A New Day

The day is new, yet not many are up to enjoy it. Perhaps there are more than I think. Perhaps there are more people who are sleepless for reasons held within their hearts. Even though these reasons may be considered positive or negative by the opinionated eye, I think that these instances are neither good, nor bad. I do not condemn these sleepless nights when they occur because I consider them my body's way of telling me of its struggles. Or that the thoughts wisping around my subconscious have become so intense and focused that I need to wake stay up or wake up to fully realize what my life is offering me at the present.

I cherish these moments and I hope that I can continue to learn and heal within and between these moments in the future.

Namaste

The Journey

I wake from my sleep covered in light morning dew. I rise and take deep breaths of crisp air into my lungs. There is a path in front of me that leads to a sea that is barely out of view. On either side of the path are tall pine trees that reach toward the heavens. Above lies a deep blue sky with visual remnants of dissipating stars. I take another breath and begin to walk as I exhale.

This path on which I walk is the path of acceptance. The path will get rough in some spots, only to be followed by ever smoother ground. Each hill I conquer is followed by an even larger one. I will navigate this path until the path finally runs into the sea. It will be a long journey, but it will all be worth it once I reach the vibrant waters.



This is the sea of understanding. The water and the sky appear to be the deepest shade of purple, but which is mirroring the other, I have yet to determine. As I enter the water I realize that I can only wade for so long and in order to reach the next part of my journey, I need to fully submerge. I will immerse every fiber of my being as I use the water as a means with which I will travel. Although the current will push against me in some spots and threaten to pull me under, I will persevere. I will persevere because the only way to transition my acceptance into understanding is with great amount of dedication in times of struggle. Finally, I fully understand the reason that I am here, though the reason quickly escapes my mental grasp. Nevertheless, I continue on.

As I swim, tall cliffs come into view. They rise out of the water as trees sprout from the ground, and their presence seemingly demands a silent reverence. As I near one cluster, I see that they are climbable, but I am urged by some force to press further on. I pass many clusters. Some reach higher than the clouds, others seem to sit unseen on the water like enormous lily pads.

Finally, I see the cliff that has been calling to me since I entered the sea. It is gigantic and has small divots scattered up the cliff as far as the eye can see. As I draw nearer, I realize that these are small caves, though they look only habitable for a short while. They must be caves for resting and shelter when the journey gets rough, but as with all things; the resting has a sure end.

I reach the cliff and know that it is time for me to leave the sea of understanding and scale this massive cliff. A task of this magnitude would have been impossible before the sea, but the waters have made my being strong and willing. I take one last gulp of the waters of understanding and begin my climb upon the cliff of truth.



The cliff strengthens my being as I make progress, but tears at it when I falter. I have been climbing so long that my conception of time has been replaced by the clarity of truth. I no longer am ruled by time, or smothered by anxiety. Truth is the nutrient that satisfies my soul and brings hope to me when I falter. I stop to rest only a few times within the vacant caves. These times are filled with reflection, but I am always urged onward by the yearning for more. I pass cloud after cloud and I feel that I am getting closer to the culmination of my journey.

As I reach my hand further up, as I have done so many times before, I reach flat rock. I pull myself up to rest on top of this mighty cliff. I sit for only a short moment, before standing to walk toward the sun on the opposite side of the cliff. As I near the center of the cliff, I begin to see a shadow off in the distance. It is unmoving, yet I feel the life force calling me toward it. I am entirely consumed by hope as I near this figure. I quicken my pace to a run as my view of the figure sharpens into the form of a person. I slow to a walk when I am twenty paces away, but the figure does not turn. I continue until I am five paces away and I stop.

The figure finally turns and rises to greet me. There are no words exchanged, but I am immediately the subject to the gaze of knowing eyes. We embrace and I notice that this person has skin like the bark of trees, hair that is tough like the path of acceptance, tears that are surely from the sea of understanding, and a smile that is graced with truth. The one thing that strikes me about this person is the extreme amount of peace that I feel within the embrace.

The figure touches a hand to its lips and presses that hand to a spot in the middle of my forehead. I am enveloped in love. I close my eyes and completely give myself over to the sensation of love. As I open my eyes, I realize that the figure is no longer with me. I look around and I see a hazy figure in the distance from where I came. I begin to follow, but am immediately stopped by force, as if to say “No…stay”.

I turn back toward the edge of the cliff and sit down. The sky is painted with a myriad of colors that are sharpened by the sun. I cross my legs, close my eyes, and begin to meditate in the warmth of the sun. As I am engulfed in love and peace, I turn my head toward the sky and whisper, “Let the journey begin”.

Being Human

I am a human being. I am not just human and I am not just being. I will not reject the human aspects of myself, nor will I reject the being (spiritual) aspects of myself. They are neither good nor bad, they just are. My goal in this life is to integrate these two aspects of myself in a way that will allow me to share my core being with others through my human interactions. Many religions and faiths are focused on bringing out the being, while ignoring the human aspects of self. Although emphasizing the being is essential to growth, ignoring or rejecting the human aspects of life is misguided. In a world that so often nurtures us to only cater to our human needs, while ignoring our spiritual needs, it makes sense why religion and faith often aim to do the exact opposite.

However, by ignoring, rejecting, or condemning our human qualities, we will miss out on not only understanding Truth, but also in sharing that Truth with others. It is my belief that a spiritual path that integrates our human and spiritual qualities together will speak to the collective, rather than just a select few. Instead of telling people that the actions, thoughts, or urges that they have are wrong and should be rejected, we may reach more people by nurturing their being and showing them ways to integrate these thoughts, actions, and urges into this being.

We are part human and being for a reason and spiritual or secular paths that emphasize only one of these areas miss out on the true human potential. If we can find a path that integrates fully secular and fully spiritual aspects, then we may be able to make this world a better place. Rather than pitting science and religion against each other, why can’t we find common ground and build a synthesized foundation from there? Wouldn’t we benefit more from cooperation than competition?

Perhaps my views are idealistic and maybe even out of reach, but that is not an excuse for not striving to be better. The only thing that is certain is the present and if we use this present wisely, we may have a future that is entirely different than the present. If we live in the present, then there is no chance for doubt to smother our plans and actions that will create a better world.

Namaste

The Unfulfilled Need

Hello All,

This post may seem a little academic in its content because it is a paper I wrote this past semester. Even though I do not normally post essays, this topic has been on my mind and in my conversations with a few close friends lately. I battled with myself about posting it for a few weeks, but I am choosing to share it with you now. I hope that in the end, you consider it worth the time that it took you to read it.

Thank you again for stopping by and feedback is always appreciated. Peace.


According to British historian Arnold Toynbee, advertising has made Americans materialistic, greedy, overly acquisitive and insincere, but left them personally and spiritually unfulfilled. I agree with this statement because advertising urges consumers to adopt a need that can never truly be fulfilled. This need creates a void within each person that can never be satiated by material items, yet causes us to look to our environment for satisfaction. This environmental focus results in the neglecting of natural internal resources that are better suited to satisfy our desires. Through this essay, I argue that advertising has caused Americans to become increasingly negative and materialistic while leaving them personally and spiritually unfulfilled.

The first argument that supports the belief that advertising has harmed Americans is that advertising creates a need that can never be fulfilled. According to Zinkhan (1994), “advertising provides a powerful way to communicate symbols…[and] values” to mass audiences (p. 1). The main value that is represented in advertising is materialism which each consumer is encouraged to adopt. Due to the fact that each generation creates new requirements for what is needed to survive in the current society, materialism has quickly emerged as the medium through which these needs are focused on and attained (Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton, 1981). This is an effective medium for these desires because materialism is focused on the mantra “more is better.” Once a desire is satisfied and passes through this medium, our focus drifts to our next desire or perceived requirement that we need to live comfortably.

These desires are so vast that our thoughts and actions are now at the mercy of our materialism and propel us into addictive habits that result in consumption for the sake of consumption (Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton, 1981). In other words, individuals in our society no longer engage in consuming behaviors to satisfy their basic physiological and psychological needs, they engage in order to satisfy their habit. Csikszentmihalyi and Rochberg-Halton (1981), have labeled this type of behavior as “terminal materialism [which] refers to this runaway habit of possession where consumption becomes an end in itself” (p. 10). Consumers who fall victim to terminal materialism feel vulnerable and helpless and often incorrectly attribute these feelings to various life events. This self-induced vulnerability is usually quelled by attaining a desire that was instilled by advertising. However, this ultimately results in reinforcement of terminal materialism and any satisfaction gained decreases with each purchase.

The second argument that evidences the negative impact of advertising on Americans is the idea that consumers are incomplete without new products. According to Zinkhan & Prenshaw (1994), advertising portrays visions of the good life, which serves as a stimulant to consumption behavior. However, this “good life” has created a rigid division between those who have material items and those who do not (Zinkhan, 1994). The “have nots” spend their time longing to earn enough money in order to attain the good life and believe that their lives will not be adequate until they do. They often look upon the “haves” with extreme jealousy and rage that motivates them to strive to gain the material good life (Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton, 1978).

Conversely, those who are considered to have the good life actually spend most of their time reassuring themselves that they are only a few resources short from living a good life and focus on seeking out these resources. There has been a loss of contentment in society due to the fact that neither group is ever satisfied in their materialism. Although materialism is at the root of this discontent, Americans have been so conditioned to seek contentment in the external world that they turn to advertising to solve these woes. This cycle plagues our society in such a way that we are not only the victims of materialism; we have also become its biggest promoters.

The third argument references how terminal materialism has caused American society to lose sight of what is important in life and to seek satisfaction externally. Since advertising has Americans convinced that materialism helps to satisfy biological and psychological needs, they have lost the key to happiness and now rely on material goods for contentment. Additionally, people with a high need for materialism are found to have low life satisfaction and as a result American society is now plagued by a high quantity of material goods, but a low quality of life (Sirgy, Lee, Kosenko, Meadow, Rahtz, Cicic, Jin, Yarsuvat, Blenkhorn, & Wright, 1998). Our society’s happiness is contingent on an industry whose main motive is not selling products that will make its consumers happy, but is making consumers believe that products will make them happy. This slight distinction has resulted in a low level of spiritual and personal fulfillment that will only continue to decline unless the direction of this phenomenon is changed.

Although this seems like a dismal situation, the solution to this problem is not eliminating materialism from the world, but is reframing the way that people view advertising and materialism. Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton (1978), distinguished the current form of terminal materialism from a second form called “instrumental materialism,” that provides an escape from this degenerative cycle. Instrumental materialism transitions the focus from products being valued as things to products serving as a means for achieving some other end (Zinkahn, 1994). In other words, the objects no longer represent the desires themselves; they represent the tools with which the desires are achieved. Material goods help people accomplish goals in “health, education, family, work, social relationships, community, neighborhood, and so on” (Sirgy, et al., 1998, p. 141).

Csikszentmihalyi & Rochberg-Halton (1981), state that “the only weapon we have against the deadly power of terminal materialism is the human ability to create meaning” (p. 235). In order to create this meaning, we as Americans must look beyond what we desire from the environment and recognize the contentment contained within ourselves. Once we rediscover this contentment, we will no longer seek meaning from materialism; we will be able to assign meaning to the materials themselves. By redirecting our focus, products will no longer be cherished for the material comfort that they provide, but for the information that they communicate about the owner and his/her relationships with others (Zinkham, 1994).

In conclusion, this essay argued that advertising has caused Americans to become increasingly materialistic in exchange for personal and spiritual fulfillment. I evidenced this statement by showing how advertising creates a need that can never be fulfilled. This need is created by advertisements that constantly tell consumers that they are incomplete without new products. This sense of incompletion has caused Americans to lose sight of what is truly important in life and to seek satisfaction externally. Although the current impact of advertising on society is negative, the power to change this situation lies in the hands of the consumers. By regarding material possessions as a means to achieve life goals, rather than regarding them as the goals themselves, consumers can transcend the lure of terminal materialism. Through this transcendence, American society may be able to rediscover the fulfillment that can be found in the spiritual aspect of human existence.

Unwavering Logic

Logic is the study of reasoning. This reasoning deals with the principles and criteria of validity of inference and demonstration. In other words, it deals with the evidence and arguments that we use to support our statements. We encounter logic on a daily basis and sometimes find ourselves agreeing with parts of logical arguments counter to our own beliefs.

To paraphrase Donald Miller, you can argue the existence of God either way and both arguments are equally well supported. However, people on the extreme ends of an opposing argument are unlikely to even consider that the other has logical points and do not spend much time attempting to refute them with logic. Rather they support them with emotionally laden words that shift the attention away from logic and down an entirely different avenue of thought. To illustrate this, consider these two arguments based on logic:

What is growing in the womb of the woman is alive.
Even one-celled creatures are alive.
What is growing in the woman is more than a one-celled creature

A woman can choose what to do with her body.
A fetus is part of her body.
A woman can choose what to do with the fetus that is part of her body.

The two arguments are based on very simple logic, one pro-choice and one pro-life. I am not extremely well versed in the traditional rules of logical arguments, but I do know that a syllogism is one of the oldest forms of logical proof. These forms of logic are simple at best, but I have heard arguments both ways debated on evidence that have significantly less validity.


These two arguments follow logical reasoning at a very basic level, and I am sure that both logical arguments can be surpassed in value than the ones stated here. Also, I am more than positive, that if I asked pro-choice supporters and pro-life supporters which statement they agreed with and which one they disagreed with they would be able to readily choose. Not only would they be able to quickly make this distinction, but they would be able to follow each statement with logically sound arguments for and against a woman’s right to choose.


Two opposing arguments, argued with seemingly unwavering logic. What is the difference here? Which one is right? Which one is wrong? Are these the wrong questions to ask? The right question to ask would be “why?” Why does someone identify with one logical argument more than the other? The answer here exemplifies one of the true limits of logic.
The limits of logic are vast. However, I believe that these limitations have their source in the nature of logic itself. It is a mental construct that relays information about our personal reality in an organized fashion. Logic is the limited reality that attempts to describe and have qualities of the ideal. This is similar to a quote by Theodore Parker, a Transcendentalist who promoted a form of firebrand Abolitionism during the American Civil War: “As Jesus is to the Bible (the ideal to the limited reality), so is the Declaration to the Constitution.”


Although the Bible attempts to describe and portray the message of Jesus, it will never get close to the meaning of the man himself. The bible has been formed out of these mental constructs that both help us understand things, yet leave us to search for Truth on our own. Similarly, the Constitution attempted to encapsulate the beauty of equality and liberty that is retained in the Declaration of Independence, but failed to provide the rights that are guaranteed within. Just as we can get caught up in what interpretation of the Bible is best or what the forefathers meant when they wrote the Constitution, logic leaves us with only part of the Truth. This part of the Truth can only be expanded by looking to Jesus, the rights guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence, or to Truth itself.


I am not advocating for the complete disregard of intellectual argument, I am just stating that at times we attribute a sense of strength to logic that it does not have. In other words, we promote the idea that logic is synonymous with truth, when in reality it is only a supporting factor of truth; not the entire package. There is nothing wrong with using our mental resources and creating arguments that make sense and follow logical arguments. However, we are treading on treacherous ground when we base our entire arguments on logic and neglect the Truth that is unwavering it itself.


To be clear, when I say Truth, I am discussing the actual True explanations about the meaning of life, rather than truth that deals with facts that differ depending on which worldview or lens that you use. That being said, Truth is the whole picture that we will never truly see until we are no longer included in the frame. So rather than argue from logic, it is often better to trust your inner resources that are propelled forward and supported by the search for Truth itself. By recognizing the distinction between Truth and the logic that can be used to support it, we may be able to quell some of the heated arguments that arise.


Within this blog, though my writings may follow a logical framework, logic is not the driving force. These writings document my search for Truth in this world. I am searching for a sense of certainty; something to cling to when all other meaning falls away. This is why I write and I hope that this is why you read.


Love and Peace

It's My Life...

It's my life. We've all said it at one point. We've probably jammed along with Bon Jovi, Blondie, or No Doubt while they sang songs directly about it. We've uttered the phrase in times of happiness, sorrow, guilt, anger, and relief. We've said and heard it so often that it seems that it has lost its meaning and the weight it should carry.

When was the last time that you truly considered what you were saying? If you are anything like me, I would guess that the answer would be not very recently; if at all. I began to consider this statement and the ramifications that it has. By saying this, I am essentially claiming to have control of a state of being that we actually have little idea of how to control. No matter how much control we believe that we have over our lives, there is always some event that occurs that we did not anticipate. Some obstacle that jumps in the way, just as we think we've gotten everything figured out.

Due to this lack of predictability and understanding, how can we say that we have ownership or possession of this abstract state of being? It's kind of like pointing at some water flowing in a stream and saying that you have control over it. If I made claims such as that, it would not take long before someone called me out as a fool. How could I hope to control water as it is affected by its natural surroundings? The surroundings that cause it to take on energy and create waves, disappear through evaporation, return as condensation, freeze in place, flow freely, return to the earth, or drift off into the atmosphere.

Likewise, how could I claim to have any significant amount of control over something that can change completely from one breath to the next? Interestingly enough, the same natural surroundings that affect water's state of being also similarly affect our lives and how we live them. They can stagnate, flow freely, return to the earth or atmosphere, experience the seeming finality of death, only to be reborn with increased strength into a different experience. This life is easily influenced and quickly altered, can I really fathom attempting to claim that I understand it's ways enough to control it?

However, as I am writing this, it occurs to me that maybe I am looking at this from the wrong angle. Perhaps it is not that we are actually declaring our control of our lives themselves. Instead, maybe we are using this statements as an attempt to justify our actions and the ways in which we exercise our freewill. This seemingly makes sense on the surface. Why shouldn't we be able to do what we want, using the methods that we want? Shouldn't we be able to make our choices independent from the judgment of others?

I believe that we should be able to make our decisions without being judged. However, we should be able to observe others' decisions without passing judgment upon them. Often times, I think that we emphasize the first part of this but easily forget about the second part. However, as you can see, the first and the second statements need to be fulfilled by others and ourselves in order for either to become reality.

This ties into the ideal that we should love our neighbor as we love ourselves, which implies that we have to both love our neighbor and love ourselves in order for this ideal to become a reality. We need to recognize the Spirit that resides within others and treat them as if we are interacting with someone who shares the deepest and truest connection with us that we could ever imagine. By recognizing the God that is within ourselves and others, our purpose in the lives that we claim as our own, not only becomes clear and unique, but also less separate from the other lives that surround us.

Acting upon this knowledge can teach us that although we have different gifts to share with others in this world, our general purpose is to help one another and celebrate in the divine that we recognize in others. Perhaps if I begin to live more attune to my purpose in life, it will spread and others will share this awareness. Perhaps we will focus less on what is best for us individually, and instead what it best for the world as a whole.

Maybe if we live with this in mind, we can discover our true selves and move beyond ourselves. Hopefully we can move to be more love-centered, rather than self-centered. Rather than defiantly stating "It's my life, I can do what I want" we can instead peacefully reflect by saying "It's my life, how can I use it to make a lasting difference on the lives of others?"

It's our life. Let's make sure we don't waste it.

Moderation

Over the past year or so I have moved from being faithless, cynical, and doubtful to faithful, hopeful, and questioning. It had been quite a long time since I was certain of anything even remotely associated with faith. There were ups and downs in my life within that time of faithlessness. In that time, whenever I was at the bottom of the hill I felt stranded there and when I happened upon the top of a hill I was pessimistic about the future, because a high always was followed by a low in my way of thinking. During this time I perceived all of the love I received as conditional, all of the hope as foolishness, and the world itself as being ruled by a dog eat dog mentality.

I was lost and I knew it. I knew that there was more to life than bleeding the hourglass. I knew that somehow, someway, I was meant to do more than supply someone else's demand. I felt like the opening lines of The Script's 'Breakeven' more than I would have cared to admit. Still alive but I'm barely breathing. Praying to a God that I don't believe in. I knew that there was some truth to what I was brought up believing in a twisted version of Christian doctrine. Even though I knew this, how was I ever going to separate the true message from the words of men that were tainted by a desire to have control and a monopoly on truth?

Slowly I realized that just because I wanted to accept God, didn't automatically chain me to the doctrine I was raised to believe. However, as I began to build my own understanding of faith and a relationship with the Spirit, I found myself falling back on my attributions of conditional love to God. I should have known that the spirit holds love that is unconditional. Luckily, I caught myself, corrected my balance, and started moving forward again.

I struggled with the conflict between my previous judgmental ideas and my current ideas of acceptance. I was arguing a futile debate, where the facts seemed to weigh evenly on both sides. In my heart I questioned the religious teachings that some behaviors are inherently bad and should be avoided. On the other hand, I was not sure if there was Truth that surpassed the answers that I had begun to pursue, which would ultimately leave my questions unanswered. I wondered if there were actual lines distinguishing moral actions from immoral ones or if generations before us had taken advantage of the blurred lines to exercise control? Were any of these seemingly trivial "taboo behaviors" really all that important to forming relationships with others, and by design with God?

During the course of this internal conflict, a voice from my past about something seemingly unrelated entered my thoughts:

Everything in moderation, that's all it really takes.

The words were originally my Uncle's advice on how to become healthier and lose weight. Although he was referring to only eating one piece of cake instead of three, the words themselves found me and seemed to be a near perfect fit for my dilemma.

[On a side note, I say near perfect because I realize that there is true morality that lies within all of us. I don't believe that behaviors and crimes such as murder, theft, deception, and others in the same vein can be solved by this mantra. I believe that these types of behaviors can be guided by the golden rule of loving one's neighbor as oneself. It is the 'gray area' behaviors that aren't easily governed by this rule that I am interested in. The behaviors that have been black listed over time to be looked upon with shame and judgment that this moderation mantra truly applies to.]

Using this new frame of mind, I began to alter my thoughts about certain behaviors that have negative connotations and that many religions tell us to avoid. These behaviors include the immediate tabooed behaviors that come to mind, such as drinking alcohol, doing drugs, premarital sex, shopping for wants rather than needs, gambling, swearing, et cetera to the less thought of behaviors that are motivated by vanity, pride, self-interest, et cetera.

Each of these behaviors has the potential power to get us into trouble if we don't pay attention. However, I believe that we can actively engage in them with a conscious effort to maintain or even strengthen our relationship with God. Each of these behaviors, as well as many more, have previously been perceived as distancing actions from God, but I don't buy it. As long as we don't let these behaviors cloud our hearts and our perceptions of our purpose in life, we will be fine.

It seems as though the alternative that I was raised to believe as truth (avoiding the behavior at all costs and judging those who engage in them), no longer holds much water. I now believe that we miss the point when we concern ourselves with whether what someone else is doing is condemning them or not. By participating in these behaviors with a conscious effort on moderation, we will be able to find our own personal balance. This balance will allow us to see what we need to do while engaging in these behaviors to strengthen the relationship we have with others and God.

This mantra may seem somewhat abstract, so to clarify I have thought of certain examples that can apply to everyday life. These aren't groundbreaking, they are just simple ways that we can utilize this mantra in everyday life:

For example, when a person does drugs they should do so with the intent of expanding their spiritual relationship with themselves and others, rather than using it as a pure escape from the problems in reality.

Similarly, when a person drinks alcohol, rather than using it to numb pain or drown sorrows, we can seek to build relationships with others and reframe the experience as one that can broaden our life experience.

When engaging in sex, whether it is premarital or not, we should be focused on knowing and celebrating the person on a different level than we already do, rather than being driven by lust and focusing only on the act itself.

When gambling, if we do by chance win, let our thoughts be driven by a desire to help those in need as well as fulfilling our own needs.

When shopping for our wants rather than our needs, for every outfit that we buy we could give two that we already have away.

The list can go on and on and is specific to each individual. Only we can determine what the right balance is for ourselves at different points throughout our lives.

Although this moderation mantra may not hold true for every behavior that people engage in, I believe that moderation is a decent guideline to follow when our body, mind, or soul is conflicted about a certain behavior. In my experience, I have found the balance to be a tricky one to maintain, but with time I have learned to catch myself. When I feel I am letting a behavior or emotion cloud my ability to truly love and serve others, I am able to step back and reevaluate.

We all create our own dance to navigate through this life, but we are not left to fend for ourselves. If we truly listen, this dance can be guided by the steady beat of our own hearts and the beautiful song of our souls.