And where do we get these views on whether to actualize or accept without thinking or questioning? And, if we accept do we not fill our lives and being with wants and desires based on materialism? If we think about one of the most popular activities in the contemporary world -- watching television (whatever is on counts) we see that this medium of acculturation tends to tell us what it is we are, need to be, want to be, and how we might get there. It does not, for example, really ask us to think critically about anything -- let alone taking a Zen approach to nature and the world around us and learn to just "be" of and one with the moment. This approach, of course, is really anathema to most of the developed world. We are too busy slicing and dicing the mood du jour or the latest latte' flavor, scandalous relationship from a politician or movie star, or pining for that newer model cell phone or gadget that will, ostensibly, make...
We've all heard the phrase, "just stop and smell the roses," but rarely reflect that to truly do so we need to learn to find quiet, inner peace, and the ability to focus on beauty from a more esoteric, less materialistic, viewpoint. Of course, to stop and smell the roses, we need to learn to be comfortable in our own skin, to not travel past a scented garden at 60 miles per hour, to savor tastes, smells, and touch as if they were unique and one-of-a-kind experiences (which they are), and to devote some time each day to ourselves. Doing so is empowering, reenergizing, and will allow us to become not only our own best friend, but at peace with the ebb and flow of the universe -- not a bad goal in and of itself.
