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from the mind of critic: 1/8/19

From the mind of critic:       “If anger is motivation to act, is acting while we’re angry effective? Does anger overtake all other emotions and thoughts, so we see only what’s wrong, not what led to it, as well as possible solutions? Do solutions only come up after anger dies down, specifically because we’re able to think clearly about causes and solutions, not simply the event itself? Would these clearly thought out ways to fix what’s wrong, have even happened if we weren’t angry initially? We all have our methods of processing events, so we can understand them in a way our brains can pick up on. Anger is a normal emotion like love, sadness and hope. What isn’t normal is letting one emotion run our lives. Granted if we ran our lives purely on love, we would be better off than if we ran it purely on anger, but we’d still miss taking in the whole picture. Viewing, hearing or reading about extra judicial killings, ethnic cleansing, racism and child trafficking certainly gets us angry, it’s a normal reaction to something so horrible. What isn’t normal is living within this anger, and letting ourselves make quick decisions without fully taking into account not only the consequences, but their effectiveness. Will this quick action only serve to quell anger, while not inherently changing the event, or what led to it? Getting past this anger doesn’t mean never getting angry, blocking emotions never worked for anybody. What it does mean is we should feel anger and sadness, but take in information, while thinking about causes and proliferations. We can then act out of careful deliberation, and not overly dramatized emotion; being so surprised that something did or could happen, when we’ve not only seen it before, but have reacted exactly the same. If we claim the world is dark, we shouldn’t be surprised when that darkness shows up. We can’t let darkness release ours, we must allow our light to combat the darkness. Anger and clear thought are like oil and water, always separate. Motivation can get us going, but will only be sustainable if we let it evolve.”

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from the mind of critic: 1/7/19

From the mind of critic:          “If slippery slopes lead to us falling on our ass, but paying attention to clues allows us to stave off problems before they become catastrophes, how do we find balance? Do we use our version of analysis to find out which clues are authentic, and which are wolves in sheep’s clothing? Do we use historical facts and events as evidence of what could once again flare up, if we continue full steam ahead? What if our facts differ from somebody else’s, which leads us to a logical conclusion of mutually assured destruction, while it leads to the promise land for others, because evolution has finally been pushed in the right direction? Do we just throw up our hands in defeat, because whatever is going to happen is going to happen, or do we fight for our version of a better future? Is compromise possible? I would say both sides have their version of slippery slopes, and are perfectly okay with them, as long as their side wins and the other loses. However, not only are there infinite sides, there are infinite views and opinions within those sides. Honing in on what one side thinks monolithically, is like asking Americans what they want on their pizza, everything must be taken on a case by case basis. Now learning from historical mistakes so we don’t repeat them is valid for all humans, but learning from hearsay and circumstantial evidence to form an opinion, perfectly defines a slippery slope. Once we remember the difference between conscious and mindful is how we form informed opinions, and wearing blinders by listening to only one side, instead of the infinitely faceted views of the human species is how slippery slopes appear, we’ll realize when fascism, ethnic cleansing and authoritarianism is actually rising, not claim it is when our side is on the losing end of an election. Preventing catastrophe is good, manufacturing catastrophe isn’t. We find common ground when we start from where we’re human, not come back to it later. Perfect balance isn’t possible because of ever changing thoughts and opinions, but the more we consciously attempt balance, the better off we’ll be. The answer to a slipper slope is a clean slate, while the answer to conscious and multi sided information gathering, is an evolving human species.”

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from the mind of critic: 1/6/19

From the mind of critic:    “If we’re all part of the same human family, is life one big Thanksgiving table? Do we air our differences, just like with long lost relatives? The chaotic nature of the world, seems lost in a whirlwind of indecision and division. Once we realize we come from infinitely differing and different paths all headed in the same basic direction, we’ll see that the differences that make us one blood family, are the same for our human family. Divided we fall, but united we stand up by our brother. Being human isn’t just biological, it’s emotional. Chaos clears, when we clean a window. Collective direction changes, when we realize we’re holding the detour sign.”

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from the mind of critic: 1/5/19

From the mind of critic: “If wind gusts pick up and slow down without warning, are we prepared? Are all of our belongings going to blow around the yard, because of their physical importance? Will our sense of being and self be blown around and thrashed, but not destroyed, causing us to question everything we’ve ever done and thought, which causes our mind to spin faster than the wind? Do we give up, because it’s just easier to let the wind take us wherever it’s going to take us? Do we stand up, because although it’s harder to stand against the wind, it’s more spiritually fulfilling to know we tried? Do we stand up not against the wind, but against losing ourselves and our character? Do we know we can’t stop the wind, but can hold on to who we are, wherever the wind takes us? The world is an ever evolving and surprising whirlwind of chaos, beauty, lessons and reinvention. The wind will always blow, but it’s up to us to truly prepare by knowing ourselves. That way when the wind does blow, we know we might end up somewhere different, but we’ll be able to reinvent, adapt and adjust without losing who we are. Some people obliviously float whichever way the wind takes them, remaining ignorant, and falling further under control of outside sinister actors. Some of us are willing to blow around, not because we’re giving up, but because we want to survive and keep our psyche intact. The wind isn’t scary, as long as we know and love ourselves. We can walk across shifting sands, when we realize we’re not lost, just not where we thought we’d be. Looking in the mirror is the first step in realization, looking through the mirror is the second. To out stand the darkness, we simply must let out light shine. Standing up might include falling down, but it’s the getting up that matters.”

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from the mind of critic: 1/4/19

From the mind of critic:      “If moss can’t cover a rolling stone, is a stationary stone a sitting duck? Is it destined to be covered in thick green fibers, like so many neglected rooves? Is it simply just getting comfortable in its spot, because it sees its spot as the perfect foundation for moving into the future? Does the rolling rock not gather moss, because it’s constantly trying to find a new spot or any spot? Is the moss that grows when movement slows only detrimental, if the rock has no say in where it’s placed, and has no say in the type, density, placement and long-term tenancy of the moss? We can all grow stagnant when we aren’t moving forward, like we’re covered in a thick sludge that prevents any progress. This sludge can be chipped, wiped and brushed off by us or some other outside force. Now if we’re looking for the easy way out, we may wait for our angel to swoop down and clean us off, clear our path and give us a good shove in the right direction. That’s not to say it won’t happen like that, because it very well might. However, consciously waiting for something that may or may not ever happen is a fool’s errand, because that conscious energy we’re using to pull in some outside force, can be used to prime, start and rev the force within us. We don’t need somebody to clear off our moss, but we may need their help. We need to start inside and then move outside, that way we’ll be willing to accept help when we actually need it. Being stationary like being constantly on the move isn’t inherently bad, but if we’re afraid of using both skills interchangeably, and the balance they carry that we must have for a joyful and fulfilling life, we will grow moss whether we’re moving or not, and won’t have any say in why the moss grows. Respect for life, begins with respect for self. Always and never don’t benefit our vocab, they inhibit it. Being still isn’t bad, as long as we move strategically. A balances life leads to joy and success, specifically because we’re never all one way or all another.”

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from the mind of critic: 1/3/19

From the mind of critic:      “If each day is a gift, who is the giver? Do we receive this present from some infallible and omnipotent power, who carefully strategized so our gift doesn’t ruin our neighbor’s gift? Did this power not plan at all, and instead used their cosmic sense of humor, finding it extremely funny to see us bumping into each other in conflict? Do we receive this gift from a human source whether it be friend, family or lover, through their actions and thoughts, which are completely devoid of our input because it’s deemed not necessary? Do we receive this gift from ourselves through our perceptive consciousness, by seeing beauty for beauty, light for light, dark for dark, and realizing we have the power to start anew at any moment of the day, whether the sun is rising or it’s late afternoon? We as humans have the ability to constantly rearrange, and reinvent ourselves to a constantly evolving and mutating environment. This can happen when we wake up, when we go to sleep, or any time in-between. Sometimes the overwhelming nature of seven billion people simultaneously figuring out their path and purpose, can make us forget it’s not a race to get what resources are available, but an interconnected web of humans trying to find their way home. Whether it’s getting back to nature, basics, or remembering everything we need to know we learned in kindergarten, when we get further away from what’s real, we get hung up on what’s not. We start to believe that since we can’t have it or are unable, that our neighbor shouldn’t either. Conflicts, wars and generational stumbling blocks grow out of this jealousy, but they don’t have to. They can be lessons which teach us where we went wrong, and what we can do differently. That possibility is only possible because each day is a gift, because each day we’re breathing and lucid, is a chance to better our collective relationship, so we don’t keep beating the same dead horse from now until eternity. It doesn’t matter where our new day comes from, but it’s up to us to take advantage. If each day is made up of moments, is each moment filled with infinite possibilities? We will only see the gift of each day, if we’ve allowed ourselves to receive. We give ourselves the gift of a new day, when we discover the uselessness of the old one.”

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from the mind of critic: 1/2/19

From the mind of critic:        “If we spend all our time searching for the perfect fishing spot before dipping our line in the water, are we drastically reducing our potential to catch fish? Do we look for that secluded lake, river spot or stream that nobody has fished, so we can catch bigger and better-quality fish, from a spot only we know about? Do we spend so much time looking for this spot, that we turn down opportunities to fish in more well-known spots, because that’s what everyone does? Do these passed up opportunities start piling up to the point that we never actually fish, but endlessly talk about it in a way that demeans people who are fishing, because we’re projecting an attitude of low confidence, while portraying an air of superiority over those who try, specifically because they could fail? Cementing the idea of not making the perfect the enemy of the good, takes work because success is never guaranteed. Life is hard, it’s chaos it’s a spinning mass of seemingly impending doom around every corner. However, perspective always filters into the equation, because life can also be a random, always surprising, non-stop integration of infinite beauty into our souls. How we look at things matters. There is nothing wrong with looking for the perfect solution, there are enough collective, societal issues, the human species can use solutions that will actually work. Problems arise when 100% guaranteed success is sought, negating action of any kind. These issues then fester and mutate until they become immune from what worked in the past. Many things garner out attention these days, so many fixes that need to be made, our mind spins out of control. To slow this self-sabotage, we must realize what “doing something is always better than doling nothing” really means. It means failure might happen, but actively and consciously doing our part to unite humanity through our humanity, can only happen if we act cause it’s the right thing to do, not because we waited for the perfect equation to be solved. Teaching a man to fish can feed him for a life time, but he has to physically drop his line in the water. Looking for perfect solutions in a chaotic world, is like looking for a needle in a haystack that might not exist. Positive results are only reached through positive actions, not endlessly planning. Life only appears intimidating, if we forget why we live.”

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from the mind of critic: 1/1/19

From The mind of critic:      “If we’ve grown used to saying there’s a new day over the horizon, do we realize that every day the sun comes up is a new day? Is the blue sky and sun meant to distract us, so we don’t see the new day in front of us, but only the horizon that continues to get further away? Is that good weather not a distraction, but a clue that our 2×4 moment might be around the corner, or right in front of our face? What if it’s cloudy, do we immediately write it off as not the day we’re looking for, because the perfect day must have the perfect weather? Everyday is a new day by definition, whether it’s the first of the month, or the first of the year. Now each time we venture out on Janurary 1st, and wonder what the new year will bring and what resolutions we should make, it can be quite overwhelming. We see all the problems that affected us last year (which was literally yesterday), are still there. They didn’t automatically disappear, because the calendar decided to grant the human species a break. The brightness and vibrancy of these issues are the same, but our reactions don’t have to be. We could choose to stand up and speak out, because it’s the right thing to do. We could choose to sit in silence, because we don’t know or care what to do, or because we always see that new day on the horizon. Once we realize new days happen in front of us, now, not down the road, we’ll see that not only are we the people we’ve been looking for, but we are the people everybody else has been looking for as well. Listen, 2019 could bring anything, the possible results run the entire gamut. What is guaranteed is the more gratitude we feel from the bottom of our souls to the top of our brains, the more good energy we exude. The more we exude, the more that soaks into others, who in turn exude it to still others. This will make that new day on the horizon go from pipe dream to reality, specifically because we created that new day now, we didn’t passively wait for later. We’ll never catch that horizon, or that new day if we don’t realize it’s been within our soul the whole time. If life is what we make it, how or why would we take true beauty for granted? Life is like a now and later, the more gratitude we feel, the more the new day will eternally happen, now and later. Perfect weather is only perfect and bad weather is only bad, if we never ask why of what’s in front of our face. If we start with gratitude and love for the new year, it will reciprocate.”

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from the mind of critic: 12/15/18

From the mind of critic: “If it’s darkest before the dawn, can we prepare ourselves so the darkest point isn’t quite as dark? Do we take as much light as we can into our soul, so we can illuminate through the dark? Do we fail to act, because although we have previous knowledge, we figure what can we do? Is this just one more way we as humans try to make sense of a randomly chaotic world, where we can prepare and improve our odds of success, but know traveling from one stumbling block to the next, can’t be avoided no matter the heroic action, or perfectly designed metaphor? We all know the dark and light cycle takes place in the physical world, by the unyielding transition from day to night. However, this cycle also takes place within us, by our unwieldy transition from sad to happy. Now there is something to be said for balance, how one side couldn’t exist without the other because it’s definition would disappear. This balance keeps us from sliding too far left or right, but can still favor one side over the other. This is where we can make our light lighter, but can also make our dark darker. True, our choices determine which side we lean to, but we can always adjust. Once we realize it’s only darkest before the dawn, when we expect the dawn to completely wash away the dark, we’ll see inaction leaves us at the chaotic whim of the universe, but conscious action makes our brights brighter, by believing the dark can never be fully extinguished, but can be shrunk and made so uninfluential it’s relegated to crazy street preacher status. We can’t influence the existence of light and dark, we can only turn up and down their influence on us. Dark only wins if we give up, because we forgot how much light we really have. The world only seems chaotic, when we fail to consciously choose our path. We are the light at the end of the tunnel, when we remember to enter the tunnel with a lantern.”

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from the mind of critic: 12/8/18

From the mind of critic: “If life requires certain tools to fix certain problems, does the speed of the tool’s acquisition determine if the problem gets fixed? Do we fix problems bigger, faster, stronger if we never struggle for lack of money? Does the ease of tool acquisition always translate to easy solutions? Do we learn better solutions quicker, if we can’t just run out and grab new tools, but must wait till we’ve earned them? Does acquiring a new tool and learning the best way to use it before we acquire another, allow our knowledge to build, so when we’re in dire need of that tool, we actually know what we’re doing? If neither having infinite tools, nor being professional in their use guarantees success, how can we best prepare ourselves? Looking for black and white, silver bullet solutions to problems whether personal, professional or spiritual, will only lead to more problems. Life is messy, it’s chaotic, it will chew us up and spit us out before we can blink. However, life is also beautiful, exciting, and will make our wildest dreams come true, if we allow our soul to sing. Yes, it’s once again about perspective and choices. When we hit a stumbling block we think is insurmountable, utilizing gained knowledge will usually do the trick. Problem is many of us have blocked or ignored these lessons for so long, we don’t realize we already possess solutions. We should start with the most basic tools we gain as children, which gradually evolve with our life experience as we get older. We pick these tools up along the way not for one-time use, but endless uses. Once we discover the true use of our tools, we’ll see that we’ve always had them, we just may not have been kind enough to ourselves to allow their use. Self-confidence will only bring success, if we allow the self-kindness that created it, to spread outward. Tools are made to be used, not to display on a shelf. Buying everything we want makes us think we don’t need anything, because ignorance has become more important than truth. More tools may fix more problems, but it wont stop problems from popping up. Being grateful not only makes life brighter, it makes it more authentic.”

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