The Ramblings of a Man in the Dark...
Wednesday, August 12, 2009 at 1:12am
...waiting for the simple beauty of a meteorite shower. Just a man alone with his thoughts in the darkness. Scary when that man is me. Here goes...
So often we search for meaning and purpose in our lives without realizing the truly simple notion that it has no meaning. There is no purpose. By any conceptualization of the term we fail to understand that less is more. Don't search for meaning and purpose in some vision of the future. Grasp it in the here and now. There is no other time. Anything worth having in life should never come too easily. It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit. Life throws problems at us on purpose to make us value that which we have and earn through our efforts. Fear, then, truly is the mindkiller as Frank Herbert once wrote.
Fear casts the shadow of doubt in our minds which in turn cloud our hearts. Our own hearts, that which is most beloved of our inner desires and emotions, begin to counsel us against taking action because they cannot bear the pain of hurt and suffering that accompanies any loss we find. Weakened in our resolve, and led astray by our own emotions, we choose to close ourselves off from change and embrace the status quo. We're afraid to rock the boat, so we sit in the middle of the lake without moving. Shakespeare summed it up nicely when he said that of all the wonders he had ever known, he could not understand how people could fear death knowing that it is inevitable and must come at some point in our lives.
Oh, every once in a while we'll cast a longing gaze to the far shore, and dream a dream of time gone by. A time when hope was high and life worth living, a dream of love that never dies. No better way to phrase that which Victor Hugo wrote in Les Miserables. Yet though we'll dream a dream so sweet, we choose not to stir our hands or feet. We scoff that dreams are like little toys, fit only for the minds of girls and boys. We lay back in our little boat, and watch bitterly as hope can't float. Until one day we wake to see, no longer is what once could be. So different now from what it seemed; life has killed that dream we dreamed.
My addition to Hugo's lyrics were not meant to be in rhyme, but for some strange reason I've found myself drifting more and more towards its usage. Regardless, I feel it conveys my point. We fear to hope, because hope can lead to disappointment. Our fears pollute our instincts and natural intuition, that which some people call impulse or gut-feeling. You will never know yourself until you face the truth. For everything there is a purpose, and life has a way of conspiring to give us signs that we have the choice to acknowledge or ignore. Even the misgivings of our hearts serve a purpose. They work to protect us, but sometimes in order to gain everything that life has to offer we must be willing to sacrifice everything. To live, is to risk.
We must therefore learn not fear vulnerability but rather to embrace it. Cast off fear and doubt, and accept life for what it is. Duality. Paradox. The equal possibilities of suffering and joy in every moment, every choice, of our lives. Just as we can shield ourselves from pain by refusing to go after what we want, we can arm ourselves with what we need to get it. Knowledge. Learn from what life has to teach. In every breath and every moment there is new experience to be gained and no textbook, no sermon, and no teacher can replace one of the most precious gifts we have in life. Learning through experience. Faith. Believe in the possibility of achieving your dreams. Believe that, even in failure you are a stronger person and are enriched in your life because of it. Believe, above all else, and before anyone else, in your self. There is no force greater in this life than believing in one's self beyond all measures of doubt.
So now comes the time of choosing. By now you've given thought to a dream or three and without fail there has been an attempt by your mind to dispel it. Often we create such potent defense mechanisms that we don't even recognize them for what they are. Have you ever had a stream of thought just disappear in your mind? Or choked back a reply to a question you were asked? I have always been intrigued by the unspoken language. There is so much to be heard in what is not said. If you could only learn to feel what is constantly surrounding us, your perception would discover an entirely different means of communication.
Well now let us say you have pushed beyond fear of the mind. You have a firm grasp of what it is you want and you are not swayed by frivelous questions of when and how. Well done! Yet all of a sudden we will feel a hollow emptiness within our chests. We've pushed past the fear in our minds only to stumble headlong into the fear of our hearts as I have already discussed. Once you can master yourself and control your fear, you are only one simple step away from living your dream. You have to take a simple step. Literally or metaphorically, you must take the initiative and begin the journey. Do not worry about the difficulties. Take a stand, take a breath, and take a step. You'll get there.
And so I lay beneath the stars watching the mystery and beauty of the universe unfold above me I choose to leave you with a few words of wisdom from men far more knowledgable (and quotable) than I. As ever, I hope that these words find you well, and more than anything else, find you questioning that which you have come to accept. To the future.
"Worship the gods if you wish, but first, know thyself." - Socrates
"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow. It only saps today of its strength." - A.J. Cronin
"Seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened, ask and it shall be given to you." - Jesus Christ of Nazareth
"If you don't ask, you don't get." - Mahatma Ghandi
"Thousands of candles can be lighted by one candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." - Siddhartha Gautama, The Budha
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt
"The greatest man is he who chooses right with invincible determination." Seneca the Roman
"Between living and dreaming there lies a choice." - Marcos Redondo (*cough*. and yes I always have some of my favorite quotes handy)
...waiting for the simple beauty of a meteorite shower. Just a man alone with his thoughts in the darkness. Scary when that man is me. Here goes...
So often we search for meaning and purpose in our lives without realizing the truly simple notion that it has no meaning. There is no purpose. By any conceptualization of the term we fail to understand that less is more. Don't search for meaning and purpose in some vision of the future. Grasp it in the here and now. There is no other time. Anything worth having in life should never come too easily. It is the dim haze of mystery that adds enchantment to pursuit. Life throws problems at us on purpose to make us value that which we have and earn through our efforts. Fear, then, truly is the mindkiller as Frank Herbert once wrote.
Fear casts the shadow of doubt in our minds which in turn cloud our hearts. Our own hearts, that which is most beloved of our inner desires and emotions, begin to counsel us against taking action because they cannot bear the pain of hurt and suffering that accompanies any loss we find. Weakened in our resolve, and led astray by our own emotions, we choose to close ourselves off from change and embrace the status quo. We're afraid to rock the boat, so we sit in the middle of the lake without moving. Shakespeare summed it up nicely when he said that of all the wonders he had ever known, he could not understand how people could fear death knowing that it is inevitable and must come at some point in our lives.
Oh, every once in a while we'll cast a longing gaze to the far shore, and dream a dream of time gone by. A time when hope was high and life worth living, a dream of love that never dies. No better way to phrase that which Victor Hugo wrote in Les Miserables. Yet though we'll dream a dream so sweet, we choose not to stir our hands or feet. We scoff that dreams are like little toys, fit only for the minds of girls and boys. We lay back in our little boat, and watch bitterly as hope can't float. Until one day we wake to see, no longer is what once could be. So different now from what it seemed; life has killed that dream we dreamed.
My addition to Hugo's lyrics were not meant to be in rhyme, but for some strange reason I've found myself drifting more and more towards its usage. Regardless, I feel it conveys my point. We fear to hope, because hope can lead to disappointment. Our fears pollute our instincts and natural intuition, that which some people call impulse or gut-feeling. You will never know yourself until you face the truth. For everything there is a purpose, and life has a way of conspiring to give us signs that we have the choice to acknowledge or ignore. Even the misgivings of our hearts serve a purpose. They work to protect us, but sometimes in order to gain everything that life has to offer we must be willing to sacrifice everything. To live, is to risk.
We must therefore learn not fear vulnerability but rather to embrace it. Cast off fear and doubt, and accept life for what it is. Duality. Paradox. The equal possibilities of suffering and joy in every moment, every choice, of our lives. Just as we can shield ourselves from pain by refusing to go after what we want, we can arm ourselves with what we need to get it. Knowledge. Learn from what life has to teach. In every breath and every moment there is new experience to be gained and no textbook, no sermon, and no teacher can replace one of the most precious gifts we have in life. Learning through experience. Faith. Believe in the possibility of achieving your dreams. Believe that, even in failure you are a stronger person and are enriched in your life because of it. Believe, above all else, and before anyone else, in your self. There is no force greater in this life than believing in one's self beyond all measures of doubt.
So now comes the time of choosing. By now you've given thought to a dream or three and without fail there has been an attempt by your mind to dispel it. Often we create such potent defense mechanisms that we don't even recognize them for what they are. Have you ever had a stream of thought just disappear in your mind? Or choked back a reply to a question you were asked? I have always been intrigued by the unspoken language. There is so much to be heard in what is not said. If you could only learn to feel what is constantly surrounding us, your perception would discover an entirely different means of communication.
Well now let us say you have pushed beyond fear of the mind. You have a firm grasp of what it is you want and you are not swayed by frivelous questions of when and how. Well done! Yet all of a sudden we will feel a hollow emptiness within our chests. We've pushed past the fear in our minds only to stumble headlong into the fear of our hearts as I have already discussed. Once you can master yourself and control your fear, you are only one simple step away from living your dream. You have to take a simple step. Literally or metaphorically, you must take the initiative and begin the journey. Do not worry about the difficulties. Take a stand, take a breath, and take a step. You'll get there.
And so I lay beneath the stars watching the mystery and beauty of the universe unfold above me I choose to leave you with a few words of wisdom from men far more knowledgable (and quotable) than I. As ever, I hope that these words find you well, and more than anything else, find you questioning that which you have come to accept. To the future.
"Worship the gods if you wish, but first, know thyself." - Socrates
"Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow. It only saps today of its strength." - A.J. Cronin
"Seek and you will find, knock and it shall be opened, ask and it shall be given to you." - Jesus Christ of Nazareth
"If you don't ask, you don't get." - Mahatma Ghandi
"Thousands of candles can be lighted by one candle and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." - Siddhartha Gautama, The Budha
"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." Eleanor Roosevelt
"The greatest man is he who chooses right with invincible determination." Seneca the Roman
"Between living and dreaming there lies a choice." - Marcos Redondo (*cough*. and yes I always have some of my favorite quotes handy)
posted by Marcos Redondo - Running For Hope at
11:16 AM
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