DAY 94 – REACHING THE MOUNTAIN TOP: A HOLISTIC HARMONY BY THE YEAR 2100 (THE TOMORROWS WILL NOT BE LIKE THE YESTERDAYS)

DEDICATED TO THE GOODNESS THAT LIES WITHIN THE HUMAN SPIRIT

From the moment each of us takes our first breath we are on a journey of acquiring the necessary knowledge and insights in our attempt for a life with fewer difficulties. As children we do not know this. As adults we sometimes do not appreciate how essential this is in one’s own personal evolution into a mature adult that can reach for and climb to the mountaintop.

This mountaintop represents the summit where most human problems no longer occur. It is where the human consciousness has evolved to a point where people throughout the world freely cooperate with one another for everyone’s mutual benefit. It is a place where inner harmony exists within each person’s body and mind and harmonious interactions are ever present between human beings no matter the diversity of the people involved.

Our individual lives are intertwined with the lives of our fellow human beings in numerous ways. Personal difficulties often ripple their way into the lives of those closest to us and many times they ripple their way into the larger sphere of humanity. If we are to create something better, then we need to understand life, to the fullest extent possible, so we do not create the unwanted for oneself, other people and the earth.

At the base of this mountain is the world humanity has always lived in. There are so many good, decent and beneficial things that are initiated and reciprocated by human beings. We show kindness, consideration and respect not because of a self-centered interest but because it lives inside of us. We help one another in the most mundane of tasks along with the most perplexing of situations. Giving the best of ourselves is worth nurturing not only for those of us who are alive today but also for the generations who will follow.

We also find at the base of this mountain humanity having to simultaneously co-exist with life’s difficulties. Some of our problems each of us creates for oneself and other difficulties are heaped upon us by our fellow human beings and by nature itself.  While people throughout the ages have wanted to get to the mountaintop, it often seems that the climb upward has many pitfalls that make it seem an unattainable task. Yet with specific knowledge and the in-depth insights that come with such knowledge there is nothing that can stop humanity from reaching the zenith of a better world. It is ours to achieve if we set our minds to making it a reality.

Reaching the mountaintop requires us to grasp the immense importance of seeing and understanding the process for the tomorrows to become better than the yesterdays. Because everything of importance is not a sprint that immediately happens but a marathon of human endeavors, we can put our actions into a perspective for what may follow and thus spur ourselves to continue going forward in our quest for something better no matter how long it takes.

We know that progress, whether small in nature or of an enormity that forever changes human destiny, occurs in steps, stages and a sequence to them. When seeing a problem that needs to be fixed, conceiving of a new useful invention or realizing a philosophical concept that raises human consciousness, actions must be taken to achieve something that previously did not exist. Yet with this as an end in mind, we should always remember that the steps and stages along with a sequence to them becomes part of everything we create. Reaching the mountaintop for a world with fewer problems is no different.

When we look back at human beings going to the moon and setting foot on it, we can more fully appreciate the steps and stages along with the sequence of actions that made achieving this possible. At each point in the process there were numerous people who had to figure out the technology to make each advance achievable. From the first experimental space flight in an unmanned capsule, it eventually led to a human being taking flight and circling the earth. Within a few years an unmanned capsule landed on the moon  which was then followed by human beings landing and walking on the moon.

Each stage in the goal of taking a human being to the moon required an order to them. Each sequence was necessary because this is how knowledge develops and enables human beings to build upon what was just learned. With each advancement we would not have today an orbiting space station where astronauts do experiments that gives us a better understanding of our universe and discoveries that could lead to potential products that are beneficial for humanity. The people who have been involved in the space program over the decades may have envisioned a realistic possibility for an international space station but not even these experts would know the necessary sequences that would take place. Things in life that are created have a way of developing even without the exact knowledge of how it will unfold.

In everyday life human beings have the capability to persevere not only in normal times but also when faced with the most difficult of circumstances. Carrying out one’s everyday affairs requires a certain amount of perseverance, but it takes on an added dimension when a potentially life altering dilemma strikes (a devastating accident, a life-threatening health issue, a weather event that rips through a community and destroys its peaceful surroundings, a war breaks out in a country or between countries and anything else that has a severe disruption to everyday living) that shatters the normalcy of someone’s world. It is here where people rise to the occasion by persevering on a level they may have never gone to before.

While perseverance is essential for the great human undertakings, we also require patience at the same time to let the process take its course until the end goal has been met. Human beings have the propensity to immediately want certain things to occur no matter how unlikely it is to happen right then and there. This is especially true when it comes to personal and societal difficulties. People do not want to live with a problem for extended periods of time. The longer problems are with us the more people may lose faith and the more impatient people often become.

Most human endeavors take time to go from the initial idea to seeing it become a reality and the larger the magnitude of the objective is the longer it will take. With any goal that we set out to achieve we need to persevere and have the patience to see it through to its conclusion. Reaching the mountaintop and making this the last century for most human problems requires a worldwide perseverance and patience combined with a resolute determination to succeed unlike anything else in human history.

While we are on this journey to reach the mountaintop, we need to become cognizant of the progress that is taking place as it is happening. Such awareness will give us the positive encouragement to not only carry on but also to do more. Seeing humanity achieve great strides towards a tomorrow that is better than yesterday gives us inner strength to the point where the cherished ideals that are part of being human becomes the solid foundation that we continue to build our future upon.

There is a path forward leading to a better future. We can create a world where every human being can always have nutritious food to eat, clean water to drink, a decent place to live in and adequate clothing to wear. We can create a world where every human being will be considered equal to their fellow human beings without being mistreated, discriminated against or hated. We can create a world where violence and war are a relic of a painful past that we only read about in our history books and never personally experience. We can create a world where our earth is treated with the utmost of care so that it functions optimally for life itself by becoming a clean and sustainable planet. All of this and more can be created by us.

The world of the future is where our children and grandchildren along with every generation thereafter must go to that is beyond just surviving but is where they are thriving. Harmony is the key to this. Finding inner harmony within each of us will lead to harmony with our fellow human beings. At the same time living in harmony with our fellow human beings will lead to more personal inner harmony. Both forms of harmony are essential since harmony with our fellow human beings and inner harmony are intertwined with each other with a force that reinforces both aspects of harmony.

When we reach the mountaintop for a collectively better world all of humanity will realize that the reason that we have arrived there is because of the time and effort that billions of our fellow human beings have devoted to creating such a world.

DAY 1 – A Common Basic Desire

I am taking a bus trip around the world and have seen what people are doing in their daily routines in every corner of the planet. There are those at work, some in the classroom and others at play. The young are busy just like their elders. The religious help the needy as do the non-religious. There are people who overindulge in what they eat alongside the malnourished. Both the rich and those less well-off work very hard.

Every person no matter their lot in life have the same desires for themselves, their loved ones and humanity as a whole. No one wants difficulties whether short in duration or extended over time. All wish that their problems would disappear in order to find love, happiness and a fulfilling life.

It became apparent that human beings living in every nation and a member of every religion, race, ethnicity along with people of differing sexual orientations have a common basic desire to have a personally better life and to live in a collectively better world. This has been the heartfelt hope for humanity since the first humans walked this earth.

I now realize that I am no different than any other human being in my desire to have a better life and to live in a better world.

DAY 2 – OUR ATTEMPTS TO MAKE LIFE BETTER

I am watching a television program with my parents about human ingenuity. I hear the terms better life and better world over and over again. This desire for something better became the catalyst for our ancestors to use their ingenuity to invent things that ease burdens and enhance life. It also became the inner drive for each successive generation to take what they inherited and become even more innovative and creative by building upon the world they were born into.

The desire for a better life and better world also brought us so much more than just the everyday products that we sometimes take for granted. Medical discoveries were undertaken to heal the sick. An economic system was employed to bring goods and services that enabled its members to flourish. Various beliefs and philosophies were developed to help humanity deal with their daily affairs. Governments were established and legislation adopted to bring more order and harmony into the lives of its citizens.

Discussing human ingenuity with my parents I now realize that the creativity and innovation of those who preceded me and my generation are because of the desire for something better.

DAY 3 – THE MODERN WORLD (THOSE WHO DO BENEFIT)

I have been given an assignment in my eighth grade class to do a report about how human life is different today than it was in the eighteenth century. I started this off by observing people in my town. I looked at the types of homes we live in, the types of jobs we have and how we move about. It became obvious that myself and my neighbors are the beneficiaries of what a modern world can bring.

A modern world enables people around the planet to live in houses with indoor lighting, plumbing, heating and cooling systems that are simply accessed by turning on a switch. Going to a local supermarket allows those same individuals to enjoy various types of foods that they would never otherwise have. Watching shows, movies and world news on television in their own home provides entertainment and information.

Those who are fortunate human beings can enjoy ourselves in ways our ancestors never could. The ability to get on an airplane and access the world in a few hours is unprecedented in human history. Going thousands of miles away to take a vacation to far off destinations gives a first hand experience that becomes uplifting to our spirit. We can also take a car, bus or train to visit museums, libraries, sports venues, movie theaters, stadiums or engage in personal athletic activities.

Living in a modern world also allows people to benefit from the latest in medical discoveries. When people get sick there are doctors who give them medicine to remedy their illnesses. When someone needs emergency care or surgery to help them ambulances rush them to a hospital where the staff of doctors and nurses come to their aid.

For all of this to happen governments and businesses have built roads which we travel on and pipelines which carry water, gas and oil into our communities. Other pipelines remove sewage from our homes and workplaces. Cables carrying electricity to light our homes, offices and streets enable us to see when it is dark. All of these networks have become an essential component of the modern world.

It is now two weeks later and we are discussing in class what we have found. After hearing what everyone has said I now realize that I have been fortunate to do and have the things that a modern world provides.

DAY 4 – THE OTHER SIDE OF A MODERN WORLD (THOSE WHO DO NOT BENEFIT)

I am walking along a dirt road in an impoverished nation and never see a car go by. After a few hours I come upon a town inhabited by people who have very little. They live in small one room huts without electricity, indoor plumbing and cooling systems.

The communities in which these poorest of the poor call home have no thriving economy. There are no paved roads to move people and goods, no sewer or water systems, no cable systems to carry electricity, no manufacturing facilities that produce products, no services that the members of the community could benefit from, few if any choices in the types of foods they can eat and very little ability to earn income. When the residents get sick or have a severe illness there are no doctors or hospitals to help them. The world they are born into is diametrically opposite to what living in a modern world is like.

There are also people who live right in the midst of what a modern world provides but are less well off. They do have places they call home but they are in older buildings that need repair. They have modern conveniences but they are older and run down. They do not have the ability to go to far off places or attend events. They sometimes do not receive the best in medical treatment. Their lack of money prevents them from living a life that those residing on the other side of town can live.

After spending a few hours talking to the residents of this impoverished community I continued on my journey of walking to community after community. All of them were just like the first one. I now realize that there are people all over the world who cannot do or have the things that others can have or do.

DAY 5 – A PARENT’S HOPE

I am at a gathering of people to discuss what it is like to be a parent. The people come from every walk of life and are of every nationality, religion, race, ethnicity and sexual orientation. The one thing that stands out above anything else is the universal love that parents have for their children.

From the moment a person finds out he or she will become a parent a sense of joy overcomes that future mother or father. There is an anticipation for the day their child will be born. Whether the baby will be a girl or boy doesn’t matter. The only thing that is of importance to all parents is to protect and care for this soon to be breathing and living human being.

Loving feelings and loving actions are common to all parents. It doesn’t matter whether a parent is a teenager with a newborn baby or in the eighties with grown up children who have their own children. It doesn’t matter if a parent is poor and living in unbearable conditions or is wealthy and living in twenty room mansions. It doesn’t matter if parents believe in God and are religious or don’t have those same beliefs. Loving one’s children has no age, group or other requirements and is an undeniable universal phenomenon.

While parents bring their children into this world with the hope for a better future they also know that their children will not have a smooth journey. The joyous moments will uplift their spirits but every human being will also have to deal with personal and societal issues that are extremely burdensome. Parents understand that giving advice and insights that only comes with experience is part of helping their children navigate the ups and downs that awaits every human being.

Parents everywhere envision their children growing into good human beings who are kind, considerate and respectful adults. They want for them a happy, productive and meaningful life no matter what stage of life their children are going through. To a parent, nothing is more important than this.

By the end of this event I now realize that a parent’s love for their children is universal and never diminishes even when their children reach their senior years.

DAY 6 – A FUTURE NO ONE WANTS

I am sitting on a park bench watching children play. An elderly woman sits down next to me and starts talking to me about children and their futures.

Look around your neighborhood and you see very young children just being children. You may see yourself and your childhood friends in them. While each of us at one point in time was a one year old, two year old as well as three, four and five year old, our loving parents never wanted their children to have a future filled with unwanted difficulties.

When you see a three year old laughing with his or her friends do you see that child someday getting hooked on alcohol or drugs and have an addiction that gets out of control. Do you see that child having an eating disorder that ruins his or her life. Unfortunately for some young children that may be the future that awaits them.

When you see a cute little child sitting in a restaurant with his or her parents do you envision that child growing up and becoming a rapist or a cold blooded killer or the victim of those horrific acts. Unfortunately for some young children that may be their future as perpetrator or victim.

When you see a four year old playing on a swing do you see that child becoming an adult who verbally abuses his or her spouse as well as his or her children. Do you see five year old boys and girls sitting at their desks in school who may someday take a gun and shoot their fellow classmates or fire randomly into a group of people just standing at a corner. Unfortunately for some young children that may be their future as perpetrator or victim.

When you see a group of seven year old kids playing soccer in a field do you see those kids someday developing animosity, hatred, bigotry and general disdain towards people who belong to a different nationality, religion, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation than themselves. Do you see those kids in the future inflicting physical pain and psychological distress upon those who are different with complete disregard for their welfare. Unfortunately for some that may be their future as perpetrator or victim of discrimination.

When you see a newborn baby in a small village in an underdeveloped nation do you see that child continuing to grow up without nutritious food to eat, a decent home to live in, indoor plumbing that brings them clean water and electricity that lights their homes and neighborhoods. Unfortunately for some that may be their future that lasts a lifetime.

When you see children of any age asleep in their beds or walking around town do you see that child someday shooting or bombing others or becoming the casualty of those horrendous acts when their nation or group they belong to are at war. Unfortunately for some that may be their future as perpetrator or victim of such violence.

When you see a little boy or girl crawling on the floor do you see a child who grows up with health problems because of a lifetime of not eating nutritious food and a lack of exercise. Do you see that child failing in school and not receiving a high school diploma. Unfortunately for some that may be the future that awaits them.

When you see a one year old boy or girl taking his or her first steps do you see that child becoming an adult who lacks empathy for their fellow human beings and does not show others enough kindness, consideration and respect. Do you see that boy or girl developing into a person who shows little interest in keeping our earth clean and sustainable. Unfortunately for some a lack of thoughtfulness for others and the earth may be their future.

These and many other potentially problematic scenarios are all too common. They do not happen to everyone but they have been occurring to far too many people in every generation. A future filled with unwanted momentary problems or long lasting difficulties, especially those that are horrific, no parent wants for his or her children and if very young children had the maturity to think about the life they want for themselves they too would never want to be the perpetrator or victim of a more difficult life.

After hearing what this elderly woman had to say I now realize that too many children will grow up to have some aspect of their future not turn out as they would want it to.

DAY 7 – WHY

Earlier today my son and I were watching the news on television They were showing different stories about difficulties people experience in their lives. My son kept saying one word and one sentence over and over again. WHY? WHY? Why do people have problems? Why do people have problems?

It is a deep down human desire to not have problems of any kind. We do not want difficulties for ourselves or for the people we love. We do not want to live in a world where our fellow human beings are having to deal with the unwanted. Yet, we still have problems in our lives.

Most of the time people are living a peaceful and harmonious life. We get along with our spouse, children and parents. We act cordial to our neighbors, co-workers and strangers. We have food, water and a place to live. We are living in peace with our fellow human beings. While most of us only have moments where harmony seems wanting, for some life isn’t so wonderful because they have ongoing struggles that are extremely cumbersome, unruly and physically and emotionally draining.

It is amazing the efforts that are put into making one’s own life problem free and to making this a better world for others. With all of the efforts that parents put into helping their children to have fewer difficulties and the efforts that adults do to help themselves to have fewer problematic situations something pops up and just the opposite occurs. We eventually wind up spending time undoing the unwanted.

Why does all of this happen? Why does life seem to take a turn out of nowhere and have a chaotic outcome even if it is temporary? Why do some difficulties continue year after year? On the face of it, having problems that no one wants and yet everyone has them does not make any sense.

For the rest of the day, my son and I continued to talk about problems people have. Both of us became perplexed by why problems develop and I now realize that everyone at various times in their lives have situations develop that are problematic even though no one wants to have those difficulties.

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DAY 8 – PEOPLE REALLY TURN OUT OKAY (MOST OF THE TIME)

As a soon to be parent for the first time I found a video that discussed different ways parents raise their children. There are some parents who are very demanding and others less so. Some are very affectionate and others not so much. Some yelled a lot and others never did. Some are very religious and others do not believe in any religion. Some are liberal with their economic, societal and political beliefs while others have a conservative bent.

Yet with all of the various parental styles and beliefs that children get exposed to while growing up most young people turn into adults who go about their daily affairs in similar fashion. People date, most eventually get married and many have children. People everywhere go shopping and engage in activities that they enjoy. To do all of this people all over the earth go to work to get money in order to pay for the things that they do and have.

While carrying out what we do human beings act politely and courteously. We say please, thank you and you’re welcome. When problems arise for those closest to us we try to help resolve their difficulties. When someone we know needs a helping hand we often will rise to the occasion. When a disaster happens we feel compassion for those affected and many without hesitation will strive to help uplift them out of their catastrophic situation. Human beings may not show this good and decent side in every single instance but we do it more often than not.

By the time I finished watching this video that showed the beneficial and detrimental aspects of how parents raise their children, I now realize that people in most situations really turn out okay.

DAY 9 – ONE PERCENT OFF (MAKING LIFE HARDER THAN IT NEEDS TO BE)

Last week I was sitting in a park and observed a couple who were smiling, talking, holding hands and just enjoying their time together. Suddenly they became angry, separated and started to yell at each other. Something struck me that just wasn’t right. People who are getting along and acting friendly can quickly change their demeanor and treatment of one another.

While people turn out okay in many areas of their life, situations and circumstances
develop that the opposite occurs. People can be good parents yet some will not treat their spouse well. There are those who treat their spouse well but dislike members of a different nationality. There are people who get along well with people of other nationalities but do not like people who belong to a certain religion. People who get along well with members of other religions do not like people of a different race. People who have good relations with members of all races harbor misgivings about people who have a certain sexual orientation.

Other contradictions are also apparent in how people behave. Many have a strong and binding love for their family and close friends but do not treat their neighbors, co-workers and strangers as well. Others who treat neighbors, co-workers and strangers well act more harsh and distant with family members. People who act calmly in certain situations become emotionally upset in other situations. Many who get along well with everyone are not proactive in striving for their own better health. People who try to have better health do not help to keep our planet clean and sustainable.

One of the most troublesome aspects of human behavior is the violence that occurs every now and then. People can show kindness and friendliness one minute and the next moment they verbally disparage, steal, rape, physically assault or murder someone. Those who commit horrific acts do not engage in such actions every day but even one such instance is so far removed from their everyday behavior.

Could it be that most of the problematic issues that happen in a person’s life occurs because every person does not act in a manner that is conducive to making life better one hundred percent of the time. While human beings seem to be okay ninety-nine percent of the time, being off every so often will play havoc on their personal life and often create situations where it negatively impacts others and society at-large.

After thinking about this for days, I now realize that most of the time people live their life in ways that contribute to making life better for themself and others but there are certain instances where they make life more problematic for themselves and more problematic for their fellow human beings. The life and world that each of us desire has more of a possibility of occurring if human beings could always act in a manner conducive to creating a personally better life and a collectively better world.

DAY 10 – A SEARCH FOR INSIGHTS AND UNDERSTANDING

In my college psychology class we are having a discussion about human behavior. The professor has given us examples of how people act and we are now trying to figure out why people behave as they do.

We started out by talking about different aspects of life. Someone said that as a kid he talked about people’s behavior with his parents and friends. Another student said that adults also talk about human behavior with their family members and other adults. As a class we agree that discussions about life can occur anywhere whether it is at home, at a family function, at work, at school, with friends or when crossing paths with a stranger.

Human conversations can run the gamut about anything and everything that’s going on in one’s own life, someone else’s life and anything in this world. People like to talk about the good things that happen to them, those we love and what we enjoy having and doing. Our discussions also take on the other side of life where personal and societal difficulties exist.

Our analytical minds try to figure out what the future will be like. Opinions often flow as to the causes of a particular difficulty and the solutions for it. The young usually have more questions than answers while the elderly rely upon a lifetime of living to see the world from that perspective. Those who are parents think about life differently than they once did. The poor think about what could change their circumstances. The victims of crime wonder how someone could do this to them. Those with health problems want to find out more about their condition in order to relieve their symptoms.

It has become clear that people have different ideas about how to bring about a better life for themselves and their loved ones and a better world for society as a whole. With numerous ideas come numerous ideologies to employ, whether others agree with them or not. Disagreements seem to be ever present concerning most issues, especially about how to create a better world, which then makes it more difficult to find real and lasting solutions.

Through these discussions about human behavior I now realize that it is essential to delve deeper into all aspects of life so I can have a more in-depth insight and understanding about human behavior. I will then be able to be more effective in creating a better life for myself and more effective in helping my fellow human beings to create a better world for everyone.

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DAY 11 – THE BIG THREE

I am in a math class and the teacher breaks down a mathematical formula into its most simplistic form so we can solve the equation. I begin to wonder if we could find a simple way of breaking down and understanding human life.

I started to think about myself. Whatever I do I am doing it within my own body and mind. No one else can know and feel what is going on inside of me. We are all completely separate and unique human beings with each of us having one’s own individual body and mind.

Because I am a separate person, every other human being is someone else. They are individuals who are somewhere on this earth that I will never meet, others who I see in passing, those who I interact with for a period of time and then never see again, others who I meet on occasion and those more special individuals who I have a personal and meaningful relationship with. From the perspective of every other human being I am someone else.

When human beings interact it has a complexity to it with a multitude of scenarios that lead to a multitude of outcomes. The one thing that never changes is that there is a me and you component to them. Humanity could now be thought of as separate individuals living as an island unto themselves lying in an ocean of billions of other separate and distinct human islands that has an impact upon one another.

The other important aspect of life is that all of us live on this planet we call earth. Everything that every single human being requires to live and thrive is what the earth provides. Without the earth functioning as it does life as we know it would not be possible.

Trying to simplify life I now realize that the human world begins with the three major components of oneself, other human beings and everything planet earth provides. This is the starting point for all that follows.

DAY 12 – WE ARE ALL PART OF THE BIGGER PICTURE

While vacationing on a small island I sat down on the beach with no one else around. Looking at the vast ocean and nothing but sea in front of me the quietness of the moment made me drift off into a daydreaming state of what it would be like to become stranded on an island and not know where I am.

I saw myself wandering around this unknown island trying to find someone to tell me how I could get back to a port but couldn’t find any other human beings. It became disconcerting that I was alone with no one to talk to. Everything I needed to do, I had to do it by myself and had no way to leave this island. From finding food to eat, water to drink, securing shelter and withstanding nature’s wrath there was no one to give me a helping hand.

After a few days alone trying to survive I reflected back upon my life before I got stranded on this island. There were so many people in my life and so many things I had and did.

I thought of my teachers, when I was in school, helping me to learn new things. I thought of the volunteer coaches in my youth sports helping me to get better while giving me needed encouragement. I thought of the doctors and nurses helping me when I was ill or had a broken bone. Most importantly, I remembered my parents showing me what real love is like and giving me guidance that has lasted a lifetime.

Growing up in an urban setting I would go to my neighborhood stores to buy the things I needed and wanted. I knew they were made in manufacturing facilities that often were located in my nation or in far away places. I thought of the workers who produced, transported and sold the products that I have. What I came to understand while alone and stranded was that there are so many known and unknown human beings that are essential in helping me to have and do the things that make my life more enjoyable and better.

I also thought of my role in the lives of other people. I was the worker helping others to have things they might need or want. I was the other person to someone in my relationships with them and how I positively or negatively contributed to their well-being. Staying alone on this island with it’s beautiful landscapes made my past actions clearer in how I impacted the earth.

When I stopped daydreaming it dawned on me that I now realize that all of us are intertwined with each other and our earth in immeasurable ways. People need one another to have the life that we live. Humanity has so much more because we do not have to go it alone. All of us are part of the bigger whole.

DAY 13 – LOOKING AT LIFE HOLISTICALLY

I am attending a community meeting about ideas citizens have for the future of their town. The discussions that are flowing back and forth have no cohesiveness to them. Each idea and topic is being looked at in isolation and shows little or no integration with other ideas or topics.

Nothing in life is as simple as everything standing by itself. No event or situation is completely separate from other events or situations. The idea that this directly caused that and that directly caused this does not apply. There are many interconnected layers to what occurs in human affairs.

It dawned on me that life is more than the individual things that we do but is a compilation of everything we do. The whole is made up of its parts and by looking at life one issue at a time does not give us a true description of what is actually occurring.

It would be nice if we could make life simplistic. When one thing happens it results in a predicted and specific outcome. Neither any individual person or society as a whole can do that.

To get a better handle on what is going on we need to look at life as holistically as possible. We need to understand the individual parts of life and how they are integrated together in their complexities and the depth of those connections. Without an understanding of how things are interconnected mistakes will be made because important aspects will be left out of the equation. If we want to make proper assessments about events and situations that lead to better decisions on how to conduct our affairs we need as much information as possible.

After leaving the meeting I now realize that without a holistic understanding about life I leave important components and factors out of my analysis. The more information I have the better my decisions become on how to make my life better and to make this a better world for everyone.

DAY 14 – THE JIGSAW PUZZLE

I am looking at a picture on a box of a valley surrounded by mountains filled with gigantic trees. There are birds in the blue sky and deer in the green meadows. Everything seems to be in a harmonic state.

This picturesque setting depicted the mosaic of the jigsaw puzzle within the box. When emptying the pieces on the floor an anxiety came over me when I realized that I had to figure out how each of these five hundred pieces fit together.

I kept looking at the picture on the box in my attempt to find just two pieces that would join together. Once this occurred other attachments would follow. After many hours over a long period of time of being frustrated of trying to find another attachment and the joy each time of finding another piece to fit perfectly in its rightful place, I finally had the completed mosaic lying right in front of me. It struck me that there is something about life that makes it seem like a complicated jigsaw puzzle.

Just like there are five hundred completely separate and unique pieces to the jigsaw puzzle, each of us face many personal situations that often times seem like they are distinct situations and completely separate from one another. While our time is spent maneuvering through the daily grinds as well as through the pleasant moments we often do not see how the pieces of life got us to where we are.

In order for each of us to develop a deeper understanding about life we need to figure out what pieces go where and how each one connects with the other pieces of life so that we have fewer difficulties and more moments that we truly enjoy. While each of us brings our own unique perspective to what we do and believe in, the desire of human beings everywhere to have a fulfilling and rewarding life can shape how the personal and societal pieces of life can come together in a harmonious union. When this happens it is just like the completed mosaic of the jigsaw puzzle.

After finishing this jigsaw puzzle I now realize that I need to figure out how the pieces of life come together in order to have a better life and live in a better world.

DAY 15 – INSIDE THE SHELL

I am talking to a friend who had taken a low flying airplane ride around the planet. When he looked down he saw people walking around and intermingling with one another, buildings projecting up in city after city and cars, trains and airplanes in continuous movement. He also saw the presence of nature with animals roaming in the wild, forests teeming with trees, mountains rising above the level plains and oceans occupying a vast amount of the earth.

While observing the visible he could not know the unobservable. He was unable to see inside the buildings or below the earth’s exterior. He could not know the kind of relationships a person has with other people. He could not get inside the minds of human beings or have a sense of a person’s underlying psychological makeup.

The surface of everything covers up what lies within it. The skin of an apple is the shell that covers up what is inside it. The outer layer of a baseball is the shell that covers the materials inside it. The skin of a human being is the shell that covers every organ, tissue and cell that lies within as well as the thoughts and feelings that each of us have.

Life has more intricacies than what appears evident. So many events and situations have underlying components to them that without deeper insights into these components people will continue to have problems that will plague human beings generation after generation. Solutions to human difficulties require an understanding of what lies beneath the surface.

Knowing that people have relationship problems does not tell us why they happen. Seeing that people do not have food to eat, clean water to drink or a suitable home to live in does not tell us the full story behind this. Realizing that there are people who dislike or hate others because of their nationality, religion, race, ethnicity or sexual orientation does not give us the deeper reasons for such animosity. Realizing that the earth has environmental problems does not give us an answer into how to combat it.

For a better future it becomes imperative to know not only how the pieces of life fit together but also the underlying reasons for why something occurs. One without the other gives us half of what we need. Both insights are necessary if we are to take the appropriate actions conducive for a personally better life and a collectively better world.

Because of my friend’s observations of the visible I now realize that there is so much more to life than what appears on the surface. By delving deeper I will be able to understand our world in a more holistic manner.

DAY 16 – A HOLISTIC HARMONY

I began reading a script for a play about the future where I am the main character. My life and world is just like I want it to be. I have nutritious food to eat and clean water to drink. I am in very good health. I live in a nice home and do things I enjoy doing. All of my interactions and relationships are going well with very little discord. The earth has become clean and sustainable. People no longer have a dislike or hatred for those who belong to a different group than they do. Wars and violence have become a thing of the past.

This isn’t just my life, this is everyone’s life. There is a cooperative spirit and peacefulness that pervades human society. A world filled with a holistic harmony is what we are born into.

The history books in the future show that until the change occurred people did not always have food, water and shelter. People had arguments and disputes that often led to hatred and violence. Pollution altered the pristine nature of the earth and caused environmental problems.

Until this evolved era began people were often out of sync with one another. There was a sense that something was amiss in the world but they couldn’t figure out what it was. When anything went awry it became disheartening and left life wanting.

Very few people in the past thought they had a meaningful hand in the problematic situations of their day. Almost everyone had a reason for why certain problems exist and they usually centered around someone else causing those difficulties. People didn’t understand life in all of the interacting layers and were therefore unable to simultaneously solve the problems of their time.

Humanity in the future understood that it is an absolute necessity to strive for a holistic harmony by looking at the bigger picture. They could see how the pieces of life fit together and the underlying reasons for what happens. Individuals do not give up their individuality but interact in a mutually beneficial manner while going about their daily activities. People everywhere put the interests of others and our planet into the equation when pursuing personal dreams and aspirations. Cooperation and selflessness replaced inconsideration and selfishness.

Harmony in its fullest context requires it to be holistic. The whole becomes just as important as each individual part. No one wants ninety percent of a better life, we all want the entire pie.

When I finished reading the script I now realize that the more harmony that exists in the world the better everyone’s life becomes.

DAY 17 – INNER HARMONY

I met an inventor who created a tiny machine that lives inside the human body and sends out a report so that each person can fully understand everything that occurs within his or her body. He inserted this device into me and it enabled me to know how every cell, tissue and organ is functioning at that very moment. I also could feel every feeling and hear every thought from an internal perspective that let me grasp it in more detailed ways that I was never able to do before.

Knowing what is going on inside of me tells me a more in depth story about myself. I now have a direct link and more knowledge to any distress that develops within my body and mind. When my cells, tissues or organs are malfunctioning I can clearly see the physical effects and health issues related to it. When my emotions are negatively agitated I can be intimately aware of what is going on inside of me. My thoughts that are self-deprecating, upsetting and demeans other people can now be isolated and understood for what they are.

While it is essential to know what is internally detrimental to my well-being it is also essential to know what is going on in my body and mind that enhances my life. This other side of internal distress occurs when my cells, tissues and organs function as optimally as it can. I also need my thoughts and emotions to lead me on a path where I am internally at peace and internally enjoying life. When this is occurring within me I am in a state of inner harmony.

It became evident that when other people see my face and body they are just looking at the outer shell covering up what lies beneath my skin. I am the only one to actually feel physical pain in my body and the emotions associated with internal distress or internal joy. I am the only person to hear the words I say silently to myself. No one else has a direct link to what goes on within my body and mind and the best another person can hope for is for me to reveal what occurs within me through what I tell them.

Living with this device inside of me for one month, I now realize that myself and every other human being lives our lives from within. Taking care of my physical health and psychological and emotional well-being to the best of my ability will give me the best chance of achieving the beneficial and pleasing state of inner harmony.