Give what you can, share what you have, and receive the love and kindness returned with a open heart, a smile and a kind word.

Posted on 6 September 2013 by philosiblog

Give what you can, share what you have, and receive the love and kindness returned with a open heart, a smile and a kind word. – Mala Shah

When you share, how do you feel? What comes back to you? How well do you accept that love and kindness?

When you share, how do you feel? What comes back to you? How well do you accept that love and kindness? With an open heart, a smile, and a kind word?

What does that mean?
This appears to be an original quote from MDS, but that doesn’t make it any less beautiful, or any less impactful. It’s a sentence my English teachers would have loved to have us diagram, but I’ll try my best to break it down.

It starts out by asking us to give and share what we can. From my experience, even in the times when we feel we have nothing, there are things which we have in surplus.

Even something as “insignificant” as our time, or even a smile, can be given or shared. And it does make a difference to others, which is why I put it in quotes.

It concludes by asking us that when the love and kindness come back to us (implying that what we really gave or shared was love and kindness, regardless of what we thought we gave) to accept it graciously.

Specifically mentioned were an open heart, a smile and a kind word. Think of the times you have thanked someone. How did they respond, and how did you feel? How does this part of the sentence fit into that equation?

Why is grace important?  Continue reading →

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If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past.

Posted on 5 September 2013 by philosiblog

If you want the present to be different from the past, study the past. – Spinoza

Does he look like he wants to get the same thing today as last time, or does he look like he's trying to focus on what to do differently this time?

Does he look like he wants to get the same thing today as last time, or does he look like he’s trying to focus on what to do differently this time?

What does that mean?
There are plenty of ways to look at this quote, but at the heart of it is a simple thought. Learn from experiences. We can learn from our own experiences, and by studying the past, from the experiences of others as well.

After reading about the terrible troubles Napoleon had in a war against Russia in winter, you’d think anyone with any smarts would avoid being bogged down in a war in Russia when it’s winter out. But about 130 years later, the exact same mistake was made again.

By examining what happened in the past, we can get an idea of what has worked before and adapt it to our present situation. We can also see what didn’t work in the past, and try to avoid it, or at least change it to be less of a difficulty this time around.

It really is that simple. Learn from your experiences, or those of others. It might not be able to get you the desired result, but you can certainly get something else, rather than the same thing. Again. And again.

Why is learning from our experiences important?  Continue reading →

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It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste.

Posted on 4 September 2013 by philosiblog

It has been my observation that most people get ahead during the time that others waste. – Henry Ford

I can't remember how many times I've caught myself staring out into space, just while writing this blog...

I can’t remember how many times I’ve caught myself staring out into space, just while doing this blog. How easily distracted are you? How much time do you waste, or misuse?

What does that mean?
This quote, as one might expect from one of the foremost industrialists of his era, is about work. Specifically how to get ahead, or to get more done than the next guy (or gal).

He specifies what he has observed, presumably in his factories. Most of the people who are getting ahead, he states, are doing so by being busy while others are busy wasting time.

Remember, we all get the same number of hours in a day. It’s just what we do with them. Back in Henry’s day, the whistle blew and you started. It blew again, and you stopped. Everybody put in the same number of hours.

The ones who managed to goof off the least tended to get the most done. Call it focus, call it attention, call it what ever you want, they had it, where the others didn’t.

When it came time for raises and promotions, guess who was on the short list? Not the people wasting time, right?

Why is staying focused important?  Continue reading →

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It is not he who reviles or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion that these things are insulting.

Posted on 3 September 2013 by philosiblog

It is not he who reviles or strikes you who insults you, but your opinion that these things are insulting. – Epictetus

If a person did this, you would likely be insulted. Why not with a bear? Next time, imagine it's a bear, not a person, and refuse the insult.

If a person did this, you would likely be insulted. Why not with a bear? Next time someone does it, imagine it’s a bear, and refuse the insult. Can you do that?

What does that mean?
I like this quote. It has an interesting perspective on things, and that is what the quote is all about.

Someone shouts an insult at you, and you believe you have been insulted. Someone slaps you on the face or spits in your face, and you believe you have been insulted. But in reality, all they have done is said a word.

All they have done is strike or spit on you. The actual insult is your opinion of their action, nothing more. Yes, there are societal norms, but that doesn’t mean you have to accept them.

Imagine the shock and awesomeness of you laughing at someone who just tried to insult you. We can choose to be insulted, or we can ignore it. That is our choice and ours alone.

Some feel a need to respond. Is that acting from a position of strength, or a position of weakness? What reaction are they trying to get from you? Will you obey them, or thwart them? It is a choice.

Why is making a conscious choice important?  Continue reading →

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Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.

Posted on 2 September 2013 by philosiblog

Where we love is home, home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. – Oliver Wendell Holmes

Now that's where the heart is. Even if you've just been gone a short time, your dog's home is where you are, where their heart is. Where is your heart?

Now that’s where the heart is. Even if you’ve just been gone a short time, your dog’s home is where you are, where their heart is. Where is your heart?

What does that mean?
This quote is, to me, about the difference between a physical location and an emotion. The quote says that where we love, that is our home. Put another way :

“Home is where the heart is.”

If it is a person or a location, then it is possible to physically leave. You can walk out of your residence to go to work. You can leave your lover and go do do something else. You have left with your feet. But where is your heart?

The quote concludes by reminding us that our hearts are still there, even though our feet may have left. The rest of us probably left with our feet, but our heart remains.

Whatever it may be that you love, your family, your friends, your country, your community, or even your favorite chair, you may have left, but your heart remains.

Why is remembering where your home is important?  Continue reading →

Posted in affection, beauty, desire, love, reflection, struggle | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

Peace can only be achieved through non-violence. This is something we have to train and educate our children to put into effect.

Posted on 1 September 2013 by philosiblog

Peace can only be achieved through non-violence. This is something we have to train and educate our children to put into effect. – Dalai Lama

The weapons of war grow more terrible by the decade. We will find peace, but will it be peace on Earth, or the peace of eternal rest?

The weapons of war grow more terrible by the decade. We will find peace, but will it be peace on Earth, or the peace of eternal rest?

What does that mean?
This is an interesting quote, because talks about the history of mankind and the inability of violence to settle differences. This is with one exception: the wars which wipe out a civilization or a people. All stated with just eight words.

The quote then recognizes that the people presently in charge are not likely to do things any other way. We, the adults, have already learned what we have, and will continue to act accordingly. Yes, we can learn new things, but change is a little more difficult for those with habits already formed. Which is why the quote concludes by mentioning that children are the answer.

They don’t yet have deeply ingrained ideas about war and peace. They can be shown that wars have only led to more wars. That peace only comes from a peaceful attitude and negotiations, or in utter annihilation.

By teaching the children, we stand a chance of breaking the cycle of violence which has not abated in all the centuries of humanity. Yes, there will always be unstable or evil people who will find their way into positions of power, but the better educated the children are, the less likely it is to happen.

Why is educating the children important?  Continue reading →

Posted in compassion, gentle, kindness, knowledge, love, peace | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

No untroubled day has ever dawned for me.

Posted on 31 August 2013 by philosiblog

No untroubled day has ever dawned for me. – Seneca

Is this trouble, or does it just look that way? Is it something you can change, or do you simply have to face it?

Is this really trouble, or does it just look that way? Is it something you can change, or do you simply have to face it and do the best that you can?

What does that mean?
This is a classic bit of wisdom. Who has ever had a day completely free of troubles? It might be statistically possible, but typically, they are rare at best.

And how do you define ‘troubles’? Could something you enjoy be a trouble for someone else? And it goes the other way, too, right? Your troubles might be something that another would love to have, right?

This quote, then, is about what you do with a troubled day. Sometimes we may simply want to crawl back in bed or under a rock. However, that won’t make the day any better, will it? And everything which needs to be done will remain undone, right?

So, by inference, the quote is telling us to face the day, to take what comes, and make the best of it. And that is really all we can do, isn’t it? Other than run and hide, but that doesn’t usually work out well.

Why is facing your troubles important?  Continue reading →

Posted in decision, goals, judgement, obstacles, perspective, struggle | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

You must decide what it is you believe in and take steps towards achieving it and creating the universe and world you want to see.

Posted on 30 August 2013 by philosiblog

You must decide what it is you believe in and take steps towards achieving it and creating the universe and world you want to see. – Forest Whitaker

What do you believe about the universe and your place within it?

What do you believe about the universe and your place within it?

What does that mean?
This is a bit of a departure from the norm, as this is a quote from just a few days ago. It doesn’t exist in the quote dictionaries yet, but I felt it still was quite an interesting quote. I referenced it to the news story in which it appears, instead.

This quote starts where it should, at the beginning. You have to know what you believe in and what you stand for, before you can do anything meaningful in your life. With that in place, you can start to evaluate and plan.

Once you have an idea of where you are, you can survey the lands around you and determine with what you agree, and with what you disagree. That is where you start your planning, so that you can move to the middle part of the quote, the taking of steps, the action phase.

That is how you get to the end of the quote, where you start to see the results of your planning and action. You get to see change. Probably not as much as you’d like, nor as quickly as you’d like, but change will come.

Why is knowing what you believe in important?  Continue reading →

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Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing.

Posted on 29 August 2013 by philosiblog

Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing. – Theodore Roosevelt

This is farming the old fashioned way, back when the quote was made. Hard, honest work. Feeding people is a worthy thing.

This is farming the old fashioned way, back when the quote was made. Bust the sod, turn it over, toss in the seed. Hard, honest work. Feeding people is a worthy job.

What does that mean?
This is a quote, taken from a speech by a sitting American President, so I hope you can understand his focus on Americans. This longer version of the quote is from the Square Deal speech, which was given to a group of farmers in the year 1903.

“Far and away the best prize that life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing… There is no room in our healthy American life for the mere idler, for the man or the woman whose object it is throughout life to shirk the duties which life ought to bring.”

The focus of the quote is to be busy at worthy work. Not finding excuses to avoid work. Not hiding while others toil. Not passing duty off to someone else. But to seize the prize, and get busy doing what must be done.

There isn’t any comment of work being better or worse. There is no exception for the unpleasant chores. Just the simple recognition that all jobs have worth, as do all people.

Combining these two concepts leads to the greatest prize in life, the awesome feeling of doing a job, to work hard, and to give our best. Yes, it may be hot, it may be tiring, and it may be thankless. But you will know you did it. And that is what is important.

Why is doing what must be done important?  Continue reading →

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If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it.

Posted on 28 August 2013 by philosiblog

If evil be spoken of you and it be true, correct yourself, if it be a lie, laugh at it. – Epictetus

A little water doesn't bother this guy. Why should you let a little lie bother you? Like water off a duck's back.

A little water doesn’t bother this guy. Why should you let a little lie bother you? Like water off a duck’s back. Where I’m from, that means you just let it go, and not bother you.

What does that mean?
This is a classic of introspection. It says that people will speak ill of you. It’s going to happen. Unless you’re really young, it’s probably already happened, right?

The quote says take what they said and examine it. It is implied that you also examine yourself. Examine what they said of you, and then compare it to who you really are, and how you actually behave.

The quote tells us that if what they say is true, then get your act together and fix it. We all need a periodic tune up, right? Even if what they say isn’t 100% on the mark, are they close enough to point out something you should improve? If so, you need to get busy!

The quote concludes that if what they said is not the truth, then you should laugh at their words, and possibly, by extension, them as well. Yes, you might want to scream and yell, but what good will that do? Laugh at them and their words, that all may know they are false.

Why is a sense of humor important?  Continue reading →

Posted in courage, laughter, personal growth, self resepct, truth, work | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

To refrain from imitation is the best revenge.

Posted on 27 August 2013 by philosiblog

To refrain from imitation is the best revenge. – Marcus Aurelius

They said it couldn't be done. They said it was going to be ugly beyond words. Eiffel's revenge speaks for itself, and he didn't have to sink to their level.

They said it couldn’t be done. They said it was going to be ugly beyond words. Eiffel’s revenge speaks for itself, and he didn’t have to sink to their level. He didn’t imitate them.

What does that mean?
Another classically brief quote. But it is packed with meaning. It is talking about revenge and how to best achieve it. However, it doesn’t say to serve it cold, or when they aren’t looking for it.

The quote is about restraint. It’s about not seeking revenge, or at least not seeking revenge by doing what they did to you. It’s about not sinking down to their level, it’s about taking the high road.

After all, if you return their injury with the same thing, are you any better than they are? Aren’t we trying to become better people? Aren’t we trying to raise ourselves out of the mud, and do the right thing?

Besides, just think of all the effort they will have to put in, as they will constantly be looking for your revenge when they think that you think that they least expect it. Their heads will be spinning with the effort, as they wallow in the mud they so readily sling.

And you will be miles away, with a faint smile, devoting your energy to something useful and helpful to yourself and others. Now THAT is revenge. 😉

Why is not sinking to their level important?  Continue reading →

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One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is Love.

Posted on 26 August 2013 by philosiblog

One word frees us of all the weight and pain in life. That word is Love. – Sophocles

Seriously? Don't these people know it's raining? Their love of laughter and each-other's company seems to have freed them of the weight and pain of life.

Seriously? Don’t these people know it’s raining? Their love of laughter and each-other’s company seems to have freed them of the weight and pain of life.

What does that mean?
This quote is not from a philosopher, but from a ground-breaking Greek playwright, from his play Oedipus at Colonus (line 1616). And it, while a little bit artsy, encapsulates a basic truth of life.

Love. It is a very complex word, covering a tremendous amount of ground. Often it is intended to mean romantic love, I believe this quote can also cover a greater variety of love.

Love of music allows for our favorite music to lift the weight and pain from our lives, at least for a while. The same goes for the love of laughter and comedy. The same goes for story telling and listening to those stories. That’s why we go to movies an plays, right?

In short, love of anything can help us deal with the weight and pain of life, even if only for a short while. The love of the little things in life, as well as the big things, is what helps make life livable.

Why is Love’s Freedom important?  Continue reading →

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A person who practices compassion and forgiveness has great inner strength, whereas aggression is usually a sign of weakness.

Posted on 25 August 2013 by philosiblog

A person who practices compassion and forgiveness has great inner strength, whereas aggression is usually a sign of weakness. – Dalai Lama

It's easy to be angry with the jerk. But what kind of life leads to this? Can you find compassion for him, or just his victims?

It’s easy to be angry with the jerk. But what kind of life lead him to behave like this? Can you find compassion, or even forgiveness for him, or just his victims?

What does that mean?
Anyone who has been in the school yard knows of this, even if they never thought of it in this manner. This is a fairly common truth in life, which probably everyone has seen in their lifetime.

The people who are the most vicious, the most mean, the most aggressive, they are usually the ones with a serious weakness. They are usually afraid of something, and taking it out on others.

The weakness could be of character, it could be a lack of confidence, or a form of learning trouble, leading them to act out. At least that’s what I have found with all the bullies from my school years whom I have been able to find on the net.

At the other end of the spectrum, we have the truly strong people. Their strength and confidence come from within and are the opposite of the bully. They are able to be compassionate and forgive others precisely because of this strength.

Why is inner strength important?  Continue reading →

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Whenever the speech is corrupted so is the mind.

Posted on 24 August 2013 by philosiblog

Whenever the speech is corrupted so is the mind. – Seneca

Don't say it. Don't even think it!

“Don’t say it. Don’t even think it!” That sounds pretty creepy, doesn’t it?

What does that mean?
This quote is a cold hard truth, and one that is recognized by many people. It is a method which is regularly used to manipulate people all over the world. It was one of the core concepts of a book by the author George Orwell in his book Nineteen Eighty Four, and was called “NewSpeak.”

Speech is made of words, and the words have meaning. These are grouped together to form thoughts or ideas and to move them from one person to another. If you can corrupt the speech, by banning words or concepts, everything else is corrupted as well.

In many parts of the world today, there are speech codes of various sorts. These are often enforced by social pressure, but that doesn’t make them any less damaging than if the government or any other formal organization enforced it. If you can’t say it, you can’t convey the thought, right?

When the thought is corrupted, so too is the mind. So, by the Transitive Property of Corruption, corrupting speech causes corruption in the mind. If you can’t use the word, how can you have a discussion relating to the word? As you try to talk around the word, the ideas become corrupted, as does the message, and finally the mind.

Why is free thought and speech important?  Continue reading →

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Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more.

Posted on 23 August 2013 by philosiblog

Remember that the happiest people are not those getting more, but those giving more. – H. Jackson Brown, Jr.

Who is having more fun? Who is happier, Mom, or Baby?

Who is having more fun? Who is happier, the Mom, or the Baby?

What does that mean?
This quote is about the difference between giving and getting. As kids, I imagine most of us liked one a whole lot more than the other. But how has that changed as we have matured?

The quote says that getting more stuff will not make you the happiest person around. At least after the first few moments, because that’s all the longer the happiness of ‘stuff’ usually lasts.

Instead, the quote concludes, the happiest people are those who give, and give generously. This matches my experience, at least since I grew up enough to realize that ‘stuff’ isn’t where happiness is found.

In short, this quote is urging us to try to give more, rather than to try to gather more or collect more. Whether we give of our time, our fortune, or in some other manner, I believe there is little we could do to make a greater impact on others lives, or our happiness.

Why is meaningful giving important?  Continue reading →

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