I think all of us would find it somewhat strange to say that the natural “human condition” is to be in a state of happiness: but it is. Numerous studies suggest that we live longer and in a higher of contentment when we have a positive view of our reality than if we eke out our sunset days in a morose and embittered state.
Continue reading You are happy: what is wrong with you?
The escape to find yourself and other adventures
I am old enough to remember a time that communication was on foot. It was virtually impossible to phone a girl, so you had to go to her house, knock on the back door (the front being too audacious) and inquire if she was at home. No one can ever forget the prying eyes of the grandmother seated beside the stove in the kitchen. Being a bit bookish, my imagination easily pulled me back to 19th century Britain and the physically-gnawing coal fields of Eastwood Nottinghamshire, the birthplace of D.H. Lawrence. (1885-1930) His reality was shaped by the horrific and mind-numbing work in the collieries, the coal mines:
Continue reading The escape to find yourself and other adventures
Bravery is not enhanced by size but by action
We live in a world that is seemingly inundated with violence, both personal and societal. Most history books attest to the carnage of the First World War (1914-1918), for example, a war that eviscerated thousands of young soldiers on both sides: their remains yet to be unearthed. Individual scholars point to this conflict as normalizing our acceptance of murder and carnage. (1) I often ask my students who would they like to hit or abuse. The answer is invariably one of shock and disbelief. No one it seems wants to strike anyone. Who then is committing its most extreme state: killing?
Continue reading Bravery is not enhanced by size but by action
Do you have “color” in your life?
Most colorful, interesting people have many positive qualities; you’ll find they usually have the following in common: “They are curious; they love to discover new ideas, places, people, and interests. They are expressive; they’re not scared to speak their minds and express themselves well. They take initiative; they don’t sit around waiting for permission to do what they want to do, and they like to try new things. They are inventive; they think outside of the box and constantly come up with original ideas and new ways of doing things. They are confident; they are not scared to make mistakes and act like they know what they are doing, even when they don’t.” (1)
Continue reading Do you have “color” in your life?
Fear must never be allowed to control us
As individuals, what are we afraid of — probably everything? We are afraid of aging. We are afraid of having no relationships — intimate or otherwise. We are afraid of not being financially successful, and we are afraid to die. The list goes on and on. Sometimes, I am sure, we are so afraid of the entirety of existence that the whole concept becomes boring and tedious. It is at this point that we come to the realization of who is creating this fear. It is the self who creates my fear — me!
Continue reading Fear must never be allowed to control us