Tag: Buddha

Comfort is glorious—I regularly indulge in it—but I take care to resist its siren’s song by balancing it with discipline, for I am wretched and miserable when caught in the throes of comfort.

Tradition/ritual/etiquette/etc are all important; they provide stability, as well as an idea of where to go.  But at a certain point they can easily poison us, co-opting our critical thinking/assessment with empty platitudes and the desire for the familiar.  They can shackle us to a stale beginning, preventing us from ever finishing and moving into…

If I flake, I try and make sure it’s for a real reason and not from some craving or whim I’ve disguised as a nebulous rationalization.  Because if I flake for a BS reason, I’ve disrespected that ancient part of myself that KNOWS what’s right, that KNOWS I should be disciplined, clear-minded, and steadfast.  I…

I aspire to avoid joining the ranks of the beaten and dull, those whose fire has been extinguished by a continual inability to rise to the occasion or match words with action.  When I was younger I believed that enthusiasm and platitudes would propel me to victory.  But now I see that it is discipline…

What’s the point of subscribing to grand theories without validating them through results?  From what I can tell, one can independently arrive at those beautifully worded, age-old assertions if they continually apply themselves and continue to refine their approach with the intent to optimize.  I’ve seen plenty of people fail by trying the opposite—by collecting…

Getting Stuff Done is my favorite way to argue.  When I do it correctly, I don’t waste time in drawn-out debates, and I don’t exhaust myself championing high-handed theories or slickly worded principles.  I just align my convictions with tangible results, and hell, most times I don’t even have to open my mouth.

“Dear Kent:  While you’re alive, maneuver faster than entropy.  Mitigate bad luck and the inevitable decay of your efforts through discipline, aggression, and strategic thinking.  Strive to honestly assess yourself and your environment, so you can increase your chances of perceiving the best way forward.”   —The part of myself that wants me to succeed.

The ability to regulate the craving for immediate gratification is a powerful tool; it can be used to build discipline and fortitude.  (S)he who has honed their spirit in this way can produce works that require great effort and character.  Or (s)he can be called forth to provide others with comfort and aid, in the…

How to use your writer’s imagination for some everyday fun:  one of your best friends is visiting, you’re both staring at the ceiling trying to fall asleep, you ask him if he’d ever eat a human, he promptly says no…then you start painting a series of circumstances and conditions which he considers for a bit,…