“If we hold ourselves back by believing we have limitations, then we are destined to be ruled by those who believe they do not.”
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With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
Philosophy
42. I LOVE YOU!
And I intend to prove it……….
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With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
38. A PERFECT WORLD
Ask yourself this question…
“Would mistakes ever happen here if humans weren’t on the planet?” We are the only creatures that live, suffer, and die by our OWN judgments; our own egos. How many of us in history have laid on their death beds full of regret and remorse? How many of us have died with un-planted seeds that could have changed the world? How much potential has been ignored, given up on, and forgotten? Please choose to be what you can be, and do not leave this world with dreams unexpressed.
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With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
32. “The right …
“The right lived life does its greatest work in the final hour.”
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31. “We cannot be …
“We cannot be motivated to rise to greater heights without first exploring the depths of what must be avoided.”
With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
17. LIBERTY RE-WRITTEN
TWENTY REASONS WHY I KNOW THE WORLD IS A MUCH BETTER PLACE THAN IT WAS ONLY 150 YEARS AGO….
- Indoor plumbing.
- Soap, bathing, deodorant, and a general acceptance toward a cleaner lifestyle.
- The 40 hour work week.
- We don’t gather in the town square and watch people get hung for lack of entertainment anymore.
- The accessibility to a highly educated and well informed life (past even the most scholarly of people) is literally lying in wait to be absorbed at libraries and the internet for FREE.
- Refrigeration. It has been suggested that this is the most important invention since the wheel. I agree.
- We as a world are recognizing more than ever the potential equality of every human.
- More people are working on more solutions for those who suffer than ever before.
- The ability for one voice to be heard around the world is easily within the grasp of those who seek it. All change throughout history has started this way, and now it can happen at the speed of light.
- Medical advancements have not only relieved hardship and misery from millions, the average life span has been extended so further progress in all areas of existence can be explored by those who survive.
- Radio, television, movies, and now the internet now brings to even the most remote regions of the world our capacity to express beauty, art, and our common threads in the form of music, imagery, and literature.
- The idea of freedom is the magnetic pull that seeks to unite all mankind. It expands daily and will not be stopped. Hope grows in the minds of those who never dared think it.
- Self-help, community support, and 12 step groups have given countless sufferers a path out of darkness that never previously existed.
- The electrifying of the planet has done more to bring comfort and convenience into our lives than almost anything else.
- The scientific community as a whole, from micro-technology to space travel, drives us to continued exploration of of our boundaries, both inside and out. These achievements perpetuate unity and purpose.
- We are finally recognizing we cannot continue exploiting our support system, a.k.a- the planet itself. “Saving the Earth” is NOT about whether or not it can overcome our abuse, it will. I’t’s about whether or not we will be on it when it eventually does. We are finally seeing we can only s**t where we sleep so long.
- A largely unrecognized step in our recent evolution is the rise of humor. From visual media to literature, from stand-up comics to comic strips, we have embrace the desire to share and perpetuate laughter.
- Feats of engineering have improved almost everyone’s lives. Roads, buildings, heating and air conditioning, all forms of transportation, etc. are part of a better, more connected, world. The list is vast and continues to grow.
- Prejudice is waning and forgiveness is growing.The treatment of groups that were once trod upon for ethnic, political, spiritual, mental, and sexual issues or reasons is slowly fading away. In return these groups are learning to release the hate they have expressed towards their oppressors and move on into lives of self-empowerment; dropping the need to blame or accuse current situations on past events.
- The beauty of our universe is being revealed in ways never before dreamed. The magnificence of this infinite painting that God has so eloquently created is beyond description. If united we can look upon this and realize just what a miracle it is even to do so, then perhaps we have a chance to grow beyond our differences and continue in peaceful coexistence.
Do I know there are circumstances in the world that need to be erased? Do I know the aforementioned conditions are not everywhere? Of course I do. The goal here is NOT to dwell on problems, but solutions. Please feel free to add to this list and make it grow. Focus on what is already good and getting better. This isn’t a wish list, it’s a recognition one. The dreams of today are the cradles of our children. May future generations have the hindsight to thank their ancestors better than we have.
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With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
8. MY FAVORITE BUMPER STICKER
I had this bumper sticker printed up years ago and handed them out for free to anyone willing to take one. While it still makes me laugh, I also consider it a very important question. It’s a little like hearing someone complain about whiners. Not only are they joining in with the same crowd they are trying to distance themselves from, now they’re center stage. I think this is why we should “Love thine enemy as thyself.”
If tolerance is what we want to project, are we not obligated to turn this attitude towards those who receive it the least? When mankind experiences pain somewhere in its “body” shouldn’t this demand care and healing? We seem to point towards what isn’t working in our society and do our best to fight it rather than help it. We praise that which is already doing well and insult what isn’t functioning properly. In my opinion this attitude is destructive and immoral.
No one wants to be around a hypocrite. People that do this are fooling themselves into believing that by putting everyone else down, they don’t have to work at doing anything to look good. We witness this unethical “sleight-of-hand” all the time in various incarnations. The “I’m right and everyone else is wrong” syndrome is, unfortunately, very common. “No one does what I tell them to do” equals “I’m perfect, they’re flawed.” “No one comes up with better solutions than me” equals “I’m brilliant and they’re stupid.” “Others don’t do nearly as much work as me” equals “I’m productive, they’re useless.” “Everyday I fight bad drivers on the way to work” equals “I’m courteous, they’re rude.” All of these are hypocritical attitudes. No one is perfect. This is not a generalized judgment; I simply mean that there is always room for improvement. The trap of thinking you’re beyond reproach is to invite a lifestyle that will convince itself there’s no need for progress. Those who try to position themselves into a brighter spotlight by negative promotion lose all credibility. They don’t realize their audience is instinctively aware that they’re unwilling to become better.
I would love to think I am past this kind of behavior but I’m not. On occasion I catch myself playing the victim. My moments of “poor me” are a lot less pronounced than they used to be, but at least I have the ability to recognize them. This “role” leaves a bitter taste, I assure you. I’ve learned there are countermeasures for this habit.
- I stop trying to be better than the rest of the crowd, I simply commit to being better than I used to be.
- My personal standards are far beyond what others expect of me.
- I acknowledge where talent lies. When I’m seen as someone who gives credit where credit is due, I notice people are more eager to work as a team. Everyone wants some sort of recognition for their contributions. Sometimes nothing more than a “Thank You” makes all the difference, especially when it’s done in public. I know it does for me.
I think it’s amazing just how many don’t do this. It’s too bad that the ones who do this stand out so prominently. They are a rare breed; I wish they weren’t.
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With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
7. WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF LANGUAGE?
An obvious answer to the title question may come to mind. Language exists so we can communicate vocally in ways that don’t require grunting, snarling, snorting, and screaming. There’s no doubt these expressions still prevail–especially among men–but there’s a much more profound need to speak. We crave deeper connections to others, not just through our senses, but mentally.
At one time, my speech was quite stoic. It had neither passion nor imagination. When I attempted to illustrate myself with the limited feelings I had connection to, the descriptions came out clichéd and boring. For years, I uttered the same words in the same tone of voice to the same uninterested people. I never stopped to think about what came out of my mouth. My responses were never astute, and the results were often insulting and insensitive. I’ve tasted my foot more often than I’d like, and my attempts at taking back what’s just been said always had a tone of insincerity when filtered through my toes. Once it was uttered, the original thought prevailed. Whatever came after did little to dispel the impact of my initial misfortune. Over the years, I’ve consciously developed a slower response time. This, and a better vocabulary, has significantly improved my moments of awkwardness.
My mentor, Joe, sat me down years ago and posed the initial question. It changed my life.
“So, do you know what the purpose of language is?”
“Sure.” I said confidently. “We need to communicate so we can interact with each other.” Joe looked blankly at me, totally unimpressed with my answer.
He kept staring. “What happens when I say something to you and include a word you don’t quite understand?”
“I guess I’d probably ask you what you meant.”
“I doubt it.” He smirked a little and continued. “Let’s try an example and we’ll see what happens. How would you interpret Honor thy Mother and Father?”
I cleared my throat. “Well, according to the ten commandments I suppose we are obligated to love our parents.”
Joe smiled. “Look up the word honor.”
There was always a huge dictionary on the table when we talked. I thought it was there for decoration. I picked it up, flipped to the word, and read the entire definition. No where was mentioned the word “love.” Joe could see I was speechless, so he continued.
“Here lies our problem. The purpose of language is an attempt of the speaker to take the images, ideas, feelings, and definitions of what they are thinking and place them into the mind of the listener with as little discrepancy as possible. If each person has a different understanding of the same word, communication will not take place as intended. In cases where we are attempting to learn from those who are offering us information, it’s vital that we bridge the gap.”
I now carry a dictionary with me everywhere. I find myself looking up words with great frequency. More often than not, I still need assistance interpreting my own thoughts, especially when I’m writing. The accessibility of reference material has become quite easy these days with technology where it is. Any excuse I harbored for the unavailability of either a better word or its definition, has vanished. I’m no master of the English language, but I do consider myself at least a student. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean I don’t still grunt, snarl, snort, and scream from time to time.
With Love and Compassion, Daniel Andrew Lockwood
LIGHT ON THE THRESHOLD 