panicking because her little sister was sick and was shaking and throwing up. Her parents wouldn't let her offer any help and essentially refused to give her any information about the situation. Thus, she retreated to her room to text me frantically and ask for me to help calm her. The best piece of advice I could offer her was to not spaz about it. Stressing yourself out about something that can't be helped is pointless... what's happening will still happen no matter HOW much you over-think it. I know firsthand how hard it can be to watch someone you love hurt and feel helpless... but stressing is not the way to go. It does absolutely nothing. "Remove yourself from the unacceptable" is the final part of this quote... if you deem something unacceptable, do not involve yourself in it. Stay away from it. Don't go looking for trouble, and you'll often stay out of it... that's what I've learned. It's sound advice, and it's true. If you DO find yourself in trouble... remove yourself from it. Don't get involved with things that go against your own moral code. Anyway, I'm done with this post... and I also want a coolatta. So I will leave this here. ~Maddie Today I read The Fox On The Box. Fox sat on a box and ate berries. He played
with animals on the box. He fell off the box and it landed on him. Ashleigh There are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting. That is a quote by Buddha. I struggle with this quote, In a sense, he is right, If you are searching for truth on a particular subject, then those would be the two deadly sins. Where I struggle is that sometimes there are truths that are just too horrific to know. And once you realize that this might be the case, you may just be better off not knowing. I think its a decision we all need to make on our own.
What is the truth worth? In some instances, the truth may be worth your life. Oftentimes it's not though. The wisdom is in being able to tell the difference. At this point in my life, I like to look for the truth in many things, but in some things I just don't care anymore. What most people think about my personal decisions, I really don't care about. If I want someone's opinion about one of my decisions, I will ask them pointedly about it in private. Otherwise, I could care less what most people think about most subjects. My life has gotten simpler after taking this attitude. No more worrying about what other people think. So what are my truths? After 49 years my main truths are: 1. Treat others as you yourself want to be treated. 2. Look for peace, but be prepared to defend yourself. 3. Some people are worth dying for. Some aren't. 4. Not all laws are just. 5. Follow #1 and you will likely not break any laws! 6. Everything on TV is either a lie or an opinion. 7. Many people have an agenda...watch out for them! A lot of them won't be in your best interest. 8. To get closer to the truth, find out who benefits and how. 9. Think before making a decision. Logic trumps emotion. 10. Not everything you like is good for you...and you won't like somethings that are good for you! 11. A car is a tool. Don't make more out of it than it really is. 12. Don't judge a book by its cover..or people by their looks. 13. Listen more than you talk. 14. Only give advice when it is asked for...accept with your own children! 15. If you love someone, be there for them. There are probably more truths than that. Those are just the ones that came to mind. In fact, here's another: If you love someone, tell them every day...for one day, you won't have the chance to tell them. And you never know when that day will be. And if it happens to you, you will remember that for the rest of your life. That last one is one truth I wish I never had to learn personally. Today I read the book ''Who's In The jungle?''. The story is about a lion, an elephant, a
crocodile and a monkey. The monkey was eating bananas and the banana peels were falling on the other animal's heads. I thought this was very funny. The other animals then chased the monkey. Ashleigh I love this so much. It really speaks to me because it explains a lot so simply... everyone has a different perception of things, and it often DOES reflect who they are as a person. How we think sort of defines who we are- and how we think also defines how we perceive different objects, people, and situations. So, how people perceive things... can say a lot about who they are themselves and how they think.
I always have found it interesting how people remember different events, and their view on what it was. For example- the tragedy of 9/11. I'm sure everyone has different memories from that day... for those involved who escaped the building, the memory is probably panic-filled and terrifying. People probably can recount what they were doing when the trauma began, etc. For those outside of the building and a great deal away, they might remember having their day interrupted, and the sadness or even suspense of knowing if a loved one got out of the building. This is simply a difference in memory... perception comes with the many different opinions about the crash. Some believe that the collapse of other buildings on the same day in a nearby area were related. There are countless conspiracy theories that prove the attack was staged by our own government in order to get rid of fouled paperwork. Others are willing to place the blame on other countries. In the end, I think it all winds down to thinkers and non-thinkers. Users of logic, and those who would rather believe anything society feeds them. This may just be one example, but I think it ties together what our world has come to very nicely. This post launched FAR away from the quote I used but... I think that what I had to say about the secondary topic was more important anyway. The quote was just a nice opening. In any case, I will leave this post here because I need coffee. ~Maddie Today I read a new book The Berenstein Bears: By The Sea. The story was about a family
of bears that went to the seashore on vacation. When they got there, Mamma bear made them clean the house before they could go swimming . Then they had to eat and wait for the food to digest before they could go in the ocean. Finally, they were allowed in. I liked this book very much. Ashleigh To be honest... I'm not sure what I think of this quote. I think it's accurate, but then a part of me doesn't want to think that. How I see it, everything in life is a lesson; and everything can give you strength if you look at it the right way. Now, this quote seems to think that every battle you go through in your life and every struggle is just to build you up, make you stronger, and give you a tougher outside to face FUTURE battles.
I disagree. I think you should definitely take lessons from your struggles, but not let them callous you and harden you to everything. Stay soft. Sometimes it takes some breaking before you can become okay. Clearly the quote is referring to emotional struggles; and I think that it is better to sometimes let your emotions out. How you choose to let them out is what makes a difference. Letting out emotion in dumb ways is a bad thing. Letting out emotion through, oh, I don't know... writing or an art form of some sort..? That's fine. And I support it. I don't think you should let troubles become new-found strength. Some people will take this quote the wrong way... or maybe look at their struggles as a good thing, even trying to create more so that they learn quicker the ways of the world. Just remember... even the toughest things can break and crack. A callous will build up on a foot, only to crack, split and hurt even more with too much pressure placed on it. And I think the same can be said for humans. Let's finish up with another quote... "It's okay to be a glowstick. Sometimes, you have to break before you can shine." ~Maddie My headline is only part of a quote. The whole quote goes like this: "Why do beautiful songs make you sad? 'Because they aren't true.' "Never?" 'Nothing is beautiful and true.'" That long-winded insight is by Jonathan Safran Foer. Foer has written three or four books, none of which I have read. I've thought about his quote, though, and I have to admit that I have no clue on whether he is right or not. I suspect he isn't. My reasoning is this: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Something that I find beautiful, isn't necessarily beautiful to everyone. Thus, everything has the potential to be beautiful to someone. His statement lacks context, thus for it to be true, then nothing could be true. I find that a little too hard to believe. There is truth. Unfortunately, just like beauty, truth can also be in the eye of the beholder. What is "true" to me, isn't necessarily true to you. On any given matter, very few people really know the truth. Even when we witness an event, very few of us actually know if what we have seen is true. What I see when I witness something, isn't necessarily what the guy next to me sees. In fact, if someone asks us a direct question about what we saw, both of us can be swayed by what was asked. For instance, although I may have witnessed a car crash, my focus may have been on the pretty woman in the passenger seat at the time of the accident rather than on the cars. The crash would then likely have come as a complete surprise to me. While I witnessed the crash, I really wouldn't know the truth of the matter...other than there was a pretty woman in the passenger seat! I could then easily tell the police that I saw the whole thing and that the driver was at fault (my inference), yet that may not be the truth, And no one would know that it was an inference...except me. The guy next to me, may infer the same thing...even though he was checking out the girl too. In the end, none of us know what is really true. All we can do is follow our beliefs. If a beautiful song makes you sad, it doesn't have to be that it is a lie. It could be that the situation just never happened to you. In the end, there is a lot of beauty in the world. There is also a lot of truth. We all just don't recognize everything the same way. My truths, are true to me. Yours to you. I have heard beautiful stories that I have thought were true. But who really knows the truth of the matter. In the end, we will believe what we want to believe...And that's the truth! I look at the sky every night. I see many stars big and bright. Sometimes I also see the moon. I like to look at the sky with Nema.
Ashleigh As I've been getting older, I'm finding this quote to be more and more true. I have many friends, yes... but as time goes on, I've been seeing the true colors of some of them and finding them to be quite the opposite of my friends. So slowly, cords have been cut and toxic friendships have faded away into the background and slipped into the corners of my mind to be forgotten. In losing friends or letting them go; I try to take a lesson from each of them- how to be a better friend, or maybe how to detect toxicity in the future.
So what makes a toxic friendship? Here are the warning signs I've learned.
These are only 3 give-aways, but the other points are smaller and intertwine with the main points anyway. They're not as important as knowing the key signs- because if you pick up on SMALL signs, there's sure as hell going to be bigger signs... and that is when you know it is time to cut the friendship away and let it fall. If someone is going to bring pain and stress into your life... then they aren't worth keeping, in all honesty. Everyone is going to come with SOME baggage. But if it's more than your own. They need to go. ~Maddie "Go put your creed into your deed." That's a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Regardless of what he meant or was implying with his quote, it's still good advice. Most people look upon a creed as a system of religious belief. It doesn't have to be though. A creed can also be a statement of belief or principles. I like the second definition better...even if your creed IS based on religious principles! Too many people get bent out of shape by religious denominations. While I too have a religious denomination, I try not to judge people by theirs. I try to judge them by their actions. Many people go to church, yet you wouldn't be able to tell which one by their actions. I am a catholic. Yet I have had a divorce, used condoms and think it's okay to miss church every once in a while when I have something to do. In fact, I am certain that there are other aspects of my faith that I don't follow either. Even so, I believe I am a fervent follower of Jesus. To me, there is a difference between my faith and my church. My church is an organization that was set up to teach the lessons of Jesus. It has a power structure and strict rules to keep its followers in line. Oftentimes, the rules of the church nearly seem to fly in the face of what Jesus actually taught (to me anyway). Meanwhile, my faith is driven by the word of God and the actions of Jesus. Jesus preached love, humility and charity. In a sense, he professed personal responsibility for one's actions and that his father was a God of forgiveness. So how do we put our creed in our deeds? By making sure our actions follow our principles. For me, I try to treat others how I myself like to be treated. If I say I am going to be somewhere, I do my best to make sure I am there on time. If I offer to do a job, I try to do it to the best of my ability. I take responsibility for my actions, and I try to give everyone the benefit of the doubt... at least initially. Finally, I try not to force my way or opinions onto others. While I offer advice, I try not to demand that it is followed to the letter...my way or the highway so to speak. I make the final decisions about things that impact my life, though, just as others make decisions regarding theirs. It is at the crossroads where my decisions meet theirs where the truly hard decisions need to be made. In regards to my daughters, I am responsible for their upbringing and I try to do what is best for them. Where one of their decisions is at odds with my own, I will make the final decision at this time in their lives, although I will allow them to try to sway me to their position through the use of logic. The years teach much that the days never knew. Until my daughters have enough experience to make wise decisions, I will make the final decisions on many matters to help them find the wisdom to make good decisions. When they are grown, they will understand and hopefully help their own children to make wise decisions. So what is your creed? Kindness or spitefulness. Truth or lies? Reality or fantasy? The creed you follow will inevitably have a major impact on the quality of your life. Sometimes the world will give you lemons. Will you have the wisdom to make lemonade? Or will you just suck on the sourness of the fruit? by following my principles, I will try to make lemonade every time! I am wearing a nice top. It is pink with a black cat. It is wearing a collar of diamonds. It reads '' Cool cat- titude''. I am also wearing cat leggings in gray. Ashleigh The above quote was said by Yogi Berra, and while some may think it sounds confusing... it really isn't. Okay, so at first glance- yes. It sounds confusing and we automatically want to skip over it and move on to less confusing and more relatable quotes; but bear with me- I just want to show you how simple this oddly-worded quote is. At first, it bothered me too- I didn't grasp it simply because of how it was worded, and so I wanted to move on. But a little piece of me also wanted the peace of mind in knowing that I understood it, so I re-read it a few times. Finally, the simplicity of it hit me... and it made me want to kick myself. If you don't know where you are going- OF COURSE you'll never get there! If you live your life without any meaning, always "going with the flow"... then you'll never get anywhere or accomplish anything because the water will carry you back in a ridiculous loop. To get anywhere in life, you need to have a plan. You need to set goals. And you need to follow the plan you make to reach the goals you wish to achieve. If you don't even know what you want... you won't get ANYWHERE, and I mean that. You'll stay wherever you are, likely complaining about what you can't do because you don't know what you WANT to do. But that's besides the point. WHAT?! You may be thinking... but that's not what I want to focus on for this post. I'd like to turn your attention back to the way that the quote was phrased, and the annoyance it likely caused before realizing how simple it was. This can happen not only with quotes; but with how things are said in real life to others. How you phrase the things you say can mean everything to how the other person takes in what you said... and how it can come across as offensive without meaning to if you aren't careful. It has happened to me before, and I'm sure it happens to everyone... whether you say something wrong, or misinterpret something someone else says... it happens. This is why I think that if you have something to say to someone, you should just come right out and say it. Don't try to twist it into something it's not, and don't try lying or talking in riddles... it won't work, it never does, and it NEVER ends well. ~Maddie "Make a game plan and stick with it...unless its not working." That is known as a Yogi-ism. In other words, it's a quote by Yogi Berra. Yogi died yesterday at the age of 90. In case you've lived under a rock for the past 60 years or so, Yogi was a Hall of Fame catcher for the New York Yankees. He was an MVP three times, an all-star 18 times and he was on a team that won the World Series a record ten times! Even with all of these things, he was best known for his amusing quotes. On the surface, they were dopey, but underneath it they made a little bit of sense. He had a knack for making people feel at ease around him, even though he was the greatest catcher of his generation, and possibly the best Yankee catcher of all time (yes, including Thurmon Munson). In honor of his passing, I'd like to talk about Yogi's quote on making plans. Rest In Peace Yogi, although I was too young to ever have seen you play, I am a fan. Make a plan and stick with it. Many people would say that line and just leave it at that. But it's just not enough to make a plan and stick with it. you also have to apply the plan and be willing to change it if it becomes clear that it isn't working out. Being flexible, and knowing when to be flexible are key points that I think Yogi was trying to point out when he allegedly said that quote. Everyone has some type of plan...even if it is subconscious. We all know what we want to accomplish, yet we all don't know how to get where we want to go. By setting a plan, we can make a road map towards achieving our goals. A map will only bring us so far, though. We need to be able to follow the map to bring us where we want to go. Sometimes the journey will get difficult. At those times, we need to be able to recognize shortcuts that will help us to reach our goal. If the road we are on leads to a dead end, it is all right to take a side path that will lead us around the obstacle. Planning will help us to see the shortest route from point A to point B. Sometimes, it won't show us the bumpiness of the road, though. When the road gets rough, it only makes sense to find a smoother path to follow. I do not mean changing the destination, but changing HOW you get there. This is the beauty of Yogi's quote. Make a plan, but if it isn't working, be flexible enough to change the path you take to get there. That's what successful people do. They do not change their goal, they change how they get to their goal. The wisdom is in knowing the difference. Hugs- something so basic and over-looked. Today, I think I realized their true importance and how much they can mean to you or someone else without meaning it. This morning, Dad and I had a rather pointless argument that ended in me being a complete witch and saying "no" to hugging him. Now this to the reader may not seem like a lot but... every morning since the day I have been born, I've given my dad a morning and good night hug. It's our tradition. We do it because we know the value of life... how short it is and how each day can be so easily taken for granted. This hug is a representation of our love for each other as father and daughter, and it proves that we don't go to sleep pissed off at each other.
Now, at the end of this argument my dad stated "I could be dead tomorrow" and I replied, "so could I." He then said "That's why I'm hugging you" and then he hugged me, even though I didn't reciprocate. However, his words really hit me and in a way, hurt me... even though I know it wasn't intentional. You see, when my mom passed... I never really got to say goodbye. The last time I saw her, I was leaving to go to NJ and I gave her an empty, meaningless hug and said "Bye". I regret that more than anything... I wasn't mad at her, but the meaninglessness in it haunts me til this day along with the knowing that I never got a proper good bye. We went to NJ, and we got a call that she was in the hospital... we came back immediately but it was really too late. My mom was in a coma and hooked up to too many machines to count, and over the course of 2 weeks spent in that same hospital bed her situation got worse and worse and she was resuscitated 3 times. There would likely be brain damage even if she survived, and finally... the decision was made to pull the plug on her life support and she died in my Dad's arms. Life is short and taken for granted SO OFTEN... hugs are also taken for granted and I know this too well. I got no closure with my Mom, and I would never forgive myself if I let it happen with anyone else... especially my Dad. I love you so much Dad and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for me. My advice to anyone and everyone... life is too short to be wasted on bitterness and hate. Cherish the time with the ones you love. Life is just a large hourglass... and we never know when our sand will run out. ~Maddie "Be the change that you wish to see in the world." That was a quote by Mahatma Gandhi. It is so simple, that you almost want to dismiss it the moment you read it. And yet, Gandhi lived it! The change he was looking for didn't take a moment to occur, it took his whole lifetime and then some. While his quote is simple, it is also truthful. Change usually doesn't happen on its own. It needs some sort of catalyst. If you want change, then there needs to be a catalyst. A single raindrop cannot carve out a limestone cavern. Yet over thousands of years and billions of raindrops, huge caverns can be formed. Although I doubt Gandhi was talking about physical phenomena, the same types of processes are needed in human interactions. If you are not happy with the state of the world today, then you need to take steps to change it. And change occurs only one person at a time. Most people do not have the vision of Gandhi, nor the drive to try and accomplish a goal that will impact an entire country. And yet we all have visions on how the world should be and in particular, how we ourselves interact with the world. On an individual level, we can all make changes that will impact our lives. For example, if you want to weigh less, then eat less junk and exercise more. If you wish to write a book, then make sure to write a little bit each day. Don't ever expect something to happen without a catalyst. Here's another good example. Did you ever meet someone who says they want to meet new people, and yet never varies their schedule? That is me to a "T"! I work from home and only venture out to go to karate. How am I ever going to meet somebody new if I never vary my schedule? Thankfully, meeting somebody new doesn't rank very high on my things to do list. Most of what I want to do involves things around my house or on the internet. Anyway, those are just some examples of why you need catalysts to change anything in your life. What change do I want in my life? I'd like to crank out 2,500 push ups on my birthday in February, and I'd like to weigh in at 200 pounds even. At 200 I would be 25 pounds less than what I weighed in college. Meanwhile 2,500 push ups would equal 50 push ups for each year I have been alive. Hey, not everybody wants to change the world! To accomplish my goals, I need to lose weight and practice my push ups. While I have started on the diet end of things, I still rarely do more than 100 push ups a day. That will not get e to where I want to go in February! To achieve my goal, I will have to change my ways. So will I be the change I want to see in the world? No. But I will achieve a goal that I think is important. When I was younger, I never would have even imagined that I would be thinking of doing 2,500 push ups on my fiftieth birthday. Now, I am not only thinking about it, I am training for it. Be the change that you want to see. |
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