A Mind and Its Legos

As much as I feel like giving the readers of this blog an apology for my long absence, I think a new post would suffice :P. The muse in me is a very bipolar creature, and it was in a creative hole for quite a bit. I'm happy to say that it managed to climb out of that hole for the time being. Anyways; onward.

I wish I could say that imagination was somewhat independent. I wish I could say that anyone could generate a fresh and unique idea out of seemingly nowhere. Truth is, our minds are the collective sum of many, many different inputs. Whether we know it or not, everything we see and experience has a place. That place could be temporary, and slip out of your mind five seconds later. It could be permanent; a strong memory firmly entrenching itself into the mysterious mist in your head. But one could almost think of experiences as puzzle pieces. There isn't a specific puzzle to be made; with the right combinations of thoughts, anything can be created. That ability; to combine seemingly non-related ideas into a completely new animal... it never ceases to amaze me. So do I think we are a blank slate? Sure. In the sense that our brains are ready made to receive ideas. But we don't just experience; we memorize and then manipulate our own thoughts. Every invention, every work of art, every piece of writing; you could break them down into their separate parts. But even though those parts existed before, that final product would never have come to fruition without a human mind to sort out the pieces and rearrange it into that insightful novel or sophisticated smart phone. That simple fact; it is humanity's ultimate gift, for better or for worse.

I'm always open to your comments, so fire away! Adios.

The Wild Card

I am a big believer in the jack of all trades. When two sides appear to be at a stalemate, it is usually the unforeseen variable that turns the tide in a direction that no one could anticipate. Every person of stature in history, every charismatic person that ruled a crowd with their microphone, and any person that goes above and beyond what is asked of them... they are never implanted firmly on the one side of anything. Their strengths provide ability, while their flaws provide understanding. One who knows a little of everything has a wider perceptive than a specialist who can see a single slice of the pie in greater detail.

Did the Renaissance men have it right? Would you rather have a little knowledge of everything, or an expert's critical eye on a few things? When two sides are in conflict, is it always a wild card that has to upset the balance?

Would love to hear your opinions on this. Until next time, don't let life have it's way with your brains; keep on truckin'.

Roots

The ecosystem around you can be quite amazing.

Walking outside, your eyes could be exposed to a multitude of things. The buildings, the people, cars, roads, bridges, and other places where humanity declared that x marks the spot. Sometimes it's a bit of a shock to imagine that at one time, there was not a speck of human ingenuity, or mistakes, as far as your eyes could see.

Then the human spark arrived, and broke the ground with a shovel.

In a similar way, anything and everything that is complex in the slightest was built from the ground up. Without roots, a tree would fall at the slightest nudge. Without a foundation, a building would have to learn to live with lying on it's side. And without our mental skeleton, our minds would just be a overactive, disorganized mess.

I could say that a start to being a perfect human being would be the perfect mental foundation. And I would be dead wrong. Perfection is in the eye of the beholder. And while a weak link in a bridge could lead to disaster, a bad experience in a person's childhood can make them all the wiser.

So our mental roots require as much loving water as they need a few dark times away from the sun. But what determines this optimal mix? The same abusive childhood that turns one into a savior can make another into a psychotic killer. Genetics and upbringing clash in infinitely different ways, bringing out a diversity in humanity that goes beyond the physical.

A person's mental roots can manifest themselves in every aspect of a person's life. How can a person change when their experiences, good or bad, chain their intellect in some way? What do you think?

Acceptance

Acceptance can be liberation; the breaking of a chain that binds to a single place. It can also be a final judgment; taking things to be the way they are, with not a shred of hope for change.

It's easy to stay where we are; change is a disruption no doubt. But when one accepts themselves for who they are, instead of settling for the fact that we all judge each other, one is truly free. Extraneous opinion no longer holds weight. Life tries and tries to throw the knockout punch, but true acceptance of who you really are simply cannot be broken.

Life can be a very tiring game. An ever shifting landscape of masks, facades, and a struggle for the acceptance of society. But it is that drive to gain acceptance that chains us. To accept ourselves, and in the process accept each other unconditionally; this is an aspect of true freedom.

Once in awhile, let the inner you out to play, with no reservations. Life is short. And it could surely use some fresh air.