"A reed before the wind lives on, while mighty oaks do fall"
Chinese Proverb
Another lesson from nature. A simple yet complex idea, that many people and most of humanity are unable to achieve. Instead of bring like a reed and flexible, many people remain rigid like an oak and gets blown over.
So many ways to be like a reed. In business, in life, in a fight, in a relationship, in general. In business you become flexible in covering for people, or in what you do, being flexible makes you valuable, accountable, and virtuous in the business world.
Tao teaches us flexibility, in life being flexible is also rolling with the punches as it was. Not getting upset at things, letting things flow naturally. To bend when times become hard. Being flexible and realizing that in any misfortune there is a positive opportunity awaiting for those that look.
In general being flexible means not being tense, not getting upset at the small things or even the larger issues. Not allowing things to flow naturally and trying to change things you can not only leads to you falling and failing. Let things occur naturally, bend with the bad opportunities and situations while looking for a positive opportunity.
In relationships, bending on things, compromise, and working together makes the relationship stand strong through the test of time. See time is your enemy in a relationship, your own personality is an enemy, your hidden habits is your enemy. See a relationship is a great idea, however one needs to understand that you are working with a person that has some differences, and different quarks, not bending with these quarks, and differences could ultimately cause the relationship to dissolve.
Why not bend like the reed? It takes more energy and causes the human mind to stress, and forms a chain reaction. How much life is lost due to stress? How much energy is spent to manage the worries, the problems, and the issues of your life? What is accomplished through the use of all this energy? Are you bending like a reed, or fighting the issues like an oak?
Take for example daily life of society, bills. If bills are to much for a household, why get another job, or stress out of making the dollar go further. Why not form simple solutions that immediately take the pressure off. Cancel the cable service, buy a board game. Restructure the service you have for the phone, to the lowest service they have. Turn the lights off, meditate, or go out and enjoy the outdoors to lower electric bills.
Easy solutions and when you start to learn that you can enjoy these easy and natural delights, then the levels of stress declines to nothing. Bend like the reed, it has no stress during the stormy wind. It comes back to stillness after the storm and lives on. Why as a human can we not perform such actions, why do we have to change everything that is not meant to change, and not change the things that do?
What is in a home but where the head rests? Can a rock or cave be a home, can tent or a wooden hut be a home? Does a home have to be lavish, does it have to be worth a certain amount of money? A home is just a place to feel safe, and to rest. Essentially that is all it is for, as time progresses in history society made it a lot more than this. How can you bend if you look at your self and only worry about the self, instead of focusing on helping that neighbor, or that friend? Be flexible help others for no reason. It will put a smile on that persons face, it will put a smile on your face, and that person will forever remember your kindness. How can you have stress if you live according to your nature as a human being?
Be Flexible in your wants, reduce what you want and crave and you need less to live with. I gave up TV and cable, since I have a computer and Internet I just catch my shows online. You worry about your kids future. Akuna Matata everyone, worry not about the child's future, help them today, spend time with them, teach them, mentor the children today. If today is handled correctly, tomorrow will take care of itself.
Stress is caused by the oak not bending, when forced to bend so much that oak breaks under the pressure. The reed never having the stress ensures it's survival after the storm. Stress not, become flexible, your body will be grateful, your mind will be clearer, and your life quality will increase.
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Thursday, July 23, 2009
I-Water
The best way to live is to be like water.
For water benefits all things and goes against none of them.
--Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching
Water is the basis of life, it provides itself to the life of this planet and asks for nothing in return. Humanity abuses it and yet it does not complain.
It's goal is to provide and care for all life, great and small. Water provides entertainment, and is never thanked, and never wishes to be thanked. It gives just to give, it provides just to provide.
Fear nothing flow through all things like the water flows across the planet. Not afraid of life, not afraid of death, fulfilling the circles that is it's nature. Providing little resistance, but not fully giving in to resistance.
Water takes it's time, no rush, no sense of eagerness. No reason to get to the destination quickly. Even rapids return to a calm, even a water going down the waterfall returns to slow peace after the motion is done.
Water is calm, and still. Water has motion but yet comes back to the calm. Throw a pebble into water and ripples form to just fade afterwords, it does not stop the pebble but gives into it, brings it into and through itself, just to bury it under the water. Harm never comes to the water, and calm and peace are bound to be found again.
Water has no stress, does not know how to stress even during the motions of the waves. When hitting land or a wall the water generously gives in to the wall or land. Over time the water will win it's freedom and erode the wall or land. Giving in but obtaining ground in the long run is how water goes through the cycles.
Water is used by all, so live like water and be available to assist all, be ready to help anything that may need help. Water does not look for reward, but provides just to provide. So help just to help, help to advance another in life.
A river is a river, an ocean is an ocean. Just because of location and size gives water a different name. Water is Water. Human is a Human regardless of location, regardless of the look. Water could be clear or water could be muddy, but water is still water regardless of the color, location, or size. Why can't humanity take an example from the water and bring themselves back into harmony with all of the creatures, and all of this land, and mostly with each other?
Treat life as water treats existence. Flow through it with calm, resist little, when in motion flow freely and relaxed. Live like water, bring a calming effect everywhere you go. Bring a serene atmosphere to all areas. Bring a sense calm to those around you, and bring a bending quality to those that would be rigid.
Those that try to catch you can only loose you through the fingers, those that would stone you only looses their stone. When countering flow with little force, be smooth calm, and serene in the movements, be bending and flexible. Water has no shape but that of what holds it, and water can adapt to any container, or any situation.
When needed water will flow in the opposite directions from what people generally think of. Be unexpected like water, no one knows for sure when it is going to rain until it rains. Percentage this percentage that, where is the 100 percent but only to be mentioned when it is already raining.
Essence of water, guided by water, the I-Water.
.
For water benefits all things and goes against none of them.
--Lao Tzu Tao Te Ching
Water is the basis of life, it provides itself to the life of this planet and asks for nothing in return. Humanity abuses it and yet it does not complain.
It's goal is to provide and care for all life, great and small. Water provides entertainment, and is never thanked, and never wishes to be thanked. It gives just to give, it provides just to provide.
Fear nothing flow through all things like the water flows across the planet. Not afraid of life, not afraid of death, fulfilling the circles that is it's nature. Providing little resistance, but not fully giving in to resistance.
Water takes it's time, no rush, no sense of eagerness. No reason to get to the destination quickly. Even rapids return to a calm, even a water going down the waterfall returns to slow peace after the motion is done.
Water is calm, and still. Water has motion but yet comes back to the calm. Throw a pebble into water and ripples form to just fade afterwords, it does not stop the pebble but gives into it, brings it into and through itself, just to bury it under the water. Harm never comes to the water, and calm and peace are bound to be found again.
Water has no stress, does not know how to stress even during the motions of the waves. When hitting land or a wall the water generously gives in to the wall or land. Over time the water will win it's freedom and erode the wall or land. Giving in but obtaining ground in the long run is how water goes through the cycles.
Water is used by all, so live like water and be available to assist all, be ready to help anything that may need help. Water does not look for reward, but provides just to provide. So help just to help, help to advance another in life.
A river is a river, an ocean is an ocean. Just because of location and size gives water a different name. Water is Water. Human is a Human regardless of location, regardless of the look. Water could be clear or water could be muddy, but water is still water regardless of the color, location, or size. Why can't humanity take an example from the water and bring themselves back into harmony with all of the creatures, and all of this land, and mostly with each other?
Treat life as water treats existence. Flow through it with calm, resist little, when in motion flow freely and relaxed. Live like water, bring a calming effect everywhere you go. Bring a serene atmosphere to all areas. Bring a sense calm to those around you, and bring a bending quality to those that would be rigid.
Those that try to catch you can only loose you through the fingers, those that would stone you only looses their stone. When countering flow with little force, be smooth calm, and serene in the movements, be bending and flexible. Water has no shape but that of what holds it, and water can adapt to any container, or any situation.
When needed water will flow in the opposite directions from what people generally think of. Be unexpected like water, no one knows for sure when it is going to rain until it rains. Percentage this percentage that, where is the 100 percent but only to be mentioned when it is already raining.
Essence of water, guided by water, the I-Water.
.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Heart of a Woman
A sovereign that leads with strength and concern for oneself will loose his kingdom over time. A sovereigns that enjoys giving his people happiness, song and dance can for his life maintain his kingdom.
A woman is like the kingdom, the king her husband. The heart of a woman requires music, dance and happiness. If a King just tries to conquer the kingdom, he may find he lost the very kingdom he was after to begin with. But if he tries to make her happy, and tries to comfort her, please her, and demand nothing in return, a kingdom he can obtain.
To give the kingdom music and share with them is greater than listening to the music alone. To share in the dance, is better than dancing alone. To give to the kingdom is better than giving to oneself.
To produce a melody, to hunt, and to share oneself with the kingdom, both joys and sorrows, how is this to become anything but good for the king and the kingdom. To rule a kingdom without leaving the throne soon, makes the kingdom no longer a pleasant place to live.
Without the joy of other company a king is no more than a common man. A common man holds no sway over a kingdom, unless they treat that kingdom from the heart. What is in a woman's heart? She is but a kingdom, one that wishes happiness, peacefulness, companionship, and joys of life. How is one to conquer such a heart, but to show the heart a matching heart.
A king becomes king when the kingdom's people believes so much and trusts that king so much that they follow their king. A king needs a queen that is the same as the way he rules his kingdom. If a king rules with strength and military, then the queen will eventually seek the thrown as power is the goal of the king.
If the king rules with treachery and sneakiness, so to will the queen by his side. However if the king rules by kindness and caring for all those in the kingdom so to will the queen he marries.
The heart of the women we have as kings are the reflections of our own desires, and our own hearts, and the way we govern our kingdoms.
A woman is like the kingdom, the king her husband. The heart of a woman requires music, dance and happiness. If a King just tries to conquer the kingdom, he may find he lost the very kingdom he was after to begin with. But if he tries to make her happy, and tries to comfort her, please her, and demand nothing in return, a kingdom he can obtain.
To give the kingdom music and share with them is greater than listening to the music alone. To share in the dance, is better than dancing alone. To give to the kingdom is better than giving to oneself.
To produce a melody, to hunt, and to share oneself with the kingdom, both joys and sorrows, how is this to become anything but good for the king and the kingdom. To rule a kingdom without leaving the throne soon, makes the kingdom no longer a pleasant place to live.
Without the joy of other company a king is no more than a common man. A common man holds no sway over a kingdom, unless they treat that kingdom from the heart. What is in a woman's heart? She is but a kingdom, one that wishes happiness, peacefulness, companionship, and joys of life. How is one to conquer such a heart, but to show the heart a matching heart.
A king becomes king when the kingdom's people believes so much and trusts that king so much that they follow their king. A king needs a queen that is the same as the way he rules his kingdom. If a king rules with strength and military, then the queen will eventually seek the thrown as power is the goal of the king.
If the king rules with treachery and sneakiness, so to will the queen by his side. However if the king rules by kindness and caring for all those in the kingdom so to will the queen he marries.
The heart of the women we have as kings are the reflections of our own desires, and our own hearts, and the way we govern our kingdoms.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Simple Times
1 Year ago my life got twisted and deformed, changed from what I knew. A life where I fought so hard to have, yet it was so easy for the other person to walk away from. That was 1 year ago. Now it is times of simple things. Small things to bring happiness.
Looking back I can not really say I was happy during the 10 years I was in that life. I was a typical person. I went to work, bought my wife presents, raised her child as my own, and strived to obtain the normal suburbian living.
Back then I put aside all my joys and became a person I was never supposed to be due to what I believed was love. I cut my hair, did whatever I was told, quit reading my phylosophy books, and stopped pretty much my religious activities.
Now that my world was twisted and ripped away and time has passed, I felt like letting the parts of my younger self out, the parts I buried during my marriage. Parts that were excited to be free after the divorce.
1 Year ago I had short hair, no I have hair I can put into a old Japanese or chinese pony tail. 1 year ago I was weak, frail, and skinny, now i have muscle tone, muscle mass, and feel 20 times better. 1 Year ago I was sad, and did not know where I fit in the world. Now I just look at the simple things, and decided I am happy just to exist in this world.
1 year ago I always had that annoying voice telling me what to do, today I do what is right by myself, no annoying voice thinking they know what is best telling me what to do. I never owned my own furniture until now, never really managed my finances for savings and stuff until now.
Simple things like watching my anime, sitting out on the balcony and smoking a cig while watching the squirrels, cats, and birds play in the court yard. Simple things like raquetball games with my nephew. These are the simple times that make me exist. Times of little stress, times of taking care of myself.
A path that is being walked alone. Do I want to be alone, do I want a female companion again? I have decided that I do not care either way. It is not crucial that I have one, but it would be nice if I did, one that could at least attempt to understand my twisting mind. I don't mean that in a bad way either. My mind thinks in quantum aspects not linear. So it can be difficult for a normal person to understand me at times. Especially those I get close too.
As a general rule I act lower intellectually on a day to day bases. Keeping my thoughts to myself, keeping my own emotions in check, and generally enjoying time in the solice of silence or music. But rarely has anyone really tried to understand me, try to unravel my intellect. It is ok, that is why I do this. If people found out about my real intellect they would try to: take advantage of me, want me to do more for them, or try to destroy me out of jealousy.
Musashi states that you should have resolve. I think I will write about resolve in a different post, as I can go into great depths about it. I think I found my resolve in the aspects of my old life. I am resolved not to live it again, not to miss it, and to try to forget it.
I have my long hair and it is growing longer, I have my own rules, I have my quiet, and I have my simple times. If the cards deal me a decent woman, I would not fight it, but I am not going to do what I used to for females to get them to be with me either. I came in the world alone, I can live it alone for the most part. I will show everyone that I am a survivor, I can stand on my own feet, I need no anchor anymore. I live in the night and using the night I will stand up.
Looking back I can not really say I was happy during the 10 years I was in that life. I was a typical person. I went to work, bought my wife presents, raised her child as my own, and strived to obtain the normal suburbian living.
Back then I put aside all my joys and became a person I was never supposed to be due to what I believed was love. I cut my hair, did whatever I was told, quit reading my phylosophy books, and stopped pretty much my religious activities.
Now that my world was twisted and ripped away and time has passed, I felt like letting the parts of my younger self out, the parts I buried during my marriage. Parts that were excited to be free after the divorce.
1 Year ago I had short hair, no I have hair I can put into a old Japanese or chinese pony tail. 1 year ago I was weak, frail, and skinny, now i have muscle tone, muscle mass, and feel 20 times better. 1 Year ago I was sad, and did not know where I fit in the world. Now I just look at the simple things, and decided I am happy just to exist in this world.
1 year ago I always had that annoying voice telling me what to do, today I do what is right by myself, no annoying voice thinking they know what is best telling me what to do. I never owned my own furniture until now, never really managed my finances for savings and stuff until now.
Simple things like watching my anime, sitting out on the balcony and smoking a cig while watching the squirrels, cats, and birds play in the court yard. Simple things like raquetball games with my nephew. These are the simple times that make me exist. Times of little stress, times of taking care of myself.
A path that is being walked alone. Do I want to be alone, do I want a female companion again? I have decided that I do not care either way. It is not crucial that I have one, but it would be nice if I did, one that could at least attempt to understand my twisting mind. I don't mean that in a bad way either. My mind thinks in quantum aspects not linear. So it can be difficult for a normal person to understand me at times. Especially those I get close too.
As a general rule I act lower intellectually on a day to day bases. Keeping my thoughts to myself, keeping my own emotions in check, and generally enjoying time in the solice of silence or music. But rarely has anyone really tried to understand me, try to unravel my intellect. It is ok, that is why I do this. If people found out about my real intellect they would try to: take advantage of me, want me to do more for them, or try to destroy me out of jealousy.
Musashi states that you should have resolve. I think I will write about resolve in a different post, as I can go into great depths about it. I think I found my resolve in the aspects of my old life. I am resolved not to live it again, not to miss it, and to try to forget it.
I have my long hair and it is growing longer, I have my own rules, I have my quiet, and I have my simple times. If the cards deal me a decent woman, I would not fight it, but I am not going to do what I used to for females to get them to be with me either. I came in the world alone, I can live it alone for the most part. I will show everyone that I am a survivor, I can stand on my own feet, I need no anchor anymore. I live in the night and using the night I will stand up.
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