Karma.
In the last few months I have suddenly become aware of the fragility of human life. It is a known fact that immortality cannot be achieved and we will all eventually die. Yet when young people die before their time we are overcome with sadness. Furthermore when a young person dies as a result of the thoughtless, reckless decisions made by others; we are sad and then angry as we start to realise how short, unfair and unpredictable life really is.
A hit and run accident on New Years Day killed two girls under the age of 21, a boy is still critically ill and one was injured. I happen to know these people so the event is raw and real for me, but this happens to people every day. The rash actions, futile acts of stupidity, and complete and utter misuse of free will condoned by some human beings changes thousands of lives forever. The immediate response to this change is of course devastation, grief and bitterness. However, there are some people who use the idea of Karma to deal with these incidents. karma is defined as, 'the force generated by a person's actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate transmigration and in its ethical consequences to determine the nature of the person's next existence' Even though the theory contradictions western religions who say that we succumb to the will of God rather than our own, the same idea is echoed in the Christian phrase, 'reap what you sow' Galatians 6:7.
Some describe Karma as a safety mechanism. It is a way for humans to hope and wish that one day those who commit evil and do wrong, will be punished and receive their comeuppance. When sudden situations, like young deaths occur, I think the idea of Karma and destiny can play an important part in the grieving process. For those who have faith, their grief is aided by God, as they believe he has taken their loved one for a reason and has better things in store for them. However, for those who do not believe, like myself, a discovery is needed to make sense out of shocking disasters, unexplained accidents and events that make no logical sense. This explanation can echo the idea of Karma in that the people responsible for these occurrences will eventually receive their payback. Or by looking at the bigger picture there is an unknown reason for the outcome present now, however the effect of the situation may have set into motion important events to come.
There are many different places where Karma can be noticed, considered or simply wished for. It can be the smallest incident or the greatest disaster. In life it is often said that bad people always seem to get happy endings, but for how long? Wealthy people gamble and win more money while millions starve, will they be rich forever? Just the idea that one day justice may be found can create a little peace for the few people who choose to see it.
Unexplained events surround us every day all over the world. Some just accept these and are content to assume that life on earth is simply that and there is no necessary reason for us to be here. They say we must enjoy our existence and there is not a reason for everything in life. I can see some truth in this idea as there is much about the world we cannot control or understand. Yet what is the harm in trying? I deeply believe that there is a reason for humans to exist, there is a reason we are the superior life form and there is a reason we have a soul, for it to live on after death. Therefore if we need to speculate about life's reasons, wish for justice and create possible rational solutions in our minds in order to feel better, what is the harm? Whether we exist for a reason or not, we all have in us an innate desire for justice and fairness. Therefore when this is not achieved we can but naturally imagine a time when it will be.
Karma is there - should you see a reason for it to exist.
Monday 29 March 2010
Tuesday 23 March 2010
Are you scared of change?
It seems that humans find it hard to deal with the idea of change. Some of course find this more difficult than others. However, I think at one point or another in our lives we will all fight change, when we often need it to win the battle.
It is strange how we can all be so hypocritical about one idea depending on how we are feeling. For example, we sometimes get bogged down in our every day lives, bored with routine, stuck in the same pattern and so we welcome change. We plan a night out to the theatre, bake a cake, or meet up with old friends, just to create something different. These small changes are new and so simply alter our daily lives enough to keep us content. Yet, when changes occur on a larger scale we can start to feel uneasy and therefore afraid. This is because we are always naturally scared of the unknown.
Changes often occur as a result of our behaviour. Relationships break down because one person or both people change, whether emotionally, physically or spiritually. Their desires and wishes change and therefore their needs change. We can sometimes change without knowing it. We start to make decisions and observations that we would not normally and that is when we learn more about ourselves. However hard this process may be, we must wait for the next change to occur, so we can reap the benefits by learning something new, 'Our only security is our ability to change.'John Lilly
I am going to graduate in a few months and that is extremely scary. Leaving the safety of education for the first time, having been safely cocooned in a world of tasks, rules and deadlines for the last sixteen years is daunting to say the least. A certain amount of excitement is present too, however the change comes with a price. I must leave the independent life and friends I have acquired over the last three years and go back, even for a short time, to the life I had before. This will be difficult, as I have now changed as a person and will adapt differently to certain things and people. How I choose do deal with this change will in some way shape the rest of my life.
By definition, to change is 'to make different in some way'. We often associate different with negativity as it is opposed to normality. There are many debates about where normality exists at all, as how can we define what is normal? We can however always easily define a change, as it is immediately out of the ordinary disguised as a crease in the fabric, a chink in our armour or an ornament out of place.
What we need to understand is that all change is healthy. For us to evolve and grow we need to adapt to change, deal with it, embrace it and learn from it. Our lives cannot remain the same for eternity and we should not want them to, or what would the next generation have to work with? John A. Simons demonstrates the idea that everything is governed by change, it is inevitable and we must become accustomed to it. 'If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change.'
Whether anticipated with fear, or welcomed with excitement, changes occur every second of lives and how we choose to greet them, sets into motion another change. I guess changes can be likened to obstacles, these can be high and problematic or simply low and unusual, but we must overcome them all. To live is to change. Summed up quite beautifully by an unknown author:
'If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.'
It is strange how we can all be so hypocritical about one idea depending on how we are feeling. For example, we sometimes get bogged down in our every day lives, bored with routine, stuck in the same pattern and so we welcome change. We plan a night out to the theatre, bake a cake, or meet up with old friends, just to create something different. These small changes are new and so simply alter our daily lives enough to keep us content. Yet, when changes occur on a larger scale we can start to feel uneasy and therefore afraid. This is because we are always naturally scared of the unknown.
Changes often occur as a result of our behaviour. Relationships break down because one person or both people change, whether emotionally, physically or spiritually. Their desires and wishes change and therefore their needs change. We can sometimes change without knowing it. We start to make decisions and observations that we would not normally and that is when we learn more about ourselves. However hard this process may be, we must wait for the next change to occur, so we can reap the benefits by learning something new, 'Our only security is our ability to change.'John Lilly
I am going to graduate in a few months and that is extremely scary. Leaving the safety of education for the first time, having been safely cocooned in a world of tasks, rules and deadlines for the last sixteen years is daunting to say the least. A certain amount of excitement is present too, however the change comes with a price. I must leave the independent life and friends I have acquired over the last three years and go back, even for a short time, to the life I had before. This will be difficult, as I have now changed as a person and will adapt differently to certain things and people. How I choose do deal with this change will in some way shape the rest of my life.
By definition, to change is 'to make different in some way'. We often associate different with negativity as it is opposed to normality. There are many debates about where normality exists at all, as how can we define what is normal? We can however always easily define a change, as it is immediately out of the ordinary disguised as a crease in the fabric, a chink in our armour or an ornament out of place.
What we need to understand is that all change is healthy. For us to evolve and grow we need to adapt to change, deal with it, embrace it and learn from it. Our lives cannot remain the same for eternity and we should not want them to, or what would the next generation have to work with? John A. Simons demonstrates the idea that everything is governed by change, it is inevitable and we must become accustomed to it. 'If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change.'
Whether anticipated with fear, or welcomed with excitement, changes occur every second of lives and how we choose to greet them, sets into motion another change. I guess changes can be likened to obstacles, these can be high and problematic or simply low and unusual, but we must overcome them all. To live is to change. Summed up quite beautifully by an unknown author:
'If nothing ever changed, there'd be no butterflies.'
Sunday 14 March 2010
'The grass is always greener...
on the other side of the fence.' I have heard this phrase many times in the last few days and it seems to be a universally understood concept. The term describes a situation where, 'Other people’s circumstances seem more desirable than one’s own but in reality are often not.'
Humans constantly judge their own lives by measuring what they have against what everyone else has. We are conditioned to strive to be the best, do the right thing, make the correct choice, however our views of other people sometimes taint our better judgement. We can be morally sound and fully aware of right and wrong, however when we deeply desire something and discover that someone else has what we wish for, we can become incredibly dissatisfied with our lives. We then obsess about what we are lacking and totally ignore what we already have.
Often we are totally aware of these obsessions, knowing what we are feeling and aware that it is wrong, but this self-knowledge cannot always provoke us to stop feeling this way. For example, if we are jealous of an other's romantic relationship, it is usually if we happen to be single or going through a rough patch in our love life. Until the latter is over we cannot help but be jealous of those in love. We can become jealous of material objects, such as a car, holiday or simply the good wealth that others have. We often become resentful of others personalities, relationships, experiences and memories. We tend to believe that if we cannot have something, then no-one else should be able to, as this would be unfair. Slightly hypocritical perhaps?
Ideas about human jealousy and resentment have been explored and described over time in a variety of ways. One of The Ten Commandments in The Bible,Exodus 20:2-17, 'You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.' It seems that even God was aware that humans always want what they do not have. Those that believe in him, might ask why he provided us with this dilemma. Perhaps he believes it to be character building as it provides a lesson to be learnt, once recognised. Who knows?
As the definition states, we may think others have more than we do, but the irony is that the people we are jealous of, are probably jealous of us for a different reason. We often suspect others lives are perfect and 'normal', however underneath there are unsolved problems and buried resentments. We need to realise that we cannot have everything or there would be no reason for us to live. Or perhaps we do have everything and that is why we live, to learn this and be grateful for it. Who knows? (ooh Deja-vu)
Whichever way you look at it, yes the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but in the grand subjective scheme of things, that is only our opinion. There are various shades of green, however only one shade is possessed by all of us at some point in our lives. The grass is always green... with ENVY!
Humans constantly judge their own lives by measuring what they have against what everyone else has. We are conditioned to strive to be the best, do the right thing, make the correct choice, however our views of other people sometimes taint our better judgement. We can be morally sound and fully aware of right and wrong, however when we deeply desire something and discover that someone else has what we wish for, we can become incredibly dissatisfied with our lives. We then obsess about what we are lacking and totally ignore what we already have.
Often we are totally aware of these obsessions, knowing what we are feeling and aware that it is wrong, but this self-knowledge cannot always provoke us to stop feeling this way. For example, if we are jealous of an other's romantic relationship, it is usually if we happen to be single or going through a rough patch in our love life. Until the latter is over we cannot help but be jealous of those in love. We can become jealous of material objects, such as a car, holiday or simply the good wealth that others have. We often become resentful of others personalities, relationships, experiences and memories. We tend to believe that if we cannot have something, then no-one else should be able to, as this would be unfair. Slightly hypocritical perhaps?
Ideas about human jealousy and resentment have been explored and described over time in a variety of ways. One of The Ten Commandments in The Bible,Exodus 20:2-17, 'You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.' It seems that even God was aware that humans always want what they do not have. Those that believe in him, might ask why he provided us with this dilemma. Perhaps he believes it to be character building as it provides a lesson to be learnt, once recognised. Who knows?
As the definition states, we may think others have more than we do, but the irony is that the people we are jealous of, are probably jealous of us for a different reason. We often suspect others lives are perfect and 'normal', however underneath there are unsolved problems and buried resentments. We need to realise that we cannot have everything or there would be no reason for us to live. Or perhaps we do have everything and that is why we live, to learn this and be grateful for it. Who knows? (ooh Deja-vu)
Whichever way you look at it, yes the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but in the grand subjective scheme of things, that is only our opinion. There are various shades of green, however only one shade is possessed by all of us at some point in our lives. The grass is always green... with ENVY!
Wednesday 3 March 2010
Voulez-vous coucher avec mois, ce soir?
Don't worry the above question is only proposed in order to make a point!
Whatever your immediate thoughts, remember them but now take the sentence and translate it into English. It turns from slightly sexy and alluring to provocatively immoral and shockingly forward. Why does this simple change of language incur such a different emotional response? Is it because we pretend we do not understand it? Or maybe just because we associate a french accent with impeccable style and effortless charm we just like to enjoy the way it sounds. I am trying to highlight the notion that certain attributes and ideas are perceived by humans as 'sexy'. Therefore sometimes the direct meaning is taken over by our subsconscious emotional understanding of it.
Take for example music, certain melodies and rhythms can be sexy themselves. Those with musical ability are often thought of as sexy. Whether it is a lead guitarist of a rock band a pop singer or the leading soprano in an opera. There is something about musical talent that is desired, appreciated, admired and therefore craved. This is all also echoed in the idea of power. This invisible force a human can take hold of is quite mesmerising when used correctly. Both mentally and physically, power can be very sexy. Angie Dickinson believes in this theory, 'No question - the more powerful men are, the more sexy they are.'
Intellectual expertise is another of these aspects, those who have a way with words and can articulate a perfect sentence as if it were poetry. People that can caress you with charm, whisper wit into your ear and cover your body in kisses of charisma. Many physical elements aside from the obvious biological ones have also become sexy by definition. Women with red lips, men wearing sunglasses, the smell of the pheromones in aftershave or perfume, a raised eyebrow followed by that indescribable glint in the eye that sends tingles down your spine. Some people manage to tick all these boxes, and I think there is a Greek proverb somewhere that says that these people were blessed twice!
The main qualities we find sexy are the those that are forbidden, secret, dangerous or controversial. We all know that smoking is insanely bad for our health and in the main, unattractive. However, many films show smoking in an sultry snapshot that captivates us beyond belief. Even the most simple idea of darkness. The way a full moon glows on a clear night, or how candlelight flickers in the wind creates a magical feeling of the mystical or the unknown and that is also sexy.
It is all once again subjective and completely down to the individual. What one person find sexy another may not. However, we do all enjoy discovering the certain universal traits that set off the sexy signal in our brains. The connection between most attributes that ooze sex appeal is confidence. This confidence is not necessarily known or created it's an innate, individual self-assurance that is transported through various means, and offers an glimpse of what our soul may look like at it's most attractive, with a bit of glamour thrown in. This can usually simply be achieved with a smile.
Many people including myself, claim that they find it very hard to be sexy. That is probably because they are trying! There are many people in the world who can effortlessly be sexy and get paid thousands of pounds to do so, but it is definitely considered an art form. Christian Bale observes that, 'trying too hard to be sexy is the worst thing in the world a woman can do' Well, looks like it will always be a tough act to perform correctly.
If in doubt, get some red lipstick or a leather jacket, add a cigarette and practice swishing your hair around a bit and you may just about pass the test!
Whatever your immediate thoughts, remember them but now take the sentence and translate it into English. It turns from slightly sexy and alluring to provocatively immoral and shockingly forward. Why does this simple change of language incur such a different emotional response? Is it because we pretend we do not understand it? Or maybe just because we associate a french accent with impeccable style and effortless charm we just like to enjoy the way it sounds. I am trying to highlight the notion that certain attributes and ideas are perceived by humans as 'sexy'. Therefore sometimes the direct meaning is taken over by our subsconscious emotional understanding of it.
Take for example music, certain melodies and rhythms can be sexy themselves. Those with musical ability are often thought of as sexy. Whether it is a lead guitarist of a rock band a pop singer or the leading soprano in an opera. There is something about musical talent that is desired, appreciated, admired and therefore craved. This is all also echoed in the idea of power. This invisible force a human can take hold of is quite mesmerising when used correctly. Both mentally and physically, power can be very sexy. Angie Dickinson believes in this theory, 'No question - the more powerful men are, the more sexy they are.'
Intellectual expertise is another of these aspects, those who have a way with words and can articulate a perfect sentence as if it were poetry. People that can caress you with charm, whisper wit into your ear and cover your body in kisses of charisma. Many physical elements aside from the obvious biological ones have also become sexy by definition. Women with red lips, men wearing sunglasses, the smell of the pheromones in aftershave or perfume, a raised eyebrow followed by that indescribable glint in the eye that sends tingles down your spine. Some people manage to tick all these boxes, and I think there is a Greek proverb somewhere that says that these people were blessed twice!
The main qualities we find sexy are the those that are forbidden, secret, dangerous or controversial. We all know that smoking is insanely bad for our health and in the main, unattractive. However, many films show smoking in an sultry snapshot that captivates us beyond belief. Even the most simple idea of darkness. The way a full moon glows on a clear night, or how candlelight flickers in the wind creates a magical feeling of the mystical or the unknown and that is also sexy.
It is all once again subjective and completely down to the individual. What one person find sexy another may not. However, we do all enjoy discovering the certain universal traits that set off the sexy signal in our brains. The connection between most attributes that ooze sex appeal is confidence. This confidence is not necessarily known or created it's an innate, individual self-assurance that is transported through various means, and offers an glimpse of what our soul may look like at it's most attractive, with a bit of glamour thrown in. This can usually simply be achieved with a smile.
Many people including myself, claim that they find it very hard to be sexy. That is probably because they are trying! There are many people in the world who can effortlessly be sexy and get paid thousands of pounds to do so, but it is definitely considered an art form. Christian Bale observes that, 'trying too hard to be sexy is the worst thing in the world a woman can do' Well, looks like it will always be a tough act to perform correctly.
If in doubt, get some red lipstick or a leather jacket, add a cigarette and practice swishing your hair around a bit and you may just about pass the test!
Tuesday 2 March 2010
So much stress, so little time!
I was thinking about stress today, it's an ironic procrastination, but one we all indulge in when we feel our lives have taken over who we are. There are just times, when we cannot possibly think about all the little things we need to, so we spend each minute worrying about the method of how to solve these problems, instead of actually solving them!
We are all different, and deal with stress in different ways of course. Some of us can sense the stress signals seeping into our brains and taking over all our control. We know of our own, personal rituals we use to combat the immediate problem, whether it's a little time out with mates, a quick chocolate fix, or a bike ride. However, these do not always work and we often become a spectator, watching out lives play out, powerless to take a hold of what we are experiencing and stop the action. Others more prone to stress, fall at the first hurdle and can find no way of getting up again. There are a select few however, that are brilliant time managers, problem solvers and positive pearls of perfection. If you know anyone of this description they are usually the one person who will take you to one side, during a time where you can barely breathe and give you a completely obvious and simple solution that will kill all the birds with one stone. At this point you then become annoyed and stressed at yourself for being so ignorant that you couldn't see the solution for yourself!
I have found that our tear-ducts are directly linked to our stress levels. It's like they can sense when we are about to lose it, and signal the need to release moisture. This can be in the form of complete sobbing or hysterical laughter. It's our body's way of saying it needs a rest, a break. Maybe that is why Kitkat asks us to take a break. Good old Nestle knew that the endorphins in their chocolate would help eliminate our stress levels!
By definition stress is 'a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension' I think this tension is of course subjective but can also be completely invisible. Most stress we create ourselves. A friend pointed out to me today that we felt very busy during the first two years of our degree and now in the third year we are squeezing in so much more. No matter how impossible it seems there is always room for more. We feel completely consumed by our timetables that we are even contemplating scheduling in time to relax! We seem to be managing everything so far.(She says confidently)
Natalie Goldberg notices how the idea of stress is quite melodramatic, 'Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency'. As humans we are conditioned to create, hypothesize, analyze and this often means we imagine what is not really there. This doesn't mean that the stress is a figment of our imagination but the volume of it and our way of dealing with it is sometimes counter-productive. Catherine Puliser sums up the idea of stress in one sweeping, humbling statement, 'When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter in 5 years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go.
Have a go and see how much time you will save. Now where's that Kitkat?....
We are all different, and deal with stress in different ways of course. Some of us can sense the stress signals seeping into our brains and taking over all our control. We know of our own, personal rituals we use to combat the immediate problem, whether it's a little time out with mates, a quick chocolate fix, or a bike ride. However, these do not always work and we often become a spectator, watching out lives play out, powerless to take a hold of what we are experiencing and stop the action. Others more prone to stress, fall at the first hurdle and can find no way of getting up again. There are a select few however, that are brilliant time managers, problem solvers and positive pearls of perfection. If you know anyone of this description they are usually the one person who will take you to one side, during a time where you can barely breathe and give you a completely obvious and simple solution that will kill all the birds with one stone. At this point you then become annoyed and stressed at yourself for being so ignorant that you couldn't see the solution for yourself!
I have found that our tear-ducts are directly linked to our stress levels. It's like they can sense when we are about to lose it, and signal the need to release moisture. This can be in the form of complete sobbing or hysterical laughter. It's our body's way of saying it needs a rest, a break. Maybe that is why Kitkat asks us to take a break. Good old Nestle knew that the endorphins in their chocolate would help eliminate our stress levels!
By definition stress is 'a physical, chemical, or emotional factor that causes bodily or mental tension' I think this tension is of course subjective but can also be completely invisible. Most stress we create ourselves. A friend pointed out to me today that we felt very busy during the first two years of our degree and now in the third year we are squeezing in so much more. No matter how impossible it seems there is always room for more. We feel completely consumed by our timetables that we are even contemplating scheduling in time to relax! We seem to be managing everything so far.(She says confidently)
Natalie Goldberg notices how the idea of stress is quite melodramatic, 'Stress is an ignorant state. It believes that everything is an emergency'. As humans we are conditioned to create, hypothesize, analyze and this often means we imagine what is not really there. This doesn't mean that the stress is a figment of our imagination but the volume of it and our way of dealing with it is sometimes counter-productive. Catherine Puliser sums up the idea of stress in one sweeping, humbling statement, 'When you find yourself stressed, ask yourself one question: Will this matter in 5 years from now? If yes, then do something about the situation. If no, then let it go.
Have a go and see how much time you will save. Now where's that Kitkat?....
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