No man can swim ashore and take his baggage with him.

Posted on 2 May 2014 by philosiblog

No man can swim ashore and take his baggage with him. – Seneca

How do you make decisions? Do you break clean, or do you drag things along with you?

How do you make decisions? Do you break clean, or do you drag things along with you?

What does that mean?
While this quote has a slightly different meaning in the context of the letter to Lucilius, the basic topic was the of the futility of half-measures.

The image of someone swimming to shore from a sinking boat trying to carry all their possessions immediately sprang into my mind. How about you? Is that what you thought of when you read the title?

But the conversation was leaving cleanly the things which are as much burdens as they are gifts. Possessions which bring as much agony as they bring pride. Either keep them or get rid of them. Keeping just a few is still painful.

While not everything is so clear cut, there is usually a clear line between doing something fully, and doing it half-way. And if you are to quit, do so clearly and decisively.

Why is making a decision important? Continue reading →

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The moment you think it’s out of reach, it will be.

Posted on 30 April 2014 by philosiblog

The moment you think it’s out of reach, it will be. – Cornell Thomas

It's out of reach if you're going to walk. But what about in 20 years?

It’s out of reach if you’re going to walk. But what about in 20 years? Still out of reach?

What does that mean?
Pardon me for answering a question with another question, but when is anything truly out of reach? As long as you are trying, there is always a chance, right?

You might get lucky. It might fall into your lap or your hands. Someone might notice your struggle and decide to help you out. Fate, for once, might conspire to help you. Anything could happen.

But when you give up, what happens? You stop trying. You stop looking. The possibility isn’t even in your head anymore. What you desired could come over and sit in your lap and you might not even notice.

The basic point is that it isn’t over until you say it is over. You still have a chance, until you give up. And from that we can learn that we shouldn’t give up. As long as we are trying, there is hope.

Why is working important? Continue reading →

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Whether we follow a religious path or not, as human beings we all need affection.

Posted on 28 April 2014 by philosiblog

Whether we follow a religious path or not, as human beings we all need affection. – Dalai Lama

Everyone needs affection. Tough guys. Old guys. Young guys. And the Gals too. Everyone.

Everyone needs affection. Tough guys. Old guys. Young guys. And the Gals too. Everyone.

What does that mean?
Even tough guys need a little affection. Sometimes very little, but they’ve got a soft spot somewhere. Even Hollywood knows it. And they use it in their movies.

But how many people do you know who have tried to deny this essence of human function? Affection is part of the social bond which holds humans together. It helps with anything from families to neighborhoods, even cities.

But why would that be associated with a religious path? Many religions include affection within their community, and even for those outside of it.

As the head of such a group, the Dalai Lama often discusses human needs which apply to all, even those who are not part of his group. At least that is my guess as to why he included the disclaimer.

Why is affection important? Continue reading →

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Anger has this poor quality: It refuses to be ruled. Anger rages against truth itself if the truth is shown to be contrary to its own will.

Posted on 25 April 2014 by philosiblog

Anger has this poor quality: It refuses to be ruled. Anger rages against truth itself if the truth is shown to be contrary to its own will. – Seneca

Is AngryBall really angry, or just upset that it can't finish the first cup of coffee?

Is AngryBall really angry, or just upset that it can’t finish the first cup of coffee?

What does that mean?
This quote details but one of the many reasons why anger is not a very useful emotional state. Unless, of course, you’re trying to manipulate someone else.

For the rest of us, anger is a great way to lose control, and to become the tool of the anger. In short, you cease to be the master of the tool, but instead become mastered by it. That’s not good.

It also mentions that anger has a will of its own. Not literally, of course, but anger has a direction and an intensity, and will follow the course it has set until it is sated.

And it mentions that facts matter little to anger. It will fight against them as it would against any other enemy it may have selected as a target. Are you getting the hint that anger isn’t very useful?

Why are alternatives to anger important? Continue reading →

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Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things.

Posted on 23 April 2014 by philosiblog

Memory is the treasury and guardian of all things. – Cicero

I know I did that for a reason, but I can't remember why...

Hmmmmmmm. I know I put that there for a reason, but I can’t remember why…

What does that mean?
A treasury is the place where you keep your treasures, all those things you value. The quote says, in part, that that is one of the jobs of our memory.

It also says that our memory is the guardian of all things. Well, what good is a treasury without a guard? But I think it goes a little deeper than simply watching over our favorite memories.

Looking at it from the other direction, our memories are a treasury not only of the things we love, but also of the lessons we have learned. And remembering these things can be important.

The ability to remember those memories can be very important in critical situations. After all, who wants to make the same mistake twice? Quite a waste of time and effort, right?

Why is remembering things important? Continue reading →

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Now we’re so interdependent, we need to build trust and confidence. On a national or personal level self-centeredness is a source of trouble.

Posted on 21 April 2014 by philosiblog

Now we’re so interdependent, we need to build trust and confidence. On a national or personal level self-centeredness is a source of trouble. – Dalai Lama

Do you have to win and others have to lose? Or can you share? Can you behave and build trust and confidence with others?

Do you have to win and others have to lose? Or can you share? Can you behave yourself, building trust and confidence with others? Self-centeredness is going to be trouble.

What does that mean?
Are you an island onto yourself? Do you need no one, and interact with no one? Very few people are that independent that they stand truly alone.

The rest of us spend time with others, we need others, we interact with others, we are interdependent. That implies we have relationships with others, and that works best when we are friendly.

Self-centeredness, which the quote warns us away from, is not always the best path forward when dealing with others. How well do your interactions go when you put your needs over those of others?

How do you interactions go when you have the needs of others in mind, or even at the forefront? That is one way to build trust and confidence between people, wouldn’t you say?

Why is trust and confidence important? Continue reading →

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If we are lashed and torn by Fortune, let us bear it; it is not cruelty but a struggle, and the oftener we engage in it, the stronger we shall be.

Posted on 18 April 2014 by philosiblog

If we are lashed and torn by Fortune, let us bear it; it is not cruelty but a struggle, and the oftener we engage in it, the stronger we shall be. – Seneca

We all get tripped up from time to time. What do we learn? How do we become stronger for struggling against this misfortune?

We all get tripped up from time to time. What do we learn from it? How do we become stronger for struggling against this misfortune? Be glad for the chance to improve.

What does that mean?
This quote has a variety of translations, and is part of a much longer discussion on being tough and strong, and that is by being tested.

The good life saps our bodies and minds. It robs them of vitality and endurance. But if we work hard, we get better at that specific ability. Runners have strong legs, laborers have strong hands, and so forth.

Cruelty implies intent, and that is usually lacking in the chances of Fortune or luck. These misfortunes allow us to take stock of our abilities, our strengths, and our toughness.

These situations also allow us to become better, stronger, and tougher through repetition. No one likes having constant misfortune, but constant good luck will not help you become anything besides soft.

Why is struggle important? Continue reading →

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We should not teach children the sciences; but give them a taste for them.

Posted on 16 April 2014 by philosiblog

We should not teach children the sciences; but give them a taste for them. – Rousseau

What inspired you to learn and investigate and search for answers when you were young?

What inspired you to learn and investigate and search for answers when you were young?

What does that mean?
This quote interested me as I was taught this way as a child. Books to read, ideas and demon-strations provided, but not actually taught to me.

For a kid with curiosity, that was certainly the correct way to do it. I wanted to know why, and then how, these things worked, and to discover the system of rules which they obeyed.

To me, that is what this quote is about, awakening the curiosity which is part of most kids. The only trouble is not all are interested in sciences. Some are interested in art or in comedy.

To me, the resulting action should be the same, help them discover what is of interest to them. Let them explore what is interesting, and learn what they wish to know.

Why is curiosity important? Continue reading →

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Living your life honestly and truthfully will create trust and friendship.

Posted on 14 April 2014 by philosiblog

Living your life honestly and truthfully will create trust and friendship. – Dalai Lama

Who is in your corner? Who will tell you the truth when you need to hear it the most?

Who is in your corner? Who will tell you the truth when you need to hear it the most?

What does that mean?
How do you define your friends or the people you trust? Do the words honest and truthful show up very often? What about the words dishonest and untruthful?

Not everyone is perfect. We all have our flaws. Most of us have weak points about which we will stretch the truth or give evasive answers. That is a little less than honest and truthful.

Yet most of us confine such behavior to the handful of things which truly bother us, and are honest and truthful about everything else in our lives.

And that is a good thing. That helps to build society into something which is full of trust and friendship, as we can easily recognize those who are like us, and avoid those who are not well acquainted with the truth.

Why is being honesty and truthful important? Continue reading →

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Therefore the wise man will lose nothing which he will be able to regard as loss; for the only possession he has is virtue, and of this he can never be robbed.

Posted on 11 April 2014 by philosiblog

Therefore the wise man will lose nothing which he will be able to regard as loss; for the only possession he has is virtue, and of this he can never be robbed. – Seneca

It was yours, yes. But to whom did it belong before you? Will you ever earn any more? Is your virtue intact? Then it is an inconvenience and an annoyance, nothing more.

It was yours, yes. But to whom did it belong before you? Will you ever earn any more? Is your virtue intact? Then it is an inconvenience and an annoyance, nothing more.

What does that mean?
This is an interesting quote in that it teaches you a new way to look at what you possess. The question it asks is what do you truly own, and what cannot be taken from you.

In this case, virtue is the answer the quote gives. Other related answers might include character or ethics, each of which are tightly intertwined with a person’s virtue, or their lack thereof.

The quote states that a wise person should avoid becoming attached to anything which could be lost or stolen from them. Life can be cruel, and things can disappear.

If you are not too attached to it, the loss amounts to nothing of any significance. Things that life will die. Things that work will break. None are any great loss to someone who understands this.

Why is not getting too attached important? Continue reading →

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Treat everyone with kindness and respect. Not because they are nice, but because you are.

Posted on 9 April 2014 by philosiblog

Treat everyone with kindness and respect. Not because they are nice, but because you are. – Unknown

Are you willing to take the first step and be kind to someone else?

Are you willing to take the first step and be kind to someone else?

What does that mean?
If we waited until others were nice to us before we are nice to them, it might be a long wait. Especially if they are waiting for us to be nice to them first.

Think about that for a moment. How do you break the deadlock? If everyone is waiting for someone else to be kind before they are kind in return, that’s going to be a pretty messed up world, wouldn’t it?

But if you are already a nice person, why not let that part of you shine through? Be nice to others, treat them with kindness and respect first, and then see how they respond.

The alternative is a very long wait, right? Besides, if you don’t act as nice as you are inside, pretty soon, you won’t be as nice as you once were, and no one would ever know how nice you used to be.

Why is being nice important? Continue reading →

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You can’t help someone just by making a wish to do so, you have to take action.

Posted on 7 April 2014 by philosiblog

You can’t help someone just by making a wish to do so, you have to take action. – Dalai Lama

Whether it is a cash donation, a charity run, or a raffle, there are plenty of ways to help. If it's closer to home, you might be able to do something yourself.

Whether it is a cash donation, a charity run, or a raffle, there are plenty of ways to help. If it’s closer to home, you might be able to take some action yourself. And that is a good thing.

What does that mean?
This quote, to me, is about the difference between thinking about doing something and taking action. Wishing for something to happen is thought without action.

It is action which gets things done. Yes, thinking about something is a good first step, especially when those thoughts are good and helpful ones, but they won’t do much to help someone else.

Your thoughts may help you, but they do not help others. To do that, you need to take action. Action, as you may remember, is what it takes in order to get things done.

You just have to make sure that your wishes and thoughts are proper, and that your actions are aligned with your thoughts and wishes. After all, the quote is about helping, right?

Why is action important? Continue reading →

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Each man, in corrupting others, corrupts himself.

Posted on 4 April 2014 by philosiblog

Each man, in corrupting others, corrupts himself. – Seneca

Some places, especially where people from other cultures pass through, it is appropriate to let them know what is considered proper behavior.

Some places, especially where people from other cultures pass through, it is appropriate to let them know what is considered proper behavior. In this case, no “tipping” allowed.

What does that mean?
This quote is part of a larger discussion of patterns of corruption. It talks about how entire communities and even countries have a pattern of what is acceptable.

That pattern is usually impressed on the population as they grow up. They become comfortable with the level and type of corruption applicable to which they were born. Other rules or thresholds of acceptable corruption make them uneasy.

If you are trying to get someone to do something, and resort to corrupt means of doing so, you have crossed a boundary you used to have. What is to prevent you from crossing that line again?

How many crossings does it take before a line is no more? And the line is then re-drawn at the new boundary, the new line you won’t cross. Until you need to, and then the situation repeats.

Why is resisting temptation important? Continue reading →

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You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.

Posted on 2 April 2014 by philosiblog

You’ve been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens. – Louise Hay

How would you feel if everything you did came back like this? Do you ever do it to yourself? How would that feel? Try a different way.

How would you feel if everything you did came back like this? Do you ever do it to yourself? How would that feel? Are you ready to try a different way?

What does that mean?
This is an interesting quote, in that it describes so many of us, at least at some point in our lives. Sadly, this behavior seems to be part of human nature.

We are natural mismatchers. We find things that are different very easily. That was a useful skill at one point in time. Bush, bush, tiger, bush. Something is different, how quickly you recognize it could be important, right?

However that is a little less useful in the modern world. However, we still find the things which are wrong far more quickly than we find the things which are good.

In short, we criticize easily. Others, as well as ourselves. This quote points out that it that hasn’t worked well in the past, so why continue? It’s time to try something else.

Why is self-approval, self-confidence, and self-esteem important? Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, failure, improve, limits, optimism, self-esteem | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

A change of schedule…

Posted on 1 April 2014 by philosiblog

Sorry that this is coming out on the 1st of April, typically a day of jokes and pranks, but my life has become unexpectedly busy.

I will be going to a Monday, Wednesday, Friday publishing pattern for the next few months while I get everything else caught up.

There are over 1100 posts here for you to browse, so feel free to look around on the days without a new post. Lots to see and do.

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