A "Paper Life"

Philosophers, psychologists, Positive Thinkers, and more, keep talking about the importance of "consciousness", about the fundamental role this mysterious 'essence' has in your life. Another word for consciousness is "awareness". Synonyms given by the dictionary include realization, understanding, knowledge. So, being conscious or aware means to be 'awake', to be present in the moment, to have full knowledge of what is going on. My favorite author Anthony de Mello, SJ, said that most of us live a "paper life". That's a strong statement! Paper is fragile, it has a very weak consistency, it can be easily torn, burnt, destroyed. It is all but strong and powerful. It has a touchable consistence all right, it is certainly useful in many instances, but it is not apt to face "challenges". Therefore, you lead a "paper life" when you are not aware of what you are doing and why you are doing it. When you follow your whims and don't reflect about the possible consequences of your actions or words, you are 'asleep'. When you allow your life to be made of 'paper', expect it to be easily torn or shattered.

Blissful Ignorance

You have a mind, so you can't help thinking practically all the time. Why? Because this is your mind's function. But, how necessary and positive is this never-ending mental wandering? Why do you experience this need to analyze whatever happens? Wouldn't it be better to just accept what is and things as thy are, without wanting to understand how and why? The fact is that - if you care to live an "examined life" (as the Greek philosopher Socrates called it) - you need to 'understand'. Socrates went as far as saying that "an un-examined life isn't worth living". This may not be true for everyone. There are plenty of people who are happy and satisfied with their un-examined lives. They just carry on day by day, without ever wondering about the meaning of what they do, about the impact that their actions and words have on others, as well as on their own 'self'. Blissful ignorance, some call it. Why not? But only if such ignorance can quench your desire to 'know'.

PEACE

“If there is to be peace in the world,

There must be peace in the nations.

If there is to be peace in the nations,

There must be peace in the cities.

If there is to be peace in the cities,

There must be peace between neighbors.

If there is to be peace between neighbors,

There must be peace in the home.

If there is to be peace in the home,

There must be peace in the heart.”



― Lao-tse

A Different Christmas Movie

Timeless "The Wizard of Oz" can be considered a Christmas movie because it pinpoints, underlines and stresses some of the most important principles that should guide the human behavior: 
* "friendship" (to have compassion, to be co-operative and available towards others)
* "courage" (to dare to face the unknown)
* "trust" (to believe that wishes can be fulfilled).
A wonderful lesson for all, if we only take the time to stop, examine ourselves, and reflect.

A Recipe For Serenity

Here are the ingredients:

* openness (to receive)
* availability (to do what needs to be done)  
* willingness (to do what must be done)
* lack of expectations (of what you believe you should have)
* acceptance (of whatever comes along)
* trust (that everything that happens is for the best)

The Importance of Experiencing

How important is the actual 'experience' of the world? Imagine that someone tells you that they love you, but in practice do nothing to show you such love. If you don't feel that you can count on them for support, for sharing, for presence, does their feeling have a real meaning for you? Does it have an impact on your life? Consider now a very rich person: they have money but they are reluctant to spend it, to enjoy it, to make good use of it. Does that wealth have an actual significance, does it produce a beneficial effect in their lives? They enjoy the feeling of 'owning', but this is totally useless in a practical way. So, you could say that experiencing the world is possibly the most essential feature of your life, because without it everything would just happen in your mind. You might be contented with it, and that is fine, too. As to the spiritual world, it certainly is enough. In the physical, material world, maybe... not so much.

Accepting Feelings

You are told that any feeling you experience depends only on yourself, i.e. on your reaction towards what happened. When something pleasant takes place, you are happy - so you experience a positive feeling. On the other hand, when something hurtful materializes in your life, you can't help feeling unhappy because your instinctive reaction is one of non-acceptance or resentment. The best attitude would be to understand the reason why it happened, and accept it willingly. But when someone hurt you, or disappointed you, in spite of your willingness to accept it, you can't help wondering about the position of the person who hurt or disappointed you. You have to be lenient all right, but... will the other ever realize that what they said or did had such an impact on your feelings? Of course, this is 'their' problem, still....