The right thing

If people are good only because they fear punishment, and hope for reward, then we are a sorry lot indeed.-Albert Einstein I call that doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. Do good because you want to see justice prevail. If you cannot do good for goods sake, then do unto others as you would have them do to you. If that doesn't motivate you then do good because it's the right thing to do. After all, our character is defined by what we do more so than what we do not do.

Smell the coffee

"Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished." - Lao Tzu If you are always rushing from one place to another or from one thing to another than something is out of balance. Figure out what it is and fix it. Slow down, start early and perhaps stay later. Make the most of your brief moments in time. Smell the coffee.

What's out of place?

Live the life you've dreamed.-Henry David Thoreau Stop trying to find the right car, the right house, the right friends, the right spouse, the right job and the right life. Take a step back and determine what is out of place. Discover what doesn't belong and get rid of it. Then pursue your dreams.

Look further this time

"In strategy it is important to see distant things as if they were close and to take a distanced view of close things." Book of five rings To often we are stuck in a primitive way of doing things simply because it's has always been done that way. Stop and assess where you are, why you are there, and if this is where you want to be. Ask yourself if you see yourself here in five years. If not, start making preparations to be elsewhere. Look beyond your circumstances and your limitations. Look closely at those distant things and put some of your immediate needs off for a while.

Into the deep end

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.-Henry David Thoreau You cannot allow the whims and constraints of others to be your shackles. No more than you can allow the dreams of others to drive you. Stop being influenced by small minded ambitious driven individuals. Do not allow them to assert themselves in your life. If you believe you are free, then live as such a free man would. Chase your own dreams and visions and stop living for the acceptance of the nay sayers too frightened by their own shadows to venture into the deep waters. You have been given a gift. Pursue your dreams as if they were real. They soon will be. Go confidently forward. Leave the timid in the shallow waters where they belong.

Honor, commitment and courage

".Half a league, half a league, Half a league onward, All in the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. "Forward, the Light Brigade! "Charge for the guns!" he said: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. 2."Forward, the Light Brigade!" Was there a man dismay'd? Not tho' the soldier knew Someone had blunder'd: Theirs not to make reply, Theirs not to reason why, Theirs but to do and die: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred. 3.Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon in front of them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, Boldly they rode and well, Into the jaws of Death, Into the mouth of Hell Rode the six hundred. 4.Flash'd all their sabres bare, Flash'd as they turn'd in air, Sabring the gunners there, Charging an army, while All the world wonder'd: Plunged in the battery-smoke Right thro' the line they broke; Cossack and Russian Reel'd from the sabre stroke Shatter'd and sunder'd. Then they rode back, but not Not the six hundred. 5.Cannon to right of them, Cannon to left of them, Cannon behind them Volley'd and thunder'd; Storm'd at with shot and shell, While horse and hero fell, They that had fought so well Came thro' the jaws of Death Back from the mouth of Hell, All that was left of them, Left of six hundred. 6.When can their glory fade? O the wild charge they made! All the world wondered. Honor the charge they made, Honor the Light Brigade, Noble six hundred." Alfred, Lord Tennyson. If you have never served in the military, para military organization, law enforcement agency, or depended soley on the man or woman standing next to you, in front of you or behind you, for your very life, this poem makes little sense. However, to those of you that have committed your very being at some point you know that without honor commitment and courage very little is accomplished and much less sustained. Risk and reward are bed fellows. Without committing to taking a risk there is no chance of reward. Valor requires a steady hand and steel for a backbone. Onward light Brigade onward 600 with your honor intact.

Let go sometime

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." -Lao Tzu
Often times are pre conceived notion of self is what holds us back, keeps us from flourishing, stifles our nourishment and growth. Do not be so quick to hold on to your current position there may be more in your future but you must deal with your present. Learn to accept that you don't have all the answers. your hope should be that you have most of the questions. Be concerned about individuals or groups who have all the answers for if they have all the answers clearly they have not considered of the right questions.

See the world

“He that would bring home the wealth of the Indies must carry the wealth of the Indies with him. So it is in travelling. A man must carry knowledge with him if he would bring home knowledge.” Samuel Johnson Knowledge is an exchange of ideas in a controlled environment. If you have the ability to to grow and expand interacting with diverse peoples from around the world. The culmination of different views and cultures are essential in the learning and maturation process. It will either broaden ones horizon or it will make you more resolute in one's own status. Either way you are better for the the interaction.

Victorious

Victorious warriors win first and then go to war, while defeated warriors go to war first and then seek to win.-Sun Tzu Establish your strategy for victory ahead of applications. Dispassionately discern every aspect of your endeavors and actions. Always consider the reaction to the first cause. Causation is relevant to your actions. Perceive the outcome at the inception and be prepared to deviate if necessary.

A kind word is reflection of what's inside

"For a samurai, a simple word is important no matter where he may be. By just one single word martial valor can be made apparent. In peaceful times words show one's bravery. In troubled times, too, one knows that by a single word his strength or cowardice can be seen. This single word is the flower of one's heart." Hagakure Your words convey deep meanings even if you do not. Choose them wisely. Your words will speak volumes long after you are silent.your children cherish your words, your grandchildren will ponder them, your enemies will study them, your friends will remember them, strangers will quote them. Save a kind word for a stranger in need. Give lots of florwers.

A single act of kindness

"No kind action ever stops with itself. One kind action leads to another. Good example is followed. A single act of kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. The greatest work that kindness does to others is that it makes them kind themselves."~ Amelia Earhart Recently, I encountered a young man I had not seen in quite sometime. The last time I saw him he was engaged in an altercation with another gentleman that had stepped on his foot and refused to apologize. I pulled him to the side and said " I don't know you and you don't know me however, I recognize that look in your eye. Son, what you're thinking is not wrong at this second but in twenty minutes it will be. You have been wronged, yes but, is it worth your future? Be the better man and walk away. Somebody somewhere needs you." He looked at me and said "yes sir" and walked away. I didn't recognize him the other day during a chance encounter when he spoke to me. He said "do you remember me?" I answered in the affirmative. I asked him how he was and he replied" I've had ups and downs pain and joy but right now I'm in the valley. " I said " son while you're there, take it all in never forget this place. When you come out rejoice that you know day from night and left from right. You have been prepared for this moment in time." He looked me in the eye and said "I will. Thank you." We parted ways. A kind word, a sincere thought as you pass along this way of life could make all the difference in the world to someone burdened by life.

Finish what you start

"A man with deep far-sightedness will survey both the beginning and the end of a situation and continually consider its every facet as important." The way of the Samurai Considered well the options before you. Utilize your time and strength evenly and finish what you start. Your focus is even more paramount at the finish line.

To know

To know Is to have irrefutable evidence, discern information, to have gathered all of the facts to a certainty. Often people say they know and that they have no doubts, even though they have no facts to support their thesis let alone a synthesis. Yet, they continue with a false premise. For example: "I know my redeemer lives." No you don't. You believe he lives that's why it's called faith. "I know he's cheating." No you think he's cheating based on a feeling not fact. "I know she loves me." No you hope she loves you." Love is an unstable emotion. Time is the indicator or evidence that someone loves another based on their actions. Stop mixing definitions and metaphors. It's one thing to opine, it is quite another to know.

Lighten up a little

Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle. -Plato Life is hard enough without your vindictive visceral response to everything and everyone around you. Consider there are real people out there with real life crisis. Try to be encouraging, attempt to edify instead of simply tearing down every person around you that seems to be different than you. Perhaps, you might find you have more in common with those you inaccurately judge.

Throw me to the wolves

There comes a time in everyone's life when you are put in an impossible position. A position so out of bounds that it can potentially shake you to your core. Sometimes it can be exacerbated by your own actions other times it's the result of another's actions, and every once in awhile it's just life. The central unavoidable question is still, what do you do next? Do you give in? Do you fight back? Do you stick your head in the sand? I say, "throw me to the wolves and I shall return leading the pack." Bob Marley

It's not just a dream

Live the life you've dreamed. --Henry David Thoreau Get out and get up. Wake up and get busy. Work to make your dreams a living reality. Unless of course you only enjoy dreaming, that part is easy. Making your dreams real, that's another story.

Necessity

Necessity... the mother of invention. -Plato When we absolutely have to we will. That is unless we bury our heads in the sand and refuse to accept reality. Sheep have very little stomach for action let alone reaction. A lone wolf can attack fifty sheep and the sheep will generally turn away as the wolf devours their fellow sheep while no lifting a hoof to help. Be not sheep, but wolves who run in a pack when necessary and stand alone when expedient to do so. First survive then thrive and help others do the same.

Friendships

Friendships come in many shapes and sizes. Some friends are emotionally attached and others are intimately distant. There are friends that provide wisdom and logic based feed back and there are friends that just listen and lend their support. I have friends that are problem solvers and I have friends who just comfort me and defer to my better judgment. Some of my friends act with deeds and some provide spiritually uplifting words. All of my friends have many of the same attributes: intelligently sufficient, intellectually proficient, of high moral character, empathetic, sympathetic, nurturing, and too worthy to be in my company. Yet, in varying degrees, I strive to be to others what they have been to me, a friend.

Never look back too long

Never look back unless you are planning to go that way. Henry David Thoreau Far too much time is spent on reflection instead of progression. We engage in removing scabs from a painful past, only to relive the terrible moments as opposed to preparing to move forward and protect ourselves from further injury, while living life to the fullest. Leave yesterday behind and press ever forward. There are a plethora of new battles that require your immediate attention. Never look back too long, you may get stuck there.

Know your purpose

To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity. --Friedrich Nietzsche
It is truly amazing how many people never consider what it means to live a purposeful life. Never realizing that every action or inaction has consequences.

I have just three things to teach.

“I have just three things to teach: Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and in thoughts, You return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, Your accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, You reconcile all beings in the world.” ~Lao Tzu
Life is not as complicated as we make It out to be. Relationships aren't as complicated as you think. You're either attracted to the wrong persons, not willing to commit, or you have deemed your partner inadequate or not worthy of your respect.  It could be your chosen partner is guilty of the same. Perhaps both of you suffer similar dispositions. Patience, consider the value of your time as well as your partner's. If you have little or no patience you have low regard for others. Compassionate towards one's self breeds compassion for others. It is difficult to receive what you are not willing to give. If you lack either of these dispositions you are not ready for relationships with others. You are  not in harmony with yourself or others. You will invent reasons for discord. Learn these three things and everything else will fall into place.

We are not oligarchs or tyrants

Both oligarch and tyrant mistrust the people, and therefore deprive them of their arms. --Aristotle
I believe he people must always have the right to dissent in word and deed. I am not the biggest second ammendment guy however, it serves it's purpose in the constitution. Politicians should be concerned with the people holding them accountable for actions as well as their inactions. The police should feel concerns from the people that they serve and protect when they fail to do their jobs properly. Teachers should expect to be fired when they fail to adequately educate our children.  None of the aforementioned should fear being fired upon by citizens unable to control their rage and anger over arbitrary issues in life. With rights come responsibilities. The good guys with guns need to start preventing the bad guys from obtaining a gun and when a so called good guy does something bad with a gun, call him on it. Not a sermon, just a thought.

Lose the battle not the war

Only a man who knows what it is like to be defeated can reach down to the bottom of his soul and come up with extra ounce of power it takes to win when the match is even." Muhammad Ali
This life is wrought with wins and losses, ups and downs, joy and heart ache, there are highs and lows, then there are those that see through rose colored glasses. Everything is alright, there is never anything bad or wrong in their lives. I am not one of those blessed creatures.  I like to look at life through pragmatic eyes. Yes, I have been defeated, I've suffered losses and endured great pain. I've been cheated, wronged and falsely accused. I have made many mistakes on my own. These things do not define me. My reaction to these things and the lessons I have learned from these things define me. What I do for others ultimately define me. How I now see the world, one people, one planet and one huge family of humanity who's lives are all woven together in the fabric of life. Suffer when you must but, always recover. Lose the battle not the war.

Your death song

“So live your life that the fear of death can never enter your heart. Trouble no one about their religion; respect others in their view, and demand that they respect yours. Love your life, perfect your life, beautify all things in your life. Seek to make your life long and its purpose in the service of your people. Prepare a noble death song for the day when you go over the great divide. Always give a word or a sign of salute when meeting or passing a friend, even a stranger, when in a lonely place. Show respect to all people and grovel to none. When you arise in the morning give thanks for the food and for the joy of living. If you see no reason for giving thanks, the fault lies only in yourself. Abuse no one and no thing, for abuse turns the wise ones to fools and robs the spirit of its vision. When it comes your time to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with the fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song and die like a hero going home.” chief tecumsah
If you live your life as though you might die one day, you would make the most of every second of every day. It is the fear of death that forces us to discount it entirely.  It prevents us from living full lives. We build walls and barriers to forget our mortality.  Make no mistake you will die, the question becomes will you have prepared your life to include a death song.

Truth

On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow. --Friedrich Nietzsche What is truth? Truth is an enduring fact that can withstand the test of time and the illuminations of constant inspections and regular investigations. It is both bitter and sweet to the taste, but most desirable to the to the reasoned man. It is both soothing and at times uncomfortable, it is ugly and can be beautiful, as well as good and bad. Truth is what it is, and it is necessary.

Character

You cannot dream yourself into a character; you must hammer and forge yourself one. -Henry David Thoreau Character must be formed in the crucible of time and  hard work. Hoping and wishing will not get it done. Much like a workout in the gym it requires a total body commitment to achieve true character. Not just shoulders and arms, not just chest and back but legs as well. Generally, this comes in the form of loving parents, sometimes it comes from a coach in the gym or on the playing field, its been known to come from a wonderful teacher in the classroom, once in a while it comes from a drill instructor in the military, it can even come from a stranger on the street, and every now and then an inspiring author. However the opportunity presents presents itself, seize it every time. Evaluate and assess life's journey regularly. Learn from your mistakes and the mistakes of others. Then make yourself available to teach, mentor and instruct others as you too have learned. This is true character.

Never get angry with a thing for doing what it does.

"Never get angry with a thing for doing what it does, be angry for not knowing what it was." John H. Miner,Sr. When my dad first uttered those poetic words (I have since made them more poetic) I thought something was was wrong with him. As time passed, I came to see the sheer brilliance in his words. Consider this, accept people and things for what they are, not what you hope or would like them to be. Use deductive reasoning not inductive to determine the scope of your synthesis. Stop projecting superstition and emotional provocations onto others. Discern clearly the intentions of a thing or person before ascribing particular values. Perceive things as they are use them for what they are. In the end you be closer to living the good life.

Make your own reality

"No one ever is defeated until defeat has been accepted as a reality." Napoleon Hill
Perception is not reality.  Deductive reason is reality.  This can only occur when all of the facts have been gathered. Until you you have finished gathering all of the facts and nothing more remains, it's not over.