My Soul's Dense Crust

I think my soul might have a pretty dense crust.  I'd like to think that all the inspirational bits and pieces I shared in my last blog most moved me to be a better, stronger and deeper spirit.  But if I think about it at all, I was just as likely feeling a charge from within already when external inspiration came along and allowed me to reflect on it or even to just articulate an inner drive.

Someone turned me to Murray's "Commitment" passage when I was in a very deep slump.  It had no impact on me at the time.  It wasn't until quite a while later when I had gained some traction that I revisited the passage and thought, "Oh, that's what I am doing".

And in my last post I only covered inspiring words.  There's no need to suffer that limitation.  I've been inspired by human beings, art, architecture, nature, cities, culture, philosophy, humor, technology, and probably a few other things too.

Inspiration Miscellany

I find inspiration in miscellaneous places.  A recent gem I found in a Google search:

"Whenever someone sorrows, I do not say, "forget it," or "it will pass," or "it could be worse" -- all of which deny the integrity of the painful experience. But I say, to the contrary, "It is worse than you may allow yourself to think. Delve into the depth. Stay with the feeling. Think of it as a precious source of knowledge and guidance. Then and only then will you be ready to face it and be transformed in the process."--Peter Koestenbaum

I don't know who this guy is, but I appreciate the idea of finding renewed personal depth through despair.  This next one I think speaks that old truth of hard work and determination bringing good luck.

"Until one is committed, there is hesitancy, the chance to draw back, always ineffectiveness. Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way. I learned a deep respect for one of Goethe's couplets: 'Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it./Boldness has genius, power and magic in it!'"--W.H. Murray

Next is the "Paradoxical Commandments".  I can't say they've moved me like I thought they might when I first heard them at a graduation ceremony.  But they are powerful and I think they describe the way the best folks among us operate:

People are illogical, unreasonable, and self-centered. Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
The biggest men and women with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest men and women with the smallest minds. Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for a few underdogs anyway.
What you spend years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
People really need help but may attack you if you do help them. Help people anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you have anyway.

Next on my list are the seven principles of Unitarian Universalism.  People argue UUism isn't a religion, since a religion is supposed to believe in something.  True, UUism doesn't require one to believe one way or another regarding the big questions conventional religions profess to answer.  But they do have a this set of general guiding principles:

The inherent worth and dignity of every person
Justice, equity and compassion in human relations
Acceptance of one another and encouragement to spiritual growth in our congregations
A free and responsible search for truth and meaning
The right of conscience and the use of the democratic process within our congregations and in society at large
The goal of world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all
Respect for the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part

Another source of inspiration is really a flawed one for me.  I watched the trailer for the film adaptation of Dan Millman's Peaceful Warrior.  It looked to me like a powerful story of overcoming adversity by fostering inner strength with the guidance of a wise old man.  Nick Nolte's character says "I call myself a peaceful warrior...because the battles we fight are on the inside".  I developed my own interpretation of that.  I thought it was simply about how in a society of peace and abundance, we struggle not for material survival, but against our inner demons and for meaningfulness.  Then I read the book and it seemed like a cultish, new age mess.  But I hold onto the meaning I derived from the movie trailer.

Another source of inspiration for me really isn't the same as any of the above.  It was more anti-inspiration.  A college professor of mine had a very pessimistic view of the way the world works.  He taught our class that success comes not from hard work and education, but through the luck of personal connections.  I remember that as a pivotal point for me, where I changed course and became seriously ambitious because I didn't believe him and I wanted to prove him very wrong.  For the sake of this blog's anonymity I won't say too much except that my ambition has paid off greatly and without the help of wealthy uncles and powerful brothers-in-law.

I'm leaving Rocky's inspirational speech, from the most recent installment of the franchise, last because I already noted it in a previous post.  But it is another good one that influenced me as much or more than any of the above.

Overall the theme here might be that little gems of inspiration are enough for me, and it can be counter productive to explore more material from their source, since an idea can easy be fully contained in a passage and I've been burned by the fluffcrap that I found behind the meaning I took from a quote before.  But in the end this is part of my story, the miscellaneous sources I draw inspiration from.

Big China, Renewed America

I've been thinking some more about America in the face of an ascendant China.  I've found a little more optimism in myself.

If there's any concern that the new world order poses a threat to the safety of the United States, we can regroup our military defenses to defend the safety of the United States.  We invest hugely in our military might, but only so much of it is oriented truly toward defense.  And again, we're a nuclear power.  Any existential threat to the United States becomes an existential treat to the enemy of the US.

American should not in the face of rising China lose its freedomist orientation.  If we are no longer the strongest and richest country, we can still renew ourselves as the most free.  And we can continue as the world's leading innovator, with the world's best and brightest drawn toward freedom and away from tyranny.

China

Even with a robust recovery, the US is on its way to losing its position as the world's largest economy to China in just a few years.  It will be a number of years after that that China's per capita wealth catches up with the West's, but as a single unit, China will soon no doubt be the richest country on Earth.

I want the Chinese people to prosper.  Heck, it is heartbreaking that any person anywhere is born into poverty.   But I think it will be troubling to know that the nation with the largest economy is a police state.  It isn't even that I fear military conflict between our two countries.  I would think that the same fear of mutual destruction that kept the Cold War peace will be in effect between the US and China.

Yeah, I know that during the Cold War the US frequently behaved badly.  But the most powerful country then was at least generally a free one, and that is meaningful when more than half of the world population lives in police states.

I also figure that America will have to adjust its national identity as it loses the top economic spot.  I don't know how this will play out, except that I imagine some ugly politics.

How winnin' is done

Rocky Balboa's inspirational speech to his son moves me:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z5OookwOoY

Chew on this

"Please, please stop referring to yourselves as consumers.  Consumers are different than citizens.  Consumers do not have obligations, responsibilities, and duties to their fellow human beings.  And as long as you're using that word 'consumer' in the public discussion, you will be degrading the quality of the discussion we're having and we're going to continue being clueless going into this very difficult future that we face."

JH Kunstler