THICK SKIN IS SOMETIMES VITAL

Sometimes in order to survive criticism it's important to have thick skin. I have a problem and that problem is that I don't always use the thick skin I do have. There's that occasion when I'll let my temper get the worst of me. I guess it's a matter of perspective, sometimes what we feel is a product of where the criticism is coming from. If someone we love says something it tends to feel a little different, if someone we don't give a shit about says something it can hit like a missile. I guess today is more of a let it out day for me. I hope this brief passage helps you out in some way.

WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW WILL PISS YOU OFF

I have heard this "what you don't know won't hurt you" shit too often. I have to say that's a crap thing to tell a person. Knowledge, for good or bad really is power. When you withhold truth from an individual you will never favor them. People have a serious need to know and understand truth. If you are in a relationship that particular saying is serious bullshit.

I'm not an advocate of secrets nor am I an advocate of convenient truth. Not saying something that another person should no is total crap. I hate that secret crap, I guess I had to ride a soapbox for a few sentences before stating that the truth will set you free!

THE ART OF REBIRTH

Not too long ago I was feeling incredibly down, in fact I needed to reach up in order to touch the ground people walk on. As I sat in the dark wondering why I was even alive I felt a snap. I knew that there was something wrong and that something was the erosion of self belief. I knew that I needed to get up and rise again.

I realized in that moment when things seemed to snap that I was going to experience a rebirth. To me a rebirth is a sort of art, you have to look around at everything you see wrong and breathe in. Once you take that breath you close your eyes and drift into another state.

Once you have drifted you find yourself in a whole new level, at least I did. Yes there is rebirth, there is a possibility that life will get better when you have hit the bottom of the pile. I say this out of optimism, because I have lived it, I have lived through it many times. Yes I understand what it's like to fall, get up, fall again, and get up again and I don't mind.

Next time you fall, remember that if you wish to you will be born once more and rise.

EVER HAVE ONE OF THOSE DAYS?

Did you ever have one of those days? It seems like everything starts out right and then suddenly it goes so wrong you are left wondering who you pissed off? Life is incredible that way and sometimes it takes a while before you can assimilate things. I've had days like that but rather than focus on how much they take out of me, I'd rather focus on what they give to me.

I'm healthy, intelligent and confident so a day that make may feel like I should be thankful. I have more going for me than what I realize and that's the case for most of us. So what do you do during a bad day? I compiled a little to do list:

• Breathe
• Relax
• Take a walk
• Look Around
• Let out a big FUCK IT

The fact is that life is short and when you waste one day you waste 1,000. When those days happen just relax and let your mind work its magic.

THE UNCANNY POWERS OF A SIMPLE MIND

I am sure you're wondering how the picture above relates to the title of this entry and the answer to that is that it doesn't. The picture made me smile which is why I chose it and I am sure it does the same for you. This is an entry about the simple minded, or as they are known in some circles, the very stupid. How do you define stupidity? One definition for stupidity is " A poor ability to learn or profit from experience." I don't like the word stupidity because it's kind of mean, I prefer simple minded.

The thing is that I admire simple minded people because in some ways they have an easier path to inner peace than people with greater cognitive abilities. The very simple minded do not see every possible complication with daily life. A simple minded person often sticks to one particular source of strength to solve their problems. The simple minded individual believes in miracles and often has a misguided and somewhat annoying view of spirituality.

Spirituality has a million definitions for a million people but for the simple minded it usually means " God will solve my problems because the bible said so." I respect other's right to believe but with the simple minded it's almost innocent and childlike. A simple minded person often sticks to one goal and pursues it blindly without any shame whatsoever, to a stoner a simple minded individual is likely to be the equivalent of a chasm.

The very simple minded can almost seem wise in their very simple approach to life. We are all so complicated by nature that making a situation simple almost seems like the act of a wise man or woman.  If you look at a chimpanzee the first thing you think is " this is a monkey" and a monkey is a simple, strong, agile creature. When the monkey does something like identify a circle we all clap without realizing it was a simple act. The human race is full of chimpanzee like creatures that can identify a circle without necessarily having to talk circumference, radius and all that jazz. We chastise the simple for being below par but we really envy them.

It's fair to assume that even the minimalist philosopher is searching for the peace that comes with a perennially blank slate. The simple mind seems to almost extend life, and no, I'm not saying that old people are stupid. Next time you want to criticize the simple remember that you are criticizing the beauty of a calm spirit and yearning for that very sensation.