I consider myself a happy and satisfied person and my actual goal is that everybody feels this way about him or herself and their life’s. I wish that everybody could see what I see and feel what I feel, not that I want that you will be like me, far from it that would be terrible; I would like to give you an insight in a way of looking at your reality that might differ from yours and could make you feel better.
That is why I started an online diary on another blog, the Diary of an Optimist(click quick, it's a link), so I can share with you my life, my problem, their solutions, my feelings (the happy and the sad ones). Especially photos of what I am seeing and descriptions of the little things that happen to me, just to show the significance of what most people overlook and think of as insignificant.
As an artist you are supposed to create art so my life will be my art piece.
Sunday, 15 November 2009
Having Fun
Something different now, then my apocalyptic thoughts and philosophical ideas. I want to tell you about having fun. I have told you about that there is only this moment, that all your possessions are not important, the future might not come and that you are not in control of your life. This doesn’t mean you have to give up everything and stop living for the future; but that you shouldn’t take that to serious and that you have to try to be happy with what you have now.
One way of being happy this moment is just to look around, at the beauty of your surroundings; the sky and nature, but also the streets, buildings and the people who you pas. When you start looking around, really paying attention to what you see you might not just enjoy what you see or laugh about the funny faces of all those pedestrians who take themselves too serious, but you will see things to do you hadn’t thought of before. Because you don’t have a purpose or intentions you can just have fun.
A friend and I found a mannequin’s hand and with something as simple as that we had the most wonderful time. We just had fun, because it didn’t have to mean anything.
By doing these things you could find that it does mean something, which you could use ore incorporate in the things you do. So by just being playful with your surroundings you could stumble on things you would never come up with if you were taking yourself as serious as you did before.
So just have fun, because being happy now is the most important thing and during your adventure you’ll find the most wonderful things.
One way of being happy this moment is just to look around, at the beauty of your surroundings; the sky and nature, but also the streets, buildings and the people who you pas. When you start looking around, really paying attention to what you see you might not just enjoy what you see or laugh about the funny faces of all those pedestrians who take themselves too serious, but you will see things to do you hadn’t thought of before. Because you don’t have a purpose or intentions you can just have fun.
A friend and I found a mannequin’s hand and with something as simple as that we had the most wonderful time. We just had fun, because it didn’t have to mean anything. By doing these things you could find that it does mean something, which you could use ore incorporate in the things you do. So by just being playful with your surroundings you could stumble on things you would never come up with if you were taking yourself as serious as you did before.
So just have fun, because being happy now is the most important thing and during your adventure you’ll find the most wonderful things.
Thursday, 12 November 2009
Supernatural telephone call
The intercom sounds and God hears the voice of his secretary say that he has a phone call on line one, it the Master of the Universe she says. A shiver goes down his spine; “this can’t be good” is God’s first thought. So he takes a deep breath and picks up the phone.
“Hello, this is God speaking, how are you Sir and what can I do for you?”
“Hi God, I’m fine thanks. How are you? I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time?”
“I’m as well as can be under these circumstances. No not at all”
“Good, because this will take a wile. Its these so-called circumstances that I want to talk to you about.”
God sighs and replies: “I was wondering when you might call me about that.”
The Master of the Universe’s voice has a sombre tone when he says: “I am terrible sorry that I have to tell you this, especially considering the marvellous job you did with the creation of that little blue planet you are now supervising, but your results have become worse and worse. The shareholders are breathing down my neck about it and whisper that I should do something about it.
Gods voice sounds almost sad when he says: “so …. you are firing me?”
“I am afraid so, unless you give me a reason, a really good reason, not to”
God feels a mixture of sadness and frustration and first, but then there is only relief, like a big weight that has fallen from his shoulders. And before he can restrain himself he starts telling his boss how horrible the last two million year have been:
“It has been terrible, every time I tried so set things right again I failed or it turned against me. I’m almost glad that you are firing me. It all started when the board decided to have self-aware employees. Which at first brought better results, but everything went wrong when they tried to understand how their environment worked; because they couldn’t understand a lot of things. Before I could do anything about it the stared worshiping these unexplainables. This was keeping them from their work, so I tried to make them stop. But I found out that I couldn’t directly communicate with them, because they can’t understand anything outside their three dimensions. Instead of solving the problem, it made it worse. Now they started forming religions and making up deities. Not only did these ‘people’ (that what they call themselves) started worshiping something they made up, but also started killing ‘people’ from other religions. These self-aware mammals always were a violent species, at first the violence weight up to the better result of self-ware employees. But they started to form nations and conquering others and became quite good at killing each other. Something needed to be done, so I tried to contact them once more, and since it didn’t work out trying to stop them from worshipping me in all those different ways, I tried to get them all to worship me the same way, just one deity instead of many. This turned out to be a total disaster, they misunderstood everything. I don’t exactly know what went wrong, but instead of one, three religions were formed. These religions started to eradicate every other form of religion and then each other; instead of preaching love like they intended and were supposed to, they preached hate against they others. They made rules and books that contained them, according to them given by my. I have no idea where those books came from, but not from me, I tell you that. “
All this time the master of the universe has been silent, listening in amassment and after this last words he can’t control himself any longer and just burst out with laughter: “whahahaha ….. they …… they worship you?”
With a sigh god replies: “Yes, they do and I can’t do anything about it.”
“So making them self-aware wasn’t a good idea?”
“Well it worked for some, but most just are just greedy and sadistic”
After a long pause the Master of the Universe replies:
“well … some research has to be done, but from what you told me it seems like this isn’t your fault. The question now is what are we going to do with this failed experiment? Most likely these ‘people’ have to be exterminated to make room for new employees. What do you think?
God is just relieved to be of the hook, but he tries not to sound too happy and keep his voice steady: “ yes, I think that not much can be salvaged and that we have to start form scratch, even though the board members won’t be pleased with that.”
A thoughtful reply form the other end of the line: “you’re right, but if what you just told me is true we have no other option.”
“There is just one little problem; I’ve tried that already a few times, to start over. They are worse then roaches, somehow they overcame I’ve everything sent at them: a world-covering flood, a plague and now there is a world-wide venereal disease raging on, but still they keep going. I really am at wits end. “
“Then we have no other alternative to start an apocalypse. I’ll get my secretary to make all the necessary resources available to you: natural disasters, viruses and diseases. It’s to bad it had to come to this. Unless the second opinion proofs otherwise there is no other option then to eradicate the ‘self-aware’ what ever means necessary. But do try not to damage the little blue planet to much, it can be reused for another breed of employees.”
“Understood. Does that mean I will keep my job?”
“The outcome of the research will determine the truth of your story, if it is you will keep your job, of course. You’re not the blame for a failed experiment. So …. I’ll call you back when I have the research results.”
“Ok, I understand. Thank you.”
“Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
“Hello, this is God speaking, how are you Sir and what can I do for you?”
“Hi God, I’m fine thanks. How are you? I hope I haven’t caught you at a bad time?”
“I’m as well as can be under these circumstances. No not at all”
“Good, because this will take a wile. Its these so-called circumstances that I want to talk to you about.”
God sighs and replies: “I was wondering when you might call me about that.”
The Master of the Universe’s voice has a sombre tone when he says: “I am terrible sorry that I have to tell you this, especially considering the marvellous job you did with the creation of that little blue planet you are now supervising, but your results have become worse and worse. The shareholders are breathing down my neck about it and whisper that I should do something about it.
Gods voice sounds almost sad when he says: “so …. you are firing me?”
“I am afraid so, unless you give me a reason, a really good reason, not to”
God feels a mixture of sadness and frustration and first, but then there is only relief, like a big weight that has fallen from his shoulders. And before he can restrain himself he starts telling his boss how horrible the last two million year have been:
“It has been terrible, every time I tried so set things right again I failed or it turned against me. I’m almost glad that you are firing me. It all started when the board decided to have self-aware employees. Which at first brought better results, but everything went wrong when they tried to understand how their environment worked; because they couldn’t understand a lot of things. Before I could do anything about it the stared worshiping these unexplainables. This was keeping them from their work, so I tried to make them stop. But I found out that I couldn’t directly communicate with them, because they can’t understand anything outside their three dimensions. Instead of solving the problem, it made it worse. Now they started forming religions and making up deities. Not only did these ‘people’ (that what they call themselves) started worshiping something they made up, but also started killing ‘people’ from other religions. These self-aware mammals always were a violent species, at first the violence weight up to the better result of self-ware employees. But they started to form nations and conquering others and became quite good at killing each other. Something needed to be done, so I tried to contact them once more, and since it didn’t work out trying to stop them from worshipping me in all those different ways, I tried to get them all to worship me the same way, just one deity instead of many. This turned out to be a total disaster, they misunderstood everything. I don’t exactly know what went wrong, but instead of one, three religions were formed. These religions started to eradicate every other form of religion and then each other; instead of preaching love like they intended and were supposed to, they preached hate against they others. They made rules and books that contained them, according to them given by my. I have no idea where those books came from, but not from me, I tell you that. “
All this time the master of the universe has been silent, listening in amassment and after this last words he can’t control himself any longer and just burst out with laughter: “whahahaha ….. they …… they worship you?”
With a sigh god replies: “Yes, they do and I can’t do anything about it.”
“So making them self-aware wasn’t a good idea?”
“Well it worked for some, but most just are just greedy and sadistic”
After a long pause the Master of the Universe replies:
“well … some research has to be done, but from what you told me it seems like this isn’t your fault. The question now is what are we going to do with this failed experiment? Most likely these ‘people’ have to be exterminated to make room for new employees. What do you think?
God is just relieved to be of the hook, but he tries not to sound too happy and keep his voice steady: “ yes, I think that not much can be salvaged and that we have to start form scratch, even though the board members won’t be pleased with that.”
A thoughtful reply form the other end of the line: “you’re right, but if what you just told me is true we have no other option.”
“There is just one little problem; I’ve tried that already a few times, to start over. They are worse then roaches, somehow they overcame I’ve everything sent at them: a world-covering flood, a plague and now there is a world-wide venereal disease raging on, but still they keep going. I really am at wits end. “
“Then we have no other alternative to start an apocalypse. I’ll get my secretary to make all the necessary resources available to you: natural disasters, viruses and diseases. It’s to bad it had to come to this. Unless the second opinion proofs otherwise there is no other option then to eradicate the ‘self-aware’ what ever means necessary. But do try not to damage the little blue planet to much, it can be reused for another breed of employees.”
“Understood. Does that mean I will keep my job?”
“The outcome of the research will determine the truth of your story, if it is you will keep your job, of course. You’re not the blame for a failed experiment. So …. I’ll call you back when I have the research results.”
“Ok, I understand. Thank you.”
“Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
What do they think of me?
An average woman has a healthy and regular build, a slight hourglass figure and some body fat. But she thinks of herself as having more fat and a plump figure, she wants to be thinner than she actually is and thinks that men like to see her as she wants to be; while the average men like her the most with the figure she has now. So she feels bad about her body, while there is absolutely no reason.
An average man has a little belly and more fat than is deeded for a flat figure. He thinks of himself as being more muscular and with less fat than he really has. According to him women like him the most the way he thinks he is, but actually women like to see him thinner and less muscular, even thinner than he really is. So the man is satisfied with his body, while he is absolutely wrong.
Why is it so important what other people think of us?
An other thing is that when we look in a mirror we tent to look only at our flaws, because we think in ‘problems that need to be solved’, we overlook all the features that are alright, just for the reason that nothing needs to be done about them. We end up with thinking we don’t look ok, even though the defects might not outweigh the beautiful features. So what we think about ourselves and what we see in the mirror is not what the rest of the world sees.
The same goes for what other people might think of us. Because we are focused on our faults we think that everybody sees them and will see it when we slip up. Nothing is further from the truth; nobody is paying attention to our flaws. Everybody is to busy with his or her own faults and thinking about what everybody else is thinking of them. Considering we will never know for sure what somebody else is thinkin, it is a waist to spend time and energy on something that will only make you feel bad and insecure. Just think that no matter how secure everybody around you pretends to be, they are all wandering what everybody else is thinking about them and are just as insecure as you (were).
An average man has a little belly and more fat than is deeded for a flat figure. He thinks of himself as being more muscular and with less fat than he really has. According to him women like him the most the way he thinks he is, but actually women like to see him thinner and less muscular, even thinner than he really is. So the man is satisfied with his body, while he is absolutely wrong.
Why is it so important what other people think of us?
An other thing is that when we look in a mirror we tent to look only at our flaws, because we think in ‘problems that need to be solved’, we overlook all the features that are alright, just for the reason that nothing needs to be done about them. We end up with thinking we don’t look ok, even though the defects might not outweigh the beautiful features. So what we think about ourselves and what we see in the mirror is not what the rest of the world sees.
The same goes for what other people might think of us. Because we are focused on our faults we think that everybody sees them and will see it when we slip up. Nothing is further from the truth; nobody is paying attention to our flaws. Everybody is to busy with his or her own faults and thinking about what everybody else is thinking of them. Considering we will never know for sure what somebody else is thinkin, it is a waist to spend time and energy on something that will only make you feel bad and insecure. Just think that no matter how secure everybody around you pretends to be, they are all wandering what everybody else is thinking about them and are just as insecure as you (were).
The Illusion of Control
You must think you are in control of your life. You probably have a job, a house and all the other aspects of what you consider a normal life in this modern society. You are responsible for them and in control. Even considering your family you think you have some measure of control. In short you are in control of your surroundings.
But everything can end in seconds; you can get fired, your house can burn down, and your life or that of the people around you can, for instance, end just as fast by a car accident. All you thought you were in control of can be taken away, so quick you didn’t see in coming. So there is only the illusion of control. You can help an apple tree grow or destroy it, but whatever you do, an apple tree will always be an apple tree. It can never be an orange tree; no matter how hard you try. The same goes for your entire life; you have some measure of influence, but most things happen without regarding your efforts and wishes.
So let go of this illusion, don’t waste your energy on the incontrollable. Don’t take your life to serious and get to attached to your belongings, because all things can be gone tomorrow. Enjoy every day of your life and everything and everyone you have around you. Don’t worry about thing you have no control over and especially don’t take yourself and the things you do and have to serious. Because when it ends they don’t mean anything.
But everything can end in seconds; you can get fired, your house can burn down, and your life or that of the people around you can, for instance, end just as fast by a car accident. All you thought you were in control of can be taken away, so quick you didn’t see in coming. So there is only the illusion of control. You can help an apple tree grow or destroy it, but whatever you do, an apple tree will always be an apple tree. It can never be an orange tree; no matter how hard you try. The same goes for your entire life; you have some measure of influence, but most things happen without regarding your efforts and wishes.
So let go of this illusion, don’t waste your energy on the incontrollable. Don’t take your life to serious and get to attached to your belongings, because all things can be gone tomorrow. Enjoy every day of your life and everything and everyone you have around you. Don’t worry about thing you have no control over and especially don’t take yourself and the things you do and have to serious. Because when it ends they don’t mean anything.
Tuesday, 10 November 2009
The power of sacrifice, lack of foresight’s destructiveness.
All people are environmentalists, caring about their surroundings, as long as it doesn’t cost them anything. Everyone has the best at hart for everything, but the reason nothing real is being done about the environment and human rights is that only a few want to sacrifice something, no great manager will give up his well paying job for a less paying job at environmental friendly concern. Only some really dedicate time to contributing to the environment when they could be doing something that would benefit them selves. It is a really hard thing to do, sacrificing yourself for the benefit of others.
But people tent to give something for the benefit of the environment and others, but more to sooth their conscience then out of love and caring for this world and its inhabitants. So they only give just enough to feel good about themselves, instead of enough to make others feel better.
Another problem is that people only look a few steps ahead. Everybody wants see fast results and everything has to happen now and if not now soon. Nobody seems to be able to grasp the idea of scarifying now for greater profit and benefit of others later. Even if the profit will be greater in the long run, people have difficulties with the sacrifice that has to be made now. They rather have something now, then to have more later. Everybody is so frightened, to lose the wealth the have acquired, nobody is willing to give up just a little, not even for the benefit of the entire world. No country is willing to sacrifice economically, for the benefit of the environment, out of fear that they will lose power en be over run by the countries that don’t join them in this plan and so lose everything. Almost every country rather exploits third world countries, keep them small and profit from the work that is done there, instead of helping them to build a strong economy of their own. This would in the long run probably benefit them more. This is what is really destroying this world; people wanting more and more, the more they get the more they are afraid to lose it and the less they are willing to give something up for others.
Sacrificing something of yours for someone else will cost you now, but always will benefit you later. So give and get even more in return.
But people tent to give something for the benefit of the environment and others, but more to sooth their conscience then out of love and caring for this world and its inhabitants. So they only give just enough to feel good about themselves, instead of enough to make others feel better.
Another problem is that people only look a few steps ahead. Everybody wants see fast results and everything has to happen now and if not now soon. Nobody seems to be able to grasp the idea of scarifying now for greater profit and benefit of others later. Even if the profit will be greater in the long run, people have difficulties with the sacrifice that has to be made now. They rather have something now, then to have more later. Everybody is so frightened, to lose the wealth the have acquired, nobody is willing to give up just a little, not even for the benefit of the entire world. No country is willing to sacrifice economically, for the benefit of the environment, out of fear that they will lose power en be over run by the countries that don’t join them in this plan and so lose everything. Almost every country rather exploits third world countries, keep them small and profit from the work that is done there, instead of helping them to build a strong economy of their own. This would in the long run probably benefit them more. This is what is really destroying this world; people wanting more and more, the more they get the more they are afraid to lose it and the less they are willing to give something up for others.
Sacrificing something of yours for someone else will cost you now, but always will benefit you later. So give and get even more in return.
Sunday, 8 November 2009
Number of suicides at Télécom on 25
TRANSLATION
Number of suicides at Télécom on 25
Paris – another employee of the France Télécom has taken his own life. It is the 25th suicide among the staff of the France telecom company since February last year. A 48-year-old technician hanged himself yesterday in his own home. The man had been home sick for a month, recommended by the company’s physician. The wave of suicides would, according to unions, have everything to do with the reorganisation of the company and the pressure.
COMMENTARY
For me it is hard to imagine anybody wanting to kill himself over something as trivial as a job. It amazes me how important people consider their jobs status, as income. And when you think your work is important and real than the pressure becomes real and will turn into something that is controlling your life. A job is just something you do to acquire the means to support your existence in this society thought up and created by man. That doesn’t make it important, or a way to happiness, or to misery. Your is job just a part of your life and not its reason. You should be able to be happy a part from the materialism of this modern society, considering property and your job as important is a doorway to disappointment and misery because you are dependent to them. Letting your happiness be determined by exterior impulses, is giving up control of your own life.
Lashes for sex
TRANSLATION
Lashes for sex
Mazen Abdel Jawad (32) stands trial in Saudi-Arabia, because he publicly discussed his sex live. He can get 20 years in jail and a thousand lashes, posted the local newspaper Arab News yesterday. The divorced father of four told in July in a talk show how he seduced women in his bedroom. In the strict-Islamic country sex outside of marriage is forbidden.
COMMENTARY
This is just absurd, but also kind of funny, condemning, illegalizing and trying restrict the most natural urge of humans, to reproduce. It is like making apple growth illegal for apple trees. And it is just ignorant to make having sex outside of marriage illegal, because most people will do it anyway. Humans trying to control nature and other people and making rules and guidelines to me is just another way to control their own fear and to make sense of this complicated world. But what I don’t understand is that so many people cling to their illusion of control, that rules like this will actually prevent people from doing something as natural as sex. It just makes me laugh when I think that individuals and organisations consider themselves powerful and in control, because compared to the size of this planet and the universe we are noting but an ant farm, which can be terminated at any second and no ant or group of ants will be able to do anything about it.
A lot of rapists not convicted
TRANSLATION
A lot of rapists not convicted
Johannesburg – less then 11 percent of all rap-cases in South Africa lead to a conviction. This is the conclusion of the numbers from July 2008 till June 2009, when 40.000 cases were trialled.
The South African minister of Justice, Jeff Rabede, made this public yesterday in Kaapstad. According to the police the numbers of sexual assault cases grew from March 2008 till March this year with 12 percent to 71.50, compared to previous period
female rights organisations estimate that only one out of ten women report sexual assault.
COMMENTARY
It is sad to see how much violence is committed and that apparently nobody can do much about it. Where is love for your fellow human being? No other mammal is so sadistic and cruel to his own kind. The worst thing is that it is just for personal gain, no greater purpose is served only temporary satisfaction for the individual.
Everybody is out for his own personal gain; luckily not everybody resorts to violence to get it.
Wednesday, 4 November 2009
Karma is Karma
Too many people worry about things they have no control over. These things remain unchanged, oblivious to the input of time and energy.
Asking yourself how it would have been if you had done something differently is as well a waste of energy. The wrong isn’t made right and you don’t feel better about yourself. Learn from your mistake and apply it on the present situation, don’t linger in it.
The same goes for the future, which you can’t control. Like worrying if you get the job or not, after your interview. Or asking your self over and over again if you had the right answers on your test, after you finished it. Because after that moment the future isn’t in you hand anymore. You gave everything you had (at that moment) the rest isn’t up to you. So why worry about it? When you should use the energy to focus on the moment you are in, the moment you can change what is coming.
Putting mental effort in thoughts about the near and far future, or the never returning and unchangeable past is totally ludicrous. Almost everything around just goes it’s own way separate from and uninfluenced by your thoughts and wishes. The only thing you can do is to learn from your past, plan the things you can do in and for the future, but concentrate on this moment. This is the moment where it’s all happening, putting the things you learned to use and do the things that may have effect on your future.
Also don’t ask yourself why something’s are happening to you, it’s a question you can’t answer. Things happen, don’t think about it, deal with it.
Asking yourself how it would have been if you had done something differently is as well a waste of energy. The wrong isn’t made right and you don’t feel better about yourself. Learn from your mistake and apply it on the present situation, don’t linger in it.
The same goes for the future, which you can’t control. Like worrying if you get the job or not, after your interview. Or asking your self over and over again if you had the right answers on your test, after you finished it. Because after that moment the future isn’t in you hand anymore. You gave everything you had (at that moment) the rest isn’t up to you. So why worry about it? When you should use the energy to focus on the moment you are in, the moment you can change what is coming.
Putting mental effort in thoughts about the near and far future, or the never returning and unchangeable past is totally ludicrous. Almost everything around just goes it’s own way separate from and uninfluenced by your thoughts and wishes. The only thing you can do is to learn from your past, plan the things you can do in and for the future, but concentrate on this moment. This is the moment where it’s all happening, putting the things you learned to use and do the things that may have effect on your future.
Also don’t ask yourself why something’s are happening to you, it’s a question you can’t answer. Things happen, don’t think about it, deal with it.
Monday, 2 November 2009
Busy Busy Busy
People are to busy, they have to do far to much, according to themselves. They are constantly working on several things at the same time. Even when they are physically relaxing, the mind is still processing the things that have been and have to be done. And while you are doing on thing you are already in your mind working on the next.
Through this everything you do will cost more time with lesser results. So there will be less time for the things you before worried about that caused the bad results. Which of course is frustrating, hereby further tiring the mind, already tired from the worrying.
It is also hard to really enjoy something when you have to do things all the time and multiple tasks at once. How can you enjoy something when your mind is already working on the next?
When you are doing something focus all you attention on it, because there is only this moment. Everything else, you are normally worrying about, has to be done in there own moment, worrying about it now has no effect on it only on the things you are doing now. So keep your thoughts with what you are doing at this moment, you will find it will be easier, finished faster and you will get better results. Your mind will be less tired trough the absence of worrying. You might even enjoy the job or at least the result.
There is only ‘NOW’ so focus on it, don’t waste time and energy on ‘LATER’ because it’s moment hasn’t come jet.
Through this everything you do will cost more time with lesser results. So there will be less time for the things you before worried about that caused the bad results. Which of course is frustrating, hereby further tiring the mind, already tired from the worrying.
It is also hard to really enjoy something when you have to do things all the time and multiple tasks at once. How can you enjoy something when your mind is already working on the next?
When you are doing something focus all you attention on it, because there is only this moment. Everything else, you are normally worrying about, has to be done in there own moment, worrying about it now has no effect on it only on the things you are doing now. So keep your thoughts with what you are doing at this moment, you will find it will be easier, finished faster and you will get better results. Your mind will be less tired trough the absence of worrying. You might even enjoy the job or at least the result.
There is only ‘NOW’ so focus on it, don’t waste time and energy on ‘LATER’ because it’s moment hasn’t come jet.
Busy Busy Grocery Shopping
Some people don’t like grocery shopping, because it is repetitive and time consuming, time better spent on other things you, according to yourself, have to do.
But if you want to eat it has to be done, so there is no sense in complaining. Just accept it, don’t worry about it beforehand, just do it.
When you are in the supermarket but mentally already with your future responsibilities, you are not concentrating on your shopping; so wasting energy, time, forgetting and overlooking things you (might) need. Of course you can’t enjoy it if your mind is already working on (for instance) the administration that has to be done and the time you are wasting on your groceries.
I see my time in the supermarket as an adventure with endless possibilities. It is like meditation, away from my everyday life and responsibilities, free and still inside. Just looking at all the products available and the most fascinating dinner ideas pop up; the weirdest people walking around, self-centred and unaware, not seeing all the wonderful things happening around them: the smells, sounds, colours, little accidents and friendly personnel.
And doing my shopping this way is extremely satisfying and peace giving, just because of the fact that my thoughts are not going everywhere (thoughts who in fact are just telling me how much I have to do, but who do nothing what so ever to relief the work pressure; on the contrary) here are just the incoming impressions and my reactions to them,
So I enjoy a peaceful mind, the wonderful and funny things happening around me; and afterwards the delicious meal, the result of my meditative adventure.
This way of grocery shopping can be applied on everything one does in life. You can only do something now, focus on it and don’t worry about the future.
But if you want to eat it has to be done, so there is no sense in complaining. Just accept it, don’t worry about it beforehand, just do it.
When you are in the supermarket but mentally already with your future responsibilities, you are not concentrating on your shopping; so wasting energy, time, forgetting and overlooking things you (might) need. Of course you can’t enjoy it if your mind is already working on (for instance) the administration that has to be done and the time you are wasting on your groceries.
I see my time in the supermarket as an adventure with endless possibilities. It is like meditation, away from my everyday life and responsibilities, free and still inside. Just looking at all the products available and the most fascinating dinner ideas pop up; the weirdest people walking around, self-centred and unaware, not seeing all the wonderful things happening around them: the smells, sounds, colours, little accidents and friendly personnel.
And doing my shopping this way is extremely satisfying and peace giving, just because of the fact that my thoughts are not going everywhere (thoughts who in fact are just telling me how much I have to do, but who do nothing what so ever to relief the work pressure; on the contrary) here are just the incoming impressions and my reactions to them,
So I enjoy a peaceful mind, the wonderful and funny things happening around me; and afterwards the delicious meal, the result of my meditative adventure.
This way of grocery shopping can be applied on everything one does in life. You can only do something now, focus on it and don’t worry about the future.
Sunday, 1 November 2009
the White House
This will be the first of my series paintings about the future, how I see the future, which is a grim on for the time of man has ended. But do to the absence of man beauty and balance return once again. To make this visible my painting will show the white house – symbol of freedom, wealth, modern society and democracy – burn out, crumbled and overgrown. It is standing on an open space in a wild forest in the background an abandoned and deteriorated city is barely visible. On the open space in front of the once bright white building overgrown and broken (pieces of) objects that signified our current society (like a car or a plain) lie scattered around.
Here are some sketches and the drawing I made on the canvas as a start of my painting.
Here are some sketches and the drawing I made on the canvas as a start of my painting.
Distorted reality
The hand you see in de classic style frame looks like a photo in a digital photo frame, a digital painting. But if you look closer you see a vain pumping and the watch ticking. So you think it’s a film you’re looking at.
If you are really aware you see that the watch is ticking on it’s place, you’re not looking at a movie were time elapses, but time is actually standing still, a second that is repeating it’s self.
So first there is no time, then there is time, till you realise it’s a repetition of one moment.
The point I am making here is that not everything is what it seems to be. There could me more to it, or it might be different than you first thought it to be. So in a way you reality and your place in it are determined by your awareness of it. So don’t assume that what you see is real until you are really aware of it, looked at it from all sides and know what the other people see before you judge and form you opinion.
Enhanced reality
You’re looking at empty frames, on white walls, with empty nametags next to the frames. This presentation and the sound of people whispering and footsteps with an echo -like it’s a big empty place that people treat with respect, like a museum- that is played on the background; Gives you the feeling you’re looking at art works of great importance, that deserve respect. Now if the sounds of a marketplace are played, the way you look at the works changes, the look cheaper and out of place.
So the way of presentation is of great importance, and will determine way people look at the work. Even if it’s suggestive enough it will tell the voyeur more about the work than the work it’s self.
Taking this in consideration you can change the way you experiencing your reality, if you know what it is that makes you feel that way and what you are able to change or apply on the situation
recycling and reusing
This peace of ground is of my design.It's across from the Blaak trainstation in Rotterdam, Holland. The long lines symbolise a ploughed Wheatfield. The groves and hills are represented by grass and flowers. The grass lines are 2 meters wide and represent the groves. Between the lines of grass the hills are represented by flowers, as following: 50 cm of low flowers on each side of 50 cm of high sunflowers.
To bad it was planted to late to really show the design I had in mind, next year my design will be visible.
The peace of land next to it was also to have been designed by me, but do to complication it wasn’t possible to carry it out as well.
The concept of my design was to bring nature back to the city. To show how nature recycles and reuses itself. That when something dies, it is used to feed the new. So the plan was to use wood and stone from torn down buildings to create new thing in this peace of nature, contributing and improving the environment instead of polluting it. And this is a beautiful solution as well.
What am I trying to do?
What I am trying to do here is not to just criticise our world and way of life, post philosophies and ideas about life. I am trying change the world in small steps by getting more and more people aware through this blog and other means.
This creating of awareness consist 3 parts: past, present and future. I will show you our destructive nature:
- In the past by posting photos of and text about the leftovers of great
civilisations that once ruled great parts of the world.
- The present by posting newspaper articles about the cruelties done to humans,
animals and environment.
- The future by posting my post apocalyptic paintings of how I see our future,
actually our non existing future because of the way we are destroying ourselves.
But I’m just not that cynical and changing the world just doesn’t happen by complaining about the current situation. So there is an optimistic part as well. I will try to show you and everybody else who is reading my blog some love and happiness. Ways and ideas how just to have fun and be happy. But also show everybody the great things that some extraordinary people do for this world and its inhabitants.
This creating of awareness consist 3 parts: past, present and future. I will show you our destructive nature:
- In the past by posting photos of and text about the leftovers of great
civilisations that once ruled great parts of the world.
- The present by posting newspaper articles about the cruelties done to humans,
animals and environment.
- The future by posting my post apocalyptic paintings of how I see our future,
actually our non existing future because of the way we are destroying ourselves.
But I’m just not that cynical and changing the world just doesn’t happen by complaining about the current situation. So there is an optimistic part as well. I will try to show you and everybody else who is reading my blog some love and happiness. Ways and ideas how just to have fun and be happy. But also show everybody the great things that some extraordinary people do for this world and its inhabitants.
I find myself making a decision
I find myself making a decision, to accept my reality. The world around me is the way it is, the moments are few that I can actually change ‘this moment’ all the others things I do only effect the near or distend future. So feeling miserable and sorry for my self doesn’t change anything. My self-pity only made facing the future harder and took out the fun of everyday life. Why did I feel this way, it didn’t change anything around me and gave me anything but motivation to get out of the dark hole of my misery.
Only a short wile ago I had this insight, about the nonconstructiveness of self-pity. This insight was directly followed by another, that I didn’t accept my reality; I was miserable but didn’t accept it, I kept asking myself “why me? It’s so unfair that I should be feeling this way. Did I deserve this?” In this moment of clarity – where I could see what I was doing and at the same time realise what the effect was on me and my life – I just accepted my situation. My misery didn’t vanish, but it reduced to a faint sting in the back of my mind. Why? Because I wasn’t thinking about it all the time, I just accepted it as a fact, like you accept and know that the grass is green. The moment I accepted my situation I didn’t have to think about it the whole time, my mind was free.
It was like being free and weightless, really being able to see the world around me for the first time. I had an optimistic way of looking at my life and everything around me was beautiful, because I could really see them and not trough the cloud of my own (dark)thoughts. I enjoyed every little thing around me, which before I took for granted. Even though my life and situation where far from perfect I was really happy, aware of and enjoying this moment, looking forward to the future.
That’s the way I have been feeling from that moment on. And you could too.
Only a short wile ago I had this insight, about the nonconstructiveness of self-pity. This insight was directly followed by another, that I didn’t accept my reality; I was miserable but didn’t accept it, I kept asking myself “why me? It’s so unfair that I should be feeling this way. Did I deserve this?” In this moment of clarity – where I could see what I was doing and at the same time realise what the effect was on me and my life – I just accepted my situation. My misery didn’t vanish, but it reduced to a faint sting in the back of my mind. Why? Because I wasn’t thinking about it all the time, I just accepted it as a fact, like you accept and know that the grass is green. The moment I accepted my situation I didn’t have to think about it the whole time, my mind was free.
It was like being free and weightless, really being able to see the world around me for the first time. I had an optimistic way of looking at my life and everything around me was beautiful, because I could really see them and not trough the cloud of my own (dark)thoughts. I enjoyed every little thing around me, which before I took for granted. Even though my life and situation where far from perfect I was really happy, aware of and enjoying this moment, looking forward to the future.
That’s the way I have been feeling from that moment on. And you could too.
Friday, 30 October 2009
TRANSLATION :
"More youngsters commit suicide
The number of suicides among youths is rising. Over the last 40 years it has become and more often the cause of death, according to the Dutch youth institute in Utrecht. According to research done by the institute is suicide 1 out of 6 times the cause of death. In 1969 it was 1 out of 26."
COMMENTARY
What is the world coming to? How come that in a country like Holland where the possibilities are almost endless for the youth – everyone with a bit of willpower and discipline can get an education and a job – with a government that takes care of those that can’t themselves. It looks like these youths are even more miserable then they where 40 years ago, when their living conditions only improved over the years. Our increasing materialistic lifestyle has caused more unhappiness, instead of decrease it. We are more miserable than we were, but still we think that having more will make us happy.
The hole in the hart of man
Humans are addicts. We are addicted to our own greed, lust for power and possessions. It’s like we have a hole in our harts, that we try to fill in a materialistic and capitalistic way. But filling the hole this way it’s like nursing an addiction: we feel miserable when we don’t have what we want, but feel great when we get it. Only this feeling doesn’t last long and when we want to feel this great again we need more. This way of trying to feel happiness makes us selfish and self-centred, with all its consequences.
Why is it so hard for us to be happy with what we got? Can’t we just be happy with looking at this beautiful world around us, giving and receiving love, friendships and the feeling of a healthy body that make everything possible?
I enjoy life and I’m almost constantly happy; not because I have everything I want, enjoy a lot of respect or posses a powerful position. The reason of my happiness is that I take pleasure in every part of life; like looking around and seeing the beauty of every part of the world, I feel joy when a stranger helps me or when I’m thanked for helping someone. The small things in life make it so special, but it’s your awareness to them and not taking them for granted that makes you enjoy them, enjoy life and fill the hole in your hart.
Why is it so hard for us to be happy with what we got? Can’t we just be happy with looking at this beautiful world around us, giving and receiving love, friendships and the feeling of a healthy body that make everything possible?
I enjoy life and I’m almost constantly happy; not because I have everything I want, enjoy a lot of respect or posses a powerful position. The reason of my happiness is that I take pleasure in every part of life; like looking around and seeing the beauty of every part of the world, I feel joy when a stranger helps me or when I’m thanked for helping someone. The small things in life make it so special, but it’s your awareness to them and not taking them for granted that makes you enjoy them, enjoy life and fill the hole in your hart.
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