Two poet friends who've been with me for years, and their advice...a rudder for the ship (pardon the Navy metaphor):
“To be nobody but yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
~e.e. cummings
-and...
"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The American Transcendentalists" (highly recommended reading in tandem with your thoughts here!)
These are excellent quotes and very well chosen. Again your thoughts spark ideas of a new topic for further discussion.
The first quote sounds like my life in a nutshell. I am starting to understand how the survival techniques I employed and guardrails I developed to survive the military don't work well now. Many battles are similar in nature, but the intensity required is a little different. You could say I've been struggling to shift gears. ;^)
Transcendentalism is something I've heard about but would poorly or incorrectly define. I learned more about it since reading your comment than I knew before. I ordered the book and have a feeling I'll enjoy it. It also sounds like a philosophy I would likely embrace in large part. Thanks for the suggestion.
I found this to be a fairly decent summary of the concept:
Books. You know I'll always recommend them, haha. I am honored that you ordered Emerson's "The American Transcendentalist." Emerson and Thoreau are my all-time favorite authors. If you want to learn more about Transcendentalism, Emerson's essay "Nature" is a great primer.
These two men valued swimming against the current. Thoreau encouraged people to "step to the music" of a "different drummer." He lived this out by building his cabin at Walden Pond, identifying as an abolitionist, and willingly spending a night in jail for following his conscience. There's a lot here. They have encouraged me to search for authenticity. They still do.
I was at Barnes and Noble last week spending money I don't have. I noticed a couple of books you may also like. https://dailystoic.com/books/
I find your search for healing inspiring and joyous, and it reminds me to remain diligent in my search, too. Thank you for doing what you're doing. Seriously. Peace.
Two poet friends who've been with me for years, and their advice...a rudder for the ship (pardon the Navy metaphor):
“To be nobody but yourself in a world
which is doing its best day and night to make you like
everybody else means to fight the hardest battle
which any human being can fight and never stop fighting.”
~e.e. cummings
-and...
"Whoso would be a man must be a nonconformist. He who would gather immortal palms must not be hindered by the name of goodness, but must explore if it be goodness. Nothing is at last sacred but the integrity of your own mind. Absolve you to yourself, and you shall have the suffrage of the world."
~Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The American Transcendentalists" (highly recommended reading in tandem with your thoughts here!)
These are excellent quotes and very well chosen. Again your thoughts spark ideas of a new topic for further discussion.
The first quote sounds like my life in a nutshell. I am starting to understand how the survival techniques I employed and guardrails I developed to survive the military don't work well now. Many battles are similar in nature, but the intensity required is a little different. You could say I've been struggling to shift gears. ;^)
Transcendentalism is something I've heard about but would poorly or incorrectly define. I learned more about it since reading your comment than I knew before. I ordered the book and have a feeling I'll enjoy it. It also sounds like a philosophy I would likely embrace in large part. Thanks for the suggestion.
I found this to be a fairly decent summary of the concept:
https://www.history.com/topics/19th-century/transcendentalism
Many names ring a bell: Emerson, Fuller, Thoreau. I feel like I should already be more familiar with all of them.
Thank you for your thoughts and the recommendation!
Books. You know I'll always recommend them, haha. I am honored that you ordered Emerson's "The American Transcendentalist." Emerson and Thoreau are my all-time favorite authors. If you want to learn more about Transcendentalism, Emerson's essay "Nature" is a great primer.
These two men valued swimming against the current. Thoreau encouraged people to "step to the music" of a "different drummer." He lived this out by building his cabin at Walden Pond, identifying as an abolitionist, and willingly spending a night in jail for following his conscience. There's a lot here. They have encouraged me to search for authenticity. They still do.
I was at Barnes and Noble last week spending money I don't have. I noticed a couple of books you may also like. https://dailystoic.com/books/
I find your search for healing inspiring and joyous, and it reminds me to remain diligent in my search, too. Thank you for doing what you're doing. Seriously. Peace.
So let's see...
- Swimming against the current
- Different drummer
- Cabin in the woods
- Searching for authenticity
I think I'll like these guys. I look forward to reading their thoughts.
Thank you for your kind words and encouragement. 8^)