Thursday, March 22, 2012

Journal #5: The Stranger

My Philosophy:  A life worth living 

Learn from the Past, Prepare for the Future, Adapt to the Present:
The past has already happened, and nothing can change it.  But it doesn't mean you can't find ways to improve yourself by being conscious of it.  Self reflection is important, which leads to preparing for the future.  Use what you have learned to plan for what you predict will come ahead.  Making goals and constantly challenging yourself is essential to living a full life.  Don't, however, hold onto goals that become unreasonable.  Instead, adapt.  Whatever situation you are in is never completely under your control.  Therefore, the unexpected can happen rather easily.  Being able to roll with the punches is one of the most important skils one can have in life.  Plus it makes life more fun.  Its not interesting when you always know what is going to happen.

Get Over It and Move On:

Although it is important to reflect on the past, people still get stuck on it for longer than they should.  Whether you are ready for it, lives goes on.  If you can't get over something, you will be losing time which could be spent having better experiences somewhere else.  Use what you learn and make something better out of it than just sitting around and moping.

Don't be afraid to Judge:

Saying that you should live or do live without judging things and people is naive and false.  Being able to make quick decisions on gut instinct or speedy logic is an important skill for being aware of your surroundings.  Some of the most successful people are the best judgers.  Beware, however, that judgements are not always right, and one shouldn't directly act upon them unless it is absolutely neccessary.

Be Openminded:

Although this contrasts the above principle, both principles need to be used at the right times in order to be successful.  Snap judgements are for the present moment, but open mindedness occurs during reflection.  One must always review things with an openmind, otherwise key things will be missed.  Humans are notorious for clinging on to our old beliefs and being unwilling to change our views when there is greater evidence for something else.  I think that beliefs should be based on evidence, and they should be able to shift if one finds more evidence in support of something else.

Live for Experiences:

I personally haven't been exposed to enough proof to accept a religion, therefore I don't presently believe in a higher power.  I accept that one could exist, but I don't have enough information to commit myself to that belief.  What I know to be true though, is that life is filled with experiences to be had.  I emphasize that I am not advocating pursuing illegal or dangerous experiences, but life would be boring without truly knowing what life has to offer.  Experiences don't always have to be and shouldn't always be comfortable, but should be aimed to give oneself a knew perspective that could only be truly appreciated by going through something unordinary.  This will make you question what ordinary really is, whether it exists at all, or whether "normal" is just a concept which we have complete control over.

Find your Limits:

Living without ever pushing yourself isn't living to your fullest.  Never knowing your true capability is a waste of time and life.  Searching for your limits is an experience in itself, and will lead you to discovering things about yourself that you couldn't have known otherwise.

Don't be Afraid to ask for Help:

Our species has spent thousands of years finding and recording solutions to problems and acquiring vast amounts of information.  It is more than one can ever hope to absorb.  Therefore, using our collective human intelligence effectively requires seeking out advice from other people.  Being timid and not asking for help will just hold you back.

Live to Benefit Society:

The only true impact people have on this world are what they leave behind in memories.  People can build and lead and create, but all things eventually fall apart.  How people remember you can last forever, and the only way to leave a good impact is to live with the purpose of benefitting society.  The historical figures we respect are the ones who spent their life with this goal in mind, and the notorious historical figures we remember were the ones who brought society down.  We live to promote our collective human race, and doing so successfully will get you inscribed in the memories of other people, making your life worth living.

Live Curious:

Live with a drive to improve your knowledge of the world around you.  This doesn't mean don't worry about grades, because grades are what get you into the higher class of learning; college.  Knowledge can be found in an unlimited amount of ways, and people should never stop seeking it.

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