"We ate well and cheaply and drank well and cheaply and slept well and warm together and loved each other. "
-- Ernest Hemingway. A Moveable Feast.
Eating well, drinking well, sleeping well and loving -- throw in "reading" and you've got the formula for the perfectly simple life.
And yet, we spend our precious time chasing after Hummers (of both kinds), Mc Mansions, ginoromous flat screen TVs, cell phones that can play music, take pictures, shoot and run videos, text, surf the web, IM, and trim your toenails, all simultaneously -- thinking that we need all this crap to enhance the quality of our lives!
Want a mantra that's rooted in reality? Repeat after me: Slow down and simplify. Do the basics of life well, cheaply and joyfully, and the rest of life will take care of itself.
Why complicate things?
There's not much more to say. Try it and see.
The Reality of Prayer
"I found that prayer works alot better with big players."
-- Knute Rockne
Is here anything that's more of a waste of time than prayers of petition? OK, maybe watching Survivor, American Idol, or any other reality show you can name, but that's about it. In fact reality shows and petitionary prayer have about the same actual degree of reality -- none.
Do you think God really cares who wins a football game? Of course not. So why then would the Supreme Being, the Primordial Energy, the Operating Principle of the Universe care about your petty personal concerns? He/She/It doesn't.
God is not a person. God is Reality, Itself. God is not going to alter the course of What Is merely because your ego is offended by it. God is not going to intervene in what has lawfully transpired. It is up to you to align yourself with Reality; it is not up to God to rearrange Reality to suit you.
So make a resolution, actually two resolutions: Give up watching crap on TV and give up asking some super power to intervene and make the world different than it is. You want the world to be different? Use all the time you're saving by not watching televised bullshit and invest it in making the world a better place. True, your football team still may not win (especially if it's Notre Dame), and your cat may not be cured of kitty leukemia, but at least you'll be actively engaged on the playing field of life rather than enmeshed in a fantasy of being saved by some old, bearded daddy in the sky.
Big players have big ideas, big effort, big joy. And that all adds up to a big, a real BIG, life.
-- Knute Rockne
Is here anything that's more of a waste of time than prayers of petition? OK, maybe watching Survivor, American Idol, or any other reality show you can name, but that's about it. In fact reality shows and petitionary prayer have about the same actual degree of reality -- none.
Do you think God really cares who wins a football game? Of course not. So why then would the Supreme Being, the Primordial Energy, the Operating Principle of the Universe care about your petty personal concerns? He/She/It doesn't.
God is not a person. God is Reality, Itself. God is not going to alter the course of What Is merely because your ego is offended by it. God is not going to intervene in what has lawfully transpired. It is up to you to align yourself with Reality; it is not up to God to rearrange Reality to suit you.
So make a resolution, actually two resolutions: Give up watching crap on TV and give up asking some super power to intervene and make the world different than it is. You want the world to be different? Use all the time you're saving by not watching televised bullshit and invest it in making the world a better place. True, your football team still may not win (especially if it's Notre Dame), and your cat may not be cured of kitty leukemia, but at least you'll be actively engaged on the playing field of life rather than enmeshed in a fantasy of being saved by some old, bearded daddy in the sky.
Big players have big ideas, big effort, big joy. And that all adds up to a big, a real BIG, life.
Manners
"Defect in manners is usually the defect of fine perceptions."
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Manners seems like such a quaint subject. Outside of Judith Martin, aka Miss Manners, few people champion the use of manners in these post-modern times. I know all the arguments -- manners are old fashioned, they're phony, they're for old farts, they're irrelevant -- I was a teenage myself once and deftly spouted each attack on manners while feeling oh so self-righteous and sophisticated.
What Waldo (yea, he really preferred to be called Waldo) was wise enough to see is that manners have little to do with social convention and everything to do with the Divine. Huh? Here's the thing: When Waldo uses the term "fine perceptions" he's talking about our innate ability to see God in each and every person. Thus to not use the upmost manners in our dealings with one and all, is more than just a transgression of Emily Post's rules of modern etiquette, it is a slap in the face of God!
Waldo knew, as all true saints and sages of all times and all places have known, that each person is a holographic spark of Spirit. He recommended manners not as social constructs but as modes of worship. If Jesus was about to enter the 7 Eleven at the same time as you, wouldn't you at least hold the door for him? Every time that you, or anyone else, fails to respond to another in a mannerly way, it is because they fail to see that God is right in front of them! The postal clerk, the bus driver, the bag lady, the greedy CEO, the gangsta rapper, even the Governor of Illinois -- all sparks of spirit, all Divinity in drag.
That makes your spiritual practice oh so simple -- see God in everyone and act accordingly. Let manners flow from your "fine perceptions." Treat everyone the way that you'd treat Jesus at the race track, Buddha at the bakery, or Krishna in a cocktail lounge. Enlightened behavior, aka manners, grows out of seeing the Light in everyone.
-- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Manners seems like such a quaint subject. Outside of Judith Martin, aka Miss Manners, few people champion the use of manners in these post-modern times. I know all the arguments -- manners are old fashioned, they're phony, they're for old farts, they're irrelevant -- I was a teenage myself once and deftly spouted each attack on manners while feeling oh so self-righteous and sophisticated.
What Waldo (yea, he really preferred to be called Waldo) was wise enough to see is that manners have little to do with social convention and everything to do with the Divine. Huh? Here's the thing: When Waldo uses the term "fine perceptions" he's talking about our innate ability to see God in each and every person. Thus to not use the upmost manners in our dealings with one and all, is more than just a transgression of Emily Post's rules of modern etiquette, it is a slap in the face of God!
Waldo knew, as all true saints and sages of all times and all places have known, that each person is a holographic spark of Spirit. He recommended manners not as social constructs but as modes of worship. If Jesus was about to enter the 7 Eleven at the same time as you, wouldn't you at least hold the door for him? Every time that you, or anyone else, fails to respond to another in a mannerly way, it is because they fail to see that God is right in front of them! The postal clerk, the bus driver, the bag lady, the greedy CEO, the gangsta rapper, even the Governor of Illinois -- all sparks of spirit, all Divinity in drag.
That makes your spiritual practice oh so simple -- see God in everyone and act accordingly. Let manners flow from your "fine perceptions." Treat everyone the way that you'd treat Jesus at the race track, Buddha at the bakery, or Krishna in a cocktail lounge. Enlightened behavior, aka manners, grows out of seeing the Light in everyone.
Karma
"Viewed correctly, karma is a learning process rather than a punitive one. We get what we need in order to grow. As long as we regard ourselves as being punished, we are missing the point."
-- Robert Allen. Zen Reflections, page 51
Karma is simple -- action begets reaction. What you do produces results, and those results are aligned with the laws, or working principles, of the Universe.
There's no white-bearded Big Daddy in the sky sending either rewards or punishments your way. Karma's not personal at all. It's just the way this system we cal life works.
And as Big Bob Allen points out, karma is there to educate you. It's all about positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Certain actions produce positive results, others produce negative repercussions. The tricky part is that we don't always see the karmic results of our actions right away, and that's why it behooves us to become karmically sensitive.
What does "karmically sensitive" mean? It means that instead of waiting for results to manifest in the physical world, we feel the results of our actions within our souls, even as we are doing them! Certain acts promote Unity, bring us into alignment with the Universe, attune us to the Tao. Other acts rip apart the sacred threads that weave us together, produce dissension, separateness and strife. When you become sensitive to these movements within, you do not have to wait for outer results to confirm the karma you have set in motion.
You can leave morals, ethics and codes of conduct out of this whole discussion. Feeling karmic implications, and learning from them, begins not as a cognitive process but as an intuitive one. You need not attempt to follow any rules and regulations, you simply guide your behavior by the instant karmic feedback that you receive on the soul level. Miss those subtle intonations, however, and, don't worry, sooner or later, much larger, external results will grab your attention. Pay attention now, or pay later. It's up to you.
When the results are positive, when you're on a roll, go with it, enjoy it, and remember what works. When the results are negative, understand the behavior that initiated those painful results, and change it -- right now, next time, or whenever you can. From a learning perspective, the worst thing you can do is to blame others, make up some quack astrological explanation, or in other ways play the victim.
It's all karma! Don't believe me, experiment and see the results. Live from a level of complete responsibility, as if it's all karma, and keep a clear eye on what unfolds. Each and every moment a learning moment. The Universe partnering with you by giving you constant feedback. A grand adventure, a great game! What could be better than that?
-- Robert Allen. Zen Reflections, page 51
Karma is simple -- action begets reaction. What you do produces results, and those results are aligned with the laws, or working principles, of the Universe.
There's no white-bearded Big Daddy in the sky sending either rewards or punishments your way. Karma's not personal at all. It's just the way this system we cal life works.
And as Big Bob Allen points out, karma is there to educate you. It's all about positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Certain actions produce positive results, others produce negative repercussions. The tricky part is that we don't always see the karmic results of our actions right away, and that's why it behooves us to become karmically sensitive.
What does "karmically sensitive" mean? It means that instead of waiting for results to manifest in the physical world, we feel the results of our actions within our souls, even as we are doing them! Certain acts promote Unity, bring us into alignment with the Universe, attune us to the Tao. Other acts rip apart the sacred threads that weave us together, produce dissension, separateness and strife. When you become sensitive to these movements within, you do not have to wait for outer results to confirm the karma you have set in motion.
You can leave morals, ethics and codes of conduct out of this whole discussion. Feeling karmic implications, and learning from them, begins not as a cognitive process but as an intuitive one. You need not attempt to follow any rules and regulations, you simply guide your behavior by the instant karmic feedback that you receive on the soul level. Miss those subtle intonations, however, and, don't worry, sooner or later, much larger, external results will grab your attention. Pay attention now, or pay later. It's up to you.
When the results are positive, when you're on a roll, go with it, enjoy it, and remember what works. When the results are negative, understand the behavior that initiated those painful results, and change it -- right now, next time, or whenever you can. From a learning perspective, the worst thing you can do is to blame others, make up some quack astrological explanation, or in other ways play the victim.
It's all karma! Don't believe me, experiment and see the results. Live from a level of complete responsibility, as if it's all karma, and keep a clear eye on what unfolds. Each and every moment a learning moment. The Universe partnering with you by giving you constant feedback. A grand adventure, a great game! What could be better than that?
Fun!
"Fun is my revenge against mortality."
-- Dustin Hoffman
You can't control the length of your life, but you have a lot of influence over the quality of it. You, yes you, can choose to have fun!
What a concept! I'm amazed at how many people have seemingly never thought of it. They pass through life like drones on autopilot, rarely doing anything that's really fun. They mope along, complain about the weather, engage in soulless work, act like other people are invisible, and wonder why there life is so boring and drab.
What's fun? Well, it's different for each one. Make a list "10 Fun Things That I Really Like to Do." On my list is tennis, swimming, reading, talking with friends, browsing used book stores, sex... you get the picture. Then do at least one of those things each day. And on the best days -- do nothing but those things!
Keep the list handy and add to it. I'm sure there are a lot more than 10 things you find fun, so why not keep a running tally? Then when life seems like it's attempting to crowd out fun with a bunch of unfun crap, you can do a quick perusal of your list and get on with having fun, post haste.
Think you're already a pretty fun dude or dudette? Then here's the curriculum for the graduate level fun seminar -- find a way to make everything that you have to do fun! You know things like work, visit your mother-in-law, go to the dentist, have a colonoscopy, die, etc., etc.
Don't worry, you won't become shallow simply by living a life of fun. Life will still throw you some challenges, and you will meet them, and they won't all be fun. But on your average day, on most days, you, like Dustin, can have your revenge against life's silly shortness by filling whatever minutes, months, and years you are given with fun, fun, fun! Even when that big, metaphorical, daddy-in-the-sky takes the T-bird away.
-- Dustin Hoffman
You can't control the length of your life, but you have a lot of influence over the quality of it. You, yes you, can choose to have fun!
What a concept! I'm amazed at how many people have seemingly never thought of it. They pass through life like drones on autopilot, rarely doing anything that's really fun. They mope along, complain about the weather, engage in soulless work, act like other people are invisible, and wonder why there life is so boring and drab.
What's fun? Well, it's different for each one. Make a list "10 Fun Things That I Really Like to Do." On my list is tennis, swimming, reading, talking with friends, browsing used book stores, sex... you get the picture. Then do at least one of those things each day. And on the best days -- do nothing but those things!
Keep the list handy and add to it. I'm sure there are a lot more than 10 things you find fun, so why not keep a running tally? Then when life seems like it's attempting to crowd out fun with a bunch of unfun crap, you can do a quick perusal of your list and get on with having fun, post haste.
Think you're already a pretty fun dude or dudette? Then here's the curriculum for the graduate level fun seminar -- find a way to make everything that you have to do fun! You know things like work, visit your mother-in-law, go to the dentist, have a colonoscopy, die, etc., etc.
Don't worry, you won't become shallow simply by living a life of fun. Life will still throw you some challenges, and you will meet them, and they won't all be fun. But on your average day, on most days, you, like Dustin, can have your revenge against life's silly shortness by filling whatever minutes, months, and years you are given with fun, fun, fun! Even when that big, metaphorical, daddy-in-the-sky takes the T-bird away.
Celebrate Daily!
"Neurotics depend on holidays, weekends and days off. Those who cultivate appreciation celebrate daily."
-- A. Sujata
Christmas is but one day. As is Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. At least with Hanukkah you get a whole week! But still, the days we set aside to celebrate and appreciate life are few and far between.
What about a glorious Tuesday in October, or frozen, sleet-filled Thursday in February? Aren't those days worth celebrating and appreciating, as well?
I've got this theory that Tuesday is, for most people, the most boring, blase day of the week. Wednesday is Hump Day, at least, and Thursday is just a day away from Friday. (And, hell, if you're in college, Thursday is the start of the weekend!). Tuesday, though, is all but forgotten and unappreciated. If you can enjoy Tuesdays, if you can have one helluva good time each time Tuesday rolls around on the calendar, then you're well on your way to living a life of gratitude and joy!
It's easy, though, to go through life on autopilot, especially when you indulge in routine, boring, and uninspiring activities. But sometimes, the activities themselves are not to blame -- it is the routine, boring, and uninspired mindset that you bring to the activities.
You can remedy this sad state of affairs by making change from the inside out, from the outside in, or both. Every yogi worth his loin cloth has told us "change your mind, change your life." And, of course, it's true. The consciousness you bring to an act greatly influences the amount of joy you receive from the act.
But the opposite is also true -- change your actions, change your mind. Doing things that you have a natural predilection for, an inherent attunement with, also produces joy and raises your consciousness.
The assignment is simple -- find something to celebrate today. And tomorrow, and the next day, and on and on, each day an attitude of gratitude and another celebration. Don't let your boss, your calendar, or your social group determine the days on which you can appreciate and celebrate life! Living for the weekend means 70% of your time is spent waiting to live!
Celebrate now!
-- A. Sujata
Christmas is but one day. As is Easter, Independence Day, Thanksgiving and Memorial Day. At least with Hanukkah you get a whole week! But still, the days we set aside to celebrate and appreciate life are few and far between.
What about a glorious Tuesday in October, or frozen, sleet-filled Thursday in February? Aren't those days worth celebrating and appreciating, as well?
I've got this theory that Tuesday is, for most people, the most boring, blase day of the week. Wednesday is Hump Day, at least, and Thursday is just a day away from Friday. (And, hell, if you're in college, Thursday is the start of the weekend!). Tuesday, though, is all but forgotten and unappreciated. If you can enjoy Tuesdays, if you can have one helluva good time each time Tuesday rolls around on the calendar, then you're well on your way to living a life of gratitude and joy!
It's easy, though, to go through life on autopilot, especially when you indulge in routine, boring, and uninspiring activities. But sometimes, the activities themselves are not to blame -- it is the routine, boring, and uninspired mindset that you bring to the activities.
You can remedy this sad state of affairs by making change from the inside out, from the outside in, or both. Every yogi worth his loin cloth has told us "change your mind, change your life." And, of course, it's true. The consciousness you bring to an act greatly influences the amount of joy you receive from the act.
But the opposite is also true -- change your actions, change your mind. Doing things that you have a natural predilection for, an inherent attunement with, also produces joy and raises your consciousness.
The assignment is simple -- find something to celebrate today. And tomorrow, and the next day, and on and on, each day an attitude of gratitude and another celebration. Don't let your boss, your calendar, or your social group determine the days on which you can appreciate and celebrate life! Living for the weekend means 70% of your time is spent waiting to live!
Celebrate now!
Giving
"Complete possession is proved only by giving. All you are unable to give possesses you."
-- Andre Gide
It's the season of giving. Well, shopping, actually. We shop to have something to give, but what if we all just gave from what we already have? Whoopee -- a ginormous festival of re-gifting!
Look around you: What are you willing to give away? Can you think of people who might want what you're willing to give? There's no time like the present. Test the waters; try one item. Give it to someone and see how you feel.
Now the harder question: What are you not willing to part with? In other words, what do you possess that is, in reality, possessing you?
I'm not saying that you should give away all the things to which you're most attached. As they say in India -- "You can't rip the skin off a snake." What I am saying is that it might actually be freeing to give up your attachment to your most cherished possessions. Then, if you can't fit them in the coffin for the final leg of your long, strange trip, you won't be so damned disappointed! And, if just perchance, between now and then, the just right person ambles long at the just right time, you can give the lucky winner some of your super-prized stuff.
Stuff is just coagulated energy, anyway. Molecules vibrating at a certain rate. Temporary at best. You can keep the energy that surrounds stuff moving by passing items along. Passing them along also keeps the energy of reciprocity moving between you and the rest of the world. It's always best to go with a good karmic flow. You get the picture.
Giving. Giving without expectation of return. Freely letting go of whatever comes your way. None of the constipation that usually accompanies materialism. Just a river of stuff flowing freely by. A river nobody owns. A river full of surprises.
Cast your offerings upon the water.
-- Andre Gide
It's the season of giving. Well, shopping, actually. We shop to have something to give, but what if we all just gave from what we already have? Whoopee -- a ginormous festival of re-gifting!
Look around you: What are you willing to give away? Can you think of people who might want what you're willing to give? There's no time like the present. Test the waters; try one item. Give it to someone and see how you feel.
Now the harder question: What are you not willing to part with? In other words, what do you possess that is, in reality, possessing you?
I'm not saying that you should give away all the things to which you're most attached. As they say in India -- "You can't rip the skin off a snake." What I am saying is that it might actually be freeing to give up your attachment to your most cherished possessions. Then, if you can't fit them in the coffin for the final leg of your long, strange trip, you won't be so damned disappointed! And, if just perchance, between now and then, the just right person ambles long at the just right time, you can give the lucky winner some of your super-prized stuff.
Stuff is just coagulated energy, anyway. Molecules vibrating at a certain rate. Temporary at best. You can keep the energy that surrounds stuff moving by passing items along. Passing them along also keeps the energy of reciprocity moving between you and the rest of the world. It's always best to go with a good karmic flow. You get the picture.
Giving. Giving without expectation of return. Freely letting go of whatever comes your way. None of the constipation that usually accompanies materialism. Just a river of stuff flowing freely by. A river nobody owns. A river full of surprises.
Cast your offerings upon the water.
Beyond Sentimentality
"If I were God, I certainly wouldn't want people to love me sentimentally. It's too unreliable."
-- Teddy in J.D. Salinger's short story "Teddy"
In our culture we too often mistake sentimentality for love. We almost universally equate attachment with love.
Love is neither sentimentality nor attachment. Love is ruthless! Love is totally fierce and unconditional. It is a blazing fire, not a warm bath.
True love is not even an emotion -- it is a state of consciousness. It is a state of heart-on-fire, unconditional positive regard. It requires nothing in response, nothing in return. Love is never bartered or exchanged, it is always given freely, almost uncontrollably.
In a certain state of consciousness, at a certain point in time, you realize that love is the only rational way to approach everyone, to approach life. You don't pick and choose whom to love -- you either love all or none at all. You become love rather than give love.
And in that sense, you become God. A simple equation: God = love. You are love. You=God. Quit blushing! You knew it all along, you were just so willing to play along with the prevalent mindset that sees us all as separate sinners. Who knows why? Thank God, those days are over.
So, now, it's all about love. Love for God. Love for everyone. Love for yourself. No discrimination. Only love. Here, there; now, everywhere. What else is there? Nothing. Just love.
-- Teddy in J.D. Salinger's short story "Teddy"
In our culture we too often mistake sentimentality for love. We almost universally equate attachment with love.
Love is neither sentimentality nor attachment. Love is ruthless! Love is totally fierce and unconditional. It is a blazing fire, not a warm bath.
True love is not even an emotion -- it is a state of consciousness. It is a state of heart-on-fire, unconditional positive regard. It requires nothing in response, nothing in return. Love is never bartered or exchanged, it is always given freely, almost uncontrollably.
In a certain state of consciousness, at a certain point in time, you realize that love is the only rational way to approach everyone, to approach life. You don't pick and choose whom to love -- you either love all or none at all. You become love rather than give love.
And in that sense, you become God. A simple equation: God = love. You are love. You=God. Quit blushing! You knew it all along, you were just so willing to play along with the prevalent mindset that sees us all as separate sinners. Who knows why? Thank God, those days are over.
So, now, it's all about love. Love for God. Love for everyone. Love for yourself. No discrimination. Only love. Here, there; now, everywhere. What else is there? Nothing. Just love.
Collaborators in Creation
"Our duty, as men and women, is to proceed as if limits to our ability did not exist. We are collaborators in creation."
-- Teilhard de Chardin
Who truly knows their own limits? No one. Sure, you may know that you can't run a four minute mile, but, hell, you probably don't want to anyway! Likely, though, there are many more things that you really do want to do, and can do, but you limit yourself from doing them simply because you have failed to adopt the "as if" philosophy. Proceeding "as if limits do our ability do not exist" produces results that far exceed what we could predict through rational analysis. And if that is so when we speak of the individual, just think how much more we can expand beyond our supposed limits when we're working together!
Alot of the New Age books have it at least half wrong -- you do not create your own reality! You co-create your experience of the world by collaborating with others, with natural laws, with The Divine. It's not about manifesting the perfect parking space or creating a multi-million dollar income. It's about joyfully working, playing and living in concert with the One and all.
To truly do that, you must transcend the ego -- both its boundaries and it's pride. Being a collaborator in creation is no big deal. It's just what people do -- whether they know it or not. Doing it consciously is the trick. That, and being detached from the results.
Zen has ben defined as "doing your damndest without giving a damn." That is both the paradox, and the mindset, that we're talking about here. No self-imposed limits, no attachment to results. Collaborating with the Universe! Who knows what will happen?
-- Teilhard de Chardin
Who truly knows their own limits? No one. Sure, you may know that you can't run a four minute mile, but, hell, you probably don't want to anyway! Likely, though, there are many more things that you really do want to do, and can do, but you limit yourself from doing them simply because you have failed to adopt the "as if" philosophy. Proceeding "as if limits do our ability do not exist" produces results that far exceed what we could predict through rational analysis. And if that is so when we speak of the individual, just think how much more we can expand beyond our supposed limits when we're working together!
Alot of the New Age books have it at least half wrong -- you do not create your own reality! You co-create your experience of the world by collaborating with others, with natural laws, with The Divine. It's not about manifesting the perfect parking space or creating a multi-million dollar income. It's about joyfully working, playing and living in concert with the One and all.
To truly do that, you must transcend the ego -- both its boundaries and it's pride. Being a collaborator in creation is no big deal. It's just what people do -- whether they know it or not. Doing it consciously is the trick. That, and being detached from the results.
Zen has ben defined as "doing your damndest without giving a damn." That is both the paradox, and the mindset, that we're talking about here. No self-imposed limits, no attachment to results. Collaborating with the Universe! Who knows what will happen?
Too Good to Be True
"Something for nothing. It never loses its charm."
-- Michael Lewis
We all harbor that deep wish that someday the world will just be handed to us on a half shell. Something for nothing seems just about as good as it gets.
But back here in reality nobody gets it. Nobody gets something for nothing, and nobody gets that there is no something for nothing to be gotten.
And so, writing in Portfolio magazine on the current financial meltdown, Michael Lewis made the astute comment quoted above.
But it's not just in the world of finance that we hope for something for nothing; it's endemic in all parts of our culture. People think they can have perfect relationships without investing any attention in other people. We but lottery tickets by the gobzillions hoping the lottery gods will smile upon us and grant us instant wealth. We join churches and religious groups that promise a brand of salvation that doesn't require any real spiritual growth-- we only have to believe in ancient myths and magic.
Whether it's in the arena of finance, career, relationships, family, fitness, spirituality, or any other aspect of life that you can name, something for nothing is always a lie. And the sad thing is, we know that. We know it deep down in our bones. And yet we keep being seduced by our own greed, seduced into blindly believing that the laws of the Universe will be suspended, just this one time, and we will be handed (no work required, no strings attached) that illusive pot of gold.
If we persist in thinking like that, the only thing we're ever handed is our own ass (or head) on a platter! Something for nothing is as big a myth as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, compassionate Republicans, and hookers with hearts of gold, all rolled into one! Just because Joseph Campbell was able to make a good living off of myths doesn't mean you're going to be able to as well.
True, hard work is not always rewarded either. I'm not suggesting that you approach life with testosterone-fueled, ball-busting, nose-to-the-grindstone intensity. What I am suggesting is that you let go of greed and delusion and do those things in life that bring you the most pure joy right here, right now. Don't wait for those mythical rewards, be they from the lottery, from heaven, or from the stock market.
Do those things that intrinsically make your soul sing, and let the rewards fall where they may. Just because you're not pursuing something for nothing, or working yourself into an early grave, does not mean that good things won't come your way. They may, they may not. Either way you will be living days of joy, a life of bliss --- what could be better than that?
-- Michael Lewis
We all harbor that deep wish that someday the world will just be handed to us on a half shell. Something for nothing seems just about as good as it gets.
But back here in reality nobody gets it. Nobody gets something for nothing, and nobody gets that there is no something for nothing to be gotten.
And so, writing in Portfolio magazine on the current financial meltdown, Michael Lewis made the astute comment quoted above.
But it's not just in the world of finance that we hope for something for nothing; it's endemic in all parts of our culture. People think they can have perfect relationships without investing any attention in other people. We but lottery tickets by the gobzillions hoping the lottery gods will smile upon us and grant us instant wealth. We join churches and religious groups that promise a brand of salvation that doesn't require any real spiritual growth-- we only have to believe in ancient myths and magic.
Whether it's in the arena of finance, career, relationships, family, fitness, spirituality, or any other aspect of life that you can name, something for nothing is always a lie. And the sad thing is, we know that. We know it deep down in our bones. And yet we keep being seduced by our own greed, seduced into blindly believing that the laws of the Universe will be suspended, just this one time, and we will be handed (no work required, no strings attached) that illusive pot of gold.
If we persist in thinking like that, the only thing we're ever handed is our own ass (or head) on a platter! Something for nothing is as big a myth as Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, compassionate Republicans, and hookers with hearts of gold, all rolled into one! Just because Joseph Campbell was able to make a good living off of myths doesn't mean you're going to be able to as well.
True, hard work is not always rewarded either. I'm not suggesting that you approach life with testosterone-fueled, ball-busting, nose-to-the-grindstone intensity. What I am suggesting is that you let go of greed and delusion and do those things in life that bring you the most pure joy right here, right now. Don't wait for those mythical rewards, be they from the lottery, from heaven, or from the stock market.
Do those things that intrinsically make your soul sing, and let the rewards fall where they may. Just because you're not pursuing something for nothing, or working yourself into an early grave, does not mean that good things won't come your way. They may, they may not. Either way you will be living days of joy, a life of bliss --- what could be better than that?
No Purpose
"The highest purpose is to have no purpose at all. This puts one in accord with nature in her manner of operation."
-- John Cage
You can have any purpose you choose. Just realize that whatever purpose you do choose, it's all made up, it's all a game. God did not give you a purpose, nature did not give you a purpose. You have no higher calling. It's just you calling to your self. Metaphysical ventriloquism -- you putting words into the mouth of a Dummy Divine.
I guess having a purpose is suppose to make us feel better, give us a reason to get up in the morning. As if you had no purpose, you'd just lay in bed all day. Hell, you'd at least get up to pee, I hope.
Here's another perspective: Purposeless living is freeing. You go where you want to go, you do what you want to do, not in service of some overriding purpose, but merely because it brings you joy. A world of joyful people, what could be better than that? Surely not a world of grim, nose to the grindstone, purposeful people!
What if living is its own purpose? Like nature, just to be. Not to accomplish, not to collect, not to impress, not even to serve or to love -- just to live? What if you lived each day fully, authentically, no two days the same, without guiding purpose, clearly from the heart of now? What would happen? Want to find out?
Put down purpose. Pick up nothing. Be and see.
-- John Cage
You can have any purpose you choose. Just realize that whatever purpose you do choose, it's all made up, it's all a game. God did not give you a purpose, nature did not give you a purpose. You have no higher calling. It's just you calling to your self. Metaphysical ventriloquism -- you putting words into the mouth of a Dummy Divine.
I guess having a purpose is suppose to make us feel better, give us a reason to get up in the morning. As if you had no purpose, you'd just lay in bed all day. Hell, you'd at least get up to pee, I hope.
Here's another perspective: Purposeless living is freeing. You go where you want to go, you do what you want to do, not in service of some overriding purpose, but merely because it brings you joy. A world of joyful people, what could be better than that? Surely not a world of grim, nose to the grindstone, purposeful people!
What if living is its own purpose? Like nature, just to be. Not to accomplish, not to collect, not to impress, not even to serve or to love -- just to live? What if you lived each day fully, authentically, no two days the same, without guiding purpose, clearly from the heart of now? What would happen? Want to find out?
Put down purpose. Pick up nothing. Be and see.
Attuning to Happiness
"Happiness does not come and go, what comes and goes is your attunement to happiness."
-- Robert Holden
Imagine an amazing radio station, WHAP, that broadcasts at a strong and clear 1,000,000 watts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can get it anytime, anywhere, as long as you tune your dial to the right channel. If you forget to turn your radio on, or if you've got it on but tuned to another channel, say KRAP, you can't blame WHAP for not being there for you.
That's how happiness works -- it is sitting right there, available to you 24/7, all you have to do is attune yourself to it. Happiness, or joy, if you will, is the substratum of your consciousness, the default position in your psyche. Happiness is part and parcel of who you are, not something to be attained but something to be attuned to.
I know, if you grew up in Western culture, at an early age, you were probably handed that crock about "original sin." Hard to be happy when you're taught that you're born a lousy, stinkin' sinner! Now's the time to do what you eventually must do with every crock -- empty it. Pour that shit right down the toilet!
Happiness is a choice. Not always a magical "I think I'll be happy" and **poof** you are, kind of choice, but a choice nonetheless. Sometimes, even when you're unhappy, especially when you're unhappy, you must commit to combing that radio dial until you find WHAP once again. When you commit to happiness even in the midst of unhappiness, you are strengthening your ability to hone in on the happiness signal. You are increasing your odds of finding happiness sooner.
You see, happiness does not really depend upon external events. It doesn't depend upon you having all your desires met or achieving mega success. True happiness is an internal state. A state of being, not having. And it is always being within you.
One of the surest ways to experience happiness is to relax. Relax your demands upon yourself, relax your demands upon life. Let go of the "shoulds" and the "ought to's" and allow happiness to bubble up from within you. It is always available. It is always ready to rock your world. Tune out KRAP, tune in WHAP, and rock on!
-- Robert Holden
Imagine an amazing radio station, WHAP, that broadcasts at a strong and clear 1,000,000 watts 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can get it anytime, anywhere, as long as you tune your dial to the right channel. If you forget to turn your radio on, or if you've got it on but tuned to another channel, say KRAP, you can't blame WHAP for not being there for you.
That's how happiness works -- it is sitting right there, available to you 24/7, all you have to do is attune yourself to it. Happiness, or joy, if you will, is the substratum of your consciousness, the default position in your psyche. Happiness is part and parcel of who you are, not something to be attained but something to be attuned to.
I know, if you grew up in Western culture, at an early age, you were probably handed that crock about "original sin." Hard to be happy when you're taught that you're born a lousy, stinkin' sinner! Now's the time to do what you eventually must do with every crock -- empty it. Pour that shit right down the toilet!
Happiness is a choice. Not always a magical "I think I'll be happy" and **poof** you are, kind of choice, but a choice nonetheless. Sometimes, even when you're unhappy, especially when you're unhappy, you must commit to combing that radio dial until you find WHAP once again. When you commit to happiness even in the midst of unhappiness, you are strengthening your ability to hone in on the happiness signal. You are increasing your odds of finding happiness sooner.
You see, happiness does not really depend upon external events. It doesn't depend upon you having all your desires met or achieving mega success. True happiness is an internal state. A state of being, not having. And it is always being within you.
One of the surest ways to experience happiness is to relax. Relax your demands upon yourself, relax your demands upon life. Let go of the "shoulds" and the "ought to's" and allow happiness to bubble up from within you. It is always available. It is always ready to rock your world. Tune out KRAP, tune in WHAP, and rock on!
The Eternal Flow
"I feel myself so much a part of everything living that I am not the least concerned with the beginning or ending of the concrete existence of one person in this eternal flow."
-- Albert Einstein
Death happens. What happens after death is anyone's guess. What we do know is that life goes on. I die, you die, someone dies, in fact, everyone dies sooner or later, and still life goes on. And whether you know it, (like Einstein) or not (like Joe Sixpack) we're all a part of this eternal flow.
Kind of takes the pressure off, doesn't it? If we really feel our unity with all of life, death of one physical body, even our own physical body, means so little. Your obit today, lines the birdcage tomorrow.
And yet, I'm hardly fatalistic or pessimistic, just realistic. Recognizing our part in the eternal flow, now, while we're still alive, helps make life an enjoyable journey rather than a life or death battle. The purpose of life is not to see who can make the biggest splash in the eternal stream. If Einstein had not concocted his theory of relativity, someone else would have. The flow supercedes the individual, but in truth the individual is one with the flow. The size of the wave hardly matters -- we're all water.
So, lighten up! Better to feel your oneness with everything than to worry about death -- yours or anyone's. The ultimate accomplishment is not living long but living well, moment by moment, in the eternal flow.
-- Albert Einstein
Death happens. What happens after death is anyone's guess. What we do know is that life goes on. I die, you die, someone dies, in fact, everyone dies sooner or later, and still life goes on. And whether you know it, (like Einstein) or not (like Joe Sixpack) we're all a part of this eternal flow.
Kind of takes the pressure off, doesn't it? If we really feel our unity with all of life, death of one physical body, even our own physical body, means so little. Your obit today, lines the birdcage tomorrow.
And yet, I'm hardly fatalistic or pessimistic, just realistic. Recognizing our part in the eternal flow, now, while we're still alive, helps make life an enjoyable journey rather than a life or death battle. The purpose of life is not to see who can make the biggest splash in the eternal stream. If Einstein had not concocted his theory of relativity, someone else would have. The flow supercedes the individual, but in truth the individual is one with the flow. The size of the wave hardly matters -- we're all water.
So, lighten up! Better to feel your oneness with everything than to worry about death -- yours or anyone's. The ultimate accomplishment is not living long but living well, moment by moment, in the eternal flow.
Simple-minded
"Only simple minds can understand this complex problem called life."
-- A. Sujata
Simplicity unties, and transcends, complexity. A simple mind sees only what is. A complex mind sees the world through theories and fears, through strategies and desires, and always compares what is to what ought to be. When a complex mind meets a complex world, complexity is compounded exponentially.
At its core life is simple. On the surface, life appears complex. A complex mind becomes enmeshed in, and enamored by, surface details. A simple mind dives deep to the core, to the ocean floor, of life. From the depth of simplicity, understanding emerges.
To truly understand life you don't need to read more books, listen to more pundits, participate in religious ritual, or get another degree. All you need to do is sit quietly and allow your mind to become quiet, too. Hint: It may take awhile. But even as you wait for your mind-waves to subside, you will have moments of peace, flashes of clarity, times of understanding. The seas will shine like glass, and they will momentarily reflect the simplicity of reality.
I know, you're way too busy to sit quietly and do nothing. So, start with five minutes, stolen away, somewhere in the midst of your day. Breathe in, breathe out. Watch the loud, crashing waves of thought break on the shores of your mind. There's nothing to figure out, nothing to solve, nothing to put right -- at least for five minutes a day. And next week, maybe for ten.
Complex life, simple mind. Counterintuitive. You say, "It will never work." I say, "You never know until you try."
-- A. Sujata
Simplicity unties, and transcends, complexity. A simple mind sees only what is. A complex mind sees the world through theories and fears, through strategies and desires, and always compares what is to what ought to be. When a complex mind meets a complex world, complexity is compounded exponentially.
At its core life is simple. On the surface, life appears complex. A complex mind becomes enmeshed in, and enamored by, surface details. A simple mind dives deep to the core, to the ocean floor, of life. From the depth of simplicity, understanding emerges.
To truly understand life you don't need to read more books, listen to more pundits, participate in religious ritual, or get another degree. All you need to do is sit quietly and allow your mind to become quiet, too. Hint: It may take awhile. But even as you wait for your mind-waves to subside, you will have moments of peace, flashes of clarity, times of understanding. The seas will shine like glass, and they will momentarily reflect the simplicity of reality.
I know, you're way too busy to sit quietly and do nothing. So, start with five minutes, stolen away, somewhere in the midst of your day. Breathe in, breathe out. Watch the loud, crashing waves of thought break on the shores of your mind. There's nothing to figure out, nothing to solve, nothing to put right -- at least for five minutes a day. And next week, maybe for ten.
Complex life, simple mind. Counterintuitive. You say, "It will never work." I say, "You never know until you try."
Order
"The world is not to be put in order. The world is order incarnate. It is for us to put ourselves in unison with this order."
-- Henry Miller
The economy is in a tailspin, the environment is threatened, and Notre Dame is no longer a powerhouse football team -- what the hell is the world coming to? We all want to put the world back in order. Well, actually, most of us want somebody else to put the world back in order. Simple truth: It ain't going to happen. And the primary reason it ain't going to happen is that the current state of affairs is the exact order necessary, the only order possible, for this particular place and time.
Sure, things will change. And, depending upon your perspective, they will get better or worse. And that, too, will be in order.
The world is always perfect just the way it is. Not perfect in the sense that it is the exact way you think it should be, but perfect in the sense that it is the only way it can be. And if you want to work to change it, you will produce your best results by harmonizing with it first.
What does harmonizing or being "in unison with this order" mean? It merely means that you accept reality rather than battle it. You relax into what is and in so doing open to whatever may be. As Lao Tzu recommends, you flow with, rather than swim against, the Tao.
It's simple but not easy. Harmonizing requires that you give up all prejudices, judgments, thoughts, and beliefs that are not aligned with reality. Thoughts like "people should be kind" or beliefs like "companies need to respect the environment" or judgments like "Charlie Weis sucks," must all be jettisoned. Sure, you may have such thoughts, but don't attach to them, define yourself by them, or try and make reality conform to them.
In fact, the best thing you can do to be in unison with the implicit order of existence is to sit down and shut up. As you sit there, all the thoughts and emotions, all the beliefs and judgments, that fight against what is, will arise. Let them, and then let them go. The more space you create within your mind and heart, the more harmony you will find.
So, today, quit yer btchin'! Intuit the order of the Universe rather than rail against the supposed disorder. Experience the Unity while still respecting the diversity. The world won't magically change, but perhaps you will.
-- Henry Miller
The economy is in a tailspin, the environment is threatened, and Notre Dame is no longer a powerhouse football team -- what the hell is the world coming to? We all want to put the world back in order. Well, actually, most of us want somebody else to put the world back in order. Simple truth: It ain't going to happen. And the primary reason it ain't going to happen is that the current state of affairs is the exact order necessary, the only order possible, for this particular place and time.
Sure, things will change. And, depending upon your perspective, they will get better or worse. And that, too, will be in order.
The world is always perfect just the way it is. Not perfect in the sense that it is the exact way you think it should be, but perfect in the sense that it is the only way it can be. And if you want to work to change it, you will produce your best results by harmonizing with it first.
What does harmonizing or being "in unison with this order" mean? It merely means that you accept reality rather than battle it. You relax into what is and in so doing open to whatever may be. As Lao Tzu recommends, you flow with, rather than swim against, the Tao.
It's simple but not easy. Harmonizing requires that you give up all prejudices, judgments, thoughts, and beliefs that are not aligned with reality. Thoughts like "people should be kind" or beliefs like "companies need to respect the environment" or judgments like "Charlie Weis sucks," must all be jettisoned. Sure, you may have such thoughts, but don't attach to them, define yourself by them, or try and make reality conform to them.
In fact, the best thing you can do to be in unison with the implicit order of existence is to sit down and shut up. As you sit there, all the thoughts and emotions, all the beliefs and judgments, that fight against what is, will arise. Let them, and then let them go. The more space you create within your mind and heart, the more harmony you will find.
So, today, quit yer btchin'! Intuit the order of the Universe rather than rail against the supposed disorder. Experience the Unity while still respecting the diversity. The world won't magically change, but perhaps you will.
The Last Judgement
"Do not wait for the last judgement. It takes place everyday."
-- Albert Camus
Today is where the rubber meets the road. Today is where it all happens. You have nothing to wait for, no reason to delay, no final exam in your future. Be not fearful that the axe will someday fall. It is falling right now, chopping you to bits, and barely grazing your skin. Reaping and sewing, karma in action, grace flashing like summer lightning -- the dance of life.
The last judgement each and every day is more about how you relate to the world than how the world relates to you. Ultimately, it's about giving up judgement altogether, transcending duality, and living whole and complete.
The world is your feedback mechanism. It is your daily pop quiz. It is your playground. You judge the world, the world judges you, and in Reality none of those judgments matter. It's all just a Stupid Human Trick. There is no judge or jury in the sky waiting your arrival, eager to pass judgement upon your thoughts, words, and deeds. You do that everyday -- why repeat the process later? Why repeat the process now?
The only piece of advice worth giving is be a little easier on yourself, a little kinder to others. Judge less, love more. And if you're lucky one day, one judgement will actually be the last.
-- Albert Camus
Today is where the rubber meets the road. Today is where it all happens. You have nothing to wait for, no reason to delay, no final exam in your future. Be not fearful that the axe will someday fall. It is falling right now, chopping you to bits, and barely grazing your skin. Reaping and sewing, karma in action, grace flashing like summer lightning -- the dance of life.
The last judgement each and every day is more about how you relate to the world than how the world relates to you. Ultimately, it's about giving up judgement altogether, transcending duality, and living whole and complete.
The world is your feedback mechanism. It is your daily pop quiz. It is your playground. You judge the world, the world judges you, and in Reality none of those judgments matter. It's all just a Stupid Human Trick. There is no judge or jury in the sky waiting your arrival, eager to pass judgement upon your thoughts, words, and deeds. You do that everyday -- why repeat the process later? Why repeat the process now?
The only piece of advice worth giving is be a little easier on yourself, a little kinder to others. Judge less, love more. And if you're lucky one day, one judgement will actually be the last.
Equal Acceptance for All
"The ultimate plateau of civilization is that we would all accept each other equally."
-- Julie Harris
And, might I add, "unconditionally."
Why do we fear acceptance so much? Is it because we feel that if we accept others we are condoning their behavior, and lots of times they're doing stuff we really don't approve of? Is it because we confuse acceptance with weakness or dishonesty? Do we not accept because we like to discriminate between good and bad and right and wrong, and we're afraid that unconditional acceptance will ruin that delightfully delicious game?
To accept someone doesn't mean that you have given them the Nobel Prize, your daughter's hand in marriage, or the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It simply means that you are no longer in a battle with reality. Acceptance is coming to the realization that everyone is as they are in this very moment and your acceptance, or lack thereof, does nothing to change that. Each moment of acceptance is a minor satori, a mini form of enlightenment.
To truly accept means, though, that you must lay down all external standards of judgement, at least in relation to each and every individual's right to be. Acceptance doesn't mean that you have to give up your preferences. It does mean, however, that you don't use those preferences to make others wrong.
Acceptance is an understanding that each of us is a child of God, a child of the Universe, a child of Life. None of us are bastards or adoptees, or step children; each of us are co-equal in claiming our divine inheritance.
One of the best ways to practice acceptance is to look at each person and breathe them into your heart. Don't know what this means? Try it and you soon will. Looking with eyes open, breathing with heart open, smiling with mind at ease -- acceptance comes. And with it, maybe even love.
-- Julie Harris
And, might I add, "unconditionally."
Why do we fear acceptance so much? Is it because we feel that if we accept others we are condoning their behavior, and lots of times they're doing stuff we really don't approve of? Is it because we confuse acceptance with weakness or dishonesty? Do we not accept because we like to discriminate between good and bad and right and wrong, and we're afraid that unconditional acceptance will ruin that delightfully delicious game?
To accept someone doesn't mean that you have given them the Nobel Prize, your daughter's hand in marriage, or the Good Housekeeping Seal of Approval. It simply means that you are no longer in a battle with reality. Acceptance is coming to the realization that everyone is as they are in this very moment and your acceptance, or lack thereof, does nothing to change that. Each moment of acceptance is a minor satori, a mini form of enlightenment.
To truly accept means, though, that you must lay down all external standards of judgement, at least in relation to each and every individual's right to be. Acceptance doesn't mean that you have to give up your preferences. It does mean, however, that you don't use those preferences to make others wrong.
Acceptance is an understanding that each of us is a child of God, a child of the Universe, a child of Life. None of us are bastards or adoptees, or step children; each of us are co-equal in claiming our divine inheritance.
One of the best ways to practice acceptance is to look at each person and breathe them into your heart. Don't know what this means? Try it and you soon will. Looking with eyes open, breathing with heart open, smiling with mind at ease -- acceptance comes. And with it, maybe even love.
No Answer
"There ain't no answer.
There ain't going to be any answer.
There never has been an answer.
That's the answer."
-- Gertrude Stein
Whether we're consciously aware of it or not, we're all looking for the answer. The answer to "What's it all about, Alfie?" The answer to the meaning and purpose of, the reason for, life.
But entertain in your mind for a moment the possibility that perhaps there isn't one. No answer. No reason, no purpose, no meaning. What if life just is? What if you just are? No cognitive, theological or theoretical underpinnings, just mere naked existence.
Scary or freeing? Or both?
In the Land of No Answer, the search is over. Self-improvement dead in the water. Enlightenment a quaint concept. Isness rules! This is it. The past is meaningless. The future, a mere figment of your imagination.
How do you "properly" live if there is no answer, if even the search for the answer is absurd? You breathe in, and then breathe out. You take each moment as it comes. You let life unfold. You're not dumb as a stump. In fact, you're more awake, more alive, more aware -- you're just no longer a seeker. The questioning look in your eyes vanishes. You're not looking for a guru, an expert, the next self help tome. You're just alive, just you.
Today's a great day to get comfortable in your own skin, in your own mind, in your own Spirit. It begins with relaxing and letting go. Letting go of your need for an answer. Letting go of the search for an answer and being, just being, right here, right now.
There ain't going to be any answer.
There never has been an answer.
That's the answer."
-- Gertrude Stein
Whether we're consciously aware of it or not, we're all looking for the answer. The answer to "What's it all about, Alfie?" The answer to the meaning and purpose of, the reason for, life.
But entertain in your mind for a moment the possibility that perhaps there isn't one. No answer. No reason, no purpose, no meaning. What if life just is? What if you just are? No cognitive, theological or theoretical underpinnings, just mere naked existence.
Scary or freeing? Or both?
In the Land of No Answer, the search is over. Self-improvement dead in the water. Enlightenment a quaint concept. Isness rules! This is it. The past is meaningless. The future, a mere figment of your imagination.
How do you "properly" live if there is no answer, if even the search for the answer is absurd? You breathe in, and then breathe out. You take each moment as it comes. You let life unfold. You're not dumb as a stump. In fact, you're more awake, more alive, more aware -- you're just no longer a seeker. The questioning look in your eyes vanishes. You're not looking for a guru, an expert, the next self help tome. You're just alive, just you.
Today's a great day to get comfortable in your own skin, in your own mind, in your own Spirit. It begins with relaxing and letting go. Letting go of your need for an answer. Letting go of the search for an answer and being, just being, right here, right now.
Steppin' Out
"The more you are out of step with society, the greater your chances for self-discovery and happiness in this world."
-- Ernie J. Zelinski
I grew up in a family where the number one rule was: Don't Make Waves. Blend in, get along, be, as the Kinks sang "a well respected man about town, doing the best things so conservatively." It was the Gospel of Conformity coupled with the Gospel of Comfort. And even though my parents had the best of intentions, it was all a crock.
From the time I slid down that Zoom Floom commonly known as the uterine canal, I intuitively knew that it was a sham, and when I reached my tween years, I was openly expressing those sentiments. Not a popular position to take, either around the dinner table or in the classroom. To me authenticity, even idiosyncrasy, trumped conformity any day.
Just take a look around. It's easy to see that you can't be a clone and be happy. You can't be a robot and be happy. The only shot you have at happiness is to be yourself. And, if you're really, truly being yourself, odds are you'll be stepping outside societal norms and shattering the invisible cultural barriers that surround us all.
Many of us take an alternative route during out teens and early twenties. Then we age and mellow and settle. And before we know it we're wage slaves just like our parents, except we're dressed in "business casual" rather then suits. We're putting in our time, waiting for the weekends, waiting to retire, waiting to really live. Only real life never comes because there is no real life off somewhere in the future. This is it -- right here, right now. And we're too busy being good, being stable, playing a role to enjoy it.
Remember that beat Thoreau talked about? It's still rocking within you! Your own personal beat, as unique as your fingerprints, as different from the cultural drone as hip hop is from the waltz. That beat is your unique path. That beat is the one thing most worth listening to.
Maybe Timothy Leary was right. "Turn on, tune in, drop out" is ultimately good advice. And you don't even need drugs to do it. Turn on to the energy of life, tune into the beat of your soul, drop out of the societal fantasy of conformity.
Step out now. Happiness awaits!
-- Ernie J. Zelinski
I grew up in a family where the number one rule was: Don't Make Waves. Blend in, get along, be, as the Kinks sang "a well respected man about town, doing the best things so conservatively." It was the Gospel of Conformity coupled with the Gospel of Comfort. And even though my parents had the best of intentions, it was all a crock.
From the time I slid down that Zoom Floom commonly known as the uterine canal, I intuitively knew that it was a sham, and when I reached my tween years, I was openly expressing those sentiments. Not a popular position to take, either around the dinner table or in the classroom. To me authenticity, even idiosyncrasy, trumped conformity any day.
Just take a look around. It's easy to see that you can't be a clone and be happy. You can't be a robot and be happy. The only shot you have at happiness is to be yourself. And, if you're really, truly being yourself, odds are you'll be stepping outside societal norms and shattering the invisible cultural barriers that surround us all.
Many of us take an alternative route during out teens and early twenties. Then we age and mellow and settle. And before we know it we're wage slaves just like our parents, except we're dressed in "business casual" rather then suits. We're putting in our time, waiting for the weekends, waiting to retire, waiting to really live. Only real life never comes because there is no real life off somewhere in the future. This is it -- right here, right now. And we're too busy being good, being stable, playing a role to enjoy it.
Remember that beat Thoreau talked about? It's still rocking within you! Your own personal beat, as unique as your fingerprints, as different from the cultural drone as hip hop is from the waltz. That beat is your unique path. That beat is the one thing most worth listening to.
Maybe Timothy Leary was right. "Turn on, tune in, drop out" is ultimately good advice. And you don't even need drugs to do it. Turn on to the energy of life, tune into the beat of your soul, drop out of the societal fantasy of conformity.
Step out now. Happiness awaits!
Be Nobody
I'm sick of not having the courage to be an absolute nobody. I'm sick of myself and everybody else that wants to make some kind of splash."
-- "Franny" in J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey.
In our culture everybody is suppose to be somebody, and the BIGGER somebody the better. Bigger=better. We confuse greatness with the size of the splash.
Not all cultures have placed the same value on "somebodiness." The ancient Chinese culture, typified by Classical Taoism, held up "nobodiness" as the ideal. Blending with nature, harmonizing with the Tao was seen as the highest good. To attempt to be somebody, especially somebody who made a big splash, was not just seen as gauche but also as the type of ignorance that clearly courts disaster.
What if you could be nobody -- what kind of nobody would you be? Would you work for the mere joy of doing, rather than for the salary, the promotion, the adulation? Or would you even be able to tell the difference between your work and your play? Would you let go of goals, dreams and schemes, and live contentedly right here right now? Would you know and love yourself so deeply that you spontaneously knew and loved others as well?
Just imagine letting go of all your identities, titles, adjectives and descriptors. You came into life a nobody. You will go out a no body. Before you were somebody, who were you? After you are no longer some body, who will you be?
Do you have the courage to be nobody today?
-- "Franny" in J.D. Salinger's Franny and Zooey.
In our culture everybody is suppose to be somebody, and the BIGGER somebody the better. Bigger=better. We confuse greatness with the size of the splash.
Not all cultures have placed the same value on "somebodiness." The ancient Chinese culture, typified by Classical Taoism, held up "nobodiness" as the ideal. Blending with nature, harmonizing with the Tao was seen as the highest good. To attempt to be somebody, especially somebody who made a big splash, was not just seen as gauche but also as the type of ignorance that clearly courts disaster.
What if you could be nobody -- what kind of nobody would you be? Would you work for the mere joy of doing, rather than for the salary, the promotion, the adulation? Or would you even be able to tell the difference between your work and your play? Would you let go of goals, dreams and schemes, and live contentedly right here right now? Would you know and love yourself so deeply that you spontaneously knew and loved others as well?
Just imagine letting go of all your identities, titles, adjectives and descriptors. You came into life a nobody. You will go out a no body. Before you were somebody, who were you? After you are no longer some body, who will you be?
Do you have the courage to be nobody today?
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