Welcome to my thoughts on Living with Joy, Purpose, and Conscious Choice.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

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Here, I share my thoughts on spiritual power, relationships, simple living, managing stress, work-life balance, career decisions, money, politics, the environment, and much more.

See my self-help articles including How to Move On and How to Succeed, browse my large collection of Inspirational Quotes, and sign-up for my free Daily Inspiration - Daily Quote email and my Positive Affirmation of the Day email.

The content of all my blogs/websites consists entirely of personal opinion.
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Saturday, June 27, 2015

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Causes of Violence

Where there is no emotion,
there is no motive for violence.
- the character Spock in the Star Trek television series


Is the above quote true? What are the real causes of violence?

At first hearing, the Spock quote seems to ring true. A look at the front page of any newspaper would tend to confirm that the world's violent conflicts are caused by emotions run amok: White/Black hatred, Christian/Muslim hatred, Sunni/Shia hatred. A look at individual violence also shows most to have a cause based in emotions: people kill others they are angry with far more often than they commit strong-arm robbery simply out of greed.

On the other hand, non-emotional violence for the purpose of theft has also been around as long as humankind. Think of the Mongols conquering most of Asia  - highly violent, but not emotionally based. Or think of the conquests of Alexander the Great. While it shows up less often in modern life, theft/greed is also a major cause of both personal and institutional violence.


Other perspectives on violence:

The cause of violence ... is self-interest.
- William Sloane Coffin, Jr.


War does not determine who is right -
only who is left.
- Bertrand Russell

Thursday, June 11, 2015

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Disappointment, Root of All Unhappiness



Disappointment is your thought that
God doesn't know what God is doing.
- Neale Donald Walsch

There is a continuum of belief in an omnipotent and benevolent God that runs from "absolutely," through "I hope so," and "maybe," to "absolutely not." [There are also many - such as my wonderful Hindu friends -  who believe in a God or Gods that are not omnipotent, not benevolent, or both, but that is a subject for another day.]

Those who have unswerving faith in an omnipotent and benevolent God can never be disappointed, and are quite likely the happiest among us. Whatever happens in the world or in one's personal life can be regarded as the blessed work of God. If something appears unjust or unfair or evil or immoral, the response of a person of true faith, is not disappointment, but praise: "Clearly, what is happening is good, because it is the work of my omnipotent and benevolent God. If His work appears to my eyes to be flawed, the fault lies with my eyes. I  pray that I may see all God's works as good."

At the opposite end of the spectrum, one who is quite sure the God is a figment of the human imagination can certainly never be disappointed by any expectations of God.

Sunday, June 7, 2015

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Falling in Love

Reader's question: Need advice from you Sir! Is it good to fall in love????

My Reply:

“Fall in love” is such an interesting expression.

It is good to love others.  It is good to have an exclusive sexual relationship in which the partners truly care about, and respect, each other. It is never good to be needy, or to feel dependent upon another.

Love one another but make not a bond of love.
Let it rather be a moving sea
between the shores of your souls.
- Khalil Gibran

Lord, grant that I might not so much
seek to be loved as to love.
- St. Francis of Assisi

Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.
- Rabindranath Tagore

Love is granting another the space to be
the way they are and the way they are not.
- Werner Erhard

Know the power and the peace of saying,
"I love you just the way you are."
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie

Read my article How to Avoid Falling in Love with Love

If you have a more specific question, please email me again at sail7 @ sail7 . com

May the world be kind to you, and may your own thoughts be gentle upon yourself.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie



Thursday, June 4, 2015

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The Dog and the Shadow - A Fable by Aesop


The Dog and the Shadow
 - A Fable by Aesop

It happened that a Dog had got a piece of meat and was
carrying it home in his mouth to eat it in peace.  Now on his way
home he had to cross a plank lying across a running brook.  As he
crossed, he looked down and saw his own shadow reflected in the
water beneath.  Thinking it was another dog with another piece of
meat, he made up his mind to have that also.  So he made a snap at
the shadow in the water, but as he opened his mouth the piece of
meat fell out, dropped into the water and was never seen more.

Beware lest you lose the substance by grasping at the shadow.

Tuesday, June 2, 2015

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Thoughts on Trust

Trust is not necessary when you don't want or need anything.
If you are wondering whether you can "trust" someone,
look closely at what it is you think you need or want from them.

When you need or want nothing, trust is not an issue.
- Neale Donald Walsch

Hmmm?!? Really?

I generally agree with Neale Donald Walsch, and always find his ideas thought provoking. However completely dismissing the value of "trust" seems extreme.

"Trust" seems to me to be yet another of the many domains in which a moderate perspective is best. I do agree that "trust" is generally overvalued by those who are needy and insecure. Consider the demand to "trust" that a relationship will never grow beyond its current boundaries -- that current personal or business partners will never wish to expand and move on. Surely, that exhibits neediness and insecurity.

Love does not claim possession, but gives freedom.
- Rabindranath Tagore


Our loved ones -
whether by blood, by marriage, or by choice -
are delicate treasures.
If we hold them too close, they break -
as a butterfly would.
By honoring and enjoying
the freedom of our loved ones,
we gain our own freedom.
Have the courage to trust that
the beautiful butterflies of your life
will return - or not - as life intends.
- Jonathan Lockwood Huie


On the other hand, I contend that certain levels of trust are essential. You really do need to trust that your spouse won't slit your throat while you sleep. To do otherwise would be paranoid, and create a miserable life.

So where to draw the line on "trust?" When do you believe what your spouse, or your business partner, or your banker, or a politician says -- and when do you verify? It must be a balance -- determined by what gives you the greatest quality of life.

You may be deceived if you trust too much,
but you will live in torment
if you don't trust enough.
- Frank Crane

Anyone who doesn't take truth seriously in small matters
cannot be trusted in large ones either.
- Albert Einstein