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A Paradox of the Heart
“Conviction easily turns into self-defense and is seduced into rigidity, and this is inimical to life. The test of a firm conviction is its elasticity and flexibility; like ever other exalted truth it thrives best on the admission of its errors. – Carl Jung Psychological Reflections Problems of Self Realization…
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Understanding Evil
“Nothing is easier than to denounce the evildoer; nothing is more difficult than to understand him.” – Fyodor Dostoyevsky Hating evil is natural. Understandable. Easy. But to truly examine evil—to unravel why the evildoer does what they do—is unnatural. Not immediately understandable. Not easy. There’s an implication here: understanding the…
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The Flame Imperishable
Yesterday I stepped outside to smoke a cigarette. It was a late morning in northern California, cold, crisp air, with the sun approaching its zenith in the sky and warming the land. Fall colors were turning in the neighborhood with all of the trees blazing orange, yellow, red, and all…
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Repeated Mistakes
If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake. – Confucius We are human and therefore imperfect. Being imperfect, we will always make mistakes. It is when we feel the pangs of conscience, guilt, regret or shame, and do not correct our actions, that…
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Where to Look
Some look outward, seeing others and the world. Some look inward, seeing themselves and their world. Are we the type to be enamored of the world and its beauty and its engagement? Or are we the type to see ourselves in a mirror and be drawn into reflection upon ourselves?…
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Pride Fire
Pride is often the cause of error. We refuse to show humility and admit the error of our ways. Instead, we cling to our pride and unleash it like a torrent of fire, ready to burn everything down in its path. Yet, pride can also be good. But what is…
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Love Dominoes
The first domino of Love is all that must be tipped, so don’t be afraid to act. What is easier? To hate, fight, contend, unleash wrath, all stemming from pride and the need to be achieve victory at the expense of others? Or is it easier to show love? To…
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Principle Profit
“The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.” – Confucius It is important to earn a living and to understand how to earn a profit. How else does one expect to stave off poverty and secure peace of mind through financial security? It is…
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The Point of Thought
“The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature.” – Marcus Aurelius Our thoughts are more or less the first domino that is tipped over. Bad thoughts lead to worse…
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The Sound of Music
“Without music, life would be a mistake.” – Friedrich Nietzsche It reaches to the depths, and to the heights. To the foundation of stone, and the firmament of the stars. What would life be without music? It would not be life. No smell, sight, taste, or touch can reach us…
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Self Start
“Respect yourself and others will respect you.” – Confucius Everything starts with the self. While things happen to us that are out of our control, we are always in the same starting point – with ourselves. Although we try to control those outside things to change our own fate or…
KEEP THE OLD WARM 