My motto in Latin

Greetings and Felicitations,

For years I used a variation on the latin motto which states "a sound mind in a sound body." I have always added something about a developed spirit or a peaceful soul. I finally found a satisfactory Latin translator to convert my version back into the original Latin. This is the guideline that I follow in just about everything I do. 

mens sana in corpore sano in muneris ut a pacis animus

A sound mind in a sound body in service to a peaceful soul.

Sincerely Yours,

C. David Neely

Respect the individual instead of their allegiance

Greetings and Felicitations,

Several recent posts and comments have started me thinking about respecting people and things. I have always taken the attitude that people deserve respect but only for what they actually promote. A poster in a politics forum was incensed at Bill Maher's attacks against religion. Her basic point of view is that being a believer somehow qualifies you for automatic respect based on that simple fact. My point of view is that being religious was great but its what you do with that religion that matters.

The current state of the Middle East is a crucial example. There are multiple players in that area who have taken the wrong message from their religion. They are not good examples of what religion can bring to the table. Instead of embracing the message of love and realizing that each person has value they have taken the approach that the individual is worthless. They believe that the religion is the important thing. 

A similar kind of thing happens with regards to political affiliation. I often hear that Republicans are bad or Democrats are good. The same rule applies to politics that applies to religion. Its not the affiliation that makes a person good or bad but what the person does with that affiliation. Conservative, capitalist, socialist and Libertarian are all useless classifications. Above all you should look to the person instead of the allegiance.

Sincerely Yours,
C. David Neely

Truth and Deception

Greetings and Felicitations,

Truth. The word is hard and the ideal is even harder. However, our failings truth is what we should strive towards. I have had my failings and I accept them. I have had my failings and am still seeking to correct them to the best of my abilities. Sometimes I still fail but that is part of being human.

The hard part is accepting to ourselves that we have lied. Some people seek to deny their deceptions and instead become belligerent when faced with their falsehoods. Even when multiple people have been witness to their continued deceptions and especially when they are so horrible at it. If you have told people over and over again that you have done something and have been caught by multiple people in your falsehoods then you should not get upset when they call you what you are: a liar. If you don't want to be called a liar then there is a simple solution: don't lie.

I seek to make my life a path of truth. I didn't used to live this way but I have learned my lessons in life. Deception helps no one and does you great damage. There are many people who insist that they live rational lives. However, their lives are the epitome of deception especially to themselves. Turning the eye of truth towards oneself is the hardest thing in the universe to do. Most people don't want to examine their inner natures to the point where they can see their own foibles. 

If you truly want to heal yourself the only way is to face the truth of your inner deceptions. You will never heal your inner turmoil until you say to yourself I have lied. I have lied to myself. I have lied to others. When you do this, then and only then, can you correct those deceptions to yourself.

It is not easy. It is not the simple path. It is not the things we won't to do. It is, in fact, the thing we don't want to do. However, there is no other way.

Sincerely Yours,

C. David Neely

The Rational Response to Insult

Greetings and Felicitations,

The rational response to insult.

"There is no insult where none is taken," Surak of Vulcan.

When presented with an insult the rational person has several different responses dependent on the truth of the insult. The important issue is to remain calm while analyzing the validity and impact. A prime point to remember is that you cannot be insulted unless you accept the insult.

An insult may be truth or untrue.

The simplest response comes from the untrue insult. If there is no validity to the insult then nothing futher needs to be done. It can simply be accepted as the person making the insults opinion. An opinion is a mental awareness of an issue that is based solely on personal experience and tends to be filtered through someone's previous mental programming.

If the insult is based on some fact it has to be analyzed using two criteria.

The fact is true but something that you cannot, or will not, change. Insults based on facts that cannot be changed tend to follow the general direction of a natural characteristic. A person might insult your skin color, your sexuality, your gender and related areas. These issues are unchangeable and aren't actually a problem. The onus of change is placed on the person who perceives this as an insult and a problem. 

The fact is true but something that you can, and are, willing change. The response to these insults are simple. Correct it. A typical insult from this area might directed towards your ignorance of a subject.

Sincerely Yours,

C. David Neely

My "Temple of Peace" poem

I wrote this poem several years ago.

I make my body a Temple of Peace; 
At one with myself and my being. 
I make my heart a Temple of Peace; 
Flowing with love for all those who surround me. 
I make my mind a Temple of Peace; 
Acting with calmness and clarity throughout all. 
I make my eyes a Temple of Peace; 
Looking with compassion on all I see. 
I make my ears a Temple of Peace; 
Listening with truth to all that I hear. 
I make my spirit a Temple of Peace; 
At one with the spirit of the Divine. 
I make my home a Temple of Peace; 
A place of love and warmth. 
I make my city a Temple of Peace; 
A welcoming place to all who search. 
I make my nation a Temple of Peace; 
Acting with compassion for all it affects. 
I make my world a Temple of Peace; 
A home for all and a place of love. 
I make my Universe a Temple of Peace; 
Acting with divine accord. 
I make my reality a Temple of Peace; 
Peace toward all and with compassion filled. 
I make myself a Temple of Peace.
By C. David Neely

Greetings

Greetings and Felicitations,

My name is David and these are my thoughts on the evolution of the world and humanity. I am a philosopher and a thinker. I imagine a better world for my children and my other descendants. However, the current changes to the global network are troubling to me. It seems that, despite our best efforts, we are on the verge of a major systemic reboot. 

The global economy is in shambles. The end result of decades and centuries of greed and avarice are finally coming to fruition. The very people who orchestrated this decline are finding ways to profit in the middle of everyone's loss. The really wealthy people aren't going to suffer but those among the poor and the not-so-poor will find their lives greatly impoverished and wanting. 

We are running out of fresh water because our systems aren't designed to consider long term issues. The impact of the degradation of the water supply is starting to effect the supply of food and imposing drought conditions. The temperature is in flux because of our impacts the atmosphere. Our societies are becoming despondent and disconnected even though more people live in close contact than ever before.

I think the reality is that humanity is in the beginnings of a re-birthing. This re-birthing is going to be just like all births -- painful. I just hope that the humans that come out on the other side of the birth canal are smarter and wiser than we are.

Sincerely Yours,

C. David Neely