Bettering Yourself

I feel it is up to you as a responsible individual to rise above or at least use to the fullest, everything that makes you... you. There is an overwhelming belief in the world that you are made who you are by uncontrollable circumstances and that's that, just accept it and let the world deal with how it has made you. This is, of course is true in part, these circumstances; biology, time period, parents, environment, wealth, and good old-fashioned luck do influence you greatly. I think that you should take it upon yourself to make those circumstances less of a hindrance, get to the essence of yourself. This essence is known to many people as a soul, but whatever you call it, it is the part of a being that is unchanged by these things but only clouded. And this essence, the essential part of you is forgotten by most because they rely on one of those exterior parts to cling to, such as where they are from. This is a common reference for individual identity, ironically this deludes your identity. By saying I am this person because of my geographical location is only to liken yourself to others who have been from the same area, even mold yourself to those people. To Honestly Express yourself you need to get to the bare essential of yourself and blaming circumstantial occurrences for your being is counter to that, even when these things are completely unavoidable. Stop with making your childhood or your station the reason that you don't become all that you could become, at least then you wouldn't ever wonder what you could have done with yourself because you pushed all the way. That is the next step, once you get to the base of yourself, don't let any of those factors inhibit you again. The hardest thing is that these unavoidable factors are not to be hated but accepted for what they are as long as the don't stop you bettering yourself. Become as a mirror, neither accept or deny anything, be yourself but allow all those foreign factors to come and go.

Quote about Rememberance

"I don't know how many lives I've influenced, but I hope they remember me"

Quote

"Anything worth having is difficult to get and worth fighting to keep"
-Joseph Hogan

A Quote on Beliefs

"I am a child of this world and my beliefs should not hinder my existence nor yours"
-Joseph Hogan

I feel to much time is spent trying to figure which of us is right, especially in the world of religion and spirituality. No one knows, lets get that out of the way, because there is no way to check the correctness you feel. That is all it is, a feeling, and its very important but to go as far as to assume your infallible rightness against everyone else in the world is outrageous. Let it go, not your beliefs but the hold on the idea that everyone else is wrong except you. It is much more important to allow everyone to find their own way. Help them without squashing the beliefs they already have, if they see some merit in the way you live your life and wish to follow... great. It seems that the human ego can't handle the possibility of it being wrong or accused of being wrong. If someone believes differently than you, its not an opportunity to "save them" (helping them is different), its an opportunity to learn more, be exposed to more and reinforce your beliefs even if that means changing them. In simple terms; let everyone believe what they want, it really is ok to think differently, it actually helps.

Perspective

"The correct perspective is at an axis of all of them but not committing to any of them"
-Joseph Hogan

Exceptions

"Everything has an exception, which in itself is an obvious exception"


I wrote this in my early teens, one of those trying to sound deep things that is a Zen-ish knock off I'm sure, but none the less make an important point.

Morals and Evolution

I've been asked and have asked myself many times if I believe in God, and I do and I also believe in Evolution, Science, and the natural world. I might need to say that the God I believe in is not necessarily the one represented classically but I'll get to that later. One thing that has bugged me about the evolution of our species, its the development of a God and morals. I believe in an innate sense of right and wrong in all people (even though some of it IS learned), its just so easy to ignore in order to be selfish. Evolution is necessary, but humanity has ignored the self serving nature by having morals and a God residing over those morals. Those who do believe that God was a creation of man in an order to feel comforted in a hostile world, I understand that, but why create rules that inhibit the very nature of a living organism. If you're going to create a being that governs yourself right now, it would make a lot of sense to make one that justifies everything you do. Why create a God that tells you to be a person of self sacrifice, self sacrifice is contrary to life (with the exception of preservation of species, like a mother saving her child). Life continues because it does what best serves it, self-preservation should not be trumped by self-sacrifice, but time and time again it is. Why would an organism EVER feel satisfaction from helping another, especially when there was nothing to be gained. That is my scientific explanation for God, but the "feeling" of a God and more importantly an internal sense of purpose that seems higher than anything else on earth. I have always felt a sense of duty to eventually rise to a challenge, and that doesn't come from a lack of purpose now. I personally, have always felt a need to fight for what was right regardless of consequences, and those consequences should frighten me away so that I can keep on living, and a great number of people still do. My willingness to sacrifice myself (if need be) is not made easier by the thought of a rewarded afterlife either, Even if I was sure there was no heaven or whatever, I would still want to end my life by saving someone else. All this contradicts my understanding of the natural world, and unlike most "Religious" people I test my beliefs constantly and refuse to be rigid in any faith I have.