Entertaining Thoughts

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Quote
”It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it.”
- Aristotle

My Thoughts
I believe this quote contains a lot of wisdom and yet it can be so hard to put into practice. The vast majority of us think what we are doing is correct so it can be very difficult to even consider other options. Not to mention we have all these belief systems, conditioning, emotions, etc... that are deep rooted, so often times are minds are made up without really thinking.

If you spend time examining other peoples' points of view, considering different opinions, then it can allow you to view the world through a more objective lens. Why does that matter? Well it can help you relate to the world better and if you can relate to the world better then gradually you can release judgments. Ultimately this can bring a better quality of life.

I'll share a short story with you which I hope better illustrates my point.

I've lived in Korea for a total of 12 years. During this time I've had to look at my beliefs numerous times. As many of you know I am from the US. Every country has it's own version of history and also what it believes to be the best way... aka the right way.
When I first came to Korea there were many things that confused me and I thought it would be better if they did something in a different way.

What I was doing is taking all of my preconceived notions about what was right or what was wrong, or a good way of doing something vs. a bad way, and placing it on a different culture. Of course that different culture also has their own beliefs.

I went through the typical psychological stages that almost all foreigners living in a country go through. First I was excited  by everything. Then I started to find things I didn't like. Next I started judging people and thinking my ways were better (ex: In the US we do it this way, it would be so much better if Korea did....). After some time I started questioning my own belief systems and eventually I ended up loving Korea. I think it also helps to study the countries history from multiple sources and try and learn the language.

Does that mean I think everything is perfect? No it doesn't. But everything isn't perfect were I am from either.

I've learned to accept that everyone (including countries as a whole) are doing what's best for them, or at least what they perceive to be best. We all have to go through our own growing pains.
To come to this realization I had to start by questioning my own belief systems.

I encourage you this week to try and entertain a different point of view.

Compassion

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Quote
“If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion.”
-Dalai Lama

My Thoughts
From what I have experienced, all people seem to be seeking happiness. We make decisions based on an expected outcome that something will make us happier. Some things we think will provide instant happiness such as: partying, shopping, watching a movie, etc... Other things won't make us happy right away, for example going to get an MBA, but we expect after the hard work is over that we will be more happy because with the MBA will come more opportunities, or so we think.

Recognizing that people are just doing what they think will bring them happiness can help us understand people better. Once we realize this then we will begin to judge people less. Our compassion will grow. This will lead to a greater feeling of inner peace and the beginning of experiencing internal happiness.

In my own life I have found that true happiness is not dependent on external conditions, it comes from within. I am not suggesting that doing an activity that you enjoy will not cause a rise in your happiness, because it can. The challenge is that sometimes when an activity we were enjoying is finished then our happiness level drops. This can create the phenomenon of simply "working for the weekend" which can lead to a cycle of happiness highs and lows. Once we start to experience inner happiness we will then find that we feel more calm, focused, and content.

I should point out that true happiness doe not involve avoiding or covering up negative emotions. On the contrary, face those emotions. Try to become aware when they are present. Once we begin doing this then finally we can start to respond to unexpected events in a more objective way. Instead of responding emotionally, we can start to see the bigger picture.

I encourage everyone to try and find ways to be more compassionate this week.

Have an excellent week.

True Listening

News
No new updates for this week.

Quote
"Perfect health, sincerity, honesty, straightforwardness, courage, disinterestedness, unselfishness, patience, endurance, perseverance, peace, calm, self control are all things that are taught infinitely better by example than by beautiful speeches"
-Sri Aurobindo

My Thoughts
Many people have opinions on almost every subject and are willing to share those opinions with anyone they meet. Oftentimes people have opinions on things that they have little or no experience with. Don't get me wrong sitting around and having deep discussions or positive conversations can be great, but I believe developing listening skills is far more important.

Most people don't really listen. True listening is when you listen without forming any thought as to what your response will be. Many people appear to listen but the whole time they are just waiting for their turn to talk. True listening takes practice, but it can be developed over time.

Becoming a true listener can help you connect with humanity more as well because now you are actually listening to what the other person is saying. Usually people judge the other person (and/or what the other person is saying) almost immediately and then start forming their reply. So by truly listening you will start to have less judgments.

I didn't become a better listener until about three years ago. I am much better now than I was before, but of course I can still develop my listening skills further.

This all ties in with the idea of changing yourself before trying to change the world. If you want people to be more kind, first you must be more kind. If you want people to do more, first you must do more. If you want peace, first you must start bringing peace to where you are.

I suggest that this week that you try to truly listen to someone.

Have a great Chuseok.