Tag: buddhism

The passage of time and the steady diminishment of my capabilities means that even if I do nothing, my objectives gradually creep away from me. To me, this means that each second is a vote.  I can use that second to gain territory (or at least learn something in the attempt), or I can use…

I’ve seen people chase their bliss by getting the right this or that, by doing XYZ tasks at ABC times. Call me lazy, but I have found that the opposite approach is much more accessible and far less stressful (although in the short term, it’s incredibly uncomfortable):  I try and dig into my faults/shortcomings, reconfigure…

As I delved deeper and deeper into the idea of an all-powerful, all-knowing benevolence that doesn’t just guide us but also comprises us, a funny thing happened to me:  I became agnostic (I don’t believe one way or another in the existence of a higher power). Because I realized if such a force exists and…

In the past, I have been hamstrung by preferences.  I have either favored the all-out surge, or the slow, steady advance.  But life does not necessarily accommodate one approach all the time.  That’s why I believe it’s important to use all tools—logic, intuition, and constant, CONSTANT assessment of evidence and context—to justify whatever approach I…

Being humble and honest about which pieces of me function in a mechanistic manner allows me to strategize their placement/employment…it allows me to direct these processes, and in doing so, honor the premise that maybe, just MAYBE, I am in possession of something as precious—and arguably divine—as free will. So yeah—humility, honesty, and constant assessment…

It’s crucial to keep trying.  The misses may be discouraging, but they’re incredibly important; if I can figure out how much I missed by, and for what reason, I can use all that to inform my strategy, and allow me a greater chance of hitting future targets.

I like to quality-check my actions by assessing if they’re ethical and functional within a given context.  The rest of it—religion, mysticism, supernatural, etc. etc.—can be added on later.  I’ve seen too many people led astray by their idea of how things “truly are,” to not assess each situation as a separate set of circumstances.

The seconds that pass, even as I type this, are tools and opportunities.  The question of how I arrange them, how I direct them, how I can enjoy them most across the span of time… Asking that question infuses me with meaning.

Being able to manage “screwups” by recognizing their potential and relegating them to an area where they can do no harm and still produce benefits is an invaluable skill.  It’s actually one that I use on myself. Because I know in certain contexts, I can function with confidence, and in others, I had best step…