Articles

My Advice to Me

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My freshman year of college on the b-ball team. Didn't have a clue.
My freshman year of college on the b-ball team. Didn’t have a clue.

 

Hey Young Jonathan, it is time to put the toys away. Put down the beer bottle and pay attention, I have to send you a message that will change your life.  It will make you more successful, happier and in the end me.

This is a post I have often seen and wanted to do.  I have been endowed with the incredible talent to send this back in time to myself at 18 years old, I can only tell myself five things or it would be a book, not a blog.  I have gone a lot of miles in the last 29 years and I should have a lot of good advice for me.  You can be the judge of the value, I can only provide what I have.

 

YOU ARE SMART

Hey Jonathan, for much of the last five years or so, people have kindbeen telling you that you are not that intelligent.   And the worst part is that you believe them.  People are making judgments about you because you had a hard time with the system.

 

Homework is not your thing, and yes you could have tried harder, but I know that most of that time you were a walking ball of hormones and being in school was just a social occasion for you.  It didn’t mark your intelligence, that is inside you.  Start to believe in this now, college gets easier for you and by the time you are an adult, you realize how easy learning is, particularly when it is on your terms and about things you like.  You are smart, you have always known it, don’t hide who you are because it is easy!

Be Yourself

0-0-namka15Much of your life is going to be spent worrying about what others think for some reason.  It is a silly waste of time, because you will only be happy, really happy when you accept who you are and do what makes you happy.

You like to write and create, but for much of your life you will be scared to be creative.  Fear is just a thought Jonathan and you need to face the world with the love that is in your heart.  Be accepting of others and they will be accepting of you.  BE Yourself, because the one thing I have learned, that I am absolutely sure of is that the person that you are is OK.

Understand Friendship

imagesFriendship is a crazy thing.  Understand that all friendships are formed around a shared experience with someone else.  Do not hesitate to open the door to more shared experiences and more friends.  Don’t judge others too harshly because you will notice that you can only criticize in others, what you know is inside yourself.   Rather than judge, open your heart and accept all people as friends when you have the chance.

 

Understanding the nature of friendship is to realize that people will come into and fall out of your life.  Some may enter again later and some you may never see again.  When the shared experience that makes you friends is gone, most often so are the friends.  Work is a shared experience, a hobby is a shared experience and life can be.  Don’t expect too much of a friendship, because in many cases they will let you down.

 

But understand that when your eyes are open, there are new friends and experiences coming down the road.  Most often they are going to teach you just what you need to know, and help you survive the shared experience you are having right now.   Follow your nature Jonathan, make more friends, and let them move in and out of your life without judgment or expectation.

It isn’t All About YOU

Jonathan, there is one aspect of your life that I want you to change, centeroftheuniverseand that is to be less selfish.  You put yourself first in too many situations and that is no way to live.  As you only worry about yourself and what you have.  The focus of your life is your existence and eventually the only thing in your life will be you.

 

One of the secrets of life I have learned is that the more you give, the more you get.  It is a simple thing, but when you are acting self-centered you can’t see it.  Give to others freely and without expectation of reward and…………………..you are rewarded.  Life has quite a sense of humor.  This is true in relationships, jobs, money and every aspect of life.  Giving always allows you to receive.

Read more, Open Your Mind

It will take a long time for you to really start to grasp how the world works Jonathan.  I have run across people who are in their 20’s and have their shit together, so I know it is possible.  Read some books and pay attention to the ideas they share.

 

Read “The Game of Life and How to Play It” by Florence Scovel Shinn and really think about it.   Understand that each thought that you have in your head matters. Those you entertain really matter and will affect your experience in life.  You have the ability to decide which thoughts are entertained in your mind, and your thoughts will dictate how you act in life, treat other people and what comes into your life.

 

This is important.  More important than playing golf, more important than the time you waste doing nothing, and certainly more important than any of the television you watch.  Once you read this book, follow the progression and read what seems natural, my suggestion is Believe in Yourself by Joseph Murphy.   As you read, your mind will expand, and we can start making good decisions earlier on in life.  Then as I write this I will be president or at least I will be rich.  You can’t be stopped once the light of intellect is sparked and you look at the world with an open heart and mind.

 

So there it is, a long message to myself.  If I knew myself from the past, you will stop reading after the first paragraph.  But don’t worry I included plenty of pictures so you will be entertained. Like most people, I don’t really want you to change a thing, because I think we have ended up in a good place and the future is wide open.

 

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Poetry

Possible

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Possible

imagine-what-is-possibleby Jonathan Hilton

Lost in a flow of unfamiliar folks. Found in an instant by you.

Thinking and resigned to my fate, there is a waking up that leads me here.

I don’t know where I’ve been for so long, now I am sure it’s time to move on.

Moving on into the abyss of the dark, scary, exciting and inevitable.

not possible to know if circumstances will improve, but moving forward is the only thing to do. It is then you will find the message with only your name, left just for you.

The loneliness of life can at times totally swallow your soul, if you are not careful, there will be only a weak surface joy in life. Digging deeper with all you have will reveal the truth.

anything is possibleTry not to fear this change, and fight the instincts to run for safety, move boldly.

Strength of nerve will bring understanding so move boldly without hesitation.

There is no limit on your path, your potential is infinite, unless you choose to struggle.

All barriers before you fall, loneliness leaves, contentment grows, as it should.

When your beliefs are working with our dreams, this is a time in your life when …..

ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE!

 

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How Great I Am

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How Great I am Muhammad Ali
How Great I am!

by Jonathan Hilton

There are many motivating things that I have come across over that past two years, and one of the most motivating people of the last half of the 20th century has been Muhammad Ali, championship boxer.

Not because he was a great boxer, but because he transcended boxing and provided inspiration that can be applied to every day life.

It doesn’t really matter what your goals are or what you really want to accomplish, if you believe in yourself like Ali did, you will have an excellent chance of achieving your goals.  I publish his affirmations with a sense of pride, because I know “How Great I Am.”

I am sure that Ali never thought that his thoughts from so long ago would ever amount to anything more than motivation for the fight he was about to undertake.  He even admitted himself that he was trying to convince himself and everybody else that he was the greatest, if he said it often enough and loud enough, people would start to believe him.

This is true to all of us, if you say how great you are, and believe it, you will be!

Below is the most motivational video of all time.  Watch it and you will feel that there is nothing you can’t do.

One of his poems The Legend of Cassius Clay:

This is the legend of Cassius Clay,

I Can Fly Muhammad Ali
I Am The Greatest

The most beautiful fighter in the world today.
He talks a great deal, and brags indeed-y,
Of a muscular punch that’s incredibly speed-y.
The fistic world was dull and weary,
But with a champ like Liston, things had to be dreary.
Then someone with color and someone with dash,
Brought fight fans are runnin’ with Cash.
This brash young boxer is something to see
and the heavyweight championship is his destiny.
This kid’s got a left, this kid’s got a right,
If he hit you once, you’re asleep for the night.

Ali provided the examples of great personal affirmations that anyone can use to help motivate them to accomplish any thing.

After defeating Sonny Liston the most feared fighter of his time, this affirmation was spoken:

“I knew I had him in the first round. Almighty God was with me. I want everyone to bear witness, I am the greatest! I’m the greatest thing that ever lived. I don’t have a mark on my face, and I upset Sonny Liston, and I just turned twenty-two years old. I must be the greatest. I showed the world. I talk to God everyday. I know the real God. I shook up the world, I’m the king of the world. You must listen to me. I am the greatest! I can’t be beat!”

Before fighting Ernie Terrell in 1967 Ali let the world know what he thought of his opponent.

I think Terrell will catch hell at the sound of the bell.
He’s going around saying that he’s a championship-fighter,
but when he meets me he fall 20 pound lighter.
He thinks that he’s the real heavy weight champ
but when he meets me, he’ll just be a tramp
Now I’m not sayin’ just to be funny, but I’m fightin’ Ernie because he needs the money

Last night I had a dream, When I got to Africa,
I had one hell of a rumble.
I had to beat Tarzan’s behind first,
For claiming to be King of the Jungle.
For this fight, I’ve wrestled with alligators,
I’ve tussled with a whale.
I done handcuffed lightning
And throw thunder in jail.
You know I’m bad.
just last week, I murdered a rock,
Injured a stone, Hospitalized a brick.
I’m so mean, I make medicine sick.
I’m so fast, man,
I can run through a hurricane and don’t get wet.
When George Foreman meets me,
He’ll pay his debt.
I can drown the drink of water, and kill a dead tree.
Wait till you see Muhammad Ali.

Muhammad Ali was the greatest because he not only professed his ability and went on to back it up, he also led the way for all people, everywhere, if you truly believe that you are the best, the greatest and you will succeed, then there is no power on the face of the Earth that can stop you from achieving and experiencing your greatness.  How Great I am!

Other Muhammad Ali quotes I like.

I’m retiring because there are more pleasant things to do than beat up people.

Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head.

Frazier is so ugly that he should donate his face to the US Bureau of Wildlife.

It’s just a job. Grass grows, birds fly, waves pound the sand. I beat people up.

I’m not the greatest; I’m the double greatest. Not only do I knock ’em out, I pick the round

Since I won’t let the critics seal my fate, they keep hollering I’m full of hate.
But they don’t really hurt me none, ’cause I’m doing good and having fun.

Conclusion:

There is no person alive who can tell you that you are not capable.  There is no person alive who can tell you that you don’t have the talent.  There is no person alive who can tell you you are no good, washed up, a loser….only you can tell yourself these things.  You have the talent to be the greatest at whatever it is that you decide to do.  You simply have to believe how great you are, fight all the critics, enjoy the journey and in the end you will be The Greatest.

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Tranquil Dreams Visits Life of Jonathan

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by Jonathan Hilton

A Great Visit

This world of blogging is a strange world indeed. You read blogs, leave comments and begin to feel like you actually know the people you are talking with.  Yesterday I had the great

Kim (left) of Tranquil Dreams visited the Life of Jonathan the other day. It was awesome.
Kim (left) of Tranquil Dreams visited the Life of Jonathan the other day. It was awesome.

fortune of actually meeting one of my blog friends in person and to make them an actual friend.

If you have never read Tranquil Dreams then you don’t know Kim.  She writes eloquently about food, books and especially movie reviews.  I enjoy reading her work and what I like best is that she always has a friendly and encouraging comment to share with you when you visit her blog.

Kim told me she was coming to Maine awhile ago, and I was hoping that we could meet in person when she was here.  We were able to work out the details and I was able to spend some time with Kim and her awesome boyfriend Eric.  They were kind enough to humor me and listen to my stories about camp and life.

For me it was a thrill, and if Montreal is full of people like Eric and Kim, I definitely have to visit there.

I hope anybody who is coming to the area, gets in touch with me to arrange a meeting, it was amazing to meet your blog friends in person.    Also in the picture, Kim makes me look really tall.

Questions

The Influx

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By Jonathan Hilton

Day 68

In life there aren’t many experiences which bring large numbers of positive people into your life at once.  Each person making a lasting impact on you, whether it is big or small.  If you are a reader of this blog, then you have noticed my absence recently.

The great crew from camp after an unexpected dip in the lake. It cost me a phone but it was well worth it.
The great crew from camp after an unexpected dip in the lake. It cost me a phone but it was well worth it.

I had great intentions of being able to keep writing while working the hours that this great experience requires for the short-term.  Unfortunately life has gotten in the way, and my intermittent contributions will have to do until the middle of August.

Inspiration comes from life, and I think that to live your life to the fullest and gather the lessons that each day has to teach, you need other people in it.  There is a sign in my current office which I did not put there, but it serves to remind me about the impact that people have.  It states. “Everyone brings joy to this office.  Some when they enter. Some when they leave. ”  I have found these words to be true.

My current occupation is as an administrator at a small summer camp in Maine.  It is a fantastic place, and the staff that works here consists of tremendous young people.  I often hear people complain about the younger generation and the fact that they lack work ethic or morals.  I would challenge them to spend a day with the counselors at our camp.  You would be bowled over by character, determination, hard work and just plain decency.  They are all good kids who contribute greatly to the successful running of the camp.

Selfishly, the influx of all of these great people has made me a better person.  All people get down, and need an encouraging word from time to time.  Without even knowing that they are doing it, almost without exception this group of young people has encouraged me daily, and inspired me not only to advocate for them, but to remember my younger self and the dreams and inspiration that come along with it.

Often times as life moves along we tend to minimize the number of people in our lives as we become set in our ways and interests.  I know that I have been less likely to venture out of that comfort zone to stretch to try new things.  This entire experience has been a stretch and a growing experience.  I know that it is only for a short season, which gives me the strength to carry on through all difficult circumstances and also reminds me to cherish the moments that do come along.

Each and every person in this adventure, those that are here and those that have moved on have made an incredible impact on my life in a very short time.   From the owners to the girl who washes the clothes.  I am truly lucky to have been able to be impacted by these great people.  I am sure that just as quickly as we all came together, we will all separate at the end of the summer, but  the memories of this experience will last with me for the rest of my life.

 

Questions

Seeking Yourself

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It’s Tough To Find Quiet Today

Seek Moments of Solitude
No Man is an Island

by Jonathan Hilton Day 65

As our society has evolved to produce more and more entertainment for people to enjoy, the moments available for actual individual, creative thought have become few and far between.

I know that personally, there were times where I was entertained during every moment of my free time.  It was common to turn the television on  immediately when I got home to add noise to a quiet house, to having music playing all night long to, “help me sleep”, it was a non-stop bombardment of my senses that was actually distracting me from engaging in any original thought at all.

When you look at how our young people choose to live life, it is even worse, between Ipods, computers, video games and television, there is very little left for the imagination to do for them.  They are living an amusement park ride of the senses, allowing for outside influences to supply the entertainment, not developing their individual thoughts or imagination.  This is not everybody, but a large portion of the youth today.

 

Finding Your Thoughts In The Quiet

time for solitude
Solitude

Solitude is not a dirty word.  As we are developing as people, it seems like you are constantly judged by how many friends you have and that if you are ever by yourself then you must have a problem.

That is not true, what you need to develop is an ability to be by yourself and to use that time not as a sign of social dissatisfaction, but to use it as a time to develop your individual creativity and thoughts.

It is in this time alone that you will be able to find your original thoughts and understand the many experiences that you have.  If you find a quiet time without any distraction and allow your mind to work unfettered by any outside influence, you will experience original thoughts, no matter how intelligent you feel you are.

You will find your own thoughts in the quiet times.  You will be surprised what you will be able to create and understand in that time all by yourself.  You will find many of the things that you are passionate about as well as being able to glean wisdom and understanding from the experiences you have had throughout your life.  You will also start to really notice all of the rich details in the things around you that previously you were oblivious to.

Knowing Yourself is The Ultimate Reward For Solitude

Probably the best thing that finding a little solitude will give you is a much deeper understanding of yourself.  What makes you happy?  What makes you sad? You will find the things that make you smile, and the things that break your heart.

There are many things that people like to do with others and you need to have contact with many people to be a well rounded individual.  But I also think that it is important to find moments of pure solitude so that you understand what parts of yourself you have to offer to others.

So challenge yourself to find some moments of solitude, and to think original thoughts that are yours and yours alone.  All of those in your life will appreciate you and your unique thoughts more than you can imagine.  Give it a try.

Quotes on Solitude:

“Solitude is as needful to the imagination as society is wholesome for the character.” ~James Russell Lowell

” Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a quiet in a crowded day—-like writing a poem or saying a prayer.  What matters is that one be for a time inwardly attentive.” ~ Anne Morrow Lindbergh

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.” ~Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

“In solitude we give passionate attention to our lives, to our memories, to the details around us.” ~ Virginia Woolf

‘In meditation it is possible to dive deeper into the mind to a place where there is no disturbance and there is absolute solitude.  It is at this point in the profound stillness that the sound of the mind can be heard.” ~A.E.I. Falconar

“O Solitude, the soul’s best friend, That man acquainted with himself dost make.” ~Charles Cotton

“Solitude is the nurse of enthusiasm, and enthusiasm is the true parent of genius.” ~ Isaac D’Israeli

“One of the pleasantest things in the world is going on a journey; but I like to go by myself.” ~William Hazlitt

“I am sure of this, that by going much alone a man will get more of a noble courage in thought and word than from all the wisdom that is in books.” ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

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Teach Your Children

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Advice That All Kids Ignore

ignore advice
Nobody ever listens

by J.D. Hilton  Day 64

When I was teaching high school, after about ten years or so, I thought that I was a pretty intelligent person.

I had seen a lot of kids come and go and continually I saw them make the same mistakes with their lives.   I wanted to tell all of the new students that were coming my way how to avoid all of the pitfalls that ensnared so many of their predecessors, but it seemed that  if you try to tell any kid anything, they have a severe case of selective hearing.

If you are over 25 there is no way that you could ever know anything that would relate to their life in any way.  It doesn’t matter what you are trying to teach them.  They will not listen when you tell them your own experiences.

The only thing you can do is condense everything you want them to know into small spoon sized portions that they will remember without even realizing it.  Once the thought is in their head, there is not much they can do about it.

They can ignore it, but the rules are always there, or at least I thought so.  It has been years since I had even thought about the three rules, but was reminded recently about how I told them to my advisee group when they were freshmen in high school, and probably to every class I ever taught.  They were worth telling then and worth listening to now.  At least I think so, and this is my blog so…………….here you go!

Rule number one  –  Always Wear You’re Seat Belt

wear your seatbelt
rule number 2

The reason for this rule was self explanatory to me, I had seen several lives cut tragically short because of car accidents.  Seeing a life end so prematurely and to possibly be preventable was a no brainer to me.  Having experienced that, I never wanted to have that experience because of one of those kids I was talking to.  Wearing a seat belt is the law and it makes sense.  I know that you can still be critically injured in a car accident even when you wear all safety equipment, but if wearing a seat belt can prevent you from dying and all of the suffering that comes along with it, then why wouldn’t you?  So wear your seat belt, it’s the law and someone out there cares about you enough.

Rule number two- Don’t Drink or Do Drugs

Such an adult thing to say to a kid, but one that I always wanted to at least say.  As adults most of us have either directly experienced the affects of drugs and/or alcohol either through direct practice or indirect observation.  There is one fact

Don't Do Drugs
Ozzy wishes he hadn’t

that I could never get over, and that was that I never heard any good reason to do either of these things.  How many lives have been destroyed because of these vices.  Alcohol has been marketed to the young through the media for decades, and is always portrayed as bringing a good time with it, when in truth you are ingesting small amounts of poison into your body willingly to change your perception of reality.  The sad part is that no matter how much you drink or how many drugs you do, they won’t improve your reality.   Nobody says when they are a kid, “Gee, I want to be an alcoholic or a drug addict when I grow up.”   , still we have so many.  I do not judge these people, because we are all just one or two different decisions away from someone else’s  problems.  I can see that using these substances inevitably leads to misery and it all can be avoided by following rule number two, I also know that I would have more of a chance of reversing the law of gravity than to have this advice be listened to, much less followed.

Rule number three- Don’t Have Sex Until You Are Married

dont have sex until your married
Nobody listens to this!

Talk about unrealistic.  I had seen how so many lives had been changed by the unexpected pregnancy that resulted from unsafe premarital sex.

In hind sight, it would have been more productive to say, don’t have unsafe sex.  But I was idealistic at the time, I have become more of a realist over time.

I would still encourage waiting to have sex though.  Again, our kids are bombarded with messages at younger and younger ages that sexuality should be exploited.

The factor I think nobody ever talks about is that sex is more than a physical act it is an emotional one as well.  And most often, almost without exception, these emotions can overwhelm you if you are not ready for them.  Not to mention the unplanned pregnancy that could result.

Once you have made the decision to have sex, you have to be ready to pay the consequences.  They may be immediate or they may come back to you twenty years later.  Whatever the case, you have to be ready to accept that responsibility, because it is a part of the deal.  I also in retrospect feel very hypocritical about saying this, because I didn’t practice it when I was young, but I guess because of this I also am the voice of experience.

 Conclusion

As I have gotten older and moved away from teaching and been able to look at things from a distance, I know that as people we try to develop rules to protect ourselves from being hurt.

Unfortunately, life is full of random acts that you will never be able to avoid no matter how many rules you make.  Life is going to happen and sometimes uncomfortable stuff will happen to you.  If you survive all of that random crap, accidents, sickness and failed relationships, and you can recognize them for what they are, just things that happen in life, you can still enjoy the hell out of what is left.

Questions

The End of The World

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If you knew the world was ending tomorrow, who would you make sure you visited today?

end of the world
The Mayans thought it was going to happen in 2012, yet here we are!

by Jonathan Hilton  Day 54

Knowing the world would end tomorrow would make me want to see a lot of people today, for a number of reasons, but I think that this question is good motivation to look at how we value people and how we let relationships drift away into indifference for a multitude of reasons.

So I am going to split the people into categories and explain the reasons for each.  One thing is for sure it would be one busy day.

Family First

First of course there would be family that I would want to see, so that I could make sure that they were ready for the impending destruction.  I would want to say thank you for all that you did in my life and that I am very grateful for the kindness and that I love them all very much, ask if there was anything I could do for them on that last day.

Each relationship in that familial web is important and I would hope that I could get to them all.  I know how much I miss the ones that are gone already, they are with me every day and I am not sure about what would happen if the world ended, but as long as I was able I would be carrying them with me.

Forgiveness
I have a clear conscience in this area

Friendship Is Important

Second I would want to visit all of the friends that I have met over the years to say good bye and reminisce about good times shared, and all of the funny memories we had, so that I could tell them how much I appreciated spending some time on this journey with them.

There are many friends from all of the different phases of my life and I guess I would have to use Skype to talk with some of them, but if I could I would talk to them.

The people I grew up with are as dear to me today as anyone, because there is a shared experience of childhood that could not be faked or manipulated.  We knew each other, both the good and the bad, and there was a support and caring there that still exists today.  My high school friends shared a different time with me, but still significant.  The ties you make as a youth are strong even if you don’t see each other on a regular basis.  They don’t break easy.

I went to two different colleges and there are two distinct groups of friends there but they are the people that I really grew up finally with and started to learn about the world.   I have nothing but smiles and great times to share just one more time before the world ends.

Then of course as an adult, there were a lot of people I met through the jobs I have had, but not a lot of them were friends, they were coworkers for the most part.  These “friendships” were clearly only for a short time and they did teach me something, but it is the past where I have found my true friends.

This One Goes Out To You

Next I would find the three people who I was ever in love with in my life.  It might be awkward because I haven’t seen any of them in years.  but I would want to tell each of them that regardless of my actions, I take responsibility for them.  They had an impact

peaceful lake
A nice peaceful place for the end of the world

on me and I have carried it with me for my entire life.  Not the bad things but the good times the memories that made me a better person. They still are making me better today.  I am grateful that we shared whatever we shared.

Forgive Everyone

Time is getting short so I would want to at least call some people I feel like there are unresolved issues with.  To tell them that I forgive them and am sorry for my part in any pain they experienced.

Life is full situations that provide you with a choice, I made some that were universally good and some that might be construed as bad for everyone.  Whenever the end does come these petty things are not going to be on my mind. I send best wishes to those who are angry and hope they find happiness before their ending.  I forgive them for anything they did to me.

Finally

That being done, if I had any time left I would go to a spot that was special to me, there are several and await the end of the world with anticipation, and not be afraid in the least bit. What good would that do? The world is ending and there isn’t anything you can do about it, might as well enjoy the spectacle.

Is there any other song appropriate for this post?

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What Price Would You Pay?

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Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?

Would you be willing to reduce your life expectancy by 10 years to become extremely attractive or famous?
10 years for fame or beauty

by Jonathan Hilton  Day 51

There is no way I would forfeit one day of my life to become extremely attractive or famous because I simply think that both things are subjective and are they really worth it?

Now there are some things that I might seriously consider this proposition but for being attractive or famous I don’t think it would be worth it.

Being Attractive is definitely not worth it

First of all there is the attractive part.  This assumes that being attractive is a purely physical thing, and if I am going to be judged purely on the physical then what about my thoughts, my

attractive not worth it
Beauty is on the inside

creativity and all of the other things which I think are pretty good about me, that make me, me?

Besides I think that many of the problems our society stems from our obsession with physical beauty. Which to one person is different than to another.

When you look at your life and your development as a human being, would you give back the knowledge, understanding and wisdom that you have collected over the years?

Looks are fleeting, but your character lasts forever.  In the end, isn’t a higher intellect and human understanding much more attractive to the right kind of people anyway?

Beauty is subjective and changes, and those who value the aesthetic over the substance of a person tend to be shallow.  Why would you care what they think of how you looked? Those who you would care about would see your value and beauty no matter what your looks were.

I have known very attractive people on the outside who are really unattractive on the inside, and every one seems to be unhappy.

Fame Is Fleeting

When it comes to fame, I think that living ten years of life would be more valuable than

fame is costly and fleeting
What Price For Fame?

whatever fame could bring to you.  I think that being famous is a double edged sword, because everything that you do is thrown wide open for the world to see.

There seems to be very little that famous people keep to themselves, and that might be difficult.

I would never deny a certain human desire to have your thoughts and talents appreciated by others, and that fame might lead to some validation of what you have thought or done.

However, there is another side that will inevitably come with that, of judgment of your entire life.

Everything that you ever did, or anyone that you have ever known would have a piece of you that could be distributed for cash reward.  Real friends are hard to find in any case, I think with fame you would never know who your friends were or what the real intentions of people were.

So I think fame might be interesting, but not worth ten years of my life. Think of all of the experiences you can have in ten years.  There will be beautiful days, great relationships, love, gratitude, anything that you can imagine that you could experience in a ten year period would not be worth giving up for fame.

What Would I Give Ten Years For?

Thinking about this I had to try to think of something that I would give up ten years from my life expectancy for and I came up with a few.  First, I think I would do it for the perfect

young forever
We are our experiences, it is all a valuable part of the process.

relationship, but then I think that the perfect relationship exists for everyone so I could have that without giving up ten years of my life, so I would keep the ten years and enjoy the relationship for that time.

I would be tempted to give up ten years on the end of my life to be able to be young again and know then what I know now, because I wouldn’t waste so much time doing things that are so stupid.

Then you realize that all of those experiences were vital in making you who you are. Even though the experiences of your 20’s were often self destructive, self indulgent and downright idiotic, they were a necessary stop on the journey of your life.

True wisdom can never be gained unless you learn the lessons that life has to offer you.  Knowing what it is like to be excessively drunk, lets you know that your decision to not drink at all is smart.

Having meaningless relationships gives you the capacity to appreciate deeper connections with people today. Acting foolish and not valuing your thoughts, allows you the capacity today to appreciate the wisdom that you have attained and the depth that your thoughts take today.

So the short answer would be that I guess there is nothing that I would give up ten years of my life expectancy for, every second is precious, and needs to be cherished and lived to its fullest potential.

When I first heard this song, I was in my thirties, today in my mid forties, I wonder if I have lived my life to it’s fullest. I can only hope that every day I do.

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Questions

Pushing Your Buttons

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Do you push the elevator button more than once? Do you really believe it makes the elevator faster?

pushing elevator buttons
Don’t look at the lights

by Jonathan Hilton Day #44

I am sure there are plenty of different philosophies to answering this question, and I believe the type of person you are will determine your behavior when it comes to elevator button pushing. The differences in this area are not meant to create divisions but to define who we are as people.

Personally when I have the occasion to use an elevator, which surprisingly doesn’t happen very often.  I am transformed into a ten year old boy fascinated with this form of

push the elevator button
once is good, ten times means you mean it

transportation, and just for the record I feel the same way about escalators, stairs that move: where will technology take us next?

When it comes to elevators, I don’t think they would have put all of those buttons on there if they didn’t want them to be pushed.

I think it is something about the fact that they light up when you push them and there is something attention grabbing about lighted numbers, but if I am in an elevator by myself and not in a hurry, I will push all of the buttons and see what happens.

I definitely push both the up and down buttons when you are waiting to get on the elevator.

Maybe it is the power that you feel by pushing a button and summoning a machine to transport you to other places, without having to use those stairs.  Stairs are for losers.  I also believe whole heartedly that if pushing the button once will bring the elevator to you, then pushing it ten times will bring it to you faster. It only makes sense.

The elevator can sense the urgency that pushing the buttons numerous times represents, especially if you do it in a particularly frantic or spastic manner.  The elevator will think, “Geez, must be a very important person in the lobby, forget all these other people who only push the button once.”

The problem comes when you are facing off with another button pusher on a different floor.  You are going to have to hit that button like you’re playing space invaders to get more power than some other frantic button pusher who is obviously not as important or impatient as you are.

Don’t worry about the people in the lobby staring at you and slowly moving away from you, they will really admire your persistence.  So much so that I bet they will just wait for the other elevator to come, so that you can enjoy your well earned ride all by yourself.  As Charlie Sheen said, “Winning!”

singing to elevator buttons
Singing to buttons always works!

There is also a secret trick I have learned to make any elevator understand that I am a person to be taken seriously and to get to my floor quicker, and that is to tap out a song on the button very quickly and to sing along with it.

The best songs for this are  A Little Less Conversation, by Elvis and Sweet Child of Mine by Guns n Roses.  You will really impress everyone in the building as you loudly and quickly sing these songs to the rhythm you are banging on the elevator buttons.

So remember that pushing the button on an elevator many times is always better than just once, show the world that you are the type of person who controls their own destiny and push that button 60 times in quick rapid fashion.  You may set a new speed record for elevator travel.  (note: I really don’t think that people who use stairs are losers.)

For apparantly different reasons, Flo Rida likes elevators too!

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Personal Growth, Self Improvement, Positive Thinking