What are the biggest and most influencial pieces of advice or lessions you’ve learned throughout your life?
Live it!
There was a thread a while back where some kid was asking how he can get over his spinelessness and lack of self-confidence.
How can you be assertive when you don’t know what you want?
How can you be confident when you don’t know who you are?
Sincerity. Stop comparing yourself to others and simply be yourself, unashamedly.
Confidence and assertiveness will both follow sincerity.
People respect sincerity as well, because with it, you respect your true nature.
-
Do not neglect nor skimp on prayer.
-
Avoid unnecessary situations that can lure you back into former bad habits.
-
Do not buy exercise gadgets seen on infomercials.
-
Avoid procrastination.
-
Try everything with ketchup at least once.
-
Do not confuse probability with certainty.
-
In the game where person “A” implies “X” about person “B”; person “B” says “X” is not true; and then person “A” says “I didn’t say anything about ‘X’; you must have a guilty conscience about ‘X’” – if you are person “B”, don’t take the bait. Let person “A” keep implying “X”; address the literal question blandly and play dumb like you have no idea what is being implied.
-
Pour out forgiveness generously; pour out trust cautiously; go hog-wild with the ketchup.
Every religious tradition teaches renunciation as the path to liberation. Zen means “sitting”, and while sitting, “letting flow”. And the word “Islam” translates as “submission”. Non-attachment.
The Bhagavad Gita refers to this as “karma yoga”; performing action, but sacrificing the fruits - be they good or bad. We can only control our actions (karmas), there is no way to control the results. Attaching to the karmas causes suffering.
This same lesson finds itself in Christianity, Taoism, Native American traditions, etc.
Homework assignment: Find this teaching in your own tradition.
If you can study other traditions, you’ll find the practical commonalities have always appeared somehow as lessons in your own life.
This is the fusion of advice from two episodes of “Kung Fu”:
If you do not trust, haven’t you already been betrayed? Trust always… but be prepared!
My last bit of advice is to watch “Kung Fu”. All three seasons are now on DVD 
Great thread idea!!!
To put the world in order we must first put the nation in order.
To put the nation in order we must first put the family in order.
To put the family in order we must first cultivate our personl life.
And to cultivate our personal life, we must set our hearts right.
–Confucius
A loving person lives in a loving world.
A hostile person lives in a hostile world.
Everyone you meet is your mirror.
–Ken Keyes Jr.
At the end of your life, you will never regret not having passed one more test, nor winning one more verdict or not closing one more deal. You will regret time not spent with a husband, a friend, a child or parent.
–Barbara Bush
My message to you is:
Be corageous!
Be as brave as your fathers before you.
Have faith!
Go forward.
–Thomas Edison
Enjoy it now while you have it. You never know when it will be taken away. It doesn’t even matter what it is, just enjoy it.
God is dead, and we are all his murderers - Nietzsche
…so we have to live our lives for today, not some afterworld
Pick your battles.
Ain’t no jackass ever won the Kentucky Derby.
Always have a purpose. Without a goal, you’re destined to mediocrity.
[quote]NealRaymond2 wrote:
7) In the game where person “A” implies “X” about person “B”; person “B” says “X” is not true; and then person “A” says “I didn’t say anything about ‘X’; you must have a guilty conscience about ‘X’” – if you are person “B”, don’t take the bait. Let person “A” keep implying “X”; address the literal question blandly and play dumb like you have no idea what is being implied.[/quote]
I recall once reading something to the effect: “Gossip is not only damaging to its target, but also to the gossiper and the one hearing the gossip.”
Here is a great colloquism: “It takes one to know one.”
And a story:
There was once a king who gathered together a council of his vassals, and asked them to compile a library of all the wisdom in the land. After 40 years, they had filled the room with books, wall to wall with volumes of wisdom.
At seeing this, the king knew he could never have time to read all these books, so he asked that the vassals compile all the most useful wisdom into a single volume. After another 20 years, they had done just that.
Upon reading this single text, the now elderly king was enlightened. Alas, he knew that this bliss would evaporate as soon as he engaged again in his worldy duties. He also had hoped to convey this enlightenment to all the people of his land, though many of them were illiterate.
So the king again convened his vassals, and asked that they construct a single sentence that would bring one to peace. He asked that these words serve well both in times good and in times bad.
The king was surprised the next day, when his vassals had returned with the essential phrase:
“This too, will pass.”
Taoism.
if it doesn’t make you happy, it’s not a sacrifice; it’s a sacrilege…
love,
jason
" Have a good time… All the time! "
Time isnt wasted, if you’re wasted all the time.
On a more serious note, you shouldnt laugh at other people if you cant learn to laugh at yourself. And laugh often, for that matter.
I think it is just best to follow your heart. ALWAYS.
I’m not that much of a teacher nor am I smart, but I found out on my own that that is the best thing to do.
See the positive in everything. If a jewish man was able to see the positive in fish eyes in his soup in the camps, I think we all can in some way in everything.
There was a book once I read. From a french author. It was about a guy who gets the death penalty falsly. He was always looking forward to the hour of sunlight in his cell. I forgot the book and the author. Can anyone help?
Great thread!
Not too long ago I had one of those all-nighters with my close friends talking about life, politics, and God. At the end of it all my friend (much smarter and wiser than I) turns to me and says,
“I’ve realized that you have this thirst for truth and knowledge. It’s a beautiful thing. Don’t ever lose that thirst.”
I thanked him for saying that.
Awesome… thanks guys.
Keep em’ coming.
“Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”
“Dust Off!”