We don’t understand how lucky we are. As a country and as a world community. And yet there seems to be an abundant willingness to throw it all away. I heard someone that lives near me say recently, “I don’t do anything the government tells me to do.” I have no idea what that person could possibly mean. I can’t help but think that person needs to leave America and go live in Iran, or Russia, or China in order to fully appreciate how lucky we are.
Find work that is satisfying and then bring something to that work that only you can provide.
Every event, no matter how small, is an opportunity to practice the principle of always doing the right thing.
There’s an old saying, women spend more time wondering what men are thinking than men actually spend thinking. It’s also been noted that men and women’s behavior is very different.
I think a lot of the difference in behavior is cultural. Here at home in the United States I wouldn’t hesitate to give a close male friend a hug in greeting or farewell, but wouldn’t occur to me to hold hands with him while walking down the street. In India where I was recently traveling, an Indian man that was one of our guides frequently reached out to take my hand as we were walking. At first I was taken aback, then I realized this was his way of saying that he loved me and respected me. Women probably would not have given this a second thought. Now that I have had the experience, I have to admit, it was gratifying.
We can look for goodness or we can choose to make goodness. The latter is the path that leads to a better society. If everyone took that path, imagine how wonderful society would be.
Der Spiegel Magazine in Germany has Trump’s number. These are the covers from six issues published since the start of Trump’s second term.
Historically speaking, Germany has a bit more experience with Fascism than America. Perhaps that’s part of the reason why approximately 60% of Americans still support or are undecided when it comes to Fascism in America.
It is always important to examine why you are committed to a goal. Commitment is good. Goals are good. Keep in mind, they should always be pursued for the right reason. For example, if you are training for a marathon because that means you can spend less time at home supporting your family, you are committed to the wrong goal.
Free speech is a wonderful thing. But the thing about free speech that most people don’t understand is that it is illegal to use it to lie, cheat, and steal. It’s a shame that just saying it is immoral is not enough to stop some people from using it as a shield against the perpetration of illegal acts. We are living through an era where the most powerful people in our country are fully aware of this and are still using free speech to cover their aim of ripping off Americans while enriching themselves and their friends.
I never expected to see something like this in America. It’s possible this is what happens when you take civics out of the public education system, but I’m not going to rest the blame there. Our infatuation with social media and our inability apply moral filters to the content we are consuming is another important factor. The fact that Americans are slipping into illiteracy is not a trivial piece of the puzzle. Perhaps most significant, political actors with autocratic leanings realized that Donald Trump is the perfect tool for them to use to shift our nation to the right in ways that the people that voted for Trump never suspected.
It would be nice to get back to a political culture that embraces truth and respect over politically motivated lies and self aggrandizing tweets.
What is the meaning of life is a question we should all ask. We should be seeking the answer constantly, recognizing that it can change over time. There is no one answer out there to be found. The meaning of life is different for everyone. For me, the meaning of life is simply to practice justice, courage, and avoid those things that might bring harm to others.
I’ve been refining my morning routine and I have landed on a set of practices that feel good. First of all, I’ll admit it’s nice being retired. You have a lot of time to devote to self-actualization endeavors. I wish I would have landed on these practices thirty years ago, but of course from a stoic perspective, wishing is not a productive use of one’s time. So without further ado, here’s what my mornings look like.
Meditation
This is key to all that follows. I have a writing desk where all of the morning activity takes place. Centered on the desk is a statue of Shiva (which I understand is my personal deity thanks to a birth chart reading I received in India) and two glass candle holders and a lotus flower incense holder. I light the candles and incense. I put on a recording of the “Om Namah Shivaya” Mantra. A simple chant. I play that in a loop while counting the repetitions on my Mala (Indian Rosary) until I have reached 100. (That’s about 20 minutes) Eyes closed, I focus on my fingers and the beads and try to let my mind relax. I relax my breathing as well as the rest of my body as best I can. It takes time. I haven’t perfected this yet but I’m excited about where this will carry me.
Writing
After my meditation I’m ready to start writing. I focus my writing on six areas. I will spend anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes on each area.
To explain in a bit more detail.
There you have it. Following this practice feels good. How far it will eventually take me I have no idea, but I am optimistic that this practice will help bring me to better health and help me be more focused. It is gives me a better understanding of what my goals and desires are.
“When a dog is barking because someone is at the door, the worst thing you can do is yell. To the dog, that’s like your barking too…”
The trick is to break the pattern.
The more time you spend practicing good habits, the less time you will have for bad habits. If you find yourself doing something bad and recognize it, stop, acknowledge it, and look around for something good to do.
Selected poems translated by Maryam Mafi and Azima Melita Kolin. It was difficult to choose just four from the more than 200 poems in this particular collection. Rumi writes beautifully of peace, love, unity, and respect. It’s wonderful to think that a 13th Century scholar and poet can bring to life knowledge that is still hard to fathom in our modern age, and do it with such beauty and clarity. Perhaps not surprising really, since the knowledge spoken of here is something that has to be earned, not something that can simply be handed to you. The most poignant aspect to Rumi’s writing is his confidence in the power of love to transform human lives. Something desperately needed today.
I love this poem because it gives me strength. We are living through a very tough time. I never expected my generation would have to deal with the fallout from spectacularly poor leadership. Leadership that is reeking havoc around the globe. This poem gives me encouragement.
Separation bends the back of hope
cruelty ties the hands of longing
yet the lover never despairs.
For a committed heart
everything is possible.
This poem grounds me. It helps me see the true priorities of life.
Who would write on a page already filled with writings?
Who would plant a sapling where one is already planted?
One would look for an empty page and virgin soil.
Become bare like the earth so the Beloved
may plant His seed, become a blank page
so His pen may write upon you.
This poem reminds me of the importance of love and its power. It speaks to the power that understanding of the Divine brings to the individual.
He who is not captured by Love
is like a wingless bird.
What understanding can he have of the world
without knowing the Knower?
In love with himself, he is easily lured astray
with no courage to embark on the path.
The Beloved is the guardian of the gate
that only He can open.
Those unable to pass are robbed of their essence.
Dawn may come, but they remain asleep,
while in our sky, the sun never sets nor rises.
A reminder to open your eyes and see beyond your desires.
I stole a glance from You and my eyes
became longing and wistful.
I heard one word from Your lips and
my ears deafened to the world.
But my friend, if you have not had this experience
you are excused to be entangled in this world.
It doesn’t do any good to publish a stoic thought every day unless you can remember and put into practice the wisdom you humbly attempt to impart…
Very little of this wisdom is mine. I’m simply doing the best I can to put it into words I can understand and remember. The inspiration for these posts is from the book “The Daily Stoic 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and The Art of Living,” by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman.
So why am I doing this instead of just reading the book? It’s about absorption. You can’t make something your own unless you focus on it and put it into your own words. Words that speak to you. I believe when authors put pen to paper they are speaking to themselves, and after all, the words Ryan Holiday is sharing are his interpretation of the words originally written by men like Epictetus and Marcus Aurelius, so in a way, what I am doing is no different than what has been done for ages, simply put, trying to understand through exercise of your own mind.
I never had a Schwinn Stingray bicycle as a kid but I sure do remember them. In fact, I was always a little jealous of the kids that had one. That didn’t stop me from putting playing cards on my bike. I distinctly remember turning my bike into a roaring 4-cylinder monster with four playing cards pinned to the rear wheel. I was very intentional about which cards I used, always Aces, never anything else.
Just for fun I’m going to card-up my Davidson and ride it down to my buddy’s house, knock on his door and tell him let’s go for a ride. I can’t wait to see the expression on his face when we head out! First I need to buy some clothespins…
We were best friends in a previous life. Go ahead and laugh, but after you have regained your composure, try and prove me wrong.
I love how the cat
curls himself up between
my love and me.
His gentle purring is pure contentment.
I stroke the top of his head
and he purrs louder.
He is pure bliss.
This is how I feel
when I contemplate the Eternal.
“Whiskey has killed more men than bullets, but most men would rather be full of whiskey than bullets.”
—Winston Churchill
“I always carry a flask of whiskey in case of snakebite and furthermore, always carry a small snake.”
—W.C. Fields
“If I cannot drink whiskey and smoke cigars in Heaven then I shall not go.”
—Mark Twain
“Too much of anything is bad, but too much good whiskey is barely enough.”
—Mark Twain
“Happiness is having a rare steak, a bottle of whiskey, and a dog to eat the rare steak.”
—Johnny Carson
“Tell me what brand of whiskey Grant drinks. I would like to send a barrel of it to my other generals.”
—Abraham Lincoln
What happens to each of us stems from our destiny, that is, what was meant to be. Whatever has befallen you, has been prescribed for you. Your job is to look into it and find that which was meant for you to see.
This is what happens when you put a crime boss in charge of your country.
”Don’t you get it? America’s new foreign policy is basically this: Don’t kill people there (the Middle East) kill them over here (South America), in your own time zone. It’s classic advice: Shit where you eat. That’s the new Trump doctrine. It’s not in any way about stable democracies: it’s about spheres of influence. Russia can have their sphere of influence, China can have theirs, and we get South America. America is no longer the shining city on the hill, it is merely just one of the five crime families, splitting up the territories.”
—Jon Stewart
I wouldn’t take medical advice from Jon Stewart but when it comes to political insight, it’s hard to argue with his analysis.
You have to be crazy to want to write. I have a natural instinct that makes it feel like I have nothing to say. The doubt, that I have nothing to say, presents itself as a daily struggle. The question is, why do it. My answer may not be completely satisfying to any ear but my own, but simply put, I am compelled to do it. If I don’t take the time each day to write, I feel like something is missing from my day. So, in the final analysis, I just do it.
Prepare as best you can. When the time comes to put your preparation into action, be content with what comes next. The best you can do is acknowledge that the result is in the hands of fate. The ultimate result of any endeavor is never exclusively in our own hands.
What is the most amazing invention of the human mind? The written word. Without the written word, all knowledge would come down to matters of opinion, matters easily lost in translation, translation literal and translation that becomes altered due to the vagaries of time.
The written word brings beauty into our lives. Think of the great poetry and the effect it can have. The written word brings joy. Think of the great novels that have been written to entertain us. The written word is the basis of all scientific knowledge. Without the written word it is unlikely that science could have become as important to modern life as it has.
I try and read a book every month. Only 38% of Americans read one or more books a year. Conversely, 62% of Americans do not read a single book in the course of a year. These statistics are from two independent studies completed in 2023. Let’s go read a book America. It’s important for our health, and the future of our country.
Do not regret what has happened. Recognize that what has happened cannot now be changed. To desire change, to have regret is a waste of energy, a waste of life. Practice gratitude for everything that happens. You cannot see reality without gratitude.
For a very long time (since I started this blog) I have avoided letting it devolve into a “personal clearing house” for grievance or a forum for “over-emoting,”
I’ve decided it’s time to modify that perspective — just a bit.
What is the point of publishing a blog if not to allow yourself to be honest with the world, and give the world a chance to better understand who you are.
I’m not talking about bitching or complaining, I’m talking about expressing yourself. That is a notion that does not come easily to me, but I have decided that it is time.
None of us live forever. There comes a time when we naturally should begin facing what the end of our existence looks like. To put it another way, we begin to face not only what we want to take into the next life, but what we would like other people to take away from our existence in this life.
That is something that is up to both of us. My goal is live the best life that I can. I am going to continue to grow and develop as best I can. The rest is up to you. No pressure. If I have offended you or you don’t want anything to do with me, I respect that. Stoic thought has taught me that we all have our own agency, our own reality. That means that I can only be concerned with my actions and not your actions or perceptions.
Where does that leave us?
Quite simply, this blog is shifting ever so slightly. Where I would have said to myself in the past, “I can’t share that,” it’s probable that now I will go ahead and share. Please don’t think I’m in this to change minds, I’m not. I’m responsible for me and you are responsible for you. It’s that simple. I’m taking agency for myself when it comes to sharing my journey on this blog. I’m not going to “emote” unnecessarily, but I am going to allow myself to speak to you from my heart where before I might have said to myself, “that is too personal to put out there.”
Why am I doing this? I am doing this for me. Please keep that in mind if you dip in here and read something that leaves you bewildered or confused, or you simply disagree with. Think of it as my attempt to open up a deeper understanding of myself, and share with you at the same time.
Do you believe in God? It doesn’t matter.
At times I’m not sure that I do, yet I believe that God resides in everything. It is our job to learn to recognize that reality and appreciate that truth. Appreciation is not about religion or any form of worship, it is simply about recognition and what you hold in your heart every moment. If you can appreciate God in all that you see, you will be incapable of harming your fellow man, your fellow beast, or your planet. If you can stand on this ground and look out at all that is around you and see God in it, you will see with clarity what is right and what is opposed to that which is right.
Here is a Baul song which provides a beautiful example of what it means to see God in everything. The Bauls are the roaming minstrels of India, they do not practice their belief in temples, they practice it on the street, in song.
My soul cries out,
Caught in the snare of beauty,
Of the formless one.
As I cry by myself,
Night and day,
Beauty amassed before my eyes,
Surpasses moons and suns.
If I look at the clouds in the sky,
I see his beauty afloat.
And I see him walk on the stars,
Blazing within my heart.
“If you are in a conversation with yourself you can be in conversation with the world.” —Suleika Jaouad
Always be asking yourself questions. Always be seeking new answers from within. If you can do this honestly and with intent, you will form the capacity to listen and ask questions of those around you. You will have the ability to listen and ask questions in a way that brings you closer to others and at the same time closer to yourself.