I'm sure most people have heard this before. My Mum would tell me to do something, usually chores related, and I, being the feisty little child I had the tendency of being, would look her dead in the eyes and ask, "Why?"
Her usual response was to say "Because I told you to!" As she threw her hands up in the air, I'm sure growing overly tired of having this small minded being question every little thing she presents to the situation. (Sorry Mum) Needless to say, if you know me at all, I've not changed much. I still push the limits of the facts that are put in front of me. I still challenge whatever I am able to. Much to some peoples dismay..
I've been realizing the value of kindness lately. When I close my eyes and see this mental image of what that word gives me, I see a bunch of people in a circle, holding hands and being friendly with each other. That is just the still picture. If I look at the word "kindness" as an action, it takes on a whole different meaning. Just like music, art, yoga, and love, community is an action. You can choose to include it in every choice that is made during ones day.
Take art for example. I could do this more, but I do try and include it into every part of my day. Whether that is just sketching on napkins at a restaurant, forcing myself to paint every day, or just drawing hearts in the dust at someone's house. Creating images can be done at any time, any place. It's about putting the effort forth to make it happen with whatever material that may be available.
Love is a little harder to do this with sometimes. As humans, we tend to think the world revolves around us as a singular person. "My world is more important than yours, my problems are more substantial, my ideas are better, brighter, bigger. I'm right. You're wrong" We might not want to admit it but we all allow it to happen. Now the action of love is to be able to break through that wall, see the other persons perspective as best you can, then change your own mind, perspective, or even go against your best logic. That's what is hardest for me. Going against logic for the sake of trust, faith, or love. Seems like the dumbest thing to do. But yet, if we would bring a little bit of that empty minded, over the rainbow, cheese ball romance into our lives every once in a while, maybe our relationships would have a bit more forgiveness.
Faith
[feyth]
Her usual response was to say "Because I told you to!" As she threw her hands up in the air, I'm sure growing overly tired of having this small minded being question every little thing she presents to the situation. (Sorry Mum) Needless to say, if you know me at all, I've not changed much. I still push the limits of the facts that are put in front of me. I still challenge whatever I am able to. Much to some peoples dismay..
I've been realizing the value of kindness lately. When I close my eyes and see this mental image of what that word gives me, I see a bunch of people in a circle, holding hands and being friendly with each other. That is just the still picture. If I look at the word "kindness" as an action, it takes on a whole different meaning. Just like music, art, yoga, and love, community is an action. You can choose to include it in every choice that is made during ones day.
Take art for example. I could do this more, but I do try and include it into every part of my day. Whether that is just sketching on napkins at a restaurant, forcing myself to paint every day, or just drawing hearts in the dust at someone's house. Creating images can be done at any time, any place. It's about putting the effort forth to make it happen with whatever material that may be available.
Love is a little harder to do this with sometimes. As humans, we tend to think the world revolves around us as a singular person. "My world is more important than yours, my problems are more substantial, my ideas are better, brighter, bigger. I'm right. You're wrong" We might not want to admit it but we all allow it to happen. Now the action of love is to be able to break through that wall, see the other persons perspective as best you can, then change your own mind, perspective, or even go against your best logic. That's what is hardest for me. Going against logic for the sake of trust, faith, or love. Seems like the dumbest thing to do. But yet, if we would bring a little bit of that empty minded, over the rainbow, cheese ball romance into our lives every once in a while, maybe our relationships would have a bit more forgiveness.
Faith
[feyth]
1.
confidence or trust in a person or thing: faith in another's ability.
2.
belief that is not based on proof: He had faith that the hypothesis would be substantiated by fact.
It goes against everything within me. I want tangible, touchable, viewable, truth. I want my senses to be able to tell me, "Yes, this exists. You may believe it." To be able to trust, have faith, in something, someone, is quite hard for me.
Mum made a good point, as blunt as it was. Because I said so is just as much of a reason as the reason she could have explained. Because really, who is to say that it's even believable. The point is, do you want to do it to fight it, for results, or because you want to do it.
I see the point of community as doing something for the sake of doing it. For the sake of someone other than yourself. And though there is no such thing as selflessness because the reason anyone does anything is for ones own happiness. "It makes me happy that you're happy." But to do something for the sake of the action itself is quite the feat. There is no failure! No disappointment. Once you've completed the action, the result is obsolete. If something good does come of it, so be it! If not, you weren't expecting anything anyway.
It has become something I want to include into my daily choices. Do something for the sake of doing it. For the sake of someone else outside of myself. Actions such as those are sure to come back to a person in reward.
But who cares?
M.
It goes against everything within me. I want tangible, touchable, viewable, truth. I want my senses to be able to tell me, "Yes, this exists. You may believe it." To be able to trust, have faith, in something, someone, is quite hard for me.
Mum made a good point, as blunt as it was. Because I said so is just as much of a reason as the reason she could have explained. Because really, who is to say that it's even believable. The point is, do you want to do it to fight it, for results, or because you want to do it.
I see the point of community as doing something for the sake of doing it. For the sake of someone other than yourself. And though there is no such thing as selflessness because the reason anyone does anything is for ones own happiness. "It makes me happy that you're happy." But to do something for the sake of the action itself is quite the feat. There is no failure! No disappointment. Once you've completed the action, the result is obsolete. If something good does come of it, so be it! If not, you weren't expecting anything anyway.
It has become something I want to include into my daily choices. Do something for the sake of doing it. For the sake of someone else outside of myself. Actions such as those are sure to come back to a person in reward.
But who cares?
M.
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