Inner wishes....

Up until now, I believe that I've reached my peak, my optimum levels physically, mentally and socially, and am trying so hard to be competent and sophisticated with my coeval peers and am trying my best to figure out my place in this world, and what the world has in store for my future self. Nothing left to prove? Far from it. I still have expendable potential to exhibit, and still can evolve externally and within. I still have a chance to be more and more sophisticated, and still have a chance to find that one love who I want to spend the rest of my life with, and still have that inner passion and will to just persevere, learn and excel in everything and anything both familiar and new, and still have the will the be benevolent, and to make a change or take a stand for something I believe in. I think life is meaningless without servitude, and without servitude, and without work and dedication, and hope, there will be no point of living. Life is a beautiful thing because there's always that one chance we can obtain, and that one chance to change ourselves for the better good and that one chance to make amends with our inner and outer enemies, and that one chance to experience something so extravagent and so worthwhile and breathtaking, and that once chance where we can show everyone or others our strengths and our good, and passionate sides. But there are still people around the world who don't have the chances we have, and who are dying ( quite literally) to reach that light at the end of the dark tunnel of adventure, and who just want all the torture, pain and suffering to end, and who wish to do nothing but hope, because they know that they're at rock bottom, waiting for that one sign of hope, to be free and to live their life in prosperity, like how we do.

I wish for many things as well. It may seem that we, as North Americans and as the majority of the prosperous society we inhabit, have the perfect lives. We have education, food, freedoms, rights and so on, but those things cannot always mask and subside the inner struggles and pains we have to go through every day. Maybe it's something at home, at school, or maybe it's something about how we look, were raised, and how we feel which is bothering us. Or maybe we're constantly being haunted by the past, and ponder upon how we could've and should've done or had something we currently desire, and how we wish we could go back in time to change everything for the better so that our future would be much better and prosperous. For me, I think many of you know that I'm asian, and quite ugly, and small, and geeky, and i could go on and on, about how i live in solitude with no friends, and blah blah blah, and how i have no keen sense of humour, and how i'm not so sophisticated, and how I'm crazy, and how i have no recognition both worldwide and nationally, and how i have no assets whatsoever. If i had the time to, I would've wrote up a list of things i wish i had or should've had, and things i wished i did and shouldn't have done, and things i wished i were, and things i wished i weren't, but it's too late because time, unfortunately only goes forward, and unless man invents something like a time machine, we can never change the past. But despite that fact, there's still this eagerness, and this need to improve and to change and to evolve inside of me.Right now, as of this moment, and events prior and following this note, i have, still and will always wish for and to be so many things, and completely regret or feel absolute shame upon myself and others for being a certain way, and acting and doing certain things and ways.

Life can be so wonderful, but grotesque at the same time. A life of suffering can teach us many lessons, and can truly expose the flaws, and the mistakes man has made. A life of enjoyment can make us feel useful, happy and secure, and can nurture and guide us in a positive way and leave us feeling content with ourselves overall come the day we die. Which life would i prefer to have? Both. I wish to have a much more zestful and exuberant life, and wish to be happy, strong, proud, and skillful in everything, but at the same time, i know that getting there will be a challenge, and know that there will be external and internal factors trying to set up a bulwark, with the purpose of blocking my goals and changing the path i was destined to take. Just remember that a wish will never come true without determination and suffering. Peace.

Does pride come before a fall?

What is it that you guys pride the most and cherish the most? Are there certain aspects of your various characteristics which you take pride in and ensure to nurture and strengthen every day, or are there certain things you have which other people around you don't have or wish to have? I'm pretty certain that almost every human being has something to be proud of, or at least something they cherish day in and day out. Whether it be a certain strength at a sport, a certain branch of knowledge and intelligence, a certain form of art, a characteristic, or even a certain physical quality, it doesn't matter because everyone has something they try to offer or show or make use of in their everday life. To be a bit more broad and general, take for example, the student. The student tries to be diligent, and attempts to finish his or her work, assignments and tries to be as humble, honest and well-mannered in class in order to maintain his or her reputation and to leave a positive impression on his or her peers. He or she may take pride in his or her work ethic, intelligence and even sophistication, but may not do so in such an explicit way. The same goes with athletes, who are particularly fit and have great finesse and skill in the physical arts, and painters who have a great sense of creativity and visuality. These people may not bloat and brag about their abilities on a daily or weekly basis, but may instead show such flamboyancy DURING the activity of their strength.

Although this may not be the case, think of these scenarios. When you play with very skilled soccer, hockey or basketball players, or take up a new group activity, do you ever encounter people who either laugh at you, ignore you or treat you as an inferior being by constantly blaming you or scolding you for not doing something right? If they have, then they're already showing pride. Pride should be proven in order to be called pride. If a person claims he or she can do something remarkable, and yet cannot do it, that person is not prideful. That person is boastful, or a hypocrite. When a person is actually able to do something, and brags about how much he or she can do without sharing his or her knowledge or expertise, that person is too prideful, and will subsequently feel the negative effects from his or her peers in short time. Pride can be a good thing, because it shows the competitive nature of a person, and his or her willingness to compete and to improve his or her abilities. But when a person abuses his or her pride where he starts to degrade and insult others, then there is a problem to be dealt with. So, yes pride can come before a fall, but not all the time. It's rather, a fall comes with too much pridefulness, or something along the lines of that. So, just remember: if you are extremely efficient in something, take the time to guide others or teach others in a very humble and respectful manner. You'll never realize how fun and interesting teaching or guiding a person can be, especially for those who want to feel more mature and individualized. Peace.

As seen on television

It's humourous and quite silly to think of those informercials we see on tv every single day, provoking and inducing us to either buy their products, or try their products for the greater good. They use very incentive and sometimes even bombast and frightful words and phrases like, " risks of not taking this product include...." , and who could forget, " studies find that one out of 10....?" To even more persuade us, they usually hire actors and actresses to either model the product or put the supposed products to the test to prove their validity and to show versimilitudeness in what they are saying and doing, when in reality they may only be using certain special effects to add gusto and zest. Whether it be food, a brand new clothing line, a new accessory, or a new fashion or hygenic product, the methods are relatively the same. They try to captivate us with dramatic effects, and use famous actors, actresses or even attractive and appealing figures to inspire or induce us into buying their product or to buy what they say. On the other hand, there are also many advertisers who aren't so proficient in those methods. They tend to take effects and advertising to a whole new level, and make the advertisements too cheesy or too "good to be true" in the eyes of the general audience.

Given that many of us have learned semiotics in advertising and have knowledge on how to dissect the meanings of certain ads, colourings, spacings, phrases, ect. I needn't to go any further when it comes to the methods employed by these advertisers. I pretty much think you guys already know and have already ( hopefully) taken the necessary precautions. Yet, many people living today still fall victim to these temptations and advertisements and are still squanders who foolishly waste away precious income on the most useless and needless of things. Just remember that when it comes to advertisements and products, ask yourselves the questions- Is the product a necessity of life? Will it benefit me as well as others in a positive manner? Will it help me evolve in any way? Am i just buying to please others and to fit in when I should be using it to survive in society since I know that I am buying a surplus amount of things which i Don't even need on a daily basis or don't use at all? Peace.

Virtue and vice

Like Yin and Yang, every human being has a bad side and a good side. Depending on how that human is raised, and what they experience in life, and how much they are controlled and nurtured, they may be more virtuous and modest in terms of behaviour, or viceful and may commit sinful and hateful deeds. In a civilized country such as Canada, where society is governed by the government, and where there are national laws and precepts for the citizens to follow in order to establish peace, and maintain the state as a whole. People still, however commit heinous and harmful acts within the countries and cities, because of many reasons. Maybe they were acting irrationally and responded to a situation in the wrong way. Maybe they were very viceful in nature, and had the utmost desire to commit such an act, or maybe it is just part of their psychology, and maybe it's "thrill seeking." Some commit crimes under duress, and some act very awkwardly quite eccentric around others to either gain attention or to pester them. For years I have blamed many groups of people from various castes, for their behaviour and immature actions. Whenever I see people of my age in public areas controlled or supervised by figures of authority I see them as being virtuous and quite lenient in terms of behaviour. Contrastingly, when there are no figures of authority controlling them, they may either act a bit more immaturely, or may be complete hooligans. Being religious does not contribute to one's virtuous ways. The teenagers and young adults at my church act just as, if not more selfishly and are even more ribald than my own friends at school.

I think that religion is a good thing, but it, in a way, seems to build up those dastardly behaviours within, and though it may suppress thoughts of evil, it may make a person having that craving of doing something bad or something which is taboo in the eyes of a virtuous person. You've probably, in fact heard of those awkward and unusually bizzare stories on the news of those priests and pastors who have been arrested for molestation and the possession of pornography ( specifically child pornography, which is detrimental behaviour and very grotesque indeed). And you've probably seen police officers and army sergeants commit various forms of brutality to each other or to prisoners, and prisoners of war. You've heard of stories where school teachers beat or sexually harm or harass students, and stories where doctors, nurses, and even surgeons violate their patients and take advantage of them.And how could we not forget our parents, the ones who preach to us about being virtuous and lenient and humble to them and other people. There are parents who have children, yet either beat them, torture them, humiliate them physically and psychologically, rape them, molest them and even kill them in the end. So just remember that human beings can be very rude and evil beings, and remember that every human being has had his or her moments of shame and blame, and that every one of them has committed some sort of crime, or harmful act towards another person whether they know it or not. Peace.

The goal of a goal

Goals: everybody has goals of their own; personal, filial, social, financial and occupational. I want to be rich, smart, good looking, strong, a good talker, reader, a nicer person, more social, a good singer, swimmer, these are some life goals people have, and are determined to reach their optimum performance levels, and they often plan out what they are going to do to achieve those goals. For many people who attempt goals, they may experience personal and social barriers. Some people may not feel as competent enought both physically and mentally, and others may be discouraged by their friends or peers, which blocks their path to that particular goal. Some of these things may be so detrimental, that they often change or stop a person completely. That person may feel so ashamed and so embarassed just for attempting that goal, that they vow to never, ever engage in that activity, ever again. They may agree with their inner and outer demons, and may fall victim to the constant tauntings of their peers. But the goal of a goal is to be confident, and to persevere in the right manner. If you know that you CAN achieve that goal, and believe in yourself and vow to work and work until you have reached it, then you've already won the first battle. This is actually the most important step in all the steps of a goal. If you don't have faith in your own capablities and look down at yourself as an inferior individual, you've already lost. If you fall victim to the false claims and discouragements of your peers, you've lost. Always remember that they are not the ones making the effort, and that they may not fully understand you, your purpose and your mentality.

Encroachment is the next step of the goal. Once you believe in yourself, it's time to put your thoughts and words into action. When you begin, don't look back and say, " ok, this is enough, i can't do it anymore." If you have made a pact with yourself that you will go for that goal, you should have the initiative and perseverence to keep fighting and fighting for that goal. But always know what your limits are, and always work slowly because when you work slowly towards that goal, you are actually taking things step by step, and perfecting or strengthening yourself little by little along the way. Think of it like ladder- you cannot possibly go up 10 steps at a time without struggling immensely, because there is the risk of falling. But, if you take it step by step and go up one step at a time, and pace yourself, you will be closer and closer to that goal, and at the same time, you will be achieving things at a much faster rate. The last step of a goal is to reflect. Once you've reached your goal and rejoice, reflect to see on how you can once again achieve that goal in a more effective manner. Always look for variations and different methods to achieving your goal, and be open minded. When you reach your goal, you may want to set more goals, and that's ok. But remember to set one goal at a time, starting with the smaller goals, because that'll make your path to success smoother. Peace

Work for it, learn from it, enjoy it, and never stop loving it.

Hobbies are the most wonderful activities to occupy any living individual residing in a country like Canada ( Europe, America, South America, Asia, the world! Don't think I have abandoned you!) Whatever form the hobby may be in, whatever it is you like to do and whenever you like to do it, we can all agree on the fact that they should ( SHOULD) be enjoyable and memorable in terms of experience. On a personal note, I, myself am an advocate of hobbying. I can't live without engaging in my casual hobbies at least once a day. Piano, working out, running, martial arts, boxing, reading, BASKETBALL, sports, those are the most common hobbies I tend to engage myself in. For the average American ( Sorry, North American) teenager, when the lone term, "hobby," comes up abruptly in a conversation in the form of a question, the first few things which may come to mind may include some of the following: Computer games, messaging, gaming, texting, an instrument, or a sport. It's hard to believe that many teenagers have very few to no hobbies which involve mobility and communication. There are still teenagers today who would prefer to stay indoors and obsess themselves over an xbox game rather than to go outside and at least play some sort of sport, like soccer or basketball. It's sad today that many teenagers would prefer to chat online all day long, and not make use of the blogs available on the internet to share some of their overt and private thoughts with other people omnipresent about the globe. Very few teenagers today are orators. They are quite shy when it comes to communication and presentations, and have difficulities with tasks requiring critical thinking and analysis. Hobbies should be able to gratify people in a more positive manner.

Just think of how much enjoyment can come from the piano, reading, and even sports and a good work out. Hobbies shouldn't really compel anyone do enjoy, or have fun. When a person plays a sport or piece, they should play it for the sake of having fun, and indulging themselves so that they needn't to worry about all the problems and stress from school, and at home. When a person forces themselves to enjoy a hobby, and ends up punishing him or herself due to the belief that they "failed" or "underachieved" in that particular activity, the activity no longer becomes a hobby because they will have problems enoying that hobby, learning from and loving that hobby in the end. And so, that hobby becomes something of a competent and challenging activity, and that competitiveness and need to win becomes intrisic within that person, which may be a bad thing as many of them may take activities too seriously to the point where they would act irrational, and cause harm to others and themselves.

So, whatever your hobby is, whatever it is you love to do, just remember and think, " why am I doing it, and am I enjoying this?" If you have troubles answering those 2 questions, then you may want to reconsider doing that activity, and exploring what you actually enjoy doing on a daily basis or in your worthwhile time. Remember that in a hobby, there shouldn't be a loser or winner, or a first, second or third place. There are only goals in hobbies, and there should be no barriers restricting you from achieving that goal because, you control what you can do and how much you can do in your own hobby. Peace.