“Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people." - Spencer Johnson
Many have told the airplane analogy of flying from L.A. to New York. As an airplane pilot flies the plane across the United States there or any place at all for that matter, they have to fight the elements outside. Mainly wind will constantly blow the airplane off course. So constantly then the pilot is course correcting and resetting the coordinates so that they will end up at the right destination. If they are off just one degree... they will end up hundreds of miles away from their destination.
By doing small little course corrections through the whole flight they are able to remain on course and reach their destination. A simple task makes the whole world of difference. It is the same with integrity. Using the principle of small and simple things, your integrity is not only maintained, yet it increases the level of trust people have for you. The best we can do at being perfected is to have constant course correcting of integrity and constantly seeking to receive truth and knowledge. When we receive these little gems, they become a part of us that will define our character.
The B Side To The Truth is to be 100 percent authentic with your own integrity. Whether with others or by yourself, course correct and perfect your integrity and light will shine forth from your eyes that you are honest and pure of heart. That is something all of us lack sometimes. Though we can not force another to be honest with us, we can be an example to all and ourselves by taking this action step when it seems no one else is willing.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Laws The Create Also Destroy!
“What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: Our life is the creation of our mind.” - Buddha
The ability to create the life we want is solely in our mind. The power of our mind when connected correctly through our subconscious mind will connect to our "I AM" or what Dupree calls your "ness" I have incorporated it into my signature as your true"ness".
"I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." Psalms 82:6.
There are different laws the govern this universe. They are eternal true principles. These principles only remain truth when they are anchored to truth. Truth is light and anything that is not truth is darkness.
To be able to use these governing laws they must be discovered. Only after they are discovered can they be applied. The problem is applying them without purpose and pure heart to "see" and to "hear" and to "understand" the very essence of your existence. Once these principles are not only discovered, but internalized... then can one take complete control of their life. The danger to not fully understanding them is then inability to watch because it creates a laser focus belief system anchored to the wrong thing. And anything that isn't 100% truth, is darkness.
The B Side To The Truth is we can and must think differently than we have been programmed. We must seek truth, be able to recognize it fully, apply principles/governing laws, and anchor it back to truth. Very few fully understand the part of anchoring it back to truth. We must be able to listen to our conscience and know truly what our conscience is. Because the life we want, will be the life of truth, yet our ego many times can trick us... even down to the smallest point.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
The ability to create the life we want is solely in our mind. The power of our mind when connected correctly through our subconscious mind will connect to our "I AM" or what Dupree calls your "ness" I have incorporated it into my signature as your true"ness".
"I have said, Ye are gods; and all of you are children of the most High." Psalms 82:6.
There are different laws the govern this universe. They are eternal true principles. These principles only remain truth when they are anchored to truth. Truth is light and anything that is not truth is darkness.
To be able to use these governing laws they must be discovered. Only after they are discovered can they be applied. The problem is applying them without purpose and pure heart to "see" and to "hear" and to "understand" the very essence of your existence. Once these principles are not only discovered, but internalized... then can one take complete control of their life. The danger to not fully understanding them is then inability to watch because it creates a laser focus belief system anchored to the wrong thing. And anything that isn't 100% truth, is darkness.
The B Side To The Truth is we can and must think differently than we have been programmed. We must seek truth, be able to recognize it fully, apply principles/governing laws, and anchor it back to truth. Very few fully understand the part of anchoring it back to truth. We must be able to listen to our conscience and know truly what our conscience is. Because the life we want, will be the life of truth, yet our ego many times can trick us... even down to the smallest point.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
You are what you say you are, Unconsciously.
"The mind is everything. What you think you become" - Buddha
All day every day we hear things, we see things, and we say things. What we hear, see, and say will mold who you are all day long. How you continually see yourself, tied with enough emotion, you will become that. While listening to music on the radio or even constant back ground noise, this is effecting your subconscious mind and allowing you to create a belief system of what is constantly going in to your mind. Your speech is a continual affirmation that is affirming over and over again how you view the World. So if you continue to hear, see, and say things that are negative... you will continually develop a negative mindset.
The key is to anchor your mind to the things that create clarity. If you do not consciously do this, then unconsciously you will. And that is creating a life and mindset by default. Because a life with out understanding or knowing causes fear, one of the strongest emotions in the human body. The longer you stay in the same mindset, the harder it is to unravel the belief system and create a new one.
“AUTOSUGGESTION is a term which applies to all suggestions and all self-ad-ministered stimuli which reach one’s mind through the five senses. Stated in another way, auto-suggestion is self-suggestion.” - Napoleon Hill
The B Side To The Truth is you create all day long your mindset and your view. What you constantly focus on, whether intentionally or not, will become your reality. So create the mindset of happiness and success. Just be careful and do not confuse success with money.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
All day every day we hear things, we see things, and we say things. What we hear, see, and say will mold who you are all day long. How you continually see yourself, tied with enough emotion, you will become that. While listening to music on the radio or even constant back ground noise, this is effecting your subconscious mind and allowing you to create a belief system of what is constantly going in to your mind. Your speech is a continual affirmation that is affirming over and over again how you view the World. So if you continue to hear, see, and say things that are negative... you will continually develop a negative mindset.
The key is to anchor your mind to the things that create clarity. If you do not consciously do this, then unconsciously you will. And that is creating a life and mindset by default. Because a life with out understanding or knowing causes fear, one of the strongest emotions in the human body. The longer you stay in the same mindset, the harder it is to unravel the belief system and create a new one.
“AUTOSUGGESTION is a term which applies to all suggestions and all self-ad-ministered stimuli which reach one’s mind through the five senses. Stated in another way, auto-suggestion is self-suggestion.” - Napoleon Hill
The B Side To The Truth is you create all day long your mindset and your view. What you constantly focus on, whether intentionally or not, will become your reality. So create the mindset of happiness and success. Just be careful and do not confuse success with money.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Routine Maintenance
“Another flaw in the human character is that everybody wants to build and nobody wants to do maintenance.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
There are five different realms to a human being: Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Social, and Financial. To create the ultimate B Side of a human... (One's best self which is more than likely completely opposite of how you have been programmed by your environment over many of years)... there must be routine maintenance.
How does one do routine maintenance? Here are a few steps:
1. Schedule regular time daily to do the things that stimulate the body, mind, and soul as one.
2. ASK QUESTIONS during this time. Typically we know not, because we inquire not.
3. Silence, Meditation, Ponder the subject, write in a journal the thoughts that come to your mind. Those who say I don't work like that, it's because you haven't been programmed like that. So you must work extra hard to program yourself to do this part... other wise with no silence, all you hear is noise and you will not get the answers to your questions because you will not hear them.
4. Apply what you have learned.
As I have began to study and train Brasilian Jiu Jitsu the last couple of months I have realized one key element to better understanding of it and getting better at it. It is the ability to ask the question HOW. Find out what you do not know always by asking questions.
The B Side To The Truth is most people have no idea anyways... yet because of the way we have been programmed we often times do not question things... especially how to do things. We have created a false fear inside that we will be looked down on for not knowing or understanding. The reality is you must take responsibility for your own life and your own soul and if you do not know how... you better find out by asking questions. After all you are your greatest asset.
Colton -discover your true'ness'
There are five different realms to a human being: Spiritual, Mental, Physical, Social, and Financial. To create the ultimate B Side of a human... (One's best self which is more than likely completely opposite of how you have been programmed by your environment over many of years)... there must be routine maintenance.
How does one do routine maintenance? Here are a few steps:
1. Schedule regular time daily to do the things that stimulate the body, mind, and soul as one.
2. ASK QUESTIONS during this time. Typically we know not, because we inquire not.
3. Silence, Meditation, Ponder the subject, write in a journal the thoughts that come to your mind. Those who say I don't work like that, it's because you haven't been programmed like that. So you must work extra hard to program yourself to do this part... other wise with no silence, all you hear is noise and you will not get the answers to your questions because you will not hear them.
4. Apply what you have learned.
As I have began to study and train Brasilian Jiu Jitsu the last couple of months I have realized one key element to better understanding of it and getting better at it. It is the ability to ask the question HOW. Find out what you do not know always by asking questions.
The B Side To The Truth is most people have no idea anyways... yet because of the way we have been programmed we often times do not question things... especially how to do things. We have created a false fear inside that we will be looked down on for not knowing or understanding. The reality is you must take responsibility for your own life and your own soul and if you do not know how... you better find out by asking questions. After all you are your greatest asset.
Colton -discover your true'ness'
Be Effective, By Jordyn Pebbles
"You can't live principals you can't understand." - Stephen R. Covey
In Stephen Coveys '7 habits of highly effective people' he states the 7 habits that create a high effectiveness in ones life. Inside-Out: The change starts within.
1. BE PROACTIVE: He writes about how life doesn't just 'happen'. It is all created by oneself. We all need to start taking full responsibility for our lives.
2. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND: Are you at the point in your life right now where you are looking to be? Start envisioning in your mind the greatness that you would like to achieve.
3. PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST: There is no need for us to overextend ourselves. This is where # 1 and 2 combine together. Life management. Our purposes, roles, values and priorities. Ask yourself this, "What do I find my greatest worth within?"
4. THINK WIN-WIN: Unlike what we have all been told, life is a cooperative rather than a competitive arena. When we start living like this we start to possess integrity, maturity and an abundance mentality.
5. SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD: How much more important it is to understand the things that are going on in the world that surrounds us! We must learn that communication is one of the most important skills inherited in life.
6. SYNERGIZE: "Two heads are better than one" It is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open mindedness, and finding new solutions to old problems.
7. SHARPEN THE SAW: Preserving and enhancing the greatest assets we have - US! Having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of our life: physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual.
Each and every one of us can live with an abundance of effectiveness. Apply these to your life and see how much your mind and outlook change. Easily will our life goals be achieved.
Jordyn(:
August 16, 2010.
In Stephen Coveys '7 habits of highly effective people' he states the 7 habits that create a high effectiveness in ones life. Inside-Out: The change starts within.
1. BE PROACTIVE: He writes about how life doesn't just 'happen'. It is all created by oneself. We all need to start taking full responsibility for our lives.
2. BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND: Are you at the point in your life right now where you are looking to be? Start envisioning in your mind the greatness that you would like to achieve.
3. PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST: There is no need for us to overextend ourselves. This is where # 1 and 2 combine together. Life management. Our purposes, roles, values and priorities. Ask yourself this, "What do I find my greatest worth within?"
4. THINK WIN-WIN: Unlike what we have all been told, life is a cooperative rather than a competitive arena. When we start living like this we start to possess integrity, maturity and an abundance mentality.
5. SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD: How much more important it is to understand the things that are going on in the world that surrounds us! We must learn that communication is one of the most important skills inherited in life.
6. SYNERGIZE: "Two heads are better than one" It is the habit of creative cooperation. It is teamwork, open mindedness, and finding new solutions to old problems.
7. SHARPEN THE SAW: Preserving and enhancing the greatest assets we have - US! Having a balanced program for self-renewal in the four areas of our life: physical, social/emotional, mental and spiritual.
Each and every one of us can live with an abundance of effectiveness. Apply these to your life and see how much your mind and outlook change. Easily will our life goals be achieved.
Jordyn(:
August 16, 2010.
Monday, August 16, 2010
Experience: Go Get Some
“Experience: that most brutal of teachers. But you learn, my God do you learn.” - C.S. Lewis
As we exponentially grow with people, things, ideas, even more so we are exponentially growing with education. Yet it as if someone has put a mental stumbling block int the way of education by inventing degrees and licenses.
The other day I took my sweet fiance, Jordyn Pebbles, to the IHC Instacare. As she was treated for an hour and half... I sat thinking after... how do we know this guy from Adam? Then went on my way engulfed in the coolness of my slave driving Iphone. Not once did we ask to see his proof of education.
Every March and April 15th we have taxes due. Corporation taxes in March and personal taxes in April (which in my opinion Federal taxes are a joke and the beginning destruction of our great nation). I invest the smart return on my investment of taxes by having hired a CPA. Which has definitely has a degree from a University or College. Yet, now that I recall... not one time have I ever stopped to ask... oh by the way... let's see your degree.
In real estate there are what I would say are three levels of agents: first, non producers which are about 60%; second, average producers with an income of $50,000 to $100,000; and third, producers with an income of $100,000 plus. Yet the degree of energy put in also depends on one's desire to dedicate and get the education to increase their level of performance. Not once has anyone asked to see my license and hardly ever has anyone asked to know where I got my training or education from. Simply in all cases people want to know they can trust you... whether in Real Estate, Accounting, or Medical.
This post was not to undermined the need of education. Yet to emphasis the need for education. And the best educator is experience and self-propelled education. The one thing the Instacare, the CPA, and the producing real estate agents have in common; is an established set of skills they have developed through experience and an image of trust.
The B Side To The Truth is we do not need someone to tell us what we can and cannot learn. If you want to learn something read a book and apply what you learn. The learning curve of experience will teach you the trade.
"I have never let any schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
Colton - Discover your true'ness'
As we exponentially grow with people, things, ideas, even more so we are exponentially growing with education. Yet it as if someone has put a mental stumbling block int the way of education by inventing degrees and licenses.
The other day I took my sweet fiance, Jordyn Pebbles, to the IHC Instacare. As she was treated for an hour and half... I sat thinking after... how do we know this guy from Adam? Then went on my way engulfed in the coolness of my slave driving Iphone. Not once did we ask to see his proof of education.
Every March and April 15th we have taxes due. Corporation taxes in March and personal taxes in April (which in my opinion Federal taxes are a joke and the beginning destruction of our great nation). I invest the smart return on my investment of taxes by having hired a CPA. Which has definitely has a degree from a University or College. Yet, now that I recall... not one time have I ever stopped to ask... oh by the way... let's see your degree.
In real estate there are what I would say are three levels of agents: first, non producers which are about 60%; second, average producers with an income of $50,000 to $100,000; and third, producers with an income of $100,000 plus. Yet the degree of energy put in also depends on one's desire to dedicate and get the education to increase their level of performance. Not once has anyone asked to see my license and hardly ever has anyone asked to know where I got my training or education from. Simply in all cases people want to know they can trust you... whether in Real Estate, Accounting, or Medical.
This post was not to undermined the need of education. Yet to emphasis the need for education. And the best educator is experience and self-propelled education. The one thing the Instacare, the CPA, and the producing real estate agents have in common; is an established set of skills they have developed through experience and an image of trust.
The B Side To The Truth is we do not need someone to tell us what we can and cannot learn. If you want to learn something read a book and apply what you learn. The learning curve of experience will teach you the trade.
"I have never let any schooling interfere with my education." - Mark Twain
Colton - Discover your true'ness'
Friday, August 13, 2010
Fiery Serpents
“Few are those who see with their own eyes and feel with their own hearts.” - Albert Einstein
In the Old Testament of the King James Version of the Holy Bible is told a story of the prophet Moses and those he lead from Egypt. In a nutshell, Israel is plagued with fiery serpents and the people are bitten by them. They cry unto Moses that they can be healed from the fiery serpents. Moses then prays to God that they may be spared from the deadly bites of the fiery serpents. The Lord, God tells Moses to make a fiery serpent and when the people look at it they will be healed. So Moses did as he was told and made a fiery serpent of brass. The interesting thing is the task of healing themselves was so simple, that many perished because of the easiness of which they were to simply look at the fiery serpent of brass the Moses had made.
The B Side To The Truth is to truly see the simplicity of life we must see with our own eyes and feel with our own hearts. We have been programmed in a society of status, biggest and best, and a never ending of arrival to a next level. The reality is all of the necessities of joy and happiness rest within us, yet the race for status has blinded the majority of people from simply enjoying life. And all they have to do is slow down and look.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
In the Old Testament of the King James Version of the Holy Bible is told a story of the prophet Moses and those he lead from Egypt. In a nutshell, Israel is plagued with fiery serpents and the people are bitten by them. They cry unto Moses that they can be healed from the fiery serpents. Moses then prays to God that they may be spared from the deadly bites of the fiery serpents. The Lord, God tells Moses to make a fiery serpent and when the people look at it they will be healed. So Moses did as he was told and made a fiery serpent of brass. The interesting thing is the task of healing themselves was so simple, that many perished because of the easiness of which they were to simply look at the fiery serpent of brass the Moses had made.
The B Side To The Truth is to truly see the simplicity of life we must see with our own eyes and feel with our own hearts. We have been programmed in a society of status, biggest and best, and a never ending of arrival to a next level. The reality is all of the necessities of joy and happiness rest within us, yet the race for status has blinded the majority of people from simply enjoying life. And all they have to do is slow down and look.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Love Yourself First, By Jordyn Pebbles
"A person's worth in this world is estimated according to the value they put on themselves." - Jean De La Bruyere
It has recently been shown unto me how important it is to genuinely love yourself; to look at yourself and immediately recognize the positive attributes you constantly contribute. I'm sure that many of us have heard or even given the, "You must love yourself before you love another.." lecture. I personally have heard that saying many times over again, but not until last night did it take a whole new meaning for me.
I have never been a real fan of fighting; there was quite a bit of it in the house I grew up in, and I vowed that I would never let myself be surrounded by such an atmosphere. Yet, yesterday, being stressed from all the joys of life, realizing how far behind on wedding planning I am, and really just being the young stubborn girl that I am, showed nothing but negative energy throughout the whole day.
After hours of a negative mindset and constant fighting from my side, my fiancé just couldn't take it anymore. He then told me something that I wasn't completely aware of; I had actually been acting this way all week. What a miserable situation to be living in! Being as stressed as I was and having such thoughts like "I don't know how to be the perfect wife" "I won't ever look like her" "I just want to make everyone happy", I was leading our relationship by the threads of negative thoughts. This wasn't taking us anywhere productive, yet causing us to fall.
As I look back at the situation I can clearly see that I was struggling with my own self happiness. I wasn't dealing with my best self which meant I couldn't give the best I had to anyone. "You must love yourself before you love another.." now means to me much more than it once did, because I was shown this from example by myself. You can't rely on others around you to make yourself happy, this must come from oneself. Each of us ARE good enough, and we all have amazing things to bring forth.
Jordyn(:
August 12, 2010.
It has recently been shown unto me how important it is to genuinely love yourself; to look at yourself and immediately recognize the positive attributes you constantly contribute. I'm sure that many of us have heard or even given the, "You must love yourself before you love another.." lecture. I personally have heard that saying many times over again, but not until last night did it take a whole new meaning for me.
I have never been a real fan of fighting; there was quite a bit of it in the house I grew up in, and I vowed that I would never let myself be surrounded by such an atmosphere. Yet, yesterday, being stressed from all the joys of life, realizing how far behind on wedding planning I am, and really just being the young stubborn girl that I am, showed nothing but negative energy throughout the whole day.
After hours of a negative mindset and constant fighting from my side, my fiancé just couldn't take it anymore. He then told me something that I wasn't completely aware of; I had actually been acting this way all week. What a miserable situation to be living in! Being as stressed as I was and having such thoughts like "I don't know how to be the perfect wife" "I won't ever look like her" "I just want to make everyone happy", I was leading our relationship by the threads of negative thoughts. This wasn't taking us anywhere productive, yet causing us to fall.
As I look back at the situation I can clearly see that I was struggling with my own self happiness. I wasn't dealing with my best self which meant I couldn't give the best I had to anyone. "You must love yourself before you love another.." now means to me much more than it once did, because I was shown this from example by myself. You can't rely on others around you to make yourself happy, this must come from oneself. Each of us ARE good enough, and we all have amazing things to bring forth.
Jordyn(:
August 12, 2010.
Half-Assed
"You can't do a half-assed job of cleaning up horse shit." - Bart Lindsay
Growing up on the outskirts of Clinton City I had the privilege of cleaning up horse manure for a half a dozen horses every day during the summer. I hated it more than anything. I would sneeze, my eyes would itch, and by the end I could barely breath by the time I was done. So in order to get done faster, I would only pick up the big piles of manure. It truly is amazing how much feces a horse can produce.
Every day when my dad would get home he would go out to the stalls and examine me and my sisters work. On my sister's day he would go out and when he came in, nothing was said. On my day he would go out and when he came back in he would say, "You can't do a half-assed job of cleaning up horse shit." Next thing I new I was back out cleaning up the new piles that my dad had raked up, clearly to make a point that there was more manure to be cleaned up in the stalls and the coral.
Often times though we blindly live life as Homer Simpson describes it the America Way, "No, no, no, Lisa. If adults don't like their jobs, they don't go on strike. They just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American Way." The funny thing is most individuals look at that previous phrase and say, "Well that's not me." Yet the reality is most things we humans do are half-assed jobs. Why is that? Typically it boils down to our own selfish carnal desires. We have tricked ourselves into thinking, faster is better. The quicker I finish a task, the quicker I can do my next thing, or in reality the quicker I can get to do what is all about me.
The B Side To The Truth is if you're going to do something, do it 100 percent. There is no half-assed method that creates eternal wealth, there is no half-assed way that creates happiness, and there is no half-assed way of living life to the fullest. We must give 100 percent in all that we do or do it not at all.
And remember... "You can't do a half-assed job of cleaning up horse shit."
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Growing up on the outskirts of Clinton City I had the privilege of cleaning up horse manure for a half a dozen horses every day during the summer. I hated it more than anything. I would sneeze, my eyes would itch, and by the end I could barely breath by the time I was done. So in order to get done faster, I would only pick up the big piles of manure. It truly is amazing how much feces a horse can produce.
Every day when my dad would get home he would go out to the stalls and examine me and my sisters work. On my sister's day he would go out and when he came in, nothing was said. On my day he would go out and when he came back in he would say, "You can't do a half-assed job of cleaning up horse shit." Next thing I new I was back out cleaning up the new piles that my dad had raked up, clearly to make a point that there was more manure to be cleaned up in the stalls and the coral.
Often times though we blindly live life as Homer Simpson describes it the America Way, "No, no, no, Lisa. If adults don't like their jobs, they don't go on strike. They just go in every day and do it really half-assed. That's the American Way." The funny thing is most individuals look at that previous phrase and say, "Well that's not me." Yet the reality is most things we humans do are half-assed jobs. Why is that? Typically it boils down to our own selfish carnal desires. We have tricked ourselves into thinking, faster is better. The quicker I finish a task, the quicker I can do my next thing, or in reality the quicker I can get to do what is all about me.
The B Side To The Truth is if you're going to do something, do it 100 percent. There is no half-assed method that creates eternal wealth, there is no half-assed way that creates happiness, and there is no half-assed way of living life to the fullest. We must give 100 percent in all that we do or do it not at all.
And remember... "You can't do a half-assed job of cleaning up horse shit."
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Erica Goldson - Here I stand
Written by Erica Goldson
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
Here I stand
There is a story of a young, but earnest Zen student who approached his teacher, and asked the Master, "If I work very hard and diligently, how long will it take for me to find Zen? The Master thought about this, then replied, "Ten years . ." The student then said, "But what if I work very, very hard and really apply myself to learn fast -- How long then?" Replied the Master, "Well, twenty years." "But, if I really, really work at it, how long then?" asked the student. "Thirty years," replied the Master. "But, I do not understand," said the disappointed student. "At each time that I say I will work harder, you say it will take me longer. Why do you say that?" Replied the Master, "When you have one eye on the goal, you only have one eye on the path."
This is the dilemma I've faced within the American education system. We are so focused on a goal, whether it be passing a test, or graduating as first in the class. However, in this way, we do not really learn. We do whatever it takes to achieve our original objective.
Some of you may be thinking, "Well, if you pass a test, or become valedictorian, didn't you learn something? Well, yes, you learned something, but not all that you could have. Perhaps, you only learned how to memorize names, places, and dates to later on forget in order to clear your mind for the next test. School is not all that it can be. Right now, it is a place for most people to determine that their goal is to get out as soon as possible.
I am now accomplishing that goal. I am graduating. I should look at this as a positive experience, especially being at the top of my class. However, in retrospect, I cannot say that I am any more intelligent than my peers. I can attest that I am only the best at doing what I am told and working the system. Yet, here I stand, and I am supposed to be proud that I have completed this period of indoctrination. I will leave in the fall to go on to the next phase expected of me, in order to receive a paper document that certifies that I am capable of work. But I contest that I am a human being, a thinker, an adventurer - not a worker. A worker is someone who is trapped within repetition - a slave of the system set up before him. But now, I have successfully shown that I was the best slave. I did what I was told to the extreme. While others sat in class and doodled to later become great artists, I sat in class to take notes and become a great test-taker. While others would come to class without their homework done because they were reading about an interest of theirs, I never missed an assignment. While others were creating music and writing lyrics, I decided to do extra credit, even though I never needed it. So, I wonder, why did I even want this position? Sure, I earned it, but what will come of it? When I leave educational institutionalism, will I be successful or forever lost? I have no clue about what I want to do with my life; I have no interests because I saw every subject of study as work, and I excelled at every subject just for the purpose of excelling, not learning. And quite frankly, now I'm scared.
John Taylor Gatto, a retired school teacher and activist critical of compulsory schooling, asserts, "We could encourage the best qualities of youthfulness - curiosity, adventure, resilience, the capacity for surprising insight simply by being more flexible about time, texts, and tests, by introducing kids into truly competent adults, and by giving each student what autonomy he or she needs in order to take a risk every now and then. But we don't do that." Between these cinderblock walls, we are all expected to be the same. We are trained to ace every standardized test, and those who deviate and see light through a different lens are worthless to the scheme of public education, and therefore viewed with contempt.
H. L. Mencken wrote in The American Mercury for April 1924 that the aim of public education is not "to fill the young of the species with knowledge and awaken their intelligence. ... Nothing could be further from the truth. The aim ... is simply to reduce as many individuals as possible to the same safe level, to breed and train a standardized citizenry, to put down dissent and originality. That is its aim in the United States."
To illustrate this idea, doesn't it perturb you to learn about the idea of "critical thinking." Is there really such a thing as "uncritically thinking?" To think is to process information in order to form an opinion. But if we are not critical when processing this information, are we really thinking? Or are we mindlessly accepting other opinions as truth?
This was happening to me, and if it wasn't for the rare occurrence of an avant-garde tenth grade English teacher, Donna Bryan, who allowed me to open my mind and ask questions before accepting textbook doctrine, I would have been doomed. I am now enlightened, but my mind still feels disabled. I must retrain myself and constantly remember how insane this ostensibly sane place really is.
And now here I am in a world guided by fear, a world suppressing the uniqueness that lies inside each of us, a world where we can either acquiesce to the inhuman nonsense of corporatism and materialism or insist on change. We are not enlivened by an educational system that clandestinely sets us up for jobs that could be automated, for work that need not be done, for enslavement without fervency for meaningful achievement. We have no choices in life when money is our motivational force. Our motivational force ought to be passion, but this is lost from the moment we step into a system that trains us, rather than inspires us.
We are more than robotic bookshelves, conditioned to blurt out facts we were taught in school. We are all very special, every human on this planet is so special, so aren't we all deserving of something better, of using our minds for innovation, rather than memorization, for creativity, rather than futile activity, for rumination rather than stagnation? We are not here to get a degree, to then get a job, so we can consume industry-approved placation after placation. There is more, and more still.
The saddest part is that the majority of students don't have the opportunity to reflect as I did. The majority of students are put through the same brainwashing techniques in order to create a complacent labor force working in the interests of large corporations and secretive government, and worst of all, they are completely unaware of it. I will never be able to turn back these 18 years. I can't run away to another country with an education system meant to enlighten rather than condition. This part of my life is over, and I want to make sure that no other child will have his or her potential suppressed by powers meant to exploit and control. We are human beings. We are thinkers, dreamers, explorers, artists, writers, engineers. We are anything we want to be - but only if we have an educational system that supports us rather than holds us down. A tree can grow, but only if its roots are given a healthy foundation.
For those of you out there that must continue to sit in desks and yield to the authoritarian ideologies of instructors, do not be disheartened. You still have the opportunity to stand up, ask questions, be critical, and create your own perspective. Demand a setting that will provide you with intellectual capabilities that allow you to expand your mind instead of directing it. Demand that you be interested in class. Demand that the excuse, "You have to learn this for the test" is not good enough for you. Education is an excellent tool, if used properly, but focus more on learning rather than getting good grades.
For those of you that work within the system that I am condemning, I do not mean to insult; I intend to motivate. You have the power to change the incompetencies of this system. I know that you did not become a teacher or administrator to see your students bored. You cannot accept the authority of the governing bodies that tell you what to teach, how to teach it, and that you will be punished if you do not comply. Our potential is at stake.
For those of you that are now leaving this establishment, I say, do not forget what went on in these classrooms. Do not abandon those that come after you. We are the new future and we are not going to let tradition stand. We will break down the walls of corruption to let a garden of knowledge grow throughout America. Once educated properly, we will have the power to do anything, and best of all, we will only use that power for good, for we will be cultivated and wise. We will not accept anything at face value. We will ask questions, and we will demand truth.
So, here I stand. I am not standing here as valedictorian by myself. I was molded by my environment, by all of my peers who are sitting here watching me. I couldn't have accomplished this without all of you. It was all of you who truly made me the person I am today. It was all of you who were my competition, yet my backbone. In that way, we are all valedictorians.
I am now supposed to say farewell to this institution, those who maintain it, and those who stand with me and behind me, but I hope this farewell is more of a "see you later" when we are all working together to rear a pedagogic movement. But first, let's go get those pieces of paper that tell us that we're smart enough to do so!
Stephen Hawkins: "We must flee Earth"
“It will be difficult enough to avoid disaster on planet Earth in the next hundred years, let alone the next thousand, or million. The human race shouldn’t have all its eggs in one basket, or on one planet.” - Stephen Hawkins
The concept of The B Side To The Truth is to encourage all to "Change the World by changing yourself." After reading the latest articles by or about Stephen Hawkins the last few months it gives another person's view on which was at one time slow, but now fast destruction of the human race.
Since the start of civilization there has been empires that risen and fallen. Some believe that now the great empire of the United States will fall. Others believe that the World will collapse into a third World War. Either way it is obvious the standard of living has risen in "things" and fallen in "ethics and morals".
In Stephen Hawkins current view he emphasizes that we as human beings have become so technologically advanced that we will end up destroying ourselves. He also says, summarized, that the reason our planet hasn't been taken over by another planet is probably the same reason on why we won't advance to other planets... because they end up destroying themselves before they make it.
The B Side To The Truth is whether you believe in life on other planets or not, life on Planet Earth does exist and in order to increase our way of life we must give up our selfishness, our pride, our greed, and our desire for power and recognition. We must become our best selves and use our talents to serve man kind... even if it is only one person.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
The concept of The B Side To The Truth is to encourage all to "Change the World by changing yourself." After reading the latest articles by or about Stephen Hawkins the last few months it gives another person's view on which was at one time slow, but now fast destruction of the human race.
Since the start of civilization there has been empires that risen and fallen. Some believe that now the great empire of the United States will fall. Others believe that the World will collapse into a third World War. Either way it is obvious the standard of living has risen in "things" and fallen in "ethics and morals".
In Stephen Hawkins current view he emphasizes that we as human beings have become so technologically advanced that we will end up destroying ourselves. He also says, summarized, that the reason our planet hasn't been taken over by another planet is probably the same reason on why we won't advance to other planets... because they end up destroying themselves before they make it.
The B Side To The Truth is whether you believe in life on other planets or not, life on Planet Earth does exist and in order to increase our way of life we must give up our selfishness, our pride, our greed, and our desire for power and recognition. We must become our best selves and use our talents to serve man kind... even if it is only one person.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
True Meditation, by Jordyn Pebbles
True Meditation
"Meditation is being happy with yourself for no reason at all. The joy of cherishing your being, happy that you are. You are simply in love with yourself, in love with existence." - Tishan
While I traveled Nepal, it was quickly shown unto me how important meditation was to the people. I even attended a monks monastery for seven hours a day, three days straight, of just pure silence. I did this in order to create a deep relationship within myself. At the end of the second day, a quote that was shown unto me before I had left entered into my mind, "To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." - Chuang Tzu. These words had never held such a greater meaning. Just by sitting in a silent room and evaluating my life, I was seeing the world around me as a whole new realm; things were shown unto me in a light that I had never anticipated. It changed my outlook, and now has become an everyday occurrence.
I tend to refer to meditation more so as insight because the intention is to gain insight as to the true nature of reality. I have heard people say that they "don't know how to do it... or ..it's kinda weird". Meditation is nothing more than a mind-body process that uses concentration or reflection to relax the body and calm the mind. I found a quote that went so well with the idea of meditation; "You cannot transcend what you do not know. To go beyond yourself, you must know yourself." -Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. While meditating, you discover in your mind a strength which ultimately leads to self enlightenment. Just like the quote above says "to go beyond yourself, you must know yourself" True meditation will lead you to the knowledge you'll need to truly understand yourself.
Jordyn(:
August 10, 2010.
"Meditation is being happy with yourself for no reason at all. The joy of cherishing your being, happy that you are. You are simply in love with yourself, in love with existence." - Tishan
While I traveled Nepal, it was quickly shown unto me how important meditation was to the people. I even attended a monks monastery for seven hours a day, three days straight, of just pure silence. I did this in order to create a deep relationship within myself. At the end of the second day, a quote that was shown unto me before I had left entered into my mind, "To a mind that is still, the whole universe surrenders." - Chuang Tzu. These words had never held such a greater meaning. Just by sitting in a silent room and evaluating my life, I was seeing the world around me as a whole new realm; things were shown unto me in a light that I had never anticipated. It changed my outlook, and now has become an everyday occurrence.
I tend to refer to meditation more so as insight because the intention is to gain insight as to the true nature of reality. I have heard people say that they "don't know how to do it... or ..it's kinda weird". Meditation is nothing more than a mind-body process that uses concentration or reflection to relax the body and calm the mind. I found a quote that went so well with the idea of meditation; "You cannot transcend what you do not know. To go beyond yourself, you must know yourself." -Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj. While meditating, you discover in your mind a strength which ultimately leads to self enlightenment. Just like the quote above says "to go beyond yourself, you must know yourself" True meditation will lead you to the knowledge you'll need to truly understand yourself.
Jordyn(:
August 10, 2010.
Monday, August 9, 2010
Who's Perception is Right?
“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear as it is - infinite” - William Blake
If life is infinite... how is it possible for us... as human beings to have a full understanding? How is it possible for us to receive full view or understanding?
It's been said "there is no right or wrong way... just different ways."
How is that so? Are there different ways that gravity works? Are there different ways that the law of attraction works? Are there different ways that eternal/universal laws can be manipulated? Are we... human beings... able to manipulate God's laws for our advantage? No, we merely can obey laws that give certain outcomes.
So in a World of hundreds of thousands of millions of different opinions and ways... the question is not... what is the right way... the question is what is God's way?
The B Side To The Truth is the only way to know God's way is to ask him. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." - The General Epistle of James Chapter 1 Verses 5 and 6.
The question is do you believe you can find truth?
So to see infinitely we must think infinitely.
Colton - Discover your true'ness'
If life is infinite... how is it possible for us... as human beings to have a full understanding? How is it possible for us to receive full view or understanding?
It's been said "there is no right or wrong way... just different ways."
How is that so? Are there different ways that gravity works? Are there different ways that the law of attraction works? Are there different ways that eternal/universal laws can be manipulated? Are we... human beings... able to manipulate God's laws for our advantage? No, we merely can obey laws that give certain outcomes.
So in a World of hundreds of thousands of millions of different opinions and ways... the question is not... what is the right way... the question is what is God's way?
The B Side To The Truth is the only way to know God's way is to ask him. "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." - The General Epistle of James Chapter 1 Verses 5 and 6.
The question is do you believe you can find truth?
So to see infinitely we must think infinitely.
Colton - Discover your true'ness'
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Old Skool: How Could One Forget The Power of Mind Control
"What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds." Dr. Wayne Dyer
A World of turmoil, debt, corruption, infidelity and destruction. What we focus our mind on will cause what some call the law of attraction or Karma. Yes, what you focus on will come to pass. Yet also what you do not focus on will come to pass. The idea is to gain absolute control over your mind no matter what comes your way or what comes to pass.
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God" Mormon's Doctrine and Covenants 88:119
The power of organization and focus are what will enable one to alleviate the stresses of failure and confusion. In the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale speaks of the power of prayer with God or a creator. Buddhist monks spend hours a day mediating and connecting on a higher spiritual level. Sherpas, which are a people that migrated from Tibet to Nepal, and also many are mountaineer guides and part of Buddhist sect, will pray and meditate numerous times as they guide their mountaineers to summit of their trek.
The B Side To The Truth is we can control our mind 100 percent, yet we must organize our mind to do so. All the fallacies and cob webs of others opinions create a weakness withing that disables our ability to connect our mind with our soul. We must constantly be caring for our mind that will allow us to tap in to our subconscious mind and LISTEN to our conscience on the deepest level possible.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
A World of turmoil, debt, corruption, infidelity and destruction. What we focus our mind on will cause what some call the law of attraction or Karma. Yes, what you focus on will come to pass. Yet also what you do not focus on will come to pass. The idea is to gain absolute control over your mind no matter what comes your way or what comes to pass.
"Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God" Mormon's Doctrine and Covenants 88:119
The power of organization and focus are what will enable one to alleviate the stresses of failure and confusion. In the book The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale speaks of the power of prayer with God or a creator. Buddhist monks spend hours a day mediating and connecting on a higher spiritual level. Sherpas, which are a people that migrated from Tibet to Nepal, and also many are mountaineer guides and part of Buddhist sect, will pray and meditate numerous times as they guide their mountaineers to summit of their trek.
The B Side To The Truth is we can control our mind 100 percent, yet we must organize our mind to do so. All the fallacies and cob webs of others opinions create a weakness withing that disables our ability to connect our mind with our soul. We must constantly be caring for our mind that will allow us to tap in to our subconscious mind and LISTEN to our conscience on the deepest level possible.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Rose Bush of Life
In 2003 I boarded a plane in the Salt Lake City Airport in which I would catch a connecting flight in Atlanta then off to Sao Paulo Brazil. There I would spend the next two years learning Portuguese and teaching people of Christ for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. For two years I would spend bunking with a Brazilian that spoke only Portuguese.
As I was in a town called Bage that I arrived in, I met a missionary from Fortaleza, Brazil that I would spend the next 3 months with in my newly arrived shit hole. He was a little guy, about 5' 3" or 5' 4". He had a big egg shaped head and the humor of a comedian. We spent the first few days at home as it was a huge thunder storm and we were re-opening an area. Elder Nunez was his name. We had been sent there together known as the clown (Nunez) and the trouble maker (me).
In Bage the Stake President had been excommunicated the week before for getting the 19 year old neighbor pregnant and having stolen 50,000 Reais (Brazilian money equivalent to about $25,000 American Dollars) from the church. The ward I was sent to had about 4 active members in it. No members really welcomed us into the house as many had turned their back on the Church due to the recent events that had taken place in the town of about 100,000 people in about the same square mileage as the Ogden Valley.
So there we were, four days into our new adventure and Elder Nunez taught me one of the greatest lessons I would ever learn in life. He says to me "Elder Lindsay, It's been said our mission is like a garden of roses. Before we left we could look ahead and see all of the beautiful roses blooming ahead of us. During the two years we're here it feels like every damn thorn in that garden is poking us. Then after the two years we look back and all we can see is a beautiful bed of roses. Our mission is a lot like life. Full of different beds of roses and only when we stop to look around from above can we see the beauty of the roses."
The B Side To The Truth is there will always seem to be thorns in our life, yet in reality we are surrounded by a beautiful adventure and life is a beautiful bed of Roses. We just have to look from above.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
As I was in a town called Bage that I arrived in, I met a missionary from Fortaleza, Brazil that I would spend the next 3 months with in my newly arrived shit hole. He was a little guy, about 5' 3" or 5' 4". He had a big egg shaped head and the humor of a comedian. We spent the first few days at home as it was a huge thunder storm and we were re-opening an area. Elder Nunez was his name. We had been sent there together known as the clown (Nunez) and the trouble maker (me).
In Bage the Stake President had been excommunicated the week before for getting the 19 year old neighbor pregnant and having stolen 50,000 Reais (Brazilian money equivalent to about $25,000 American Dollars) from the church. The ward I was sent to had about 4 active members in it. No members really welcomed us into the house as many had turned their back on the Church due to the recent events that had taken place in the town of about 100,000 people in about the same square mileage as the Ogden Valley.
So there we were, four days into our new adventure and Elder Nunez taught me one of the greatest lessons I would ever learn in life. He says to me "Elder Lindsay, It's been said our mission is like a garden of roses. Before we left we could look ahead and see all of the beautiful roses blooming ahead of us. During the two years we're here it feels like every damn thorn in that garden is poking us. Then after the two years we look back and all we can see is a beautiful bed of roses. Our mission is a lot like life. Full of different beds of roses and only when we stop to look around from above can we see the beauty of the roses."
The B Side To The Truth is there will always seem to be thorns in our life, yet in reality we are surrounded by a beautiful adventure and life is a beautiful bed of Roses. We just have to look from above.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Character
“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Life seems to be one of the simplest yet most difficult tasks of all man kind. And every day each one of us have a life to live. What makes this life so difficult yet so beautiful? The difficulty is our pride. We seek to live our own life, make our own choices, and make our own mistakes; yet everyone seems to think from their own life experiences they have a better solution for you.
Each one us have the most delicate and unique gift and freedom to choose. Choose what we do, what we eat, and above all... choose how we spend out time. How we spend our time each day is how we spend our life.
The B Side To The Truth is this is your life and your character is easily defined by the actions you take. If you choose to live your life the way others want you to that is your choice, yet not your life. If you choose to live the life that you want, that is your life. Yet remember, if you deserve that gift of freedom, you too must allow all men their own destruction.
Colton - Discover your true'ness'
Life seems to be one of the simplest yet most difficult tasks of all man kind. And every day each one of us have a life to live. What makes this life so difficult yet so beautiful? The difficulty is our pride. We seek to live our own life, make our own choices, and make our own mistakes; yet everyone seems to think from their own life experiences they have a better solution for you.
Each one us have the most delicate and unique gift and freedom to choose. Choose what we do, what we eat, and above all... choose how we spend out time. How we spend our time each day is how we spend our life.
The B Side To The Truth is this is your life and your character is easily defined by the actions you take. If you choose to live your life the way others want you to that is your choice, yet not your life. If you choose to live the life that you want, that is your life. Yet remember, if you deserve that gift of freedom, you too must allow all men their own destruction.
Colton - Discover your true'ness'
Monday, August 2, 2010
Checks and Balances
“American liberty is premised on the accountability of free men and women for what they have done, not for what they may do.” - Jon Newman
Accountability seems to be a loss art form from culture and from personal discipline. The temporal principles of life include discipline and the ability to be discipline requires accountability of some sort and as men are held to accountability there is then born responsibility.
Over time we have exponentially grown as a society and "progressed" with technology. In previous post I have emphasized the importance of technological discipline. There has been not only an exponential growth, yet a destructive growth to the human specie. Simply boils down to the pride of us as individuals for gain of more things and power.
Accountability is a temporal principle tied in with discipline. You can be held responsible much like in the mafia, you always have to answer to the Godfather. In real estate; the more accountable you are, the more transactions you will close.
The B Side To The Truth is in an tails spinning World, many of us have lost the art of checks and balances and accountability to a specific anchor. The anchor is our human rights of others. The ability to be held accountable to respecting others is to have moral standards and beliefs. Or in other words, treat others as you would honestly desire yourself to be treated.
Be accountable to your standards of humanity and your core.
"Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye."
We have a tendency to blame others for our faults, yet in reality it has always been our choice. So choose now to be accountable to your life and your soul.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
Accountability seems to be a loss art form from culture and from personal discipline. The temporal principles of life include discipline and the ability to be discipline requires accountability of some sort and as men are held to accountability there is then born responsibility.
Over time we have exponentially grown as a society and "progressed" with technology. In previous post I have emphasized the importance of technological discipline. There has been not only an exponential growth, yet a destructive growth to the human specie. Simply boils down to the pride of us as individuals for gain of more things and power.
Accountability is a temporal principle tied in with discipline. You can be held responsible much like in the mafia, you always have to answer to the Godfather. In real estate; the more accountable you are, the more transactions you will close.
The B Side To The Truth is in an tails spinning World, many of us have lost the art of checks and balances and accountability to a specific anchor. The anchor is our human rights of others. The ability to be held accountable to respecting others is to have moral standards and beliefs. Or in other words, treat others as you would honestly desire yourself to be treated.
Be accountable to your standards of humanity and your core.
"Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold, a beam is in thine own eye?
Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother’s eye."
We have a tendency to blame others for our faults, yet in reality it has always been our choice. So choose now to be accountable to your life and your soul.
Colton - discover your true'ness'
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