Taken by change.

The man who looks for security, even in the mind, is like a man who would chop off his limbs in order to have artificial ones which will give him no pain or trouble. -Henry Miller

If there were something I wish for all to know today is that the last thing you should do is is to be taken by change to change.

Change is inevitable, that is understood and accepted... security however is not guaranteed, and the instability of life should be embraced and accepted. A change may be a choice you make which may provide a sense of security in your life which may change who you are, and these are changes not worth making... much like removing your limbs in exchange for artificial ones, there is a chance, you will lose options, lose your versatility and in the end, change your heart for the sake of change.

Never give up who you are... any part of who you are... and never change any part of you to grow up, or to be secure, or to "do the right thing". Much like we were never given the choice of when we spoke our first words, or when we could walk our first steps, let growing up be a natural process... and allow responsibilities to come as you are prepared for them. Don't find yourself scrambling to learn to catch them... but approach them... and take them as they come.

Remember that through wars, through industrialization, and the coming of a civilized world, the earth has not changed for us. We have forced change upon it, however the river still flows as the bridge is built to cross it. Let earth be the example of the strongest being... when change is forceful, there is no option but conform... it may compress, contract... bend, break... but it recovers the best it can, regardless of the pain it feels. But never for us, will the river cease to flow for our convenience... never will the mountain bow so we can walk... and never will the ocean drain for our travels.

Do not yield to others... do not give in for convenience of others... do not be shaken... and do not change. Have faith that you will take things as they come... and not adapt to things which you're not ready for... Change is inevitable and choosing change for a false sense of security is like choosing to sever all options.

Never forget how fun it is to adventure... never forget that in the end, we will find the way... and never forget that if our heart beats... and our mind thinks... we are alive... we still have options... embrace life... and strive to get what you want as opposed to conform... It is your life... reach to get what you deserve... settle for no less. Remember, changing for what you want... or what you believe in is far better than conforming... surrendering... subduing... or changing for something that's convenient.

Orbit.

Abraham Lincoln once said "You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today" yet, the likely reality is as no artist but Relient K says better in "Be my escape" on the album Mmhmm (2004); we so often find ourselves "housing all this doubt and insecurity" then becoming a "hostage to [our] own humanity".

Innate within us is fear, part of human nature... and it is fear which contains us, restricts us and traps us... and fear which leads us to believe that there are alternative solutions and escapes in which others hold the keys to.

As we travel through life, there are times where you will coast... there are times where you will let the current take you... there are times where life is linear, and there are times where you will have guides, directions, maps and certainty in where you go, however there comes a time where you will find yourself in an orbit - from this point on, we are to expect the unexpected, the road forks, and it is up to you to make the decisions and from this point on, you're no longer living the life that you had no choice in.

You find yourself in orbit when you're no longer progressing, always moving, never improving... you find yourself waking to a routine, every day is like any other... and you feel only the challenges and pressures of single tasks, but never reaching goals... you find yourself waiting on a personal plateau for a certain push in a certain direction... that opportunity for you to change your life or you convince yourself that you're building up the courage and strength for a little bit of acceleration to take initiative in your direction and take a risk that will bring you that much further from the stable. Everyone reaches this point at one time or another... how long you stay in this orbit is up to you.

How long do you wish to wait for what you want?

When you find yourself caught in this orbit, ask yourself whether or not you're satisfied with the steady state, whether or not you're satisfied with average.

It is fear, that keeps us in orbit, and it is fear and insecurity that ensures that you wait to escape and see what else the world has to offer. It is fear that urges you to wait for someone to take the steps with you, and it is the fear that makes you seek support or advice.

The reality is that it is up to you to make that leap, and it is you who's holding yourself back.

Why hold yourself back when whenever you make that leap, the responsibilities are there to greet you, regardless of what they may be, they will be there when you get there. Whenever you choose to accept them, that may be up to you, but the reality is that at one time or another, you will need to be there...

If you truly believe that you will never seek change, that there is nothing wrong with coasting and that the orbit is ok, visualize a routine in which you carry out each and everyday... and ponder the question - if your life is the same predictable steady state norm each and everyday, what difference does it make whether or not you wake up tomorrow, as it is simply a carbon copy of the present?

To reach your goals, to grasp your dreams, it is your fears you must overcome, and it is your boundaries you must break. Not surprisingly today is as good as any other to be the best you can be. Being human is essentially limitless. You have the opportunity to be whomever you choose, you have the ability to motivate yourself and achieve what you wish... remember that you can never find another to blame for your failure or your monotonous lifestyle. Whenever it may be... choose to make the leap, the sooner you greet your responsibilities and face your fears, the sooner you will be in a better place.

Realize one thing, if the present is the same as the past as well as the future, orbiting the same day each and everyday, there is no reason to continue. Strive to be the best you can be, push to be challenged and aspire to always want more. Motivate yourself to improve and always consider how you lived that day to the fullest.

Life is a thirst that should never be quenched... for as long as you live, you should always want the most of it... every last drop, taking advantage of each and every moment... life is what you choose to make it and if you choose to orbit... describe to me how fun that merry-go-round is at the youthful age of 35...

Dignity.

Nobody can make you feel inferior without your consent. -Eleanor Roosevelt

Hold your head high... and walk with Dignity. Be confident in yourself, your actions and stand tall with authority and dignity. It's easy to be a victim of a self fulfilling prophecy when individuals plant seeds of a failure in your head, it's hard to over come adversity, and fulfill your hopes, your dreams and desires. It's important to plant your goals... your hopes and dreams and nourish them... you can succeed... you will succeed, you will survive.

It's easy to kill the weeds; its difficult to remove the roots. Though you may be an annoyance to some... the relentless pursuit of success you strive to sustain rooted in your self esteem makes it impossible for you to fall. It is that which you must achieve... such that no weather, no elements and no human can touch your natural place... nothing can shake you...

A small seedling, sapling, is often denied light from its surroundings, strives to scrounge for nutrients from the dirt which roots ancients... but it grows... it overcomes... and becomes a new pillar in the forest. We are often suppressed, repressed by those above us... pushing us down with words, stereotypes and discouragement, but it is you who can lift yourself and dust yourself off... it is no one's life but yours... it is your well being, it is your legacy... so in the end... what are those influences but obstacles and distractions. In the world of animals it is survival, in our daily lives, it is success... it is up to ourselves as individuals to attain what we need, what we want.

No matter how much we get stepped on... no matter the discouragement... no matter the conditions, we must grow as individuals, we must fight for out place and strive to reach our place in the sun... only we can choose to give up... only we can choose to allow those factors to hold us down... even the smallest trees never give up... until they wilt... until they dry... they fight.

It is our responsibility... hold your head up high... fight to survive... if a battle is to be lost, it should be with dignity... with authority... and you should not be ashamed... you should not lie down... it is inevitable you will be stepped on... it's whether or not you push on... and stretch to bathe in the sun and the rain that nourishes... cleanses and revitalizes.

The struggle leads to success... the recognition, the reputation, the legacy... the satisfaction... that is success. Whether or not you're the biggest, the best, the strongest... that doesn't matter... it's what you did to get where you are.

Tell me your story... about your dignity... about your fight... and how you've overcome adversity.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could

-Excerpt from Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken"

So many decisions, so little time. So many ways we could go... all with their advantages, all with their advocates... all with their dilemma's. In the end... how do we know which way is right... what opportunities are left... and which way is best?

Unfortunately... the path of life cannot be re-walked... we can only walk with advice, walk with our friends or walk alone... and with experience we see what each path holds for us and hope for the best. The adventures, the surprises and at times, the downfalls.

When it comes down to the decisions which will decide our lives. Let our hearts guide us... take us where we want to go... don't be guided by the bright lights, by the signs... or by the breath and wind of our peers. Our hearts, our souls will take us to their place... hopefully lead us not to temptation... but deliver us from evil.

How do we be objective with our decisions... with our careers, our friendships, our families, our loves, and our personal lives... How do we prioritize? How do we find the path that is in the best interest of all of the above...? The reality, is there never is a best choice that will provide all the desired outcomes... just like the baccarat table will never just be dealer... it will never just be player... it's knowing when we've lost... knowing when we're ahead... and seeing the bright side of things.

With decisions... its best for us to ignore the surroundings... ignore the paths... ignore the lights... ignore the guide... and follow what guides us best... our hearts. Even we lie to ourselves... but it is rare we beat fate... it is rare we beat probability... and in the end, the house will win... and the outcome will play as it should. It's just our goal to ensure we're reducing our losses and make the best of it.

Life has its ups and downs... often more downs than ups... but we need to make the best of it... cherish our successes... and see how our decisions are ours... be grateful, we've done the best we could for ourselves...

Familiarity.

“Familiarity breeds contempt. How accurate that is. The reason we hold truth in such respect is because we have so little opportunity to get familiar with it." - Mark Twain

Familiarity... we take advantage of what is familiar. Find it tedious, boring, and often annoying. The same old routine, day in day out... little do we know what its like to be lost... for it to all be gone. What is routine today may not have been routine a year a go... a decade ago, a century ago. Even for us, from school to work... from work to retirement. Our city streets, our buildings, what does that familiarity mean for us.

Look at our streets and look at the history they carry... the buildings from the century past, the memories and those who lived in that time, how what exists now is so different, so much more dramatic, so confusing. How telephones went from prestigious to the norm, then to cordless phones, cellular phones, e-mail, Blackberry's; the world is ever changing; the world a decade from now will be a different one. And it will be one less personal than last decade. Where the norm will be your own... and the norm will be your self driven, narrow minded, idealistic world.

The key is to learn to appreciate our environment. Take a look around us and realize, we will never know a place better than home. A different neighborhood, a different city, a different country... where you don't know the people, the houses... the sights, the sounds the smells. Just imagine. Think of the bus routes, the roads, the highways... the memories. Another city is a world apart. Imagine another country. To not know the restaurants, the menus, the traditions... we take for granted all the knowledge we've accumulated about the place we live and the things which surround us.

Communication is something we take for granted. The language we share, the culture we share, all the things we have in common yet we select the things which are different to discriminate against each other. Instead of embracing our differences, we begin to hate them... and we find the norms and the familiarity lackluster... what then do we take value in.

We need to embrace the past, both the world's and our own... recognize history and what it's taught us. Recognize our role in the present and for the future. Be thankful for what we have and the knowledge we are blessed with. Be blessed with understanding, with the ability to move freely, to make decisions, and be thankful you live in a place where you can belong. Familiarity breeds contempt, but what it should breed is thanks, for what does not change cannot hurt us, what does not change cannot surprise us, and what does not change cannot go wrong.

There's no place like home.

A time

For everything there is a season,
And a time for every matter under heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal;
A time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
A time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to throw away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
A time to embrace, And a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to seek, and a time to lose;
A time to keep, and a time to throw away;
A time to tear, and a time to sew;
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate,
A time for war, and a time for peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

Indeed there is a time, and who is to say that any time is specific for one feeling... for one action or one thought? Many a time, many of these occur at once in the same individual and us as humans should never take time for granted and simply experience one event or one emotion, but embrace everything we can in the little time we have. When time is up, all that remains shall be regret... and unfortunately we're not the one to decide when the clock stops.

We should not only embrace and celebrate our own lives, but others and embrace relationships between each other... realize the impact we have on each other's lives and how not any one individual can live alone. With so little time, how do we find ways to hate each other, to wage war, a time to refrain, when in shortly it may be a time to die. The time that may come where there are no goodbye's as it is too late.

In our relationships, we don't always appreciate them until their gone... miss them until its too late, or thank them until you've lost the opportunity. Make sure your friends know how much you truly value them, what they've done for you and how they've personally impacted your life.

Take advantage of the little time we have together, but never take advantage of who you have. Never forget your friends, never neglect your friends, never waste the time you have. We have less than you think. Recognize how others have enhanced your lives, how the interactions have improved your life, taught you so much... and be thankful you're not alone. Time is one of the few things we can't get back along with life... so neither of them are to waste.



Rest In Peace - J. Lee - April 1974 - September 2006

A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends. ~ Friedrich Nietzsche

You credit Nietzsche and your experience for your wisdom, but I credit you for teaching me so much in the little time we had together. I will forever possess your spirit in me. Thank you so much for everything you gave me. You've touched my life as an individual, as a friend, as an intellect, as a mentor, as a writer, as an artist, and so much more. I'm thankful for the time we had together and I'm thankful that I was blessed with our meeting. I miss you, and I hope that from that better place you're in you're watching over this "lunatic asylum" we've created for ourselves. Watch as I try to make this world a better place... You are amazing Jason; spirit, mind and body... with so much love, so much strength, and I say with honesty, much of me lives in your image hoping someday I will understand half of what you do. Someday, once again I will shake your hand, and we shall speak of the subtleties of life... for now I will continue to attempt to embrace all the little things. I miss you dearly... may you rest in peace.

Black & White

Do you dream in color… do you dream in black and white? One thing’s for sure… life is beautiful, and that is black and white, plain and simple. Beauty however… comes in many colors. We as individuals must learn to recognize the colors and appreciate life. Things change with time… as the leaves fall to the ground, the leaves change in color… showing the beauty that lies beneath. Though things may not always be the same… things may not always look as they did, there is beauty that lies beneath. There are amazing things to uncover. Though it is not always evident, it is important that we look for the colors which can make life beautiful.

Recognize the colors of your life now… and appreciate them. Do not live life caught up in the search for the pot of gold and miss out on the beauty of the rainbow… Let’s embrace our youth and the spring of our lives… embrace the beauty of fall… as in the winter of our lives, its too late to search through the white and find the things we missed out on appreciating in the summer months. Take advantage of every day of every season, as time presses on no matter what, a day ends with one to follow. No way to look back, and no assurance that you’ll be part of the one which follows.

The beauty in our lives can be found in many places, taking colors from those who surround us, we’ll have a beautifully colored palate and our life is gigantic canvas for us to paint the picture of our life on. Never neglect the colors… and avoid conservative use of the canvas… its enormous. Try new things, and embrace what we create. There are little mistakes along the way, but they can be covered up and just a part of the process. There are portions which you may love better than others, but they all contribute to the whole picture. Appreciate the colors… step back and look onto your work of art.

Stand out… be colorful and be noticed. Thank everyone who’s given you a color to use… thank those who’ve filled up your picture with beautiful colors, memories and have made your art beautiful. Thank those who’ve helped put beautiful images on your canvas. Thank those who’ve guided your brush… thank those who’ve fueled your desire to paint... look to those who you’ve painted beautiful things for… and when you’re done you’ll see that you’ll have a beautiful work of art filled with memories, love, friendship, hope, faith and so much more. Make sure your canvas isn’t plain, make sure it’s colorful, and make sure that it is representative of your vision. Never forget the process and never forget… the beauty that lies beneath.