Wisdom

Discovering Truth

"One of the Great Challenges in this world is knowing enough about a subject to think you are right, but not enough to know you are wrong!   Why?  Research has found our brains treat opinions as facts because they are stored in the same area!   

See my Truth page for strategies to overcome this. 

Personal Growth

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”  Leo Tolstoy

"It is in the whole process of meeting and solving problems that life has its meaning. Problems are the cutting edge that distinguishes between success and failure. Problems call forth our courage and our wisdom; indeed, they create our courage and our wisdom. It is only because of problems that we grow mentally and spiritually...."Their are four tools to deal constructively with the pain of problems particularly with respect to ones actions and relationships; Delaying gratification, Acceptance of Responsibility, Dedication to Truth, and Balancing"  M Scott Peck, "The Road Less Traveled"  

"You have been programmed by society and your culture to believe that you would not be happy without certain persons and certain things...What makes you happy or unhappy is not the world and the people around you, but the thinking in your head...it is your desires and attachments that make you tense, frustrated, nervous, insecure, and fearful...You are unhappy because you are focusing on what you don't have rather than what you have right now..." How do you drop attachments? First recognize that it is a falsehood that obtaining what you crave will bring real happiness.  Practice gratefulness for what you do have.  "With that recognition, cling to nothing, enjoy everything and allow it to pass, to flow.., Anthony de Mello, "The Way to Love", 

"Recognize emotion is not the ultimate truth, rather the truth of your state of mind at this time....Do not seek to become free of attachment or 'achieve enlightenment'  Instead become present (i.e., be the Buddha).... There are no problems, only life situations.  Forget about life situations for a while and pay attention to your life, which is now, accepting what is, including non peace... Relationships are to make you conscious, not happy..."   Eckhart Tolle, "The Power of Now"  See my "Power of Now" page for a more comprehensive list of PON takeaways.

"Tension in life comes from attempting to control external events" Epictetus. Learn more by reading about stoicism and stoic virtue."

Cultivate virtue with 3 mindsets: 1) Cultivation of selflessness or compassion for others, 2) Living more in the present moment, 3) Cultivating gratitude.  Stephan Cave's wisdom narrative from "Immortality"

Buddhist philosophy follows a similar line.  "You will never be discouraged if your intentions are pure. True happiness only comes from inner peace...Cherishing others protects us from the problems caused by desirous attachments" Venerable Geshe Kelsang Gyatso, from his book, "Eight Steps to Happiness"

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, and compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” — Lao Tzu.    Let it be still, and it will gradually become clear. — Lao Tzu.

"Your true self can be known only by systematic experimentation, and controlled only by being known."  Les Parrott   So true!  To that end, learn to be fully comfortable being alone by testing it (see my 2015 Solo blog post).

Understand how the human brain gives us consciousness, personality, and reality living in our host body by watching TED talk, "A Stroke of Insight" 

Dealing with our Mortality and It's Impact on your Worldview - (New page in work that "changes" everything!

Learning to not fear death is key as the desire to live forever may be our biggest "attachment"

Instead of dismissing existential anxiety by denying death, the Stephan Cave's suggests a Wisdom Narrative, which attacks the underlying attitudes that make us think we ought to be afraid of death in the first place. By doing so it aims to cultivate an appreciation of this life and this world, as it is, right now....This is not easy and has to be practiced daily....The Wisdom Narrative balances a positive love of life with managing the fear of our life's end" This is turn will help us focus on "writing a good story" from Stephen Cave, in his book" Immortality".

"The fear of death is natural, but not rational"  Epicurus.  Agree or disagree? Watch Stephen Cave's Intro to his book Immortality and read the discussion here

"Fear does not prevent death. It prevents life" - Buddha

Remember the "Gifts of Death" by Connie Barlow

“Change The Way You Look At Things And The Things You Look At Change.”  Wayne Dyer

Discerning the role/purpose of suffering in life.  

As noted above, Scott Peck believes constructively confronting the pain of problems gives meaning to life.  A Buddhist perspective is, "Pain and pleasure are an inevitable part of human life, suffering and happiness are entirely optional. Choice is ours..." from, The Mind Illuminated'.  "Homo Deus" author, Yuval Harari agrees with this philosophy, offering that we just need to realize that life has no meaning, and thus be liberated from the suffering caused by our attachments and our identification with empty phenomena.” Harari echoes what philosophers have been saying for millennia, that the deepest source of suffering is in the patterns of our own minds.  Christians, such as Alexander Solzhenitsyn, believe suffering is to "develop the soul" and in turn glorify God.  Similarly, Jewish rabbi Steven Leder, would say suffering is part of being human and is transformational, 'The Essential Act of Being Human'   

Stoics, Eckhart Tolle, in "The Power of Now", and humanists view suffering perhaps a little more dispassionately, i.e., more existentially as a life lesson data points.  

Remember These Wise Sayings to Help You Write a Good Life Story

Start by remembering that we live on a pale blue dot

Google "Leading from Below" and read the 2007 WSJ article.

"Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change" Stephen Hawking

“Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

There are those who, "make it happen", those who watch what happens, and others who "wonder what happened"

"Two heads are better than one"

'Flexibility is the key to tactical success"

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give" Winston Churchill

"Success is not final. Failure is not {always} fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts" Winston Churchill.

"Do not Go Gentle Into that Good Night"  I particularly like this in the context of the movie "Inter Stellar"

A Constrained Life is living by needs, A full life is living what I can do."   

If you want to be persuasive, put down your notes and establish a connection, don't get too emotional, and don't give up. Lessons from a Supreme Court Litigator

Which of these wisdom gems might be your tickets to contentment, joy and enlightenment?  I can't say for sure.  But I am confident that if you contemplate them all you will find it.  

Remember, "Thoughts are the Wind, Knowledge is the Sail and Mankind the Vessel."  Augustus Hare

So keeping sailing sojourner!   Want more enlightenment?  Checkout my other pages :)  

My Philosophy & Wisdom in Song  here