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Category: Ounces of Inspiration

Following are some of my musings, and through the accompanying imagery hopefully they touch a cord by way of synergy.

Is Life Unfair?

Is Life Unfair?

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It’s common to hear “that’s not fair!” or “This shouldn’t be happening!” In fact, is it possible that we miss the most important lessons of our lives by doing so? Lessons that were somehow curated just for us…to lead us up to the next level? Surely, if an event IS happening, it is useless to be saying it shouldn’t be. Eckhart Tolle once said, and this is perhaps a paraphrase, “We are not unhappy because of what is happening now…we are unhappy because we thought it should be something else”. One thing is certain: only adversity builds strength of any kind. So if we expect that we should never be victimized, it would seem that we condemn ourselves to a life of weakness, a life of victimhood. So what do we do? Practice accepting every event, however distasteful, as a spiritual workout to increase your personal power. All you must do is say “OK” to everything that happens. Does that mean you will always win? That depends on your definition of winning. Winning isn’t a goal or an achievement…winning is a process…always being willing to accept what the NOW looks like. You must fall on your ass a thousand times to find your balance, and you won’t know what winning even looks like if you are constantly wailing “this should not be happening to me”. Winning is not what the world gives you, it’s what you earn by always being willing to accept the lessons.

remind me
Remind me.

Remind me.

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I hear the voices. Louder and louder each day, it seems. Shouts about what they are owed, what they should be given, and what is unfair for them to have to endure. If I were to fall upon wealth and fortune, I would indeed give it to them, so that their lives would be blessed, and their days free of worry.
The only thing I would ask in return, is a conversation with them at the end of their journey. Was it worth it? Do they still feel the world owed them something, and if they got it, did it make them happy?

#unwoke #itsallaboutme

criticism
Criticism. Only given by cowards.

Criticism. Only given by cowards.

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Not speaking of constructive criticism, here… we need that to better ourselves. This is a calling out to the throngs of would-be heroes who have never chased their dreams, dared to fail, played it safe, but were always willing to criticize those who try. Trying IS winning. Critics just keep the benches warm…I guess we need them too…

#unwoke # willingtorisk #takeyourchance

“…I said its INTELLIGENCE…”

“…I said its INTELLIGENCE…”

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Our culture has a mental madness of MORE. More is better. More money, more possessions,
more “intellect”. Go to school, learn more, become smarter, become more intelligent. Upon examination, It’s not hard to see that intelligence is the exact opposite. It is not the clinging to a culmination of ideas that may have grown obsolete. It’s always being in a neutral state of wonder and presence. It’s only through this stillness that you can “respond like a shadow”, as Bruce Lee once put it. Clearly, silent adaptability seems to be the pinnacle of intellect.

Entitlement.

Entitlement.

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We are part of this planet, as inferred by Alan Watts’ comment that “you didn’t come into this world, you came out of it” (listen here). But there is one distinction that possibly separates us from all other inhabitants of this planet, and that is entitlement. Fairness. This life must be equitable.
We demand fairness, we demand equality…we demand the very things that this world denies.
The world is not interested in your politics, your looks, your money or your gender.
If you are reading this, you’ve been given the same thing as everything else on this planet: a chance to survive.
Find food…try not to BE food…find water, find shelter. You’ve been given a chance, and it’s up to you, not the world, to make it a successful trip. YOU.
And that is wonderful, because that makes a successful life a life worth living.
#entitlement #Survival #itsuptoyou

Everybody gets a trophy.

Everybody gets a trophy.

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We all want children to be treated fairly, to get equal opportunities, and to have the chance to do and be anything they want to be. At first glance, it seems only fair. But we have to look at the outcomes of these actions, to make sure they are doing what’s intended…and the truth is, when everybody gets a trophy, the person who worked the hardest feels cheated, and the one who knows that they are not as skilled as some others feels embarrassed. EVERYBODY LOSES. Then when this generation grows up, they will have learned not to try to succeed, because they deserve to win just by showing up.

Maybe it would be better to teach our youth that FAIR has nothing to do with life, and when you get knocked down by an obstacle, you get back up and go through it. This will instill resilience, which is much more valuable than a trophy. Better yet, maybe we teach by example of how we face our own hardships. Do we call “foul”, “it’s not my fault”, or “it wasn’t fair”; sure…but hopefully we are able to grow to learn that it is only through accepting conflict that we grow into something better. Embrace the suck and ask for more. Guaranteed, someone’s watching…

Jordan Peterson: Formidable Force.

Jordan Peterson: Formidable Force.

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Our world, the world of Humans, is an artificial one, a skewed reality. Many feel that all outside forces need to accommodate us, so that we are not offended. We have to remember that this is far removed from the natural order of life on planet earth, where survival is only possible through adaptation. We need to adapt, or perish. Now, our societies go to extreme measure to ensure that no one is offended. Of course, that seems like a compassionate, moral undertaking…but what are the long term effects? If you need for the world to bend to your needs at every turn, you have defined yourself as possibly the weakest person on earth. As Canadian Psychologist Jordan Peterson has brought to light, as he lectures on responsibilities, and the dangers of weak people.
Martial Artists have long known the dangers of weak people; it’s weak people that commit the atrocities highlighted throughout human history. Why? Because weakness breeds fear, and fear leads to all of the horrors of modern society from gang violence to mass shootings.
Martial Arts is a study of “The Contrary” approach, and it works like this: If you want an ordered society, it begins with empowering the individual. How do we do this? By willingly engaging in conflict and ultimately it’s resolution. we engage in conflict when we push the limits of our capabilities, and there is no bigger conflict than the risk of mortal danger. When a person enters Martial training, it is often because of fear. As they train, they willingly take on more and more conflict until at a certain point, their fear has diminished or becomes even negligible. This happens not because the individual was shielded from hardship, but because they willingly embraced hardship…and when they have ventured on the path long enough…the danger they sought to prepare for seldom comes! Why? Because they are not thinking like a prey animal any more, desperately seeking safety in numbers, but like a predator. It’s only at this stage that true compassion and empathy awaken, and the warrior seeks to empower others that remind them of themselves…not so long ago.
Facing the conflict at hand is the path of liberation, and no growth happens in the absence of conflict. Martial Artists have known and practiced this principle for thousands of years.

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