For me, it’s a matter of looking at my deepest fundamental assumptions about reality…and entertaining the possibility that they’re completely wrong. That way, my unconscious presumptions dissolve, and I edge ever closer to things that are eternally “true.”
(And I believe that those truths are Good Things. That’s what faith is for: To keep that in mind as I’m chipping painfully away at myself. 😉 )
I suspect we approach the concept of “good things” from two different perspectives; I’m aiming for the grand scheme of things, based on my premise that all events, no matter how horrible, lead to a greater purpose, one that illuminates and brings us together in a positive fashion. But that doesn’t negate your perspective, which seems to be singular-event focused. So from your perspective, they aren’t good things, but from mine, they are part of something greater that is a good thing. I could shift this into quantum duality, a duel of anecdotes, or significance of Man, but after our swords cross and we’ve exhausted our arsenals, I suspect that you and I Louis, will only agree that we have different perspectives from understandably different experiences. 😉
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It’s grand to look inward occasionally, rather than always looking outward for your answers. What have you discovered?
Actually that IS a serious danger with the philosophies that I use…in eastern traditions many will use this idea that “all is good” in order to justify lack of action, while the other side will use “all is futile” in order to justify a lack of action via a “why try?” attitude. Indeed, there is a theory that Jesus went to India, fully believed in reincarnation, but saw that too many were using it as an excuse to put things off until the next life. Good point! So in a nutshell, I do believe in a base of discipline before the use of these philosophies. I am not a believer in simply wishing things into existence by any means. But I think that the danger of the attitude you advocate—judging others’ worth without seeing how you could easily have become them if you’d lived their circumstances—leads to a toxic, nonconstructive elitism. I like to tell people I’m Republican with myself, and a Democrat with others, haha! I’m hard on myself, and try to give others the benefit of the doubt. Our childhood programming influences us a lot, and I think it’s prudent to recognize that, even though there IS a lot of personal responsibility involved in why we can’t get jobs, mates, etc. To segue to positive thought, I believe there is scientific evidence that positive thought has an extremely beneficial personal effect on health and wellbeing, where it gets debatable is if it effects the environment in some positive way, but the placebo effect alone is a powerful force. Plus if nothing is provable, why not believe in a reality that has meaning and positivity threaded through it? And I apologize for expressing myself in a way that makes you feel the need to respond bitterly and sarcastically to me, Louis. I wish you the best in your endeavors! 🙂
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Actually that IS a serious danger with the philosophies that I use…in eastern traditions many will use this idea that “all is good” in order to justify lack of action, while the other side will use “all is futile” in order to justify a lack of action via a “why try?” attitude. Indeed, there is a theory that Jesus went to India, fully believed in reincarnation, but saw that too many were using it as an excuse to put things off until the next life. Good point! So in a nutshell, I do believe in a base of discipline before the use of these philosophies. I am not a believer in simply wishing things into existence by any means. But I think that the danger of the attitude you advocate—judging others’ worth without seeing how you could easily have become them if you’d lived their circumstances—leads to a toxic, nonconstructive elitism. I like to tell people I’m Republican with myself, and a Democrat with others, haha! I’m hard on myself, and try to give others the benefit of the doubt. Our childhood programming influences us a lot, and I think it’s prudent to recognize that, even though there IS a lot of personal responsibility involved in why we can’t get jobs, mates, etc. To segue to positive thought, I believe there is scientific evidence that positive thought has an extremely beneficial personal effect on health and wellbeing, where it gets debatable is if it effects the environment in some positive way, but the placebo effect alone is a powerful force. Plus if nothing is provable, why not believe in a reality that has meaning and positivity threaded through it? And I apologize for expressing myself in a way that makes you feel the need to respond bitterly and sarcastically to me, Louis. I wish you the best in your endeavors! 🙂
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Kent Wayne 
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