Tag: pride

Leave The Lion Alone –

“Without game, men prey on each other.” – Perry Farrell
“. . . It is just because human bloodthirstiness is such a primitive part of us 
that it is so hard to eradicate, especially when a fight or a hunt is promised as part of the fun.” – William James
sacred-profane

There are those who live only to stalk as an aggressor and taker of life. This is why the gazelle cannot be kind to the lion, or invite him to dine and frolic together. If I treat the predator like a friend, with all the trust and vulnerabilities involved with that privilege, I‘ll present myself as a meal. It’s nothing personal for them to hunt me, that’s what they do. Leave the lion alone, why do I wish to fight? A fight is necessary for survival, but the better part of wisdom is to stay away from those whose dinner is my flesh. The kindness of our hearts is a weakness which must be balanced with the necessary facts of life, leave the lion alone and steer clear from the jaws that will look pleasant from a distance but have your throat in an instant.

First published in Opinionsofeye.com

12162012
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The Art of Waiting – Sun Tzu applications

“Patience is power.
Patience is not an absence of action;
rather it is “timing”
it waits on the right time to act,
for the right principles
and in the right way.”
― Fulton J. Sheen
 
戰

Wisdom is better than strength. This sounds right, but to apply the principle is a complex matter. In layman’s terms, it requires me to use knowledge and timing rather than brute strength or force. Patience is a universal partner to this wisdom that excels strength. Patience involves waiting, waiting involves self control, a mastery of my emotions and will. Sun Tzu said, “ The good fighters of old first put themselves beyond the possibility of defeat, and then waited for an opportunity of defeating the enemy.” This waiting involves observation of self, as well as your problem or enemy. The purpose of this waiting is to be, “Disciplined and calm, to await the appearance of disorder and hubbub amongst the enemy:–this is the art of retaining self-possession.”

Another fine friend of wisdom, quietness, gives us further benefits. In most conflicts, a demonstration of strength, provoked by bravado and pride, is shown by an outpouring of threats and insults. These are made in order to conceal intentions, threaten peace, and incite a reaction. In direct contrast, Sun Tzu enlightens us with his application of a principle of quietness, hence, “In making tactical dispositions, the highest pitch you can attain is to conceal them; conceal your dispositions, and you will be safe from the prying of the subtlest spies, from the machinations of the wisest brains.”

Through the Mist – Finding a way through opinions

“At night the fog was thick and full of light, and sometimes voices.” 

 

For times and times of multiplied times, I tip-toe through the water colored grays and whites of opinions fog, misty coverings over the truest paths. Stepping off my way, slipping on changing whims of irrelevant interventions, I draw blood, bleeding discouragement, marking my errant route. Sitting on rocks of stubborn pride, I bind the wounds of disillusionment. I sought a torch of brilliant revelation to guide me as the north star, with steady light, steady direction, and comfort in a sure way. What will I use as fuel for this flame that licks the mist from the air? My spirit, deeper than the mind, deeper than the soul, found in the stillness of my chamber, provides urns of truth that ignite my blaze of illumination. Confidently waving my baton of bright dancing tongues, plainly the path stands clear. Excuse my hasty advance past you idle players of hate and jealousy, I am committed to the summit of my life. See my flame high on this mountain, follow me you lost and wandering souls, we will climb above the clouds.

Rebirth of Born Again – The death and life of faith

“Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.” – Elie Wiesel, Night
scenicreflections

Spiritual. More specifically, christian. Even more precise, Born Again christian. These were my labels, my cult, my passion. It sounds good, it sounds right, but the reality wasn’t so cut and dry. It wasn’t right, because I wasn’t. I had to lose my faith, get put through a hell on earth called divorce, burn in the fires of addiction, be put on the cross of heartache and betrayal, lose everything to find the real me. Not the me created by the fan club of a very generic “God”, but the me that’s reality. Only as I went through those fires did the impurities of my fake belief come to the surface. I hid in my religion, pretending everything was fine and arguing with grandiose and severe speech that condemned other points of view and defended mine. During this humbling process of losing everything I believed in, I was aware of all my pride and boasting. I was aware of not seeing people for who they are, where they are. Of misjudging, not only the good but the bad. My daughter was molested by the janitor of my church. The same man I reached out to and helped. The one that I let into my family on the pretense of rescuing him. I didn’t see his evil, because I hid my own. So consumed with my point of view, blinded by my weakness, I had no defense against the evil coming to me through the channels of my misguided belief. I’m recovering from this, my family still suffers from the effects of both this man and my collapsing faith.


I’m rebuilding my faith, but it’s an entirely new creature than the previous abortion of truth. Here’s the premise: I have a rubber meets the road faith. I cuss when I pray. “Big Daddy, thank you for this fucking beautiful day”. I say it normally, why would I be different when I pray? I believe that if someone is talking shit about you, you should confront them and if necessary, deal out an ass whooping. If you hurt my family, I’ll hunt you down with a never ending quest for vengeance. If I do something worthy of an ass whooping, I humbly bow to receive it.I’m tired of playing nice little church boy. I’ll call us out on our bullshit. I’ll let you know my weakness, my sins. I’ll not hide how imperfect and hideous my thoughts are. You’ll hate me or love me, it matters not. This is real, this is my faith. These are my new tenets. My meekness isn’t weakness. I’ll defend my life, my household, my family, and my friends with my life. I’ll be plainly honest and transparent. I give you freedom to be you, just don’t fuck with me.

Also published in Broowaha
01122012 

Rebirth of Born Again – The death and life of faith

“Never shall I forget those moments that murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to ashes.” – Elie Wiesel, Night
scenicreflections

Spiritual. More specifically, christian. Even more precise, Born Again christian. These were my labels, my cult, my passion. It sounds good, it sounds right, but the reality wasn’t so cut and dry. It wasn’t right, because I wasn’t. I had to lose my faith, get put through a hell on earth called divorce, burn in the fires of addiction, be put on the cross of heartache and betrayal, lose everything to find the real me. Not the me created by the fan club of a very generic “God”, but the me that’s reality. Only as I went through those fires did the impurities of my fake belief come to the surface. I hid in my religion, pretending everything was fine and arguing with grandiose and severe speech that condemned other points of view and defended mine. During this humbling process of losing everything I believed in, I was aware of all my pride and boasting. I was aware of not seeing people for who they are, where they are. Of misjudging, not only the good but the bad. My daughter was molested by the janitor of my church. The same man I reached out to and helped. The one that I let into my family on the pretense of rescuing him. I didn’t see his evil, because I hid my own. So consumed with my point of view, blinded by my weakness, I had no defense against the evil coming to me through the channels of my misguided belief. I’m recovering from this, my family still suffers from the effects of both this man and my collapsing faith.


I’m rebuilding my faith, but it’s an entirely new creature than the previous abortion of truth. Here’s the premise: I have a rubber meets the road faith. I cuss when I pray. “Big Daddy, thank you for this fucking beautiful day”. I say it normally, why would I be different when I pray? I believe that if someone is talking shit about you, you should confront them and if necessary, deal out an ass whooping. If you hurt my family, I’ll hunt you down with a never ending quest for vengeance. If I do something worthy of an ass whooping, I humbly bow to receive it.I’m tired of playing nice little church boy. I’ll call us out on our bullshit. I’ll let you know my weakness, my sins. I’ll not hide how imperfect and hideous my thoughts are. You’ll hate me or love me, it matters not. This is real, this is my faith. These are my new tenets. My meekness isn’t weakness. I’ll defend my life, my household, my family, and my friends with my life. I’ll be plainly honest and transparent. I give you freedom to be you, just don’t fuck with me.

Also published in Broowaha
01122012 

Seven Faults Of Foolishness – Fault #1 A Proud Look

“Deep is the sea, and deep is hell, but Pride, mineth deeper;
It is coiled as a poisonous worm about the foundations of the soul.”
– Martin Farquhar Tupper, Proverbial Philosophy
“We are rarely proud when we are alone.”– Voltaire

A foolish man, devoid of wisdom, thinks nothing of others. Not recognizing that his station in life is carried on the backs of those before him, he lifts up his head and treats with disdain those who are under him. Despising authority, he believes himself to be greater than those beneath and above him, than the common and the exalted. His eyes are haughty, his face hardened to those weaker souls that surround him. He won’t give in to cries for mercy, nor will he allow himself to entertain the causes of those who he’s crushed with his wanton lifestyle. None can approach him, he is the center of his universe, his Ego holding the scepter and reigning supreme in the world that he believes is his. He is God in his own world, a legend in his own mind. See him, as he pushes through the crowd, refusing to give way, he bumps and shoves those who are in “his” way, refusing to yield even for an instant. Staring deep into the eyes of those around him, he hopes to intimidate and force to yield those who oppose him, even though opposition is the least of their motives. He believes that everyone will try to usurp his authority, paranoia quickly taking the reigns of his mind, causing him to be cruel in his decisions.

Seven Faults Of Foolishness – Fault #1 A Proud Look

“Deep is the sea, and deep is hell, but Pride, mineth deeper;
It is coiled as a poisonous worm about the foundations of the soul.”
– Martin Farquhar Tupper, Proverbial Philosophy
“We are rarely proud when we are alone.”– Voltaire

A foolish man, devoid of wisdom, thinks nothing of others. Not recognizing that his station in life is carried on the backs of those before him, he lifts up his head and treats with disdain those who are under him. Despising authority, he believes himself to be greater than those beneath and above him, than the common and the exalted. His eyes are haughty, his face hardened to those weaker souls that surround him. He won’t give in to cries for mercy, nor will he allow himself to entertain the causes of those who he’s crushed with his wanton lifestyle. None can approach him, he is the center of his universe, his Ego holding the scepter and reigning supreme in the world that he believes is his. He is God in his own world, a legend in his own mind. See him, as he pushes through the crowd, refusing to give way, he bumps and shoves those who are in “his” way, refusing to yield even for an instant. Staring deep into the eyes of those around him, he hopes to intimidate and force to yield those who oppose him, even though opposition is the least of their motives. He believes that everyone will try to usurp his authority, paranoia quickly taking the reigns of his mind, causing him to be cruel in his decisions.