We Are United

 “There is no such thing as a 'self-made' man. We are made up of thousands of others. Everyone who has ever done a kind deed for us, or spoken one word of encouragement to us, has entered into the make-up of our character and of our thoughts, as well as our success.”

--George Burton Adams

I want to begin this post with a thought, a notion, a meditation if you will. If you're in a place where you can speak without disturbing others, say it out loud as you read it.

All of us are connected.

Unity is something that is very important to me. If a group of people are able to set aside differences, drama, disagreements, and strife to come together for a common goal, what that group can achieve is astounding.

I used to be a stark Individualist, looking out for only my own skin without care for who I hurt, used, or disregarded along the way. I was using people for money, for their bodies, for food, for information, for anything and everything. What I didn't realize is that I wasn't just harming others-- All of that chaos I spread was hurting myself as well. Once I was shocked out of that behavior, I began a 4-month stretch of introspective philosophical observation during which I asked myself important questions. What connects all humans to each other? What should I value? How do I attain balance? What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others?

I was trying so hard to find some big, deep secret, but it was ridiculously simple once I realized that it had been hiding right under my nose the entire time. 

What connects all humans to each other? Simply being human. 
What should I value? That intrinsic connectedness. 
How do I attain balance? Through solid connections to real people who help me preserve my values.
What's the right way of carrying on functioning relationships with others? To know that everything the individual does has an impact on everyone connected.


Chapter 39 of the Dao De Jing states quite clearly

The Master views the parts with compassion,
because he understands the whole.

 That could also be translated as, "Wisdom means viewing each part with knowledge and kindness, through understanding of the whole."

A few people have asked me, "How did you come to realize this all at once?" The silly (yet totally legitimate) answer is "Why, by playing World of Warcraft, of course!"

No, really. I was playing WoW at the time. As any of my close friends could tell you, my allegiance lies very heavily with the faction known as the Horde.

Insignia of the Horde

The Horde is comprised of the Orcs, the Darkspear Trolls, the Tauren, the Forsaken Undead, the Sin'dorei Blood Elves, and the Bilgewater Goblins. To anyone with a lick of fantasy knowledge, that seems like a bit of a motley crew. Why would Elves side with Orcs? Why would the maniacal Undead be trusted by... well, anyone? That's when I realized it. They are united through the fact that they're all misfits. They need to fight for their place in the world, and they have formed an allegiance (if a tentative one) in order to better assure mutual survival.

It makes me smile when I remember how closely my friends mirror that structure. A lot of people ask me about some of my friends, "Wow, how did you meet them?" or "Why do you associate with them?" or "How do you get along so well?" I always remember that my friends are my friends because we need each other, because we're human and because this world sucks. That's right, this world sucks and it sucks a lot less if you have more people who help you through the huge mounds of suck.

The other night I spoke with a good friend of mine who was having a bit of an identity crisis. She asked me, "What's my purpose?" Ah, the big question that has plagued philosophy for as long as it has existed. I didn't (and don't) claim that this is the absolute number one answer to this question, it is but my own. What's our purpose?

Everyone who has ever done something kind for you. Everyone who has shown generosity, who has studied with you, made music with you, taught you, helped you, protected you, everyone who has fought alongside you. They are why you are here. Because ultimately, even if life doesn't have a purpose, you have the capacity to make your own-- You can get by, with a little help from your friends.

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter and Google+ . If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring too!

Thanks for reading. Stay human, my friends.

The Symphony of the Universe

Symphonium Universi

The world is singing! Do you hear it?
The world is singing. All you have to do is listen.
On this spinning globe, there is so many millions of expressions of life!
They all are singing out in a beautiful choir of existence,
That hits me like an earthquake that brings me to kneel
In reverence. I can’t help put part my lips to sing along with them.
When all the noise is blocked out, and you stop to listen
You can hear it.
The world is singing.

I sit on the floor, with eyes closed and ears eager to listen.
The familiar pat-pat-pat of raindrops on my window
Ushers in a welcome rain.
Nature is has lifted its voices too.
I hear strings and voices in the Wind, drums in the Earth,
Horns and cymbals in waterfalls, raindrops and rivers.

Now I know why sages travel to mountaintops, prophets spend months in the desert
And the wise know the value of quiet.
It’s not so they can get away from the world!
It’s so that they can get closer to it.

We are part of it! Do you hear us singing along?
Hallelujah, we sing!
Let all creation join in!
We are here, we are alive!
Let us do what is good and right
And let the innumerable expressions of life create!

If you like my writing, you can join the site to the right of the page, like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter. If you have questions or just want to chat, I'm on Formspring

 and Google+ .

Thank you for reading. Stay Human, my friends.

This Can Only Be A Good Thing

So, my laptop's hard drive crashed. In fact, the only reason I'm able to type this post is because I am being lent a laptop by a family member. So, what this means is, while I will try and continue updating at least twice a week, I will probably do it at strange times.

Despite the fact that all of my three-plus years of schoolwork, music collections, and writing are all lost, this can only be a good thing. I have a chance to catch up on reading, write even more, exercise more, and other things.

My writing isn't completely lost, either between this blog and my posts on the Random Receipts Facebook group page. Of twenty-eight spoken word poems, I will probably be able to restore about 20 of them. The other 8 were probably not good enough to share. Hahah! So, tomorrow, the quest to rebuild my collection begins! And with my music, I will most likely be able to simply plug my Zune's USB cord into another laptop and save it from my Zune. Problems (mostly) solved! So, I'm just looking on the bright side of things. As Thich Nhat Hanh once wrote,

"Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy."



So I'm keeping a smile on. I try to think of it this way: Even if I have a neutral expression on my face, I don't get the positive energies that a simple smile can grant. If I have that smile, I'll begin to feel better regardless! That's something that some groups of Buddhists call "Smile Meditation". Meditation in the traditional sense takes place when you're sitting and breathing, fully aware. Smile meditation takes place no matter what. Living in the present moment, remembering to smile in every situation can be remarkable in the way it helps to improve moods.

Another reason I have to smile is right on the right-hand side of the page-- The view counter is almost at 3000! I want to thank you all for joining me in my angst, in my celebrations, in my pretentious ranting, in my giddy explosions of joy and in my melancholy reflections! I started this blog back in November 2010 and I am humbled to see the way it's grown. Genuinely, thank you all.

If you like what you've read, you can like Speaking with Storms on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

Thanks for reading!