"The mass of man lead lives of quiet desperation.
what's called resignation is called desperation.
From the desperate country, and have to console yourself with the bravery of minks and muskrats.
A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under
what are called the games and amusements of mankind.
There is no play for them, for this comes after work.
But it is a characteristic of wisdom not to do desperate things.
When we consider what, to use the words of the catechism, is the chief end of man, and what are the true necessaries and means of life, it appears as if men had deliberately chosen the common mode of living because they preferred it to any other. Yet they honestly think there is no choice left.
But alert and healthy natures remember that the sun rose clear.
It is never too late to give up our prejudices.
No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof.
What everybody echoes or in silence passes by as true today
may turn out to be falsehood tomorrow, mere smoke of opinion, which some had rusted for a cloud that would sprinkle fertilizing rain on their fields. "
I am re reading this book, Walden, by Henry David Thoreau, and wanted to type out this passage. (Below a photo of mine taken at night at Walden Pond, the namesake of this book) The spacing is mine. Sometimes I like to try to make things visually easy to read/understand/soak in.
Please try to think about what;
' A stereotyped but unconscious despair is concealed even under
what are called the games and amusements of mankind. '
means to you. What does it describe that's around you right this moment? What about Yourself?
And what about;
'No way of thinking or doing, however ancient, can be trusted without proof.
What everybody echoes or in silence passes by as true today
may turn out to be falsehood tomorrow, mere smoke of opinion, which some had rusted for a cloud that would sprinkle fertilizing rain on their fields.'
Is there some seemingly beneficial relationship or situation that appears to be a positive addition to your life or goals, but there's just that one thing that hasn't felt right to you or someone who cares about your wellbeing?
Why don't you write down all the Pros.
Now write down all the Cons.
Make sure you didn't write down two things that mean pretty much the same thing.
Now how many of each are there?
Now how many of them are 100% true or will be true with 100% certainty?
Think of this as a positive exercise that is quick to reflect what looks good (or bad) on paper.
so, please,
OPEN YOUR MIND
OPEN YOUR EYES
"Mind is formless. It's just that there are innumerable forms in it.
Mind flows. It is never the same twice. Many things happen at once, contradictory and unrelated movements, yet it has direction and identity.
Bubbles of thought and gushes of passion rise here and there in mind. Many seem insignificant, but no one knows what will swell and become mainstreams."~Kazuaki Tanahashi in Brush Mind
I received a copy of Brush Mind from a friend as we walked along a sidewalk flea market one sunny day earlier this year. It amazes me and then ultimately I'm not surprised that the days seems to flow like Mind is described above. This book, added to the stream of consciousness in which I am floating in, makes the rise into a mainstream of my Mind.
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