Reliable and genuine discipline comes not from repression, but from an understanding of all the whys and wherefores of our actions.

Posted on 14 August 2011 by philosiblog

Reliable and genuine discipline comes not from repression, but from an understanding of all the whys and wherefores of our actions. – Dalai Lama

What does that mean?
To me, it seems that he is saying that the path of repressing an urge is neither true nor reliable discipline. He goes on to say that the only true and reliable discipline comes from understanding the reasons behind our actions.

Take a person who is an addict. They can move across country, sever all ties with the people they used to hang out with, but the urge to use is still there. If push comes to shove, and they really feel a need for a fix, they will find a way to get it. Repression doesn’t work reliably over the long term. You have to come to grips with why you are using, and base your discipline on satisfying those needs in another manner.

Why is self knowledge important? Continue reading →

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A man who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary.

Posted on 13 August 2011 by philosiblog

A man who suffers before it is necessary, suffers more than is necessary. – Seneca

What does that mean?
Today’s quote is a compliment to Aristotle’s quote, which says “Fear is pain arising from the anticipation of evil.” If you are suffering before it is necessary, you are anticipating the suffering. That means you suffer before than it actually is necessary, and therefore, longer than necessary.

Usually, I have found that my extra suffering is usually anxiety based on lack of knowledge. Other people I know are simply prone to worry. Entire philosophies are based on simply letting the inevitable happen, and not worry about the things in life that cannot be changed.

Why is being calm important? Continue reading →

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We will act consistently with our view of who we truly are, whether that view is accurate or not.

Posted on 12 August 2011 by philosiblog

We will act consistently with our view of who we truly are, whether that view is accurate or not. –  Tony Robbins and here

Subtle? Not me.

What does that mean?
To me, this states that what we believe ourselves to be, we will act in that manner. Specifically, if we believe we are worthless, that is how we will expect others to treat us, and how we will value ourselves.

Conversely, if we think we are the best, that is how we will expect others to treat us. This will be the case if whether we actually are that good or not (competence vs arrogance).

The implication of this quote is that if you don’t like how you are acting, the proper place to change your actions is with your view of ourselves and the beliefs that underpin that view.

Why is self-image important? Continue reading →

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Think of yourself as a seed patiently wintering in the earth, waiting to come up a flower.

Posted on 11 August 2011 by philosiblog

Think of yourself as a seed patiently wintering in the earth, waiting to come up a flower. – C.S. Lewis

What does that mean?
This guy was fairly religious, so this might originally have had something to do with this life and the next life. However, I find this saying quite useful in this life. To me, it talks of our vast human potential, waiting to be released. So many of us are capable of so much more than we are currently doing with our lives. This potential is what we have, patiently waiting to bloom.

We often spend too much time in Winter, the season of waiting, when things seem bleak and the thought of blooming seems to hover somewhere between pointless and fatal. However, I believe we can bloom. To me, the trick is moving our minds past the attitude of Winter and move forward into Spring, when your expectations are centered around growth and blooming.

Why is potential important? Continue reading →

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Concentration is my motto – first honesty, then industry, then concentration.

Posted on 10 August 2011 by philosiblog

Concentration is my motto – first honesty, then industry, then concentration. – Andrew Carnegie

What does that mean?
He starts his business strategy with honesty and industry, but after that, concentration is his big point, his motto. Honesty is first in business, that should be obvious. Industry, in this context is to be usefully busy, the reasons for this practice in business should be equally obvious.

He finishes up with concentration. Concentration in this context, I believe to mean focus, both in product and in practice. Other ways to say it is to have a “laser sharp focus on…” or “do one thing and do it well.”

Why is concentration important? Continue reading →

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Idleness is the mother of all vices.

Posted on 9 August 2011 by philosiblog

Idleness is the mother of all vices. – Russian proverb

An idol to many, Jackie Chan is rarely idle. Even in wax, he looks ready to take action!

What does that mean?
This is an old saying, and it has been told in many ways. What it talks about is that vices usually aren’t the associated with a busy person. The people who tend to get into trouble tend to be people with time on their hands. If you keep busy, there is little time available for you to get into trouble.

This idleness is what gives people the time to either do nothing (sloth), to have an excess of desire (lust), eat or drink too much (gluttony), want too much stuff (greed), get really angry or riot (wrath), get really jealous of others (envy), or get really stuck on themselves and how great they are (pride).

Why is action important? Continue reading →

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Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life.

Posted on 8 August 2011 by philosiblog

Your goals are the road maps that guide you and show you what is possible for your life. – Les Brown

What does that mean?
To me, this quote talks about the human journey. Where are you going and how will you know when you get there? Life is full of changing currents, any of which can turn you around. Goals help keep you headed in the direction of your choice, and keeps you making progress towards the goal.

As you start to complete goals, you start to create a trajectory, a path of greater and greater accomplishments. This pattern of accomplishments shows you where you can go. It helps you set new goals, each more challenging, more interesting, more rewarding, and more fun than the last.

Why are goals important? Continue reading →

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In situations that are difficult and challenging, patience helps maintain your will power and can sustain you.

Posted on 7 August 2011 by philosiblog

In situations that are difficult and challenging, patience helps maintain your will power and can sustain you. – Dalai Lama

Patience - first you let the blockers clear the way, then you run.

What does that mean?
Life is difficult and challenging. But sometimes things are more difficult and challenging than others. In this quote, he urges us to use patience in these trying times. The use of patience will, hopefully, allow you to retain your will power and help sustain you through the tough times.

The act of patience will allow you to remain calm, and help you keep your wits about you amid the difficulties and challenges in life. If you can remain calm and patient while things are difficult, you stand a much better chance of noticing that one little clue that will allow you to successfully face the difficulty and not just survive, but thrive.

Why is patience important? Continue reading →

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The things hardest to bear are sweetest to remember.

Posted on 6 August 2011 by philosiblog

The things hardest to bear are sweetest to remember. – Seneca

Many people go fishing with Grandpa. (This pic isn't me)

What does that mean?
To me, it speaks of the people and relationships that are no more, but you are now more fond of than ever before. It might include events that occurred with you and them, or other memories. As the pain fades, everything else becomes more prominent, more sweet, as the quote says.

Also, it might remind you of an injury or other hardship, where you had to suffer for a while. It might have been hard to bear at the time, but looking back, it was a very important time for you. You learned what you were made of, and who you could count on. Does any of that sound familiar?

Why is reflection important?  Continue reading →

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Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity.

Posted on 5 August 2011 by philosiblog

Always seek out the seed of triumph in every adversity. – Og Mandino

A displaced flood victim smiles despite adversity.

What does that mean?
This saying reminds us that there is a silver lining to every cloud. In anything that goes wrong, you can learn from the experience (ask Thomas Edison – he spent quite some time finding out ways to make light-bulbs that didn’t work).

Whatever happens to you, it is a chance to find out what happens if you do it. Now you know, and you can try something else next time. Even if an event is painful, you can still find some small victory. If you fight city hall, but lose, at least you stood up for yourself, right?

Why is seeing the good in everything important?  Continue reading →

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Public behavior is merely private character writ large.

Posted on 4 August 2011 by philosiblog

Public behavior is merely private character writ large. – Stephen Covey

"Is that a picture of you, mama?"

What does that mean?
How you behave is based on your rules, beliefs and values. These are also key components of your character. Thus what your have as your character will be a huge influence on your behavior.

Some people try to keep parts of themselves hidden from public view (there are so many politicians in the news lately who thought they could keep it hidden), but most people are fairly consistent in their character and their behavior.

Why is character important? Continue reading →

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Common sense is not so common.

Posted on 3 August 2011 by philosiblog

Common sense is not so common. – Voltaire

Cheese? Consumed! Now, time to head home... oh, wait.

What does that mean?
Well, the meaning seems pretty clear. The stuff we call “common sense” seems to be pretty rare these days. But “these days” for Voltaire was in the mid 1700’s, over 250 years ago! And it’s still a problem.

Why is common sense important?
What we call “common sense” is a core of knowledge and wisdom that we have and think others should have as well. And while there is some agreement on a portion of what constitutes “common sense”, there are many variations on the theme. Continue reading →

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We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light.

Posted on 2 August 2011 by philosiblog

We all walk in the dark and each of us must learn to turn on his or her own light. – Earl Nightingale

What does that mean?
To me, this speaks to the human journey, where we each go our own route, guided by our own understanding and beliefs. We each make our own way, walking in the dark, seeing the world by the candle of our abilities and beliefs.

He implies (or at least I think he does) that we cannot use the light of others to illuminate our way. Why? My belief is that we are each unique, and need our own motivations and own beliefs to help us find our own way. We might use a particularly bright light to help guide us, but we must have our own light with which to see.

Why is having you own light (motivations & beliefs) important? Continue reading →

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Where love rules, there is no will to power; where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other.

Posted on 1 August 2011 by philosiblog

Where love rules, there is no will to power; where power predominates, there love is lacking. The one is the shadow of the other. – Carl Jung

Are these the faces of love or the faces of power?

What does that mean?
It sounds to me that he is saying that love, when pursued, excludes power; and that power, when pursued, excludes love. Put another way, pure love contains no attempt to hold power over the other person; and that if you are attempting to hold power over another person, there is no room for love.

He calls love and power the shadows of each other. I would probably have used opposite poles of a magnet, but that’s just me. Does it make sense to you?

Why is the relationship between love and power important? Continue reading →

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We should value our enemies because they provide us with unique opportunities to practice patience, tolerance and forbearance.

Posted on 31 July 2011 by philosiblog

We should value our enemies because they provide us with unique opportunities to practice patience, tolerance and forbearance. –  Dalai Lama

What does that mean?
He is asking us to consider the benefits of having someone who opposes you (I dislike the term ‘enemy’). It might be the mean kids(s) at school, a sibling (or two), or your boss. No matter who they are, if they are not being nice to us, we have an opportunity to practice!

Practice what, you ask? Patience, while we wait for them to finish being mean to us. Tolerance of their meanness, and the ignorance, fear or insecurity on which it is usually based. Forbearance (self control) to not respond in the same manner, but to be kind and compassionate, even if they are not.

Why is having opposition important? Continue reading →

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