What Matters Most Here?
Please don’t read this blog as personal advice: I don’t know you nor your situation, and even if I did, I wouldn’t presume to know what’s best for you.
You should read everything that I have written as if it is nothing more than the ramblings of a stranger. That is, after all, exactly what it is. That said, I hope that some of my ramblings will stimulate your thinking, and will help you find answers that work for you.
What is this Blog About?
This blog is about my attempts to make the best of my own potential. It is a record of some of the things that I am learning (or aspiring to learn).
A quote from Winnie the Pooh may help me explain why I’m here:
Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump, on the back of his head, behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming downstairs, but sometimes he feels that there really is another way, if only he could stop bumping for a moment and think of it. And then he feels that perhaps there isn’t.A.A.Milne
For a long time, I have felt like Mr Bear; I have felt that there must be another way – not just of coming down stairs, but of living life; so I’ve been trying to figure out what it is.
What Assumptions Does It Make?
I have started with the following assumptions:
- We are each responsible for our own lives.
- Everything in life is governed by timeless, universal principles.
- Success can only come by working in harmony with those principles.
What Inspires this Blog?
Throughout history, people have discovered and rediscovered the important principles of life. They have been expressed in many ways, according to the cultural context in which they were applied, but they are intimately the same thing.
Most cultures, for example, recognize that:
- Everything in this life is temporary.
- We’re responsible for our own actions.
- Things are better if we work together.
Why Does the Blog Quote the Bible?
I glean ideas from all sorts of places, but one of the best sources of wisdom that I have come across is the Bible. I am unashamedly a “Jesus Freak“, but I am convinced that you don’t need to be “religious” to benefit from the wisdom of the Bible, any more than you need to be a scientist to make gravity work for you.
Now, in fairness to my muse, I should also say this: please don’t judge her by my paltry art. What I mean to say is this: I may be inspired by the Bible, but I don’t pretend for a moment that any of my my writing will ever compare to the marvels to be found in that Book of Books. My work is, in comparison, the faintest and dimmest of shadows. If you find anything good here, it is because I have learned from the best; but if you find dross (and you will), the fault is entirely mine. Don’t let my nonsensical drivel dissuade you from enjoying the Real Thing.
Why a Blog?
This blog is blatantly selfish. I enjoy writing these articles, and find it helpful to do so:
- The process of researching and writing them helps me to think about the changes I want to make in my life, and about how I can go about making them.
- Moreover, the process also helps me to stay motivated; to keep pressing forward towards to become the person that I want to become.
- Going public with my thoughts gives me a kind of accountability: it encourages me to make at least some of the changes that I’m writing about.
At the same time, I also hope that my ideas will be of some use to others:
- If some of what I’ve written resonates with you, and it helps you to make changes of your own, then I’m delighted.
- If you dislike some (or even all) of the things I’ve said, then that’s fine, too; a well chosen “enemy” can be more stimulating than the best of friends.
Either way, I hope that my writing will stimulate your thinking. If it does, then I’d love to hear from you. Like most bloggers I crave feedback, and welcome your comments on any of my articles.
Acknowledgements
Original image courtesy stock.xchng.