Tag: Buddha

There are plenty of examples where success has failed to secure happiness.  I think PURPOSE is more important.  Specifically, a purpose that makes the inevitable suffering of life worth bearing.  Then the question becomes:  how do I create purpose?  That’s where all those unsexy basics—discipline, attention to detail, being honest with yourself—become relevant.  I believe…

I believe being able to summon intensity/commitment without relying on the crutch of an ideology/cause is akin to a superpower.  Necessity will reliably force us to act or perish, while proactive deeds—WITHOUT the incentive of immediate gratification—allow us to take full advantage of our humanity.  Discipline and critical thinking are the keys to this capability,…

I’ve found it’s possible to generate energy/purpose through a serious and grim mindset…but I believe there are better ways.  Not only that, but I believe that taking myself too seriously negates the possibility of connecting with that laughing, magical absurdity that lies at the heart of existence.  Sure—sometimes I gotta look super-serious for others’ sake…but…

You’ll make mistakes and so will your enemies.  I believe that to benefit from these mistakes, one should refrain from vilifying oneself AND their enemies—even when it’s your job to hurt them—because vilification interferes with the ability to perceive nuance.   And once you can navigate nuance, you become more capable, more formidable, and you will…

Ideology makes great armor, but it’s heavy as Hell.  Rather than spend a ton of energy trying to hold each clunky piece of it vainly in place, I’d rather let it slough off, suffer the sting of contrary evidence, then build a lighter, more protective ensemble with that same evidence.  (I believe this leads to…

In my opinion, perspectives/philosophies are simply tools that fits certain circumstances.  Each one can be used to help or harm, but the idea that everyone must see reality from one singular perspective seems to invite ruin, no matter how “good” that perspective or philosophy may outwardly seem.   (And yeah—in writing, it helps to see…

I like to call a failure a failure—without denial, and without glorification.  If I feel it might be constructive, I’ll indulge in a short (five minutes seems appropriate) period where I berate myself, but from what I’ve seen, viewing a failure as some romantic anecdote where I demonstrated toughness, or some catastrophic loss where all…

When I first started writing, I was enticed by the idea of making money—not being rich, necessarily, but living off my books and making an amount comparable to a mid-tier salary.  Then, as the stories took hold in my mind and I grew out of the need for an outline, I became taken by some…

I think the best approach to any craft is to become undeniable—to live life in a manner where you glaringly demonstrate assiduousness and discipline.  Maybe someone can say that your results/products aren’t worthy of greatness, but they should never be able to say that your EFFORT isn’t.  And the key to ignoring unwarranted criticism (IMHO)…

What if every ideal you held sacred was revealed to be a fraud?  What if every theory you venerated, every premise you clung to, was revealed to be nothing but an empty lie?  Honestly, I don’t think it would change a thing.  We still live finite lives in a mostly unknowable existence.  I take that…