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College student hoping to expose people to thoughts and ideas they might not necessarily come across on a regular basis.

These Little Wonders...

Ask yourself a question. And be honest with yourself. When was the last time you did something that was purely relaxing, or fun, or exciting, and you did it without thinking about the past or the future? Did you experience the moment without being plagued by various other concerns or thoughts?

So often, we live in this never-ending loop of preoccupation with our responsibilities that we forget one simple truth:

Rejoice in the things that are present; all else is beyond thee.-- Montaigne

Read that last part again. All else is beyond thee.

You can plan for, and worry on, and think about the future all you want. It's your life, and if you'd like to spend it stressing, then by all means do so. But here's the truth. You don't know what's coming, and you can't do a thing about it.

How often do we get lost in the moments of the past that have embarrassed us, angered us, saddened us, and we spend hours or days thinking about what could have been? What should have been. How we could have done things differently. But here's the truth. What's done is done, and you can't do a thing about it.

Today was an interesting day, for me. It began with me rear-ending someone on the way to school. No damage, no problems, we both went on our own way. Still shook me up a bit. Then, at school, my teacher told our class that we'd have to do an assignment that was essentially pointless, except to take up valuable time that I need to be contributing elsewhere. I was in a funk most of the day.

And then I found it.

I found my moment of Zen. I was walking around campus on this very breezy day, and I was buying a soda from the machine by the business building when I noticed that the breeze was strong and steady there. Being a fan of wind because of its relaxing effects on me, I sat. I ended up sitting there for a half-hour, listening to music and zoning out, without a care in the world.

You see, people always tell you to live in the moment. Embrace and enjoy what you're doing so that you'll never be grouchy or upset, and you can be happy all the time. You know what that is?

That's crap.

The human experience, life, the universe, does not work like that. If everyone was able to trick their own mind into being happy with what they were doing right then and there, nobody would be worried about anything, the word regret would not exist, and wars would never occur.

After that half-hour of, to be cliché, "living in the moment," I felt better than I had all day, rejuvenated, and ready to face the rest of my day.

You see, it's not about enjoying every moment of every day. You can't. You won't. It's impossible. But what's not impossible is taking every opportunity you can find to do something you enjoy and taking pure pleasure from that moment. Don't think about how long you get to do it for. Don't think about what's coming up later in the day, or tomorrow, or how you're going to pay your bills. You spend enough time doing that anyways.

It even leads to eye problems:

If you have one eye on yesterday, and one eye on tomorrow, you're going to be cockeyed today.--Anonymous


Focus solely on your little activity of fun, and embrace it. Hold it dear, and let it fill you with warmth. I promise you, that warmth permeates your being to a far greater extent than you'd expect, and it sustains for quite some time.

Here's to hoping we all find our afternoon breeze.

Good night, and sweet dreams.

------

Thank you for all the quotes I got. I've kept track of them all, and I'll write them at some point. I'm going to do the ones that aren't related to any of my posts first, to keep some variety, but I promise to get to all of them.

I love and appreciate every single one of my 56 followers. Onwards and upwards!

Have a quote?

Hey everyone!

I have no problem finding quotes, and I've got more ideas of what I'd like to write about, but I thought I'd ask for your quotes. Do you have quotes that have moved you, or you'd like to see my thoughts on?

Feel free to keep the quote to yourself if it has a deeply personal meaning for you, and you'd rather not know what I think about it. I understand completely. If you think I should just keep going as I have been, choosing quotes that strike me or fit the situation, I'm planning to do that anyways, so don't worry.

I'd like to thank you all so much for your support and kind words. It means more than I can explain, and it motivates me to continue to share this with you all.

See ya soon!

Cast Your Gaze Outward...

This is more of a follow up to my third post, The Hatred in Our Hearts, than it is a post that stands alone. It comes after days and weeks of hearing about the struggle for freedom, not only in Tunisia and Egypt, but now in Libya, Bahrain, and many other countries across the Middle East and in the Arab world.

I have heard about one subject non-stop since all of this began, and which has now become especially prominent with the uprising in Libya, where Muammar Gaddafi is slaughtering his own citizens. One topic that has been on every commentators lips from the start is the price of oil.

I say to those commentators, and all those people out there who are more concerned with how much their tank of gas is going to cost than the atrocities being committed by a ruthless mad man:

“Those who do not hate their own selfishness and regard themselves as more important than the rest of the world are blind because the truth lies elsewhere.” -- Blaise Pascal, French Mathematician, and the man responsible for those math triangles you hated in high school.

I am angry. I'm angry at the media, I'm angry at the heartless and careless people who are hardly even aware of what is going on in the Arab world and why, and I'm angry at myself. Where has my voice gone? Has the everyday grind worn me down to not caring about the issues?

Have we all become so immune to the suffering of others that our only concern is the bottom line? Are we so oil-thirsty that the death and annihilation of a group of citizens calling for democracy no longer holds a candle to the profits of Exxon, Shell, or Joe Schmoe?

The economy is crap, and I know that. People are squeezing every cent they can to get by. I'm going broke putting myself through school. I don't for a second think that times are easy. But I absolutely think we are being ridiculous.

The media tells us that fuel prices are going to rise because the strife in the Middle East and Africa. Some media sources tell us that Muslims want to take over the world. Few sources tell us about the fact that these people are fighting for what the American government and the American people often tout as their greatest attribute.

Freedom. Plain and simple.

And yet here we are, moaning about an extra $.20/gallon. It doesn't take a lot to change the rhetoric of the news. The American people, despite the common thought that we are all a bunch of bumbling asses, do not need the media to make the connection between the Arab World's upheaval and rising oil prices for us.

That said, we also don't need the media's constant discussion of this issue to influence us into believing that there is 'fault' to be placed in this situation. Let us not, for a single moment, blame anyone other than the vicious dictators who subjected their peoples to horrific treatment for years and years.

The time has come, my friends, for an age of understanding. These days, these months,these years past have become more and more verbally and physically violent. Lines are being drawn, and extremists are drawing them. Moderation in all things has long been accepted as the best path, and yet we, the people, have allowed the few to dictate the actions and beliefs of the many.

That is not democracy.

So often we spend our days concerned with our needs, with our desires, and I'll admit that it's hard not to. The only person who knows you in every way is you. You live your life every day, so to think that complete selflessness is what we should be is foolish. But we are not so different, you and I, and the time has come for us to recognize that.

Cast your gaze outwards, citizens of the world, and see what lies out there. Take witness of the struggles, triumphs, achievements, failures, and love of those around you. Take no witness of the hate in this world except to recognize and disregard it as a folly that has no place within our world.

Let us not find ourselves as the next Martin Niemoller:

"First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

Then they came for me
and there was no one left to speak out for me."




Good night, and sweet dreams.


-------

Found this after I wrote the post, and thought it appropriate:
Day of Peace
https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=189170184442695

This too, shall pass...

Let's face it. There are times in our life when things get really bad. When no matter what you do, no matter what you try, you feel like the universe has put up a wall to keep you from getting past it. Remember one thing, though:

"When you get into a tight place and everything goes against you, till it seems as though you could not hold on a minute longer, never give up then, for that is just the place and time that the tide will turn." -- Harriet Stowe

The most important thing to do every time you overcome an obstacle, and if you're reading this now, you've survived and overcome an obstacle in your life, is to look back, see that it was not as bad as it seemed at the time, and take pride in your ability to persevere. Take a few minutes tonight, or whenever you're reading this, and think back on all the crap you've gone through. Not to reminisce and bring yourself down, but to fortify your soul, and show yourself the amazing strength you possess.

These past few days, I've been struggling with something, and trying to figure it out how to fix it, and at the last second, when I was ready to give up, the situation fixed itself. So when I found this quote, I just had to share it with you.

Just remember, you have overcome, you will overcome, and even if it was bad, you know one thing for sure. If it ever gets that bad again, you've already beaten it once, and you can do it one more time.

Here's to hoping that life is smooth sailing, but to knowing that it won't be.

Good night, and sweet dreams.

Twenty Years From Now...

If I told you, right now, that you'd be working the same job in twenty years as you are now, how would you feel? How do you feel just thinking about that?

"If you want to be happy, set a goal that commands your thoughts, liberates your energy, and inspires your hopes." --Andrew Carnegie

People always say that if the best thing you can do in your life is to get a job that you love, because for most people, if we're honest, the chances of suddenly getting rich or winning the lottery are practically nil. So if we get real about this, the best way to live your life is to find the thing that you love, whether it's playing baseball, crunching numbers, cooking burgers, or chasing butterflies. I'm serious.

I know that there are skeptics out there. There are people who say that only a small percentage of people can ever really do what they love. That those people get lucky that they have the time, energy and money to invest in such an endeavor. To those people I say, I'm sorry you've given up on your dreams.

I understand, truly, that there are times and situations where a person has no choice but to continue the work they do, even if they hate it. They can't quit for fear of losing their house. They need to put food on the table. But how many of us out there have the time? How many of us simply choose to come home from a hard day at work, and instead of thinking of ways to turn our passion into our life, we plop down on the couch and watch tv, we think of ways to avoid doing anymore work than we want to. Maybe we even indulge in the activity that gives us the most joy.

Maybe you spend the evening gardening. Maybe you spend your time writing little stories in a notebook. Maybe you fix up a boat in your backyard. If you set yourself a plan, spend an evening or two figuring out your options, you would be amazed at what you can accomplish.

You want to learn a language? Is that something you've always wanted to do but never had the time? I guarantee you you can learn a lot in 1 year. Seriously, all it takes is 1 hour a day. 2 if you're a real go getter. Learn 10 to 15 words each session, and do that every day if you can. Write those words down, use them in sentences, say them a million times in your head, whatever it takes to get them to stick. If you do 10 words a day, for 365 days a year, that's 3650 words, and that's a damn lot. That's a working vocabulary. Mix in some reading. Find a paper in that language, and even if you don't know the words at first, your eyes need to become accustomed to seeing that language. I know working on it every single day isn't possible, but don't let yourself skip because you're tired, or you don't feel like it. If you're passionate about it, tell yourself what's good for you is to do this, so the future will be yours for the taking. This is what I did. Maybe you like something different, though.

What about cars? You like working on those? There are exams to get your mechanics license. No money for school? Thank god for the internet! I am telling you now, your best friend in any self education adventure is the internet. There are websites with information about everything you can imagine, and if you just take the time, a little bit of time each day, or any day that you can, you will absolutely reach your goal. There are guys like Tony Robbins who make millions of dollars saying this same thing.
I'm telling you for free. You can have what you want. It's not going to happen without a little sacrifice and maybe, if you're unlucky, pain. But you know what they say.

No pain, no gain. You gotta give a little to get a little.

Don't tell yourself it's too late now. Don't think that just because you've passed a certain age, you should be ready to just flop over and die. I mean, if you want to, go for it. But don't ever complain that you couldn't do what you always wanted. That power lies solely in your own hands. And if anyone, and I MEAN ANYONE, ever, eeeeever tries to tell you you're not good enough, that you can't do it, you should look them square in the eyes, and tell them to fuck off.

You have one chance to live your life. One chance. Whether you believe in an afterlife makes no difference to me or not. This life is unique. It is special, and you will never have the opportunity to do it over again. The average life span for most cultures around the world is eighty something years. That's average, though. That's not guaranteed. If you intend to enjoy your life, get started now.

If you're in college, or high school, or middle school, it's never too early to start doing what you enjoy. Find people who enjoy the same things as you. Take classes that interest you. Do not, and I mean do NOT, choose the degree that is most convenient. Don't choose the degree your parents want you to choose because it's more practical. To hell with that. Stand firm in your desire to do what you want with your life. Your decisions are your own, and if people want to keep you from achieving your dreams, they are petty and foolish and not worth your time.

I'll end with another great quote I heard that I love. You're an individual, and you should embrace that, even if you're a little strange, because "the people who matter, don't care, and the people who care, don't matter."

Make the decision, right now, to do it. To live it. Whatever it is that you can imagine for yourself. Whatever it is you want to achieve, now's the time.

A Very Funny Youtuber...

I came out of the womb with an xbox controller. They're like, "What the hell is this technology?" And I was like, "It's from the future!

"But it just sounded like I said 'WAAH!' "
--Toby Turner aka Tobuscus

I just wanted to make a quick little post to tell you about a youtuber that I absolutely love. Toby Turner is the guy on youtube that does the literal trailers, you know, the ones where he dictates everything that happens.


They're amazing, and creative, and in combination with his main channel, Tobuscus, he's got his vlog and gaming channels.

I know this sounds like an endorsement or advert or something, and it is. Toby's videos brighten my day, and are a damn good source for hilarious quotes if you are ever in need of a pick me up at the end of the day. He's seriously one of the funniest guys I've ever seen, and it'd be a pity if you missed out on his humor. Take some time, go watch a video or three, and if you don't like it, pass on it. But I think you'll find yourself loving it a lot more than you expect.

Bless your face. Peace off!


Tobuscus- http://www.youtube.com/user/Tobuscus

Toby Games- http://www.youtube.com/user/TobyGames

Toby (Lazy) Vlogs- http://www.youtube.com/user/TobyTurner

The Hatred in Our Hearts...

I am not a religious person. And yet, I find myself, completely by chance, coming back to Sydney Smith.

"Never try to reason the prejudice out of a man. It was not reasoned into him, and cannot be reasoned out.
"

There are people in this world, like the folks who stand on college campuses condemning students for being sinners, calling young ladies 'whores' as they pass by, and generally ignoring the shortcomings of their own lives, who cannot be reasoned with.

There are people who are convinced that Jews are out to conquer the world, the Muslims want to establish a global caliphate, that liberals want to reshape the world into one giant socialist state, or that republicans are all gun-toting, bible thumping, gay-bashing morons.

To all of those statements, I say: They are not.

For the most part.

For every person who allows stereotypes to shape the decisions they make, the world becomes a little more fractured. So tomorrow, when you see someone that you think is strange, or who is wearing something that makes you label them, or who shows him/herself to be part of a group that you dislike, take a moment, find something about yourself that could be an identifying attribute, and then ask yourself if you'd like to be judged by all of the negative stereotypes of that attribute.

We need to give people a chance, especially now. Public figures like politicians and media figures are certainly not taking the lead in positive dialog, so why don't we? Do we always need the go-ahead from someone important to do the right thing? I sure hope not, or we're doomed for a pathetic existence.



I'll be working on my own treatment of others as well. I could use some improvement. And I'm hoping that not all my posts will have the same ooey gooey message of let's all just get along. Don't get me wrong, it's a message I want to spread, but if I write about it in every post, we'll all get bored. So please stick with me, I really appreciate the feedback I've gotten so far, and I'm looking forward to more. Have a wonderful night, and sweet dreams to all.

Gather the feathers...

I was watching Doubt, with Meryl Streep and Philip Seymour Hoffman, and in the movie, there is a scene in which Father Flynn, P.S.H., delivers a speech on gossip. I found it to be one of the most powerful scenes in the movie, and it changed the way I think about gossip and rumors.

A woman was gossiping with her friend about a man whom they hardly knew - I know none of you have ever done this.That night, she had a dream: a great hand appeared over her and pointed down on her. She was immediately seized with an overwhelming sense of guilt. The next day she went to confession.

Frustration is a powerful emotion, isn't it? It's so easy to get upset at something a person does, be it your husband or wife, your boss or coworker, your classmate or friend. Sometimes, and if I'm honest, I'm pretty bad about it myself, we just feel the need to talk some crap. What better way to feel better about ourselves than to put down others? Information is power in this new age of technology, and should you ever get a hold of a juicy piece of gossip, all eyes are on you! Feels good, doesn't it?

She got the old parish priest, Father O' Rourke, and she told him the whole thing. 'Is gossiping a sin?' she asked the old man. 'Was that God All Mighty's hand pointing down at me? Should I ask for your absolution? Father, have I done something wrong?

You've felt it before haven't you? That moment, whether it came immediately after your gossip-mongering or later, after you've had a chance to think about it, when you realize that you said something you shouldn't have. There's a guilt in your heart now. A weight in your soul that nags at you, and whispers to you, "Bad idea..."

'Yes,' Father O' Rourke answered her. 'Yes, you ignorant, badly-brought-up female. You have blamed false witness on your neighbor. You played fast and loose with his reputation, and you should be heartily ashamed.'

Think about it, and think about it well. If you're of the opinion that you are a good person, and for the most part, you live a good life and only occasionally indulge in gossip, how can you ever trust any other person you meet? If they're just like you, nice, warm for the most part, the question becomes, "How often do they indulge in a bit of gossip?" Hmm? What is it that you've done today that could provide raw materials for the rumor mill? God forbid they're not like you and are ruthless and cut throat. Not only do you have to watch your actions around the cruel and hateful, you've got to shut yourself off to the fair and open-hearted.

So, the woman said she was sorry, and asked for forgiveness. 'Not so fast,' says O' Rourke. 'I want you to go home, take a pillow upon your roof, cut it open with a knife, and return here to me.'

Perhaps it's time for you, and me, to dig deep into our souls. I don't think people do that enough. We're all so concerned with what other people think of us, and how we seem to them, that we fail to give ourselves a good look. We neglect to turn our analytical minds inwards to examine the motives behind our actions.

So, the woman went home: took a pillow off her bed, a knife from the drawer, went up the fire escape to her roof, and stabbed the pillow. Then she went back to the old parish priest as instructed.

There's a reason this is essential. People, on the whole, are really not as different from each other as we like to think. It's true that there are multiple academic fields, psychology, sociology, anthropology, all studying different stimuli and influences that shape humanity. What is also true, however, is that these fields have discovered an important truth: There are patterns.

'Did you gut the pillow with a knife?' he says.
When we get down deep, when we peel back the outer layers that we shield ourselves with, humans, with a few exceptions, act in relatively the same way. It's what allows detectives to understand the motives of a criminal.

'Yes, Father.' 'And what were the results?'

It's what allows us to predict the way someone will react to a piece of information, or a joke, or a smile.
'Feathers,' she said.

'Feathers?' he repeated.

'Feathers; everywhere, Father.'


The problem we have is that in our moment of frustration, in that flash of anger or exasperation, we don't think about what we've learned. We don't think about what we know about ourselves, about others. We disregard the fact that in our heart of hearts, if we found out someone we knew was gossiping and spreading rumors behind our backs, we'd be devastated. Betrayed. We just speak.

'Now I want you to go back and gather up every last feather that flew out onto the wind,'

'Well,' she said, 'it can't be done. I don't know where they went. The wind took them all over.'


A profound truth is that the words one speaks can never, ever be unspoken. The moment those words leap pas your lips, there is a gravity, a truth to them, that cannot be altered. The deepest lie contains within it a truth. The truth that the speaker is hiding something within them, and they are too scared to speak of it.

'And that,' said Father O' Rourke, 'is gossip!'

Words don't follow Newton's First Law of Motion. Words in motion stay in motion, even when acted upon by an unbalanced force. In fact, we should all hope that our words are never acted upon by an unbalanced force.

You've heard it a million times. Think before you speak. I could take a lesson or two in that art myself. I just hope that we can all put this ideal into action before we learn the lesson the hard way.

Potential is worthless...

I had a basketball coach in high school, a real hard ass when it came to the game, but not so bad off the court. He lived by the motto, "Potential is absolutely worthless, because you don't use it." I didn't agree with him at the time, and to some extent, I still don't. Potential isn't worthless, because while potential is not a skill that can be actively used by a person, it can be honed, shaped, refined into a skill or ability that is, without a doubt, powerful for the person who possesses it.


In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, there lived a man by the name of Sydney Smith. Sydney Smith was an English Anglican Clergyman and he published multiple religious writings during his career. In an entirely non-religious statement, Sydney Smith wrote,

"A great deal of talent is lost to the world for want of a little courage. Every day sends to their graves obscure men whose timidity prevented them from making a first effort."

Maybe somewhere out there a woman with the voice of an angel, vocal harmony so sweet and heavenly that some would find their lives altered in a strangely intangible way just at the sound of it. This woman, with the power to change lives, to influence the world for the better with the absolute power of her voice, is scared to sing. When she thinks of singing, she fails to see the positive. It's not those potential fans, devoted to her singing, or those listeners, taking comfort in her music, that she sees when she thinks of singing. It's the stage. The lights. The people staring at her every move and judging her for it. She sees a future that has yet to happen, a future relatively far from now in time, and because of what might be, because of the possibility of a chance of a could-be, she stays silent.

"So what?" you ask. What do you care what a person does with their life? Why should it matter to you if someone doesn't do anything with a talent they have? My question to you is, "Why don't you care?" You see, it's not simply the talent or skill that one can fail to realize because of fear, but it is also life's experiences, knowledge of how the world works, but most importantly, human experience.

A man may live his entire life locked in his home during the day, only venturing out at night, for fear of the sun's powerful rays. Perhaps the idea of a flaming ball of gas so hot that it's warmth can be felt 93 million miles away frightens this man.

Unfortunately for this man, he will never be able to experience the wonderful way in which the sun interacts, supports, and enhances the world. He will never fully comprehend the way in which the rays of the sun caress the delicate petals of a flower and provide a necessary catalyst to numerous processes that keep the life on Earth from fading away. He will never know soothing, relaxing feeling of stepping into the warm sun after being inside a frigid building. He will never realize how deeply he could come to appreciate that ball of gas and the wonders of its existence because he never faced his fear.

Maybe you're asking yourself, "So one guy hates the sun, and I am supposed to do something about it?" Yes. You are. That is the story of one man, and one fear, but think of the vast number of people that exist in this world, how many of them have fears that hold them back, and just how limited our collective human experience has become. Imagine for a moment if every person did one thing, just one, that scared them or made them uncomfortable. Maybe nothing would happen. I'll gladly admit that. But then again, maybe those who always thought the guy with dark skin, or the girl who wanted to marry another girl, were disgusting or twisted, maybe they realize these folks aren't so bad. Maybe the guy who sees the woman he's got a thing for goes and says hi. Maybe a kid says no to his friend's attempts to get him to do drugs. Maybe a young person in a bad neighborhood says no to gang violence.

Am I doing what the woman with that amazing voice did? Am I taking the possibility of a chance of a could-be too far? There's a chance. But if and when the time comes that someone confides in you their fears, turns to you in a time of need, what will you do? Are you okay with saying nothing, doing nothing, allowing a friend, an acquaintance, or even a stranger, to pass through life missing a piece of themselves?

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but the ability to overcome it."