Freedom is not free

http://www.wordsoverpixels.com/freedom-is-not-free/6b4015fc4f926b45ab471e0f6165ee66.html

As you can see, the statement put forward today is, 'Freedom is not free'.  This topic allows me to think that freedom is not just given to us;  and the freedom we enjoy comes from someone else's sacrifice (or enslavement).  I have put together some questions for you to ask yourself:

Where does our freedom come from?

Who sacrificed their freedom for ours?

How do we utilize this freedom?

Yes, these questions are very short - but dynamite comes in small packages.  It is important that we acknowledge those who made sacrifices in order for us to be free.  They could be your ancestors, a hero politician, or your parents.  If they had not created or kept our freedom, we would not even be able to imagine what it is like to smile, act or speak freely.  Thus, it stands to reason that we owe these custodians of freedom and that we should not take our current existence for granted.

The elephant in the room

http://writer108.wordpress.com/page/2

I think everybody has at least one ugly truth that sometimes creates discomfort in our society.  People who ignore the elephant in the room try to avoid the issue (or problem) relating to them.  They neglect issues rather than solve the problem.

When people consider something to be a sensitive issue, most of them do not try to discuss it.  Instead, they blatantly avoid the topic.  Now, I will not give an example because, as I have stated above, everybody has an elephant in their community - including me.  I know that it is not a good idea as it only aids the growth of problems, but I do not blow issues wide open because, if I did, it would be an irretrievable event - equal to the crossing of the river Rubicon!

Do you think my opinion is that of a chicken? Or do you do this yourself?  We already belong to communities and organisations;  that is our acceptance and consent to silence our qualms.  Well, that's what I think.

Getting to know the basics.

http://www.squidoo.com/my-life-with-aspergers

Sometimes I am stuck with problems. It could be my school work, my poopy laptop or private life. So I talk to people and discuss these problems. While I chatted with them, I found something in their conversation.

What I found is that ideas only come from people who have ideas. It is like “the rich can grow richer” in terms of wisdom and enlightenment. People who have many ideas consistently suggest things like they are artificial fountains. In contrast, others look stagnated. It is quite amazing because I think that the former are not necessarily more learned or better educated than the latter. What I realised is that they cling to the basics as the basic, essence, and background of any issue.

Which brings me to my conclusion: I learnt from them how to look at issues, how to access them, and how to sort them out.

Every day is a good day.

http://naturalplane.blogspot.com/2012/03/just-facts-navajo-paranormal-task-force.html

It is a fact that every time and day is precious to everyone. But we sometimes lose sight of the importance of these times due to either being busy, or lazy. What makes us overlook each day's importance, and why?

If someone asks me, “what is of most importance in your life?” I will confidently answer, “it is to do my best on a given day”. But if they then say that everybody knows that that is what I'd say, I will give them this counter answer: “though everybody knows what is true, it is a matter of whether they keep in mind and practice”. But this is always difficult to do. Wouldn't you agree?

We are passing through today like other days. And now I am thinking of what I have done today, and whether or not I have really did my best for tomorrow.

The way to do the best

http://jiwoo.or.kr/kang_04/207

Whenever I start work, I always try to organise my surroundings in order to concentrate on my work. It is just a 'quick clean-up'. But I sometimes feel like I do not dedicate 100% to my work while working. What makes me do the best? What I realise about this question is within me while reading a Korean article.

Some of the monks in Korea go and change 16 times a day. Whenever they start new work or meet new people, they dress up in an entirely new outfit. It is not for their external neatness or magnificence, but to align their attitudes in order for their work to be the best.

Even though I am not a Buddhist, I respect their posture and position as humanly - especially in terms of their attitude toward work. Actually, I accept their attitude because I feel that I could learn from them to, somehow, fully dedicate myself to my work.

Our greatest strengths are our greatest weaknesses

http://ncowie.wordpress.com/2007/08/06/i-will-not-rote-learn-my-exam-essays/

There is one aspect within this topic that I would like to bring up. It is 'memory'. I say this because I am truly surprised by my memory at times. I sometimes remember things and talk to people about what I inadvertently did. This has caused some of them to call me 'the walking black box'.

However, this kind of remembrance is different to simply reciting something. I am good at memorising, but poor at reciting, so I am nervous whenever I have a presentation of some sort. Reciting needs memorisation more than understanding, so once I forget, I skip little parts of my presentation. It could not be worse than chatting.

In short, I think our memory is a double-edged sword, so my conclusion to this topic is 'how do we use and balance memorisation?'. That is entirely up to us.