He who can not endure the bad will not live to see the good.

Posted on 18 November 2013 by philosiblog

He who can not endure the bad will not live to see the good. – Jewish Proverb

While I didn't make the team, I tried out for Crew in college. You have to endure a lot before you even get a chance to race, and that's when it gets good. What are you willing to endure?

While I didn’t make the team, I tried out for Crew in college. You have to endure a lot before you even get a chance to race, and that’s when it gets good. What are you willing to endure?

What does that mean?
This is a bit of practical wisdom, from a people who have known the bad times. To me, this quote is about having the toughness to survive, because life isn’t always kind.

It seems to me that if you give up easily, you will get stopped before you get to the end, before you get to the good part. Has that ever happened to you, where you gave up?

While the quote seems to be focused on life and surviving the tough times, I believe it also applies to the little things, like projects and other small events.

If you can’t handle the work, how will you get a paycheck? If you can’t stand the heat, how will you cook a meal? There are countless examples one could give, but I think you have the idea.

Why is staying strong until the end important?  Continue reading →

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If we have peace of mind, we’ll always feel happy. Deceiving ourselves that money is the source of happiness, we won’t.

Posted on 17 November 2013 by philosiblog

If we have peace of mind, we’ll always feel happy. Deceiving ourselves that money is the source of happiness, we won’t. – Dalai Lama

Pursuit of the shiny. Don't get hooked!

The pursuit of the shiny objects. It may be alluring, just try not to get hooked by it!

What does that mean?
This quote is specifically about the relationship between happiness and peace of mind. In fact, that is the first part of the quote in a nutshell.

If we can find peace of mind in our lives, we can be happy. That said, we can still choose to be less than happy, but with peace of mind, happiness is ours, if we wish it.

The other half of the quote is about the deception which we often face. The deceit of the shiny. The lies of money, fame, or riches. While they may bring a brief moment of happy, true happiness is far easier to attain.

This quote urges us to realize and remember where to find happiness. Not in things, but within ourselves. With the help of our peace of mind, it is possible. If we want it.

Why is avoiding falling for the deceit of the shiny important?  Continue reading →

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WOO HOO! One Million Views!

Posted on 16 November 2013 by philosiblog
Thanks so very much for your support.

Thanks so very much for your support.

Wow! Hot on the heels of my 1000th post, I get my 1 millionth page view, sometime earlier today. Thanks for the support.

Photo byJeff Golden

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He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have.

Posted on 16 November 2013 by philosiblog

He who is not contented with what he has, would not be contented with what he would like to have. – Socrates

Contentment? He seems to have it.

Contentment? He seems to have it. Do you? Where would you look?

What does that mean?
This quote is a variant of a few other of his quotes, so I imagine it is possible he said this at some point in his life. There just wasn’t anyone taking notes at that time, I guess. 8)

This quote is about the battle between contentment and desire. The basic premise is that if you are still looking for more, what makes you think that you will ever find the proper amount to be content?

Some people have a hunger, a desire to get more and more. When this desire is uncontrolled, we call it greed (or gluttony or…). On the other hand, if you can be content with what you have, having more would be better, but not necessary.

I believe this quote is a call to us to examine what we want, why we want it, and what it truly takes to be content in (or with) our lives.

Why is contentment important?  Continue reading →

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The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why.

Posted on 15 November 2013 by philosiblog

The two most important days in your life are the day you are born and the day you find out why. – Mark Twain

I still haven't found that drawer on the file cabinet. Have you?

I still haven’t found that drawer on the file cabinet. Have you? I wonder what is inside…

What does that mean?
While this has not been definitively sourced to the late, great Mark Twain, I believe that it is a great thought. Until we are born, there isn’t much to our lives, at least not as we know it, right?

But at some point in our lives, we find out why we are here. I believe that we all have a function, a purpose, a job to do in this life. That is what the quote is talking about when we find out why we’re here.

While I don’t believe in predestination, but we all have unique talents which lend themselves to specific tasks. There are things that only you can do. People only you can reach.

Once we know why we are here, we can get busy fulfilling the purpose of our life, as we understand it at the moment. I say that because I believe that as we change, so does our purpose.

Why is paying attention important?  Continue reading →

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Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.

Posted on 14 November 2013 by philosiblog

Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything. – George Bernard Shaw

There are plenty of reasons to not change. But without change, how will you progress, how will you grow?

There are plenty of reasons to not change. But without change, how will you progress? Without progress, how will you grow? This is just a partial list. What is on your list?

What does that mean?
This quote is about the one certain thing in life; change. Change will happen. The question is will you allow your mind to change as the new facts are revealed?

To move beyond where you are requires change. Progress is what we call that motion when it is in a desired direction (or at least desired to the person calling it progress).

That requires us to be willing to change our minds when the errors in our thoughts are pointed out to us. If we are unwilling to change our minds, there is nothing which can be done for us, right?

This quote is about examining the facts, and changing our opinions when the facts no longer support our prior thoughts or beliefs.

Why is considering the facts important?  Continue reading →

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1001 posts!

Posted on 13 November 2013 by philosiblog
Thank-you. Thank-you very much.

Thank-you. Thank-you very much.

Last night’s post was number 1000, making this the 1001st post! It’s hard to believe I have managed to get this far, but here I am, and I’m still going. I hope you’ll be around for post number 2000!

Thanks so much for reading, your comments make this effort worthwhile.

Photo by Enokson

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Even if you have nothing to write, write and say so.

Posted on 13 November 2013 by philosiblog

Even if you have nothing to write, write and say so. – Cicero

Who is willing to take action? Write. Do. Think. Say. Take action & learn.

Who is willing to take action? Write. Do. Think. Say. Take action & learn.

What does that mean?
While I couldn’t find a hard citation for this quote, it is a very interesting thought to consider. What do writers write about when they can’t think of anything to write?

According to the quote, you write about your inability to write about anything. Which, in itself, is a form of a cure for the writers block. You are now writing, right?

In a broader application, what do you do when you don’t know what to do? What do you think when you don’t know what to think? What do you say when you don’t know what to say?

While there will always be times when you regret what you do, I have always regretted what I failed to do even more. Do something. Think something. Say something. Write something. Don’t just sit there.

Why is taking action important?  Continue reading →

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If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?

Posted on 12 November 2013 by philosiblog

If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear? – Confucius

What will worrying do for you? What help is fear?

What will worrying do to help? Of what help is fear? Take a step back & breathe.

What does that mean?
To me, this quote isn’t about the fear of a tiger eating you, but about the much more insidious fears we have. The fear of not having done well. The fear of speaking in public.

We often fear little things, and our fear makes them bigger than they really are. This quote is about letting go of that fear, about checking ourselves, and if we have done our best, to let it go.

There will be situations where things don’t go as planned. There will be times when we wish things had gone better. But worry will not help. Being afraid will not help.

But first we must do our best, and then check within ourselves to make sure that we know all is well. What is done, is done. What is not done is not done. Worry and fear have no place in our mind, nor in our heart.

Why is stepping back from the edge important?  Continue reading →

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Each moment of the happy lover’s hour is worth an age of dull and common life.

Posted on 11 November 2013 by philosiblog

Each moment of the happy lover’s hour is worth an age of dull and common life. – Aphra Behn

So, how many times do you think they will need to be called to dinner? They are in the "happy lover's hour" aren't they?

So, how many times do you think they will need to be called to dinner? It sure looks like they are in the “happy lover’s hour” aren’t they? No dull and common life for them.

What does that mean?
I laughed when I saw this quote. I know that this applies to loves other than romantic, which is the root of the quote. There have been times when my computer has been called the ‘other woman.’

And it isn’t that I love my computer, per se, but I love what I can do with it, and when I am on it. The same analogy applies to the sports fan, who has to be pulled off the couch to eat a meal.

Do I even need to mention video games? This is the kind of happiness we often find, and immerse ourselves in. Sometimes it is specifically to avoid the time spend in the dull and common life.

I believe that the quote applies to nearly everything in our lives which we use to divert our attention from what is otherwise a dull and common life. And that we should be more accepting of the dull and common parts.

Why is dull and common important?  Continue reading →

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I’m optimistic that there is a growing appetite for peace in the world. Many young people are fed up with war and violence.

Posted on 10 November 2013 by philosiblog

I’m optimistic that there is a growing appetite for peace in the world. Many young people are fed up with war and violence. – Dalai Lama

Peace, baby! May you grow to find a world without war, despite the history of humanity.

Peace, baby! May you grow to find a world without war, despite the history of humanity.

What does that mean?
There have always been people against war. There have always been people in favor of war. But in today’s democracies, with a willing press, it is easy to sway large numbers of people to support war.

However, with video recording and sharing being so easy these days, the horror which war entails is easier to bring to the people, even if the press isn’t that interested in showing it to us.

This democratization of imagery has helped people who better understand war as something other than an abstract concept. The younger generation is picking up on this method of finding and sharing information, and I believe that is part of the reason.

There will be times when war is the lesser evil when compared to what a country is doing to those within or without, but it is still a tough choice. As we become more familiar as individuals with what war truly is, we can better decide what we are willing to do.

Why is peace important?  Continue reading →

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There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it.

Posted on 9 November 2013 by philosiblog

There is as much greatness of mind in acknowledging a good turn, as in doing it. – Seneca

Sometimes saying thank you means more to them than you can possibly imagine. But are you humble enough?

Sometimes saying thank you means more to them than you can possibly imagine. But are you humble enough to do so? You can be if you want to, and you are willing to try.

What does that mean?
The act of doing something nice for someone else, a good turn as it is described in the quote, is an act of kindness. The acknowledge-ment of that kindness is a response of kindness.

While the physical benefit of having a kind act done for you might not be equaled by your kind words in return, this quote is about the greatness of mind involved in the acknowledgement thereof.

By this measure, you are being as great in the acknowledging the kindness done for you as they were in doing the kindness in the first place. That may sound odd, but consider the person who refuses to acknowledge the good turn, and how small and petty they seem.

In my opinion, this is the whole point of the quote. The act humbles the person doing the kindness. The acknowledgement humbles the recipient. In this manner, they become equals, and greater than they were before.

Why is humility important?  Continue reading →

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The only problem we really have is we think we’re not supposed to have problems! Problems call us to higher level – face & solve them now!

Posted on 8 November 2013 by philosiblog

The only problem we really have is we think we’re not supposed to have problems! Problems call us to higher level – face & solve them now! – Tony Robbins

That's not a solution, but another problem. Face them. It's the first step.

Crawling into a bottle? That’s not a solution, that is but another problem. Eventually, you’ll have to face it. That is the first step in solving the problem. Have courage, you can do it.

What does that mean?
This quote is saying that our biggest problem is that, for whatever reason, we believe that we are supposed to live a life free of problems.

We spend most of our day with minor issues at most, and all seems well in our world. And then, BAM, out of nowhere comes a “problem.” Something happens which we did not anticipate and are not prepared to handle.

That situation is labeled a problem, and we suddenly change our attitude. I don’t think that’s the best way to handle it, do you? There will be times in our lives when things go sideways, sometimes spectacularly so. So what?

What we have to do is bring ourselves up to the next level. Bring our A Game. Push beyond. Go over the top. Whatever metaphor you want to use, you have to step up and take it on. Hiding from it, that won’t help, will it?

Why is courage important?  Continue reading →

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We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained.

Posted on 7 November 2013 by philosiblog

We must believe that we are gifted for something and that this thing must be attained. – Marie Curie

These people are dedicated. And for that, we are grateful.

These people have a gift and are dedicated. For that, we’re grateful.

What does that mean?
This is another quote which has been abbreviated due to the constraints of Twitter. A more complete version of the quote is as follows:

Life is not easy for any of us. But what of that? We must have perseverance and above all confidence in ourselves. We must believe that we are gifted for something, and that this thing, at whatever cost, must be attained.

As one of the few two-time Nobel Prize winners in Science (Physics & Chemistry, one each), this is a person of great accomplishment. She was raised in a well educated but very poor family, and knew that life was not easy.

She acknowledges difficulty, but then says to continue despite that difficulty. The key is self-confidence, springing from our belief that we have a gift, a special something we are here to accomplish.

The quote ends by admonishing everyone to figure out what that special reason is, and then set about getting it done, whatever it may be. She adds one other thing; she asks us pursue this purpose, whatever the cost. And it cost her her life.

Why is dedication important?  Continue reading →

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Genius is one of the many forms of insanity.

Posted on 6 November 2013 by philosiblog

Genius is one of the many forms of insanity. – Cesare Lombroso

We all have the seeds of genius within ourselves. Will you water that seed, and help it grow?

We all have the seeds of genius within ourselves. Will you water that seed and help it grow?

What does that mean?
There are people with normal minds, and there are those who are not exactly normal. Most of us think of the people on one side of normal when we think of abnormal minds. But there are people on the other side of the spectrum as well. Who comes to mind when you think of either end of the spectrum?

Normal, whether it is describing minds or general statistics, is used to describe the stuff in the middle. Abnormal is everything outside the normal range. It’s not a pejorative, it’s just math.

People with the appellation of ‘genius’ often have anomalous behaviors or other things wrong in their minds. Some are flat out crazy, others simply have personality quirks, although there are plenty we would consider to be normal.

But no matter how you might classify their ability to function in society, they are not normal. And that’s a good thing. Insanity is largely in the eye of the beholder, and what is madness to one is perfectly logical to another. But genius is usually unmistakable.

Why is being unique important?  Continue reading →

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