Belief vs Reality

This blog will shortly move to http://www.beliefvsreality.com because that is where I see it heading....  Check back in a few days at the new url..

Don't Ever

The Comfort In Being Sad

It would seem odd to think that the negative aspects and or situations that life can sometimes bring to one's doorstep could be anything to boast about or to adore, however, as you read this, I would ask that you take such things to heart.

As a musician, this is a topic that comes up rather often. I listen to music, and write my own songs, and I ponder upon such thoughts.

Should we view the negative aspects of life as something to be avoided? Or are such times of sadness and despair needed?

I guess the real question is, why do we as humans find it to be so attractive? Sadness that is. We can all identify with it, yes, but is that why when we hear a terribly depressing song that it resonates with our soul in the measure that it does, sending chills through our body, or bringing about tears? Have you ever analyzed such feelings?

I personally have had my times of terrible sadness, and, as fate would have it, recently have come along something that has stolen away my ability to be truly sad ever again it would seem. Yet, even I, in all of my bliss, identify with such works of art in the very same measure as I did back in the day, when my feelings were the same as those that are being expressed. I find it to be attractive. There is this sort of, esoteric epicness, and from my perspective, a great deal of potential hope hidden behind it all, as though, one day something will come along and release that spring, and all of that positive energy will burst forth.

However, that is not my main point of this article. The point of this article is to point out to you that indeed, sad times come, and sad times go, but I want for you to focus on something.

Whenever you get knocked down by life, or brought to that point wherein you honestly feel as though you simply cannot take even one more step, I want you to realize that no matter if you feel "good enough" or whatever may be the case, that those times of despair, are there for one reason and one reason alone; and that is so that you can show yourself just how amazing you are.

The reason that such songs, movies, whatever form of art, touch us in the way that they do, is because honestly, on a subconscious level, we DO find it attractive. I know that sounds rather masochistic. I mean, pain is not something that one should seek after or desire. But you know what? It is something that is to be embraced. Have you ever noticed that any song of hope that you've ever heard has within it portions which speak of the writer's feelings of hopelessness? It has to be that way, and the reality is, that nobody ever succeeded at anything without first failing.

Someone somewhere once said, "I have not failed 1,000 times, I have discovered 1,000 ways that will not work".

The truth is, that this concept, permeates throughout the universe. Something new cannot be created without the old first being destroyed.

Any hardship that life throws at you will not get better by your complaining, in fact, the only thing that complaining is good for, is for you to tell yourself how unhappy you are with your less than gleeful situation, so that you can get it off of your chest, and move on...but that's not what we do most of the time now is it? We sit, and we weep, and we sit, and we weep, and before long, we have no idea what it is that we're actually sad about, we just enjoy the comfort that sadness brings.

One cannot be truly happy nor satisfied until they have been made to be truly unhappy and dissatisfied. It simply does not work that way. In fact, if you went and got as comfortable as you could possibly get, laying on your couch and watching television, your body would make you uncomfortable before it let you lie there for too long. You would die if you never moved from that position of comfort.

Have you ever noticed that pain or discomfort has never actually killed anyone. I'm talking of minor discomforts, or earth shattering emotional trauma even. These things are essentially harmless when it comes to life and death, and yet, in America, I find that we are nearly all so consumed with our own ideas of comfort and security, that we neglect the fact that when such things are threatened or taken away, that it is just like our body's refusing to let us stay comfortable in one position for too long.

Now, to me, this post feels scattered and not well written. My wrists hurt, this chair is not very comfortable, and I don't seem to be getting out what I intended to write in the first place, but, still within me is the desire to point such things out to you, and so, rather than deleting all of what I've written, I'm going to continue to type, and when I finish I will post it, because honestly, what I have to offer to this world does not depend upon my perception of it, nor of my comfort in doing it. The only thing that matters in the end, is that I can say that I at least tried. I had it all worked out in my head how I would write this, and tell you many great things about this subject, and now, I can't even seem to get anything of it out, but it doesn't matter, because I know that someone out there will read this, and it will be exactly what they needed to hear.

One cannot live by simply being self-serving all of the days of their life. I would encourage you to read through some of the other posts on this site, and search your soul, find out who you truly are, and realize that there IS something that you have to offer to this world, and see the infinite value of that, and then, stop complaining and procrastinating, and just go do it. What have you got to lose? You've got the world to gain....

I'm gonna go and play a song for the woman of my dreams. She's in the other room right now strumming away. She won't play for me, I'm not sure why, but it will all come out in the wash I suppose. The song that I'm going to play for her is one that she told me was her favorite out of all of the songs that I've written. It was written from a very dark place, full of doubt and despair. It was about her. You see, for quite some time I was in terrible pain, and she was the cause of it, and she knew what she was doing, but, from that period of darkness, I got this song, and not only is it her favorite, it's mine as well. Some of the best work that I've ever created in my opinion.

I think the thing I wanted to say in this post, was this....

"It seems to be at the moments of the least amount of hope, and of the most crushing despair, when we as human beings are pressed down on all sides, that out from within us proceeds the greatest and most awe inspiring works of art that the world has ever seen, powerful enough to inspire whole generations to search within themselves and find that same brilliant light. It is in our darkest hour that true human emotion is set free, and all is cleansed in that moment, and we see what we truly are..."   - Ethan Womack

Find True Meaning

It would seem that lately, people world-wide are starting to awaken, as slowly as it is. Around me I see a world not only in need of a revolution, but one in which it's inhabitants are all receiving the universal message that if something doesn't change then we are all headed for a fate worse than any that could have been imagined.

We are all a little strange aren't we? We have our quirks, we see things differently, and some of us our more outspoken than others. But is that really as big of a problem as it seems? I mean honestly, what would we do without doctors, mechanics, IT specialists, gas station clerks, musicians? What would the world be without the diversity that currently exists?

From time to time the universe comes to you, and it breathes upon you, and into your soul floods tiny flashes of hope, of purpose, and of enlightenment. We all have a residual self-image in the back of our minds, and when we truly see that person that we were meant to be, rather than the usual distortion of ourselves, we find happiness.

Life is full of mystery and wonder, and such thoughts if thought upon too deeply can cause quite a bit of confusion. We look around at others and seem to all desire somewhere within us to be someone else, as though, "If I were them, I would be content", but the reality is, you would not. That person who you envy, envies you just as much. No one can be content until first they are content with themselves. It is not the number of dollar bills at your disposal that gives you a sense of security. It is not the amount of drugs in your system that gives you feelings of euphoria. It is not your intelligence that makes you smart, and it is not what you have that makes you who you are.

You are who you are because you are.

What is your name? What do you look like? How do you think? What dreams do you have, and which ones have you hidden because you feel as though they can never be accomplished?

All of these things are unique to you, and let me tell you a little secret that someone once told me. Out of the 7 billion people alive on this planet today, there is only one you, and only you can do what you were born to do. Only one person can ever be what you were meant to be.

Persistence is omnipotent.

Do you know who you are? If you begin to listen to yourself, not the random slew of conscious thoughts that may run through your mind upon reading that question, but the still small voice that forms in the thoughts behind your thoughts, you might just be surprised what you hear.

The only war that you will ever have to fight will not be a war against those who might oppose you as you progress upon this path that is life, but rather, it will be a war against yourself, and yourself alone. Conquer that person, and all else will seem non-existent.

I have in my mind, even right now as I write, a lot of different ideas, goals, plans, and dreams of what I hope to accomplish during my lifetime, and I know, because it happens on a near constant basis, that as soon as I stop focusing on them in an "I can because I have" attitude, my doubts will seem to near cripple my ability to even function. It is a crushing blow that is dealt to oneself. We are not only our worst critics, we are our own worst enemy, and in fact our only hope. Nobody can do it for you. Your life is yours to live. You know what you are, and if you are not on the way towards the true you, then that small voice in the back of your mind will continue to grow louder and louder. Not only will your thoughts begin to cause within you a feeling of guilt, but, if you choose to notice, rather than ignore it consistently, the entire world around you will seem to scream along with that voice, encouraging you to go and achieve that which you desire, because, in all reality, you already have. It is not the achievement that is evidence of who you are, it is the dream, the simple thought. However, thoughts are intangible, and intangible things are a part of life only to serve as an indicator and motivator for tangible things.

Within each and every one of us lies a power that is more amazing than could even be imagined, the trouble is, I find, not that we have a fear of failure so much as it is a fear of success. I speak to you now in the same tone that the universe will speak to you, if you, like me, continue to procrastinate, and doubt yourself, and that is in a tone of sincere honesty. You know what you are, and the only reason that you are not on your way towards becoming the very best you that you can be, is because if you search yourself, you will find that your dreams seem too big, sweet, and exhilarating than you think that you can handle. You say to yourself, "I wish I had more money" but you don't, because if you did, you would. You say to yourself all sorts of things that you wish were different about yourself.

Wishes are not the innocent statements of children as they stare at falling stars, they are evidences of your own doubt of such a thing ever becoming a reality. It is saying that you are giving up. Whenever you wish things were different, it is your way of saying that you have accepted yourself as you appear to yourself, rather than telling yourself who you are, you are letting your selfish fears dictate to you not what you are, but rather what you are allowed to be. It is as though every failure, disappointment, and disillusioned dream that you have given up on, has not been the fault of the universe, god, or any other person at all. It IS your fault.

...But don't beat yourself up over failures, dare to achieve that in which you find true meaning for your life, and you'll see.... Every mistake you made along the way was only made to put you in the position that you are in, so that you can realize your true potential.

Life is full of hardships, but you are not knocked to the ground in an attempt to disable you, and it is not because some cosmic deity wants to see just how much you can handle... You were knocked down by the universe so that you can prove to yourself just how many times you can get up... I know that it sounds as though such a philosophy sounds on the surface like a cheesy "Self-Help" book, but the concept runs much deeper. No one can be at peace with anything in life, until they are first at peace within them self, and in order to be at peace with oneself, one must be true to them self, and stop lying....

This is not about reading encouraging words, or positive messages, this is about the fact that human-kind is an amazing species, and if you take notice, we ARE gods in comparison with the rest of the life here upon the earth, and that in and of itself should explain to you as to why every time that you do not recognize yourself, you are lying to yourself, and no one can be given peace of mind through lies... There's some part of us that just knows.... You know....

What Say You?

Just a few questions to those of you who perhaps continue to visit, wishing for another post. What is your life about? What do you think about the views expressed upon this website? Are you caught up in the black hole of your own distortions? I will be writing a post in the next few days. Life for me has gotten rather busy as of late. Started school.

Distortions - The Black Hole Of Reality

This term "distortion" is something that is quite familiar to me. As a musician, distorting my sound is crucial if I am to obtain the overall feeling and ambiance that I am looking for. A distortion pedal is not something that is foreign to me, as a matter of fact, it is almost always necessary to some degree, however there is a difference in my use of the term in this post, because unlike the distortion which my foot pedal produces, the distortions that I wish to speak of cannot so easily be turned off by the click of a button.

I have always known of the concept behind this term, but, it was not until I came across an online copy of "The Law Of One" which is a book that contains the written records of the channelings of "Ra" as the book refers to it. In this book, (If you are curious, I would suggest looking it up on Google) this "Ra" character speaks to those conducting this interview, and the context is that of some being from either another planet, or an entirely different plane of existence. This "Ra" is quite familiar with our existence, and from where I stand, finds us to be quite primitive, using this term "distortion" quite a bit to define most of our understanding of "God" (and life in general), even going so far as to classify our view of god and the use of the term and even our concept at it's core, as being a distortion. It never quite goes into what exactly is distorted about any thing, but rather, this "Ra" simply uses this term as the only true way to describe us to ourselves, as those who are conducting the interview are attempting to gain knowledge of things that they probably shouldn't know in the first place. It is quite an interesting read if I do say so myself, but... moving along.

Now, I want you who have been keeping up with the posts thus far, to realize the pattern that seems to reverberate throughout "the all". The title of the blog is "The Meaning Of Life" and the posts have all been about various subjects, containing explanations for various metaphysical jargon and whatnot. If you are unsure of what I'm talking about, or you have not seen the connection between all of these posts, even the Voices On The Wind post, (The one with my guitar-work...and distortions... ha!) then please, go back and re-read them if I've caught your attention with this post, as I'm sure that you will become completely lost in your attempt to "decode the mystery", but I'll attempt to write this post in such a way that any such journeys through my blog are unnecessary.

The pattern that I speak of, is that, in nearly all of my posts, I somehow wind up referring back to the reality that reality is not always as it seems, but a new thought has entered into my "mental class on life" that I have with myself constantly (that's what life's about btw) and that is that things are not always as they appear, but that doesn't mean that they aren't either.

I read a post today on Guru Singh's blog that caused me to realize just the term that I have been looking for to use in my day to day explanations of reality to people. I am familiar with the use of the term in more than just the context of musical equipment (as stated) as well as my use of it, but I have rarely implemented it into my day to day conversation, and that is what I am attempting to do.

For the general idea or essence of what I'm getting at by the term, if my defining of it seems unclear due to all of my many words that seem to twist and linger around leading one in circles, then, if you will notice, "Guru Singh" is linked to the post that I've just finished reading, and even if you understand my ramblings, I would highly recommend you giving it a thorough read through, as he explains such a concept much more clearly and to the point than I am...but, I do what I do for a reason.

In my post Belief vs Reality - Part Two I attempted to define what distortions of perception look like, and I used some examples, like that of the chair, and it is to me, very clear what I am getting at, but it may not be to you, for you are not me, and thus, we do not share the same distortions. When you take a bunch of rhetorical malarkey and overlay reality with it, you get an unclear picture of what you're truly looking at, and for the most part, those who create these "advertisements" know this. You have to realize people, that if you're every going to be able to truly find yourself, you're going to have to accept the fact that there are people in positions of power who got there, not because they were lucky, or special, or given a great opportunity, but because they are two things, both greedy, and intelligent. They did not present you with the mind-shaping "advertisements" (that term is not speaking of commercial advertisement alone, but mass media as a whole, whether it be through television, school curriculum, religion, or any other medium through which one message is presented on several platforms) because they were merely trying to make a dollar off of you, they did what they did the way that they did it so that you would read this, see the reality of what I'm speaking of, understand it, and subsequently reject it as rational thinking. They don't want your money, they want your mind, because if they have your mind, you will not wake up, you will not stand up, and you will not fight, thus, they are free to do whatever they wish without your interference.

You see, the powers that be do not want for you to read this blog. They do not want for you to think this way, and they most certainly do not want for you to understand this concept of "distortions", because if you do, then you become you, rather than that which they have molded you to be. 

I just laughed to myself. How many of you have seen "The Matrix"? That is a movie that was highly popularized because of it's cool effects, the fight scenes, and the seemingly unstoppable power of the main character, but it is the metaphysical concept that is hidden within those three films that is the true beauty. The metaphor of the matrix is the reality of existence. We are all blinded in some way by own perception, and just as it is in the matrix, so it is with us, we are batteries plugged into a machine, giving it all of the power that it will ever need, and as long as it can keep us entertained, there is no war to be fought, which means there is more energy to be used elsewhere...But my question is, just what were these machines in the matrix doing? They had successfully driven humanity underground and had full reign of the earth, but to what end? So that they could have a picnic at the park? It's madness, that people in power don't want the power for the sake of freeing themselves to enjoy life, they want the power simply for the sake of the power, and in that, they possess the greatest distortion of all. They can no longer enjoy life, because their enjoyment comes from the destruction of life. It is, just as synchronicity, a conundrum.

I have gotten a bit off topic it seems, but, this blog is not about one post, it is about the blog as a whole, and this blog is not about this blog at all actually, it is about those who read it, and the message that it speaks to them, and more importantly, what they do with said message.

Now, on the concept of black holes and distortions being the black holes of reality, first one must think of what a black hole is. It is not just something that sucks, nor is it a mass of darkness. It is the remnants of a super-massive star which has essentially imploded, losing none of it's mass, and thus has a gravitational pull that is so strong that not only does it pull the very fabric of the universe towards it's center, but also, which even light itself cannot escape from. Can you imagine, watching light attempting to escape from something? Light moves at a speed of 700 million miles per hour. That's 186,000 miles per second. The gravitational pull of a black hole is so great, that even something moving at that speed, which is near incomprehensible to our human minds, cannot escape from, nor does it stand a chance.

I have in this post compared distortions of reality to a black hole, (<----And i'm not the only one) so the question is, how does one free themselves from such darkness? The truth of the matter is, that if you are looking for the answer, you will never find it, and if you are hoping for a savior, there is none. If you want to be free from thinking the thoughts of others, or thinking the distorted thoughts of your own fallible mortal self, then you must let go of even that desire, and rather, embrace the reality that ultimately, you are who you are because you are, and when you do this, you realize, just like Neo, that you don't believe in any of this fake crap anyway...(enjoy your cookie)

I will admit, it can be painful, and it will be. Neo had to die before he knew himself, and once he did, not even death could stop him. The rules of the matrix no longer applied and he was free to do as he pleased. He had no rival at all, and in the end, he realized that it was inevitable, and even he could not escape the black hole by fighting against it's pull, but rather, he had to enter into the heart of darkness, and shine his own radiant light out of it in order to bring peace to his world.

Have you ever wondered just why light cannot escape from a black hole? Can gravity really be that strong? Well, have you ever wondered why your eyes take in light, but give off none of their own? We cannot change the way things are until we first change ourselves, and in the matrix, Neo had let his enemy do all of the changing to the world that he would ever need, and as the last man standing, he let himself too become a part of the whole, and it just so happened that when he did, he was reunited with himself, and the curse was lifted.

I do apologize, I have been rambling, and have gone from books, to movies, to black holes and back again, but please do not mistake my words for what they seem, and miss the reality of what they are, and if you do not understand, then let this and all of my words be an example of just how distorted one can become by an over abundance of information. One cannot hold within his mind two opposing opinions and expect to still be sane, that is why the term "schizophrenia" was created, because at it's root it means, "split-mind", however, one can find a balance between those two opinions, and take that third option, using the two opposites as a measuring stick.

Synchronicity - The Paintbrush of God

To anyone who has lived for any amount of time, it can most accurately be stated that you indeed know exactly what I'm speaking of, even upon reading the title of this article, the term "Synchronicity" is familiar to you, even if you are unfamiliar (on a conscious level) with the definition of said term.

I could attempt to define it for you, and perhaps you would get it, but, if you just so happen to be familiar with the term, most likely you would agree, that such a concept is not one of which someone can truly be "told" what it is, but rather, it is something that one must "see" for themselves.

syn·chro·nic·i·ty/ˌsiNGkrəˈnisitē/

Noun:

The simultaneous occurrence of events that appear significantly related but have no discernible causal connection.

The image to the right is an example of what I would term as an example of what this "experience" would look like in a metaphorical context. Notice that nearly every line, though it is linear (like time), consists of a mirror image on the opposite side of the page, and yet, at the same time, this figure is split into three parts (like time). 

So what we have here, is an impossible explanation, and were the image not here, surely my words would seem most illogical, (and perhaps they do to you) but if you're going to get that involved in finding mistakes, you're never going to be able to see that duality has it's place in life, as well as the the reality that while things are split into "twos", there is also a third part of nearly all things.

For instance, you have the concept of time, yet it is nearly always referred to in terms of "past" and "future" as the "present" seems to be irrelevant in most discussions. You have two opposing sides, and in the center what do you have? This concept works with most things, but for more literal examples of duality, think of black and white, or dark and light, or yes and no, or male and female, or right and wrong.

Nearly all of those can be dis-proven as being concrete, for there also exists the color grey, no one can see anything in total darkness nor with a flashlight shined in their eyes, sometimes people say maybe, hermaphrodites exist, and right and wrong is just a matter of opinion anyway.

Now, for one to understand the concept of synchronicity, one must accept the reality that such concrete concepts of duality, morality, or even mortality, are not ends in and of themselves, but rather are simple hints which lead one to be capable of understanding something that goes much deeper. That reality is that we are not alone in this life, and that, while "destiny" essentially does not exist, because it is our choices which determine our fate, it is in fact "destiny" that determines everything, and no matter what we do, or who we are, we cannot escape it.

I am happily not a member of the "religious community", but I can say this, synchronicity has haunted me for some time. It is not so much a belief in some deity in my mind, as it is an understanding and inner-knowledge that I am a part of a whole, just as everything else is, and that being said, it is clear to me just how interconnected everything is in this universe.

Astrophysicists have as of late began toying around with the theory of a holographic universe, or, the idea that our existence is not so much as it seems. They are starting to wonder (as they attempt to study black-holes) if our entire universe is nothing more than a mirror image, and that everything that happens here, is not so much happening, as much as it is just a reflection of something that has already happened or is happening outside of our universe, simultaneously....or just on the edge. 

For a tangible example of what they are starting to understand about our universe, go stand between two mirrors and move your arm and attempt to count just how many "you's" move their arm as well. I cannot explain such concepts any further. You either get it, or you don't.

The Paintbrush of God

The experience of synchronicity will make a believer out of anyone that this "reality" that we are experiencing is not as "in-tact" as we would like to think of it, and that there is "something more". That something has been witnesses, experienced, and defined by humanity for longer, it would seem, than our ability to breathe. Some call "it" God, or Jesus, or Allah, etc...

It is so funny to me that when Moses in the bible first spoke with god, he asked of him, "Uhm...hey, what's your name, what do I call you? So I can tell everyone else...they kind of need to know..." this essence of life, creator, this god, this "it", responded by saying, "I am what I am."

A phrase that is used with increasing frequency now a days is "It is what it is", and yet, I find that such a phrase is rarely intended to be a reference to the religious idea of an ultimate and all encompassing deity.

When one begins to experience the phenomena of synchronicity, (And it most certainly is nothing less than a phenomenon) they often times shrug it off as a "coincidence" and think nothing of it, but it is when such occurrences continue, or even intensify in frequency, that one begins to wonder if they are awake or still dreaming, and if it is an awakened state that they find themselves in, it is their sanity that they begin to question. Such experiences, simply cannot be understood by those who have not experienced them, for those who have experienced them understand that such experiences cannot be explained in the full measure that is deserved, and even if they could, it would not have the same effect, gravity, nor meaningfulness.

When a synchronous occurrence happens, there are many factors which account for the experience seeming "unnatural" and yet, at the same time, despite all of the "unnaturalness" of said event, it is the natural flow of the entire event that creates the apparent uncanny nature of such an event. It is a conundrum. 

Factors Involved

• The immediate and direct surroundings of the experiencee, to include not only what he/she sees, but also what they hear.
• The thoughts of the experiencee prior to the event, and the method in which said thoughts began to stray in that particular direction.
• The flow of life in general, and the way one's day is going.
• Everything....

To some who read the above list, it will seem as though I am speaking a foreign language, and for those who have experienced synchronicity, it is more than clear what I am describing. Perhaps there is someone who is reading this, and is for the first time realizing just what these series of random coincidences are, or at-least how to term them, and their visit to this blog has turned into a synchronicity in and of itself. 

Why do they happen?

If synchronicity is the metaphorical paintbrush of god, then what exactly is he/she/it saying, and is it what I think, or am I missing the picture? The simple answer is, "yes, no, and maybe". 

Whenever one begins to focus on their synchronous experiences, they notice an increase in the frequency of occurrences, and sadly, some do not know when to quit, and actually do "go over the edge" so to speak, but you see friends, synchronicity is not what this article is about.

It is quite possible to misinterpret synchronicities as being something that they are not, but you see, it is also quite possible to misinterpret synchronicities as being something of little importance, a neat and odd coincidence that you think nothing of, I.E. not something to use in decision making. This can be either very bad, or very good, but by now, I think you all know that I don't really view things in such dualistic manners anyways. 

What are synchronicities and why do they exist? I cannot tell you. All that I can do for you is make you aware that you are not the only one experiencing them, and yes, they are "proof" of "something", and that in and of itself is, yet again, a synchronicity, because while they cannot be truly defined, or explained, they seem to always have the essence of being a confirmation of sorts for "something". They an undefinable also, simply because of the very personal nature of them.

The purpose of them on a personal level is something that you must find for yourself, but the purpose of this post is to emphasize the reality that we are indeed all a part of a whole, and everything happens for a reason. So don't ever think that it doesn't. Everything has a purpose, a meaning, and a point. That's life. It is what it is.... :)

Belief vs Reality - Part Two

Perhaps I was not clear? It may be stated that my last post was rather disorganized and scattered. It was not intended to be so, and yet, it was. The true question is, did you get the point? You see, in the battle between personal belief systems and reality lies within what said person "knows" and what said person "believes" to be true. To put it simply, think of it like this. I have heard many people throughout my life proclaim to me on a near daily basis that they "know" that the god of the bible is the "One True God" and subsequently, they also "know" that all of the words of their holy book is the infallible word of God, and that it should be viewed by all of humanity in the same context that they personally believe that it should be. I find a contradiction in such statements. You see, when I look out at the world, and all of it's "problems" I can very clearly see what the true dilemma is, and infact, I am not the first to see it, nor am I alone in my "beliefs" about such a reality. One of my favorite rappers (and various other artists of any form of art) has seen it, and describes the current situation in the world today rather well. He speaks of two things essentially, with a third seemingly hidden within his words. You see, words, as I (poorly) attempted to explain in my last post, are completely pointless. However, they can be quite useful in getting a point across. Instead of giving you my personal opinion of what Lil' Wayne has seen that I have seen, which other's also see, (quite clearly mind you) I'm simply going to quote the lyrics, and let you decide what it is that he's talking about. You be the judge as to whether or not it is relevant to this blog and my ramblings or not.

"Gorillas in suits The holy war, the spiritual troops Fighting over the mythical truth Drowning in the political soup They shoot missiles and nukes Taking out such a pivotal group The body count is the physical proof And they thought drugs were killing the youth"  

Lil' Wayne -"President Carter"

You see, the problem in not just "America" but the entire world seems to lie within the fact that people are given positions of power, and, driven by their greed, they seem to get together in one massive attempt to blind the masses to their schemes in order to remain in power. Essentially, everything going on in the news today, that we ALL hear about and have grown quite accustomed to hearing, is explained in the first four lines...and the ones which follow after tell you just what they're all covering up, and how. For the "why" refer back to the first stanza. Now you see my friends, these words are not mine. I did not create this idea. I am not some radical conspiracy theorist. I am simply a person who seems to be completely immune to being blinded by people who simply think of me as one of the other mindless zombies who comply with their demands as to what I should and/or shouldn't believe. Do you know why? It is because I avidly attempt to push away my own personal beliefs and/or biases for the sole purpose of seeing things as they truly are. Not as I wish them to be. Not as I "think" they are, but rather, just as they are.

"It is what it is"

That's a statement that I can appreciate most of all, out of the millions of others that exist. You see friends, if you truly want to begin to understand what the "meaning of life" is, or find some purpose or reason for you being here upon this earth, then I would suggest that you stop attempting to find an outside source to tell you who you are and what you are here for. You will never find a purpose for anything if you continually focus upon what others attempt to persuade you to believe, and you need to realize that most of them want you to believe such things simply because they themselves believe the same way. No friend, you mustn't concern yourself with belief systems or personal opinion, but rather, you must view things from a metaphysical standpoint...That is...If you ever want to see things as they truly are.

Take advertising for example. From a metaphysical perspective, let me lay this example out for you in a hypothetical circumstance. You're watching television, and you're sitting in a chair in your living room which you've had for 10+ years. This commercial is an advertisement for a "special" chair. It's got twice the padding of yours, it comes in a variety of colors (one of which you personally enjoy much more than your current chair color) and it even has pockets on the side for you to stash your remotes, magazines, pack of crackers, etc... This commercial is attempting to draw you in of course; that's what advertisements are designed to do. It defeats the purpose of advertising for it to do anything else. Now, you watch this commercial, and as you do, you think to yourself of how you have been wanting a new chair, and you also like the chair on the television. At the end of said commercial, they tell you the price, and it just so happens to be $5,000 for this chair of your dreams. You also realize at this point that you have $5000 worth of "spare change" so to speak. (stay with me here, please)

Now, I want for you to imagine a hard, plain, wooden chair that you have seen at your local dollar store. It only costs $5.

Can you tell me the difference between the two chairs?

Besides the obvious, (Price, level of comfort, color) can you tell me why one is better than the other?

You see friend, the reality of the situation, not your opinion, but the reality, is that the ONLY purpose for a chair, is to sit in it, and whether you choose the cheap wooden one, or the expensive plush colorful one with pockets, at the end of the day, all that you can do with either of them is sit in them (Or stack stuff in it, but that's beside the point) and if you want to be real about it, a stump in the woods somewhere will serve the same purpose.

Do you see my point? You were sitting in a chair, and because someone told you about another chair, and convinced you that said chair was a "better performing" chair than the one you currently have, or the $5 one from the dollar store, your belief causes you to desire to have said chair. Congratulations, you have successfully been deterred from being able to understand the purpose of a chair, and thus, you are no longer thinking of having a place to sit, but rather, you are thinking of having a "wonder chair" which will allow for you to "sit better"!?¿

Let's get real. This what has happened to your life. This is why this blog was created, and this is why people seem to continually question their purpose! What is the meaning of life? Why am I here? Who am I?

You see, these are not questions that someone can answer for you. Yes, it is possible for someone to introduce you to a mirror, so that you can see for yourself, but it is obscene for anyone to tell another human being who they are and what their purpose is in this life. This is what has happened people. You have walked through your life, and been told of gods and of devils and of angels and demons and UFO's and morality and of good and of evil, and thus, you have lost your sense of purpose. You're just someone who's watching infomercials on chairs, sitting on your bare floor, though you have a chair that has served you well in the past, all because you are convinced that if you watch that screen for long enough, someone will tell you exactly what chair you need. .... And with that mentality... well, you must admit... you friend are acting as if you have some sort of psychological problem or mental illness. It's simply not logical.

This is exactly what this blog is about. Not to tell you who you are and what the meaning of life is, but rather, to show you the way towards a mirror, so that you can for the (possibly) first time, see yourself AS YOU ARE, free from any distortions of others who want to tell you what you look like rather than letting you see who you are.

So, if you want to continue arguing with yourself about chairs, and being blinded by the rhetoric surrounding such advertisements about who you are and what makes you the best you that you can be, then go ahead...perhaps that's your purpose?

We all need examples of what not to do and what not to be, after all if we didn't, just as if we didn't have shadows, we'd be blinded anyways, like deer in a headlight.

Belief vs Reality

"When I was a child, I spoke of childish things, but now that I am a man, I have put away childish things"

This is a quote from some verse of the Bible. Which one? I'm not really sure.

Now. Let me ask a question? Does that last statement bother you? If your answer is yes, then another question is in order I suppose. Are you a "Christian"? And if so, then why does my paraphrasing, and lack of knowledge of exactly where said verse is quoted from? Perhaps it is your belief, (If you know me personally) ((Or if you've read my content thus far)) that I am an immoral person? A sinner even, and my use of your precious words from your precious book is somehow considered as "sacrilegious"?

Well, today's "lesson" if you will, is about that very concept of your belief...and it is not limited to simply "Christian" belief systems, but rather, belief systems in general.

 On the left is a picture of a book and a candle. Now, I'm sure that to someone, that book is much more precious than the candle which gives one light to read it, and yet, though without light, the book could not be read, the candle is the thing that is set aflame, and not the pages of the book, for if such a thing was done, the reading of it's words would become impossible. And besides, there's always more candles to burn, right?

Now, what am I getting at? All that I'm trying to explain here is that just like the words in that book, or rather, simply words in general, have a seemingly immeasurable amount of power.

They have the power to both edify and to destroy, to inspire and to disillusion, to lie and to tell the truth.

Just why is it that simple letters put together in certain orders when used in particular patterns are given such power? 

Is the true power within the sound of these "words" or is it within the concepts that lie behind the meanings of said "words" or "sentences"? Now, before you answer to yourself , keep in mind that certain statements seem to have more persuading power based upon the tone and volume of the voice of those who use them, while others, can simply be typed and subsequently read and hold even more power. The power of words, in my "belief" has more to do with the reality of what they say more so than who it is that says them or the method in which they deliver them. 

For the sake of remaining relevant, and putting things in a context in which most of the "western world" can identify with, let's take the bible for example. Do you know why it is that such a book has so much power? It is not because of who wrote it's words, and it is not so much because of the one who wrote them, but rather, it is simply because of what people as a majority tell you about it's contents, and that is, that "every word is God-breathed" and it matters not how one responds to it on a personal level, but rather, it is the majority's perception of what is the "reality" behind such statements. 

Speaking in a metaphysical context, let it be said, that at the end of the day, all that the bible is, is simply a book. Pieces of paper with markings upon it...The same way that you are simply a person staring at a screen.

Now, if it were just a book, and it held no inherent power within itself, why then is it that such a book has the power to persuade such hostility amongst it's readers? And why do such words bring such joy to other readers? Is it truly because the book is from God? Well, in all honesty *Reality, it is simply because of the belief's of those who not only read the book, but also, those around the person who chooses to read it.

And such concepts apply to any and all religions or belief systems, not just religion in general. I am not singling out the christian faith, as if I am some "Christ-Hater". I am merely using an example that should be easy enough for anyone living in present-day America to identify with. We've all been victims of "food-poisoning" so to speak, and that food comes in the form of words, and what is being fed is our inner-self, or our mind, our consciousness....

You see, it is not the words of the bible which caused that church to decide that it is "sin" to allow an interracial marriage to take place in "their" building...And it is not the words in that book which causes inexplicable joy in those who consider themselves "saved". No, it is their belief systems that they know no other origin for said beliefs other than that book. 

I am going to write a follow-up post to this, as it is rather lengthy already in my opinion, and I have much more to say about this subject.

Let me end this with requesting that you leave a comment with your thoughts upon this issue, and let's make it into sort of a discussion, not an argument please. The point of this post is to realize that the point of life is not so much to form a belief system and then to live rigidly according to that belief system, but rather, that while belief's may be essential to human development, it can also, if it is not viewed in the proper context, "stunt one's growth" so to speak. 

Leave a comment with your thoughts about that last paragraph, and come back in a day or two for my follow-up post. I apologize for the seeming "un-togetherness" (I cannot think of the word I am searching for) of this post. I have many thoughts, and none of them seem to be capable of being explained in words. 

....Oh, and ... Have a nice day. :)

Voices On The Wind

Voices On The Wind

Today's lesson comes with a bit of original music by me. This is a purely instrumental piece, but to me, it captures the very essence of what this website, and it's sister is about. I do hope you give it a listen, and enjoy.

Life is truly seemingly nothing but voices on the wind. And wind, is nothing but a voice.

;)

Analyzing A Purpose

Within the constructs of our day to day lives, we at times, reach a paradox of sorts. It happens without most of us even noticing. We wake up, grab a cup of coffee, smoke our mornings first cigarette, and then, at some point, we glance...

We glance into a mirror, and our world is presented back to us. Nothing strange comes to mind. We think nothing of the semi-optical illusion of the concept. We do not bat an eye at the thought that possibly, we are not simply looking at a piece of reflective glass. We simply glance at ourselves, and go on with our day...

But is that not a paradox in and of itself? Or is looking into a mirror what this entire experience of life is truly about? Think about it. When you look into a mirror, you do not see your world as it is, no matter if said mirror is free of any and all obscurities that could possibly distort it's image. The reality is, that we see the parallel opposites of what we perceive to be our world, and in that, we find that our left hands are our right, and our right our left.

Have you ever done it? Have you ever stared deeply into a mirror and pondered on just how such a simple surface could reflect an inverted projection of all things that pass before it. Now, have you ever pondered that possibly, you did not come upon the mirror because you chose to do so, but rather because the person in the mirror walked past it?

Now, of course, I am not trying to infer that beyond all mirrors lies a doorway into a parallel universe. No, do not get caught up in all of my words. What I am saying is that when we stare into a mirror, we are presented with an image that is the exact polar opposite of our perspective of everything, and thus, we must learn to adapt.


For those of you new to this blog, or perhaps have stumbled here from it's sister, let me state that this concept is essential for you to understand if you ever hope to gain anything from reading my seemingly nonsensical at times articles and blog posts. I am not so much attempting to do anything special or out of the ordinary really. I am trying to be something as ordinary as a mirror. However, you must realize, that what you see in this mirror that I am presenting will be just as those in your house. It will be an inversion, inverted solely because of my perspective, but, you must realize that you appear just as inverted to me, as I do to you.

I laugh to myself as I write this, because if I know me, then I know someone out there is reading this right now, and is wondering just how did they happen across this website, and why do my words and concepts seem so enticing...possibly as if fate itself had led them here.

Remember that statement about the pondering of which is the true reality, the image in the mirror, or the image the mirror is supposedly mirroring? Perhaps this is just the same. I encourage you, whoever you are, however, to strengthen your resolve, and gaze into this mirror with an understanding that you are the one who must interpret your own perspective, and I am not attempting to do so for you.

The real question I guess is, if everything in a mirror is simply inverted reality, then does duality have any true meaning at all, or is it just more of a guideline for defining the differences in perspective? And if that is the case, then why all the emphasis on such things?

Christian Terrorism - The Anti-Meaning

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It would be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end for they do so with the approval of their own conscience." -C.S. Lewis

This statement gives one a clear picture of what true tyranny is.

Terrorism is a term that has in our day and age become something that American's now seem to identify solely with the religion of Islam. All around the world, this western demonization of said religion has struck fear into the hearts of nearly all who are not of "middle eastern" descent. But why? Why is it that we as rational, thinking adult human beings, capable of constructing telescopes that allow for us to see farther out into the universe than we can even wrap our minds around, and are capable of so many great and wonderful things...Why is it that we cannot see the reality of our situation.

The title "Christian Terrorism" I'm sure seems to be a statement that must have come from Satan himself to most of the simple-minded people of the western world, and those who have become infected by the ideologies of those in power who are more than happy to keep most of the American population blinded to the reality of what control truly is and what it looks like. It is astounding, because such ideas are not contained by the borders of American soil, but rather, have and are rapidly spreading round the world, and accepted as fact rather than fiction.

C.S. Lewis was known for his "Chronicles of Narnia" best selling book series, and secondly for being somewhat of an icon for Christianity, and yet, you "Christians" will most likely refuse to accept the truth in his words, or in mine. Your own "coach" would agree with me, but because it conflicts with your ideas of what and who "God" truly is, you simply cannot accept such a term as "Christian Terrorism" as being anything other than some atheistic rant against God that should be ignored by true believers, as it is only an attempt to shake one's faith. To that I have only this to say. If your "God" is so great, and your "faith" is strong enough to get you into "his" "heaven", then why do the words of an infidel concern you in the least? In my mind, if you believe what you believe as strongly as you would like to believe that you believe it, then I would be incapable of believing that you would even waste your time or mine with reading this, or arguing against any of the points that I will make in this book.

...However, if you cannot seem to get past your hostility towards the mere title of this book, and find in yourself an uncontrollable urge to read it, if only to gather intellectual ammunition in which to wage your holy war against me and every other logical, mature adult who simply wishes for a chance to live in a world where they are truly free to live their lives as they were taught in our American schools that our "great" country was supposedly established for...Well then, I would have to ask for you to continue to read, but expect to have many sleepless nights, and many more brain-wracking days of struggle trying to come up with enough rhetorric to cover up the cold hard facts contained in the concepts of this book. You see, I do not deal with rhettoric. It sickens me. It is what our government is built upon, and it is the reason that most hard working Americans today cannot afford to go to a doctor, or pay their taxes. It is the reason why innocent african-americans are encarserated wrongfully, and why muslim-americans cannot walk through their lives in "The Land Of The Free" without being treated as though they were Beelzebub himself. It is because of rhettoric that issues such as "Gay Marriage" are fought over in courtrooms so vehemently. It is rhettoric that causes you and I to pay three dollars and some change at the pump. It is rhettoric that has caused our economic condition, and it is rhettoric that has kept our soldiers in this "War on Terrorism" for 10 years. Yes my friend, rhettoric is your closest friend, and worst enemy, and it is rhettoric that has caused most of you good upstanding "Christian" citizens to become so outraged and the publication of this book.

...and it is my first ammendment right that has caused it to be published, so argue not with me on whether or not this is "Politically Correct" but rather, with the constitution, but be careful, or you might just prove to yourself that you are not as "Christian" or "American" as you would like to think.

You see friend, the opening quote says basically that a true tyrant, or "terrorist" for the sake of clearing up any confusion, is not the man who violently takes control of a 757 and crashes it into the tallest building in NYC for the sole purpose of killing as many people in one attack as possible, while also showing a country filled with pride that they are not as "protected" as they would like to think... No my friend, that is not the true terrorist. Bin Laden is dead, as well as Saddam. Such tyrants can be silenced and dethroned. All it takes is enough force.

The true terrorist, is the one who is unknown. The one who has been bred to be such a terrorist nearly from birth, and trained all of their life, not by one teacher, but rather by the entire society around them. The true terrorist is the terrorist who is so hidden, that even he does not recognize himself. The one who kills so mercilessly, that they do so with a smile upon their face, and a heart full of love and sincerity. The true terrorist is the one who uses his holy book not to justify the physical slaughter of those who do not believe the same story about "God" as they were taught, but rather, who uses it to enslave entire continents with a vehement passion, all in the name of "saving" mankind. The true terrorist is he who kills not with his hands, but rather with his words. The true terrorist does not release biological weapons upon innocent children in order to strike fear in the hearts of a nation, but rather he leaves the comfort of his home and country for two or three weeks in order to bring food to the starving children of Africa, only to return home so that he can boast of his works for God, and be praised for his sacrifices as he sits down to a warm meal of more than grain mixed with water from a stream. The true terrorist exhibits such feigned actions of compassion not because he intends to aim for such shallow morals, but rather does so out of a sincere heart, believing fully that he has done God some great service, but he then uses such "good works" as further ammunition against his enemy. His enemy is a person such as myself, who sees through this facade of rhettoric that he wears as a mask of deception. His enemy is anyone who decides to oppose him and his ideals, and it is not because he himself feels attacked, but rather, he cannot comprehend anyone having the audacity to question the teachings of what he was taught by those who assisted in making him into what he has become, much less anyone demonizing him and his core beliefs in a manner so consistent with his own demonization of all else around him except for that of which he is comfortable with.

Yes my friend, the true terrorist of modern day America is not the muslim who is a member of a sleeper-cell, and who will tomorrow be "activated" and run into a crowded mall with C-4 explosives strapped to his chest and will kill hundreds of innocent people who were out peacefully shopping. It is the run-of-the-mill good hearted "Christian" who is shopping in that very same mall, who had just past by an old friend who no longer attends their church, and turned his head in hopes of said friend not seeing him, because he wished to avoid any sort of confrontation, because he "knows" and has even told said former-friend that they are living in sin, and are hell-bound if they do not change their ways. He has told this former friend that he wishes for him to visit him at church and "come to Jesus", yet when said former-friend visits, it astounds him that they actually showed up, and then chooses to view it as a "demonic attack" against him personally by this person who is full of satanic energy, and thus, refuses to even wave, smile, or turn his gaze towards that person who just a few years previously had been his best friend...And he does it all under the guise of obeying the scriptures in that they say in certain parts that believers in Christ should shun those who are habitual backsliders, in an attempt to guilt trip them into returning to a life of obedience to the religion's diety who died for them, and demands that they do the same for him in order to attain heaven and eternal life...

Now, perhaps you cannot understand such a concept. "How can you say the suicide bomber is less of a terrorist than the judgmental christian? Did the christian man hurt anyone?" The simple answer is no, the Christian did not harm a fly physically. However, think of what he did do, and why he did it. He successfully continued the cycle of hatred that is tearing this country apart by it's threads, and here's the clincher. The muslim could have been stopped had appropriate security measures been taken, but the Christian's hatred is protected by God himself it would seem, for I cannot point out such hypocrisy in a religious man without myself being hated and discriminated against by those who claim to be filled with the spirit of God...and remember, your book says, "God is love".

So tell me, what is the meaning of life? Is it this?

Is There A Point?

This blog is entitled "The Meaning Of Life" for a reason people. To put it simply, there is no point. There is no point to anything, and yet, all of these pointless experiences in our existence all are rather good at getting across the point that life, is simply meant to be lived. End of story.

Being this is my first post, I would encourage you, if you have found this site by "chance" to continue to check back from time to time, and to subscribe to the RSS feed, just to keep up to date. I plan on going through many questions that we may or may not have regarding the point of our existence which can seem to be completely pointless at times.

Keep in mind, this blog is not meant to be anything other than a helpful tool of encouragement to those who need it.

I will from time to time address various issues, from religion to politics, and I warn you, should you choose to continue reading, most of what I will write will be misinterpretted, and thus, shall be somewhat controversial in it's very nature.

To tell you about myself a bit. I am not a member of any religious affiliation. I subscribe to no creed of morals and or ethics, past my own personal "book" if you will, which is not written in words, but rather, is a compilation of the realities of my heart. With that being said, take note that also, I am not a member of any political party. Politics are just as evil as religion.

The meaning of life? I hope that we shall discover just what that point is, but I can assure you, if there is a point to all of this, it most certainly is not to fight over politics or religious issues. It must be bigger, and if there is a "God" he must see past all of our trivial excuses for war and hate.

Let me begin this blog, by ending this post with this statement. It should give you a good picture of the essence of what this blog is about.

"Life is not about the ups and downs, nor is it about the still calm that occasionally enters our periods of existence. Life is simply life, and it should be treated as such."