C. JoyBell C.'s Blog, page 43
December 22, 2012
The Reasons Why
The Reasons Why
The strangest things about me
Are how I trip over my words
Doubt myself every two second
And laugh in between all of that
Laughing at all the wrong times
And believing a little
And then not believing at all
Everything at the same time!
I think you’ll like the way
My eyelids lower
To hide my soul sometimes
But then I think you can see
The small scars on my face
And want me
Or not want me
How can I feel so much
All at the same time?
The strangest things about me
May be the reasons why you’ll love me
Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.
The strangest things about me
Are how I trip over my words
Doubt myself every two second
And laugh in between all of that
Laughing at all the wrong times
And believing a little
And then not believing at all
Everything at the same time!
I think you’ll like the way
My eyelids lower
To hide my soul sometimes
But then I think you can see
The small scars on my face
And want me
Or not want me
How can I feel so much
All at the same time?
The strangest things about me
May be the reasons why you’ll love me
Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.
December 21, 2012
It's All Because of Ignorance
Today I would like to talk a little bit about judgment. Now, those of you who have been around a long while, will know that this is something I have already spoken of on many occasions in the past. I want to touch on it again, though, because I believe one just can't touch on it enough!
I would love to fully adopt the mindset of the Lithuanian. The Lithuanians say that they have no business judging the homeless people who join them for their rides on the public train systems in Lithuania; their subways, trams, and buses. They say "I have no right to make judgments about this homeless person, because I don't know what his story is." Now, at first it's easy to say "Oh I'm like that too!" But when faced with real-life situations, you realize that you're not really like that, at all! Why? Because you are almost sure that you know the homeless person's life story, anyway! "Oh he's lazy and never worked in his life, that's why he's destitute like that!" But how do you know that you could have never been born in his exact same position? If you were the son if this homeless man, would you think otherwise? Having known his story and having lived that same life? So that's just one example.
I have come to know that the people who make judgments the quickest and the most frequently, are those who are ignorant of many things. The less experience you've had, the more you are going to jump to conclusions, the less you know, the faster you are going to think that you know something! For example, I have already long learned that all of the judgments I did have in the past, were based upon my own ignorance, and nothing more, nothing less! Plain ignorance! Take Australians for instance, I used to believe that, since they were the descendants of vagabonds and outlaws, they would surely be the wildest, most stubborn and rude people on earth! Now, this was based purely on my ignorance! It's only later when I found myself in situations wherein nobody else would care about me other than the Australians (when I got lost during my travels or had no idea how to get around by myself), that I got to know Australians and know that they are truly the most humble, non-judgmental people on earth. In fact, it is embedded into their culture not to brag about anything! If you brag about anything in your life, you are looked down upon as a braggart. They are so humble, and so completely non-judgmental, and then you will learn that's because they also have the most life experience! Australians are very well-travelled people, they are extremely open-minded to other cultures and beliefs, there is not a single cocky bone in their bodies! They are relaxed in every situation and comfortable with anything. Another example is my once-upon-a-time ignorance of atheists! Being raised in a Christian family, I once believed that atheists were people with no hearts, people who were most likely to hurt other people, who were always angry and were probably psychopaths! Again, that was all my own ignorance that formed from being raised in a close-minded Christian environment. That mindset persisted until I finally was fortunate enough to stay with an atheist family, I didn't know they were atheists until I was in their home sleeping in one of their beds, and eating their home cooked meals! I can honestly say, that, the Atheist family I stayed with, were the people in my life who have treated me the kindest. And in all sincerity, as well! It was not a staged kindness that they didn't actually want to perform; it was a kindness and a care that came from their hearts! Now, that's not something I can say about any Christians I have known in my life, not even my own family! The atheist family gave me more comfort and acceptance in 1 week, than I have witnessed from my own Christian family in all my life! Now, I'm just being honest here, if you're reading this and going to hate me for this, well, I can't make up stories, and I can only speak for myself, I cannot speak for everyone else! This is my experience in my life! Generally, Christians do not accept you for a variety of reasons; and that includes envy. Atheists don't have time to envy; they feel that we make our own lots in life, not God, therefore if you have more, then that's your own doing and good for you! They also believe in the need to be moral in and of themselves, hence, there are many atheists who are fine, admirable people, because of the fact that they take it upon themselves to be moral and good; they don't cast those things upon the shoulders of God. Now, I am not saying that we should all become Atheists, and I am certainly not an Atheist, but what I am discussing here, is the prevalence of judgmentalism and how the root of it is most definitely ignorance!
Whenever I begin to pass judgments on someone simply because of the country of their origin, their accent, or their spiritual beliefs, I immediately take it upon myself to correct myself and say "You're being ignorant again!" I encourage everyone else to do the same.
I would love to fully adopt the mindset of the Lithuanian. The Lithuanians say that they have no business judging the homeless people who join them for their rides on the public train systems in Lithuania; their subways, trams, and buses. They say "I have no right to make judgments about this homeless person, because I don't know what his story is." Now, at first it's easy to say "Oh I'm like that too!" But when faced with real-life situations, you realize that you're not really like that, at all! Why? Because you are almost sure that you know the homeless person's life story, anyway! "Oh he's lazy and never worked in his life, that's why he's destitute like that!" But how do you know that you could have never been born in his exact same position? If you were the son if this homeless man, would you think otherwise? Having known his story and having lived that same life? So that's just one example.
I have come to know that the people who make judgments the quickest and the most frequently, are those who are ignorant of many things. The less experience you've had, the more you are going to jump to conclusions, the less you know, the faster you are going to think that you know something! For example, I have already long learned that all of the judgments I did have in the past, were based upon my own ignorance, and nothing more, nothing less! Plain ignorance! Take Australians for instance, I used to believe that, since they were the descendants of vagabonds and outlaws, they would surely be the wildest, most stubborn and rude people on earth! Now, this was based purely on my ignorance! It's only later when I found myself in situations wherein nobody else would care about me other than the Australians (when I got lost during my travels or had no idea how to get around by myself), that I got to know Australians and know that they are truly the most humble, non-judgmental people on earth. In fact, it is embedded into their culture not to brag about anything! If you brag about anything in your life, you are looked down upon as a braggart. They are so humble, and so completely non-judgmental, and then you will learn that's because they also have the most life experience! Australians are very well-travelled people, they are extremely open-minded to other cultures and beliefs, there is not a single cocky bone in their bodies! They are relaxed in every situation and comfortable with anything. Another example is my once-upon-a-time ignorance of atheists! Being raised in a Christian family, I once believed that atheists were people with no hearts, people who were most likely to hurt other people, who were always angry and were probably psychopaths! Again, that was all my own ignorance that formed from being raised in a close-minded Christian environment. That mindset persisted until I finally was fortunate enough to stay with an atheist family, I didn't know they were atheists until I was in their home sleeping in one of their beds, and eating their home cooked meals! I can honestly say, that, the Atheist family I stayed with, were the people in my life who have treated me the kindest. And in all sincerity, as well! It was not a staged kindness that they didn't actually want to perform; it was a kindness and a care that came from their hearts! Now, that's not something I can say about any Christians I have known in my life, not even my own family! The atheist family gave me more comfort and acceptance in 1 week, than I have witnessed from my own Christian family in all my life! Now, I'm just being honest here, if you're reading this and going to hate me for this, well, I can't make up stories, and I can only speak for myself, I cannot speak for everyone else! This is my experience in my life! Generally, Christians do not accept you for a variety of reasons; and that includes envy. Atheists don't have time to envy; they feel that we make our own lots in life, not God, therefore if you have more, then that's your own doing and good for you! They also believe in the need to be moral in and of themselves, hence, there are many atheists who are fine, admirable people, because of the fact that they take it upon themselves to be moral and good; they don't cast those things upon the shoulders of God. Now, I am not saying that we should all become Atheists, and I am certainly not an Atheist, but what I am discussing here, is the prevalence of judgmentalism and how the root of it is most definitely ignorance!
Whenever I begin to pass judgments on someone simply because of the country of their origin, their accent, or their spiritual beliefs, I immediately take it upon myself to correct myself and say "You're being ignorant again!" I encourage everyone else to do the same.
What If Nothing Ever Ends?
Here's a truly frightening idea: What if the world never comes to an end? Have you ever thought of that? It seems like looking for the end of the world is more of an act of anticipation! Has anyone realized that over and over and over again, there have been "end dates" for humanity, yet we're still here until now? And just think, how much of those feelings are actually feelings of anticipation rather than dread? I think it is the instinct of humanity to search for a final end to this world, and the true fear lies in the idea that the world might not ever end! Take a moment of your time to contemplate that thought: nothing ever ending! Now, that's a true fear, if I may say so myself!
December 20, 2012
Emerald Meditations
I wanted to just share a portion of our reading today from Meditations (Marcus Aurelius). I guide my eleven year old son, Gilead, through the ancient texts, and Meditations is one of our favourites. Here's a short verse from the pages we read today:
15. Let people's tongues and actions be what they will, my business is to be good. And make the same speech to myself, that a piece of gold, or an emerald, or purple should. Let people talk and act as they please; I must be an emerald, and I must keep my colour.
This is not the only verse wherein Marcus Aurelius speaks of the colour purple and of being emerald, but while we were reading today, I simply felt like sharing this verse with all of you.
In other news, tomorrow is the beginning of a new millennia. I spoke about this briefly on my Facebook page. We don't know exactly what is going to happen, or not happen, with regards to earth-shattering or earth-shaking events; but there are some things that we DO know for SURE:
December 21 is:
1. The beginning of the astronomical age of Aquarius (exiting Pisces and entering into Aquarius).
2. The beginning of the Winter Solstice.
As for everything else, it's all up to personal interpretation and beliefs! If anything at all, the date is significant in that it has had the power to capture the imagination and even the hearts and souls of mankind! Everyone knows something about tomorrow, the "something" being a personal journey for each one.
If the earth falls apart tomorrow or is thrown out of orbit or whatever, rest assured I will look great for this grand finale! I will go to sleep tonight wearing mascara, lipstick, sexy boots, and a killer outfit! It will only happen once, and a girl's gotta look great for once-in-a-lifetime events!
15. Let people's tongues and actions be what they will, my business is to be good. And make the same speech to myself, that a piece of gold, or an emerald, or purple should. Let people talk and act as they please; I must be an emerald, and I must keep my colour.
This is not the only verse wherein Marcus Aurelius speaks of the colour purple and of being emerald, but while we were reading today, I simply felt like sharing this verse with all of you.
In other news, tomorrow is the beginning of a new millennia. I spoke about this briefly on my Facebook page. We don't know exactly what is going to happen, or not happen, with regards to earth-shattering or earth-shaking events; but there are some things that we DO know for SURE:
December 21 is:
1. The beginning of the astronomical age of Aquarius (exiting Pisces and entering into Aquarius).
2. The beginning of the Winter Solstice.
As for everything else, it's all up to personal interpretation and beliefs! If anything at all, the date is significant in that it has had the power to capture the imagination and even the hearts and souls of mankind! Everyone knows something about tomorrow, the "something" being a personal journey for each one.
If the earth falls apart tomorrow or is thrown out of orbit or whatever, rest assured I will look great for this grand finale! I will go to sleep tonight wearing mascara, lipstick, sexy boots, and a killer outfit! It will only happen once, and a girl's gotta look great for once-in-a-lifetime events!
December 19, 2012
Pictures of Who I Am
I was recently thinking about the big difference in how others see me, and how I see myself. And also, the difference between all of that, and who I really am. I was thinking about it, because I realized that the way we act is the way we see ourselves/ is in accordance to the vision of ourselves that we have in the front of our minds. But this doesn't necessarily always coincide with what we really are like, or what others see us as. For example, I don't look like a writer, but I am a writer. I don't look like someone who has many thoughts and has a brain, yet I am, and I do have a brain. You can look one way on the outside, but be totally different on the inside. So I thought of putting these recent thoughts of mine into pictures, to give everyone a visual of what I've been thinking.
People usually see me like this:
Like this:
Midnight in Paris by Barbara Ziegler
Like this:
Like this:
Or like this:
Nanne Nyander
But I see myself as this:
And as this:
But what am I really like? I'm probably really like this:
Pure Laughter by Amith Nag
And this:
This:
This:
This:
And this:
So what does that really make me? Perhaps we are a combination of the things that we see ourselves as, others see us as, and the things we know deep within we're really most like! But I will probably always feel like I am Milady de Winter, or Lauren Bacall lighting a cigarette, giving everyone a dirty, enchanting look from under her eyebrows! I wonder if we should see ourselves as everyone else sees us? Or maybe it's about knowing and being acquainted with our own souls, then being true to that? Maybe it's an ever-changing journey! Still, Milady de Winter is a fun thing to be! Cheers!
What about YOU? Put together your own "soul picturebook" and see what you come up with!
People usually see me like this:
Like this:
Midnight in Paris by Barbara Ziegler
Like this:
Like this:
Or like this:
Nanne Nyander
But I see myself as this:
And as this:
But what am I really like? I'm probably really like this:
Pure Laughter by Amith Nag
And this:
This:
This:
This:
And this:
So what does that really make me? Perhaps we are a combination of the things that we see ourselves as, others see us as, and the things we know deep within we're really most like! But I will probably always feel like I am Milady de Winter, or Lauren Bacall lighting a cigarette, giving everyone a dirty, enchanting look from under her eyebrows! I wonder if we should see ourselves as everyone else sees us? Or maybe it's about knowing and being acquainted with our own souls, then being true to that? Maybe it's an ever-changing journey! Still, Milady de Winter is a fun thing to be! Cheers!
What about YOU? Put together your own "soul picturebook" and see what you come up with!
December 13, 2012
Angels and Demons, God and Man
According to Enoch, in The Book of Enoch, the sons of God (the angels) who were watching over mankind, fell in love with humanity and all her frailties, vulnerabilities, and weaknesses. They saw that she (humanity), could be helped, they wanted to share their secrets and the mysteries of Heaven with mankind, they wanted to give gifts and to comfort and to uplift! They saw the changes that needed to be made in order to elevate humanity to higher levels of occupancy in the universe, so they chose to become a part of humanity, themselves! They knew that infiltrating the human race would serve as a doorway to transform it! They took women as their wives, and had offspring upon the earth. But because of this, they were thrown into Tartarus, bound up and concealed in darkness! Hidden so that their faces could never again see any form of light! Not the light of God, not the light of man, not the light of the sun!
At first, we ask ourselves why such utter damnation fell upon them, just for falling in love with mankind! And my heart bleeds for the angels, who gave so much for nothing. Was it worth it? Was the human race worth suffering an eternity for? And look! Look at what she has done with all those secrets and all those mysteries! Nothing! Nothing but evil! Even if you shine a light so brightly into the faces of man, so that they will change, they still never change their ways! And where is a righteous man who will stand up in the name of justice, even if this justice does not benefit himself? Show me a single righteous woman who will take a stand for what is right, even if that stand does not benefit herself! There is none! At least, I have known none! So I cannot say otherwise, because I can only speak from what I have known!
Perhaps God knew that it would not be worth it, that's why the angels were damned! It hasn't been worth it, for the past millennia! So why would it be worth it, now? Now that we are entering into a new one? Maybe it won't depend on angels and demons, maybe it needs to depend on humanity, itself! It's time that humanity stand on her own two feet! Take responsibility for the pains she has caused Heaven, Earth, and Hell! And suffer the consequences! Am I being too harsh? I don't know, maybe. But I can't help but see mankind as a race that angels and other godlike beings have suffered too long for! She deceives with her apparent innocence, but betrays with her true intent! But if it is not a time to finally suffer, then perhaps it is really a time to finally change! The need for change must come from within their own hearts, because no matter of shining any light, has done any good, for so long! There should be a turning point– either evolve, or be forgotten!
Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.
Warning: I do not recommend reading the book of Enoch. It is not a reading which will be safe for everyone. You need the supervision of archangels to even begin reading this writing, and if not, you will be thrown into a wild confusion. Therefore, please don't attempt to.
At first, we ask ourselves why such utter damnation fell upon them, just for falling in love with mankind! And my heart bleeds for the angels, who gave so much for nothing. Was it worth it? Was the human race worth suffering an eternity for? And look! Look at what she has done with all those secrets and all those mysteries! Nothing! Nothing but evil! Even if you shine a light so brightly into the faces of man, so that they will change, they still never change their ways! And where is a righteous man who will stand up in the name of justice, even if this justice does not benefit himself? Show me a single righteous woman who will take a stand for what is right, even if that stand does not benefit herself! There is none! At least, I have known none! So I cannot say otherwise, because I can only speak from what I have known!
Perhaps God knew that it would not be worth it, that's why the angels were damned! It hasn't been worth it, for the past millennia! So why would it be worth it, now? Now that we are entering into a new one? Maybe it won't depend on angels and demons, maybe it needs to depend on humanity, itself! It's time that humanity stand on her own two feet! Take responsibility for the pains she has caused Heaven, Earth, and Hell! And suffer the consequences! Am I being too harsh? I don't know, maybe. But I can't help but see mankind as a race that angels and other godlike beings have suffered too long for! She deceives with her apparent innocence, but betrays with her true intent! But if it is not a time to finally suffer, then perhaps it is really a time to finally change! The need for change must come from within their own hearts, because no matter of shining any light, has done any good, for so long! There should be a turning point– either evolve, or be forgotten!
Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.
Warning: I do not recommend reading the book of Enoch. It is not a reading which will be safe for everyone. You need the supervision of archangels to even begin reading this writing, and if not, you will be thrown into a wild confusion. Therefore, please don't attempt to.
December 12, 2012
The Wind Among The Reeds
Mongan Laments The Change
That Has Come Upon Him And
His Beloved
(1899, W.B. Yeats)
Do you not hear me calling, white deer with
no horns!
I have been changed to a hound with one red
ear;
I have been in the Path of Stones and the
Wood of Thorns,
For somebody hid hatred and hope and desire
and fear
Under my feet that they follow you night and
day.
A man with a hazel wand came without sound;
He changed me suddenly; I was looking
another way;
And now my calling is but the calling of a
hound;
And Time and Birth and Change are
hurrying by.
I would that the boar without bristles had
come from the West
And had rooted the sun and moon and stars
out of the sky
And lay in the darkness, grunting, and turning
to his rest.
I was reading The Wind Among The Reeds with my son Gilead, today, and this poem resonated with me personally. For some reason, the words in this poem move in harmony with my thoughts that hope is often a source of pain, and perchance you're better off not hoping for anything!
That Has Come Upon Him And
His Beloved
(1899, W.B. Yeats)
Do you not hear me calling, white deer with
no horns!
I have been changed to a hound with one red
ear;
I have been in the Path of Stones and the
Wood of Thorns,
For somebody hid hatred and hope and desire
and fear
Under my feet that they follow you night and
day.
A man with a hazel wand came without sound;
He changed me suddenly; I was looking
another way;
And now my calling is but the calling of a
hound;
And Time and Birth and Change are
hurrying by.
I would that the boar without bristles had
come from the West
And had rooted the sun and moon and stars
out of the sky
And lay in the darkness, grunting, and turning
to his rest.
I was reading The Wind Among The Reeds with my son Gilead, today, and this poem resonated with me personally. For some reason, the words in this poem move in harmony with my thoughts that hope is often a source of pain, and perchance you're better off not hoping for anything!
November 30, 2012
An Illuminated December!
Today I'm excited to announce my long-awaited TWELVE DAYS OF DECEMBER SALE!
First of all, I'd like to say Happy Holidays to those of you who will be celebrating festivities this month! December is always a big month around the world, for a variety of reasons! We have Christmas, of course, but for those who don't celebrate Christmas; we have Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yalda, Saturnalia, Saint Lucy's Day, Saint Stephen's Day, Winter Solstice, Hogmanay, Look on the Bright Side Day(Ironically, coincides with the end of the Mayan Calendar this year which is "supposed" to be the end of the world!), National Chocolate Covered Anything Day (Come on, anyone can celebrate this one!), Ice Cream Day (Hurray!), Human Rights Day, Poinsettia Day, International Civil Aviation Day, Wear Brown Shoes Day (Yes.), Roots Day (No, it's not the day to visit your hairstylist!), and so on and so forth! Yes, there are even more holidays in December! So as you can see, no matter who you are or where you live, December is the month of festivities and felicitations! And if you're not the type of person to care about happy traditions and joyous festivities (hello, Ebenezer), the lights which illuminate everything during this season, should be enough to bring you warmth in the heart and a smile on your face!
There's been some whispering going around, as to what I've got up my sleeve for December (since I hinted at some plans a little earlier on my Facebook Page) and today I'm excited it's finally December 1, because now I get to announce that for the FIRST TWELVE DAYS OF DECEMBER, ALL OF MY BOOKS WILL BE ON FIFTY PERCENT DISCOUNT! For twelve days in this twelfth month in the year of 2012! The beauty in this, is that it allows you to create gift bundles! That means, you can buy all three of my books and bundle them up as a single gift for someone, which would be a lot more affordable with this 50% off of each book! And if you're wondering how I can do this, well, discount codes like this are intended for wholesalers (those bookstores who will place an order for 15 or 20 books at a time); but I want to give this discount out to individuals, all of you my readers, as a special treat for this month of December! Do take advantage of it! I also encourage you to become wholesalers, yourselves! If you want to buy 10 or 50 copies, go ahead! You can then resell them elsewhere for the full price!
Here's the code: P5TN9Q6Z
All you have to do is copy that code and then paste it in the blank box when you see this:
This discount applies to all three of my books
For The Sun Is Snowing: Poems, Parables and Pictures ; please click here.
For The Suns Snow And The Sands Move: A thing of magic, a gift of poetry and prose ; please click here.
For Saint Paul Trois Châteaux: 1948 ; please click here.
I wish all of you a full 31-day event of happiness, all throughout this month of December! You know, if we all make it past the 21'st!
"Even if I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would continue to plant my apple trees."~ Traditionally attributed to Martin Luther, but could have been written/ voiced by Thoreau or Goethe.
Even if the world ends tomorrow, buy my books today! Hurry, this ends on December 13!
Here's some December music to put you into good cheer and ring in the Holiday spirit:
First of all, I'd like to say Happy Holidays to those of you who will be celebrating festivities this month! December is always a big month around the world, for a variety of reasons! We have Christmas, of course, but for those who don't celebrate Christmas; we have Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Yalda, Saturnalia, Saint Lucy's Day, Saint Stephen's Day, Winter Solstice, Hogmanay, Look on the Bright Side Day(Ironically, coincides with the end of the Mayan Calendar this year which is "supposed" to be the end of the world!), National Chocolate Covered Anything Day (Come on, anyone can celebrate this one!), Ice Cream Day (Hurray!), Human Rights Day, Poinsettia Day, International Civil Aviation Day, Wear Brown Shoes Day (Yes.), Roots Day (No, it's not the day to visit your hairstylist!), and so on and so forth! Yes, there are even more holidays in December! So as you can see, no matter who you are or where you live, December is the month of festivities and felicitations! And if you're not the type of person to care about happy traditions and joyous festivities (hello, Ebenezer), the lights which illuminate everything during this season, should be enough to bring you warmth in the heart and a smile on your face!
There's been some whispering going around, as to what I've got up my sleeve for December (since I hinted at some plans a little earlier on my Facebook Page) and today I'm excited it's finally December 1, because now I get to announce that for the FIRST TWELVE DAYS OF DECEMBER, ALL OF MY BOOKS WILL BE ON FIFTY PERCENT DISCOUNT! For twelve days in this twelfth month in the year of 2012! The beauty in this, is that it allows you to create gift bundles! That means, you can buy all three of my books and bundle them up as a single gift for someone, which would be a lot more affordable with this 50% off of each book! And if you're wondering how I can do this, well, discount codes like this are intended for wholesalers (those bookstores who will place an order for 15 or 20 books at a time); but I want to give this discount out to individuals, all of you my readers, as a special treat for this month of December! Do take advantage of it! I also encourage you to become wholesalers, yourselves! If you want to buy 10 or 50 copies, go ahead! You can then resell them elsewhere for the full price!
Here's the code: P5TN9Q6Z
All you have to do is copy that code and then paste it in the blank box when you see this:
This discount applies to all three of my books
For The Sun Is Snowing: Poems, Parables and Pictures ; please click here.
For The Suns Snow And The Sands Move: A thing of magic, a gift of poetry and prose ; please click here.
For Saint Paul Trois Châteaux: 1948 ; please click here.
I wish all of you a full 31-day event of happiness, all throughout this month of December! You know, if we all make it past the 21'st!
"Even if I knew the world would end tomorrow, I would continue to plant my apple trees."~ Traditionally attributed to Martin Luther, but could have been written/ voiced by Thoreau or Goethe.
Even if the world ends tomorrow, buy my books today! Hurry, this ends on December 13!
Here's some December music to put you into good cheer and ring in the Holiday spirit:
November 26, 2012
Taking A Good Look At Beauty
Just want to share something I recently discussed on my Facebook Page...
I feel like people today are confused in the area of beauty and substance. In our modern days, it seems like people either have a disdain for physical beauty so that they may "go on the path of enlightenment" or they have such an adoration for physical beauty that they believe any enlightenment of the soul would contradict that. Its funny, and it is a modern-day dilemma. Perhaps the minds of people cannot marry the two together? But beauty is the ultimate form of the wholeness and highness of every philosophy. Plato himself said, the only good in pondering is to be able to see beauty when it is there. Yes, this pertains to inner beauty also, but there is nothing wrong with outer beauty, and in fact outer beauty is highly prized by the gods, the angels, and man; if one is to study the ancient ways, one will see that the creation of every single beautiful statue that we so admire today, is because of the adoration of physical beauty! If not for that, David wouldn't be so beautiful as depicted by Michelangelo. Oh, all of the statues would be ugly! All of the paintings would be unsightly! As a matter of fact though, the great driving force of Michelangelo and those like him, was the beauty of the human body. Enter modern day times and people have become so incapable of encompassing anything more than one train of thought! If you are a truly enlightened individual, there is no need to make dull your outer shell in order to allow your inner light to shine! Beauty is a beautiful thing, there is nothing wrong with seeing it in the eyes and appreciating it with the mind and the heart. Let us expand our expectations. Beauty is given more to some and less to others, just as the light of the soul is brighter in some and dim in others, there is no fault in seeing these differences.
“...for the object of education is to teach us to love beauty.” (Plato)
I received a comment from David Shand in Scotland, he said: "Inner beauty shines brightly on the outside and overrides what is on the outside. When someone is beautiful both on the inside and the outside it is such a bonus. Some of the most beautiful of little birds look so plain on the outside but stun you into silence when you hear the beauty of their song. It is amzing those talented individuals of the human race who extend beautiful creations inside of them in to the world for others to admire and adore through the ages."
To which I replied: "I like your example of the birds! Makes me think of the Nightingale! A plain bird with a beautiful song! But then there are also the beautiful birds that also have equally beautiful songs. Perhaps it is the "stunning" part that gets to people so much (when they don't expect something to sing so beautifully, they become so delighted when it does, as opposed to seeing the beautiful bird and then expecting to hear a beautiful song.) This all reminds me of a piece which I once wrote, entitled "The Error of Mortal Men" ; wherein I discuss that mortals delight in their own discovery of something whether it be a shadow in a perfect diamond, or a faint beautiful reflection in an extremely dull mirror! This is why, people delight in finding a flaw in the beautiful one, and delight in finding something beautiful in the ugly one. People always complain why they don't get what they want, but the truth is, people do not want what they think they want!"
"What if the man could see Beauty Itself, pure, unalloyed, stripped of mortality and all its pollution, stains, and vanities, unchanging, divine, ... the man becoming in that communion, the friend of God, himself immortal; ... would that be a life to disregard?" (Plato)
I wanted to share this discussion here, while taking it even further. I wanted to point out, that beauty amongst people is not a very prevalent thing. And I am talking about true physical beauty, not just whatever or whoever is walking down that catwalk. There is true physical beauty in the world, its just not a prevalent thing. It's rare like diamonds, and it is desired like diamonds. Truth is, everyone would choose to be beautiful if they had the chance to choose that, nobody would say "No thanks, I'll pass." But in the world today there seems to be such a huge amount of justification of ugliness, that it feels unreal already. The idea that every unsightly person has a beautiful soul, is erroneous! It's a misleading concept, and just because you grab onto every unsightly person you see who has a beautiful personality, that does not represent everyone. There are beautiful people on the outside who possess amazing character and beautiful souls, then there are those who are beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside, just like there are those who are ugly on the outside and beautiful on the inside; but then there are those who are not physically beautiful, and they're really not great people, either! There are lots of spiteful, unforgiving, bitter, hateful ugly people! Are you kidding me?
“And the true order of going, or being led by another, to the things of love, is to begin from the beauties of earth and mount upwards for the sake of that other beauty, using these steps only, and from one going on to two, and from two to all fair forms to fair practices, and from fair practices to fair notions, until from fair notions he arrives at the notion of absolute beauty, and at last knows what the essence of beauty is.” (Plato; The Symposium)
I wonder if this mindset in question is a product of Hollywood. Just as the romantic poor man is a product of Hollywood; the romantic idea that every poor man is a wonderful man and every rich man is a douchebag! I can attest to the fact that there are rich douchebags, but then you will find no such pride in the world as the pride of the poor man! It's not the rich man who's proud, it's the poor man who's proud and stubborn! Because it's the only thing he's got! His pride! Apparently there is that attempt to romanticize the unromantic and to beautify or rectify the undesirable! Why is this the case? Shouldn't we see things for what they are? Certainly there are rich douchebags, but then there are poor douchebags, as well!
People read the things that I write, and imagine in their minds that I am a lowly, unattractive person. I know this because they actually message me and tell me that they're shocked that I didn't meet their "expectations." This obviously means that people have an ingrained belief that wisdom, substance, enlightenment, love, peace, freedom, etc., cannot be embodied by anyone who is not plain and lowly. Why is this? This is not what the ancients thought like! Has humanity really come so far from her ancient fathers? Really that far? When people look at my face, they cannot reconcile my writings to my outer appearance? Why does humanity have such a low opinion of beauty? This is an insult to Venus, to Aphrodite! To Athena and Selene!
“What shall we say about those spectators, then, who can see a plurality of beautiful things, but not beauty itself, and who are incapable of following if someone else tries to lead them to it, and who can see many moral actions, but not morality itself, and so on? That they only ever entertain beliefs, and do not know any of the things they believe?” (Plato; The Republic)
I will leave you with some videos of beautiful birds with beautiful songs! Hope you enjoy!
I feel like people today are confused in the area of beauty and substance. In our modern days, it seems like people either have a disdain for physical beauty so that they may "go on the path of enlightenment" or they have such an adoration for physical beauty that they believe any enlightenment of the soul would contradict that. Its funny, and it is a modern-day dilemma. Perhaps the minds of people cannot marry the two together? But beauty is the ultimate form of the wholeness and highness of every philosophy. Plato himself said, the only good in pondering is to be able to see beauty when it is there. Yes, this pertains to inner beauty also, but there is nothing wrong with outer beauty, and in fact outer beauty is highly prized by the gods, the angels, and man; if one is to study the ancient ways, one will see that the creation of every single beautiful statue that we so admire today, is because of the adoration of physical beauty! If not for that, David wouldn't be so beautiful as depicted by Michelangelo. Oh, all of the statues would be ugly! All of the paintings would be unsightly! As a matter of fact though, the great driving force of Michelangelo and those like him, was the beauty of the human body. Enter modern day times and people have become so incapable of encompassing anything more than one train of thought! If you are a truly enlightened individual, there is no need to make dull your outer shell in order to allow your inner light to shine! Beauty is a beautiful thing, there is nothing wrong with seeing it in the eyes and appreciating it with the mind and the heart. Let us expand our expectations. Beauty is given more to some and less to others, just as the light of the soul is brighter in some and dim in others, there is no fault in seeing these differences.
“...for the object of education is to teach us to love beauty.” (Plato)
I received a comment from David Shand in Scotland, he said: "Inner beauty shines brightly on the outside and overrides what is on the outside. When someone is beautiful both on the inside and the outside it is such a bonus. Some of the most beautiful of little birds look so plain on the outside but stun you into silence when you hear the beauty of their song. It is amzing those talented individuals of the human race who extend beautiful creations inside of them in to the world for others to admire and adore through the ages."
To which I replied: "I like your example of the birds! Makes me think of the Nightingale! A plain bird with a beautiful song! But then there are also the beautiful birds that also have equally beautiful songs. Perhaps it is the "stunning" part that gets to people so much (when they don't expect something to sing so beautifully, they become so delighted when it does, as opposed to seeing the beautiful bird and then expecting to hear a beautiful song.) This all reminds me of a piece which I once wrote, entitled "The Error of Mortal Men" ; wherein I discuss that mortals delight in their own discovery of something whether it be a shadow in a perfect diamond, or a faint beautiful reflection in an extremely dull mirror! This is why, people delight in finding a flaw in the beautiful one, and delight in finding something beautiful in the ugly one. People always complain why they don't get what they want, but the truth is, people do not want what they think they want!"
"What if the man could see Beauty Itself, pure, unalloyed, stripped of mortality and all its pollution, stains, and vanities, unchanging, divine, ... the man becoming in that communion, the friend of God, himself immortal; ... would that be a life to disregard?" (Plato)
I wanted to share this discussion here, while taking it even further. I wanted to point out, that beauty amongst people is not a very prevalent thing. And I am talking about true physical beauty, not just whatever or whoever is walking down that catwalk. There is true physical beauty in the world, its just not a prevalent thing. It's rare like diamonds, and it is desired like diamonds. Truth is, everyone would choose to be beautiful if they had the chance to choose that, nobody would say "No thanks, I'll pass." But in the world today there seems to be such a huge amount of justification of ugliness, that it feels unreal already. The idea that every unsightly person has a beautiful soul, is erroneous! It's a misleading concept, and just because you grab onto every unsightly person you see who has a beautiful personality, that does not represent everyone. There are beautiful people on the outside who possess amazing character and beautiful souls, then there are those who are beautiful on the outside and ugly on the inside, just like there are those who are ugly on the outside and beautiful on the inside; but then there are those who are not physically beautiful, and they're really not great people, either! There are lots of spiteful, unforgiving, bitter, hateful ugly people! Are you kidding me?
“And the true order of going, or being led by another, to the things of love, is to begin from the beauties of earth and mount upwards for the sake of that other beauty, using these steps only, and from one going on to two, and from two to all fair forms to fair practices, and from fair practices to fair notions, until from fair notions he arrives at the notion of absolute beauty, and at last knows what the essence of beauty is.” (Plato; The Symposium)
I wonder if this mindset in question is a product of Hollywood. Just as the romantic poor man is a product of Hollywood; the romantic idea that every poor man is a wonderful man and every rich man is a douchebag! I can attest to the fact that there are rich douchebags, but then you will find no such pride in the world as the pride of the poor man! It's not the rich man who's proud, it's the poor man who's proud and stubborn! Because it's the only thing he's got! His pride! Apparently there is that attempt to romanticize the unromantic and to beautify or rectify the undesirable! Why is this the case? Shouldn't we see things for what they are? Certainly there are rich douchebags, but then there are poor douchebags, as well!
People read the things that I write, and imagine in their minds that I am a lowly, unattractive person. I know this because they actually message me and tell me that they're shocked that I didn't meet their "expectations." This obviously means that people have an ingrained belief that wisdom, substance, enlightenment, love, peace, freedom, etc., cannot be embodied by anyone who is not plain and lowly. Why is this? This is not what the ancients thought like! Has humanity really come so far from her ancient fathers? Really that far? When people look at my face, they cannot reconcile my writings to my outer appearance? Why does humanity have such a low opinion of beauty? This is an insult to Venus, to Aphrodite! To Athena and Selene!
“What shall we say about those spectators, then, who can see a plurality of beautiful things, but not beauty itself, and who are incapable of following if someone else tries to lead them to it, and who can see many moral actions, but not morality itself, and so on? That they only ever entertain beliefs, and do not know any of the things they believe?” (Plato; The Republic)
I will leave you with some videos of beautiful birds with beautiful songs! Hope you enjoy!
The Color of God
When asked what "race" I think God is, I answer, God is multi-racial! All of the races on earth, I believe, are the different emanations of the race of God! All the full races on earth are a single emanation of one small part of the "blood" of God. Every race on earth shares a small part in the whole racial structure of God, that is what I believe. To be multi-racial is to be just a little more like God. It is odd how people can believe that everything is an emanation of God, but then believe that God most assuredly looks like what they look like (if they are white, they think God is white, so on and so forth.) But if everything is an emanation of God, then every race is an emanation of God, a small part of God. Therefore, the total structure of the race of God is not a single thing, but the whole of many things. Funny how a white person will see himself as "full white" or a black person will see herself as "full black," so on and so forth, and think that his/her essence represents fullness– again with the arrogance. The fullness of man is a small speck of God. God is multiracial.
Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.
Copyright © 2012 C. JoyBell C. All rights reserved.
