Think about who you are. Think about who you want to be. Think about what you love. Think about what is sacred. Think about what is true. Think about what you want to learn. Think about your values and principles. Think about the fact that you will die and that this day is a gift. Think about what is important. Think about what is priceless. Think about how you wish to live your life.
Be a “critical” (not negative, but questioning) thinker. Ask: What evidence, experience, authority supports this statement, contention, theory? Is the evidence verifiable and complete? Are the premises valid? Are my intentions honorable, and right for all concerned?
Effective thinking is seeking the whole picture, looking for relationships, looking for patterns rather than pieces. To make effective decisions about how to live, it is critical to develop the ability to reason accurately and independently, rather than accepting answers based upon authority or tradition.
A collection of ancient Buddhist scriptures contains the following wisdom:
“Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one acts or speaks with a corrupt mind,
suffering follows,
as the wheel follows the hoof of an ox pulling a cart.
Mind is the forerunner of all actions.
All deeds are led by mind, created by mind.
If one speaks or acts with a serene mind,
happiness follows,
as surely as one’s shadow.”
We become what we think. To get control of our lives, we have to think, and control what we think. Clear thinking involves effectively gathering, accessing and integrating the multiple messages coming at us from the reality around us and within us. The characteristic that makes us uniquely human is the ability of our minds to examine their own processes, to think about thinking. We can, and should, mentally examine: How did I reach that conclusion? Was my conclusion influenced by my prejudices? Is my conclusion logical or does it reflect the way I want things to be? What are my goals and objectives? Will this decision enable or impede my goals? What kind of person do I want to be? Are my actions consistent with who I want to be?
Thinking is, of course, only the first step. The right thoughts are critical for they drive action, but what really matters is what we do. The objective is to produce the right results. The quality of results are almost always determined by the strength and quality of the thinking and effort expended in achieving them.
Words are powerful. Think before you speak. Empower the three gatekeepers of the Buddha’s advice about speaking:
Is what I am about to say true?
Is what I am about to say necessary?
Will what I am about to say do no harm?
Thinking clearly takes commitment, effort and practice, but the benefits are well worth the effort. Our ability to think, and to think about thinking, is a tremendous gift. We use it or lose it.
]]>My reflections lead me to wonder if there is anything that I have learned about life that is worth sharing, that is unaffected, or minimally affected, by the passage of time. I guess that I am naive enough, and hopeful enough, to think that the answer to that question is yes. I believe that there are some values and principles that are valid, regardless of the changes in our world and how those changes impact our lives. Therefore, I have chosen to write down some thoughts about life, in the hope that they will be of benefit to my sons and daughters, grandchildren, their children, and anyone else who cares to “listen”.
My hope is that these observations will be useful to readers as they make decisions large and small, but primarily I share them in the hope that they will encourage readers to THINK, to figure out what is really IMPORTANT and to do what is RIGHT. I believe it is every serious thinker’s responsibility to separate clarity and reason from the morass of ignorance, prejudice, dogma, and misinformation with which we are confronted daily.
I’ve concluded that there are five fundamental decisions that shape our lives. They provide the map for the path we choose to follow:
Life poses many problems. With those we must learn to cope. It also offers goodness, beauty, hope and truth. Of these we should learn to be aware and to appreciate.
Please understand that I am not trying to tell anyone what to do, with these general exceptions: I urge everyone to THINK, to DECIDE, to DO. I am convinced that following a proactive agenda is superior to being reactive or doing nothing at all.
I offer some ideas regarding what to THINK about. To be sure, my list is not all inclusive. My suggestions may not be appropriate. You may decide differently. That is ok. What is important is that you seriously think about the issues raised and decide what makes sense for you, in light of your carefully considered values, morals, ethics and goals.
I like to think of myself as a “Seeker of Truth”. I have a burning desire to know the truth, the way “things really are”. Having said that, I understand no one can ever possess all that is true, or only the truth. Life is too complicated for that. Truth can only be pursued. But that in no way diminishes the value of the search. The more I learn, the more I reflect, the closer I get to reality. For me, reality is important. What I share here is what I have come to believe about the truth regarding the subjects addressed. Keep in mind that there is no guarantee that what you read here is “the truth”. It represents what I think is true. What is the truth for you, you must decide for yourself.
In some cases, my suggestions may represent what I have learned about what should be done. Some represent what I learned by doing the wrong things, or doing things incorrectly. I offer them in the hope that you will not make the same mistakes that I have made.
I make no claim that all of this material is original. I have borrowed extensively from the wisdom of others. Sometimes I give credit and use quotation marks. Sometimes I paraphrase what I have learned from reading or hearing, and/or extrapolate from what I have read, heard and experienced.
As you will see, I am fond of quotations and “old” adages that resonate with truth and meaning. The one that I lately find myself relating to more and more is:
“Too Soon Old, Too Late Smart”
I hope that you will find these ramblings of some value.
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