Tag Archives: society

The Root of It

No important problem or lesson is ever going to be solved with a bandage approach. That is, salving or treating the surface symptoms of our dissatisfaction or unhappiness. We may feel relief temporarily, but sooner or later we must dig to the very root of any problem to achieve a lasting solution.

This requires some honesty and introspection, and sometimes we just don’t want to face it. We also live in a time where distraction is massively prevalent. We are encouraged to salve our unhappiness with new material toys.

There are good roots and destructive roots within each of us. The trick is to build on the good ones, and heal the ones that keep causing us to hurt our own potential and happiness. We owe it to ourselves to reach for our happiness, but at the end of the day, it’s up to each of us to achieve it. No one is going to hand it to us on a silver platter.

On a larger scale, this idea also applies to our societies. Around the world we are witnessing massive collective dissatisfaction with the way things are being run by our leaders. I see people still falling back on the typical duality A or B thinking to find a solution. “If the usual A isn’t working, then the usual B must be the answer.” It’s the pendulum of history.

But, stop! Are we really examining the cause of the disease? That is where the clues to our growth are to be found. The real answers always lie at the root of the matter.

Inspirational Quotes:

“I do believe in simplicity. It is astonishing as well as sad, how many trivial affairs even the wisest thinks he must attend to in a day; how singular an affair he thinks he must omit. When the mathematician would solve a difficult problem, he first frees the equation of all encumbrances, and reduces it to its simplest terms. So simplify the problem of life, distinguish the necessary and the real. Probe the earth to see where your main roots run. ” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“If you do not like a certain behavior in others, look within yourself to find the roots of what discomforts you.” ~ Bryant McGill

Your Soul Music

Someone once told me, “Music is part of the joy wave”. This is not hard to grasp, when you consider that each generation has its music, its sound, that special combination of notes, words and beat that resonates and speaks to its heart and soul.

Post WWII in Russia, there were citizens who risked their personal freedom to bring Western music to the people. It had been banned; only approved Russian classical music could be possessed and played. This is a story about more than music. It is one of freedom, and the will of the human spirit to overcome oppression. It’s a fascinating story, even if you’re not particularly a huge music lover. The story of Bone Music here:

Bone music: the Soviet bootleg records pressed on x-rays

So, feed your soul with whatever makes you connect to the joy wave, be it music, dancing, connecting with nature, etc. Joy is good medicine for body, mind, and spirit. It keeps alive our passion for life.

Live and Let Live

We are seeing massive friction in the world right now. Fighting between groups is rooted in a need for control, in an effort to make other people conform to a particular societal and global world view.

Why do humans have such a need to make others conform to their consensual reality?

In some cases, individuals are insecure within themselves. They have not worked on making their own inner landscape solid. They are always looking for the external approval from a group that they are “okay”. Then there are the personalities that enjoy controlling others simply because they derive pleasure from power.

Every problem comes down to solving the root cause. I believe peace will have a real chance when humans overcome their need for control and conformity. It all begins with each of us.

Inspirational Quotes:

“I think the reward for conformity is that everyone likes you except yourself.”
~ Rita Mae Brown

“It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”
~ J. Krishnamurti

“It’s weird not to be weird.” ~ John Lennon

“Any fool can make a rule and any fool will mind it.”
~ Henry David Thoreau

“Conformity is the jailer of freedom and the enemy of growth.”
~ John F. Kennedy

Embrace Wellness

All of the good things that we’ve known keep us well still apply. Fresh air, nature, nourishing food, physical exercise, adequate rest, playfulness, companionship, friendship, doing what we love. Oh yes, and the big one, simply LOVE in all of its forms and connections.

Embrace what feels good to you and resonates with your very soul. Tap into your inner being, and listen to your body, mind, and spirit. Above and beyond wellness, seek joyfulness in your experience here on Earth. We are all born with the intrinsic right to JOY.

Inspirational Quotes:

“Ignore those that make you fearful and sad, that degrade you back towards disease and death.” ~ Rumi

“Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

“There are many aspects to success; material wealth is only one component. …But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.” ~ Deepak Chopra

Smile Medicine

A smile is one of those powerful tools in our life toolbox, but sometimes we forget to use it. Distracted with our own thoughts, we easily disconnect into our own headspace. But a smile is a gift, a little piece of light and hope we can send out to others, and it does not cost us anything but a little conscious thought and effort. And before we know it, it becomes an easy habit.

Even if you don’t feel like it, send a smile to at least one stranger on your path today. Each smile is full of possibility, the potential to create something good. There is a reason smiles are curved. Yours and the ones you receive back make a circle, a never-ending ripple effect of infinite joy.

Smile, and spread some joy today.

Aside from giving happiness to others, this is an excellent article on why you should smile more often for your own health and well-being: Top 10 Reasons You Should Smile Every Day

Inspirational Smile Quotes:

“I hope that whoever you are, wherever you are, and no matter how you are feeling, you will always have something to smile about.” ~ Sanober Khan

“Peace begins with a smile.” ~ Mother Teresa

“Wrinkles should merely indicate where the smiles have been.” ~ Mark Twain

“Be the reason someone smiles. Be the reason someone feels loved and believes in the goodness in people.” ~ Roy T. Bennett

“A smile is a curve that sets everything straight.” ~ Phyllis Diller

“Life is a mirror: if you frown at it, it frowns back; if you smile, it returns the greeting.” ~ William Makepeace Thackeray

Photo courtesy Rafael Barros, Pexels