Anarchistbanjo's World

True joy in life comes from struggling against opposition and finally achieving a hard won goal which is valued and cherished. If we are given something or it is too easy to achieve we do not value it properly and take it for granted.

Only those things which we struggle and fight for hold a lasting value to us. This is equally true in personal relationships. It is hard work to maintain a healthy relationship with someone else. It requires continuous effort.

Nothing in life stays the same, everything is changing. In our relationships with others we are either growing closer together or we are growing farther apart. It is not right to take for granted that the closeness we feel today for someone will be there tomorrow. It is not right to take the relationship for granted.

Relationships are dynamic and the greatest challenge in our lives. They are also the greatest potential for joy in our lives. There is a great difference between winning a friend and keeping a friend. There is also a great difference between winning a goal and keeping a goal.

Winning is a very important concept to understand. We must strive to win in life. Only in winning do we find the satisfaction that we crave. In contrast there is no shame in losing if we have truly tried our best. It is vital that whatever we decide to do, we do it well and to the best of our ability.

There is no room in life for halfhearted attempts. If we do to the best of our ability we will win. The outcome doesn’t even matter. Even in nature each blade of grass struggles and extends its roots against its neighbors for the nutrients in the soil and reaches upward for the life-giving rays of the sun.

This is not an act of hatred or malice toward its neighbors but an active life and of joy. There is a natural hierarchy in nature and those life forms with the greatest ability to adapt offer the most to each individual species and rise within the hierarchy.

The blade of grass that out competes its neighbors grows stronger and taller and through reproduction disseminates its genetic structure throughout the species. In the same manner the blade of grass that grows in soil where nothing else can grow expands the range of the physical environment where grass can grow. Through reproduction it also disseminates successful adaptive genetic qualities which allow the species to live under varying physical environments.

What of the mediocre blades of grass that are subdued and only managed to hold their own in a stagnant manner? They too are successful. Each blade of grass exists in an environment which is slightly different from its neighbors.

The conditions it faces are unique and contribute to the survival of the species. The blade of grass that dies in a harsh or unfavorable environment or dies because it is crowded out by other blades of grass does not die in vain.

It has tried to exist with every bit of vitality and life available to it and the manner of its struggle is also passed on to the species. In its death the message is made that life cannot exist under these conditions. The species then tends to avoid those and similar conditions that are harmful to it.

A simple blade of grass is not able to try in a halfhearted manner! By its very nature it gives in life all that it is capable of giving. Each plant performs a valuable function not only to its own species but in the releasing of oxygen it contributes to our own lives as well.

In a like manner the human race has a duty to itself and to the rest of the world to do the best it can. It has a duty to try to win in life and through winning make the world a better place for every living thing. There is also a natural hierarchy within the human race.

There are those that rise to the top by crowding out their neighbors. There are also those that rise to the top by expanding our physical world through individual discoveries and products.

If there is fault within the human race the blame is not in these people but in those that refuse to try, those that can’t even summon the strength for a halfhearted attempt at living. Still even those serve a purpose. The added burden they inflict on society has the effect of bringing out greater effort on the part of those that are able.

We all serve a valuable purpose whether we intend it or not. Each of us has our own proper place within the hierarchy of the human race and each of us will achieve that proper place. In fact we already have. Each one of us is in our proper place within the hierarchy of humanity right now

Read Full Post »

In a way the human race is a single organism. You and I are small parts of the body of humanity. The single organism or collective is greater than any single individual and always will be. Even as our toes, fingers and eyes serve us, we in turn serve humanity.

We feel that we have the right to use our toes, fingers and eyes for our own purposes. In the same manner society feels it has the right to use us for its own purposes. Even as we are more powerful than our toes and eyes, society is more powerful than we are.

In an open dispute with society we as individuals can never win. The best we can ever hope for is a win-win situation in which we win and society also wins. But we don’t need to give up our dreams and goals in life.

We do need to make those dreams and goals compatible and congruent with what society expects of us. When we believe society’s wishes for us are in conflict with our own goals our thinking is too restrictive and narrow. We will not achieve our goals in direct opposition to society’s wishes, never.

If a conflict exists it is our thinking that must be altered. There is always a solution which benefits both society and us if we can only find. It. The trick is to never directly oppose society in open conflict because we can never win.

If society says we must act in a certain way and tries to force us into those actions; we have two choices. The first choice is to do nothing. We can alter our personal lives in such a way that we are not in open defiance of the directive, but in a way that we are not in compliance with it either

This is a passive aggressive position and will result in a standoff or stalemate in which neither side wins. As time goes on the pressures of this unresolved conflict will grow more and more serious and the consequences of continued noncompliance will also grow more severe. The ability of society to enforce the directive will decrease as time goes on. If we can resist long enough a solution will present itself that is favorable to us and agreeable to society at the same time. This solution will only come if it is forced through noncompliance and non-action.

During the days of prohibition the manufacture and consumption of alcohol were against the law. This law was not enforceable. Some people acted in open defiance of the law and others altered their lifestyles in a way that was not in open defiance. Some people made their own alcoholic beverages and kept quiet. What they made was for their own personal consumption. They did not try to sell or market the product to the public. These people for the most part were ignored by those trying to enforce the law.

Law enforcement efforts were directed at those individuals who were in open defiance of the law. They were after the bootleggers. They were after the ones that tried to sell directly to the public.

Many people suffered as attempts to enforce this law were made. Many good people lost their lives because of the enforcement of this law. It was finally realized that this law was not enforceable and it was repealed.

To rebel and fight openly against society places one outside the law. It makes them criminals in the eyes of society. There is an invisible line that must never be crossed. If the line is crossed the person becomes an outlaw and will never be able to regain the support of society.

The person who rebels in open defiance of society’s directives runs the risk of crossing that line. The person that uses non-action and quiet defiance does not run that risk. This is the power of the passive aggressive position.

A passive aggressive position is powerful when dealing with social pressures but it is not effective in dealing with individuals. A passive aggressive position taken with individuals will increase the likelihood of more struggle and personal abuse. It will weaken our position in life.

The confrontational and openly defiant position is powerful in dealing with individuals but not in dealing with society. Each time we successfully confront situations and individuals about personal concerns we become empowered through those actions. Each time we act in open defiance of social directives our position is weakened.

This may sound cruel and heartless but let others act in open defiance of unjust laws and social pressures. Let others prove to society that the laws are unjust and unenforceable. Do not become involved because it will severely weaken your position in life and your ability to attain your goals.

In the same manner never use passive aggressive behaviors when dealing with individuals. Never allow someone to make a decision that should have been yours to make. Never give away your power to another individual and expect that individual to use your power in your own best interest. Confront each situation squarely and consistently as it arises.

Your disagreements with society and its social pressures should retain a hazy and nebulous quality which will prevent society from making an example out of you by centering all of its negative force upon you as an individual. Deliberately draw those situations out indefinitely because you cannot win them but with the passing of time your position will become stronger when the situation is finally forced into a resolution. It will at some point be forced into a resolution.

Disagreements with individuals should be clear and definite. Each person should know exactly where the other stands. Each personal conflict should be resolved as soon as it is possible. The longer interpersonal disagreements last the more personal energy and power you lose and with the passing of time your position is weakened and respect is lost.

Self-esteem and respect for each individual are maintained at their highest when difficulties are confronted as soon as possible. Respect and self-esteem are lost when unsatisfactory conditions are allowed to exist for any length of time.

Be able to alter your behavior and use the techniques appropriate for your own personal position at any given time.

The support of society is tremendous when taken advantage of and should not be lightly thrown away or ignored. Social approval, popularity and fame are bestowed upon those that have harmonized personal goals with society’s goals.

In all cases we are rewarded for appropriate behavior and punished for inappropriate behavior. There are social consequences to every action in our lives

Learn to do what works and give up doing what doesn’t work. Fit into our social structure in a harmonious way that is a win-win situation. Realize that society is stronger than we are; only then can we adjust our behavior in ways that will still achieve our goals but not make us outlaws

Strive to do this while retaining personal self-esteem and respect for the individual rights of others. When we do this society also benefits. Society gradually rewards us with positions of increasing influence and our ability to achieve personal goals gradually increases. In this manner everyone wins and everyone remains true to their own inner nature. Everyone remains honest and true to both personal values and social values.

When we do this we will gradually be given our true and proper place within the body of humanity whether it be toes, fingers or eyes.

Read Full Post »

Read Full Post »

Taking physical action is the most powerful thing that we can do in life. It is the most powerful thing we can do to achieve our goals and at the same time the most powerful thing that we can do to avoid achieving our goals.

Physical action always brings some type of physical result. It is vitally important that our physical actions be appropriate and supportive of our personal goals. We must never act blindly or be forced into taking inappropriate actions. When we are overpowered and forced against our will to do some action we should never give in to it.

Each day our resistance must be as real as the day before even if each day we are forced to do things that are not right or things we don’t like to do. The danger lies in giving up and cooperating with no resistance and then persisting in actions that lead to our own destruction.

When we give up we persist in doing the wrong actions even when we are not forced into doing them. We will be broken! Our continued self-esteem requires that our resistance be renewed each day no matter how badly we were beaten yesterday.

If a person decides to quit smoking or any other destructive habit he or she is working against a destructive aspect of his or her inner self. The required action is the same. Never give up no matter how many times you fail. Begin each day with a new resolve and eventually you will gain physical control over the destructive habit.

We must persist in our efforts to achieve success. The personal failures do not count. Each new resolve is cumulative and deals a blow to that destructive aspect controlling our negative action. Each new resolve increases our sense of self-esteem.

It is the continued resolve to alter our behavior that will eventually win against all odds. The only way to develop self-esteem is through continued resolve to do actions that are personally right for us. Self-esteem means to feel good about who we are and what our physical actions are. Self-esteem is the knowledge that we as individuals have the right and ability to get the things that we want in life.

When we give up our self-esteem is seriously wounded and we hate ourselves for our inability to act in a proper manner. When we give up we create wounds that never heal. These wounds drain our vitality and our belief in ourselves. These wounds continued to destroy our vitality until we come back and finish whatever it was that we failed at.

In the face of crushing defeat physical reality is trying to tell us something and we should listen to it. It is not saying that we can’t win. Instead it is saying that we can’t win by continuing our present course of action. Crushing defeat tells us that we are overlooking something extremely important. We must discover what we are overlooking so that we can try again more effectively.

Crushing defeat is a useful tool in discovering actions that can be eliminated as unworkable. When one approach doesn’t work we don’t try that same approach next time. We always use what we have learned from past failures in the selection of a new course of action. We learn from our past mistakes and never repeat the same mistake twice.

The ability to persist is one of the greatest abilities that a person can have. Without the ability to persist no goals will ever be reached. Thus the most important physical action is persistence toward a desired goal.

In addition to persistence curiosity helps us achieve our goals. We should always encourage curiosity in ourselves and in others. To be curious is to be interested in our environment. This means to be more aware of the physical conditions that surround us. Through curiosity we learn about the object of our interest.

Often curiosity can get us into trouble or place us in unfamiliar or uncomfortable situations. These situations often require creative solutions and expand our options and experiences in life. Curiosity is a powerful way to work toward our goals.

Persistence is a gut level determination to achieve the desired goal at any cost. Curiosity is an emotional interest in a desired goal. It is not as strong as persistence but still a valuable tool. Personal goals in life should be those goals we are curious about and have the persistence to achieve. Curiosity has ties to joy and to the creative urge.

Risk-taking should include elements of both curiosity and persistence if it is to succeed. When we persist in actions that hold no desire for us we are killing ourselves. When we persist in actions that hold no interest for us we are killing ourselves. Our persistence must be directed toward things we desire and not toward things we don’t desire.

If we do the same physical actions today that we did yesterday we will get the same physical results tomorrow which we experience today. Only by changing our physical actions in the present moment can we hope to change the physical conditions of our future.

Only by being curious about new things will we be drawn into new physical activities. Physical activities undertaken through curiosity bring us to the life we want – if we persist in them.

Each day we should try to do something no matter how small, something that we are curious about and enjoy doing. We should create the time we need for this physical activity. Each small effort is cumulative and will lead us into the physical reality that we wish to someday experience.

Mental and spiritual work will not alter our physical environment. That type of work is passive. Mental and spiritual work will alter our awareness of our physical environment. Our awareness will change, our world will not.

Mental and spiritual work allows us to adapt to a reality that we cannot change. Physical and emotional work allows us to change our environment into the reality that we desire to experience. We must do each type of work and strive to integrate the results.

Change those physical elements within our power to change and adapt to those physical elements which we cannot change. Too often people will concentrate on spiritual and mental work without the balance of emotional and physical work. Those people never achieve the physical goals in life that they desire. They are so heavenly bound that they are no earthly good!

Others ignore spiritual and mental work and experience defeat after defeat because they are attempting something that is not physically possible to achieve. These people are living in a fantasy world that is not related to reality and it never will be.

It is important that each day some persistent physical effort is devoted to achieving a physical goal and also devoted toward the satisfaction of some curiosity and interest. This physical effort should be in addition to these those physical efforts directed toward spiritual and mental growth. If there is something that we desire to experience in life we must do it!

Read Full Post »