Category: self-reflection

Books without Spines

We all know the knowers! The ones that consume content as their primary source material for their version of experience. They are books without spines. They know more than they have lived, which means they only know what others have experienced. This knowledge is useful for sure, but it’s also unoriginal. Experience means something. I would never want someone to perform surgery on me if they were only well-read on human anatomy and the history of surgical practice.

Fall in love with learners – not knowers. Knowers only know to love how others have told them to do so. Learners have shaken hands with experience and learned from all its beautiful imperfections. Be a learner and the more you will know about truth beauty.

End Credits

Perhaps in the future, epitaphs on tombstones will be replaced by scrolling end credits that play on repeat. If so, who will have played the starring roles in your life? Are you in good company? Are these key players heroes, villains, jesters or extras?

Egos of Prey

We envy birds so much, our egos have rationalized our decisions to hold them captive in cages. We do the same to our minds. Our minds are naturally unbound, yet our egos need for validation acts as a self-assigned cage.

Anima

When we hear the saying, “Abandon Ship!” it brings to mind the imagery of jumping overboard to save ourselves from a sinking ship. What’s important to know is that all the “ships” we experience in our lives never abandons us – we abandon them! Situations, no matter how dire, have no anima. Therefore, do not place blame on any situation that cannot feel what’s being projected onto it. The best chance of survival is our own return to reason.  The sooner, the better.

Spilled Reason

We curse the rain; reprimand flat tires; scold spilled milk. We do this fully-aware that we will never get a reaction from the object of our ire. So, where does our sanity go in these moments? Why such temporary insanity over something we know better than to expect any response let alone a rational one? Although we may lose sight of reason for a moment, the actions we take in those moments are accountable actions. There may be no need to cry over spilled milk, but there certainly can be reason to cry over spilled reason.

The Perspective of Certainty

To tell a toddler that their heart only possesses so many beats, and it’s best not to waste more energy than necessary on tantrums would not land with any recognition of reason. Sadly, the same message is lost on most adults, even when we know better. We bear the burden of reason having dawned on us and yet routinely make it worse by missing the point of what that means, and choosing not to live by means that will better change what we know is certain.

Enter at Your Own Purpose

Before you go all-in, make sure what you’re entering into is wanting for the energy you are about to give. If not, disappointment awaits. Matching energy is sometimes what’s required. It’s not weak to pull-back when there are obvious signs that’s the right move. Sometimes our purpose is to be what a situation needs, not what we want it to be.