It is because of my wish to be helpful that I share my ideas and experiences; being helpful to even one person is valuable

It is because of my wish to be helpful that I share my ideas and experiences; being helpful to even one person is valuable. – Dalai Lama

Even bad experience can be helpful to others, when shared. Consider this example, and how to take a picture without getting your shadow in the middle of it.

What does that mean?
This was a great quote for me, as it explains, at least in part, why I do this blog. The author of the quote has written many books, many messages (do his official messages have a name or title?) and is quoted world wide for his wit and wisdom. I’m not that famous or wise, but I still try to be helpful.

The purpose of this blog is to get people to think about their lives, and what, why, and to what end they do what they do. Quotes, old and new, common and obscure, are used in an attempt to entice the reader to examine their life and consider how they might either improve it, or at least make purposeful decisions regarding it. Therein, I believe, lies the value of this blog.

Why is sharing knowledge important?  
In my mind, if you want to see the riches of humanity, I would tell you to visit a graveyard. Not for the gems and gold buried there, but for the ideas that the deceased took with them to the grave.

While I have believed this for many decades, it only came to the fore when I started teaching my children. It was then that I realized how much they did not know, and how much I knew. Then I started thinking about where they would gain some of this information, if not from me.

Whether they are ideas you didn’t think were all that interesting, or that you were afraid someone would steal, knowledge you thought was irrelevant or simply useless, they will do no good to anyone if you take them with you when you go.

Where can I apply this in my life?
Here is where the internet is valuable. Information you put out here on the web is here forever. Everything from Spring Break pictures to deep wisdom, it’s here and it will be searchable and retrievable forever, or nearly so.

By putting my thoughts down, I can help others. At the moment, it appears mostly to be High School and College students who are doing essays on famous quotes, but even then, I can hope they learn something (besides how to use the web to cheat).

By using the permanency of the web, I can hope to help people at any hour of the day, any day of the week, for years and decades to come, even after I am gone. The internet also has no physical boundaries, and I have seen search engine hits from over 40 countries, which makes me hopeful for the future.

In my life, I have been able to help many people think through their problems. Some of that comes from how my brain works, and how it approaches the solving of challenging situations. Some of it is because I’ve been there, done that, and already made that mistakes, and can help them see possible consequences.

I also am easily frustrated when I see people doing things that have significant impact on their lives with little or no thought into the consequences. They allow random fate to select their path in life, or to make decisions that can be critical to their future.

Yes, I understand that there is a place for randomness and relinquishing control in our lives, but there are also places where it is inappropriate. As this is a personal decision, I understand that we will likely draw that line at different places. Just take a little time and consider the consequences of your actions, please. Look before you leap.

My hope is to help someone, somewhere, somehow, sometime. Just to get people thinking about their future, what their present path is, and where it might lead is a significant step. If I can help them to consciously choose a path (even if it might be different than the one I might recommend), I consider that to be a positive result.

What knowledge do you possess that might be of value to someone else? Yes, I understand that trade secrets and methods might not be the proper thing to share world wide, but there are other things you know. Even if it’s just a long list of what not to do, that can be valuable to others. Just explain why they might not want to repeat your mistakes.

Who can you help, with your ideas or your experience? Who will you help?

From: Twitter, @DalaiLama
confirmed at : it’s his own feed…
Photo by darcyinkorea