Difficult decisions

Our lives are filled with difficult decisions. It is not always easy to know what is best. And where the feelings of others are involved, nothing can be taken lightly.

Some things are as simple as good and evil. Do not do that which falls into the latter. For the damage done will overpower any idealistic notions you had.

The hard choices come when you must do what is best, in spite of whose feelings might get hurt. Your intentions are not to cause harm, yet people's expectations take on a life of their own. One must make their apologies, while still proceeding in the right direction.

You are not responsible for the desires of others. So long as they are not sacrificed, all is well. Hurt feelings can heal, a wounded soul rarely does.

What is important is that they know you still care. This is communicated through actions, not words. Anyone can profess concern, just as they can claim to be enlightened.

Ultimately, all will be known. Pretending will only take you so far, before your house of cards comes tumbling down. What is best is never at another's expense.

Standing firm

Life is a fight and we must roll with the punches. Give as good as you get, but always look for an opening. You can win before they even knew what hit them.

Every day is a constant pummeling. We need to be tougher than that which assails us. If you can take a beating, you should be prepared to give one.

Evil is proud, and will leave itself open. That is when you strike: hard and fast, in a flurry of blows. It will actually walk right into them.

Those who cannot fight their own battles cannot fight for others. Strengthen the heart, and steel the resolve. Overcome your own adversities first.

Do not make the same mistakes. Sometimes the best offense is a good defense. Let your adversary be the one to leave himself open.

Stand firm, though the hordes of hell assail you. Those who fall bear no shame. So long as they were knocked down and could not get back up.

Vicious cycle

Evil resides in the heart, not in the deed. Anything can be a blessing if the motives are pure. However, with the wicked even their good is tainted.

Human beings are often slaves of desire. When you are willing to sacrifice others for what you want, that is evil. It is better to perish than to forsake even one.

Before you do anything, ask yourself if it will make things better. If no good comes from it, there was nothing good about it. Some things are better left undone.

Our world is full of darkness, because people do not care to light it up. We make excuses for everything and are responsible for nothing. This vicious cycle perpetuates itself in our young.

Will we raise yet another generation that does not care? Never paste your own face onto a good cause. For it will cease to be so, once it bears your name.

Cleanse yourself of self-righteousness. Abandon loud words for quiet deeds. If you are not making things better, you have already contributed to making them worse.

Eye of the beholder

There is nothing new except our perspectives. The materials are the same as they have always been. It is what we do with them that makes something truly original.

If it has never been done before, there might be a good reason. Maybe it was not a good idea to begin with. Sometimes it is best to stick with what works.

The infusion of heart breathes life into what was forsaken. A creative soul will see the potential and take matters into their own hands. Suddenly, that which was old is new again.

Our most sophisticated technology can be reduced to basic elements. The genius is not in the ingredients, but in the recipe. If you think it has all been done before, think again.

We reside on a mudball spinning through space. It is what we do here that makes a difference. Or, more appropriately, what we care to do.

The future is in the eye of the beholder. Our world will keep turning endlessly, going nowhere. Or we will envision better, and set out to make things better than they have ever been before.

Inspiration strikes

Inspiration strikes out of nowhere. A piece of music can set it off or a passage from a book; what is seen or that which is experienced. The creative mind is triggered and something begins to take shape.

The thing created often is nothing like the original. This is because you were inspired to do something else. That which influenced you was merely the catalyst to get the creative juices flowing.

Those who copy from others are not inspired. At least, not by any creative impulse. Their motivation tends to be the love of filthy lucre.

Sometimes the energies flow freely, and the work is swiftly completed. Other times, what is desired lies just out of reach. Effort will be required to achieve what was truly envisioned.

Since ideas can come from anywhere, it is best to immerse yourself in whatever stimulates your creativity. Read that which interests you, watch whatever intrigues you, listen to anything that grabs your attention. Any of these ingredients can spark the imagination.

Once the fire is started, it must be fed. This thing lives off your energy, and will be extinguished by its lack. Feed your imagination and let it grow to become something truly wondrous to behold.

Self-examination

How can we know if what we are doing is good? Leaning on our own understanding, we will fall. It is important to take an honest look at oneself to learn the truth.

Making excuses is a sure sign there is a problem with what you are doing. People do not come up with reasons to do good. It is when they want to get away with something that they suddenly have a well-crafted argument.

Truth hurts, and there is much pain in being honest. It is humiliating to find ourselves in the wrong. Yet, it could be worse: we could keep walking around naked, believing we are clothed.

You cannot trust those who are quick to criticize. Often, they have nothing to show for all their advice. Only those who build well can provide valuable insight to others.

It comes down to honesty: why are you really doing something? Is it making things better or worse? If the latter, you must cease immediately before more damage is done.

Self-examination is an arduous process that never ends. But it is a necessary one. Honesty is the difference between a firm foundation, and building on a sinkhole that will eventually suck you in.

The best medicine

It is better to laugh than to cry. So when we are feeling down, we want to be cheered up. Left with our miseries, we will stay miserable.

There is no need to put on a happy face. Fake happiness is no more real than fake flowers. We must focus past our pain to find the joy.

Taking ourselves too seriously only makes us funnier. It is easy to think we suffer more than others. But it just looks worse through our eyes.

Some people have real problems. Their days are spent in fear, or wondering where the next meal will come from. We have so much, and it is taken for granted.

Laughter is healthy and refreshing as well. Smiling at our problems makes them seem much smaller. Do they really deserve the attention they get?

To laugh is still the best medicine. We live in a world quite lacking in cheer. But laughter is infectious: it starts with one and then the mirth spreads both far and wide.