Life On A B-I7

If something appears new to you, rest assured, someone has seen it before. This moment has come before and will come again. This understanding is not meant to be discouraging, this is meant to inspire us to action.

When we respect destiny and fate, we give ourselves the grace we need to receive acceptance.

These thoughts would make an excellent focus for meditation. Repeat each of these slowly and ask yourself how aligned are you with each of these.

Our job is to make ourselves better, it is not to make others better. Everyone is on their own journey. As much as you may want to someone else make a change, those efforts will never bring about lasting results.

Both hope and fear are nothing more than projections into the future. Both are the enemy of the present.

We only get upset with things when we view their state as permanent.

What you should you trust? Your reputation? Your money? Your position? None of these.

You should trust your judgement. Cultivate solid judgement in all things. What requires sound judgement, the need to conquer the world or conquering the need to conquer the world.

Those that are too proud are eventually brought low. When the gods send evil, no one escapes. Life can change in an instant.

The notion that we reside in the center of the universe and the universe revolves around us is toxic to our souls.

We tend to view change as bad, just as we tend to desire stableness. Neither of these is good or bad in themselves.

What if the fate that we endure was prescribed for us like a doctor prescribes medicine. What then does that say about fate and how we should approach it?

Always display character. It may not serve you in the short term but it will always serve you in the long term.

We need each other. We must be there for each other and allow others to be there for us. This is the natural state of man. To deny this or worse, betray this truth, is a betrayal of our humanity.

Undesirable things will be visited on you at some point, of this you can be assured. As we have heard many times, what goes around comes around. Rest assured that those visiting harm on you are only hurting themselves. You can not be hurt unless you allow it.

Live a good life ruled by reason. Live in the now, not in the future.

Keep in mind your two highest priorities in life. Be a good person. Pursue an occupation that you love.

Ask yourself, “what is the best use of my limited time.” The answer to that will make you better at all things you do, in all your responsibilities.

Goodness can come to you, that is true. It is even better to find it within yourself.

No matter what you perceive your shortcomings to be, you have qualities that are beneficial to you and to others. Find them. Cultivate them.

Do you know someone whose sole focus is making people recognize him? Tearing things down and remaking them in his own image. Starting wars simply because he can. Putting his name on currency, landmarks and public edifices. These things are of no importance. When that person is gone, he will not have any use for what people think of him. Instead of wasting time thinking about the opinions of other people, he should be focused on being the best he can be. If you are a bricklayer, be the best bricklayer you can be. If you are trusted with the leadership of your people, be the best leader you can be and focus on what is best for those who have entrusted you with that responsibility.

If someone offends you, don’t wish them to be better, take action. Talk to them, they may not be aware of their insult.

If you can’t find it in yourself to speak up, you have no reason to be offended.

Another way of looking at a wrong that has been done to you is that the best revenge is to seek no revenge at all. Seeking revenge proves to the other person that they were justified in the first place. Do not give people that kind of power over you.

It would not surprise me if the Beatles learned this while in Rishikesh at the Maharishi Yoga’s Ashram. I’ve been there. It was a moving experience.

“I’m going to be honest with you… I’m going to be straight with you…”

These are not honest words. You don’t need to preface your words with such qualifications. The honest person speaks clearly and without hyperbole.

Leave the past behind. Let the future take care of itself. Our job is to guide the present with right action.

We need to persist in what is right and resist what is wrong.

Always ask yourself before you act, is what I am about to do consistent with who I am, is it consistent with who I want to be.