Closing the distance between, you came flying
I thought it was a dream, that you were lying.
The first 10,000 steps-timeless to compare
Slow were mine to you but oh the memories we’d share
Inkless feelings- that night of winter weather
It was just as I thought, we were driving our lives together
Attracted to each other by frosty weather
a blanket to close the space would’ve been better.
But oh, how nervous you made me!
Could I gather the courage to kiss _____?
With your beautiful face, a baffling sight
you’ve tied me to only that night
Darkness filled the room, our voices the air
I so long to return, to go back there.
Take me away, put life to my years
But the number on all things nearly brought you to tears
You say you want things to last forever
but live with me now, let’s do all things together
and in our minds memories never weather
…life is but a multitude of memories we can live in forever
You borrowed my words, funny that you did
My mind drives the pen questioning the impact of that which you did
In thought I drift, astray but cool, perhaps of you
Following your pen, I’m sure you have been too.
Countless questions count less than the wonders between us-
Who are you?
Who are you to me?
Who am I to you?
And what of the possibility it were just us two?
How could you solidly step into my ideal line of sight?
how foolish of I despite all courage and might,
to try and linguistically lasso your abyss
That’s twice you’ve stolen from me- my words are my sight!
That’s quite alright, though, I’ll call it “the exception there is”
Hence my current wonder, could we engage in a timeless slumber?
Define with me what a joy life could be-
sit with me tonight, let’s tear open the sky and leave it all behind by going where it’s winter with snow and waiting for the spring, for the grass to grow.
I see many people fighting and generally stripping themselves of what only man is capable of next to animals. It’s a tragedy, really, because I’d rather see the beauty of cooperation than the filth of war any day.
Animals have a drive to survive, just like we do. All living creatures wish to survive-it’s simply innate to avoid pain and seek pleasure. Animals have, of course, humble comprehension ability next to humans. They know of very basic things, such as food and shelter and sometimes hunt in packs depending on the animal. More advanced animals, such as monkeys, will organize to a further degree into what resembles a tribe. Humans beings organize on a massive scale, forming nations and even the cooperation of nations and because of it, we have done incredible things. Being closed-minded is taking that gift of creation and life and throwing it away.
Imagine a Saber tooth tiger. This tiger is quite large, obviously, and needless to say, a human against it would get eaten! Now imagine there are 2 humans together. What do they do? Simply put: work together! Though it might seem we must only worry about ourselves, the true goal is simply to survive. Simple animals worry only about themselves but because they cannot comprehend the idea of cooperation and boosting the survivability of ones own self through it. This is the gift of humans: we are able to comprehend and apply this idea of cooperation!
So, we work together and fight off the tiger. Great. Now we can all go our own ways right? Yeah, but what happens the next day when you find yourself in the same situation without that partner? Same answer! The human loses. So, we stick together. When we look out for each other, we act as one large, more efficient and powerful force which helps us to survive and prosper-the motivation.
Now let’s say they two humans stick together. They, again, find themselves facing a tiger. This time, they cannot fight it off and are left with one option: run! Great, there’s a wall a tiger won’t be able to climb up ahead! Wait.. the wall is too big to climb independently! One person must help the other up, leaving one alive and one to get eaten!
At this point, this idea of motivation again arises. At the top of the wall, the point at which you can either jump to the safe side or help your partner up risking your life in the process, is when the idea of comprehension comes in. If you choose to jump, you will save your own life… for the moment. Again, you could find another tiger down the road and be eaten! If you choose to help your partner up you could be dragged down! So what to do? Cooperation. At times, we must sacrifice for a moment our safety so that we will be safe in the long run-safe from future tiger encounters!
The fact that a human can comprehend this semi-complex idea is wonderful as said before. However, when we turn our backs on our fellow man, we also turn our backs on the gift we’ve been given. This is exactly what I see many people doing when they shun others for ridiculous differences! Obviously, we aren’t out in the wilderness where we encounter tigers, but we still encounter other problems whether it be psychological (belonging, friendship), intellectual (complex studies), physiological (food, shelter) or whatever. We must still work together, as this is the best means of survival. True, just as before, when I help a partner, that actions doesn’t benefit me at all, but they will in return help me. The same is true with a nation, or the world! When I help the group, I benefit because I am a part of that group. That group watches out for all of its members against all threats!
This is exactly the type of thinking that advanced humans from primitive hunter-gatherers that had enough time to worry only about food to organized intellectuals capable of constructing some of the most beautiful structures, studying complex things like mathematics, space and even philosophy! The Greeks were a great example of this because had they not worked together, none would be able to focus on philosophy because attention would be focused on basic needs, like food.
So, let’s keep harvesting the benefits, like the computer you read this on, and making the most out of our lives because we have so much potential especially when we work together. Remember the words of Benjamin Franklin, a man who did many great things, “We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately.”
In this world there are differences all around us as well as similarities. We look alike or different than other people and other things. This goes for action, for composition, for just about anything you can possibly imagine and we even use these differences to understand the world around us.
More often than not we have disagreements and often times this ends in violence, discrimination, breaking each other down and overall opposition towards one another. It baffles me why people fight when they could easily accept the fact that we have always been different than each other, just as leaves of a tree are different than each other while still being alike in some way. Simply put, if we all knew the same thing, looked the same way and so forth, we would have nothing new to learn, no one to inspire us to find new things we like and so forth. These differences can be harvested.
Like leaves of a tree, we all want to grow in our own directions and chase the horizon as well as the sun; we want to grow to be the beautiful thing we can be and this is what’s common among us.
Like various trees in a garden, leaves of different tree roots can exist in harmony with one another. The leaves that came before those still living fell to the ground, they became one with the ground through the releasing of energy so that all the surrounding trees could grow and thus give birth to new beautiful leaves again. The cycle goes on and on.
When an Oak tree leaf passes, it may inspire new life in an Ebony tree giving birth to a leaf with Ebony roots. The energy within the universe takes on different forms, but it is just truly one thing. All of it is simply energy whether it be energy within an Oak leaf or an Ebony leaf. You and I, all of us are likes these leaves except for the fact that, of course, we are conscious.
The order that the tree leaves follow is still within us because, after all, we are just different forms of energy like tree leaves. The only difference is that we are aware of ourselves, of our world and so forth.
This is a beautiful thing because we can actually choose what we like in each other and make it our own. We inspire each other not just through energy but now through form. If I like your sense of style, how you are and how you dress, I might just do something like it in my own way. Think about it, your sense of style, music and so forth has to come from somewhere, right? There is no shame in taking inspiration from one another, this is just collaboration. Quite frankly, no thought is without inspiration and no life or thing is either.
There are, though, those who see only one dimensionally perhaps out of confusion but either way this ignorance exists but it can be destroyed. We must take what others do and be inspired by it but not be controlled by it. No two trees or leaves or people will every be exactly the same, so trying to do or be so is foolish. Do something because you like it, because it feels right for you. Inspire someone to discover themselves. Only you can tell yourself what feels right for you and no one else. This is why all we can do is inspire each other rather than control; force one another into something through violence ; force them out of something through discrimination and so forth.
Going back the idea of consciousness, it becomes apparent that this is a gift. Trees and rocks cannot feel, they cannot love, see beauty, laugh or learn, they just are. Humor, good and bad, beauty.. all of it isn’t really there. Trees aren’t beautiful and moments in life aren’t funny, they just are; they just exist. We, though, point and laugh at memories or smile upon what we think is beautiful. The fact that we disagree on what beautiful or funny is tells us that we make create it altogether, we just see it in different places than others. This is why H.G. Wells said “beauty is in the eye of the beholder”. So with this in mind, it is pointless to fight. The only thing worth doing is growing from one another and using our minds to help this process, to find beauty in the world because it is much more pleasurable than filth and the like. Let us all help and inspire each other to reach our highest potential because we have found the place where we let each other be who we are, because we grow from differences rather than shun them, because we are gifted with life.
Christians protecting Muslims during their prayers. This is how it should be. This is EXACTLY how it should be. THIS is love.
I almost just burst into tears on the train. This is beautiful.
yes. yes yes yes! DEAR WORLD: we need more of this.
Fuck yeah.
I never reblog
This is an exception for a reason
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Please and thank you:))
Today I was in class when a friend of mine asked the teacher why her grade was so low. In explaining his reasoning, something caught my ear, “I think your problem is that you can’t seem to summarize the importance of events well enough” and then I added “Yeah, we need to take all of this [motioning to a page of notes] and turn it into A, B, C, or D.” and with a chuckle the teachers confirms it, “Well.. basically yeah.”
Obviously, I was sarcastic in a sense. Obviously, life is not A, B, C, or D. This is obviously why kids often rant, “We won’t use this in life anyways!” and they do have a point. Obviously, there is something wrong here.
I love to have discussions in class and that might be my opinion, but from my experience, many others do also. When you here different examples of a word being used, you start to pick up the meaning behind it; the idea. Likewise, when discussing ideas, we start to understand them. When we understand these ideas, we “see” for ourselves what we can do with them rather than just doing/recalling what we were told to remember (like math problems or history). Yes, it is that lovely “ohhhh!” moment. However, today we are to read an entire text book (in the class I spoke of today but this is generally true) and then asked to pick “A, B, C, or D” about 60 times.
THAT IS NOT UNDERSTANDING AND THIS IS WHY KIDS RANT.
Do you ever hear people add in “and that’s like.. (yada yada yada)” or “which is why … (bla bla bla)” ? That is when people are learning. Yes, l e a r n i n g . It’s really not so bad to learn. Actually, we are all born curious, it is just the school that kills it.
Think about it, people think to themselves “I wonder if there are aliens out there” for example. That’s because we want to learn! Imagine if you had some friend that knew all about that stuff! I bet you would carry out a wonderful conversation with him/her about it and then go tell someone else! How is that possible? Because you have learned it!
People sometimes ask me, “How are you smart?” or “what do you do when you get home if you don’t watch TV??”. Truth is, I’m not very smart I just think a lot. Truth is, philosophers over 2000 years ago thought of atom theory but had no way to prove it because they lacked the technology… but the point is they thought freely! Isn’t sad that over 2000 years later we don’t have much else to say about it despite all the new gadgets we have? If Socrates (a well respected Greek philosopher) came to this time period, he would wonder why we have many toys and such horrible ways of teaching that stop people from thinking on their own and instead just get people remember stuff long enough to spit it out back on the test answer sheet.
The old philosophers didn’t go to school (the way we did anyways). Rather, they had men like Socrates asking them questions and getting people to think for themselves (which is what lead to the atom theory). My point is that people need to see beyond this method of schooling. Just like we learn a language better when using it rather than reading it out of a book, we also learn better in general when simply discussing it rather than reading it out of a book. There is no way to avoid the bad system in which we are placed, sadly, because they world demands from us so we must work. However, never give up your mind. Let the world enslave your body because you must eat, but never enslave your mind because there you may always be free.
Keep thinking for yourself as well as respecting others thoughts. Socrates, Einstein.. all of them started as typical children but their curiosity kept them going. Just as Socrates said, “Wisdom begins in wonder” as well as Einstein, “I have no special talents; I am only passionately curious.”
A rough Idea.
When I became 16 years of age I was introduced to the TaoTeChing, a book on Taoism (Daoism). After studying the Tao for about a year I have come to understand a few of these principles within Tao. I have been able to grasp what the Tao is generally about and the direction I am headed in as I continue to read/understand the verses. This year, I picked up a book on human motivation by the name of “Drive: The surprising truth about what motivates us” by Daniel Pink. These ideas came first and then, as I slowly started to make the connection, came the idea of communism.
So in one year of constant study, reflection, analysis and the like, I have been able to grasp a few of the concepts within the Tao. To name a few key concepts: Wu Wei, Yin and Yang, Life’s spirit and natural altruism.
Wu Wei is action through inaction. It is teaching without telling. It is basically knowing when to act rather than questioning and contemplating whether a moment is right or not, or whether an action is right or not; we act naturally. This might seem contradicting because how do we “know” when to act without thinking? Well likewise, let me ask you, “How do we know to breathe without thinking?” Well, while the answer can be debated, it doesn’t necessarily matter, the idea is there and we know it, so it is possible to just “know” because we do so all the time! Frankly, we don’t realize we even do these things because we don’t have to think about them to do them!
So, what is Wu Wei? Because people learn in different ways (this fact is actually a major principle in Taoism also), allow me to illustrate with an example: Let’s say I am a swimmer. My coach is a great swimmer and swim coach but he doesn’t have a set method of teaching; in other words he doesn’t tell everybody to do the same exercise the same way. Why not? What works for me might not work for you. Coach sees this and he acts through not acting. He teaches without telling. Rather than telling me to breathe deeply, he asks me to swim. I swim and he then asks me, how did that feel? What did you like and dislike? I told him that I got tired but that breathing deeper helped me. He then asked me, “What should you do about this?”. I, of course, knew the answer was to keep breathing deep! This was the way he taught. He led with questions rather than answers. Yes, breathing deeper will help almost anybody but when it comes down to the exact way a swimmer swims, two swimmers will not be the same and this is where Coach’s method prevails. He allows me to understand why breathing deeply helps: because I, myself, experienced not having enough air! He has helped me to understand myself as a swimmer.
This principle is necessary because “The Tao that can be told is not the universal Tao” as Lao Tzu wrote in the TaoTeChing. What he meant, as I mentioned prior to this, was that all individuals are just that: individuals! We do not act in the same manner in every way so we cannot be taught to do the same thing; we must learn our own way and only we, ourselves, know what that is exactly, which is why Coach has asked US what feels right rather than telling us what he thinks or what feels right for him as a swimmer. Two swimmers whose times are average out the same can have two different techniques and so one is not superior to another, it is just a matter of what works for that specific swimmer.
The next Taoist principle I firmly understand is Yin and Yang. This is, of course, realizing that with every negative there is a positive and this is inescapable. As I said earlier, what works for me might not work for others but here is one common truth: We learn through trial and tribulation, just as I did while swimming- I learned what felt good and what didn’t feel good. This time, though, the concept applies with polarity. Sure, it is lovely to have a good day but there will be bad days also. I choose to cherish all experiences because all of them can be learned from whether it is a good thing or a bad thing. That is, if it was something in swimming, I will remember what doesn’t work so well or something that does work. Either way I learn and therefore have made progress. So you see, these ‘bad’ days needn’t be forgotten nor dreaded because they can be just as productive as good days, just in different ways we might not be able to see so easily.
Life’s spirit is one of the most perspective-dependent concepts in the Tao but is still true, in some sense, universally. For me, as I discovered the Tao, I saw these concepts of Yin and Yang, Modesty, Altruism and so on appear everywhere more and more! It was amazing. There were times when the pieces would fit. I would understand my situation to a large extent for just a moment and yes it would leave, but I had it! I had the most beautiful feeling inside. I felt it and embraced the warmth in it and the fact that it left me kept me chasing it and thus we have the pursuit of happiness (with emphasis on pursuit). I search for this and I won’t stop until I find it, again and again. The lovely thing is, It’s inexhaustible. The Tao says “The spirit of life never dies. It is the infinite gateway to mysteries within mysteries. It is the seed of yin, the spark of yang. Always elusive, endlessly available.” To me, this was the feeling! There is so much to be understood but me, as a humble human, can only take in so much at a time. Yes, that amount grows but the point is, it is mysteries within mysteries! There is so much to appreciate as I am in simple awe over the beauty and harmony within life. It is always around but quick to leave and so it never dies because we never stop chasing it! To me, this is of the easiest to appreciate and understand and it helps bring purpose to life.
Natural altruism is of the last concepts I am confident enough to talk about while keeping the Taoism section of this moderately short though hard because of my love and excitement for it. As a boy, my mother was in college. She was taking very advanced mathematics and I hardly knew what it was to add and subtract. That didn’t, however, stop me from asking my mother if she needed any help. My mother, as she reminds me of it, still smiles back on it. Children I have come into contact with, have been eager to share toys in order to have fun together. They have been eager to help each other. This is how they were born. It is only when we are taught (allow me to emphasize taught) the idea of competition that we begin to do the opposite of what is natural: to be greedy and not share. The Tao says we are “always self-full through selflessness”. Many people I ask still claim they “feel good helping others” and that it’s “just right to do so”. Again, how do we know it’s right? We just do. Therein lies Wu Wei, and therein lies a mystery within a mystery which is something to just be in awe of but I digress. We do feel good helping others and this is why so many people trying to satisfy themselves by buying themselves things aren’t happy; they focus on themselves for happiness when happiness, in this sense, comes from focusing on others.
Now that we have discussed very briefly what direction Taoism is in -and again these are only my words, when you read the verses and look for them yourself you will probably put them into words differently, so I encourage all to do so- we can now discuss Motivation 3.0 which comes from the book Drive, by Daniel Pink.
In Drive, Pink tells us that we can turn work into play and play into work. It is true: If I make exercising fun, work can become play! If I get paid to do something, I subconsciously feel that the activity isn’t fun because if it was I wouldn’t be paid for it a.k.a. compensation (or something along the lines of this, as it has been empirically proven many many times). He then explains that Motivation 1.0 is when people are motivated by reproduction, shelter and food! Simple enough right? Well, as hunter gatherers settled in and food was no longer an issue, we moved on to Motivation 2.0. This is when we are motivated by money, materialistic items and the like which are exterior things. Pink introduces Motivation 3.0 which spawned from research from many scientists, professors, companies to name a few on children and adults in many places. Regardless of the job, the race, sex or whatever, the evidence pointed in the same direction. Motivation 3.0 is when we no longer need to worry about money and we can focus on 1. Autonomy. 2. Mastery and 3. Purpose.
Autonomy is, just as the Tao said, realizing that we are all not robots that can be given the same way to do everything; that we are our own person and therefore have our own way of doing everything. Autonomy is allowing employees within a company to work when they want and how they want as long as the job gets done within a certain time span. This is essential for people who like mornings and those who like late hours! For those who can focus in the office or their homes better than the other! And so on. This is just absolutely essential if we are going to have people reach their highest potential in the work field and even turn work into play! To not have to go in at this or that time if we don’t want to and so forth.
Mastery is becoming better at something that matters. On the cover of the book there is a runner for a reason. I, myself, am a runner and can relate. However, all types of people can relate from artists, to writers, dancers, athletes and so on! Mastery is making your abilities that much better just for the challenge, because you enjoy it, and because it matters to the individual. While some people see running as labor another might see it as a dream! Therein lies the principle(s) of Autonomy and Wu Wei. That is, being able to decide for ourselves what we love doing and thus what we can become better at because we are motivated by that love for it to do so!
Purpose is well… purpose! Rather than just being narrow minded and seeing teaching, for example, as a job or career to make money and thus live (motivation 1.0), we see it as teaching the children of today so that they may be leaders tomorrow(motivation 3.0). It is realizing that a marathon run isn’t just any 26.2 miles. Those miles have a purpose which is ultimately racing for a cure which is a form of helping people. Therein lies another example of altruism (people simply wanting to help others because they can and want to not because they need to).
These 3 things within Drive are the main motivators within Motivation 3.0 and have already led some companies to become exponentially more successful than before they had applied these concepts in their work environment. I then thought, what if this can be taken to another level? After all, Pink isn’t just talking about work here, he is talking about a life style. He said that, statistically speaking, some of the happiest people don’t care about money and, just as motivation 3.0 says, we care more about these 3 ideas than we do about money. All we do is make sure we make enough money and once that is done we get to the real chase: Will this place allow me to reach my goals, allow me to do it my way and all have a purpose behind it? It is being motivated by what’s inside (autonomy, mastery and purpose) rather than what is outside (money and other materialistic things).
That is when I made the connection between Taoism(Daoism) and Motivation 3.0. You have, of course, because I have been making connections along the way but I then said, if this is so successful why don’t we apply it to more than just our personal lives and our individual work lives? Can we, taking Communism as a baseline, make a more perfect order? Democracy is great, yes, but the sad thing is: it doesn’t work just how it should and part of the reason is money. We need equality: why do people starve when there is food being thrown away? Why is there such a thing as a racist law? And so forth, so you see we must improve our government. Amendments only go so far, eventually we will need a new infrastructure completely.
This leads me to discuss Communism. It has failed, oddly enough, because every time it was established there was a monetary system. This monetary system is part of the close minded and greed-prone Motivation 2.0. A true Communism does not have a monetary system because there would be no point: everyone would be fed, clothed, housed and so forth so if we are all equal, money which is the tracking of gains over another, would make no sense! So we could throw out money. There would then (in theory of course) be no stealing. I wouldn’t need to rob a bank to get money to buy clothes, I would have them! Same with food and the like. While one would argue “We wouldn’t have enough food!” I disagree.
This would be where technology would come into play. Technology is feared by workers because they steal jobs from them. However, if we just had machines work for us-and yes, we can put them to do the lame jobs like be the trash man- then more of us can study. Colleges would be open to anyone willing to attend because money wouldn’t be an issue. We can then work towards finding other energy solutions besides burning fossil fuels and generally work towards a better environment faster than ever! Think of all the talent that is wasted because families cannot afford to send kids to college.
One of the arguments is “Why would I want to work for just bare minimum?” This basically equates to “Why would I want to work for just enough money to get by?” and as Motivation 3.0 says, once money is not an issue it is the work itself we focus on. However, here we wouldn’t have a money concern, it would be food. Everyone would be taken care of and thus we can focus on what really matters: our goals, our careers and making progress! While I commend those who get scholarships, I dislike the fact that others with potential of their own are being denied. In this modified Communism, all would be able to reach their highest potential. Satisfaction would come from our work because everyone chooses what we want to do. We would find happiness from within (Autonomy, mastery and purpose!) rather than through the flawed monetary system. We would cooperate and work together rather than compete because two minds together are better than two minds working separate.
I know that this is a dream, that the details of this need to be better thought out but, as I previously stated, this is a rough idea. I have hope in people. Just as Daniel Pink said, Motivation 3.0 emerges only when the circumstances and the environment will let it. (If food is a problem we can’t worry about getting our dream job) So we need to be the change we want to see in the world. We need to start making the transition. Do not try and force your way upon another (Wu Wei & Autonomy). Learn from yours and others mistakes and successes (Yin and Yang). Appreciate even the smallest things in life, your friends and family.. even people you don’t know! Be kind! (Life’s spirit) Be kind, help others and don’t be afraid to ask for help because it feels right, because it doesn’t feel good to be mean or rude (natural altruism). Chase your dreams no matter what!!!!!! You will get there with perseverance!! (Mastery) and work towards a goal that is bigger than yourself with the people around you as well as accept their differences-you can learn from them!!! (Purpose)
We have all the answers we need right here in our hearts, so simply tune in and listen… Thank you for reading about my dream.
Society has emphasized money so much that most people now believe it is the goal because they have been told it is an icon for status, success etc.
IT IS NOT.
While earning money can represent hard work,perseverance and other honorable things, it doesn’t always do so. In fact, it can represent pretty nefarious things. The fact that one may have a dollar doesn’t explain how one has attained that dollar. We forget that, in order to get wealth, we needn’t do anything honorable, just something that pays. Of course, this includes shameful things such as robbery, theft etc.
Perhaps officials intended only to get the economy up and running, but by now, with a little thought, it is apparent that many chase it for the wrong reasons. So you see, the concept of money, what it represents and the power it holds is a common misunderstanding, that is, if it wasn’t purposely explained different from the truth in the first place.
We forget that happiness and fulfillment is what we truly desire, though society-which basically boils town to the corporate controlled media-has us believing it is a simple checklist. That is, if we attain x amount of money, x amount of power, this or that status and these materialistic items, we are happy, successful and the like. So we chase, and it is exactly this chase that empowers money which ,since officials have so much, gives them power over us. It seems currency itself is an unnatural thing
Currency, if it even should be around, should be only an implement of happiness. If running is what makes you happy, don’t run for the money. Earn money so that you may run; so that you may do what you love. This is why many people have said money won’t buy happiness. Because there is nothing to enjoy about money itself, only the things it can help you do, such as running. So remember, it is not the currency that you love, just the things it allows you to do. Just one more thing to ponder is that: Currency itself creates a problem-a boundary between you and what you love- that it fixes by allowing you to do it once you’ve attained it, so can we eliminate it completely? Again, currency seems unnatural.
The fact of the matter is that everyone values different things, though we have common interests and likes. “Happiness” and “fulfillment” struggle not to be explained, but to be understood because it cannot be explained without ambiguity. It must be ambiguous because the moment one includes something specific such as “marriage” someone else will disagree. This is exactly why concepts like success, happiness and fulfillment should never be even remotely like a checklist.
