Without the danger,
where's the excitement?

Without the consequence,
where's the temptation?

Without the pressure,
where is the drive?

As you create rules,
you create deviants.

As we have well known
for ages ages upon ages:
the forbidden fruit is the sweetest;
yet, we continue to condemn.

What is it
about what you fear or hate
that is so dissonant
with what it is
who you are?

One,
who ne'er One's own Mind exercises,
shall nary a Mind woo
when One feebly flexes
One's own Mind.

One,
who never allows One's Self contrast,
shall ne'er appreciate
what faculties One already possesses.

Sacrifice lends itself to Appreciation.
//
Sound is my Pantheon,
Music is my Prayer,
Noise is my Art;
and Silence,
my canvas.

Thought and Prayer
be but the same,
to me.

Thought is to Prayer is to Speaking,
as Meditation is to Listening;

Music is my Prayer.
What is yours?

There are two philosophical terms
that come from Zen and Japanese Ceramics:
Wabi,
     and
            Sabi.
'Wabi' refers to the flaws of a thing that give it the character it has;
the distinctive feature that makes it what it is.
It could be asymmetry, it could be a crack formed during the creation process.
It could be the thing made by your kid in art class, or by you, even;
those things are crammed with Wabi.

Wabi: Flaws created that individualize, identify and make possible sentimental attachment.

'Sabi' refers to the effects of Time on a thing, showing it's age;
the erosion and change that are inexorable through Time.
It could be the landscape of a foreign planet, or the holes in your jeans.
It could be your tattoos, scars, or psychology.
It could be the scratches on your truck, or the rusting paint you think looks cool.

Sabi: Flaws resulting from being so lucky as to survive long enough to endure things.

Both wabi and sabi lend to a thing Character.
They provide a foundation for relation as well as identity.
They are matters of perspective and thus are subjective.
A perfectionist denies the existence of these,
A romantic says they are all that there is.

As One becomes more open to these notions,
everything becomes a thousand-fold more beautiful.

We are all capable of so much more than we think.
Most people never scratch the surface of what they're capable of.

Expertise is relative.
Expertise doesn't come from a piece of paper.

Life is richest when we become good at a lot of different things.
“Know-it-all,” “Jill of all trades,” and “renaissance man” are compliments.

Life is an experiment.

You don't have to wait for permission,
and you don't need anyone else to grant you status.

It's not about being the world's greatest expert.
It's about being expert enough to accomplish your goals.

The more you use creativity, the more you get.

Brilliance lies within each of us.
Follow your passion.

Go now. Live. Play. Explore.
*Learn* more. Do more. Be more.

If everyone were to agree,
the drive for progress would be gone.

It be not
the words
but, rather,
the concepts
that are relevant.

A culture
undervaluing of Philosophers
undervalues Progress, as well.

Do it not for recognition,
but, rather, for the Love of it.

If there's no room in your Mysticism
for Others' Mysticism,
then, I venture to say,
there's no room for your Mysticism.