I have seen others get by-and do well-with strong convictions and a limited perspective.  (Un?)fortunately for me, I was unable to do so, and had my eyes forcibly and painfully opened to some of the lies I was telling myself.  I realized that it is easy to cling to ideals without fully immersing oneself in the heart breaking horror and soul singing glory that comes with exploring reality.

But I have come to the conclusion that if one sees things fully for what they are, both horrifying and glorious, and STILL chooses to evolve, then one does not simply parrot the ideal.  One can become it.

I suspect that the purposeful avoidance of unpleasantness/suffering will ironically draw those things directly to me.  And that to truly banish such concepts, one must stare them directly in the eye, neither seeking nor hiding from them, and delve into or sidestep them as needed.  Then, their very definition will change from “unpleasantness” and “suffering” into simply:  another thread in a Greater Tapestry.

Our baser halves are consummate tricksters; they’ll work hard to justify any personal shortcoming.  I’ve personally fallen victim to traps of lethargy, cruelty, ignorance, elitism, and other pitfalls…all under the guise of logic or intuition.

Now, I’m not denying the essential tools of logic or intuition-I’m advocating that they be paired with ruthless and vigilant self-examination, so that they remain tools, and don’t turn into traps.

By design of our bodies, most of us will spend time on survival or comfort.  By design of our virtues, some of us will spend time developing our personal strength, or acting in an inspirational/ethical manner.

By design of our respective spiritual callings, a scant few of us will voluntarily spend time outside our comfort zones, actively hunting our shortcomings and weakness, and giving the Ego no quarter.

IMHO, existence will get its 100% out of us, one way or another.  We can either choose to give it willingly and freely, in which case our effort may be rewarded with greatness, or we can choose to procrastinate and hold on to petty comforts, in which case our reticence will be punished by consequence.

Just an opinion.  I personally think the first way is easier.

The idea that nature is solely “feel-good” beauty is ignorance:  Incest, cannibalism, and the worst degree of cruelty are present in nature.  Indeed, outside of Earth, most of nature appears to be incredibly lethal.  I see a similar aversion in some spiritualists, those who wish to hide behind robes and vaunted displays of etiquette.  I believe that it is only when one can easily navigate both crudeness and elegance, resplendence and atrocity, grunge and cleanliness, that one is approaching true spirituality.  Spare me the preciousness, the artifice, the uptight lack of humor from those steeped in doctrine or tradition.  Let me instead be that open-eyed, wild-hearted explorer that sees the rainbow in the oil slick and the failings in the saint.

There’s no excuse to not examine everything.  Or to deny transcendence in anything.

The proactive pursuit of personal capability/resilience-without someone mandating it-is far more valuable than the paltry reward of “working for yourself.”  This rarefied pursuit offers more than tawdry wealth or lifestyle; at the deepest levels, it offers agency.  It offers freedom.

Such exalted pursuits-whatever form they may take-bestow more than the mere title of “boss.”  They ensure that when the title is given, that one is worthy of it.

I love simplicity; the clean lines of Japanese architecture/weaponry, a well-designed piece of tech, that magic clause or phrase that fully encapsulates meaning…

The ironic thing is, in order to produce this clarity, the creator must often delve into complexity.  To repeatedly bring forth results, he/she must know the precise combination of elements that work, the legions of ones that don’t, and why that’s the case.