Hello all! Good morning from a very rainy California! You might have heard, California has been dealing with severe rain in recent weeks, specifically the past week, and we have been under evacuation warning due to risk of flood a few times in the past week. Some nearby areas have actually been evacuated. The state has been under tornado threat, which is very rare from … Continue reading Musings from Flood Warnings
In a comment on a recent post about learning, a person asked my opinion about new technologies called Open AI (artificial intelligence) and ChatGPT. This software is causing quite a stir in academic realms and has even made CNN and Wall Street Journal. Douglas Rushkoff, a supporter of humanity and critic of modern technologies, discussed some of the real dangers of the software, as opposed to many surface-level … Continue reading Why Write in the Age of AI?
Having enjoyed The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and Anthem, Ayn Rand was one of my favorite authors, that is, until I read The Age of Selfishness by Darryl Cunningham. In The Fountainhead, I found Howard Roark’s character to be endearing and refreshing as he continued to stick to his puritanical ideals of architecture and refusal to succumb to society’s stale standards of life. Selfishness, narrow mindedness, … Continue reading Is Selfishness a Virtue? On Ayn Rand and the impacts of her philosophy
With January upon us, what better way to start the year than by convincing ourselves the movements of indifferent heavenly objects hundreds of millions miles away, oblivious to our existence, are actually enacting a well-designed choreography designed to guide our every decision. ARIES ♈️ : Now is a good time to rekindle old friendships, restraining orders be damned. Taurus ♉️: Opportunity will knock this month, … Continue reading Your Wise and Shine January Horoscope
The 2022.jpeg is coming to a close, and it’s been a wild ride. I put my 2 week’s notice in for my job in May, traveled to 15 countries, moved to Germany, started a master’s program, and am back celebrating the end of the year with my family. How did I find time to read 102 books this year? First off, I bought an ereader … Continue reading I read over 100 books this year and here are my recommendations
Good riddance, what a year you have been 2022. You have upended the lives of many amidst the economic uncertainty and the rising anxieties posed by inflation. You have put the world on edge as we witness citizens around the world fighting corruption in autocratic regimes for liberty, justice and equality. You have shown us the fragility and vulnerability of our precious beloved planet. We … Continue reading Leaning into Uncertainty: Embracing the Unknown in 2023
Hi there, I have not been a good reader until two years ago, when I started reading more consistently and increasingly more. I have a certain ideal person to be and that ideal person is one that reads well. But I struggled with consistency when it came to reading. I would read one book fast and not read anything for months after. Two years ago, … Continue reading Habit Formation, Vision and Patience
What does it mean to be at home? A simple sentiment, but one filled with rich metaphorical meaning Home is much more than a shelter which protects you against the elements More profound than a property that stores your possessions It is a refuge not only for the body, but for the spirit Home is where we feel a deep connection, an intense bond, to … Continue reading Longing for Home
According to the Veritas Publishing website, David R. Hawkins (1913 – 2012) was an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, psychiatrist, physician, researcher, lecturer and developer of the widely-known Map of Consciousness. I’ve read two of his well-known books (I, Reality and Subjectivity and The Eye of the I) and found both of them helpful and informative. I remember chuckling when he expressed the following (paraphrased) statement … Continue reading “Enlightenment Stuff”
Is this the real world or is it fantasy? Glowing billboards. ‘Reality’ television. Instagram influencers. Golden yellow arches crowding large city centers. Fake bodies, fake personalities, fake plastic trees. Flooded with information, memes and seductive advertisements. McDonalds – I Am Lovin’ it. Nike- Just Do It. Coca-Cola – Taste the Difference. Apple – Think Different. Manufactured desires. Manufactured appearances. Passive spectators. Passive consumers. Welcome to … Continue reading The Age of the Spectacle
How paradoxical truth IS… Humankind is being sold a story of the apparent good life, and the majority of persons unwittingly buy it without examining it for value. I, for one, buy it no more. On the surface, the story seems bright, shiny, and sensible; a story that deserves to be placed on a high shelf within our lives. At some point, however, many of … Continue reading Hashtag (#) Everyone
I find it strange that when some things happen, I realize that I actually have been wanting that thing all along. It so happens that I do not register them as an explicit dream or ideal, but it turns out they were what I wanted and what I needed. I am experiencing something like this in recent weeks, which made every moment of my days … Continue reading Hidden Dreams in Life
Philosophers have long sought to understand how we make sense of the world. Each have brought forth their own ‘maps’ or ‘lenses’ of how they comprehend reality. Some focus their analysis on the individual while others seek to dissect the patterns of the collective (e.g., society and culture). As social animals, humans are always embedded in larger structures. We interact with others and the natural … Continue reading Searching for a Unified Vision: Exploring Different Maps of the World
From the human perspective, we often directly or indirectly ask the following question of our family, friends, and peers: “Are you with me?” Depending on the answer that we receive, we may feel bolstered, ridiculed, or even abandoned. The time waiting to know if they will support us can feel unbearable. Within the psychological structure of the “person,” there is a part of us that seeks assurance … Continue reading The Unnecessary Question
I’ll admit it: I’m generally very skeptical about Astrology. But these are so dead on they gave me chills. See for yourself: Aries – Zoran, Fifth Lord of the Legions of Vengeance, has decreed the time to exact retribution for your betrayal of the sacred blood oath is nigh, so today’s not a day to sweat the small stuff. Taurus – The stars are just … Continue reading Your Wise and Shine Horoscope
Nearing Christmas, we are usually getting ready for family traditions. Perhaps you have a religious ritual you perform or a meal you prepare. These traditions add to the ambiance of the experience. Sometimes, though, they create a sense of sacredness, which can be harmful if it limits our ability to adapt, change, and grow. At a family gathering, a young woman was asked why she … Continue reading Family Traditions: A Recipe For Realization
In the barren lands of earth, our gestures of gratitude can often seem hollow and trite–an obligatory Thank You note written here; a box of chocolates given there; handshakes, hugs, and gift cards, though well intended, can also prove lacking. The worst, of course, is when someone’s precious gifts of time, effort, and heart are overlooked and entirely taken for granted. There comes a time–and that … Continue reading To The One
Hello there! I hope everyone had a good start to their week! I just finished reading ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma. I had a couple of issues with the narration but what I want to talk about here is the issue with some of the content. Overall, I think the author had good intentions and wanted to convey as many ideas … Continue reading Speed of Personal Development
Language, even with our most precise usage, proves totally inadequate at expressing the Truth of the Absolute; for it soon becomes apparent that expressions about It are forced by their inherent limitations to remain verbal or written representations–not the original, Itself. Thus, in describing via our “A, B, C’s” (or equally valuable letters of other languages), we create a distorted view of That which is … Continue reading Only “This”
With Black Friday in recent memory and Christmas shopping right around the corner, what better time to look at the issues of consumerism in our society. Modern advertising is rather peculiar. If you pay close attention, you’ll realize that many of the commercials you come across don’t actually tell you much about the product that is being sold. The advertisement doesn’t present reasons or rational … Continue reading The Empty Promises of Consumerism
