Life 101

[Shipwreck]

I thought, after making an earlier post, that a thread like this might prove helpful to some of you. Kind of a soothsayer when you need a little pick me up. This thread is about Life. I hope that we can share our experiences with others here, and therefore promote the greatest adventure of them all. If not, that's okay, but either way, until they decide to delete this thread, then I'm busting out with what I consider the fundamentals. Here goes..

The Secret of Life

As we all know, life must be the ultimate adventure. Every day presents us with new oppurtunities and options, if... if we learn to see them AND accept them. Far too many people give up on life too easily. Just because it has you down one day, doesn't mean that tomorrow won't have anthing to offer you either. Through the years, I have picked up on the best rules that I think are an essential to the secret of life. By striving to adhere to these rules, you might be surprised at the results. Afterall, you'll be the one making them.

Rule Number One: Living it (Life).

No matter what. Take the good and the bad. It makes you and shapes you into who you become. Enjoy it. 'Cause if you're not feeling the ins and outs of life, then you're not living it.

Rule Number Two: If you are not happy, what else is there?

Everything that you do, everyday, every second, MUST make you happy. You are choosing to do it in the first place. You are exchanging a day of your life for it. You have control over your destiny and outcomes. Therefore, make them count. LEARN to love it all. Its a constant reminder that you're alive. And when you're doing what you love you ARE alive.

Rule Number Three: Keep what is worth keeping, and with a breath of kindness, blow the rest away.

I always like to think of a line from a great movie called, Kelly's Heros. The character played by actor Donald Sutherland says, "there ya go with them negative waves again, always with the negative waves. Have a little faith baby, have a little faith." Life is too short to sweat the small stuff and drag around USELESS negatives. If you don't like something, you have the power to CHANGE it. If you are carrying excess baggage, then LOSE it. It doesn't do you or anyone else any good. Remember, you can't live the above rules unless you adhere to this one too.

Finally, let me leave you with a couple of thoughts for the road. First, the truth isn't easy, but its real. Be truthful to yourself and others. It makes the whole wide world a better place. Second, Alan Alda once said, "You must leave the city of your comfort and venture out into the wilderness of your intuition. What you'll discover will be wonderful. What you'll discover will be yourself." Third, a famous Oklahoman also said once, "You can sit on the tracks. But your gonna get hit by the train." That means, that life is happening with or without you. You can be a part of it or not. It makes you better or bitter. THAT choice is yours. Lastly, I leave you with this image and hope that everything else I mentioned hasn't turned you from this forum.

Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up and starts running. It knows that if it doesn't, that it will be eaten by a lion. Every morning a lion wakes up and knows that it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter which you are. The lion or the gazelle, when you wake up, you better be running.

Cheers!

[monkey]

Thanks Shipwreck. Thanks for reminding us all of some very important things to keep in mind as we all scurry about in our individual lives. Each one of us pursuing,....what? What's it all about? what's it all for? Why am I here? If you're asking yourselves these questions,...then that's good. Keep asking them. It's easy sometimes to miss the big picture because we're looking too closely at the details. Sometimes the details aren't important, but the big picture always is.

The only thing I kind of struggle with in regards to your last post is the idea that "Everything you do, every day, MUST make you happy". What if what makes you happy could make someone else unhappy?

[Shipwreck]

It may sound selfish, but we enter the world by ourselves and we leave the world by ourselves. No one lives thein between for us. Now, in marriages and true relationships, you have comprimise and sacrifice. It doesn't mean life is over. It becomes more full, because now you have someone to share it with. I hope this helps.

[Indyz Azn Gurl]

That's tight! :)
And your right. ;)

Thank ya very kindly. :D

[Michaelson]

All interesting and well thought out stuff, but there is no cookie cutter bottom line answer to all this. All you can really do is make sure that you totally understand that no one should be keeping score. What do I mean? You know, the old "I did that for you, so you should do something for me" routine. If you see you can help, just do it. If they want to pay you for your efforts, just tell them to return the favor by helping someone else they see in the same situation. No score keeping. If you're expecting to break even, don't. Just work toward being able to look yourself in the eye in the mirror in the morning, and to be able to roll over and go to sleep at night with a clear conscious when the day is over. That's the real secret to life, making sure what you do between those two times is of use to you, or to someone else. Sounds simple, but every person has their own code of ethics, and what ever that code may be, they should attempt to be true to them. The hard part is determining WHAT that code should end up being, and THAT'S the REALLY hard part about living. But heck, if it were easy, we wouldn't be writing about it, would we? (grins) Regards. Michaelson

[Shipwreck]

In other words... Don't try to be a great man. Just be a man and let history determine the rest.

[Edited by Shipwreck on 06-26-2001 at 02:39 PM]

[Michaelson]

How about just a "decent person"? It doesn't necessarily mean only being a "man". It involves everyone, regardless of ***, creed or color. Regards. Michaelson

[Michaelson]

Notice how my post got edited when refering to a person of the opposite gender? Guess it couldn't determine what my meaning was, so it just nuked the entire word. (grins) Regards. Michaelson

[Indy_Martin]

Shipwreck, this is a great idea. I am glad that you put this thread on the table, it is very inspirational.

[Indy Canuck]

Great thread here, kinda put into words one of the greatest lessons I learned on my own personal (mis?)adventures.

I've kinda got a cruder philosophy that comes out after a few drinks: "When life hands ya <i>scheisse</i>, don't complain; sling it back an' yell 'ya want more?!'"

Life's to be lived, not complained about.

[thefumegator]

I love the points that you brought up, Shipwreck. ;)

Here is a saying of mine that is related:
Life is meant to be an adventure, and it is up to you to make sure it turns out that way.

Wes

[Pale Horse]

*bump

Thought I'd bump this, with all of the chatter in some other threads... :)

[thefumegator]

Geez, who keeps digging up these fossils? :D

Renderking, I also think that City Slickers, although hilarious, has a very well-thought-out premise to it. That's almost unbelievable in "comedies" of today, but perhaps that's what sets classics apart.

I'm interested to hear some of the newer folks' philosophies on life (mine, from 3 years ago, can be seen above :D ).

Wes

[Randy_Flagg]

Very inspirational stuff. Here's one more:

If life gives you lemons, just say, "This isn't what I ordered, and I demand a refund, dammit!" Then stamp your feet and hold your breath til you get one. Odds are, you won't get a refund, and you'll die from lack of oxygen, but that's fine because your life sucked anyway.

[Venture]

Originally posted by Randy_Flagg
Very inspirational stuff. Here's one more:

If life gives you lemons, just say, "This isn't what I ordered, and I demand a refund, dammit!" Then stamp your feet and hold your breath til you get one. Odds are, you won't get a refund, and you'll die from lack of oxygen, but that's fine because your life sucked any way.

And the title of Most Optimistic goes to...Randy Flagg!!

[Webley]

Lifes a sh!t sandwitch every day you take a bite, the more bread you got the les sh!t you got to eat.

[Ayrun]

Life is a hard place,
but you just have to know,
even when you had it easy,
you stil have to go.

[Randy_Flagg]

Originally posted by Venture
Originally posted by Randy_Flagg
Very inspirational stuff. Here's one more:

If life gives you lemons, just say, "This isn't what I ordered, and I demand a refund, dammit!" Then stamp your feet and hold your breath til you get one. Odds are, you won't get a refund, and you'll die from lack of oxygen, but that's fine because your life sucked any way.

And the title of Most Optimistic goes to...Randy Flagg!!

YES! I finally won a Raven award! But it will probably just get revoked anyway... damn.

[IndyBlues]

You're damned if you do, and damned if you don't. So live life to the fullest, and remember the Golden Rule.

Someone remind me, because I forgot what it was,LOL.

[Webley]

Never play poll with a guy named after a city.