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PERSONAL PHILOSOPHY

Here is a SAMPLE NEWSLETTER illustrating one aspect of Personal Philosophy...
 

1. INTRODUCTION to our subject – Principles & Beliefs

Principles & Beliefs… It’s a big one! Whilst we are aware that society is governed by a structure of laws, these as we know are written in stone. We can draw a conclusion therefore, as with law that principles are structured and beliefs are not.

We know if we disobey our national laws we commit a cardinal sin. Yet interestingly many people are not too familiar with the fact that within a society full of laws there is a freedom.

This freedom is evident as we live within the rules and laws. While ever we work within these boundaries that we know exist we tend to live a full life. Wouldn’t life be chaos if we didn’t all drive on the correct side of the road?

So clearly laws have their appropriate use to govern and rule our actions, and are generally overseen by the police and the courts. Whereas principles and beliefs have an equal importance, but are not strictly written, but stored in our memory to either use or adjust as time and needs dictate.

So what is a principle? The dictionary definition is: “A fundamental truth or proposition serving as the foundation for belief or action. Morally correct behaviour and attitude. It is the source or basis of something.”

What is a belief? The dictionary definition is: “A feeling that something exists or is true, especially one without proof. A firmly held opinion.”

Principles are not beliefs. Yet the closer your beliefs match universal principles, the more accurate and useful they will be.

So are we any wiser now? I personally went through a period in my life where I was only too aware that most comments I made started with, “I think…” or “My opinion…” In other words too much of me! I tried endlessly to prevent the word ‘I’ being used. Until I realised that it should come naturally and not through design. When I paused and allowed a natural flow to my conversation I noticed a tone of voice change. A rather delicate one I must admit, but there nevertheless.

Instead of hearing, “If I was you I’d change jobs.” I spoke differently, I would say, “It would seem appropriate to grasp this opportunity and move up the corporate ladder.” Wow! Same thing! But said in a more convincing manner!

Have you ever watched a TV Game Show and answered most of the questions? Why do these people never get them right?

Forgive me for reminding you that in certain emotional states of mind you do not think straight. Pressure from being in the spotlight on a game show could cause a ‘blank expression.’ It’s on the tip of your tongue, but it isn’t coming out as an answer. What point am I making? ‘There are times we forget!’ And justifiably so! But, unless you understand that, then whenever we need to apply our principles and beliefs nothing less than a stable state of mind will do.

Your personal philosophy is a structure based upon the practical application of your principles and beliefs, and the study of the fundamental nature of knowledge and its purpose.

Let’s just take a quick look at some obvious principles that will help guide us through life:- honesty, love, dignity, fairness, integrity, respect and service.

If you are an honest person for example, you are likely to always tell the truth. So to grasp the basic principles will result in other essentials being fulfilled also.

A belief, albeit, a firm held opinion, may well change each day according to need. These may not be so easily identified, as many may be individual, but nevertheless are an integral part of our personal philosophy.

Most people’s principles and beliefs are sound of structure, but easily forgotten. Half the battle is to be in a fit state of mind to remember. A matrimonial dispute is an ideal example when these major items are past recollection. In the heat of the moment you may well say something you regret.

So… If you can remember one thing from this newsletter, remember this: ‘Throughout your life you have been introduced to every important principle and belief, and no doubt stored within the far reaches of your mind. Allow your process of thought to recover these riches. Half the battle is to remove the obstacles that make us forget. Preventing a poor state of mind that encourages forgetfulness is the first step.’

So onto this week's story…

2. STORY

An Eastern tale of confidence and belief:

SMALL STEPS

A certain man had to go to another town miles away. It was night and pitch dark, and all he had was a tiny little lantern which could, at most, light a couple of steps. Because the journey seemed so long, and the night dark, he was depressed and unsure – unsure of reaching his destination with only this tiny light.

A wise man passed and asked why he was standing at the door with his lantern. The man suggested because the night was dark and because his lantern was small, it would be of no use.

The wise man explained to him that it was not necessary to have a light big enough to illuminate the whole way. “As you proceed,” he said, “the light will move with you, so that the next one or two steps will always be clear. All you need to do is to hold the lantern and start walking.”

A simple and fundamental principle that can easily be overlooked. Just sometimes… you don’t need the entire path illuminating before you make the first step!

(A Zen Story)

Quote: “The trouble with Man is twofold. He cannot learn truths which are too complicated; and he forgets truths which are too simple.” (Rebecca West)

3. EVERYDAY EXAMPLE:

There is ONE thing that is certain in life and that is UNCERTAINTY. Every day will bring something new to test your resolve. One day we’ll realise we cannot continue to duck and dive. Stand firm and deal with it. Tweak your principles and beliefs and whatever is presented will become less of a problem.

In adverse conditions, in low self-esteem, the simple solution is to split problems into smaller pieces and deal with them separately. This next illustration helps to explain the HERE and NOW. We only ever live in the here and now; we don’t live in the past or the future. So if we have a problem of immense proportions then it would seem prudent to deal with it on a daily basis; or as this young lady in the story explains, “I just take one day at a time…”

ADAPTING TO CHANGE

Hello, my name is Tasha Schuh.  I'm only 18, and have gone through more than most people would never even dream of.  This is my story of how what happened and how I made it through it.

My accident was November 11, 1997.  I was rehearsing for my high school musical "The Wizard of Oz."   There was a scene where a trap door was to be opened and a bridge was to move over it and lock on, creating an illusional effect of the bridge moving magically.

My job in this scene was to wait for the bridge to go over the trap door, then grab a prop off the bridge.  Well, I was standing by the trap door, not knowing it was open, being that my back was to the door.  Someone told me to move, and I took one step back.  My foot went through nothing.  I fell 16 feet to a cement floor.  Breaking my C5 vertebrae, and severely crushing my spinal cord.  I was so scared.  All my friends in the play and all the teachers there ran to my rescue.  I had absolutely no idea what was going on.  I thought I had broken my shoulder, because the pains in my neck were so bad, that they were shooting down my arm.  Little did I know I had just broken my neck, and would be going through a living nightmare?  The ambulance arrived in less than five minutes, and I was off to the hospital. When I got there my nurse was one of my friends’ mom's.  I kept asking her why I couldn't move, and she just cried.  That’s when I knew something was really wrong.  My parents got there first, and then my boyfriend showed up, and then my best friend.  They all were crying, and I was the one calming them down.  They knew and I didn't.

I was then airlifted to St. Mary's hospital, a branch of the Mayo clinic. I was throwing up the whole way there, aspirating it into my lungs; which later resulted in pneumonia. Doctors poked and prodded for which seemed like hours.  I kept asking if I was paralyzed, but they never said anything.  I then was put into a traction-rotating bed.  I was in the bed for three days.  I was on a lot of drugs, and don't remember much.  I then had my neck surgery, fusing my c4-c5-and c6 together, and was put into a cervical collar.

I spent 5 months at Mayo hospital, surviving pneumonia, septic shock, two collapsed lungs, and my 16 hour neck surgery.  The only one to thank is God and my sister. My sister stayed by my side for a whole month, she's the only one that really understood me, being that I was on a respirator, and couldn't talk. It was like, I just had to look at her and she knew what I wanted. Actually that was my whole family.  They stayed by my side through all of this. And so have my friends.  I never would have made it through without them.

I had a lot of different emotions, following my prognosis.  At first I was crushed.  I was so sad; I didn't even want to live.  I never thought I could live my life successfully in a wheelchair.  I would never be able to play volleyball again, my most favourite sport, and I would not be able to play piano.  I had taken lessons for 8 years, and someday I wanted to be a music teacher.  I never thought I would be able to go to college, hold a job, or get married and have kids.

My next emotion was anger.  I went through the "why me?" stage. I was mad at the whole world, and especially God.  I thought maybe I had sinned way too much, and was being punished.  Then I learned how sick I had been, and the doctors were amazed that I was still alive.  I had developed septic shock, and I had survived 8 days of a fever of 108 degrees, a heart beat of four times the normal pace, and a blood pressure of almost zero.  I then realized how lucky I had been.

My old house was no way adaptable for a wheelchair, so we had to build a new house.  It was built in less than 90 days.  I guess that's the advantage of living in a small town.  Everyone pulls together to help someone in need, just because everyone knows everybody so well.

Before my accident I was involved in volleyball, basketball, piano, choir, voice lessons, SADD, and the A honour roll.  The year before my accident, I had the lead role in "Grease", as Sandy.  I think it was the best time in my life.  That's why, when I didn't get the lead in "Wizard of Oz", I really didn't care, I just thought it would fun.

I went back to school last April, just in time to go to my high school junior prom.  I went with my ex-boyfriend, who was my boyfriend at the time of my accident.  He just couldn't handle me being in a wheelchair, so we decided to break-up, but he stayed with me through the hardest times, and without him I don't think I could have pulled through.  It's O.K. though, because I have met so many great guys since this, and probably never would have, if we were still together.

I also sang a solo in my high school choir concert, three weeks after I got home. It was a big goal, being that I hadn't sung in over 5 months. I sang the Olympic theme song of 1996, "Reach," by Gloria Estefan. The choir was my backup and they provided sign language for the audience behind me.

I went to a wheelchair camp this past summer, and really learned how many people go through the same thing as I do.  I met so many great friends, and came home with a whole new perspective on life.

I now am finishing up my senior year of high school, and planning to go to college in the fall.  I am going to the University of Minnesota, Winona. I am going to major in Psychology, and social work.

I still going out with my friends a lot and am trying to be just like a normal teenager.  I actually am busier than before my accident.  I love it that way, though. I use a power wheelchair, and adaptive equipment to be as independent as I can be.  I very rarely get sad or depressed, just because I really believe that someday I will walk.   People don't understand how I handle it as well as I do, and to tell you the truth, I really don't know either.  I just take one day at a time, and am just happy I'm here.

(Tasha Schuh)

4. RESPONDING TO YOUR QUESTIONS

QUESTION: “I fight the negative aspects of my life, but sometimes I still lose. Do you have any advice?”

ANSWER: If you one day observed all your negative aspects and decided that within the next week you’ll rid them from your life, how successful do you think you’ll be?

Either way you’ll still finish up with negatives. It is a trait we’ll always find difficult to defeat. Eliminate them all, which is fine, but it will only be a temporary state until they return again.

We shall have extreme difficulty addressing negative-ness in the short term, it may take years to strengthen our guard. What we can hope for however, is a knowledge that this negative-ness exists. In knowing this we can disarm its effect. The problem however is to SEE it in the play of life. When need to SEE ourselves being negative?

This next short story illustrates how we can take a negative and make it positive.

WEAKNESS or STRENGTH?

Sometimes your biggest weakness can become your biggest strength.

Take, for example, the story of one 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident.

The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training the master had taught him only one move. "Sensei," the boy finally asked, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?"

"This is the only move I know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied.

Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match.

Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. "No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue."

Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind. "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?"

"You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defence for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm." The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength.

(Unknown Author)

5. QUOTES:

“Wisdom is knowing what to do next; virtue is doing it.” (David Star Jordan, The Philosophy of Despair)

“The saddest aspect of life right now is that science gathers knowledge faster than society gathers wisdom.”  (Isaac Asimov, Isaac Asimov's Book of Science and Nature Quotations, 1988)

“He that is of the opinion money will do everything may well be suspected of doing everything for money.” (Benjamin Franklin)

Next week we look at the subject, 'Integrity’.

Bye for now.

PS: “We first make our habits and then our habits make us…” (Unknown Author)

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Phil Booker
Editor, Author, Businessman and Philosopher of Life.

 

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