Sunday, April 29, 2012

I am greater than the sum of all my parts

 

What is the difference between what we label as the mind and what we refer to as the heart? Aren't both just mental processes or biochemical occurrences in our brain? From the scientific view that is all we are, a big organic biochemical computer with no soul or spark of life. We only can act or react in the way we were programmed by the environment we live in and the experiences we have been through. We have no freewill because all we do is predestined by our life time of conditioning. If this is true then why can two individuals grow up in the same environment and are exposed to very similar experiences turn out so different. How can a man who has walked a very dark path all of a sudden change and walk a path of peace and love? I can not deny the influence on our psyche by the environment  we grew up in or the life experiences we may have through life but I do know we can choose to either let them be what defines us or we can choose to make our own path regardless of what hand life dealt us.

The thing about freewill is we can choose to use it or we can choose to be a victim of our environment and life experiences. Freewill is really nothing other than the ability to exert you own will and the ability to be more than the sum of your life experiences and the environmental influences of your life. The heart is your emotional self but it also the side of you that knows the difference between selfish and loving acts or thoughts. Could it be just logical processes or instinct or is it just a learned process from your parents? Is it a divine spark with our carnal mind? those questions are yours to explore and answer. All I will say is there is like two sides to ones personality, one that cares for itself and the other that cares for everyone and everything else.  To be honest if all I am is a biochemical computer programmed from experiences and by my environment then what is this lifetime I have been blessed with for? Well thank god I know that I am greater than the sum of all my parts and that I do have freewill . But I respect those who chose to believe otherwise and rather think that we are all victims of circumstance and experiences.

Just something to think on
Raymond Barbier

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No man has the right to deny another of those gifts and freedoms.

IMG_1156Every morning we wake up to a brand new chance to change our world and the path we are walking through life on. We have another day to start over and change direction along to make amends for our wrongs. We should not only forgive but we should also ask for forgiveness and display our regret for the wrongs we have committed. Once displayed then we should ask for the forgiveness and then move forward knowing we did all we could to make up for the mistake as well as showing  regret for our wrongdoing. We should then forgive ourselves for our shortcomings and begin moving forward in life. Every minute we live is another chance to choose a better path and a chance to change how we interact with the world. During the day there is a constant battle between the heart god blessed us with and the mind the world help program. The love god inspires within us battles the selfish mind for control of our destiny. The good thing is that we do have freewill and can choose to follow one or the other and even both. Of course it is better to choose one for we can only serve one master at a time.

MP900444203The world we live in is constantly bombarding us with conflicting messages and negative images along with immoral themes through modern media. If we see the negative and immoral enough we will become insensitive to it and eventually such insensitivity and tolerance leads to complete acceptance to such things. The problem is, there is no way we could stop all the negativity or immorality in our modern media, but we can make sure we do not become insensitive to it or accept it in any way. We must remind ourselves that even though it has become commonplace that it still is not acceptable and still is wrong. We must teach our young of right and wrong and how not to allow themselves to be mislead by the social acceptance of immoral and negative things. Just because everyone is doing something or says it isn't wrong anymore doesn’t make it so. We shouldn’t judge others for accepting the wrong, we should just avoid the same traps they fell for. We should also try to get them to see the truth and help guide them away from such illusions. The one thing we must always remember is they have freewill and have the right to believe and live as they choose. God gave every one of us the choice and the right to freewill and no man has the right to deny another of those gifts and freedoms.

Our mind is a collection of ideas and beliefs that we gained through our experiences in life , those ideas and beliefs are a mix of both treasures and garbage.

Raymond Barbier

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All we can do is learn from our past and work in the present to make a better future.

MP900426559Seems the person we all judge the hardest is ourselves, We hold ourselves to a higher standard and expect to achieve it. We tend to forgive and overlook other people's faults and mistakes much easier than our own. We can have compassion for every one around us but we seem to find it hard to have compassion upon ourselves. We need to learn we are also human just like everyone else and we can't be perfect or without flaw. We must accept ourselves for who and what we are and forgive ourselves for our shortcomings. We always have room for improvement but we must realize we are beautiful and good as we are. We should build upon what we are and not try to destroy that which makes us unique.

We definitely need  to wake up to the reality that we are who we are and that it isn't that bad being an imperfect human.  It is quite relieving to know we are like everyone else in the fact we are imperfect and make mistakes. We just need to learn from those mistakes and improve what we don’t like in ourselves as well as embrace the light that dwells within. God made all of us the way we needed to be in order to learn the lessons of life he set before us. We can not live in the past or the future because we live in the present and we shouldn’t dwell on what was or what might be. All we can do is learn from our past and work in the present to make a better future.
MP900399589We need to love ourselves and one another in the same way God and Jesus loves us.We need to accept the grace given and give as much grace as we can to ourselves and others. God gave us the spirit of love, and of a sound mind not of anger or fear and Jesus taught forgiveness and compassion.  For the spirit of love, forgiveness and compassion is not only meant for others but also for ourselves as well. For it is hard to love, forgive or have compassion on others if you can’t even have it for yourself. The sound mind comes with loving oneself and having the compassion to forgive yourself. With a sound mind you will find that there is very little others can say or think about you that will matter much. You will only be concerned with the truth and not of opinions and/or hear say.

 Listen to the heart God blessed you with and not the mind that the world helped program.

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Raymond Barbier

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Where has all the compassion, love and respect gone?

MP900427611Where has all the compassion, love and respect gone? People seem to be colder at heart and have only interest in themselves. Compassion is a key part of being human and respect is like the super lube of society. Without one or the other the world begins to become chaotic . Seems selfishness and the lack of respect for others is becoming the driving forces of the world we live in. Thing about selfishness is it is the seed to other things such as lust, greed, envy and vanity. I was brought up to respect elders, authority and have compassion for those who are less fortunate and in need. I was also taught that everyone is equal in the eyes of God and no person is greater than another. I never could see how anyone could find pleasure or some kind of satisfaction in causing physical or emotional pain to others. To help others and to make them smile or to make them laugh is the right path to follow and can be quite rewarding emotionally too.

MP900427738It seems Karma does exist in one form another, what you sow you shall reap and what you give you will get back seven fold. So when you show compassion it will be shown to you and when you give hate it will come back to you. It may take years but you always pay for both the good and bad you do in life. I just don’t understand why for some people being compassionate and carrying a heart of love is such a hard thing to do. Is it fear of being considered weak or the chance of being hurt by others? No matter how tough or how compassionate you are, you are going to be hurt from time to time in life its part of being human. It could be they have a deep wound or emotional pain blocking them from becoming what God had planned them to be. I wish everyone could be compassionate, understanding and full of kindness and we all could follow the teachings and examples god gave us through Jesus.

MP900289198There were many great prophets, philosophers and sages god gave man, he gave us great philosophies and examples to follow through them all. He just wants man to be kind, compassionate and forgiving towards each other. Far as the many branches on the tree of life and the many religions spawned on our planet, let each person choose their path and be good to one another. We all have freewill and the right to choose which religion and or faith we want to follow. We shouldn’t force our belief on others or judge them if they choose differently than ourselves. The judgment of who is right and or wrong is God’s alone, not that of man’s. We of different religions and faiths can get along and even be friends, I have many friends that are of different religions and faiths than myself and we have no hatred or distrust between us because of our differences of belief. We have respect for each others beliefs and live with each other in friendship and peace.

“ Learn from the wisdom of the old and the innocent truths of the young.”

Raymond Barbier

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A Fork in the Road

Concept Lately the cycle of life has really sped  up around me, so many pregnancies and people either dying or getting life threatening diseases. This world is speeding up and we are heading towards a fork in the path we are going down. One of the paths ahead is to a dismal and foreboding future of selfishness, greed and eventual depletion of natural resources. The other path though will be rocky and hard to follow leads us as a species to a future of peace, equality and the saving of our wonderful planet and home called earth. We can not continue to walk through life with a selfish and/or apathetic heart, we have to become humble, compassionate and take care of this world we live in. We are all on this rock together and not one race, religion,country or individual has any more or less rights to live here. We are all equal and are equally responsible for our home and the life forms that live within it.

MP900408941 Some of the rich and powerful believe they are superior or at least deserve a better life than the average and impoverished man. This is just plain selfish and heartless thinking and not true, it isn't about wealth, power or even physical prowess but it is about the spirit and the heart. The common and impoverished are not as naïve or  as uninformed as the rich and powerful believe. We are waking up and seeing that we are not being treated equal in taxation and not being represented equally in our governments. Eventually the meek shall awaken out of their groggy state of mind and will help bring some of the change needed. Sometimes I see big business as a kind of bully, they raise prices to gain huge profits with no concern about if the average person can or can not afford it.  Nothing matters but the profit margin and the bonuses they get each year. They fill their banks with money that was earned by underpaid worker's in both their home country and 3rd world countries .  I understand the need for profits, but to be too greedy and have no care about the workers or the consumers who helped build that wealth is just not a good business model. Eventual things will become so costly that only the rich will be able to afford to buy anything beyond just food. And since the rich are just a small percentage of the whole consumer base there will be a lot of businesses failing.

Human eye with the recycling emblem inside<br /><br />File contains gradientsThough not all of the current financial crises is the fault of big business a lot of it falls on the consumer as well by using credit to purchase items they can't really afford to have as well as buying luxury items that they could have lived without. Then the credit card companies also have their part in the mess as well as the mortgage lenders. There is many reasons why our world is in such a financial mess and the blame falls all across the board. The solution will also have to come from each level of the financial pyramid in order to fix it all. Greed and Envy seem to be the root of most of the mess, the businesses want more money and the consumer wants to keep up with the people next door.

We better change direction and choose the better path in the fork ahead, if we don’t our children, grandchildren and the generations afterwards will be living in a very dark future. We need to take care of the imbalance of wealth and start taking care of our home.

Just a rant of a middle-aged man.

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Raymond Barbier

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Monday, April 2, 2012

Have faith, Trust in god and live life Christ like as possible.

Being positive is not an easy task, but it is the most rewarding path to follow. Negativity is a path that usually leads to self-destruction and the harming of all those around you. Your attitude towards life effects everyone around you in one way or another. It may not be intentional but when your negative you bring others around you down and even cause them harm sometimes. Though there is a time for negativity but it is not something that is meant to occupy your life for any great amount of time. Positivity on the other hand rarely ever causes harm, it usually lifts up the spirits of those around you, heals the emotional scars within your self and it tends to attract positive people into your life. The hard part is realizing that happiness and/or positivity is generated within yourself and is not supplied from an outside source. God gave you the spirit of compassion, love, positivity, creativity, healing and much more. He did not give you the spirit of fear, anger, envy, lust, greed or any other negative emotion or action. The negative is something you created or accepted from the world around you. The lack of faith, low self-esteem and a poor self-image are spawned from the acceptance and embracing of the negativity in your life. If you face negativity with faith in god and with love within your heart then you can not fail.

God wants all his children to be happy, healthy and live a good life, he does not want us to suffer nor to be lost in the darkness of sin. He gives us all we need to face off any enemy and to stand in the face of any storm, he planted a seed within each of us that we must cultivate. We must plant it in good soil and feed it with that which is good or positive. The only external force that can bring you happiness and positivity is God. He can work from within you and through those around you as well. Even an enemy can be a messenger or a finger-pointing the way, God will approach you in every he can to get you to see truth and to feel his love. Jesus taught us to be non violent, to love one another, to forgive and to be compassionate. All positive emotions and actions, all part of the path of righteousness. To judge is not our part to play, and to turn any sinner away from god is a sin in its self. Be positive, Have faith, Trust in god and live life Christ like as possible.

 

Though no man or woman can be without sin, all sin can be washed by his blood except blasphemy of the spirit.

Raymond Barbier

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