“The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes of mind.”
William James
Attitude
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Separated Ourselves
“A fundamental difference between our culture and Eskimo culture, which can be felt even today in certain situations, is that we have irrevocably separated ourselves from the world that animals occupy. We have turned all animals and elements of the natural world into objects. We manipulate them to serve the complicated ends of our destiny. Eskimos do not grasp this separation easily, and have difficulty imagining themselves entirely removed from the world of animals. For many of them, to make this separation is analogous to cutting oneself off from light or water. It is hard to imagine how to do it.”
Barry LópezI would even suggest that man has turned humans into objects! Many do not see the connectedness we have with one another. As William James says “We are like islands in the sea, separate on the surface but connected in the deep” but many do not see it.
It was -3 degrees at 7:30 this morning and we’ve had light to heavy snow throughout the day. Not expecting to get above 10 degrees today. Probably not going on that picnic today, either.
Robins gathering as they nibble on berries from a nearby tree -
Altering Our Attitude
The greatest discovery of any generation is that a human can alter his life by altering his attitude.
William JamesWhen I live my day with a positive attitude the day does go much better. Seems I have a better attitude when I start every day with quiet time, prayer and meditation. And, I must also add that I enjoy hanging around people who have a positive attitude rather than a negative attitude. When our attitude is selfish and self-centered then we’re not going to be a lovely person to be around.
One of many reason I don’t hang around politicians.Had to stop and take this photo because those rows are almost perfect. Shows the differences between natures idea of perfection and man’s idea of perfection. We are expecting snow today. I can already see it snowing in the higher foothills. Stay warm!
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I’m okay with that…
Ice skating in Old Town “To perceive the world differently, we must be willing to change our belief system, let the past slip away, expand our sense of now, and dissolve the fear in our minds.”
William JamesEven at my age and with the knowledge that fears are mostly bogeymen, they still creep in. Some fears seem quite easy to overcome and face while others can paralyze me. I like how James suggests that we be willing to change our belief system. Seems to be a lifelong process of willingness and I’m okay with that.
