My spirituality is an individual spirituality and has become very important and powerful in my life.
We live in very passionate times of ignorance, division and insanity. Having a positive mindset on a road of spirituality is essential. One of my mantra’s when things get crazy is, “everything is gonna be alright” from the song, No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers.
My spirituality also teaches me to live in a minimalist way and that the door will open when it needs to. These three meditations help elevate stress in my life and to be happy and grateful for my health and for what I have.
Spirituality helps me to have a deeper understanding of the fundamentals of me. Greater meaning of self, introspection, self-reflection, and the cultivation of inner peace and harmony.
The expression, “everyone will get their 15 minutes of fame” is attributed to the American artist Andy Warhol. He made this statement in the late 1960s, expressing the idea that in the age of mass media and celebrity culture, almost anyone could have a brief moment of public recognition or attention.
The phrase has since become a popular cultural expression, often used to refer to the notion that fame or notoriety can be temporary and fleeting for individuals in today’s social media-saturated society.
This was over fifty years ago. Did he even really know the profoundness of that comment and what was to come from it?
Enter, the Smartphone.
People can’t go anywhere without consistently looking at their device. People in their vehicles, walking, at the park, restaurants, clubs, gym, sporting events and even in front of their smart tv, face glued to the smartphone.
The television and computer were tests. The problem was those products stayed in one place for the most part. As the consumer we were out of reach when we left our humble abode. With the smartphone that is always by our side, doing almost everything for you, they have consumed us.
Today, it seems that almost everyone is on the social media train. Most people become voyeurs while other are the performers, looking to cash in on their fifteen minutes.
The influence of social media can sometimes lead to excessive device use which is never good and certain patterns of attention-seeking behaviors. The shock that once was prevalent on social media has dissipated tremendously as the performance need to get more psychotic to shock the viewers interest to get likes.
It is getting more difficult to stand out as attention seekers push the boundaries further and deeper into craziness by engaging in provocative, dangerous or controversial behavior, or adopting extreme political stances to gain that attention, grabbing content and fire their flames of propaganda.
The phenomenon of individuals, particularly women, seeking attention by posting suggestive or revealing content on social media by just shaking their booty for a time or being almost naked to get attention is astounding. Is it because it’s all they want/have to offer? Get it while it’s hot.
The amount of people I encounter daily taking cellphone glamour shots or videos of themselves is ridiculous. Some even bring a change of clothing for the shoot. Maybe it’s because I work on “look at me, look at me” Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. What are they trying to accomplish? It’s ridiculous.
I see all types, dressed to the nines, posing, then running to the phone to examine the photos and then having more pictures taken with different poses and outfits. They are glued to their social media devices and ignoring the world around them unless they see it in their glamour shots.
The, my life is better than yours scenario continues it’s loop over and over on these social media sites.
I’m not writing about the people on vacation just taking pictures for old time sake. The proof is not in the pudding, it’s right in front of us.
People sitting across from each other at a restaurant, head down staring at the screen while waiting for their food. No talking unless they need to share what is on their screen with the other person. Then the food arrives and they take individual pictures with their food.
School events are now people watching their children through the screen of their tablets, iPods and cellphones causing obstruction and blocking those behind them from seeing their child around the barriers.
And the worst of these are the daredevils, videoing themselves doing crazy, dangerous stunts to get that most anticipated viral video to launch their fifteen minutes. Putting themselves in harms way, yet for another click.
Is it all just a desire for validation or is it because of that profound question we all wonder about, “why am I here?” Or could it be that, “what will my legacy be?”
Have these devices made us more narcissistic and ego driven or is it a magnifying glass over the behavior that was always here?
It started with television. The television was created to sell soap. They weren’t sure people would stare at a little screen with all the world was around them. But it worked.
RCA 630 TS Television. One of the first models.
It was to be used to sell products to the masses, however they had to create programming in-between the commercials to get people to watch.
Programming…
programming…
programming…. It’s all a conundrum as we go deeper into the abyss.
Which food, when you eat it, instantly transports you to childhood?
Nothing taste the same from when I was a kid. The food in the United States of America has changed so much due to the greed of the food industry with the help of Monsanto. Also the additives of GMO’s, high fructose corn syrup and many others that aren’t very good for the human body.
I try to make my own food from organic sources and eat healthy.
Why can’t we ask the question, which historical figures do you admire. Why does it have to be, “your favorite?” Questions as this tend to get a simple answer without the in-depth reasoning behind the answer.
There are many historical figures that have accomplished incredible things, been influential in various aspects of human history and have left a lasting impact on us while others have opened our eyes to profound and transformative experiences and some have educated, inspired and entertained us when it was necessary. Each may have a place in our hearts.
With so many historical figures to choose, from the earliest, Chinese philosopher Confucius (551-479 BCE), to Emperor Julius Caesar, playwright William Shakespeare, Polymath, writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, Freemason, inventor, publisher, Founding Father of the United States of America, drafter and signer of the Declaration of Independence and first Post Master General Benjamin Franklin, Inventor Thomas Edison, Austrian neurologist Sigmund Freud, Silent Film Star Harold Lloyd, Crooner Frank Sinatra, Winston Churchill, Method Actor Marlon Brando, Actor and 40th President of the United States of America Ronald Reagan and all others in between.
Favorite is skewed to become what was or is popular. What was written about this person during the era of the Historical Figure’s spotlight versus what has been discovered about them in current times which can change a status from favorable to unfavorable.
Favorite also tends to leads to one word answers and maybe a short sentence. Favorite becomes a contest of who is captivating or compelling, the best and admiration allows one to go deeper, carrying a high regard and recognition making it personal.
Popularity is often influenced by a combination of various elements and factors such as marketing and promotion, social trends, cultural influences, accessibility, quality, timing and propaganda. A favorite today could not be a week or year from now.
In conclusion, “favorite” relates to personal preference or enjoyment, while “admire” involves a deeper level of respect and appreciation for someone or something based on their qualities or achievements. You can only have one favorite but admire many.
You are given this moment. what do you do with it, is up to you.
Don’t miss the opportunity to live in that moment. The next moment is so far away from now, so enjoy where you are.
Why be overly fixated on the carrot and neglecting everything else. Your hunger will subside and the carrot will lose its significance. Allowing yourself only to be preoccupied with the carrot and you might miss the fruit trees next to the lake. Embracing one goal is a lost fulfillment. Breath in this moment and see all that is around you.
Apart from that, stop putting so much emphasis on life after our earthly existence. Breathe in the moment of life you’re encountering and fully embrace the experience. Discover joy, beauty and fruition in everyday experiences.
I try and keep an optimistic state of mind. I see challenges and setbacks as temporary and surmountable, rather than insurmountable obstacles.
Since 2020, I’ve been dealt some sucker punches, but kept a positive outlook. It didn’t matter how difficult and desolate life seemed to be, I kept sanguine things would turn around. Doors will open when they need to.
Until then I’m happy to have a roof over my head, food in the refrigerator, be healthy, happy to be working to pay the bills and still be able to enjoy all my senses. Everything else is gravy.
Emotions are like the waves that pulsate the ocean. They form in different intensities due to eternal conditions caused by external conditions.
Emotions such as hate, have only a destructive nature and will eventually create injustices and destruction against its own interests.
We are all creations of earth and the cosmos and are interconnected. When we disrespect our environment and each other we are ultimately undermining our own well-being and actually destroying ourselves.
Imagine you are a glass of water and an ice cube is introduced into your environment. At first, there may appear to be a stark contrast between the two. It can be traumatizing and shocking. However, as time goes on the two will merge to become one because of their inherent unity, even though deriving from different environments.
Apprehending this and opening one’s eyes to the awareness of being interconnected and what truly is significant is a transformative and enlightening experience.
To live in harmony with the universe and all it encompasses should be our daily goal. Embrace the principles of balance and avoid excessiveness. Then one can begin to lead by example and genuinely inspire others to follow.
What’s the oldest thing you own that you still use daily?
Assuming that it’s something that is not attached to my body or inside my body, I will say, my Master Mason ring.
When I became a Master Mason, July 2008, I couldn’t wait to get a Square and Compass ring. I purchased it from a Lodge Brother who was a Past Master from my lodge.
A seed is planted into the soil. The minerals and nutrients that saturated the earth produce the elements needed for the seed to grow. The sun’s heat and energy, warms the ground from the rain’s moisture to aid in the plants growth.
A potato is plucked from the soil, cleaned and placed on top of other potatoes. It eventually gets pushed over by the other potatoes being dropped onto the pile and rolls into a dark corner, all alone. Without the soil it grew in. The soil that nourished it and protected it. And in the absence of the sunshine that help sustained it.
Days later the potato begins to get soft and shriveled due to dehydration. It doesn’t look good for the potato, however it begins to sprout. The sprouts start pushing through the potatoes thick skin, becoming a life force in its own existence, growing everyday. The potato has now become the nourishment and protector of the sprouts and the potato’s existence continues through the flourishing sprouts.
Even though this potato was not shipped away with the others to be consumed and become fuel for human cells to grow and reproduce, it’s still found a way to continue to live and give back to life.
Is the potato more in-tune with being and philanthropy than humans?
What can we learn about the circle of life through a potato?
Life is Impermanent and we must be resilient and able to adapt to our ever changing environment, situations and world in order to continue to grow and cherish the preciousness and fragility of life. We must give back like the potato or perish as a society. Even in it’s hardship the potato was able to nourish the sprouts as it became that for which it once was.
I don’t have a favorite season because each one is special and great in its own right. Each one has its own ambience, smell, feel and memorable moments.
The quiet of a snow fall, the perfect combination of a sun’s warmth and the light breeze on a spring day, the sound of the waves smashing into each other in the summer and the fragrance of the falling autumn leaves are just a few of the highlights of the four seasons.
Each season can call up memories of being one in sync with each season’s complexity of life.
The recollection of walking through the moist slushy snow, the icy chill numbing your face as the warm vapor expels from your breath. The holiday lights and songs that encompass the yuletide season. Instantly feeling the cold when walking out from a warm place and the warmth on your face when going inside on a cold day.
Sitting on the ground in a park or yard and watching the bees jump from flower to flower while smelling all the plants and flowers coming to life. All the new bouquets of colors blooming after a few months of mostly, black, grey and white.
During the long days of summer, drinking from a garden hose on a hot day and tasting the warm temperature of the water changing smoothly to a cooler taste. The smell of freshly cut grass and the aroma of charcoal being lit and prepared for the summer cookouts. Yellows, greens and blues creating the scope of a summer day.
The swiftly changing tones of the shedding leaves from greens to beautiful hues of red, orange, and yellow and they cascaded down and blanket the ground. Picking a special pumpkin and carving it to put in a window for Halloween and later baking the seeds in the oven for a delicious treat. The smell of nutmeg and cinnamon cooking in the pies they encompass, baking in an oven for Thanksgiving Day.
Why must we categorize things in what is your favorite? Each has a place in the time of a memory along with a space in a heart. Each month of the season is unique in itself during a seasonal life. These four tapestries represent diversity and the cycle of life and are beautiful in their own distinctive moment in time.
I’ll sum it all up by committing to this, they’re all my favorite.
Chu The Cud 