WHY- fsm
A work in process started March 1999
"Drink to Me" Pablo Picasso 1881-1973[1]
Why do so many things in life happen as they do ? Why do some people seem to lead self-directed lives illustrated with color and vibrancy? Their palates are a mix with a vast array of color, which are applied by each of their interpretations of the life they are experiencing. Each choice of color or color combinations then, leads to a myriad of possibilities of what can be realized and created. Yet there are others, in far greater quantities unfortunately, that live their lives in black and white. Perhaps with the occasional exception of a hue of gray showing up here or there. Why is it that those very same people,( the ones that are leading a self directed life replete with a proactive attitude), experience throughout their lives, people and events that seem to show up or occur at precisely the right moment when they are supposed to, or perhaps required to. Even if at the time it is not thought so or realized? Perhaps their paradigms are such that they are not ready to recognize, appreciate or understand how the presence fits?[2] Are we living our lives, every day as a celebration and as such in "living color" or are we more complacent, accepting of the unchallenged ways of the masses afraid to step outside of defining comfort zones, and as such relegated to life in black and white only. It is possible then that only those that choose to live their lives with passion and with possibility, only those embracing living in color, are able to realize when others are arriving offering new perspectives, new challenges, new learning, new growth and perhaps that the offering may be in the form of a new sadness and or disappointment. When these people or opportunities manifest themselves into our lives, it's as if the universe is inviting each of us to participate in a drama, gain as much as possible, which colors our own world so to speak by the interaction that is about to unfold.
It seems to me that the essence of our physical life existence, are interpersonal relationships between people[3]. This holds true whether or not at the time of our interaction with others, the experience is perceived as good, bad or perhaps confusing. All interaction with others can be a blessing. It can be a contributory factor to making each of us the best that we can each be. The key is to be open and receptive to it all, only then can it become an exciting process.
There are times when people come into our lives, and there is an instant connection, a pervasive sense of knowing that they are there because they are meant to be there. Yet there are other times when we encounter people and it does not seem right at all, or, perhaps the timing is just a bit off. Sometimes our interaction with them may even be confrontational, strained, adversarial or hurtful. Other times it can be confusing based on where we are in our lives and what else we might be feeling or experiencing. Nevertheless, in any scenario, we eventually come to realize by every type of interaction we experience, that as people ebb and flow in our life journeys, they each bring a lesson or experience that ultimately serves our growth and development.
People that show up in our lives may come from virtually any walk of life and circumstance. They may be our associates or colleagues, adversaries or opponents, teammates or co-workers, service providers, friends, mates, lovers, prospective mates or lovers, teachers, family members, daughters, sons, fathers, mothers, grandchildren or even chance encounters with otherwise complete strangers. Regardless of where they come from or how we encounter them, our interaction with them will affect our lives in some profound way.
Sometimes the initial result of meeting these people seems to be negative and creates hurtful, painful or seemingly unfair experiences. Other times our interactions with others can be challenging and confusing, forcing us to step outside our comfort zones. However, by putting aside the paradigms that we have operated by until that point, over time we come to realize, that without overcoming the challenges, obstacles or hurdles these encounters presented, we would have not realized our full potential, or gained the strength, wisdom and willpower, that serves us later in our lives as we transcend our baselines to higher personal levels. In essence we become better and grow stronger, by each and every interaction.[4]It is within the seeds of adversity that the Self experiences growth" It is only through relationships with other people, places and events that one can exist as a knowable quantity, as an identifiable something in the universe. Remember absent everything else, you are not. [5]"
To loosely paraphrase the movie title, "Close Encounter of the Third Kind,"[6] so too our encounters and interactions with others, "Close Encounters with the Human Kind." What may appear to be random chaos is actually an orderly unfolding of choice, cause and effect. The entire universe is an ordered exact infrastructure in a delicate balance. It is said that when a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world, a rippling effect can occur in another. The book Entanglement, by Amir D. Aczel, addresses the field of Quantum Mechanics as postulated by Einstein and his colleagues. The idea is that subatomic particles are inextricably linked, and that a change in one would instantly be reflected in its counterpart, even if separated by a Universe. This field will open a whole new realm of understanding and possibilities.
Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness; injury; love; loss of love; lost moments of true greatness; death of a loved one; mistakes caused by whatever reasons, and or any other consequential experience, all occur and therewith test the limits of, and expand the constraints and boundaries of our souls. We are as a result through our interactions with others and the circumstances we encounter, forging our souls, not unlike the way steel is forged from the intense heat of a blast furnace when applied to iron ore. Without these tests throughout our lives, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and otherwise pointless. It would be a mere existence and passage of time, likened perhaps to waiting at an airport between connecting flights. Helen Keller said, " Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved."
The people we meet that effect our lives, and the success and downfalls we experience as a result, help us to create who we are and who we are to become. If we can learn to understand that even the bad experiences can be learned from, in fact they are probably the most poignant and important ones; and discipline ourselves to realize that no matter what it is we experience, that "this too shall pass, "[7] we can proceed along our life journey better equipped for growth and development and be insulated from unnecessary emotional overreaction. "You can choose to be a person who has resulted simply from what has happened, or from what you have chosen to be and do about what has happened. It is in the latter form that creation of Self becomes conscious. It is on the second expression that Self becomes realized."[8]As I have been imparting to my children since they were very young, "It is not what happens to me that matters, all that matters is how I deal with what happens to me." [9]
If someone you have opened yourself up to hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart.
We must make every day count, and embrace the people and circumstances that cross our daily paths regardless of our initial perception of them We must appreciate every moment and take from each moment everything that we possibly can with a knowing that ultimately a greater purpose will be served. "Each now is but a moment on the trail of all nows.[10]"
An untold treasure will unfold if we talk to people that we have never talked to before, and actually listen to what they have to say.[11] We must let ourselves fall in love, again and again, and set our sights high. The capacity to love is most probably the greatest gift that human beings have. [12] "
"Life was not meant to be led like a Shakespearean soliloquy." fsm
When the right love comes along, although he/she may be camouflaged and masked in a presentation that we do not expect or are used to, we will eventually realize that all that we went through up until that point, served to enable us to experience and contribute to a greater love experience than we ever thought possible. All relationships are sacred as they provide us with life's grandest opportunity. Yet the chance to experience and be a contributing part of a very special relationship between two people is life's most precious gift and blessing.
I am not the person I was, nor will I ever be. You are not the person you were, nor will you ever be. No matter what the precipitation. No matter the circumstances that are, were or could have been, we must evolve. We must go forward carrying with us each the events, positive or negative, that were. However realizing that in fact they "were not are."
Life has a longing for itself, it must proliferate even in the face of tragedy, albeit in a form that is different, perhaps shaped if you will, by the constraints and imposed limitations of the situation just travailed.
We are the architects of our own lives. We can make them anything we wish. Things and people have a way of rising to the level of expectations we place on them. If we can learn and discipline ourselves to raise and maintain our attitudes to the same level during the period while we are waiting for our expectations to become reality, our journeys will be less disappointing, and the chances of our expectations actually coming to fruition will be greater.[14]
[1] My daughter, Rachael Sarah Mahr, introduced this saying to me. These are purported to be Pablo Picasso's last words. They so aptly address perhaps the answer to the questions this writing poses. It is all about the living of ones life as a celebration, to the fullest and with a joie de vivre, as the French saying goes. To live and to toast the way one has lived.
[2] Reference is made to the ancient Kabalistic teaching of, " When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."
[3] First stated and discussed with my lifelong friend Ken Kaufman during one of our philosophic conversations in the 1970's
[4] Frederich Nietzsche said, " That which does not kill me will make me stronger."
[5] From the book, " Conversations With G-d Book 1 " by Neale Donald Walsch
[6] A Steven Spielberg movie where Aliens make contact with civilized Earth and communicate through musical tones, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is when there is communication between Earth and UFO's as differentiated between Close Encounters of the First or Second Kind, where there is only UFO sightings with the former, and evidence of UFOs by extraterrestrial matter found with the latter.
[7] Famous aphorism from unknown source
[8] From the book, " Conversations With God, Book 1" by Neale Donald Walsh
[9] Aphorism from an unknown source
[10] The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
[11] "Listen loudly," from Neil J. Cantor That is to say listen to what people are saying and absorb their words and meaning without formulating your own response as they are speaking.
[12] "Every adversity carries within it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." Napoleon Hill
[13] Original quote as part of a paper I wrote years ago
[14] Something I developed that is on the wall across from my desk in my work area office.
A work in process started March 1999
"Drink to Me" Pablo Picasso 1881-1973[1]
Why do so many things in life happen as they do ? Why do some people seem to lead self-directed lives illustrated with color and vibrancy? Their palates are a mix with a vast array of color, which are applied by each of their interpretations of the life they are experiencing. Each choice of color or color combinations then, leads to a myriad of possibilities of what can be realized and created. Yet there are others, in far greater quantities unfortunately, that live their lives in black and white. Perhaps with the occasional exception of a hue of gray showing up here or there. Why is it that those very same people,( the ones that are leading a self directed life replete with a proactive attitude), experience throughout their lives, people and events that seem to show up or occur at precisely the right moment when they are supposed to, or perhaps required to. Even if at the time it is not thought so or realized? Perhaps their paradigms are such that they are not ready to recognize, appreciate or understand how the presence fits?[2] Are we living our lives, every day as a celebration and as such in "living color" or are we more complacent, accepting of the unchallenged ways of the masses afraid to step outside of defining comfort zones, and as such relegated to life in black and white only. It is possible then that only those that choose to live their lives with passion and with possibility, only those embracing living in color, are able to realize when others are arriving offering new perspectives, new challenges, new learning, new growth and perhaps that the offering may be in the form of a new sadness and or disappointment. When these people or opportunities manifest themselves into our lives, it's as if the universe is inviting each of us to participate in a drama, gain as much as possible, which colors our own world so to speak by the interaction that is about to unfold.
It seems to me that the essence of our physical life existence, are interpersonal relationships between people[3]. This holds true whether or not at the time of our interaction with others, the experience is perceived as good, bad or perhaps confusing. All interaction with others can be a blessing. It can be a contributory factor to making each of us the best that we can each be. The key is to be open and receptive to it all, only then can it become an exciting process.
There are times when people come into our lives, and there is an instant connection, a pervasive sense of knowing that they are there because they are meant to be there. Yet there are other times when we encounter people and it does not seem right at all, or, perhaps the timing is just a bit off. Sometimes our interaction with them may even be confrontational, strained, adversarial or hurtful. Other times it can be confusing based on where we are in our lives and what else we might be feeling or experiencing. Nevertheless, in any scenario, we eventually come to realize by every type of interaction we experience, that as people ebb and flow in our life journeys, they each bring a lesson or experience that ultimately serves our growth and development.
People that show up in our lives may come from virtually any walk of life and circumstance. They may be our associates or colleagues, adversaries or opponents, teammates or co-workers, service providers, friends, mates, lovers, prospective mates or lovers, teachers, family members, daughters, sons, fathers, mothers, grandchildren or even chance encounters with otherwise complete strangers. Regardless of where they come from or how we encounter them, our interaction with them will affect our lives in some profound way.
Sometimes the initial result of meeting these people seems to be negative and creates hurtful, painful or seemingly unfair experiences. Other times our interactions with others can be challenging and confusing, forcing us to step outside our comfort zones. However, by putting aside the paradigms that we have operated by until that point, over time we come to realize, that without overcoming the challenges, obstacles or hurdles these encounters presented, we would have not realized our full potential, or gained the strength, wisdom and willpower, that serves us later in our lives as we transcend our baselines to higher personal levels. In essence we become better and grow stronger, by each and every interaction.[4]It is within the seeds of adversity that the Self experiences growth" It is only through relationships with other people, places and events that one can exist as a knowable quantity, as an identifiable something in the universe. Remember absent everything else, you are not. [5]"
To loosely paraphrase the movie title, "Close Encounter of the Third Kind,"[6] so too our encounters and interactions with others, "Close Encounters with the Human Kind." What may appear to be random chaos is actually an orderly unfolding of choice, cause and effect. The entire universe is an ordered exact infrastructure in a delicate balance. It is said that when a butterfly flaps its wings in one part of the world, a rippling effect can occur in another. The book Entanglement, by Amir D. Aczel, addresses the field of Quantum Mechanics as postulated by Einstein and his colleagues. The idea is that subatomic particles are inextricably linked, and that a change in one would instantly be reflected in its counterpart, even if separated by a Universe. This field will open a whole new realm of understanding and possibilities.
Nothing happens by chance or by means of luck. Illness; injury; love; loss of love; lost moments of true greatness; death of a loved one; mistakes caused by whatever reasons, and or any other consequential experience, all occur and therewith test the limits of, and expand the constraints and boundaries of our souls. We are as a result through our interactions with others and the circumstances we encounter, forging our souls, not unlike the way steel is forged from the intense heat of a blast furnace when applied to iron ore. Without these tests throughout our lives, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved, straight, flat road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and otherwise pointless. It would be a mere existence and passage of time, likened perhaps to waiting at an airport between connecting flights. Helen Keller said, " Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved."
The people we meet that effect our lives, and the success and downfalls we experience as a result, help us to create who we are and who we are to become. If we can learn to understand that even the bad experiences can be learned from, in fact they are probably the most poignant and important ones; and discipline ourselves to realize that no matter what it is we experience, that "this too shall pass, "[7] we can proceed along our life journey better equipped for growth and development and be insulated from unnecessary emotional overreaction. "You can choose to be a person who has resulted simply from what has happened, or from what you have chosen to be and do about what has happened. It is in the latter form that creation of Self becomes conscious. It is on the second expression that Self becomes realized."[8]As I have been imparting to my children since they were very young, "It is not what happens to me that matters, all that matters is how I deal with what happens to me." [9]
If someone you have opened yourself up to hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious when you open your heart. If someone loves you, love them back unconditionally, not only because they love you, but also because they are teaching you to love and how to open your heart.
We must make every day count, and embrace the people and circumstances that cross our daily paths regardless of our initial perception of them We must appreciate every moment and take from each moment everything that we possibly can with a knowing that ultimately a greater purpose will be served. "Each now is but a moment on the trail of all nows.[10]"
An untold treasure will unfold if we talk to people that we have never talked to before, and actually listen to what they have to say.[11] We must let ourselves fall in love, again and again, and set our sights high. The capacity to love is most probably the greatest gift that human beings have. [12] "
"Life was not meant to be led like a Shakespearean soliloquy." fsm
When the right love comes along, although he/she may be camouflaged and masked in a presentation that we do not expect or are used to, we will eventually realize that all that we went through up until that point, served to enable us to experience and contribute to a greater love experience than we ever thought possible. All relationships are sacred as they provide us with life's grandest opportunity. Yet the chance to experience and be a contributing part of a very special relationship between two people is life's most precious gift and blessing.
I am not the person I was, nor will I ever be. You are not the person you were, nor will you ever be. No matter what the precipitation. No matter the circumstances that are, were or could have been, we must evolve. We must go forward carrying with us each the events, positive or negative, that were. However realizing that in fact they "were not are."
Life has a longing for itself, it must proliferate even in the face of tragedy, albeit in a form that is different, perhaps shaped if you will, by the constraints and imposed limitations of the situation just travailed.
We are the architects of our own lives. We can make them anything we wish. Things and people have a way of rising to the level of expectations we place on them. If we can learn and discipline ourselves to raise and maintain our attitudes to the same level during the period while we are waiting for our expectations to become reality, our journeys will be less disappointing, and the chances of our expectations actually coming to fruition will be greater.[14]
[1] My daughter, Rachael Sarah Mahr, introduced this saying to me. These are purported to be Pablo Picasso's last words. They so aptly address perhaps the answer to the questions this writing poses. It is all about the living of ones life as a celebration, to the fullest and with a joie de vivre, as the French saying goes. To live and to toast the way one has lived.
[2] Reference is made to the ancient Kabalistic teaching of, " When the student is ready, the teacher will appear."
[3] First stated and discussed with my lifelong friend Ken Kaufman during one of our philosophic conversations in the 1970's
[4] Frederich Nietzsche said, " That which does not kill me will make me stronger."
[5] From the book, " Conversations With G-d Book 1 " by Neale Donald Walsch
[6] A Steven Spielberg movie where Aliens make contact with civilized Earth and communicate through musical tones, Close Encounters of the Third Kind is when there is communication between Earth and UFO's as differentiated between Close Encounters of the First or Second Kind, where there is only UFO sightings with the former, and evidence of UFOs by extraterrestrial matter found with the latter.
[7] Famous aphorism from unknown source
[8] From the book, " Conversations With God, Book 1" by Neale Donald Walsh
[9] Aphorism from an unknown source
[10] The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas Evans
[11] "Listen loudly," from Neil J. Cantor That is to say listen to what people are saying and absorb their words and meaning without formulating your own response as they are speaking.
[12] "Every adversity carries within it the seed of an equal or greater benefit." Napoleon Hill
[13] Original quote as part of a paper I wrote years ago
[14] Something I developed that is on the wall across from my desk in my work area office.
Labels: WHY- fsm
