Tag: Mindful Thinking

Perspectives

making choices makes you powerful

by Paul Joo

While there are many challenges to living a happy and contented life, I’d say without reservation that confusion among the concepts of LIKING, WANTING and CHOOSING is responsible for a disproportionately huge amount of human misery & frustration. So here is my attempt to reduce some of that suffering by eliminating its cause.

LIKING is not the same thing as CHOOSING! They are 2 completely different concepts!

LIKING is akin to wishing, or even hoping, and it is strictly emotional. While CHOOSING may begin with wishing or hoping, it always concludes in physical action that is proof of the choice you’ve made. Consider this deeply.

As for WANTING – it is simply a bridge between LIKING and CHOOSING.

WANTING starts with the WHY underpinning your LIKING, and then it infuses it with your Will, ideally to such a degree that you end up making the best choice for yourself i.e. CHOOSING what you were LIKING in the first place!

  1. LIKING.
  2. WANTING.
  3. CHOOSING.

Three different concepts that, working together, can make your dreams come true!

 

Perspectives

beware all talking heads

by Paul Joo

“It is now 1984. It appears IBM wants it all. Apple is perceived to be the only hope to offer IBM a run for its money. Dealers, originally welcoming IBM with open arms, now fear an IBM dominated and controlled future. They are increasingly turning back to Apple as the only force that can ensure their future freedom! IBM is aiming its guns to the last obstacle to industry control—Apple. Will Big Blue dominate the entire computer industry? The entire information age? Was George Orwell right?”

– Apple CEO Steve Jobs introducing the Macintosh on Jan. 24, 1984.

 

Perspectives

individuality is just being your self

by Paul Joo

The idea of individuality is touted as highly valued in Society, but in reality the true Individual is relentlessly subordinated to the group or collective.

So to live in our Society as a true Individual – in thought, belief and action – is at best a difficult proposition fraught with enormous personal risk & responsibility.

Which could explain why the strong manage it, the good want it, and the common avoid it.

“To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.” – R.W. Emerson

 

Perspectives

survival, evasion, resistance & escape

by Paul Joo

SERE is an acronym for a program that provides U.S. military personnel with training in evading capture & survival skills; it stands for Survival, Evasion, Resistance & Escape.

So what does this have to do with anything? Well, I’ve found that this idea of “evasion & survival” often applies to most of us – specifically in response to taking responsibility for unpleasant challenges that crop up in our everyday lives. In our case, however, perhaps a more appropriate acronym is DDD, which stands for Deflect, Divert and Distance.

DDD describes our (unfortunately) common responses when we have both the need & responsibility to face unpleasant thoughs, feelings or associations.

Deflect – We often deflect our attention from an unpleasant thought, feeling or association to “anywhere else!”: “Oh boy, look at that dust buildup, I’d better get on that right now!” Etc.

Divert –  We often divert our focus from an unpleasant thought, feeling or association to “anything else!”, such as daily tasks, routines, busywork, etc…..anything to keep our minds occupied by keeping the rest of us occupied.

Distance – We often distance ourselves from an unpleasant thought, feeling or association by evaluating or judging it: “That’s so dumb! Wow, how stupid of me! This is ridiculous!”; this way we can point to the source as something outside ourselves i.e. not our responsibility.

Not pretty, but these are three very real ways we tend to avoid the responsibility of our challenges – be they real or perceived.

Don’t feel bad if any of these resonate with you – we all rely on them at one time or another. But maybe, having come to understand how we fall prey to these mental habits, we can gradually overcome them, and in doing so stand up and regain more control over our fates as Individuals worthy of the moniker.

For my money – totally worth the effort. 🙂

 

Perspectives

some plain truth from the man

by Paul Joo

The very purpose of religion is to control yourself, not to criticize others.

Rather, we must criticize ourselves. How much am I doing about my anger? About my attachment, about my hatred, about my pride, my jealousy?

These are the things we must check in daily life.

– Dalai Lama

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