PersuasionThis is a ramble... Why do I post all these random, somewhat personal, thoughts on my little section of the Internet? What am I up to? What is my motivation? You might not care, but it is something that I have been exploring for a couple of weeks...
I suspect that we all have waves of emotions that flow through us on a weekly, daily, and hourly cycle. My cycles seem to run across a few days. I find that when I have something that is bothering me, it only lasts for a few days at most. These things are always pretty minor in the scheme of things. In fact, they are so minor that I have been trying to figure out why they get to me at all. That's a little off topic. My first thought, having swapped a few e-mails with people off-line recently, is that perhaps folks might get the impression that I am trying to persuade the world of my way of seeing things. That bothered me and I think I know why. You can probably see that I have this strong feeling that "they" have been feeding me the truth for so long that I had no idea about my own truth. I realized that I might be following the same pattern! Yeow! That's why I've decided just to leave these little bits sitting here. Waiting. If someone takes the time to read them, fine. If not, then no worries. If a message is meant to find a person, then I am sure they will get the message on their own accord. Messages seem to have no problems finding me these days. I would say that 90% (?) of my pals see the world along conventional lines. Now there is an assumption - what's conventional! While a group of them can probably relate to what I am feeling, most don't really have the urge to explore my path. I think that is a relief. I wonder what would happen if everybody decided to back off a little and lead a more simple life? That's not going to happen. Reminds me of a Sting or a John Lennon song. These days when I sit and read, I tend to get some thoughts that would be considered either radical (or totally irrelevant!) by those who are close to me. My writings really only skate around the edges of my thoughts - I have a little article on the role of God that's been in my head for weeks. I am a little scared to write it. Won't be long. When something doesn't go away, the only way to deal with it is to get it out in the open. Perhaps I am putting little bits out to see what happens? To see if the world sticks with me, or if it goes against me. I bet I am in for a surprise. I bet that the world doesn't care one way or the other. The world just keeps rolling, the world is happy to take me on my terms. Something I am rediscovering is a lesson I learned in my teens and forgot until recently. Most of us are too wrapped up in ourselves to really notice what is going on around us. This is certainly true for me, and I am only starting to see the full extent of my ego (I want to kick around some thoughts on that word as well). When I start feeling stress inside, I totally miss the things that are happening around me. My powers of observation are increasing, but they are only helping to highlight just how much I am still missing. The more I see, the more I realize the extent of what I am missing. I tend to feel quite relaxed when I post my thoughts up. I guess making them public is a way of releasing them from me. In a way, it is a little dangerous. In revealing myself I give you all the ammunition that you need to attack me (should you desire). However, if you attack me I will learn, rethink, and emerge stronger. As well, the attacker normally comes out the worse for wear in these things. I don't really learn much when everything is coming up trumps the whole way. I need the tests and valleys to learn. Still, I doubt it is possible to get much more than a basic "feel" for a person through their writing. All of us are constantly changing, so how I appear today might not be replicated tomorrow. Cycles - trying to avoid repeating the same mistakes. My past is filled with many mistakes (fortunately no convictions - ha ha ha), perhaps all this writing is driven by an attempt to make things right? Perhaps it is an attempt to be seen to be doing the "right" thing? Don't know. Just another thought. Not even sure what the right thing is these days. Still, the absence of stress is a good indication that things aren't particularly wrong. Interesting chapter in a book I read recently that talks about the ways of the East having failed because people are unable to fully express themselves by way of an internal journey. The author goes on to say that the ways of the West have failed because, in the West, everyone is only looking for external satisfaction! That really made me smile. Reminded me of my buddy who told me that he believed in predestined free-will. You're screwed (or saved) either way, so you might as well relax and just do your best! Can we see the cycles in our own lives? I can see patterns in the lives of others, I also can see the similarities between myself and those that try to "correct" or "guide" me. We normally have the same issues. Send me an e-mail about what you think about me, and you say far more about yourself than you do me. It's fun and I learn about myself as well. It is interesting to see what emerges at the other side of the page. Can I see the flaws in myself that cause me to find the same flaws in others? Can I see the unresolved issues in myself that cause me to repeat the same patterns? For now, I'd be happy to learn the patterns! Solving them can wait. I am floating around here. This is really just a diary entry. I guess I wanted to express that my writing covers things that I hold to be self-evident. Great quote in a book recently. Don Juan, "Do everything as if it is the only thing, while remembering that it is nothing." I paraphrased it. I thought El D was all about womanizing, but he has been popping up in a few places where I would least expect him (contemporary Buddhist texts). I guess the authors are using him for effect. What's that got to do with persuasion? Not sure, but I bet El D has much to teach on the subject. Anybody know a good book about the guy? (Update 20/2/01 - Many thanks to a fellow Canadian who sorted me out on this one! There are two Don Juans! Now everything makes a lot more sense. See Carlos Castaneda.)
My most recent book - Osho, Courage, The Joy of Living Dangerously, St. Martin's Press, New York, 1999. Some of you in California might remember that Indian Guru/Mystic who had to leave the US due to tax evasion in the 80s. This is the guy. Great book, lots of neat ideas. He must have really given the Indian establishment a real headache. Putting his ideas into the context of what I imagine Indian society was like in the 60s and 70s would have made him quite the figure. Sometimes it is fun to read heretics. 5 February 2001 |