Earlier, I mentioned a little blog cruising I was doing today. Another interesting post caught my attention. This one comes from C.Hope Clark....who is also mentioned on my page, Rare Genius: The Blogs I Read.
Mrs. Clark's topic was What I'll Miss in Heaven, which really made me think. I remember once upon a time, when I contemplated death and the afterlife, I used to become nervous and physically pained. Mainly because I was thinking about some of the same sentiments that Mrs. Clark discussed. But I eventually was able to move past that, deciding to focus on the present life now. I'll worry about the afterlife when I get there.
Which led me to think about present life, and how we sometimes get caught up planning for the future or worrying about the past, instead of actually existing in the moment. But in order to exist in the moment, there has to be a comfort level about doing so, which few people rarely achieve. It seems like even those with massive amounts of wealth are constantly contemplating the future or dwelling on the past. And if they can live in the moment comfortably, how can I? Then something hit me....
I am everything, and I am nothing.
Very interesting words, and powerful, to say the least. But what do I mean when I say them? First of all, this is not some clever metaphor. I mean these words in the most literal sense possible, although it is sometimes hard to grasp concepts as broad as everything and nothing. Okay, so let's break it down.
I am everything....
Sounds like I'm being full of myself, but that's because I am. I'm not trying to anger anyone here, but I am the center of my world. Now before someone emails me a list of scriptures that I've probably already read numerous times, this is not in anyway an attempt to belittle God. I am a very spiritual person, who deeply believes in God, and therefore gives the utmost respect and acknowledgement to my creator. But the purpose of me saying that I am the center of my world is in terms of all of the physically tangible aspects of it. The people around me. The animals. The plants. The trees. Buildings. Lakes. Mountains. While these things are all wonderful in their own respects, they are just additions to my world. They cannot define it. I must define it. I must choose the people I invite into my world. I must determine the places that I'll go to. I must decide what things I will do. In essence, I am the gatekeeper to my world. This is not to say that I don't believe God sometimes sends things or people into my life that I have no control over. I believe this happens, but it is up to me how I receive it. (Admittedly, sometimes I've dropped the ball in this regards...but another post, perhaps.)
The purpose I am saying that I am everything is to understand that I do have the power to positively affect my life. Hell, it's mine. I should have that power. But I've fallen victim to the same thinking that I'm sure has trapped others. We see something in our lives going negatively, and immediately we begin to feel powerless. "I guess it's just one of those things I can't change...." Why does everything bad always seem to end up in this category? It's because we so easily forget to remind ourselves of the fact: "I am everything..." Which means I don't have to stress about my future. It is simply waiting for me to mold it. And the funny thing about dwelling on the past is the one reason we never admit why we're doing it. It's not what WE think about our own past that really bothers us, as much as what OTHERS might think about our past. But embracing the "I am everything" half of the statement renders other people's opinions null and void. Suddenly, their opinions don't matter so much. At least not like your own. In your world, you are everything, because it starts and ends with you. So yes, I am everything.
But I realized that with only this half of the statement, there is so much realization that goes missing. Enter the second half.
and I am nothing....
Notice how there is an 'and' in here. Most people will tell me that I can't be everything AND nothing at the same time, but these people are simply limiting their thinking. In my world, I am everything. But in the grand scheme of things, I am nothing. In the fabric of time, I am merely a blink, an instance, a moment that will eventually pass. In order to fully value life, I must understand it is limited. We all know that we are going to die, but few of us really embrace this fact. I think this is because we feel that by embracing this, it accelerates the process. But that's not true. It can also serve to force us into a reality where every second matters. If every moment of our lives begins to count, this is how we'll end up living to our fullest potential. In the grand scheme of things, I am nothing, because I am fragile and will eventually expire, but in my world, I am everything, and therefore have the unlimited power of making every second of my life count.
Even if it's simply by inhaling deeply, and being thankful for one more second of breath.
I am everything, and I am nothing. And for me, that's a beautiful thing.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Rare Groove, Jan. 18, 2011
Jonsi --- Go Do
I was watching a commercial and got this infectious song stuck in my head. It reeks of awesomeness, cool flutes, and features one of those singers with a unique voice that forces you to listen.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
The Occasional Crazy Rare Quote # 2
"I am everything, and I am nothing. Understanding this fact, and embracing it, is the way I am allowed to continue."the Rare Poet
(a post will soon follow, explaining this one)
Smells like an Adventure
I was cruising the world of really good blogs earlier when I came across a fabulous post. If you've checked out my blog page, Rare Genius: The Blogs I Read, then you already know that I think 1000 Awesome Things is....well, awesome!! (If you haven't checked out this page, look at the list of them beneath the blog title. There's some really neat stuff located just a mouse click away.)
So I was checking out this great blog today, and Awesome Thing #328 really made me grin. So much that I decided to share a bit of the post with you:
If that's not enough to make you smile, then you're probably not an avid reader. If I could calculate a list of places I've spent the most time in my life, the Hamlet Public Library would come in a close second to Trapped Inside My Head. The door is no longer wooden, but it does have over-sized handles. There's a small entryway, followed by a second set of glass doors. And then you're inside. The word 'sanctuary' comes to mind, as the quiet settles over you. Of course, near the front, next to the computers, the quiet rarely lasts long. Most of my visits are spent, however, all the way in the back. A long table, usually empty, waits for me there. Together, my words, my thoughts, and I sit down, and have engaging discussions amongst the three of us. It's a members only type affair and, for hours, nothing could be better.
Except maybe those comfy red couches from the Scotland County Public Library (located in nearby Laurinburg, NC). Sitting on those is a nearly divine experience. And perhaps a new rule that allows a cup of coffee inside, but only if you promise not to spill it.
Either way, the awesomeness of the library cannot be overstated.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
So I was checking out this great blog today, and Awesome Thing #328 really made me grin. So much that I decided to share a bit of the post with you:
Come on in.Pull open the wooden door with those giant oversized handles that are smooth and worn down to a light brown finish. Drag your boots over the dirty green carpeted floor that bubbles up in the corners and splashes tiny dust clouds into shimmery orange sunbeams with every step. Feel the calm and comforting library quiet settle like a blanket over your body and your brain as you shuffle past the counters and make your way inside…
If that's not enough to make you smile, then you're probably not an avid reader. If I could calculate a list of places I've spent the most time in my life, the Hamlet Public Library would come in a close second to Trapped Inside My Head. The door is no longer wooden, but it does have over-sized handles. There's a small entryway, followed by a second set of glass doors. And then you're inside. The word 'sanctuary' comes to mind, as the quiet settles over you. Of course, near the front, next to the computers, the quiet rarely lasts long. Most of my visits are spent, however, all the way in the back. A long table, usually empty, waits for me there. Together, my words, my thoughts, and I sit down, and have engaging discussions amongst the three of us. It's a members only type affair and, for hours, nothing could be better.
Except maybe those comfy red couches from the Scotland County Public Library (located in nearby Laurinburg, NC). Sitting on those is a nearly divine experience. And perhaps a new rule that allows a cup of coffee inside, but only if you promise not to spill it.
Either way, the awesomeness of the library cannot be overstated.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
Right in the Heart of It
I can hear it calling me....
like the missing title of some lost poem....
I pretend I can't hear...
but I hear...
and one day, I imagine that I will answer...
and find myself right in the heart of it....
praying it makes me happy...
letting it swallow me...
whole...
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
Because He Cracked Me Up, and Made So Much Sense (Awesome Repost #10)
I'd like to thank the fabulous Ms. Osborne at Truthfully, Mo for this hilarious video
This guy cracks me up!!! But what he says about self esteem is right on point. Don't let someone else control how you feel about you.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
This guy cracks me up!!! But what he says about self esteem is right on point. Don't let someone else control how you feel about you.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
Lusting for Love
I was reading a very interesting article the other day, about Dr. Cornel West. He is certainly a personal hero, as well as an inspiration. As the article goes on to show, Dr. West is one of the most charismatic and intellectually gifted people of our time.
It was a delightful read, which I would recommend each of you check out, when you have some free time.
The Supreme Love and Revolutionary Funk of Dr. Cornel West, Philospher of the Blues (I'm seriously geeking off this title, by the way....lol)
My purpose for writing this is not only to inform you about some fantastic reading material, but also because this article got me to thinking on multiple levels. One of the more surprising thoughts was inspired by this section:
This section not only provided insight into the personal bearings of a remarkable man, but it also made me wonder. Is it the curse of the male to make mistakes in relationships? I mean here is this highly educated, deep thinking Princeton professor, no less awry in the love department than I am. Which forces me to believe that there must be some greater cause. It has been documented throughout history, the triumphs and tragedies of great men, when it comes to love. It was seen in biblical days, from the very beginning with Adam to the tales of King David. Mighty rulers such as Julius Caesar and Henry VIII have fallen victim. Sports greats such as Joe Dimaggio and Wilt Chamberlain epitomize the role of hopeless playboy/hapless romantic. Great novelists, inventors, athletes, politicians, corporate executives, unknown blog writers (that's me...lol), and even intellectuals with world renown such as Cornel West, have all run into complications in the area of romance. It seems that men have been struggling with love and lust since the dawn of time. In fact, perhaps the only man to never struggle was Jesus Christ, and historians continuously try to either denounce his existence, or couple him with Mary Magdalene. That in itself speaks volumes.
So, how do we fix this?
Frankly, if I had the answer, I would have not only corrected it long ago in myself, but would have been telling other men the secret. There is a sexual nature within men, not merely natural but also acquired. From the moment we are old enough to desire, men are taught to aggressively seek those things that we desire. We are taught to nurture only after we are taught to conquer. The hunter mentality transfers over into everything that we do. Lust is still glorified in men while being ridiculed in women.
How many times have I heard the statement "He's just being a man", and been forced to scratch my head, because it was a woman saying it? Sadly, far too many. Even women embrace the fact that there's supposed to be this battle between lust and love within a man. But the problem is that to love is a testament of being vulnerable. And men are taught to challenge their vulnerability from about the same time they learn to pee standing up.
Lust, on the other hand, is instinctual. It is embedded in us from the moment we recognize we have a penis. I have to pause and laugh, thinking of my two year old son, who has already learned of his own masculinity. Diaper changing sessions just are diaper chasing sessions without asking him "could you please stop grabbing that?!" And I realize that even at his young age, their seems to be an understanding in males. I recall him watching a music video, featuring Nicki Minaj. And in one scene, while Ms. Minaj was crawling on her knees, large breasts partially visible through her V-neck top, my son stared and pointed. "Oooooooh!! That's pwetty!!"
I laughed, shook my head, hoping that maybe he meant her lime green wig, but my maleness makes me doubt that. And oddly, I realize there was also this sense of pride. While I do not want my son to objectify women, I do want him to appreciate their beauty. Somehow, as we grow older and wiser, we are supposed to learn the difference.
Most people will not argue with me when I say that being in love is complicated. There's this constant give and take that requires a responsibility that we sometimes fail to apply. But interestingly enough, lust is complicated too. Especially when it is so often applied to those who we do not love. Because it is a matter of instinct, present in women but perhaps stronger in men, we forget that there is a responsibility there as well. They always say be careful who you love. I say they should add those who we lust after as well.
Will men forever be romantic misfits, dangling and adrift as Dr. West so eloquently put it? Perhaps. But just like him, I hope someone's praying for me as well.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
It was a delightful read, which I would recommend each of you check out, when you have some free time.
The Supreme Love and Revolutionary Funk of Dr. Cornel West, Philospher of the Blues (I'm seriously geeking off this title, by the way....lol)
My purpose for writing this is not only to inform you about some fantastic reading material, but also because this article got me to thinking on multiple levels. One of the more surprising thoughts was inspired by this section:
West has a reputation as a ladies’ man, but it’s hard to believe—how romantic can it be to crawl into bed with your lover and a copy of Georg Lukacs’ 1923 History and Class Consciousness, one of the many texts West rereads every year? Married three times, with a 31-year-old son, Clifton, by his first wife, and separated from the mother of his eight-year-old daughter, Zeytun, West is cagey about his current romantic condition. “I’m just dangling and adrift, in a certain sense. I’m hoping somebody’s praying for me.” In his voiceover commentary for the DVD box set of The Matrix trilogy—a brilliantly free-form conversation with spirituality writer Ken Wilber about the movies’ philosophical roots, from Plato to Schopenhauer to William James to West’s own writing—West strikes an oddly mournful note when Neo and the love interest, Trinity, get intimate. “Love itself is a certain kind of death,” he muses. “That deep sense of lack and loss are part of the structure of desire.”
This section not only provided insight into the personal bearings of a remarkable man, but it also made me wonder. Is it the curse of the male to make mistakes in relationships? I mean here is this highly educated, deep thinking Princeton professor, no less awry in the love department than I am. Which forces me to believe that there must be some greater cause. It has been documented throughout history, the triumphs and tragedies of great men, when it comes to love. It was seen in biblical days, from the very beginning with Adam to the tales of King David. Mighty rulers such as Julius Caesar and Henry VIII have fallen victim. Sports greats such as Joe Dimaggio and Wilt Chamberlain epitomize the role of hopeless playboy/hapless romantic. Great novelists, inventors, athletes, politicians, corporate executives, unknown blog writers (that's me...lol), and even intellectuals with world renown such as Cornel West, have all run into complications in the area of romance. It seems that men have been struggling with love and lust since the dawn of time. In fact, perhaps the only man to never struggle was Jesus Christ, and historians continuously try to either denounce his existence, or couple him with Mary Magdalene. That in itself speaks volumes.
So, how do we fix this?
Frankly, if I had the answer, I would have not only corrected it long ago in myself, but would have been telling other men the secret. There is a sexual nature within men, not merely natural but also acquired. From the moment we are old enough to desire, men are taught to aggressively seek those things that we desire. We are taught to nurture only after we are taught to conquer. The hunter mentality transfers over into everything that we do. Lust is still glorified in men while being ridiculed in women.
How many times have I heard the statement "He's just being a man", and been forced to scratch my head, because it was a woman saying it? Sadly, far too many. Even women embrace the fact that there's supposed to be this battle between lust and love within a man. But the problem is that to love is a testament of being vulnerable. And men are taught to challenge their vulnerability from about the same time they learn to pee standing up.
Lust, on the other hand, is instinctual. It is embedded in us from the moment we recognize we have a penis. I have to pause and laugh, thinking of my two year old son, who has already learned of his own masculinity. Diaper changing sessions just are diaper chasing sessions without asking him "could you please stop grabbing that?!" And I realize that even at his young age, their seems to be an understanding in males. I recall him watching a music video, featuring Nicki Minaj. And in one scene, while Ms. Minaj was crawling on her knees, large breasts partially visible through her V-neck top, my son stared and pointed. "Oooooooh!! That's pwetty!!"
I laughed, shook my head, hoping that maybe he meant her lime green wig, but my maleness makes me doubt that. And oddly, I realize there was also this sense of pride. While I do not want my son to objectify women, I do want him to appreciate their beauty. Somehow, as we grow older and wiser, we are supposed to learn the difference.
Most people will not argue with me when I say that being in love is complicated. There's this constant give and take that requires a responsibility that we sometimes fail to apply. But interestingly enough, lust is complicated too. Especially when it is so often applied to those who we do not love. Because it is a matter of instinct, present in women but perhaps stronger in men, we forget that there is a responsibility there as well. They always say be careful who you love. I say they should add those who we lust after as well.
Will men forever be romantic misfits, dangling and adrift as Dr. West so eloquently put it? Perhaps. But just like him, I hope someone's praying for me as well.
Marcus Jamison, the Rare Poet
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