Individualists Are One

The Stories of Lilith and Persephone

2011-08-24T18:33:00.000-07:00

This article is not to offend those who believe in the Christian Bible but yet to educate those about the truth behind the stories of Lilith and Persephone.

We have all heard and know the story of the first man and woman, Adam and Eve, and how Eve was created with Adam’s rib. This is documented in the Christian Bible in Genesis 2:21-22:

And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof;
And the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.

This states that Eve was created after Adam; however, a full chapter earlier, it documents a previous woman was created at the same time as Adam in Genesis 1:27:

So God created man in his own image, in the image God created he him; male and female created he them.

Here, we see that both man and woman were created equally. Therefore, Eve was not the first woman to be created by the Christian God.

Who is this mystery woman? What happened to her? And why do Christians do not know of her existence and only accept Eve as the first woman? As you read in Genesis 1:27, this woman has no name. She is later known as Lilith, due to language translation from Hebrew to English. The story of Lilith is simple. An elite group of Israelis around 600 AD described that Adam asked Lilith to submit unto him, but she refused. She knew that they were both created equally and she would not bow down to Adam’s will, nor did she expect him to submit unto her. Adam disagreed and Lilith left the Garden of Eden in disappointment. Being the lone human in Eden, Adam prayed to the Christian God that another woman be created. As a result, as you read in Genesis 2:21-22, the Christian God took one of Adam’s ribs and created Eve. Because both Adam asked for Eve and Eve was made from Adam, Eve had to submit to Adam, and she did.

The next story we are familiar with is when the Serpent, on the side of Lucifer, tempted Eve into eating fruit from the tree and later tempted Adam into eating it in Genesis 3:4-6:

And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Therefore, punishing them and the future of mankind: men being hunters and laborers while women being nurturers and child-bearers. This is also when the two realized they were nude and bore children to populate the Earth. Because Lilith left Eden prior to all this, there is debate as to whether Lilith was subject to the same punishment. Many think no due to the fact that she did not commit the same crime as Adam and Eve; however, others believe she was guilty of not submitting unto Adam in the first place and must suffer the same consequences as Eve. Some even believe that after the Christian God exiled mankind and the Serpent from Eden, the Serpent found Lilith, whom he tempted to eat the fruit just as he did with Eve, which gave her the same consequences as Eve. Others are skeptical of this due to the fruit did not come from the same tree and the Serpent simply cast a spell on Lilith in spite of his previous attempt. Since this incident, Lilith has sided with the Serpent and why many of the images seen today of her are with a snake and sometimes with fruit. Many confuse the woman with Eve, but this is due to the popularity of the story of Adam and Eve. The Serpent was later named Samael, daemon of the Underworld. His name along with Lilith’s can be seen in the background on the symbol for Satanism, which is a downward-pointing five-pointed star enveloped in a double circle with a goat’s head inside the star. Most believe Lilith became a succubus, a woman of seduction and persuasion, possibly for Samael or Lucifer himself. This could be why she is forgotten as the first woman. According to the story told in the previous paragraphs, Lilith was the first, perfect woman and man rejected her as they were created equally. So she fled to explore the world, only to find the Serpent who has already cursed the future of mankind. The rest is up to debate: whether she stayed a perfect woman and watched over mankind alongside Lucifer all these years or she became a child-bearer like Eve and combined her flesh with the sons of Adam and Eve. There’s also the great possibility that both of these stories could be joined: Lilith and Lucifer have been watching over the future of Lilith’s bloodline. This only proposes one question… who is in Lilith’s bloodline?

To some of you, this whole story may seem a bit familiar if you studied Greek mythology. For those of you who are not familiar with the story of Persephone, she was the daughter of Demeter who was taken to the Underworld by Hades and made Queen, alongside Hades. Obviously, Demeter became very upset drying the Earth and making it full of hunger. Upon trying to retrieve Persephone, Hades tricked her into eating fruit, which it was said that whoever shall eat fruit in the Underworld shall remain there. As a compromise, Hades saw that only six seeds were eaten, letting her be reacquainted with Demeter for six months out of the year. This story was created around 1400 BC, 2000 years prior to when the Israelis conceived the story of Lilith.

There are many similarities between these two stories. Demeter is none other than Mother Nature and creator of Persephone. There are many Pagans who believe that the Creator was a Goddess instead of a God, or possibly both. In either case, we know Demeter was the mother of Persephone and the Christian God was the father of Lilith. Hades represents Lucifer, and possibly even all of his closest, earliest followers, such as Samael. On that note, Hades tricked Persephone into eating fruit just as the Serpent did to mankind, who both fell into temptation. Also, after much geographic research, it is found that the mentioned fruit in the Garden of Eden was actually pomegranate, not apple. This is the exact same fruit mentioned in the story of Persephone. It also has been said that once Persephone became Queen, she became a succubus, just as Lilith did. Upon research, one will find many more minor similarities between Persephone and Lilith. This can only lead to one question… are Persephone and Lilith essentially the same person?

Expanding the Needs in an Interdependent Community

2009-10-09T09:26:00.000-07:00

Reviewing my last two blogs, some people may question the issue of the abundance of those in need and my use of positivity when it comes to health. Using the same example as before, if a doctor has ten patients and only needs two things, should the doctor turn down the other eight or the ones who don’t have what he or she needs? Of course not.

It’s the doctor’s duty to ensure the health of each patient. For the ones who do not have what the doctor needs, they can offer communication, as I explained in a previous blog. There are other options available. The remaining patients can either offer a type of need that the doctor can save until later when he or she needs it or they can go to another doctor who does need what the patients are offering. Just because one person is a doctor, does not mean another can’t be. However, they both must treat each patient equally. By each patient, I mean any patient that needs a doctor, and not a specific doctor. To further explain, if Tom and Jerry are both doctors and they have ten patients totaled together, both Tom and Jerry should ensure the health of each patient, regardless of whether the patient chooses Tom or Jerry. In the case of an absence of patients, the doctor can utilize another type of need to obtain other types of needs. With this being said, I hardly doubt that within a community, there will be only doctors. Everyone has a unique gift and it is doubtful that all will be the same.

So far, I have said that doctors are essential to put patients in good health. What if the doctor is unable to fix or cure an illness? Should the patient still return a type of need? I have stated over and over that doctors have the duty of ensuring the health of their patients. If there is nothing that can be done for the patient and the doctor has done everything he or she can, including researching, then yes, the patient should return a type of need. If the doctor refuses to research further after realizing nothing can be done, the patient should not be expected to return a type of need. It is the doctor’s duty to not only ensure this patient’s health, but to educate him or herself on the illness for future patients. This within itself will fulfill a type of need, communication. This method does not only pertain to doctors, but to anyone. If anyone fails at a job, the person must educate him or herself to better themselves for the future; thus fulfilling a need.

RJ

Interdependence and What It Means

2009-09-14T10:47:00.000-07:00

In my previous blog, I used the term “interdependence”. What is interdependence? Interdependence is one of four ways we rely and communicate with others. Before I completely define interdependence, it will be easier to understand once the other three ways are explained.

The first is what society wants everybody to strive for, independence. Independence is simply defined as relying on oneself completely. The second is the complete opposite, dependence. Dependence is when one completely relies on another. The third is co-dependence, an unequal dependence between multiple people. I believe our society has evolved into a co-dependent society. Many people rely too much on others for support and help and only give back however much they see fit. This gives those people an excuse to judge others and classify them. I am not talking about minority groups; I am talking about the majority groups. Taking the example from my previous blog, doctors and insurance agents make up a portion of the majority group, part of the “upper-class”. If a patient goes to a doctor, but the doctor does not accept the patient’s type of healthcare, how is this fair? Again, isn’t it the doctor’s duty to see that the patient is in good health? The doctor is classifying patients by ruling a majority of them out or asking for monetary payment in return. The doctor is relying too much on support from insurance companies; therefore, decreasing the number of patients instead of doing his or her duty by making sure all patients are in good health. In an interdependent society, doctors would make sure that all patients are in good health.

Interdependence is defined as an equal dependence between multiple people. As I stated in my previous blog, in an interdependent society, everyone collaborates peacefully using their unique gift with the objective to maintain equal amount of survival for everyone. Doctors know the value of a life, and no matter of the type of healthcare, would treat each patient, as it is his or her duty. The patient would then return the favor by giving a type of need, as it is essential for life, to make things equal.

To amount of what is given should not play a role or even come into question, because the outcome will always be survival, and that is the main goal in an interdependent society.

RJ

Healthcare Does Not Bring Peace

2009-09-11T10:18:00.000-07:00

Many people have asked me about my thoughts on healthcare. It is obvious that one needs to be in good health in order to survive. Insurance companies are the ones that decide whether an individual receives healthcare and the amount. Those individuals who can afford more insurance obtain more insurance than those who cannot. Is this fair?

If two patients with identical health issues but with different amounts of healthcare insurance went to a doctor, should the doctor favor the patient with more insurance over the other? Of course not. Doctors solely exist to better their patients’ health. Doctors are essential for life because in order to survive, one needs to be in good health. Both patients need to be in good health and therefore, the doctor must do his or her duty by tending to both of them.

Everyone has a gift, a duty, in life. Doctors have the duty of putting patients in good health. By giving good health, the doctor is giving the patient a better chance of survival. There is no price on survival. The doctor should not expect monetary payment in return. This is what many people oversee. Doctors should expect a better chance of survival in return. In my previous blog, I stated that one needs three things in order to survive: replenishment, thermoregulation, and communication. Whichever the doctor is lacking, he or she should expect in return.

Two issues may arise with this method. One being what if the doctor is not lacking in any of the three types of needs. I find this quite unlikely since communication is always a need. People may not want it, but it is a need. For example, if the doctor healed a fisherman, the fisherman could easily return the favor by teaching the doctor how to fish. This will not only include communication, but also replenishment. Thus, making the doctor more knowledgeable and well-rounded, able to teach others how to fish. The other issue is what if the patient has nothing to give in return or does not have what the doctor needs. I find this hard to believe as I believe everyone can teach something to better another. If not, the patient could locate someone who could do something for the doctor if the patient did something for that someone. Despite these issues, they come with an advantage. In either issue, the patient has started a network, a community. This community is not just any community, but a community of interdependence; where everyone collaborates peacefully using their unique gift with the objective to maintain equal amount of survival for everyone.

And ultimately, isn’t that fair?

RJ

The Types of Needs

2009-06-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

One of the biggest misconceptions in society is the idea of a need. Many people cannot differentiate a need from a want. A need is something an individual has to have in order to survive, or live, while a want is just something that will benefit an individual, such as making life easier. A need can benefit an individual in terms of survival, but in most cases, a want is used for entertainment or pleasure, which is not required for survival. To maintain survival, needs are categorized into three groups: replenishment, thermoregulation, and communication.

Replenishment is what individuals use to revitalize and recharge their systems with energy. There are four ways of doing this. First, one must eat food. Second, one must have at least water. Food and water give individuals energy throughout the day in order to survive. To recharge, an individual must rest and get sleep to increase their energy levels. Finally, one must work out and exercise to keep the organs working and blood flowing.

Thermoregulation is what keeps individuals at a temperature they are comfortable with and can tolerate in order to survive. There are three ways in doing this. First, to survive extreme weather conditions that the body cannot handle, an individual must have shelter. This will keep the individual from outside temperatures. However, inside a shelter, conditions may still be extreme and can be regulated by clothing. At the very most, an individual can use other forms of energy to stay at a decent temperature, whether inside or outside. These include a heater, air conditioner, fireplace, and a bonfire.

Communication is the way an individual expresses him or herself to others and gets feedback. There are four ways of doing this. An individual first learns about the world by moving; through the senses. When an individual waves a hand, they can feel the air moving through the fingers. An individual then learns by speaking. Once they can ask a question, an answer will follow and the individual has now been educated. After this, an individual then begins to write. Here, they express their feelings and wonders with images and words. Education is also introduced this way. Finally, an individual can also communicate with him or herself by expanding their knowledge into different parts of the brain that may assist them in predicting certain outcomes in their life and others’. This is called intuitive communication. In all four of these types of communication, education is imparted and fulfills the need of communication. Without communication, one cannot become educated and evolve.

Replenishment, thermoregulation, and communication are the keys to survival. Without one of these, an individual could not live. The questions remaining are does each individual have the right to each of these, and if so, is there a set amount? If so, why is there a set amount?

RJ

"Individualists Are One"?

2008-12-22T13:43:00.000-08:00

Now that I’ve given you my philosophy on being an Individualist, what does “Individualists Are One” actually mean?

I chose this title for my series of blogs because it has multiple meanings. The first means that each Individualist has his or her own ideas and beliefs; and therefore, unique in his or her own way. Thus, stating Individualists each are one unique, individual being. The second relates to the fact that Individualists can assemble together to achieve the goal of individualism. Thus, stating Individualists together are one as a whole defending for their right for the expression of their individuality.

Deep down, we all have our own ideas and beliefs, and this is the place where Individualists Are One.

RJ

What is an Individualist?

2008-12-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

Previously, I have discussed different philosophies and my personal philosophy; however I have yet to discuss or even define what actually is an Individualist. The next paragraph describes my philosophy of what is an Individualist.

Individualists are leaders. Individualists embrace their own thoughts, ideas, concepts, and beliefs, and defend their right to express their individuality. Individualists do not persuade in any way, shape, or form their lifestyle on others; however, they may influence and educate others by their words or actions reflecting their lifestyle. Individualists, even though may not all agree on a particular subject, may assemble as a group to protect their right for the expression of their individuality against others who may consider Individualists are a minority who must follow standards set by the majority of society, to achieve the goal of individualism rather than conforming to the philosophy of any individual or group specifically.

Does anyone agree or have any comments?

RJ

The Four Ethical Words

2008-09-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

Over the passed few days, four words came to mind that we use a lot in everyday language and we live by these words though we may not always be aware of it. Some of us may not even be aware of what they literally mean. So I took the liberty of educating myself on the definitions of what these four words actually mean. Now, I’d like to share that knowledge with you and question you on your thoughts on the matter.

These four words are like black and white, good and bad, etc. They seem to be polar opposites; however, they do have at least one thing in common. The first two are more about ethics and governing bodies. What is a right? It means a person has the ethical power to do or refrain from doing something. What is a privilege? It means a special advantage or benefit to a specific individual or group. Both of these a person is entitled to, born with morality and philosophy, but it is the governing bodies that limit one’s ability to have a right or privilege. The difference between these two is simply that a right involves everyone, while a privilege may or may not. A privilege is only under a certain circumstance as well, while a right lacks exceptions. An example of these two would be a young boy eating dinner. The boy has the right to eat dinner; however, it is a privilege that he gets dessert afterward. There is the opposition as well. Since both dinner and dessert are considered food, the boy has the right to eat either or. But in this case, since the dinner is being offered first, the boy has the right to eat that first, and then if there’s room for more, the dessert comes as a privilege.

That example leads into the next two words. What is a necessity, or need? It means something that is essential or crucial. What is a want? It means a feeling or desire for something. Both of these deal with something that is of value to a person. The difference is how valuable is it to the person and society. The more valuable it is to society, the more it is considered a need. The more valuable it is to an individual, the more it is considered a want. I can use the same example for these two words. The boy needs dinner, but he wants the dessert. Again, there is the opposition. Since both dinner and dessert are considered food, the boy needs to eat either or. But in this case, since the dinner is being offered first, the boy needs to eat that first, and then if there’s room for more, the dessert comes as a want. Because everyone has to eat to survive, food is a need. A certain type of food is a want, due to that individual’s tastes. This goes back into the above paragraph. Ethics and governing bodies decide the needs and wants, along with the rights and privileges.

My question to you is the following. How do these four words relate to one another? Is a right a privilege? Is a privilege a right? Is a right a need? Or is it a want? Is a privilege a need? Or is it a want? Is a need a want? Is a want a need? Think about these questions and this topic and please respond with your opinions. I’d love to see them.

RJ

Questioning the Unexplained

2008-08-28T11:07:00.000-07:00

This blog is not intended to offend anyone regarding their religion. I believe everyone has a right to believe whatever they want. I’m just speaking my opinions, comments, and questions on things that come to mind. Any feedback is greatly appreciated.

America is a land with freedom of religion, which means we all have our own beliefs and ideas and concepts. Religion is just a way of explaining the unexplained, which can be interpreted in various ways. That’s why there are different religions. Again, this concept of “freedom of religion” was created by Christians. As I said before, this is what society was built upon, the Christian belief. However, three concepts occurred to me that just don’t add up.

Society wants everyone to be perfect because the Christian God made us that way. The Christian God from the beginning is the same Christian God at the end. So, the Christian God knows everything and can predict the future. When the Christian God created Adam and Eve, the Christian God created them perfect with free will. The future held that they would abuse that privilege and end up not being perfect. The Christian God knew this so it seems the Christian God, although good-hearted, used this so it would look like the Christian God would be the only perfect being in existence, free of evil and sin, and has done a good deed by giving people free will. Since they abused that privilege, no other person has been so-called “perfect”, according to society. Why should their mistake affect future generations who had nothing to do with that mistake? Every person is an individual in his or her own right. Wouldn’t we all love to be perfect in our own way? However, there are many definitions of evil and perfection, which I may get into in my next blog. Not everyone has the same set of standards as society does, which is what my previous blog was about. I'm just pointing out the fact that if the Christian belief was true about Adam and Eve, the Christian God is no worse than mankind itself, in the sense of selfishness and egotistic.

Also, I'm sure everyone’s heard the phrase “let there be light”. Christians associate light with the Christian God and dark with Satan. In other words, Satan is the ruler of everything relating to the darkness. Sure, because Christians believe there is only one god, the Christian God rules all. But why was there darkness to begin with? Was there a “let there be dark”? Why did dark come before light? It would seem like light would come first unless the Christian God had some motive. Could Satan already have been in existence before light or was it later that Satan was put in charge of it? Christians believed Lucifer, or Satan, rebelled and decided to be in the darkness, or possibly that was Satan’s punishment. Either way, could the motive be the Christian God created darkness for Satan and others who opposed the light? The Christian God could predict the future and known it would happen. Hence, a possibility why darkness came first; to be prepared. Even so, why did the Christian God even create a place for evil and imperfection, which could go back to the argument in the above paragraph? On the other hand, could Satan have lived and created darkness before the Christian God, which goes against the Christian belief that Lucifer, or Satan, didn’t come into existence until after the Christian God? Which is also why Satan is in charge of it.

Again, it is illegal and frowned upon nowadays to marry or even have relations with a relative. Therefore, it's a sin, according to the Christian belief. But think about this concept: when the Christian God created Adam and Eve, did the Christian God not foresee that their children would not populate the Earth? It seems to me that would be a sin according to today's society’s standards. Why would this be acceptable back then and not now? I can see that the Earth needed to be populated and now it’s overpopulated, but still, why was it okay then and wrongful today? I’m not saying I’m for it. I just don’t understand why an act that is wrongful today in the eyes of Christians and society was once right in the past. If anything, it should be the other way around; something that was new seemed to be wrong and is misunderstood is now understood and acceptable. Nobody seems to recognize this concept in a Christian church or in society.

Could these be conspiracies? Again, any comments and opinions are greatly appreciated.

RJ

Has George Orwell's Prediction Come True?

2008-08-20T19:31:00.000-07:00

Before I begin going deep into this blog, let me begin by explaining the title for those who don’t know.

George Orwell was an author. In 1948, he “predicted” that by the year 1984, all of mankind would be run by the government and its leader Big Brother. He thought the government would actually tell us what to do, when to do it, how to do it, what to believe, what to think, etc. The book “1984” is actually where we get the term Big Brother.

Now, has Orwell’s prediction come true? I believe it has; not word for word but pretty close, and sooner than 1984. We live in America, land of the free, but are we really? Let’s look back in history. It’s true people came to this land looking for religious freedom. These people were Christians, looking for a place to practice a new sector of Christianity. Once our country began to form, the Constitution was written. The first amendment guarantees five freedoms, one of which was religion. Keep in mind this document was written by Christians. As time went by, a way of governing Americans came to be, creating laws and statements they had to abide by. Generation A was new to these laws so they had to learn them quick. Once Gen-B came, Gen-A passed down what they knew and believed. The cycle repeated for generations. After so many generations, a society has built up a standard of way of being. The government sees this and uses it as a way to control society’s thoughts. For instance, during the Civil War. Up until this time, society has thought white men were superior because the government told them so. Also keep in mind, the government was made up of all whites. Lincoln saw a change was needed and freed the slaves. This also goes for Martin Luther King Jr. Even after blacks had freedom, they were still treated as inferiors. Then there was the Women’s Movement. The government (who was made of men) made society believe men were stronger than women. Many women proved them wrong. In 1990, there was a Disability Movement. Now, there’s a Homosexual Movement. All these movements are happening because the government, over the years, has told society that all these people are minorities. This is the way society works; one generation learns from the previous, and the government has always been there as a backbone to society’s teachings since the dawn of America. I don’t believe that the government should control society as it does. Society believes what it believes because of what the government has told them over the past 232 years. Society builds trends and traditions. This is what creates a society, but don’t we need to think as individuals and have our own values? And this goes beyond minorities. It’s also about lifestyles, as I presented in my “Education and Money” blog. The government wants us to believe we have to attend college in order to succeed in life. You really don’t. Is it true the more college we have, the more money we make? No, it’s not. It’s the education that matters. You don’t have to attend college to receive that education. If you really expand your mind, you’ll know where to find the knowledge you are seeking. And is more money the best thing in the world? No, I believe love is. The government has society believing money is needed to survive. When in fact, it’s not. Think how cavemen survived; money wasn’t invented yet. Money is just a luxury. We think we need money to pay bills, but the amounts of those bills are set by employers who work for the government. So if no amount is set, there is no bill, therefore no reason for a paycheck. Also, I’m sure all of us know what taxes are and FICA. These are percentages of money paid back to the government for government purposes. Some of this goes to people, such as SSI & food stamps, and other goes to community services, such as revamping roads and buildings. But again, all these uses are because of bills with amounts set by the government. So once again, if there are no amounts set, there is no need for taxes, or money.

I hope I didn’t offend anyone in all that I said. I just meant to speak on how the government controls society as a whole and it’s up to us individuals to see through that and go with our hearts. Does anyone agree with my opinion? That Big Brother is watching over us?

RJ

The Reason for Marriage

2008-06-23T18:15:00.000-07:00

The blog I posted prior to this one relates to what marriage means to you. It was and is intended for those of you who wish to get married, are married, or have been married.

My next question is: for those of you who wish to get married, why do you wish to get married? And for those who are married or have been, why did you get married? Please be honest with yourself and with me when answering this question.

I wish to get married so that I can share that special bond with my sweetheart so that she truly knows that I love her and will be by her side forever. I will never leave her. She is my one true love. I have never felt this deep of a love before, as it breaks my heart when we are apart. I want her to know I am ready to compromise and sacrifice things for her. I’ll be there when she needs me. There’s nothing in this universe I wouldn’t do for her. I care about the level of love and passion that goes along with marriage. I want her to have my last name. I feel at home when I’m with her.

Please respond with explanations and please respond to my last blog. I want to read your opinions!

RJ

The Meaning of Marriage

2008-06-20T05:09:00.000-07:00

To me, marriage is more than a piece of paper. Marriage is about the bond of love you have with someone else. It’s about knowing you’ll love them for the rest of your life and beyond. It’s about knowing you’ll be there for them when they need you the most, and even when they least expect it. It’s about the feeling of happiness when you are with them; that they make you a better person. It’s about the compromises and sacrifices you are willing to make because you love them as much as you do. It’s about the passion you share and knowing you have never felt this way about anyone else but them and never will. It’s about a commitment to them that your hearts beat as one and not even death will pull you apart. It’s about feeling a sense of belonging to each other and making each other whole, as you need each other each and every day. Marriage is much more than a piece of paper and money; marriage is the connection two people have full of love, commitment, and sense of belonging.

This is what marriage means to me. When I say a sense of belonging, I do not mean that you cannot live without the person, but rather you enjoy the fact that you have someone to wake up to, go to bed with, and come home to. You know you can trust and rely on the person, someone to call home.

Now that I’ve shared my opinion on marriage, please tell me your definition of marriage. In other words, what does marriage mean to you? Responses will be well appreciated.

RJ

Being Successful

2008-06-16T15:53:00.001-07:00

We all grow up wanting to be successful. But what does it actually mean to be successful? The true definition of being successful is having your goals achieved. Everyone has dreams and wishes, and hopefully does everything in their power to accomplish them. Or at least this is what society tells us. Which leads me to my real question… just because you are successful, does it mean you are also happy? I believe not. There are many people out there who think they are successful, but are not happy. I’m not frowning down upon the following people, but they give you something to think about. Is Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Paris Hilton, or Steve Jobs (back in 1984) truly deep down happy? I don’t think they are. Many people today think that money is the key to everything and will make you happy. You can have 5 houses, people wait on you hand and foot, and you can afford just about anything you want, but that won’t fulfill your heart. There’s one thing I know for sure that money cannot absolutely buy and that is love. Love is something that is precious and needs to be treasured for all time. Earlier it was said that success can be obtained by achieving your goals. Sure, your goal could be making money to live a better life, but why do you need money to live a better life? This subject can be covered from my first blog. Concrete objects shouldn’t be a necessity. It’s abstract things that should be treasured, like love, peace, and harmony. Society has molded our minds into believing that we need the best of the best. We don’t. This is where advertisers and manufacturers obtain most of their income. Just because something newer seems to have more advantages than an older model doesn’t mean the older model is useless. Also, being CEO of a company doesn’t make a person any better than being one of the production workers. If you enjoy your job and it allows you to help other people, that’s all that matters. Society is trying to make us successful in any way possible, when in fact, we should be concentrating on becoming happy. Only through happiness can one be successful. Happiness is the feeling of personal satisfaction and a state of well-being. When you become happy, you know you are successful. You feel it inside your heart.

RJ

Education, Money, and Love

2008-06-12T15:49:00.000-07:00

There are so many things in life that make us who we are and who we become. This all goes back to the popular nature versus nurture question. Nature defines us from the time we are born and nurture develops as we grow older. Many of you read my previous blog that dealt with education and money. Most of you agree with me, however I still had those who were unclear of the statement I was making. We attend college to educate ourselves. Through this education, we go out and obtain a job in which we utilize the skills we learn. My point was why do we need a piece of paper to show that we can do the job? What if we could have the same education without the degree? Would he or she be any less suitable for the job? Of course not! They both are capable of getting the job done. I’m not saying the education should be free. Nothing is free. Karma will always be around. When I’m getting an education, I much rather return the favor by tutoring students who are in need of help. A teacher helping me in an area of study and I help a student in an area of study. This is the way the world was originally set up. I haven’t lost the original beat of the drum. Over the many years, society has molded our minds into a certain way of thinking… mostly that everything is based off of money. It’s individualists like myself who really see through that and enjoy the way Mother Nature gave us the world. I love what I do, which is helping people with disabilities and tutoring students in mathematics. Knowing I’m contributing to improve the world is one of the greatest gifts.

Can we apply the same rule to other aspects to our lives? I don’t see why not. What about love? Has society morphed our minds so much that when we are in love, we need a ring and a piece of paper to show it? No! I can even back this up with something simple as buying a card. Why has our society become so materialistic? Sure, it’s the thought that counts but can’t we use Mother Nature’s beauty to show it, such as a flower? There are so many ways that Mother Nature has given us to express our love for one another. Why can’t we use one of them? Love is nature’s greatest gift. I’m glad I found it.

RJ

Education and Money

2008-06-10T18:51:00.000-07:00

This blog is not in any way intended to put down those who have college degrees or who are working towards to obtain one. Nor is it to discourage future college students who want to get their degree. If you have one, great. If you are obtaining one, that’s great too. I am simply just stating my opinion about college and society.

I don’t think a piece of paper should define who you are and determine if you get a job or not. You know what you know. Education is really about the passion for learning. If you wish to learn, you will. In doing so, you will improve the skill that you are learning. You shouldn’t be given a grade for that. It’s a matter of what you know and how well you know it. You don’t need a grade or diploma to tell you that. If someone asks you to build a computer, you should know if you can or not by your education. If you can, great… a job offer for you. If not, study more. And it’s a lot easier to study these days because of the wide range of resources, including the internet. If you know the problem, most likely you’ll find the solution by “Googling” the problem. This also links into a territory that I’d like to mention: education should be free. Why do we pay for college? In the United States, elementary and high school education is free, so why shouldn’t college be too? Is it because it’s in a specialized field? Before college, we learned basic skills in academics and broadened our social skills. Once we get to college, we enter a specialized field of our choice, but we are still around the same socialization. However, our experiences change in socialization for the most part because we are totally independent. We are still around people who are learning though, which is good, as we can look upon one another for guidance. We are called students… who are taught by teachers. But what is the real difference? Sure, they’ve been studying our fields for a long time, but aren’t they still learning as well? After all, most professors are doing research, in turn teaching themselves. Shouldn’t the students be doing that as well?... With the help of our fellow classmates, who could teach us as well, which is what the teacher is doing. So again, why are we paying for an education when we can teach ourselves and share ideas with our fellow peers? Is it because the teacher has a degree and the students don’t? That brings me back to my initial idea. Do you think Plato paid Socrates for his knowledge? I think Socrates just had open lectures to anybody who was interested. That’s another thing about how our society works. Why are we concerned about money? Sure, everything has a value, but why do we need to round it to the nearest dollar or cent? Why can’t we be more karmatic? What I mean by that is… if I do something nice for you, why can’t you do something nice for me, or vice versa? If you mow my lawn, I’ll vacuum your house. If you fix my computer, I’ll give you spare parts. If you buy today’s lunch, I’ll buy tomorrow’s. These are all good examples. Another one dealing with education… if you share your ideas, I’ll share mine. Granted being an amateur, you still have your research resources to formulate your ideas. All in all, I think education should come without barriers and how much you know about a subject should get you a job, not a degree. Our society has molded our minds into thinking a certain way. Keep in mind, even though we do bond together as a whole, we are still individuals with individual thoughts and ideas.

RJ