An Annoying Thought

A question: Why is it wrong to ask questions? I am asking because, apparently, it seems it is. It seems that wanting to know all the time, yearning to understand the reason of things is not the best way to live your life. You believe that, as you have a functioning rational mind, it would be logical to inquire about the cause of what is going on. You are told that certain things just happen but, while on one hand it seems that you have no control over them, on the other it is also suggested that you (unconsciously, it's clear) are creating them yourself. Therefore, what can you practically do in order to behave in a way that makes you "feel good"? What should your actual attitude be? Try to find the reason or just give up? Plainly accept it all, even if you are unable to discover (and consequently endeavor to heal) the 'unconscious' part of yourself that is at the origin of your problems? Tough questions, aren't they? But they must be all wrong!

A Homeless Gentleman

I recently happened to hear a homeless person speaking to others. He was a tall man with very refined features, acceptably groomed in spite of clear signs of indigence. His manners were polite, his words were kind and showed a certain refinement. I couldn't help wondering about him. Who was he? What had he been? How did he find himself in that situation? It might have been a choice - as it seems to be true for some, although probably not many. Or did he have to face dire circumstances he was unable to deal with? How sad it is that - in this world of ours - this kind of situation is not uncommon and that nothing significant is done about it. Many try to help but they are always palliative, temporary measures that do not solve the problem. I don't know what the solution might be. I only know that seeing that handsome aged gentleman carrying his worldly belongings in a small cart, greeting and thanking people (myself included) ... made my heart sink.

Bubbles

Children like bubbles. So do I! I love to see them rise in the air, dance, float, then slowly sink down and finally disappear. They are so beautiful, yet so fragile. They reflect the whole surrounding world, they sparkle with the colors of the rainbow, then they fade into nothingness. No, wait a minute. Although they "seem" to fade into nothingness, the instant they burst, tiny, almost invisible droplets dissolve into the atmosphere. They simply change their form of existence. You usually don't perceive it, but this is what happens. Each beautiful bubble has a short existence, it mirrors the beauty of the Universe - but only if you pay close attention - then it is no more. Doesn't this remind you of Life? It starts, it exists (for an x length of time, which you can never forecast) and then it evaporates into thin air. But not without a trace. Such thin air absorbs the "essence" of the droplet and adds it to the infinite other droplets of infinite other bubbles - until a child (or myself) starts blowing lovely iridescent globules all over again!

Unfulfilled Dreams

Do you have an unfulfilled dream? Think about your past - possibly your "far away" past - and examine what was the deepest desire of your heart. Think now of all the reasons why you did not pursue such a dream. If you are totally honest with yourself, you may discover that some of these reasons were not strong enough to hold you back. You may also discover that you allowed yourself to be distracted by other lures that, at the moment, completely blinded you and made you lose sight of your goal. So you took a different path that, eventually, made it impossible to go back on the "main road". How do you perceive such development... now? Do you think that, after all, you had made the best decision? Is the outcome acceptable? Any regrets? Such pondering might be a difficult enterprise because it's not always pleasant to look at a past event (=remember) with the eyes (=the understanding) of today.

Three People

Three young people got on the bus together and my attention was attracted by their appearance. Their hairstyles made them look completely different. One tall young man had tightly braided long hair. The other had straight about-twelve-inches-long hair sticking out around his head like a thick halo. The third, a short girl, was almost completely shaved. Interesting, I thought. I wondered how "different" they might really be, disregarding their looks. What appears clear on the surface might hide a lot of other stuff. It could  conceal differences but it might also shroud plenty of similarities. Buried in the underground, different trees might have similar roots. You don't see them, but they are there. Also those youngsters may share thoughts, goals and hopes that are not so different from each other. The same applies to people of different color, race, ethnicity, upbringing or religion. What counts is what is "inside", in the deep self of each individual, in their true nature of human beings (which, by the way, is made of the same "substance" for us all).

Mandatory Path

Today - 'n' years ago - something happened that actually decided  - on my behalf - the course of "my" life. Something that made me go in a totally unexpected direction - a direction that would  drastically change my existence. Every year, on this day, I think about how my life could have been different and I make a kind of assessment. Would it have been better ? Truly? In what ways? Would it have possibly been worse? How? Why did I have to meet the situation that made me step on that path? Was it the best decision I could have made? Why? What did I have to learn - if there was 'something' to be learned?

Do you ever ask yourself any of these questions?

Is there a pattern in our lives that pre-determines the most important choices we make, those that actually "create" some compulsory experiences? And are such experiences always for our own good? I - personally - believe they are.

Holiday Season

Does the Holiday Season have a special meaning? I am certainly not going to say anything new or original. Yet, I think it is worthwhile to once again stop for a moment, set aside your worries, concerns, upsets, resentments, and simply reflect about "all" that is good in your life. Negative things  undeniably occur, but in certain moments, at a particular time, it may be easier to focus on what is good, on what you have to be grateful for. Every day can really be a new beginning, the first day of the life that lays ahead of you. You might not be consciously aware that every day, every instant is really a fresh start. Either you want it or not, you leave behind what has been and you create, better still you "re-create" your life according to your thoughts - moment after moment. It is a never-ending manifestation  of what you make of your existence, literally till your last breath. 

Hair Wash

Three young women were discussing how often one should wash their hair. A trivial, uninteresting topic, you would say. Yes, it is indeed. But the way it developed was sort of thought-provoking. The first woman said that hair should be washed every day. The second said that she preferred every two days. The third advocated a 'n' number of days. Each expressed their opinion and... so far so good. The problem arises from the fact that each despised any outlook that was different from theirs. Every day? It ruins the hair 'balance'. Every two days? The hair looks dirty. An unspecified number of days? Just awful. Let's see, now: expressing your viewpoint is fair. Wanting to prove that the opinions of others are wrong is... well, "wrong". Why this need to prove your point at all costs? Why not just allow everybody to have their own convictions? They deserve to have theirs, exactly as you deserve to have yours.

Spirit and Brain

I recently heard a scientist say that  the "spiritual" experiences that many people have can be explained "scientifically" by means of experiments he made with brain activity. This argument left me wondering. Yes, those experiences can be proved to be brain activities. But can't such activities be what "spirit" is actually about, i.e. a capability that a human being has to connect - OK, through the brain, too - to another dimension"? And can't such dimension be what we call "spirit"? After all, what else can we experience that is not transmitted through our senses or any other tool that our bodies are endowed with?

Of Pumpkins, Bricks and Chains

Here is a story that further clarifies the meaning of the previous 'Heavy Burdens'. A man was walking through a village carrying a huge pumpkin on his head, heavy bricks in his hands and big chains around his waist and ankles. He then met someone who asked him, "Why are you carrying that pumpkin?" "Am I? - said the man, surprised - I didn't realize I was. Actually, I don't need it", and he dropped it. After a while, he met someone else who asked, "Why are you carrying those heavy bricks?" Again the man said, "Am I? I really don't need them." So he dropped them, walking much more lightly. Finally, a third passerby asked, "Why are you carrying those big chains?" The man realized once again that he didn't need them. So he dropped them. Once he understood that the weights he had been dragging along were totally useless and that dropping them was his choice, he did so... and felt much lighter.

Heavy Burden

Negative feelings are huge burdens to carry. How to get rid of them? By becoming aware of them. Is it really that simple? It actually is. The problem is that, usually, you are "not" aware of the baggage you are dragging behind you. If you are jealous, for example, you will not recognize your jealousy for what it is. You say that you are rightly caring for what is yours, or that you are rightly suspicious of the behavior of another, or that you are rightly judging someone else's achievements. The key word here is "rightly". You believe that whatever you feel is not only 'right' but 'righteous'. You ascribe a moral justification to what is simply a petty or unfair attitude. Be honest with yourself, recognize and admit the truth. Only then will you be able to release the burden and proceed on your path as light as a feather.

Chiming Bells

A legend told the story of a far away village where an ancient temple had one thousand bells whose chiming was heavenly. But the temple had sunk into the ocean, so such angelic sound was heard no more. Nevertheless, it seemed that someone - although extremely rarely - had been able to hear it. A young man, fascinated by this story, collected all his savings and traveled to that distant village. For  many months, every day he went to the beach and tried very hard to cut off all other sounds in order to hear the bells. But, in spite of all his efforts to create silence, nothing ever happened. He finally gave up, and went to the beach one last time to say good-bye to the ocean. He lay down on the sand and - for once - he didn't fight the sounds of the waves, of the wind, of the rustling tree-leaves, of the birds. He simply allowed.... He accepted what was... Soon after, he heard the bells!

Consistency

How consistent are you? How able are you to organize your actions in order to keep up with your goals? Inconsistency is a trait common to many. They say they want to do something, but then they don't do it, or they do something else. Or they start a thousand projects and complete none. Your mind needs organization, a well-defined plan and, most of all, it needs focus. To be focused means to give all your attention to a specific target, make it your only aim, and concentrate all your energy - either physical or mental - in order to achieve it. When you are really willing to carry out a project efficiently, you truly do your best because your capabilities get enhanced. You become more creative, more precise and accurate. You know what to do and your intuition tells you how to do it. You are able to use your talents at the highest level, may they be writing, speaking, painting, fixing things, teaching or...just listening.

Choice vs. Fate

Still musing on the subject of "choice". Is choice always a "real" decision that you consciously make? To be completely real, you must be also aware of the consequences. Let's say you are invited to a party. You are free to choose whether to go or not to go. Let's say that you decide to go. While you are at the party, something happens that changes your life (you meet a special someone, you have an accident, you are presented with an unexpected golden opportunity etc.). What happens is, yes, the result of your mindful choice to go to the party. But the final outcome is certainly not. It is the consequence of a decision made by your "unconscious" self. It is called "fate" (i.e. the development of events beyond a person's control).

Before....