Be Like Water

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adapt, balance, Beauty, brenton, bruce, Challenges, complete, courage, definite purpose, determination, divine, Freedom, Happiness, Humanity, Inspiration, lee, Life, mystery, ocean water, peace, Philosophy, purpose, water, weyi, Writing

“Water can flow and it can crash.” – Bruce Lee

It is the liquid of life. One of the purest and most powerful forces ever created. When it wants to be, it can be a harbinger of danger and destruction.

But at its essence, the phenomenon of water is one of balance. And here is why everyone should emulate this powerful element.

Definite Purpose

From engaging in osmosis within your body, to flowing through lakes, streams, rivers, and eventually to the ocean, water is constantly moving – and it does so with definite purpose. It knows where its headed, and it lets nothing be an obstacle.

It’s fluid and malleable, which allows it to seep through the smallest cracks and gently flow over tiniest pebbles. It’s unified and persistent in its greater force, which allows it to wear down even the greatest mountains and create canyons and crevasses.

It’s completely balanced in this determined movement. Sometimes, you’ll see it softly passing you by in continuous consistency. Other times, you’ll hear it raging by with the roar heard in a veld as it surges through any surface in its path. And every so often, you’ll see it bring its greatest brute force. Force in the form of heavenly walls that rival that of Troy and could level any city without a moment’s notice. Force in the form of torrential storms that could transform any street to a dense wetland.

However it chooses to get there, water will get there, any time, every time – without fail.

Adaptability

If you put water in a frigid environment, it will freeze and become ice – completely blending in to its frosted surroundings. If you tell it to become air, it will turn into vapor and suspend itself above the earth in the form of majestic clouds.

If you put water in a cylinder, it will become a cylinder. If you put water in a sphere, it will become a sphere. Water is the ultimate chameleon. It will mold and transfigure itself into the very environment that it finds itself in. It is always evolving, and it is always unchanging.

Mystery

We have made vast discoveries about the human body, about the trees and plants that traverse our lands, and even about the space that surrounds our Earth, solar system, and galaxy. And yet, we understand so little about our cosmic oceans.

We only have a literal surface understanding of the oddities that reside in the depths of the Earth’s waters. We are constantly discovering further species and sub-species, with no visible end in sight.

Water is the perfect representation of the difficulty and worthiness of knowing the self. It’s contained in environments where we see it constantly, yet there is infinite depth to explore. There are constantly changing landscapes and moods within which it is contained. It is always slowly revealing itself in its deft and sometimes dangerous forms.

Beauty

In small units, water appears clear. In larger quantities, it reveals itself in the most pristine shades of blue. When it takes the form of snow flakes, it’s wondrous lattice structures are unique and singularly breathtaking – never being duplicated.

Its ice can be crafted into masterful sculptures. Its likeness has been etched into the ages in the form of paintings by masters like Hokusai. Its peace has been shared in calm moments of tranquil contemplation by thinkers, writers and creators throughout the ages. The rosy tips of sunlight reflecting off of the ocean’s ceiling has mesmerized members of the human race since our inception.

We’ve listened to it drip outside of our dwellings and have smelled its sweet odor slowly sift through the air.

Balance

Place a drop of water on a flat surface, and it will remain there – still – until disturbed by another force or escaping into evaporation as it continues its ever-flowing cycle.

It is one of the only chemical substances that is naturally neutral. It can combine with nearly any other substance and make itself a vessel for new physical unions.

In moderation, it is cure. It excess, it is poison. No matter how many times you strike it, it cannot be injured, cannot be wounded. It holds its own identity, its own form, and simultaneously contains your image and the image of all worldly objects that dare to hold its gaze. It retains a soft hardness and a hard softness amid all of the magnanimous wonders that reside in its presence.

Life

Water is timeless; it is the most generous of all elemental forces. It gives indirect and direct life to all things. It gives life to the world. It gives life to you.

Like Water

Water is determination. Water is fluidity. Water is depth. Water is aesthesia. Water is peace. Water is divinity. Water is complete.

Make yourself like water, and you too will be complete.

 

Brenton Weyi is a philosopher, writer and social entrepreneur  His company, Groupe Weyi, works with villagers in Central Africa to create lasting change through fair trade of resources. Find more of his writing on Orastories, and follow him on twitter @bweyi

Dance With Your Fears Pt. 1: What is Fear?

This is Part 1 in an examination on fear; what it is and how we can go about working with our fears to enrich ourselves and make deep progress in life.

What is fear? It’s a feeling that each and every person who was or will be alive will face. Yielding to fear can have insalubrious effects; forcing us to become hostage to the transient whims of the world. However, overcoming fear – or more appropriately: dancing with fear – can make us the master of our own lives in ways that we never could imagine.

The Two Different Types of Fear

Read the rest here…http://orastories.com/dance-with-your-fears-part-1/

Redefining Orastories (a la Ren Mind)

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honesty, human beings

Before I started Orastories, I had this blog.

But, I wanted to bring a new dimension to my writing by synthesizing the amazing experiences that I have had over the years. But through my need to expose myself to as many niches and experiences as possible, I lost a little bit of what I found special about the original blog to begin with.

The last few months have been so very special and formative to me because I continually learned to try to access a deeper level of honesty with myself and with my writing. I enjoy the business world, but I don’t love it. I enjoy personal development, but don’t love the way I’ve been going about it.

This website, to me, was and is an exercise in exposing myself — and the things I truly love — to the world. I try to look at life as deeply as I can. To look at the struggles we all go through as human beings, and to do my absolute best to weave words that make people courageous enough to be honest with themselves, and to give them reasons to create new senses of meaning for themselves…

Read the rest here: http://orastories.com/redefining-orastories/

4 Reasons to Love Your Body

 

This piece is an excerpt from my new ebook 30 in 30: 30 Ways to Improve Your Happiness in 30 Days

1. Because it is one of a kind

Take a look at your fingers, your toes, and everything in between, in all of its divinity and imperfection. There is no other body exactly like yours on this planet — and there never will be. Everything that you see and everything that you feel is completely and entirely unique. What could be more remarkable?

2. Because you were made just the way you were supposed to be

God never makes mistakes, and neither does mother nature. Just like our souls and our minds should be used for purposeful living, as should our bodies. The body is an extension of our self, and though different bodies were made for different tasks, they are all equally important. We all have our own physical challenges and insecurities to deal with, but we should take comfort in the fact that everyone is going through this struggle, and by working to empathize with each other, we can build a better world.

 

Read the rest here: http://orastories.com/4-reasons-to-love-your-body/

Be Proud of Who You Are

We all have our own struggles. Struggles with self-esteem, with divorce, with poor past decisions, with illness, with money, and with so many other facets of life. But, at the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is that you are the only one who has and will ever live your life. As I recited in the poem from yesterday, you know what others may never know, and you can never fool yourself.

Life is hard. Living well is harder. But no matter what, you have to have confidence in your own story, and always know that you have something beautiful and valuable to contribute to the world. You only have this one life to live, and it’s up to you to make sure you enjoy it…

read the rest here: http://orastories.com/be-proud-of-who-you-are/

A Quick Guide to Changing the World

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better, Challenges, change, guide, Happiness, Humanity, improve, Inspiration, Life, Modern, Motivation, product, Reading, Society, world

To my wonderful readers and supporters,

Let me tell you the simple truth: many people want to better this world, but don’t know how. So on my quest to spark as big of an inspiration movement as I possibly can, I decided to present some steps and motivation to all of those wonderful people out there.

As promised, my first free manual is now available! Click here to read it online or download it:

A Quick Guide to Changing the World: Why The World Needs You (And So Do I)

Since it is completely free and represents hours of planning and hard work, all I ask in return is that you spread the word! Repost this post, email the manual, tweet about it, comment on the original post (I’d love your feedback), or however you share the things that matter to you. 

Let’s all create an inspired world together. See the full post with all the goodies here 

– Brenton

My 1,000,000 Word Challenge

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challenge, Fiction, Literature, million, Reading, Words, Writing

Can I Do It? Can I Count On Your Support?

I was sitting at my little writing desk, quietly composing new words to infuse into my novel late into the night — when a thought occurred to me. How many novel pages had I composed this year? How many poems have I written? How many short stories have I put together? 

After going on this train of thought for a few nebulous minutes, I had  come to realize that I had written approx. 175,000 words since the beginning of the year. I then thought about all of the faithful writers who try to write 300,000, or if they’re really crazy, 400,000 words in a year.

read the rest here…http://orastories.com/my-1000000-word-challenge/

Courage: When Everything Goes Wrong

Tags

Challenges, Happiness, Humanity, Inspiration, Motivation, Philosophy, Society

Thank you everyone for your approval on this post. Please “like” this article on my new site, orastories.com if you enjoy it!

This is the actual final post in the waning embers of the Ren Mind. The full switch will be complete by the end of the week. See you at Orastories! 

“Courage is not simply one of the virtues, but the form of every virtue at the testing point.” – CS Lewis

We have all had those moments, you’re enjoying a beautiful sunny day with everything going your way, when all of a sudden you get a phone call or experience a series of events that completely turn your world upside down.

What we don’t have all have is the proper reaction to these situations. Many people fold under pressure or let the difficulty of a life situation leave a lasting negative impact on their state of mind. The people who don’t: are the courageous…

read the rest here: http://orastories.com/courage-when-everything-goes-wrong/

Living The Inspired Life

The transition over to Orastories is almost complete…and I want to invite everyone to read my page to the inspired life and join the movement (only if you want, of course!)

We all have ideas of our dream life. No, I’m not talking about having a bunch of cars or being a celebrity. I’m talking about a life where every day we can wake up and smile because we’re surrounded by people we love and because we are pursuing our passions.

But here’s the thing: we can’t all afford to buy a ticket and fly halfway across the world. Many of us aren’t able to just leave our jobs and risk the security of our precious families. Many “gurus” will tell you to stop everything you’re doing, throw caution to the wind, and pursue your new life – without thinking about your responsibilities or the inherent risk in embarking on a new path without any kind of map…

read the rest here: http://orastories.com/the-inspired-life/

The Right of a Child

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amendment, arms, bear, Challenges, Child, Choice, control, elementary, Ethics, gun, Happiness, hook, Humanity, Life, Modern, People, sandy, school, second, Society

In the wake of recent events that have occurred in the US, today I start with a spoken word poem I wrote a while back:

Make us children again

We call ourselves your children, but don’t act like it

As the wrinkles form on our skin, they begin to mesh into fences

Informing us that it is now our job to cage our creativity

As a child, everything is draped in disguise; language itself becomes an illusion

Peering through the lenses of a glossy eyed child, every object becomes an endless possibility

In the fall, a pile of leaves becomes a heap of hope, for once combined with the wind

They will dance with space itself, spinning around and leaving streaks of spectral colors

As child and nature begin to mingle with one another, they will be able to call themselves brothers

In the winter a simple pile of frozen water becomes the blueprints for a fortress, or a sound foundation for the formation of joyful snowman.

And when Christmas comes around, it really is about Santa, because children don’t have to be reminded about good will towards men

In your name, we will harm one another

The only part of youth we’ve retained is selfishly competing for the love a parent who doesn’t play favorites

Help us remember the nice days when all that we needed to make a friend, was to say hello

And if we didn’t speak the same language, a hug would suffice

That the only judgment we had to make, was to see who won the race, and who truly was a rotten egg

When we walk out into the world, all we care about is getting from point a to point b

We simply forgot when we used to remember that x marked the spot, to treasures unknown to everyone else

But simply making us smaller, or making us younger wouldn’t be enough

Help us to renew our hearts, and undo the day when we had to incarcerate our innocence

Save us from the moment when we saw vivacity vacate our eyes

Let us wage world war wonder

Not only to think outside of the box, but the color outside the lines

To get dirty, to keep daring to ask why even if we’re scared

To relearn the lesson that sharing is caring is heavenly wisdom, not a childish expression

To do our part, to not cut in line to get ahead; you taught us at a young age that loving thy neighbor just means including them in play time

Reteach us to play furiously and love fiercely

We’ll see that flash of brotherly love, followed by the thunder of laughter

And God, when we ask, how to treat each other, when we ask, how to find you,

Remind us, to just look in the smiling face of a child

Like any other part of life, the world itself is a coin with two sides. There will always be an ugly side, but what matters in the end is whether we choose to add to its beauty through positive action, or to spread the shroud of darkness. Cultures throughout history have used the image of the child to not only represent untainted innocence, but to represent the hope for humanity itself.

Youth is the representation of everything we once were, and the potential of everything we could be.

The Right To Bear Arms

Since the passing of the Bill of Rights, there has been much debate over the implementation of the Second Amendment’s right to bear arms. Many of the framers of the Constitution did believe in arms as a method for personal protection, as long as said weapons didn’t pose a significant threat to the general public.

As one might imagine, the idea of a “significant threat” was much different in the 18^th Century than it is today. What many people fail to consider in this contemporary age is that a gun in the 18^th Century meant a musket that fired a single shot from gun powder and took several minutes to reload. Although it could mortally wound someone, it was nearly impossible to cause any mass damage.

Additionally, the right to bear arms also allowed households to have these guns in the case of a military emergency, given that when combined, these weapons could make the difference between victory and defeat in battle. This rationale was both logical planning and sound strategy, especially in the early formation of a new country. Although there was a sustained fervent debate over how the amendment should be implemented, the fact was that mass gun violence was relatively unlikely.

However, that is no longer the case today.

Losing Control

All first world countries around the globe have strict gun (and usually general weapon) laws and as a result, significantly lower – if barely existent at all – gun violence. All except for the United States. I am a fervent believer in the fact that if the Founding Fathers saw the state of the country today, with its rampant gun violence and mass shootings like clockwork, they would change or repeal the Second Amendment without hesitation. They would also be appalled at the fact that we’ve let the state of our society escalate to this level.

Confucius once said: “Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.” Essentially, this means that if someone can’t appreciate the vibrancy and value of a life, he is in no way fit to end it. Thus, the last thing anyone should do is equip him to do so. And it seems that not only can many of us not dance, most of us can’t even hear the music anymore.

For any responsible party – be it a parent or an entire government – if the ones you look after are unfit for something, you take action. If we give our children a potentially dangerous object and they don’t use it correctly, we take it away from them. It is no different as a citizen of a nation. We agree to the paternal nature of a government, particularly and especially in regards to safety. So if we can’t use our weapons responsibly, they should be taken away.

Now the implementation of such a plan is not as easy as it sounds, given that not all people use their guns irresponsibly; but serious action is required to limit firearm access in one way or another. I’ve always found it both intriguing and unfortunate that general opinions on gun laws never change after a mass shooting. The Aurora theater shooting happened mere minutes from where I grew up, and I would hope that it wouldn’t take a mass shooting in the community of every naysayer on gun control to change minds.

An Ever-Present Choice

We all always have the personal capacity to add to the beauty of the world, or to mar it with darkness. I have always been a firm believer in the fact that the world needs balance, so there will never be a time of only shining moments.

The shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary was a deep wound in the heart of our nation. But when there is a dark cloud, it’s up to those who feel sympathy for suffering, and a fidelity to their common man, to stand up for what is right, and send light piercing through the clouds once more in a wonderful show of the true power of the human spirit.

The choice is always ours.

The beauty of young life never seems to be underappreciated. Even the coldest heart can be melted by an innocent smile.

The journey of maturation is fraught and fought with difficulty and disappointment, but no one – under any circumstances – has the right to rob a young soul of taking that journey. That is the right of a child.