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This site is dedicated to those with an interest
in Wisdom and Philosophy. Those searching for anything more than a practical
insight into the subject may be wise to follow the more in-depth links that are
within this website.
QUOTE: "A journey of a
thousand miles must begin with a single step." (Lao Tzu)
We hope this next step will enrich your soul
and give you the energy to introduce more wisdom and practical philosophy into
your life...
QUOTE: "Grief
can take care of itself, but to get the full value of a joy you must have
somebody to divide it with." (Mark Twain)
SOLVING PROBLEMS:
We solve problems by dipping into our knowledge and experience and producing an
answer.
Most adults will have the chance of experience as it happens directly in front
of them each day. As for knowledge few choose to gather any more; as a
consequence they will always be disadvantaged.
To search for knowledge need not be tiresome, in a day of MEASURE there is
always room for study.
A measured day equals a measure life. Measure allows abundance to flow and
happiness to flourish.
I recently watched a television documentary on a British entertainer, he was 75
years-old and still taking on television assignments. Moreover he was married to
a former Miss World for the last twenty five years, who was 35 years his junior.
What surprised me about this documentary was MEASURE. This energetic and lively
entertainer scheduled very specific events each day to care for his health and
well being. Not only was his body agile but his mind very active.
Today’s story illustrates the value of experience and how to turn it into
knowledge.
A GOODBYE KISS
The Board Meeting had come to an end. Bob started to stand up and jostled the
table, spilling his coffee over his notes. "How embarrassing, I am getting so
clumsy in my old age."
Everyone had a good laugh, and soon we were all telling stories of our most
embarrassing moments. It came around to Frank who sat quietly listening to the
others. Someone said, "Come on, Frank. Tell us your most embarrassing moment."
Frank laughed and began to tell us of his childhood. "I grew up in San Pedro. My
Dad was a fisherman, and he loved the sea. He had his own boat, but it was hard
making a living on the sea. He worked hard and would stay out until he caught
enough to feed the family. Not just enough for our family, but also for his Mom
and Dad and the other kids that were still at home."
He looked at us and said, "I wish you could have met my Dad. He was a big man,
and he was strong from pulling the nets and fighting the seas for his catch.
When you got close to him, he smelled like the ocean. He would wear his old
canvas, foul-weather coat and his bibbed overalls. His rain hat would be pulled
down over his brow. No matter how much my Mother washed them, they would still
smell of the sea and of fish."
Frank's voice dropped a bit. "When the weather was bad he would drive me to
school. He had this old truck that he used in his fishing business. That truck
was older than he was. It would wheeze and rattle down the road. You could hear
it coming for blocks. As he would drive toward the school, I would shrink down
into the seat hoping to disappear. Half the time, he would slam to a stop and
the old truck would belch a cloud of smoke. He would pull right up in front, and
it seemed like everybody would be standing around and watching. Then he would
lean over and give me a big kiss on the cheek and tell me to be a good boy. It
was so embarrassing for me. Here I was, twelve years old, and my Dad would lean
over and kiss me goodbye!"
He paused and then went on, "I remember the day I decided I was too old for a
goodbye kiss. When we got to the school and came to a stop, he had his usual big
smile. He started to lean toward me, but I put my hand up and said, 'No, Dad.'
It was the first time I had ever talked to him that way, and he had this
surprised look on his face.
I said, 'Dad, I'm too old for a goodbye kiss. I'm too old for any kind of kiss.'
My Dad looked at me for the longest time, and his eyes started to tear up. I had
never seen him cry. He turned and looked out the windshield. 'You're right,' he
said. 'You are a big boy.a man. I won't kiss you anymore.'"
Frank got a funny look on his face, and the tears began to well up in his eyes,
as he spoke. "It wasn't long after that when my Dad went to sea and never came
back. It was a day when most of the fleet stayed in, but not Dad. He had a big
family to feed. They found his boat adrift with its nets half in and half out.
He must have gotten into a gale and was trying to save the nets and the floats."
I looked at Frank and saw that tears were running down his cheeks.
Frank spoke again. "Guys, you don't know what I would give to have my Dad give
me just one more kiss on the cheek, to feel his rough old face, to smell the
ocean on him, to feel his arm around my neck. I wish I had been a man then. If I
had been a man, I would never have told my Dad I was too old for a goodbye
kiss."
(Bishop Thomas Charles Clary)
QUOTE: "A difficult time can be more readily endured if we retain conviction
that our existence holds a purpose - a cause to pursue, a person to love, a goal
to achieve.”
(John Maxwell)
********************
Witnessing the Practice of Practical Philosophy & Wisdom in our 'Day-to-Day'
Life
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
1. Introduction to our Subject – Wisdom Just Is…
2. Story 1
3. Story 2
4. Responding to Your Questions.
5. Philosophical Quotes
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
INTRODUCTION to our subject – WISDOM JUST IS…
QUOTE: “In complete darkness we are all the same. It is only our knowledge and
wisdom that separates us. Don't let your eyes deceive you.” (American singer
Janet Jackson)
Let me remind you of what too many people strive for all of their life. Money
and Wealth! But you may wonder, for what purpose? Generally the destination is
happiness. Why not avoid the stress, heartache and heart attacks and take a
short cut to being happy first.
We can all strive, but not to the detriment of our health. We can all ‘want’ but
not so our family and friends suffer. Wants and desires that originate from our
ego are selfish and as a consequence shatter our life. Selfish actions destroy
relationships and families; if we could only perform from a centred calmness
rather than our selfish ego.
That said… although very critical and offensive to our ego; once we have
witnessed operating from a centred calmness we can become more aware of this
otherwise hidden capability of making excellent decisions.
As you already know every action has a consequence. Good actions therefore means
good consequences, and subsequently poor actions make our life stressful, these
poor decisions often stem from operating from our ego.
QUOTE: "By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is
noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which
is the bitterest."
(Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BC))
Who am I to question such a philosopher, but I sense the quote would be better
equipped for life if it was changed to this:
QUOTE: By four methods may we acquire wisdom: first, by acknowledging the value
of intuition, which is most noble; second, by ignoring thought coming from our
ego, which is most common; third by eliminating our claims to ‘know’, which
becomes habitual; and finally understanding the power of reflection and how it
can prevent the bitterness of repeating bad experiences. (Phil Booker).
I sense in writing that quote, I myself am making a claim. But I hope that an
intuitive truth was filtering through the keyboard as I typed.
This month’s newsletter is aimed at bringing together two important aspects of
wisdom and philosophy; they are: ‘being calm’ and ‘showing gratitude’.
One of our stories is from a philosopher who suggests how powerful our life can
be if it is grounded on a calm persona. The other story has a religious slant.
To be wise is to be able to see good in everything. Religion and philosophers
have been known to mislead, but viewing any communication from a calm centre
will allow the clarity of mind. We can either accept or reject. Should we see
clarity, gratitude will flow.
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2. STORY 1
GRATITUDE
The whole process of mental adjustment and atunement can be summed up in one
word: gratitude.
First, you believe that there is one intelligent substance from which all things
proceed. Secondly, you believe that this substance gives you everything you
desire. And, thirdly, you relate yourself to it through a feeling of deep and
profound gratitude.
Many people who order their lives rightly in all other ways are kept in poverty
by their lack of gratitude. Having received one gift from God, they cut the
wires which connect them with Him by failing to make acknowledgment.
It is easy to understand that the nearer we live to the source of wealth, the
more wealth we shall receive. It is also easy to understand that a soul that is
always grateful lives in closer touch with God than one who never looks to Him
in thankful acknowledgment.
When good things come to us, the more gratefully we fix our mind on the Supreme
Power, the more good things we will receive - and the more rapidly they will
come. The reason for this is simply that the mental attitude of gratitude draws
the mind into closer touch with the source from which the blessings come.
(Wallace D. Wattles)
3. STORY 2
SERENITY
Calmness of mind is one of the beautiful jewels of wisdom. It is the result of
long and patient effort in self-control. Its presence is an indication of
ripened experience, and of a more than ordinary knowledge of the laws and
operations of thought.
A man becomes calm in the measure that he understands himself as a thought
evolved being, for such knowledge necessitates the understanding of others as
the result of thought, and as he develops a right understanding, and sees more
and more clearly the internal relations of things by the action of cause and
effect, he ceases to fuss and fume and worry and grieve, and remains poised,
steadfast, serene.
The calm man, having learned how to govern himself, know how to adapt himself to
others; and they, in turn, reverence his spiritual strength, and feel that they
can learn of him and rely upon him. The more tranquil a man becomes, the greater
is his success, his influence, his power for good. Even the ordinary trader will
find his business prosperity increase as he develops a greater self-control and
equanimity, for people will always prefer to deal with a man whose demure is
strongly equable.
The strong, calm man is always loved and revered. He is like a shade-giving tree
in a thirsty land, or a sheltering rock in a storm. Who does not love a tranquil
heart, a sweet-tempered, balanced life? It does not matter whether it rains or
shines, or what changes come to those possessing these blessings, for they are
always sweet, serene, and calm. That exquisite poise of character which we call
serenity is the last lesson of culture; it is the flowering of life, the
fruitage of the soul. It is precious as wisdom, more to be desired than gold -
yea, than even fine gold. How insignificant mere money-seeking looks in
comparison with a serene life - a life that dwells in the ocean of Truth,
beneath the waves, beyond the reach of tempests, in the Eternal Calm. (James
Allen, 1864-1912)
4. ANSWERING YOUR QUESTIONS
QUESTION: “I try to advance in life by being calm, but I keep find hurdles to
leap. Am I doing something wrong?”
ANSWER: A good question and I instantly think of this story, although a tad
amusing the message is succinct.
GIVING UP TOO SOON
A man meets a guru in the road. The man asks the guru, "Which way is success?"
The bearded sage speaks not but points to a place off in the distance.
The man, thrilled by the prospect of quick and easy success, rushes off in the
appropriate direction. Suddenly, there comes a loud "Splat!!!"
Eventually, the man limps back, tattered and stunned, assuming he must have
misinterpreted the message. He repeats his question to the guru, who again
points silently in the same direction.
The man obediently walks off once more. This time the splat is deafening, and
when the man crawls back, he is bloody, broken, tattered, and irate. "I asked
you which way is success," he screams at the guru. "I followed the direction you
indicated. And all I got was splatted! No more of this pointing! Talk!"
Only then does the guru speak, and what he says is this: "Success is that way.
Just a little after the splat."
(Unknown Author)
5. PHILOSOPHICAL TIPS & QUOTES
*“To attract good fortune, spend a new coin on an old friend, share an old
pleasure with a new friend, and lift up the heart of a true friend by writing
his name on the wings of a dragon.” (Chinese proverb)
“A failure is a man who has blundered but is not able to cash in on experience.”
(Elbert Hubbard)
“Every great work, every great accomplishment, has been brought into
manifestation through holding to a vision, and often just before the big
achievement, comes apparent failure and discouragement.” (Florence Scovel Shinn)
Bye for now.
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Whilst most people will heartedly agree with that comment, it would follow that
the complete opposite must also be true. ‘Happiness is to know when you are
sad!’
Admission and acceptance are important factors. If you refuse to do either
you’ll be always wondering why life is against you.
If you recognise you are sad you are halfway to removing the sadness. More often
than not this recognition will only arise during a brief spell of trying to
knock on the door of happiness. At the moment your emotional state has risen
because you’ve almost created a smile, a sudden acknowledgement of wanting more
happiness makes you remember vividly the moments earlier when you were sad; thus
providing you with the necessary evidence of sadness.
To move from sadness to happiness needs determination and action, both of which
need strength of character. Sadness is a drain on your energy, so the first
effort needed is to gather whatever energy you can. Sleep as you well know
invigorates the soul, but as the remembrance of all that makes you sad floods
into mind during the few moments of being awake, that energy is zapped.
The key, although you maybe sad, is to introduce a little happiness. This maybe
getting dressed in your best bib and tucker and visiting friends or going to a
restaurant, your favourite restaurant. Whilst the sadness will still loom
heavily, you’re gaining strength and a new determination is born. Try and
introduce 20 or 30 small events, such as a chocolate drink or a cocktail that
reminds you of a holiday. All these will top of the strength of your new
conviction.
Today’s story is an illustration of how we can gain strength from our family,
our memories that many would consider inconvenient, but most would love the
thought of. For example when your children visit your bed at 5am; which maybe
tiresome at the time, but if you work away from home they’ll be memories you
wish you could share again.
Too many of us put values onto the wrong aspects of our life. This, if we did
but know, are contributory factors in being sad. If we have trouble at work we
bring the sadness home. Why? Simply because we attach too much value! When our
real values as such should be with the more important aspects of our life.
NOTHING BEATS FAMILY
I stepped into my hotel room to a pleasant surprise. Lots of room surrounded an
inviting king-size bed, flanked by overstuffed armchairs that rested against
sliding glass doors that opened onto a private patio. A small dining table sat
next to a kitchenette with a separate sink, refrigerator and coffee machine.
"Wow," I thought to myself. "Nice place."
I love hotels - from the Holiday Inn Express to the Ritz-Carlton and everything
in between. I love to enter a clean room, hang my clothes and gaze out the
window, walk out in the morning knowing that each afternoon when I return,
someone else will have made the bed. I like in-room dining and the way they
greet you so professionally.
"Nice to have you with us again, Mr. Goldsborough."
Very cool.
The problem is that unless Alison travels with me, I never sleep well in hotels.
I miss my family. Even though Linus and Camille, at ages 4 and almost 2, find a
way to interrupt even the best night's sleep at home, still, I'd rather be with
them. I'll take Linus clamouring over me at five AM or a kick in the chin from
Camille over the finest linens and a chocolate on my pillow. When I'm on the
road I yearn for my loved ones.
I'm deeply troubled by the number of parents who wake up too late with the
realization:
"My children grew up too fast. In the hustle-bustle of career and corporate rat
race, I missed their childhood."
What they fail to say but too often inwardly think causes me even more pain:
"...and I barely even know them."
This applies to couples as well - so in a hurry to get who-knows-where - a
destination seldom defined. Relationships turn into co-habitations, romance into
convenience. Very disturbing.
A hundred years from now, no one will remember the size of your bank account,
the car you drove or the square footage of your house. The world might differ
greatly however, based on your impact in the life of a small child. Your life
will most certainly improve, if you pay attention to your significant other,
make the choice to put her or him first. Your example will benefit the rest of
us. Our world cries out for role models and heroes of every day living. What
could you do today to let your loved ones know how much they mean to you?
What will you do tomorrow?
And the next day?
Think of one specific action that you can take, and take it. Then think of
another one and take that, too. Challenge yourself to find new ways to express
your appreciation and love on a daily basis. It will pay off ten-fold at home.
On those slightly stressful days when the grass looks a little greener and you
feel like maybe you need a break, remember this.
Room service will never kiss you goodnight!
(Ridgely Goldsborough)
QUOTE: “I truly feel that there are as many ways of loving as there are people
in the world and as there are days in the life of those people.”
(Mary S. Calderone)
ADAPTING TO CHANGE:
Do we really know where our values reside and whether they are values and not a
hidden selfishness?
As I read our story of illustration I was in and out of support for the lady and
her tale of emotional turmoil. But why would I swap and be with her one moment
then opposing her another?
These are the challenges we face every day. It is a case of structuring a
formula that sees the dilemma and resolves it. Wisdom and Philosophy being the
structure of course.
Rather than work out an explanation and determine the ultimate answer, with the
intensity and quality that Wisdom can give you; you act from an inner sense and
work out the explanation afterwards.
The story is entitled ‘Change’ but ultimately the lady isn’t going to change, so
it could have easily been called ‘Not Changing’. I sense the lady is justifying
her decision to go with her thoughts about life, but only she will know if it’s
the right decision. The story has an immense value as it appears to explain how
we approach every daily dilemma. We see it, we act and then if it doesn’t follow
some major vein of truth we justify it. We do this to satisfy our subconscious
mind.
Once an action has happened we cannot take it back. We are better for accepting
there may have been an error and correct it should the next need arise.
This story may not be the full story, and we may find ourselves adding to fill
in the gaps, but there is a sense that the bitterness from the emotion involved
caused her to pass her view in this manner. Upon reflection, some months later,
her view maybe different. The observation however, is that a heightened
emotional state of mind confuses our decision making tools.
CHANGE
I walked into the house and dropped my bag on the floor with a barely concealed
sigh of relief. My back was a mass of aching misery, and it was a joy to be
home. To the computer to check email, and then a nap. As soon as the monitor
lights, there is a message. "I hope you kill yourself."
I sighed. At one point in my life, this would have bothered me. Isn't it strange
when you get used to such mundane things. But at some level, the journal
entries, the harassing phone calls, the instant messages, the bad poetry... they
all blended together. Into one sort of amalgamous ball of hatred.
It wasn't a comfortable honour to be named someone's "unwilling muse" like that.
But what else could I do? Talking to her held gave no leeway. She was so
egotistic that any attempts at discussion were simply rebuffed because I
couldn't possibly be right because... well... I was me.
Not that I considered myself right, granted. In this situation, there's not a
right. But I'm not ashamed of the choices I made. I tried to stand by someone I
cared about. Granted again, it got me emotionally kicked in the face a few dozen
times, drove me into full blown manic depression, and left me disconsolate and
disbelieving of love... but sometimes you just had to make choices.
Even now, she taunts me. Taunts me that because I've managed to lose everything
in a matter of months (including her precious boyfriend, who she won't allow to
talk to me) that I was depressed, weak, and filthy. Because the two of us had
been involved, I was a "slut".
My friend Rachel pointed out once that if her criteria for judging sluts was the
people that'd slept with her boyfriend, there must not be any mirrors around.
And so, I sort of bumble along. She's hidden her journal, though I won't hide
mine.
Occasionally a poem pops up, full of loathing and bitterness for the life I
continue to ruin by just being in it. And she always claims how I've ruined his
life too. Funny, he used to tell me the opposite. Which is why I stayed. But,
her little master plan has worked now.
Cut off from all the people who loved him and who he loved in return, he's got
no choice but to fall back on her now. That's how they imprint baby animals, you
know. And so, I sit here. Thinking about the times we had, looking at the gifts
he gave me, and wondering if he's ok. Anyone that'd encourage another human
being to kill themselves, taunt them for not having the courage to do it, and
then define even thinking of it as a cowardly act scares me on a very deep soul
level.
But yeah, that's my story. There was a boy, and I loved him once. And he moved
and got a new girlfriend without telling me. Or her, apparently, that there'd
been a me. She found out, she flipped out, and now she hates me because I've
ruined her life. Sounds like something from a soap opera, don't it. Some day,
I'm going to write a book. And it's going to make lots of money, because, let's
face it, people eat stuff like that up.
Yet, even so, I resent being called a slut because I loved. I turn off the
monitor and head into the bathroom. Tom is coming over in an hour or so, and I'd
like to be ready on time for once. Maybe I'm his slut too. Maybe I fall in love
too easy. At any rate, I refuse to change.
(Jennifer A. Binkley)
QUOTE: “After all it is those who have a deep and real inner life who are best
able to deal with the irritating details of outer life.”
(Evelyn Underhill)
Can
you become Happier with Practice?
The author of this Ebook suggests you can!
"Having read the book from cover to cover I found
the book both captivating and exhilarating.
He teaches you principles that you'd forgotten and
awakens your inner self.
Sadness, depressions, anxiety and fear are all
covered; and today I'm using his very principles to be happier myself."
(Jonathan Staniforth, Rector)
Everything
You Want Appears -- Seemingly Out of Thin Air
There is a science that deals with manifesting desires. Many
people regard it as mystical or esoteric, but it's actually a
science like physics or algebra.
There are certain immutable laws that govern the process of
materializing wishes seemingly out of thin air, and once these
laws are complied with, anyone can make their dreams a reality
-- with absolute certainty.
