Category: Just My Thoughts on Things

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“Well Done, My Good and Faithful Servant” [ Post #85]

Several years ago, my pastor mentioned in a class he was teaching, the phrase from the Bible (from one of Jesus’ parables) that when he died, he would hope he would hear the words (from God), “Well done, my good and faithful servant.” That, he said, would complete his life on this earth in a happy manner. I’ve thought about him saying that recently and, yes, it gets me thinking a lot about life and the point of it all and the conclusion of it all. (By the way, he has since passed on, and I sincerely hope he had the experience he was looking forward to, hearing whose words when he made his transition from this life to whatever is next.)

Thinking about life and all its mystery and uncertainty, I find myself thinking along similar lines as my minister mentioned. At the conclusion of all of this experience called our life, what would we like as we breathe our last breath? Yes, I would like to hear those words. Words telling me that I lived a good life (overall), I did my job, my duty, my purpose and did it well. Yes, that would be nice. Something I can hope for, at least. Validation is nice, isn’t it? We often don’t get much of that in life it seems, for most of us, anyway.

I’ve lived a long life, thank goodness. Thank God, if you will. Sure, I’ve messed up, had some bad times, made some bad choices, perhaps. Haven’t we all? But, overall, it’s been great. I had dreams in my youth. I worked hard at realizing them and I was very fortunate to achieve all my aspirations. If that were not the case, at this point in my life I would be a disappointed and discouraged person, like so many people I have known. But I am very pleased with my life having done what I set out to do, regardless of others trying to interfere in my journey and limit me, discourage me and put me down in obvious and subtle ways. I overcame whatever popped up in my life trying to throw me off course. I stayed the course as they say. I overcame bad experiences, bad people I got involved with in my ignorance and inexperience of life. Getting a little spiritual in this regard, I would say I was guided and protected by the greater forces of life (which I’ll call God). Something guided and protected me.

So, what about you? Happy with your life and how it has turned out? Or less than happy? There’s no right or wrong answer to this question. It’s just an evaluation of the many decades of life you have lived. How do you think you will feel on that last day? Well, besides being resistant to letting go and feeling awful about your departure, how would you evaluate your life?

I’m happy that I feel complete with my life. I’m satisfied with how it has all played out. No regrets, no real disappointments. No anger issues, no unresolved conflicts with people. A good place to be as I see it.

So, maybe after contemplating all of this, I would say the same thing my late minister said. When I pass on (to whatever), if I were to hear a voice in that great void, I would also like it to be :

Wally

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Religion / Science / Life / And Beyond [ Post #84 ]

So, in one short essay, I’ll cover all of life. Yeah, sure. Well, perhaps give a quick overview of things in my life from the perspective of where I’m at right now, anyway. If you have read many of my previous blog posts, you can probably comprehend most of what I’m going to say here. But, just to update you, here goes.

Religion, now there’s a big subject. I’ve talked a lot about it here and there. I’ve spent a good portion of my life involved in it and studying it. I went to theological seminary. I have studied it in depth since seminary. It is a fascinating subject to me. Fascinating especially when I go deep into my study of it, studying what the scholars have to say about it. I’m not interested in the superficial, fluffy stuff one can often experience in a religious institution such as a church. As my professor in seminary once told us, “You don’t ever want to tell your congregation what you learn in seminary and biblical scholarship, as that will destroy their faith!” I understood that to mean, just teach and preach the standard, church- approved stuff. Let the people feel good about life and God, etc. Don’t bother them with the problems and conflicts and contradictions of religion.

Well, I have two strong feelings about religion. One is, for most people, it is good to have a good, well thought-out religion, or spiritual path. If it works for you, fine. If it brings more love into your life, good. Live it! Live your religion. But keep an open mind. If you find out it gives or promotes prejudice and hate, reconsider your “faith.” Something is not right, as I see it.

Okay, my other thought about religion. There is an awful history of religions and the evil ways they have been used. No question about this, just study history. The most awful history of how religion has been used to control and kill millions throughout the years. It’s sickening and evil.

So, religion can be awful. But check them out and if you find a good one, fine. So, is this perspective contradictory? Yes, I admit it. Just like so much of life, it is contradictory.

Okay, on to science. Here’s a subject that many think is the opposite of religion. Talk about contradictions! Many religious fundamentalists are not too keen on science. God created human life and all existence six thousand years ago in the Garden of Eden, they say. Not billions of years ago like most scientists say. And this is just one example of how some religionists view science. I won’t belabor the point; you get the idea.

I happen to be enjoying a deeper study of science right now with my college and university DVD courses which I have mentioned in previous blogs. I had some basic science in general education, but I admit it was not my favorite subject, or perhaps I just found it harder to understand than other subjects. I am now really enjoying it, even if I still find some subjects difficult to really understand. I have a course on cosmology that is so far beyond my comprehension I understand so little of what the excellent professor is teaching. Oh, well, I must be picking up some knowledge, if very little. I’ll redo the course later, I’m sure.

Another interesting thing about science. It changes with the times and new knowledge is discovered. Pluto was a planet when I was young and now it’s not. Science is very interesting, I’m finding. It causes me to look at things in life very differently than previously. It helps to understand how and why things happen. I find mystery in what created all the laws of science, just as the early discoverers and theologians did. Why are things the way they are? Is life chaos or is life orderly, etc., etc. And what is behind it all?

Well, as for the last two topics of this blog, life and beyond life. You’ve probably picked up from my previous blogs that I am basically a positive type of person’ or at least I look for the positive and try to live in the positive aspect of human life on this planet. True, I haven’t always been this way. My childhood was one of some very dark periods, but I survived and thrived. I worked my way through a lot of difficult times, emotionally and psychologically. I achieved my dreams and had great experiences and loves. And now my life incorporates some aspects of religion and a spiritual path. And, I might add, a lot of mystery. A lot of mystery. I don’t really know much about life in so many ways. I try to understand what I can and realize we can’t comprehend it all. We can’t comprehend most of it (life), as I see it. Why life? Why the universe? Why any existence at all?

Okay, so now on to the “and beyond” part to conclude this essay. If I see this life as basically a mystery, I certainly see the “beyond this life” as a complete mystery. Oh, I know, religion has lots of answers in this realm. And people hold strong beliefs about the “hereafter.” But to me, it’s a mystery. In the past I was very logical and materialistic when it came to this stuff. Life cannot be understood and certainly death can’t be either. But this is one area where I have had to revise my thoughts and beliefs. For a long time, especially when I was in my “atheistic” period, death was final. Existence was over, period. I remember one day my now spouse said, “well, sorry I won’t see you on the “other side.” Hmmmm.

So, I have had some weird and strange experiences in the past several years. I have been convinced (going against my logical thinking) that there is “something else,” or an unseen, invisible side to life. No, I don’t understand it. But I cannot dismiss some psychic type experiences I’ve had. And my research on NDE’s (Near Death Experiences) and similar type experiences convince me that there’s more to life than just this earthly life. But, once again, I don’t understand. I don’t understand the mystery. It’s all such a mystery. That’s where I am. And I believe, but believe what? That the mystery will be revealed as we travel on, in this life and then the other experience when it comes.

So, perhaps I’ve really said nothing in this blog. All of life is a mystery. I don’t understand much of anything. Like I’ve said before, all I know is that life can be good. We can have a good life. We can dream our dreams and realize them. I have. And we can love. We can avoid hate, we really can. And if we love, then, we have found the purpose of life. To me, it’s really that simple. And I will go on in life loving and learning and when the time comes and it is all over, well, then, perhaps some of the mystery will be revealed. That’s how I see it.

Wally

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What’s Left? [ Post #83 ]

A long life is nice. You get a chance to do things you want to do, things you have dreamed about as a kid. If things have worked out, you’ve lived your good life. Hopefully, many have had a successful life of achievement of dreams and desires fulfilled. Hopefully, you have had good relationships and loves. For many, that includes a good family and good family memories. Not for everybody, of course, but for many. And, when you have done those things you dreamed about in your younger years, you have perhaps retired (yes, some do not retire, really, they keep on going because they want to). So, if you have made it this far and your life has been good, and you are in a happy state and perhaps spending some time being reflexive and contemplative, you may be thinking, “what is left?”

That’s sort of where I am right now in my life. I ask myself (and God or the whatever) so, “what is next?” Is it over (this life of mine)? Is there more coming up, new things to do, new adventures? Or just relax and enjoy the culmination of a good life? There are many different paths that could be taken from this point I’m at. A few years ago, I started blogging; that was a new path. Are there other activities I am going to get involved in? How much time is remaining?

I think of my city councilman who recently came home for lunch, I believe, and told his wife he was just going to rest on the couch for a bit. Well, when she tried to awaken him, she couldn’t. He was gone. In his sixties and a very active and good councilman from most reports I have read. Over in the blink of an eye. A very good and productive life. Not a clue that was his last day. That gets me thinking, of course. What is left, what is next? Is there more, really, or not?

I’ve taken those online surveys about how long you are going to live, etc. Interesting stuff. The last one I took really got my attention as it gave my last year of life to be the year 2023. Hmmm…never had a response that close before. That really got me thinking, “what’s left?”

So, the time ahead is limited, but how limited? Most of my friends and a lot of my family are gone. Most of my co-workers, my age and younger, gone. I’ve been blessed with a long life. I actually have two feelings regarding this subject. One is that I have more things to do. I need to keep my energy and interests up and positive and keep moving ahead. That’s good. But at times I feel the other side of the matter. I get tired and I wonder if there is really a lot left for me. Of course, I’m pulling for that first feeling. But so were most of my friends that are gone. We just think life will go on forever. But we know better, don’t we?.

I do keep busy. I am not bored. I am not stagnating or losing any interest in life. In fact, I have decided to add the addiction of lifetime learning and continuing education to my life and that ensures that I always have things to do. I’m enjoying my newly acquired library of college and university DVD courses on a variety of subjects, some of which are new to me and some of which I have always had a strong interest in.

The Covid situation did a lot to change life as I see it. A lot of staying home and little social contact. At this point I’m wondering if I will ever resume the social life previous to the pandemic. We’ll see. I’m reluctant to do a lot of things I was doing before. I feel a bit like a hermit these days.

So, what I’m saying is that I don’t know how much is left in my life. I guess that is always the way it is. Just hope for the best. For more time to do new things and keep moving on (as long as we can). I’ve just never thought about all of this this much until my online predictions gave me such a limited time left. Nothing has changed really. The end of it all always faces us. We like to deny it, but we can’t, really.

So, “what’s left?” The big question. Perhaps the big motivator. We just have to go on in faith that we will do what is ours to do until, well, there’s no more “stuff” (living) to do. Have a great rest of your life I say! I plan to.

Wally

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The Good is Hidden [ Post # 82 ]

So, the popular feeling out there in our world is that the world is turned upside down, the end of the world, or at least of this country or our democracy is near. We need to urgently save our democracy, perhaps have a civil war, etc., etc., etc. We need to turn this country into a theocracy and autocracy at least to begin the “salvation” process.

Hmmm, what’s going on? Is everything bad, negative, hopeless? It seems that a lot of people would say so. Negativity, negativity, negativity. Get ready, the end is near. Better arm yourselves to the hilt. I’ve actually been told this from friends and family. What the hell? Get a grip, people. You think this is the worst period of history? I say, study history. Really study it. I can’t imagine living in periods that I read about in history. There have been horrible times throughout all of history. Most of us live good lives, are pretty secure in the basics of life. We can do what we want and do not live under great fear every moment.

Now, of course this is not a perfect world. There is a lot of sh*t going on. There are a lot of people hurting. It is so easy to get sucked into negative thinking. I am subject to all of this, just like so many others. I really have to fight the pull of negativity. I’ve touched on this in some past posts. It’s a real struggle at times. Yet, I’ve got to have hope. I’ve got to have faith. At least for me, my sanity. My ability to carry on, go forward, have a purpose in living. Yes, at times a real tough struggle.

I work at keeping my sanity. On keeping a joyful attitude. I have certain practices that I am totally committed to. I have to go deeper than just superficial encouragements. I work at being “up,” positive, above the fray of our society, culture. I seek out good books, articles, stories, the things we usually don’t find in the media. Like they say, “happiness, goodness does not make the news,” hence, people don’t know about the good going on in our world. And I propose that there is a lot of good in our world. We just are not aware of the good. It lies “hidden” from the masses and the media. Even the good media.

I’ve written about the dark times of my life. Those were times I got ambushed by the bad in my life and the world. I did finally rescue myself from those situations and times, but today I still pursue the fight to find the good. I know it is there. I even keep a notebook now of “goodness,” of good people doing good things, those things we’ll probably never hear about by watching the news. (I also keep a notebook of bad people as I become aware of them and their deeds.) I need to know the two different kinds of people and what they are up to.

Okay, my one caveat. Being positive is great but be aware of the bad out there.

So, that’s my method of trying to keep sane in an insane world. No need to leave this world prematurely (suicide) or go out and kill a lot of people. I’ve got my own methods to keep me going and moving forward. I’m staying on the path, and it is a wonderful life.

A current book on this subject. It’s a bit controversial as being too positive according to some reviewers. But some interesting, good points are made.

Wally

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Updates: Death Cleaning and Lifetime Learning

Today’s blog will be an update and comments on two projects which I wrote about recently, “Swedish Death Cleaning,” and “Lifetime Leaning.” I started both projects a while back and they are my current obsessions or activities that I’m really deeply involved in. This is not a bad thing. In fact, I’m in one sense really enjoying these activities, or, well, at least glad I’m finally doing them and have the self-discipline to push through and see some results. In another sense, they are driving me crazy and to the edge of my sanity.

First off, let me say my death cleaning project is well, horrendous. Those of you who have had to clean up the mess of someone after they have died know what I’m referring to. Going through someone’s life accumulation of junk and other clutter and important papers is, well, not pleasant and pushes almost every button emotionally and psychologically. I can’t work at that project more than an hour or so without nearly losing my mind. So much stuff that has just piled up in a drawer or a corner of a room or wherever. So much stuff. So many memories (not all good ones, by the way).

During my cleaning project I find interesting things I didn’t know I had (hidden among all my junk). My old membership card in the Screen Children’s Guild and my brother’s Screen Actors Guild membership card.

Anyway, after reading a book on Swedish Death Cleaning a while back, I realized it was time to get my stuff in order and clear out a lot of junk. It’s going to take hundreds of hours more to get where I want to get, but I’m steadily working at it. Thank God my spouse is very supportive, or I know I’d never get through this without losing my mind. And it’s not easy to think of the end of life as I’m doing all of this, and that is what is on my mind as I proceed in doing this almost daily activity. We don’t like to ponder this subject much, do we? But we’ve got to, as I see it.

So, let me turn to another subject that I wrote about a while back, lifetime learning. I used to sell educational and motivational cassette tapes for about twenty years as a second job besides my airline job. I bought tapes from several companies and sold them in different stores as my own business. I guess I had an interest in education and motivation and it was an enjoyable job being a distributor of the products.

Some of my current, recent study in my lifetime learning project.

When I closed down that business a while back, I had quite a collection of the tapes leftover and I just stored them away in my garage for years. Well, as I stated in my blog many months ago, I came across those stored tapes and thought, what will I do with these? Just throw them away or perhaps listen to them? Many of the tapes I had not listened to, especially the more academic ones on philosophy and religion and psychology, etc. Well, I started to listen to them and decided I would like to transfer them to CDs and start a library of them for my own “continuing education,’ or lifetime learning as they call it now.

I did convert the best ones to CDs and started an in-depth study of the subjects I was interested in. As I was doing that tape to CD conversion I came across a CD and a DVD I had that I purchased from an educational company years ago. I got a catalog from that company one day urging me to come back and try out another course of theirs. I somehow resisted the urge to toss out that catalog and decided to give that company another chance to interest my curiosity in subjects of my interest. Well, I ordered a course of college / university lectures, and I was hooked. I have since purchased many, many additional courses in my fields of interest. Yep, they got me addicted to lifetime learning.

So, with the pandemic keeping us pretty much isolated and at home for many months, I have occupied much of my time with my two current projects. My death cleaning and my continuing education. Really had the time to devote to the projects and they did consume my time and energy. I’m clearing out my life substantially of unnecessary stuff and I’m putting into my life some good, intellectually and academically stimulating education and learning. It is a good feeling. I guess you could see it as, “out with the old and in with the new.”

So, is my lifetime learning/continuing education a challenge for me also? Ah, yes. I do not claim to be an intellectual or an academician. In fact, far from that. I’m just an average person, intellectually, as I see it. I have favorite subjects which I really enjoy and do understand to some extent. Then there are subjects I just do not seem to comprehend much. But that’s okay, really. The science courses I really don’t understand much at all. Way beyond my grasp. Oh, well, I do them anyway and perhaps later will make some sense of them. But the subjects I really have an interest in I enjoy immensely.

I am enjoying the history, philosophy, religion, psychology cultural courses. I’ve done a lot of study recently on evil and finding that subject is very relevant to today’s world, especially the political world. Studying Hitler’s Empire, I find very revealing on how people fall into a cult-like authoritarian political mind set. Evil has always been around as history has shown. A lot to be learned by studying it.

So, if we pick our addictions, I’m pretty satisfied with mine. A cleaned up, simplified, organized life, and an open mind to learning more about our world. I don’t need a recovery or twelve-step program for my current addictions. I’m glad about that.

Wally

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Winner or Loser? [Post # 79]

So, which are you? Do you think like this? Is this what life is all about? Look at our culture, our world, history, psychology and religion and philosophy. I know, I know, this is how it goes in life. You are either a winner or a loser. Blah-blah-blah.

So easy to fall into this way of thinking if you listen to our world, our society and culture. So, did you make it in this life? If your field of employment was in acting and performing, did you become a movie star? If you were an attorney, in the practice of law and the justice system, did you make it to the Supreme Court? If in politics, the presidency or perhaps a governor or senator? If you’re a real winner, shouldn’t you have made it to the top in your field? Take a self-improvement course or get into a new age type of self-improvement cult and you’ll be told you can have it all, be anything you want, etc., etc.

Okay, there is some truth to this very optimistic and positive thinking way of life. Yes, indeed, some of us do make it “to the top,” but then there are the rest of us. How do we feel about our lives? Within ourselves, how do we feel about all of this, making it or not making it, being a real winner or a loser?

Our culture is built upon the whole competition theme. Everywhere. It seems everything is a competition. We have to beat others to be a success. Of course, in sports this is necessary as that’s what it is all about, competition and winning. I get that. But what I’m saying is that’s great in the world of sports but perhaps it is not always so good in other areas of life.

Got to do a little work in the Hollywood industry. This was a scene from a TV movie in the 1980’s. Does this make me a “winner? No, just a fun experience I had.

How many people have ended their lives by suicide because they felt they were a loser? They didn’t meet some standard they believed was a real measure of a person’s worth. They felt they were a failure. So sad. Such wrong thinking.

So, what about us, regular people, not trying to climb to the top of society? I feel we still are affected by this pressure to win, beat others, come out on top, put others down, etc. Like I said, there’s some merit and purpose to “competition” in life, but I think it is way overdone and can cause a lot of damage and ill will.

As I see it, we should only be concerned with our own personal path in this brief life. My path is my path. My path is not your path. I don’t need to meet some arbitrary standard society tells me is the way to go, the way to be a “success.”

So, this may not be a popular way of seeing things in our world. And that may be a problem that many people have. They therefore feel a bit miserable in life. That’s sad. I say be who you are, do what you want in life. I have and I am doing my life my way. I have done the things I have dreamed of doing. I have a great feeling of accomplishment and happiness and joy by following my path in the life given to me.

People don’t have to understand your life. You are the one who needs to understand your life. I believe you can be something like a janitor your whole life and have a good life if that is what you love and that is what gives you purpose and satisfaction and fulfillment. Not a popular way of thinking for most people, but I have known such people.

I must say that it helps to have a long life. When you have a long life, you have an opportunity to see how all the parts of life fit together. The puzzle finally makes sense if you “keep on the path.” When I look at the lives of friends who have not had the blessing of a long life, some left this world not having done what they wanted to do. They had unrealized dreams and suddenly had to depart this life.

So, I am thankful for all of my life. Especially thankful for a long life in order to understand it all. Not thrilled to have it all end but thrilled to have fulfilled my dreams and to have loved and been loved. This is what I wish for all. If this is your life, you are a “winner” as I see it. The societal standards of winning and losing are not a part of how I view life.

Wally

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I / We Choose [Post #76]

Okay, my view of life is that it’s hard. Yes, it’s hard. I would think most people would see what I’m saying and agree. Some may not. If you just view life as easy-peasey I say great… carry on, enjoy it all. But I think most of us know better. Most of us have struggled at times, been hurt and damaged at times. Been put down, treated badly, misunderstood, and on and on. We call those periods “dark times.” Visited by many of us at various times on this path. Hopefully those times were brief and temporary and if needed, we sought and got help and assistance from good friends and perhaps professionals. And we then carried on, with new knowledge learned from those lessons. I put myself in this category. Been put down, hurt, and learned my lessons and moved on to better living. Found a spiritual component in life and found and experienced love on the journey.

I think the greatest lesson learned is that for most of life, it unfolds and plays out before us because of what we choose. A hard lesson to learn. And a caveat is needed here. I am not one of those that preaches or teaches that all that happens is our choice. I know some so called spiritual and religious people say such things, but I adamantly do not. I see evil in the world. I know people can be cruel. I know horrible abuse happens that is not our fault. Disagree with me on this if you must, but that is my stand. There is a lot of karma out there in the world. Lots of consequences from people’s bad actions and choices.

But, except for the above situations, so much of our life is a result of our choice. I had to make some difficult choices at times and go against what people and society and culture told me to do. It was sometimes easy and sometimes very difficult. The point is that life turned out as it did because of the choices that were made. And, at this stage I can say it turned out to be a very good life. A very amazing life. The shadows were faced and conquered and transcended.

And, of course, we all know those people that made bad choices, some very bad choices and their lives ended up not being very good lives. Consequences, karma, whatever you want to call it. Choose bad, wrongly, and face what comes. A law of life, eventually. Yes, the Bible does at times teach that the bad people get a lot of good things and possessions, and the good people can get misery and experience bad things happening, but in the long run I think it eventually works out. Just my perspective.

So, choice. That’s the key to living a good life as I see it. I choose the good. I choose the true, the truth, the best. I choose love. At this point in life, I see love as “it”. The secret. The whole point of life. Everything else comes and goes. Yes, enjoy all the good of life. “Good, come to me,” I say. Yet, at the same time I know that the good is not “IT.” I cannot be fooled. I’ve been around too long. I’ve seen too much. I have paid attention. I’ve seen the deeper facts of life. I know too much, as I see it.

So, I say, do whatever works for you to live the best life. Practice right thinking. Do good things. Do philosophy, don’t just read it. Find a spiritual path if that’s in alignment with how you see things and want to live. Do a religion if that works, but don’t succumb to authoritarian leaders and institutions and doctrines and beliefs. Proceed with caution and deep thinking and study. There are many ways to live. Choose wisely.

I’ve chosen to accept and draw to me all the good of life. I’ve chosen love. Compassion, awareness, truth. Ain’t no turning back now, baby. Been there, done that… now I’m doing this. Amen.

Wally

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Where Are You on the Broadcasting Spectrum? [ Post #75 ]

A lesson in life that took me a long time to see and understand is that we are all broadcasting systems, just like the radio frequency spectrum in the ethers. In my childhood and youth, I was not aware of the energy out there in my environment, in my household, my neighborhood, my schoolyard, etc. Now, in my mature years I see it. I see how all my life I have been affected by the energies surrounding me in my personal, intimate environment. Now I see it. Well, as they say, “better late than never.” I just wish I had seen all of this earlier. Would have made life much easier, I’m sure.

A recent book covering this subject

Today, we have the phenomenon of Facebook and the rest of social media, and we can literally see that our friends and family and others are broadcasting their thoughts, feelings, opinions, loves and hatreds all the time on their postings, etc. We cannot escape it now.

Growing up, I was not aware of the energies and such that people around me were transmitting out to me all the time. Is it any wonder that many, if not most of us, grow up feeling less than good about ourselves? Not having the best self-concept of ourselves, not a great deal of, if any, self-love or self-acceptance? And some people are hurt or damaged for much of their lives. Spending the rest of their lives in recovery, so to speak.

But now we are adults, hopefully, and most of us are better adjusted to life and our social and familial environments. Yes, perhaps, but still, every day of our lives, we are “broadcasting.” We are broadcasting our “selves,” the selves that we think are our true selves. And what we broadcast daily can affect others around us. I know that I pick up people’s vibes pretty quickly and clearly when I’m out in the world socially. How about you?

So, just like the news media, we are broadcasting daily, 24/7 as they say. And just what are we broadcasting? Good news, bad news, dark, murky news? Absolute pessimism? Hope and optimism? Faith in life, the future, love? Think about that. I have. We are not perfect, of course, so there are always our “off days,” our down days, our times to retreat and recover our more healing energies. There are times I need to turn off the news. Turn off the annoying people in my life. It doesn’t matter if they are just acquaintances, friends, or even family. Enough of the crap. I need to live the good life, as this is the only life I have right now. Go elsewhere if you are just going to spew your emotional poison. I can deal with honest, even dark conversation, but it’s got to be real and have some boundaries if we are to accomplish some progress on this path, as I see it.

Another good book recently published

So, bringing this down to the personal level. How do I live my life? How should I live my life? What are the options in living my life and broadcasting my feelings and thoughts of things? We do have choices, you know. We choose how we will live our lives. We do not just default to whatever is there in our life. I’m not discounting real depression or grief or whatever. Of course that is all part of life. But I’m saying that most of us have a lot of choice in our daily living. Some people have made great changes in their lives in the emotional and psychological dimensions, myself included (ask anyone who has known me over a very long time).

So, today. Here we are. As I see it, we have to be very careful today of what influences we allow into our lives. The news media will bombard us with the negative aspects of life. Social media will expose to us our friends and family and others who have a lot of anger and hate to spew forth. And on and on it goes.

I have to be on guard all the time of what is entering my environment. I have to have some control over my personal life or others will step right in and promote their crap, their negativity. I am careful of how I respond to things around me, the talk I’m exposed to, the triggers people try to send my way. I now know that I am a broadcasting system and I am the person in charge of my broadcasts. I have been careless in the past but now I am very aware of how it all works. And, as I don’t have a lot of time left (not the decades and decades I used to have), I want to ensure that my life is the best possible, now that I have gotten myself this far. Love, happiness, joy, gratitude and bliss are what it is all about now. I hope many of you share a similar outlook on life at this point. It is the best life as I see it.

Wally

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I Hate It! [ I Don’t Like It ] [ Post # 72 ]

Hate is a word I do not use much. I do not use it in referring to people. Oh, there are people I strongly dislike, people that I may see as full of evil and psychological sickness. But I refuse to use the word “hate.” Just my thing. My way of seeing things. But I will use that word to describe the state of things right now, the state of the world right now. I hate the way things are, I do not like it; I am pissed. I am living in a world I never imagined experiencing before.

In the past few years the hate has come out of the closet, so to speak, in our society, our politics, our daily living. It was not like this before. Yes, we have always had different views of life and politics, religion, etc. We’ve had Republican and Democratic presidents, conservatives and liberals and moderates and centrists in our political scene. We’ve had tough times and better times. But we have never had it like it is now. People are so worked up, so angry, so extreme. Thirty percent of our American society seem to want a dictatorship, regardless of what the popular vote may be. About the same percent, it seems, actually want a civil war in our streets. They are all excited about such a prospect. I hear it every day. What’s going on?

And, on top of all this, there’s this damn virus. I’m beginning to believe that it is not going to go away in my lifetime. We can’t even agree or work together in eliminating this thing from our world. All we do is fight each other and throw out these conspiracy theories, etc. And as for going about travel like we used to… it’s not happening anytime soon. No freedom to travel freely as in the past and fights breaking out onboard airliners among these factions of people. Yes, I hate this new world.

I’ve even heard the “super spiritual” people say oh, this is all good. This is God’s plan. God has created a perfect world, this is the best of all possible worlds. Huh… a bit wacky of a perspective I say. Ain’t buying that crock. We are doing this. Doing this to ourselves.

So, yes, I’m mad, I hate this, I am pissed. I do not like what I see humanity doing with all of this. As I explained in a previous blog, I have to seek out and find good news out there so that I don’t lose my mind watching all of this on the news every day.

I have a friend that had a t-shirt made that had the statement on it of “Blessing Happens.” He wore it to counter the popular t-shirts that had the statement “Sh*t Happens,” which I have seen almost everywhere. Wow, you’d think people would like that positive statement he had printed on his shirt, but, well, you guessed it. He got a lot of very negative feedback when out in public and eventually got rid of the shirt. Well, that’s a sad commentary on things, isn’t it?

Hmmmm….

So, I hate this. Yes, the world is very different than a few years ago. So much has changed. I’ve seen the nastiness in friends and family. I have been called vile names like never before. And as for the evangelical Christians… oh, don’t get me started!

Well, I’m just trying to survive this trying time. I have a stronger faith than I have ever had before (thank God). I am seeking and researching the good news that is out there in this world. I am limiting and watching my consumption of the daily news, knowing how it affects us. Just never thought it would be like this. How about you? Hang in there.

Wally

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Living the Good Life? Hmmm… What is the Good Life? [ Post # 71 ]

Like I have all the answers. Like I have any answers at all, really. Like you’re thinking, “who the hell does he think he is?” There are teachers, mentors, gurus, preachers out there who will tell you the answers to any questions about life you may have. Oh, yeah. Get into a movement, a religion, a cult. That will give you answers, direction, guidance, rigid belief systems. Problem solved of figuring out life.

Well, putting my sarcasm aside, I do have some thoughts on this matter of “what is the good life, is it possible, how does one achieve a good life? (Since my blog theme is “On the Path,” “It’s a Wonderful life,” I better have something to back up my theme. So, here’s my thoughts and take on this subject.

Number one, I allow everyone to have, choose their own religion. You love Jesus, great. He’s your savior, great. You follow the Buddha, fine with me. You are a pagan, an atheist, an agnostic, a follower of the wicca religion, okay. That’s your choice. What I’m talking about is how does one live a good life, regardless of one’s religion or belief system. People can be very religious, devout, etc. and be very unhappy, miserable, and depressed for periods of time, or for their whole life.

How do we be happy people? How do we really enjoy life? How do we keep our sanity, keep our heads above water when the wickedness and confusion of the world out there tries to get to us, and often does get to us? A question I think about a lot as I know what it is to slip into negativity and despair when overwhelmed by life in this world.

The quick answers, responses to my question could be the following: Balance; Boundaries; Right Thinking, Good Energy in your environment; Choose any faith or religious path very carefully. I guess I had better expand on my answers a bit, as just throwing out answers does not help very much, I’m sure.

I recently thought about all these matters and realized I should do some work on this problem of living in an insane world and staying on top of things. Succumbing to the insanity is a disaster, as I’ve discovered several times in my long life here on this earth.

I have done a lot of spiritual work and exploration. I have been in different groups in the spiritual realm, church and otherwise. I have had transformational experiences and had great “breakthroughs.” But, still, the world comes at us. The news is not as objective as it used to be in the days of Walter Cronkite and the others, if you know what I mean. Paying too much attention to the “news” drives me crazy; don’t know about you.

In my recent search, I sought out some books and reading on finding some good news in this world. I did find some interesting reading. I realized that yes, we can look for and find “good” news in our midst. But we have to go find it. Believe me, it takes work! A lot of work and intention.

Two books I’ve recently read to help me find “good news” in this insane world.

So, I have begun my work, my search for finding the good news in life, which I know must be out there but we are sheltered from by “the evening news.” When I decide to do something, I dig in and see where my research goes. Unfortunately, a lot of my work, my research, is done on my own. Not many people I know are on a search for good news, they just absorb what they age given by society and and media.

So, my discovery is that, yes, there is good news out there, but, like I said, it takes work to find it. I wish more people were attuned to the other side of the news. It would give more balance and perspective to our lives.

More good books on finding the “good news” in our world.

So, my “holier than thou” message today is, “don’t buy the bs that all is bad in the world. Look elsewhere than the daily news broadcasts. Yes, I am aware of the sh*t in the world. But I can’t be overwhelmed and destroyed emotionally by the horrors in life. Yes, you can get involved in a cause you strongly believe in, but I say, “watch out.” It can destroy you if you are not careful, aware, and keep a balance in your life with the good that is out there also.

My growing library of “how to find the good news” in life.

Be good to yourself! Find the good. Keep a balance in your life. Have boundaries of what you you will let get you down and depressed. Watch the energy you surround yourself with. Be careful, but be real. A lot of history has always been a history of bad stuff, bad people. Thank God for Jesus, the Buddha and others who have given some guidance in this arena. They saw the good and the bad in life. They gave some good advice and techniques and ways of being and thinking. Study them, their “preaching and teaching.” Then go out there in the world and be happy, enjoy the life you were miraculously given.

Wally