When Three Things You Love Come Together

Bliss

Why your Life is not a Journey

A great video featuring Alan Watts.

https://vimeo.com/176370337?outro=1

9 Life Lessons

The Blind Men and the Elephant

The Blind Men and the Elephant

by John Godfrey Saxe (1816-1887)

It was six men of Indostan

To learning much inclined,

Who went to see the Elephant

(Though all of them were blind),

That each by observation

Might satisfy his mind.

The First approach'd the Elephant,

And happening to fall

Against his broad and sturdy side,

At once began to bawl:

"God bless me! but the Elephant

Is very like a wall!"

The Second, feeling of the tusk,

Cried, -"Ho! what have we here

So very round and smooth and sharp?

To me 'tis mighty clear

This wonder of an Elephant

Is very like a spear!"

The Third approached the animal,

And happening to take

The squirming trunk within his hands,

Thus boldly up and spake:

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a snake!"

The Fourth reached out his eager hand,

And felt about the knee.

"What most this wondrous beast is like

Is mighty plain," quoth he,

"'Tis clear enough the Elephant 

Is very like a tree!"

The Fifth, who chanced to touch the ear,

Said: "E'en the blindest man

Can tell what this resembles most;

Deny the fact who can,

This marvel of an Elephant

Is very like a fan!"

The Sixth no sooner had begun

About the beast to grope,

Then, seizing on the swinging tail

That fell within his scope,

"I see," quoth he, "the Elephant

Is very like a rope!"

And so these men of Indostan

Disputed loud and long,

Each in his own opinion

Exceeding stiff and strong,

Though each was partly in the right,

And all were in the wrong!

So oft in theologic wars, 

The disputants, I ween, 

Rail on in utter ignorance 

Of what each other mean, 

And prate about an Elephant 

Not one of them has seen!

To Each His Own

Changing the World Starts With You

This is a great video by a guy named Jay Shetty.

Prune Your Life

The last in a good list of things productive people do:

15. They Constantly Prune Their Lives

“You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” — Greg McKeown

Last but certainly not least — insanely productive people continuously “clean their closet.” They live minimally. When life starts getting too busy, they step back and remove what is unneeded. Rather than adding more to their life, they say, “no” to almost everything. If they’ve made non-essential commitments in their future, they cancel those superfluous appointments. Their lives are simple and to the point.

10 Things That will Make You Happy

10 Things Science And Buddhism Says Will Definitely Make You Happy

1. Be generous

2. Savor everyday moments

3. Avoid comparisons

4. Put money low on the list

5. Have meaningful goals

6. Take initiative at work

7. Make friends, treasure family

8. Look on the bright side

9. Say thank you like you mean it

10. Get out and exercise

A Quote and a Charge on Drawing Conclusions

From Daniel Kahneman's "Thinking, Fast and Slow":

"When people believe a conclusion is true, they are also very likely to believe arguments that appear to support it, even when these arguments are unsound."

To draw impartial conclusions based on an honest evaluation of evidence; to not let already drawn conclusions influence my interpretation of the evidence. 

10 Statements for 2016

I will focus on what I want to be and not on what I don't want to be
I will strive to produce more and consume less
I will endeavor to give more and have less
I will exercise regularly and put good things in my body
I will seek balance in all things and will make adjustments when necessary
I will know the difference between rest and idleness
I will accept the reality of regret and will use it as a tool to improve my decisions
I will treat others how I would want to be treated
I will hold the need for compassion above need to be right