Literature, Fruit, and Life

The book ended. Sadly, they always do. I tried so hard to savor it as slowly as I could, forcing myself to read only a few pages at a time, but it ended nevertheless.

I wonder if the stories were allowed to go on and on, we would eventually tire of them? And if so, would we still speak of them as fondly?

This leads me to ponder over other things in life. Everything in life seems to be most pleasurable at the peak of its development. Fruits are a great example. I carefully watch, wait for, and pounce on the moment of the fruit's maximum ripeness. If not, I am left with a bitter, rotten, or irritatingly unsatisfying taste in my mouth.

What about people? When developing a relationship, the heart-pounding excitement does not go on forever. We meet a person of interest, get intrigued by them, learn about them, want to spend more and more time with them, then there's the inevitable plateau, or even a downturn. What if a developing relationship ends at its peak just before reaching that plateau, due to circumstances out of either party's control such as relocation or death? Then that person is remembered forever as the best neighbor, friend, colleague, partner, lover, etc. We are left remembering only the extraordinary, because we are spared the ordinary that certainly would have followed. (Hmm... this also makes me wonder about the fine line/overlap between presence and absence -- but that's another think for another time. lol)

I believe humans are constantly driven to seek this type of peak pleasure in everything, whether it be physical, emotional, intellectual, or even spiritual. Of course, some of us have it worse than others, and we must be aware of our healthy boundaries while keeping a grip on reality. But I think the repeating lure of the next (and the next) bite into the ripeness of life is what gets us out of bed every morning.

Perhaps people's addiction to literature is no exception.

Tenacity

This is my hero: A cherry tree in our front yard with that bag gash in its trunk.

Sprezzatura

It is becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the blog. I have considered deleting the account many times, but I just can't bring myself to do it for whatever reason. I think it's because there's so much of me contained herein... because I try to be more honest here than anywhere else. I need not follow any rules here - grammatical, social, or otherwise (unless I want to). ;)

Here's the latest drawing I did of a painting by Raphael. I used pencil, compressed charcoal, and some pastels. It's a portrait of Baldassare Castiglione. Castiglione wrote The Book of the Courtier, in which he coined the Italian word "sprezzatura," meaning "effortless grace." It is the ability to perform difficult actions with the appearance of ease and nonchalance. The opposite of sprezzatura is affectation.

This word has been on my mind for the last few weeks. Sprezzatura requires years of practice so that the act becomes almost a second nature. I find it ironic that it also seems to require many years of soul searching and loads of courage, even lots of practice, to know and display what is our true nature - who we really are underneath all the accumulated muck and lies. hmm...

BTW, it took me what seemed like forever to finish the drawing for our final project. I don't think I would be drawing another portrait anytime soon...

Art and Personality

In class, we were introduced to the works of two contemporary glass artists, both amazing and fascinating in their unique styles:

Dale Chihuly

And
Josiah McElheny



In addition to the above images, you can learn more about them here and here.

Although they both work with glass, I am floored by how night-and-day their styles are. We watched the videos of their interviews and listend to their creative process, and I could not help but think about personalities as they relate to art -- not only in the way we create art, but also our preferences in the way we appreciate art.

Please enlighten me if I'm repeating what someone else has already said... but I really think we can know a lot about the unspoken and hidden facets of our personalities through art. Sometimes we are shocked to discover things even in ourselves that we had not realized. Or is it just me? I understand that how we project ourselves outward says a lot about us, but how and what we perceive inward may say even more. In other words, what we take in is just as much an indicator of our personality as what comes out of us as expressions and behaviors. To put it yet another way, perhaps what we choose (or prefer) to receive from the world and people is even more telling than what we choose to give. Whew! I feel like I'm always stumbling over my words trying to describe my thoughts...

One thing that I did newly discover is that although I have some hint of talent (ok. I'll stop denying it and finally admit it), making original art is not where my true talent lies. I am, however, an avid observer and appreciator of art. I passionately love soaking in other people's work, their expressions. I seek to find ways to bring that experience to others who may not get the chance to experience it otherwise. That must be why I enjoy the "making-of" documentaries even more so than seeing the work itself, whether it be 2D, 3D, video, audio, or literary. I love to study the who, what, when, where, and, especially, how and why.

Do you think that's an Introverted trait? More and more lately, I think I'm more of an "I" rather than an "E". Or am I an introverted "E"? Or an "I" who has to think out loud? This preference pair always stumped me. hmm...

Anyway, I wanted to share with you some thoughts from other thinkers about art:

In order correctly to define art, it is necessary, first of all, to cease to consider it as a means to pleasure and to consider it as one of the conditions of human life. Viewing it in this way we cannot fail to observe that art is one of the means of intercourse between man and man. ~ in "What is Art" by Leo Tolstoy.

I'll have to go back and re-read that essay (which I only quickly skimmed about a year ago) more carefully.

Also, after writing this post, I have a renewed appreciation for the following quote that I've always loved because of its depth (although I'm not about to go and read "In Search of Lost Time" anytime soon):

:-)

Our vanity, our passions, our spirit of imitation, our abstract intelligence, our habits have long been at work, and it is the task of art to undo this work of theirs, making us travel back in the direction from which we have come to the depths where what has really existed lies unknown within us. ~ Marcel Proust

Is Religion Selfish?: My thoughts after watching "To Verdener" ["Worlds Apart"]

self⋅ish

  –adjective

1.	devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.

2.	characterized by or manifesting concern or care only for oneself: selfish motives. (Dictionary.com)

I’ve come down with a cold, which gave me an excuse to mope around in front of the TV and get a chance to flip through the recorded movies on our DVR (we record random foreign movies that look interesting), and I stumbled upon a thought-provoking movie.

The movie is based on a true story about a 17-year-old girl struggling to deal with the clashing viewpoints between her faith and the realities of the world around her. She has a loving family and is deeply devoted to her church until she meets and falls in love with a boy who does not share her beliefs, at which time she begins to question the ideas which she had previously blindly accepted. She is then rejected by the church and also by her family, who essentially has no choice if they are to remain in their faith. She tries fervently to maintain her relationship with them, but to no avail.

In the final scene, she is confronted by her father after she has made an unwelcome appearance at the funeral of an old friend. I cannot remember the exact wording in the dialogue, but it went something like this:

Father: It was selfish of you to have come. Don’t you know it’s painful for us to see you?

Sara: Dad? Do you love me?

Father: What kind of question is that? Of course I love you very much.

Sara: Do you love God more than me?

Father: Yes… I do.

Sara: Why?

Father: Because he’s my father in heaven. Because he created me. Because he promises me an everlasting life…

Sara: Dad, you are the one who is selfish.

She then walks away.

It’s a powerful statement and one that is worth pondering.

(Side note: The religion in question is Jehovah’s Witness… but I intentionally did not mention it above, because it may then be shrugged off as a story about cults. But it’s more than that. I think the message can be applied to any dogmatic belief system, religion or otherwise, wherein we can lose sight of what’s right in front of us in our attempts to chase the rainbow.)

(Check out the Danish movie, Worlds Apart, if you get a chance.)

The "Golden Rule" in practice

Now... this is what I'm talking about. I could not agree more. However, putting ourselves in the other person's mindset... I mean, trying to really THINK like they think, see exactly what they see... has to be the hardest thing to achieve. I'm not sure if I agree with the part about the terrorists, though. That also involves religion, which messes up all logical thinking and complicates things at a whole new level. Anyway, his thoughts are very much worth pondering:

Food for Thought...

Aristotle said:

We must not listen to those who advise us "being men to think human thoughts, and being mortal to think moral thoughts," but must put on immortality as much as is possible and strain every nerve to live according to that best part of us, which, being small in bulk, yet much more in its power and honor surpasses all else.

Fair enough... It is a frame of mind which is very honorable and something to strive for, indeed. I, myself, wish that I could remain in that mindset. But I stray. Do we not all stray?

I am one of those who often point out that "being human is being human." I am not looking for excuses to be complacent or to behave badly. There is another reason. I see other people behaving in ways that I tend to judge as bad, weak, selfish, etc., and I fail to remember that I, too, can be bad, weak, selfish, etc...
In order for me to accept others as they are, I must first accept that I am a fallible human being as well. I may sound like a broken record if I quote Anais Nin yet again (as it is one of my favorite quotes), but it is very appropriate here and so true:

We don't see things as they are; we see them as we are.

At the same time, I am the first to point out when something seems out of line. I immediately try to judge whether something is good or bad. But why do we always focus on what is good or bad? What is noble or unworthy? What is right or wrong? Who gets to decide? Yes, I am a Christian and I believe in what Christ has done. But what of those with a different set of beliefs, even within the Christian community? Are they not valuable and worthy human beings? In addition, the judgments are often based on what I see and what I know. But there's so much more of what I don't see and what I don't know. Logic would dictate, then, that my view is very much incomplete.

I find myself falling into my own square trap again and again. Before I know it, I am back in my box staring at the same old boring walls. My ongoing battle is to keep ramming my head through to the other side for another view. It gives the phrase "banging my head against the wall" a totally new meaning, doesn't it? I am forever wishing that others would venture outside of their boxes and try to see things from other angles. Why people are content with what they already see and not interested in seeing more is beyond my understanding. But... perhaps that, too, is just my narrow view.

I'd like to suggest that we look at another side of the idea of "strain[ing] every nerve to live according to that best part of us." Those of us who strive to be a better human being... what does "better" mean? Does the "better" not indicate that we are comparing ourselves to those who are "worse?" We do not see what is behind the eyes of those people we judge.

As we approach Easter...

Here they come again, the Bible toting evangelists! Why do they always travel in packs?

I take a deep breath and force a smile.

“No, thank you! I belong to the Catholic church,”

I say politely and walk away. I had not been to mass in months, but that seems to always do the trick. In the past, I had tried simply saying, “No, thank you,” but that tends to give them ammunition to push harder. They start spewing nonsense about Jeeee-sus that leaves such a fowl taste in my mouth about religion in general.

That was my mindset only five years ago. That’s how I saw it, and I knew I did not want any part of what they were offering.

As a child, I was always fascinated with the concept of God of the universe. I used to sit and look at the sky, the clouds, the trees and the butterflies… I used to wonder if there was something that is bigger than all of us, bigger than this world. When I felt like a stranger in a land full of eyes judging me, I’d smell the trees, the rain, the fresh dirt… I’d feel the warmth of the sun and the soft wind caressing my face and be comforted. Perhaps I always knew that unconditional love is the essence of God.

When Christ presented himself to me, I somehow recognized him. He liberated me from the darkness that I never realized that I had been in. When I stepped into the light, it was as if I had always known him. But who is “him?” They told me his name was Jesus. But if they had not, would I still have been drawn to him? If I knew of nothing that he had done or who he was, would I still have known his truth, his love, that breathed a new life into me? I believe I would have.

A new perspective in a new mirror… it is the reflection I see in the eyes belonging to Unconditional Love. He said, “Look at yourself through my eyes; not the world's.” I find myself walking a tightrope. When I look straight ahead at the truth of love he speaks, I am fearless and free. I take steps in confidence. When I look away, I wobble and lose my balance; but with each wobble, it takes less time to find his gaze again.

But the best part about being a Christian is that although I continue to trip and stumble, I will never fall to my death. I can be free of the world’s eye of scrutiny and know that fear does not have any power over me. And above all, religion does not have any power over me.

Howard Gardner: "Five Minds for the Future"

I have recently had the pleasure to read "Five Minds for the Future" by Howard Gardner, a professor of Cognition and Education at Harvard Graduate School of Education. His book, "Multiple Intelligences" was featured on one of my previous posts.

In the "Five Minds," Howard Gardner addresses the need to cultivate the minds of tomorrow in this age of technology and globalization. He lists the five minds as follows:

1. The Disciplined Mind
2. The Synthesizing Mind
3. The Creating Mind
4. The Respectful mind
   
5. The Ethical Mind

He takes each of the five minds and discusses them at length, including the challenges that we face as we look at the future of education.

And why do we need to take a proactive stance? Gardner begins by pointing to the following facts:

• Individuals without one or more disciplines will not be able to succeed at any demanding workplace and will be restricted to menial tasks.
• Individuals without synthesizing capabilities will be overwhelmed by information and unable to make judicious decisions about personal or professional matters.
• Individuals without creating capacities will be replaced by computers and will drive away those who do have the creative spark.
• Individuals without respect will not be worthy of respect by others and will poison the workplace and the commons.
• Individuals without ethics will yield a world devoid of decent workers and responsible citizens: none of us will want to live on that desolate planet.

Reading this book, I could not help but recall a recent TED video about the rapid progress of science and technology that will cause what the speaker, Juan Enriquez, calls the big "reboot":



Now... my take on all this?

I think if (that's a big if) we, as a global community, can achieve the delicate balance across the elements listed in the book, perhaps humanity still has a chance at a bright future. There's a lot of think about...

Memes, Cliches, and the Fear of Thinking Freely

LIVE THE HELL OUT OF LIFE, THEN ALL THAT REMAINS FOR US IS HEAVEN - I came up with that motto yesterday. What do you think? :-)

We are in the habit of giving to what we feel a form of expression which differs so much from, and which we nevertheless after a little time take to be, reality itself.
~ Marcel Proust

I've loved that quote from the moment I read it a couple years ago in the book How Proust Can Change Your Life by Alain de Botton. How often do we continue passing on mere words that do not mean anything in and of themselves? We toss phrases around without questioning, but what do those words actually mean in a practical sense?

And about Cliches, Alaine de Botton writes:

We are obliged to create our own language because there are dimensions to ourselves absent from clichés, which require us to flout etiquette in order to convey with greater accuracy the distinctive timbre of our thought.

I apologize to those who have already heard this from me for being redundant; but honestly, aren't most of us mere followers and repeaters of what the majority believes, says, or does? We make assumptions and build belief systems based on ambiguity. If the majority claims something to be true, shall we blindly accept that to be our own truth? Do we not have our own brains?

Is it laziness? Perhaps. My mother tells me, "Most people do not have the luxury to think; they are too busy putting food on the table." Uh... okay... Then why do we exist? I ask. If, hypothetically speaking, all we were meant to do was go through the repetition of work, eat, and sleep until we die (without complaining, mind you), then why bother?

I suggest that perhaps the phrase "created in God's image" is meant to speak to our creative mind. Humans need to think and create freely. Our intelligence is what separates us from other living things. If we don't allow ourselves the freedom to use our minds to constantly ask questions, explore, and create, then we are no different than the other creatures on earth that are only motivated by their biological needs.

I insist that using our creativity is just as vital to the survival of the human race as metabolism and reproduction. What fun is life if we are not continually entertained with our own ability at making things come to life? A machine can be programmed to mimic and repeat. It takes a human being to be original and create something from nothing. Conformity will be the death of creation.

Marcel Proust also said:

Our vanity, our passions, our spirit of imitation, our abstract intelligence, our habits have long been at work, and it is the task of art to undo this work of theirs, making us travel back in the direction from which we have come to the depths where what has really existed lies unknown within us.

There is an artist, a creator, that lives in each of us. The way I see it, that makes life worth living. Let's live the hell out of life!!

Yay!

HILLIGraphy - Seeds for the Soul

Some HILLIGraphy for you as food for thought:

Because it desperately needs to perceive separation, the ego has a very limited capacity to love.

For this very same reason, however, it also has a very great capacity to be afraid.

If the ego is involved, then the love around it is always conditional.

We can't unconditionally love anyone we either need or resist.

We should sing with them...not cling to them.

From the book Seeds for the Soul by Chuck Hillig

To spread joy, you have to have it

I am a huge fan of Alan Watts. During our long drive to Florida and back over Christmas vacation, I listened to several CDs from one of his lecture series. I usually find every point he makes to be thought-provoking and worthy of hours of pondering, and I wanted to share the following thought which I think would be wonderful for us to start off the New Year with:

To spread joy, you have to have it.
To impart delight, yo have to more or less be delightful.
To be delightful is to do things that are delightful to you. You thereby become delightful to others.

People who are interesting are people who are interested. Because they are fascinated with other things and people, they become a fascinating person. A person who does not think about anyone else and has very little going on inside their skull is boring. In other words, your engagement with the external world -- the more you are involved, the more your personality is enriched.

Oh, and one more thought to ponder ~
Watts quoted the following statement from a letter written by a Japanese Zen master:

The sound of the falling rain needs no translation.

Don't you think that fits so perfectly with my #1 motto: RES IPSA LOQUITUR (as written in a previous post)?

Reflection (Part 2)

RES IPSA LOQUITUR - The thing that speaks for itself

RES IPSA LOQUITUR was my #1 motto for the year 2008. This is a legal phrase most often used to describe evidence in a court room. When I learned this phrase, I immediately wanted to make it mine. I wanted to become the thing that speaks for itself. To be genuine. To wear no masks. To be "naked and unashamed," - a good friend taught me this phrase and what it means. (Being naked refers to revealing our true identities and our vulnerabilities... our human-ness) (so get your mind out of the gutter!) ;)

Although the words naked and unashamed used together in one phrase seem oxymoronic, I did my best to stand as I am without shame in all sorts of situations **cringe**. And I stand here before you, still alive and still naked. Well, no one can possibly be absolutely naked and show ALL of who they are, as there are two sides to every human being (a la Carl Jung). However, this year, I did jump off many cliffs of fear.

SAPERE AUDE - Dare to think

I adopted this as my #2 motto. This seems to be a no-brainer. However, free thinking does not come as easily as one might expect. We generally put too much trust in the experts, the media, and the majority. It is easier to let someone else do the thinking for us. It has become important to me to question everything and not take anything at face value. I decided not to be afraid to explore other views. Things are not always what they seem or what others may claim.

The subject of spirituality is one of those things. I've thought/pondered/struggled through so much in my spiritual journey for the past two years that it's a wonder I'm still considered sane. Why do I have such a fondness for atheists? It's not because I'm trying to save their souls, and it's not because I'm unsure of my own spiritual beliefs (although I do constantly check and recheck where I stand). I have a heart for them because I used to judge them. They've taught me so much in the past 15 months and turned my judgment into respect. I respect the atheists/skeptics I've befriended because most of them are not afraid to question and challenge pre-existing ideas and beliefs, even their own. And NO! Being accepting of other views does not infect your own. Things you fear (homosexuality is another example) are not evil monsters that are waiting to swallow you up. It's the fear itself that becomes the blinders which impair our vision.

So... those of you reading this who happen to be the judgmental or closed-minded types: keep your fears in check and come out of your cozy little comfort zones to see what other views can do for your growth!!

NON SEQUITUR - Does not follow

This has become my #3 motto. Others use this phrase to describe something that is out of place... something that does not belong. I use it to describe myself... my uniqueness and my quirkiness... the fact that I never seem to quite fit in anywhere. I lived most of my life resenting this fact and being ashamed of it. I strived most of my life trying to be like everyone else, someone else, anyone else other than myself. But with the help of everything that has transpired in the last few years (especially the year 2008) and everyone who have been my teachers through it all, I have learned (and still learning) to be perfectly okay with the fact that I am NON SEQUITUR in every group. It is not something to run away from but something to embrace and cherish.

I've spent most of 2008 trying to actually become these phrases. I have not succeeded 100% of the time, but there is a definite transformation. After all, life is a work in progress, is it not?

ADDENDUM: It's funny how letting go and allowing yourself to say "yes" to everything (as I learned from my friend, Chuck Hillig) and leaning in to the process of life gives you a better view of everything.

Reflection (Part 1)

I have been neglecting my blogs. I have not been very inspired to write many posts. We are nearing the end of 2008, and the things that once seemed so vital to me are starting to look somewhat... well... trivial. I'm breathing deeply and waiting for it (this mood) to pass.

With three days left in the year 2008, I am reflecting back and taking inventory of what I have gained and what I have lost:

At the end of 2007, I saw a star with an orange glow next to the moon. It was Mars. It fed my ongoing fascination with things unknown and unseen yet very much real. I am awed by the fact that it was an atheist who showed it to me. This person subsequently became my close friend and my astronomy teacher. All new things I learn (even from those who do not believe) bring me closer to my God. The irony in that is beyond my comprehension. But that is what makes me excited about life... the existence of endless possibilities that are beyond my comprehension.

My knowledge that every new knowledge I gain makes room for even more unknown things to be explored...gives me comfort. Remember Jesus feeding 5,000 men? I think the five loaves and two fish could have kept feeding and feeding. If there were more people, more would have been fed. To me, the meaning of the story is not just about food... and it's not just about the 5,000 -but the possibility of the numbers beyond the 5,000.

That's all for now. Later, I will write about three Latin phrases that made an impact on my life in 2008. And the difference between doing and being.

Procrastination is not always such a bad thing...

I should be doing something else... I should always be doing something else.

I had a long list of things to do today; but when my daughter suggested that I should let her skip morning classes and take her to lunch, I could not resist. I wrote one of the several excuses that we use for tardiness or absence:

"K is tardy this morning due to mental cramps."

I write the word "mental" scriggly and somewhat illegible so the unsuspecting reader would assume the word to be "menstral." That way, it's not a lie and still looks like a legitimate excuse.

We took off for the mall, made a quick shopping stop, and then ate lunch at our favorite Thai restaurant. Extra spicy. Sweat, tears, laughs, and water...lots of water. We had the most relaxing and wonderful time...and we were both fully aware that it was special.

It's amazing how much more we enjoy ourselves and appreciate the moment when we know we should be doing something else. When we're putting off what we should be doing but, instead, choose to do this thing with this person (whatever, whoever that happens to be)... we're willing to recognize it as a special gift that it is and relish in it.

I dropped her off at school for her afternoon classes, and I still cannot get back on track with my list of things to do...

There's always tomorrow, no?

Poetry, anyone??

Feeling a little poetic today...

This poem always comes to mind when I'm feeling like the oddball playing by a different set of rules:

DEAR FRIENDS

Dear friends, reproach me not for what I do,
Nor counsel me, nor pity me; nor say
That I am wearing half my life away
For bubble-work that only fools pursue.
And if my bubbles be too small for you,
Blow bigger then your own:—the games we play
To fill the frittered minutes of a day,
Good glasses are to read the spirit through.

And whoso reads may get him some shrewd skill;
And some unprofitable scorn resign,
To praise the very thing that he deplores:—
So friends (dear friends), remember, if you will,
The shame I win for singing is all mine,
The gold I miss for dreaming is all yours.

~ Edwin Arlington Robinson

----------------------------------------

And I was introduced to this Richard Feynman speech by Hugo several months back... It makes me think. Who would've thought that you can find poetry in a speech written by a scientist?

Humanity - Our need for opposing views

Chinese characters are a large part of the Korean culture. When I was growing up in Korea, students began learning the Chinese characters in middle school, as it is an extremely complex form of writing. My family moved to the United States just before I entered middle school, and I never had the opportunity to learn more than the very basic. Now as an adult and perhpas because my dominant function is "N" (iNtuition), I am fascinated by the Chinese language, as well as other ancient languages, such as Latin, Greek, Hebrew... They are so very rich in history and meaning beyond what is apparent and obvious.


This is the Chinese character for man...as in human. It looks like two sticks leaning up against each other. It evolved from the original symbol which used to resemble a stick figure of a man. The portion that made up the lower body is the character you see today. The Chinese characters are used by many Asian cultures in their written language in addition to their own. When a word needs clarification in meaning, they refer to the Chinese characters.

The Japanese culture highly values teamwork and cooperation more so than any other Asian culture that I know of. The Japanese children are taught this character with the explanation that no man can stand on his own without the support of other human beings. People need to lean on and support each other, just as the two sticks support each other in this character for the word human.

As I was reading a favorite controversial blog this morning (the subject is irrelevant here), something dawned on me. I began to ponder about our need for opposition. Perhaps what makes us strong and what plays a crucial role in supporting us does not always come from the same side. The two sticks stand and lean against each other from opposite sides. They cannot support each other from the same side. Both would fall.

What provides us with balance, harmony, and growth may come from places completely unexpected. It may be the thing that we fight to get rid of, the thing that we kick and scream against, the thing that is the thorn in our side that actually helps us to thrive.

Something to think about...

Eastern philosophies and the "N" preference

I was telling a friend today that I'm having a Wabi-sabi day. When I use the word Wabi-sabi, I have a picture in my mind of what that looks like/feels like. But to explain it? That's an entirely different story. It sort of means: nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... It's kind of like that ironic "in-between" feeling of soothing melancholy...? ummm... it is the beauty of sad/content resignation...? See? I cannot explain it. You just have to understand it for yourself.

I think there may be a connection between the "N" (iNtuitive) preference (espcially as a dominent function) and the concepts of Eastern philosophies, such as Zen Buddhism and Tao Te Ching.

One who knows others is intelligent
One who knows himself is enlightened

One who conquers others is strong
One who conquers himself is all-powerful

One who approaches life with force
surely gets something
One who remains content where he is
surely gets everything

One who gives himself to his position
surely lives long
One who gives himself to Tao
surely lives forever

~ Tao Te Ching, verse 33

I must explain that I'm not talking about religion here. I just want to illustrate how the Eastern philosophy seems to have an N perspective. Here's another verse:

One who gives freely and without attachment
gets full life in return

One who gives with the secret hope of getting
is merely engaged in business

Truly, they neither give nor receive
any of the treasure from this world below Heaven

~ Tao Te Ching, verse 48

What goes around comes around

Chuck Hillig sent this story to me that he received from a friend. You may have heard it before, but it really is a good story. It reminds me of Leo Tolstoy's short story called Three Questions (another great story): :-)

His name was Fleming, and he was a poor Scottish farmer. One day, while trying to make a living for his family, he heard a cry for help coming from a nearby bog. He dropped his tools and ran to the bog.

There, mired to his waist in black muck, was a terrified boy, screaming and struggling to free himself. Farmer Fleming saved the lad from what could have been a slow and terrifying death.

The next day, a fancy carriage pulled up to the Scotsman's sparse surroundings. An elegantly dressed nobleman stepped out and introduced himself as the father of the boy Farmer Fleming had saved.

“I want to repay you,” said the nobleman. “You saved my son's life.”

“No, I can't accept payment for what I did,” the Scottish farmer replied waving off the offer. At that moment, the farmer's own son came to the door of the family hovel.

“Is that your son?” the nobleman asked.

“Yes,” the farmer replied proudly.

“I'll make you a deal. Let me provide him with the level of education my own son will enjoy If the lad is anything like his father, he'll no doubt grow to be a man we both will be proud of.”

And that he did.

Farmer Fleming's son attended the very best schools and in time, graduated from St. Mary's Hospital Medical School in London, and went on to become known throughout the world as the noted Sir Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of Penicillin.

Many years afterward, the same nobleman's son who had been saved from the bog was stricken with pneumonia.

What saved his life this time? Penicillin.

The name of the nobleman? Lord Randolph Churchill. His son's name? Sir Winston Churchill.

Some things to remember:

What goes around comes around.

Work like you don't need the money.

Love like you've never been hurt.

Dance like nobody's watching.

Sing like nobody's listening.

Live like it's Heaven on Earth.

HILLIGraphy - "Seven questions to change your life"

Seven Questions to Change Your Life
By Chuck Hillig

The quality of your life is often determined by the quality of the questions that you ask yourself. Your inner mind is, quite literally, compelled to answer all of your questions….voiced and unvoiced…no matter how limiting or self-destructive those questions might be.

For example, if you’ve ever wondered, “Why don’t things ever work out for me?” you’re going to come up with a very different answer than you would have if you had asked yourself “How can I learn more about myself from what’s happening right now?”

And, if you’re foolish enough to ask yourself “Why am I such a loser,” your mind (in its infinite love for you) will dutifully come up with a list of all of the reasons why you are, in fact, “a loser”…even if it has to make those reasons up! You see, phrasing the question like that subtly implies that you’re already a loser, and now you’re just trying to discover “why.” Your mind is constructed to automatically support and validate all of your inner beliefs. In short, its prime directive is to make your perceptions about yourself and the world “right.” Avoid asking questions that only serve to contract your soul and harden your heart.

Whenever you have some quiet time, here are other questions for you to ask yourself:

1) “What are the five things that I value most in my life?” List them in their order of importance. You might be surprised which one shows up on top.

2) “What are the three most important goals in my life right now?” When you write them down, be sure to notice any difference between your stated goals and how you are actually living your life out on a day-to-day basis.

3) “If I won 100 million dollars in the next PowerBall lottery, how would I change my life?” This answer will tell you a lot about your selfishness, compassion and values.

4) “How would I spend my remaining time if I knew for certain that I would die exactly six months from today?” Would you travel to some place special? Hang out with family and friends? Become more spiritual?

5) “What kind of work would I do if I had that 100 million dollars mentioned above, but was still obliged to do some kind of 8-hour a day job in order to have access to it?” Maybe the answer to that question will tell you more about your true passion in life.

6) “What activities in my younger years gave me the greatest feeling of freedom, importance and satisfaction?” Are you still participating in any of them? How do you stop yourself from enjoying those same activities right now?

7) Here’s my favorite: “What’s the one thing that I’d do in (and with) my life if I absolutely knew for certain that I couldn’t possibly fail?”

Asked with an open heart and without any expectations, these seven questions will unlock further treasures of self-awareness.