Take a Look

   Do you know what's around the corner from you right now? It's interesting to think that  we really can't guarantee anything outside of our vision. We may think a friend is waiting for us inside of the cafe we are standing outside of, but until you open the door and flash a smile to them, you don't actually know.
   For many, this concept is lost when it takes on a bigger perspective.We become so accustomed to everyday life in modern society that the excitement of "ordinary" mystery evaporates. It may be the vice that television, cell phones, computers and the media have put on us, but we don't need to rely outside of our own power to entertain ourselves. Our focus should be on what is around us, what is "ordinary", what makes life.. well life, not on what show you want to watch when you get home, or the keypad on a blackberry. When we become distracted with all the entertainment at our fingertips, we pass on by everything else. Pass by the sun illuminating the branching of a leaf, the smile of a stranger, a conversation with a friend. We pass by what makes this moment special and the opportunities that slip past our unfocused awareness.
   At times my senses feel numb from all the entertainment around me. Just walking through the library I can see music videos, Ipods, movies, advertisements and news updates from around the world. It hasn't been very long since Americans didn't have any of those things, what would they think if they saw all of that? A definite shock to the senses. This numbness leads me to overlook much of the beauty both in man made and natural things. Try this next time you've sat in front of a screen for too long, take a step outside. Doesn't matter if the sun is shining or the moon is sitting high in the sky, just take a breath. Take in the fresh air, close your eyes and appreciate the stillness in mother nature. I like to take the nearest leaf or blade of grass in my hand and feel the essence of what has been here much longer than us. To not judge anything around me, just appreciate it all, and smile. After this, watching anything projected by pixels is simply mundane. Taking our senses back to its literal roots can make the mundane come back to life. The "ordinary" becomes extraordinary. Then, the mystery of what is around the corner is all the entertainment we need.   

Going By

  Kobe Bryant is sprinting over a purple and yellow LAKERS symbol that lays in the foreground of a giant championship trophy. He's worked out 7 days a week since longer than he can remember. He knew that he would have to work hard to keep up in the NBA, now he knows he didn't know how hard that would be. All the time in the weight room, on free through line, watching countless films and shooting in an empty gym didn't happen for him to sit the bench. This is his time, that work is now on display as entertainment for millions of fans.
  Crossing the ball over and into his left hand, he comes off a screen and lowers his shoulder through the next defender, his free hand sliding across the hardwood. His next stride is explosive, taking his momentum past another defender, he doesn't need to look at who's he's going by, he can only see one thing. All his focus is on getting the ball to the basket. He doesn't ponder, he acts, his thoughts are reality; he will continue.
  As he rolls out of a 270 degree turn, he catches a jersey color of a teammate as he launches of his right foot. A defender meets him in the air, determined to get a poster of himself blocking "the black mamba". But Kobe slithers the ball around his waist and draws it past the poster-boy, tossing it through the arms of the final defender and above the rim, into the outreached fingertips of the teammate he never made eye contact with.

  Do you think Kobe was wondering what he was going to eat that night? About the clothes he would wear tomorrow? Or how about what others think of him? I'll say no.
  But why would he? He is in full appreciation of the moment. There was no doubt in his actions, turning them into afterthoughts. The thoughts that may have crossed his mind while sitting first class and listening to his Ipod have no place when he is in the flow of the game. He was in a place where there was only here (actions focused solely in the present), and it was only now (past or future worries and thoughts bear no burden).
  Being in the here and now is not limited to athletic experiences. In fact is can be found in everything, that is the basis for Zen Buddhism (e.g: raking sand, eating rice with complete focus). Although becoming a monk or professional athlete to be in the moment is a little extreme, it is certainly more accessible than most of us think (for those that are even aware of it to begin with!).
  This is a topic I want to pursue in my research, for whenever I am totally focused, "in the zone", or whatever you may call it, it refreshes my soul and fills my sails. Not to mention the inner peace that comes with accepting this moment as the only canvas we can paint on, happiness seems a plausible friend of here and now.

Thanks

   Maybe it was the several thousand (delicious) calories I consumed with my girlfriends family last weekend and the several more I had this weekend, maybe it was the snow fluttering to the ground outside the windows, or maybe it was the stillness I rarely encounter in Seattle. But earlier this week I found myself sitting in my 4runner just thinking. The car was turned off and I was in my driveway. My dad accused me of talking on my phone, but really I wasn't talking to anyone, just thinking.
   It's been too long since I've done that, and I decided I needed to write. I then saw how much I had to grateful for, I saw what I wanted to write about.
   How many times does a person say thank you in a lifetime? This question may seem like asking how many licks it is to the center of a lollipop, but there is one important difference, meaningfulness. It's easy to find yourself saying thank you like a quick goodbye for the day, a moment that is like any other. But being grateful for something or someone should be more important than that.
   Thanking someone can be immensly satisfying. In fact, it can help both of your moods. Whether it be someone helping you put your snow chains on or a stranger finding your wallet, being over thankful is a rare disease. The heartache or frustration you felt while in need should translate to the gratitude your helper feels. Not only will you make them feel better about helping you, but you will then feel more appreciative for what they have done and what you now have. But once again you must really feel it, don't let them leave without them at least smiling or laughing.
   Speaking of laughing or smiling, gratitude certainly should not be limited to those that have helped you in a single moment or time. In fact, those that deserve the most gratitude may get the least. The good news is that it is never to late to let someone know they are appreciated. Write them a note, make them a card, or just tell them how you feel. You will be surprised how much better you both feel, for gratitude is a timeless gift.

Hitting ground

   Sometimes things don't go our way. Sometimes as good as a day can seem, clouds can always chase us down. When these unexpected times come upon us, we are drawn into a whirlwind of negative thoughts, as if the sun was never there to begin with. It is easy to stay sucked into this gust of feelings, letting the situation stay out of our hands. But there is a way to get back to the ground. Get grounded.

   Getting grounded can come in a variety of ways, from a loved ones voice to starting a painting to breathing. Recognizing your distraught and getting centered is a breath of fresh air for your thoughts. Yet this may be the hardest part. Writing has been my biggest tool to seeing this, letting my mental noise leak out through a pen or keyboard leaves room for peace and quiet. Having the ability to fight the whirlwind for enough time to realize your connection to the struggle is your own creation can be daunting. That moment of clarity is the hardest part, once your first foot hits the ground, you know you are stable. You clear out the clouds, settle back into the sunlight and sink farther into your soul.

  Seeing the whirlwind blaze forth without you can be a very peaceful and humbling moment, I know it is for me. The power to not seek complete power is instilled, you are now grounded.

Do yo' best!

   

     What does it mean to fail? Not get the job of your dreams, lose a game or get 50% on a test? Many of us would agree with these statements, but I see it slightly different. The average on my first organic chemistry test was 44/150. Does this mean that the majority of my class failed? I think that depends. 

     I had faced failure in my short 20.5 years here. As a captain of my football and basketball teams in high school, seeing us lose every game in both sports my senior year could be seen as failure. Doing average on my chemistry test could be taken the same. Or even stumbling on the words that I can hear in my head but don't get out smoothly.

    But I don't see any of those as a failure.

    Children are often told "just do your best" and "try your hardest", when should that change? College students are under enormous pressure to do well on tests, driving caffeine levels sky high during late nights in the library, to fill in a few bubbles and answer a few questions in order to receive a number (which translates into a grade). This number causes cheating, bribing and broken ambitions every day in pursuit to get it as high as possible. This process is repeated two to four times a quarter or semester in the journey to get a new and final number or letter that causes even more grief.

    Getting this high number is not why am in school. I once found myself memorizing solely do well, not to learn, in fact I had no idea what I was putting in my head. This made me question why I was in the class to begin with. Since I have taken it as my primary goal at the university to learn, not get a high number. Doing my best was the best I could do, so why sacrifice my joy and wonder of learning? 

    Since making that decision my test scores have improved and I feel as if each class I take gives me more and more room to swim in the sea of knowledge we have access to. This also redefined my look on failure. I no longer see it as an outcome but an effort. An effort, that when taken with your concentration and enthusiasm, makes each moment a opportunity for success and no longer a chance for failure.

Why Not Today?

Why not make today the day?
The day you run your toes through the morning dew,
embrace someone you love,
tell them something sweet.
The day you start the project you keep thinking about
or the one you've been waiting to finish
The day that you won't let yourself get in the way,
and do something meaningful
The day you go to a park, beach, or trail
breath the crisp afternoon air,
open up to the evening rain as it hits your head
To appreciate the nature that can humble every one of us,
see we are part of a much bigger picture
The day to take a deep breath and melt some worries away
To lift your preoccupations and insecurities and walk free

Today is a...

My skyscraper

    It starts and ends in the same fashion; the movement of your eyelids. Everything in between is an adventure.
It may not seem like it to many of us, but that is because may be looking at it the wrong way.Yes, I know that is easier said than done, and it would be ridiculus to say we should never have bad days, that is part of life. But imagine a construction project. You wouldn't expect a skyscraper to be built in a day, and you also wouldn't expect it to go flawlessly through every second of its construction. But if we can work towards something small everyday, we may see a big reward. The small things we do may not have to be the same interest, just doing things that make us grow as individuals and discover what brings us joy is enough. It is this simple beauty that can make life indisputably adventurous.
   What we build in our lives cannot be done alone. Do you see one worker running the crane, jackhammer, laying floorboards and installing glass? The people around us can have great impact on what and how quickly we can accomplish goals in our life. If you see someone else building a skyscraper that you find interesting, amusing or even atrocious, do not be worried about talking to them, they may hold tools that will carry your project on. The gain of making a friend in this world drastically outweighs the embarrassment of a smiling "hello".
    Keep building, one piece at a time, with direction, passion and as always, an open mind, so no matter what you build, you will have an adventure.

Oops

   Everybody makes mistakes, it's part of being alive. Yet embarrassment is something that many people avoid at all cost. Holding themselves back because they don't feel comfortable out of their element.We may tell our self that the risk is not worth it or we "know" we cannot do it. Well of coarse you can't do it if you don't believe in yourself! Does a athlete tell their coach they don't want to take the game winning chance because they know they can't do it? Or do they accept the challenge as a opportunity to grow and achieve, throwing caution into the wind? At every chance there is a choice, lets make it fun!
   Making mistakes is a crucial ingredient to success. If we do not know what we can do, how can we know what we are capable of? Every time we do something on a whim, unexpected or new, we give ourselves a chance to expand our bubble of experiences. These experiences tell us about who we are, as if we are uncovering new areas of the blueprint to our souls.
   Embarrassment, does the work make you think of a time where you blushed, tripped, or looked foolish? I sure am, and I'm smiling about it. The times that we are clumsy, untrained, or completely new to something, lies a golden chance.
  In fact, I embarrass myself everyday. Since I was little I have dragged with me a studder in my speech. This is something I have worked on and is much less severe than it used to be. But could you imagine if someone asked you your name and you felt as if you could't say it out loud? Knowing that the person may look at you differently as you struggle to hurdle the syllables in a word you have said thousands of times. I used to be timid in my speech because of this and many thought of me as being quiet and shy, little did they know I was just scared of embarrassment. I have come to accept my impediment, and in turn, I'm not scared to say anything. If I had taken my speaking mistakes as something that I couldn't control or a aspect of my life that would hold me back, then I certainly wouldn't be writing about it today.
    Sometimes we need to get over our head to realize we are not in over our heads.

Trust

As a bird about to soar,
you have to know you can fly before you leave the ground
Like a train heading up a mountain,
you have to know you can make it before you get to the top
Such as a artist looks at a white space,
you have to know you can make beauty from a empty canvas



The trust we lay in ourself can be a powerful canon to launch us to wherever we like. If we can set that foundation of belief, all that leaves is something to set the spark.
The first door we walk through is opened with our owns hands.

The Gift

In my farthest dreams and nearest sight, I seek to give a gift to others, for now this is what comes to my mind.

My happiness is life
This happiness is my passion
Passion is my tool
Tools are my gift to others,
writing is the box,
talking is the lid,
imagination is the bow.
When they can open it, they will find a present
The present that is themselves
The present that is happiness
The present that is life

Transition metal

   Life contains change, in fact it is something we can always rely on, from the falling of the leaves to the hair on our head. Change is in our blood, in the air, change is now. How we cope with and prepare for change can be a defining character for many people and something I always try to be aware of. Change is everywhere.
   Mercury is cool, it is a transition metal. What this means is that it is a sort of metal, sort of nonmetal; it is a element of both traits. Believe it or not, we become mercury at some points in our lives. Everyone has times where change occurs in our most basic aspects of life. Like mercury, we feel neither here nor there, metal nor nonmetal; a transition occurs in our lives. We grow up, grow old and grow out of many things we saw as staples in our lives. We move from house to house, and sometimes from passion to passion. Our jobs will not be the same from when we are 16 to 36, and our parents will not always make us dinner.
   Being in a transition can be daunting to say the least. What we thought we could hold in our hands now slips through our grasp. We may go back to behavior that we were once used to, only to find it is no longer there, yet see the new pieces in our lives are just as unreliable. As creatures of habits, this can be very disheartening for many of us, including myself. During these transition states, be it a lost job or new city, we can take refuge in ourselves. For no matter what change happens, stability can be found in ourselves. If the world was turned into a giant forest and every building destroyed, we would not be destroyed along with them, we could still find a new way to live even in the most extreme wave of change. Fortunately, no change this abrupt will happen in our lifetimes, but the analogy still sticks.
   I found myself in a transition state several days ago while moving into a new house. When I felt anxious or stressed I found a escape through breathing deeply, reading, centering myself. When I could see it was not me that was changing but my habitat, the heat of instability evaporated. The strength of finding inner peace can shine through any tough time, any dark cloud. For as much as things will change, we will always have we.

Raindrops are fallin' on my head

Imagine a small pond.

It's raining.

Notice the ripples that spread across its surface with ease.

Notice how each drop only covers a small circle, not one ripple covers the whole pond.

It is said the little things that make life worth living, something I have come to adopt whole heartedly. In the rippling pond, one drop of water will not touch both shores, but every splash is connected. A raindrop on one end will touch every other ripple as a bee pollinates a field of flowers.

Imagine a small pond.

It's raining. 

You notice all the ripples sliding through each other on the surface.

Now imagine if the pond was a body of actions instead a body of water.

It can be easy to see how two raindrops hit the surface and their ripples overlap each other. For example if you run a red light and get pulled over, the cause of your frustration can easily be seen. But like the ripples on opposite ends of the pond, many actions and their corresponding feelings have roots farther across the surface. Each of our actions has a cause and a consequence, a single ripple may be small, but link them together and the pond is covered. This is one way I find happiness in each day. I don't rely on a special event or moment to make me happy, I make every moment special, each one unique. If we can learn to appreciate each ripple we make, we will see we are swimming in a very happy pond.

Give me some sunshine

There can a lot to be said about the sun. It can be said its shine gives us the energy needed to run the planet. It can be said it keeps us warm as we rotate in its orbit. It can be said the sun gives us nourishment for the soul.
We plant seeds, water them and let the sun take care of the rest. Its rays come down and bring to life the hope we planted in the earth. We trust that its energy will be there day in and day out, for without the sun, our seeds would never grow.
Just as we trust the sun, trust in ourselves can bring growth and nourishment to our souls. Just as we trust the energy to come down and grow our plants, if we trust ourselves and do what we want, with the highest of loyalties and bravest of leaps, our happiness will blossom.
For if we live in our own sunshine, a trust builds that cannot be broken. The more we become aware of ourselves and act just the way we want, the negativity and doubt that once filled us is now just a whisper of the soul.

Make your appointment

I once heard a story about a women who was so scared of getting a shot, nurses had to chase her around the room before she would calm down, but after she knew the relief that resulted, she injected herself.
Too many times I discover how easy something can be after spending too long simply avoiding it. People may be scared of a little pain, but if we can realize the long term benefit, the giant needle turns into a tiny prick.
Medicine for the body is a physical procedure, while medicine for the mind or soul is a freeing process. Both involve awareness of the problem and a solution for relief. Like the woman who was scared of the shot, the healthy mind may take a prick before one can understand a problem in their life. But also like the shot, a simple awareness of the problem can yield long term benefits.
Before getting upset for the rest of the day because of a personal problem, reflect for a minute and see if you can understand why you are feeling that way, so the shot you just took, can at least, have a placebo effect.

Take a Step

The past may loom with heavy clouds
The future may look dark
But find life's brightness in the present
So each step can be illuminated with beauty



Only one more hour of exams before I'm free for a month, hallelujah! 

Explore, enjoy

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." -Mark Twain
   
    What is a explorer? Someone who discovers world changing secrets? Finds earths hidden treasures? Navigates through near-death adventure around every corner?
    My explorer is much simpler. My explorer asks questions, from well known inquiries to ridiculous speculations. My explorer discovers what the heart yearns for. Finds the hidden spots of the imagination and illuminates them. Takes happiness wherever he may go, on yellow brick or through mountain paths. My explorer finds what he wants and does not let himself get in the way.
    Do you know your explorer? Discover him/her. Discover what adventures you seek. Discover what makes your life tick. Catch the winds in your sails.

Travel far, travel near

  Travel for vacation, travel for business, travel for escape. Traveling can be seen as going to a new place in hopes of success, relief or rest. But the idea of travel does not have to be physical. A monk may sit without moving, yet travel farther than any plane can take you. A reader may open a book, turn to a page and enter a world they can only imagine. An author may write their life work from a dream.
   Travel is relative, travel is in the eye of the traveler.Going back to The think thought trot (7/27), what you think influences your reality.Traveling through your thoughts can change what you see and how you feel. You can stand in front of a pyramid in Giza and see no purpose in their design and feel no inspiration. But you can also imagine you are in Giza and see a problem in your life as a simple brick in the thousands that make your great pyramid; nothing that could make you crumble. We have the passport to our own world, we use it everyday to shape how we see everything around us, from our daydreams to our reality.
   Travel is free, travel is far, travel is near. Instead of searching the globe for happiness, first look at yourself, discover the traveler so then you can understand where you want to go. Traveling can be one of humans greatest gifts. Birds can soar above us, engines may drive propellors, but nothing can take us to the places our minds can. 

On our side

There is more to life than increasing its speed. -Mohandas Gandhi

    Time. Many wish for more of it, but why? Are we asking for more chances and opportunities or trying to add hours to our day? The latter will stay at 24 no matter how hard we try, but the first is in our grasp. The river of time only flows in one direction, our struggle against the current is our only control. If we fight to go back or push to go forward, we miss where the river has taken us and thus everything around us.
    If we can take a honest look at what surrounds us, without the anxiety of time, the opportunities can be seen on either shore. They are in our daily routines and offbeat thoughts, it's our choice to choose and take our chances, one day at a time. For everything you want cannot be made in a day, but all the tools you need are always with you. So gather some wood, build a raft and enjoy what time can offer, here and now.

Life's like a engine.. better know your parts

Do you know what a engine does? But do you know how every part moves to work together and create what we use? Just as there is much more to a engine than a few pieces of metal, oil and steady diet of petroleum, life and everything in it contains a wealth of knowledge and complexity we can continuously learn about.
Also like a engine, each part of our lives plays a important role, without it, we just wouldn't work right. But also like a engine, how well do we know these parts? How about our own bodies? How they run; their "oil"(protein enzymes), their "pistons"(muscles) and "spark plug" (brain)? You could spend your whole life just trying to wrap your head around the bodies biological highways.
Now I am not suggesting you dive into what scientists spend their lives studying, rather I am pointing out there is a lot more to our world than what most of us see. Take a minute and appreciate what it takes for us to be here, breathing, thinking, human beings. Appreciate the loved ones who understand you unlike anyone else, appreciate being alive and living life, because if you have that appreciation, you've taken a step in understanding your engine.

The think thought trot

The mind is part of  the body,
This mind contains thought,
Those thoughts create reality,
This reality is a culmination of perceptions
Those perceptions are the story of life

So when thoughts roll through your mind, churn them into a damn good story.

We all got them sometimes

What a purdy rainbow

Don't worry. Things will get worse."- George Skelton
     We all have those days where we see  this to be true. Can't wake up, feeling a step behind everything and everyone, nothing quite fits in your puzzle. I know how easy it is fall into that negative mind set. But do you really want a cloud over your head all day?
“The way I see it, if you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain.”- Dolly Parton
     Yet it could be easier than you think to not let it get to you. A lot of things happen in our lives that are out of our control. Bad timing means a lot of these in an afternoon, if you can see that most of the bad things in your day were an accident or out of your reach than seeing that rainbow is in your grasp. It wasn't your fault the bus was late or your boss was agitated. Recognizing these simple little things can bring your day back into your command and clear those clouds looming overhead. Just remember feeling like you're having a bad day can only stop you from having a good one!

If you can't beat em..

Man I love dusting!

Some things in life you have to do, like  it or not. Clean the bathroom, wash the dishes and talk to people on the phone that you don't really want to. How we approach these tasks can change their affect on us. For example, in monastery life, apprentices start with the simplest, most mundane tasks (see above). But they are required to do them with complete focus and awareness of every moment; they say work then becomes a place for their meditation. Now I'm not saying you should try and meditate while scrubbing the toilet, but be like a monk and find a way to do simple things with joy.
If your train of thought is, how much do I have left? Why am I doing this? Or I would much rather be doing this or that, time will crawl by, and tasks will seem long and daunting. Much like a child asking if they are there yet, if we focus on how miserable we are, then we are just that miserable! Our mind has a powerful influence on how we feel, think about it next time you are flustered.
I for one used to hate reading. Excluding harry potter and a couple others, I used to start looking to see how many pages were left after 10 minutes. But I started to notice how other people loved reading, and I thought how can we be doing the same activity but looking at it so differently? With time I cracked a book again and decided I was going to try my best to enjoy it. My imagination responded by taking me into whatever world I turned the page to, I haven't closed the book yet.

No soup for you!

Maybe one day...

Sometimes a no is better than not seeing if there is a yes.

     You shouldn't ask a air stewardess if there is bomb on the plane. You definitely don't want to ask a police officer if you can see his gun. But there are alot of times where not asking the question can leave you farther behind than you were before. Life is full of opportunities, unfortunately some are at the end of mazes while others are on silver platters. I often ask myself what would be better, hearing a no or discovering a yes? You would be surprised how much more you may find if you just ask:
    "The road is not always on yellow brick but the end can still be where you want to be. Follow what excites you, do what makes you happy, and all you have to do is ask. Ask yourself what you really want and ask how to get it. Then you can start asking outside yourself without worry. Then you will see all you needed to do was ask, then you will see, you are where you wanted to be."

Family matters

He must have a pretty big family!


 I don't care how poor a man is; if he has family, he's rich.  ~Dan Wilcox, M*A*S*H


Lets be honest, there are a lot of things we take for granted here in the US. Clean running water, electricity, paved roads and excellent medical care. But what I fear most is the loss of appreciation for family. In the digital age, the things that entertain us can easily distract us from what really matters. And out of all the things that really matter, what can matter more than family? I certainly wouldn't be writing this if it weren't for my parents. Ask yourself what which would be more valuable, facebook, a nice car, or a loving family? Families have been around for thousands of years, what about everything else we call "necessary'? There is a reason that humans have come this far, we have learned to love and care for each other.
Family is not a atm machine, fake smiles or a restaurant only service. Family is all you need when everything else is gone, family is your deepest roots, strongest branches on your growing tree. Instead of surfing the web, ask a loved one how there day was, or make a home cooked meal. It doesn't take much but it can make a big difference. 

Ode to America

As I was enjoying our countries independence day in usual fashion; beer, friends, food and fireworks, I came up with a simple but powerful analogy. Don't let yourself be a firework, be the show. Life is not about building up to a glorious moment; a big promotion, getting rich or getting power, a single explosion of self happiness would be a sad life indeed. Instead let everyday be a firework and your life be the a collaboration of colors, sounds and sights that only you could create. Let a happy moment lead to another so that the simplest of pleasures can bring a smile to your face. And what a better place then in the land of the free and the home of the brave.

I'm Awake!

 Simple can be beautiful

http://www.michaelppowers.com/wisdom/awakening2.html

I've read about this in The Peaceful Warrior and in a Buddhism class I recently took. It is in movies, sports and just about anything you can imagine. Its definition is elastic and viewed differently from experience to experience. But this awakening can have a profound affect on many. I would not be writing this blog if it were not for a similar experience. It had such a profound influence on my life I decided in my future medical career and in life in general, I plan to do everything I can to pass on this experience to my patients and peers.
Life is meant to be lived. You live by creating what you want, pursuing what makes you happy and not letting yourself get in your way. Freeing your inhibition can only help create opportunities for what I saw as a brand new world. Colors became vibrant and simple actions such as a bee pollinating a flower became a bold note in life's orchestra. To see fear and failure as oppurtunity  instead of defeat only allows for expansion and improvement. Mental noise becomes clear and life is easier to pour half full then half empty. Simply put life's meaning is no longer a search but an adventure.

A smart man solves a problem, a wise man aviods it.

You see?


"Our job is not to set things right but to see them right."
-Eric Butterworth 

Are you a perfectionist? I am certainly have become one at times. But I've learned that over pursuing something is not perfection but obsession. This is to say I can live in moderation if I simply see things right but I could not if I try and set them right. I can't build a house in a day but I can learn how to design a foundation. Lance can't win the tour de france in a afternoon but he can take the lead. The line between setting and seeing has been a tightrope for many, a fall ending in a injury to confidence and certainty with no way back up for some. But the walk, if successful, can be one of joy and wonder. 

I got no empathy for you's

 "I feel you man."
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UAG0HkpDnaM

Most people on the planet have heard Bob Marley sing the words "one love", but how many know where he is coming from? Author Jeremy Rifkin certainly does and in this video (with great illustrations) he paints us a message; come together. I enjoyed how he stepped back in our past to show where we are and where we can go. We have come a long ways since our ancestors thousands of years ago, and now well into the electronic era, Rifkin calls for us to use our technology and compassion to create a new age of empathy. "Wide-minded" thinking to unite everyone and re-shape the way we look at the world.  Utilizing mirror neurons and the secrets of the human brain are very intriguing, the farther we look the less we know. Yet we know enough to ask some big questions and obtain some big ambitions, but with logic and optimism you can count my empathy in.

I feeeel good

"If you have the passion, you will win."

A piece of wisdom I heard last night talking about ribs and pizza. Passion is the driving force for creativity and success. Simply put, if you can follow your passion in life, happiness will not be far behind. You can't lose if you love what you're doing; work no longer becomes about what is left to do but rather what you are doing now. Artists like Michelangelo, Picasso, and Rembrandt, scientists like Einstein, Newton and Galileo, and actors like Newman, Nicholas and Eastwood would not be iconic names if they weren't driven by their passion. Are you?

Business vs. Happiness

A insightful talk about what really counts.
http://www.ted.com/talks/chip_conley_measuring_what_makes_life_worthwhile.html

This speech is chock full of good stuff. Is measuring loss of natural resource and rate of criminal activity a better evaluation of a country than the compassion and happiness of the people the live in it? I certainly hope not. Chip Conley looks for individual, emotional needs over the obvious meal and a paycheck. Allowing intangibles to take precedence over material needs not only lessens the obsession we have with every gadget and gizmo but also gives a appreciate to the simple things we may be overlooking every day.

Alone not lonely

"In solitude, where we are least alone."

-Lord Bryon

It would be easy to associate solitude with loneliness, as in todays society having entertainment or company at all times has become commonplace. But I see solitude as a human necessity. If we are never alone, how do we know ourselves? Loneliness comes when we seek the company of someone that is not with us, but this should not arise until we have acquainted ourselves with... ourselves first. I learned this growing up as a only child, there can be plenty of entertainment with yourself from time to time, since we are always changing our current thoughts and desires, getting in touch with your current state of mind can bring a surprising feeling of satisfaction and content. I never forget, I am not alone, I have myself. 

A wise start

I thought a suitable first post would be give two short essays by a personal hero of the world.


"The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious. It is the fundamental emotion that stands at the cradle of true art and true science. Whoever does not know it and can no longer wonder, no longer marvel, is as good as dead, and his eyes are dimmed. It was the experience of mystery -- even if mixed with fear -- that engendered religion. A knowledge of the existence of something we cannot penetrate, our perceptions of the profoundest reason and the most radiant beauty, which only in their most primitive forms are accessible to our minds: it is this knowledge and this emotion that constitute true religiosity. In this sense, and only this sense, I am a deeply religious man... I am satisfied with the mystery of life's eternity and with a knowledge, a sense, of the marvelous structure of existence -- as well as the humble attempt to understand even a tiny portion of the Reason that manifests itself in nature."
"I have never looked upon ease and happiness as ends in themselves -- this critical basis I call the ideal of a pigsty. The ideals that have lighted my way, and time after time have given me new courage to face life cheerfully, have been Kindness, Beauty, and Truth. Without the sense of kinship with men of like mind, without the occupation with the objective world, the eternally unattainable in the field of art and scientific endeavors, life would have seemed empty to me. The trite objects of human efforts -- possessions, outward success, luxury -- have always seemed to me contemptible."


What strikes me most about Einstein is his capability to captivate both the science and social world. His wisdom breached into life's treasures and he was not shy in sharing what he thought. Power through simplicity and peace was his way, a way I wish to adopt as well.