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Verse 1:

Let it go,
Let it roll right off your shoulder
Don’t you know
The hardest part is over?
Let it in
Let your clarity define you
In the end
We will only just remember how it feels

Chorus:

Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twist and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These small hours still remain

The song “Little Wonders” by Rob Thomas describes how life’s little moments make it all worth while.  Thomas sings lines such as "these little wonders still remain" in the repeated chorus to emphasize that even the smallest things linger through your life. This supports the Transcendentalist Movement by singing about taking in all the little things that make up a wonderful world, and everything around you is important despite appearances. In the first verse Rob Thomas says to let it all go and to leave the troubles in the past which is on board with the transcendental idea of living in the moment. Transcendentalists preach about not mulling over past events or you will miss the beauty and life of the present moments.

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Rob Thomas - Little Wonders [Official Music Video]

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Verse 2:

Who said I can’t wear my
Converse with my dress?
Oh, baby, that’s just me!

Who said I can’t be single
I have to go out and mingle,
Baby that’s not me
No, no.

The song “La La Land” by Demi Lovato is all about being yourself and not doing what the world tells you to do. Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau constantly discuss the importance of being an individual and not conforming to societal norms. Lovato embraces that idea by saying she will do what she wants no matter what people say is the “normal” thing to do. She just wants to be her own person and "wear [her] Converse with [her] dress" as stated in Lovato's second verse. Demi Lovato, in her earlier years of music, sang about following your heart and doing what you know s best for you. She encompasses that huge aspect of nonconformity and following your inner desires.

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Demi Lovato - La La Land (Closed-Captioned)

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Chorus:

It's my life
It's now or never
I ain't gonna live forever
I just want to live while I'm alive
(It's my life)
My heart is like an open highway
Like Frankie said
I did it my way
I just want to live while I'm alive
It's my life

The song “It’s My Life” by Jon Bon Jovi is all about doing things the way you want to and living while your alive. Transcendentalists like Henry David Thoreau speak about not just being but living. Bon Jovi really puts that concept into light with this song. He says "it's my life, it's now or never" and how he’s going to live while he’s alive just like Thoreau says many times in his work “Walden”. Living in the now is an important concept that is often lost in today's world and Bon Jovi assists in the redevelopment of that idea in the minds of the twenty-first century population.

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Bon Jovi - It's My Life (Official Music Video)

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This image displays a powerful mind inside a human being.  Transcendentalists like Thoreau and Emerson believe that the mind is the most powerful tool anybody could own. The image depiction of this theme is perfect at showing the strength and beauty one’s mind has.

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This image depicts a tree shaped like a head and it embodies the transcendentalism ideas. Having nature as your main thought and living in what the world created was a huge transcendentalist theme. Without our minds in tune with nature we will never obtain our true self reliance.

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The image of a man in the wood just sitting and not speaking shows the idea of thought in the transcendentalist belief. The man is just sitting peacefully and seems to be pondering an idea. Thinking for ones self is a very important piece of transcendentalism and this picture embodies that belief.

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The “Concept of Pantheism” podcast is all about the religion called Pantheism.  Rodman R. Clayson talks about the belief that God exists in everything within the universe. Transcendentalists believe in Pantheism because God is all around us and guiding us in our lives and leading us to a better future. Though this podcast was developed in the 1950's, it planted the seed of pantheism in that era of time because radio was a main form of entertainment and was widespread (mainly because the internet had not been created yet). Thanks to today's technologies, this podcast continues to share the God is everywhere lesson and emphasize the beauty around us.

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Posted in Tagged AMORC, AMORC, God, Mysticism, Panentheism, Pantheism, Philosophy, Rosicrucian Order, Rosicrucian Order AMORC, Rosicrucianism, Spirituality, The Divine Metaphysics, Mysticism, Ontology, Philosophy, Religious Studies, Rosicrucian Order, Rosicrucianism, Spirituality

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“The Importance of Self-Reliance” Article 1

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“The Importance of Self-Reliance” Article 1

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The article titled "The Importance of Self-Reliance" was written by Christopher Bergland and explains reasons why relying on oneself is the most important idea of transcendentalism. The article lists five different reasons to support the Emerson inspired theme of self-reliance. Transcendentalists like Ralph Waldo Emerson would support Bergland’s five points because they explain that self-reliance strengthens your mind, body and spirit. Bergland also states in his fifth paragraph that self-reliance is “also about maintaining close-knit human bonds” and relationships can still exist through this transcendentalist theme.

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In 1939, at the beginning of WWII, the British Government printed over 2-million posters that were created to go up within 24-hours of the outbreak of war. The objective of the posters was to keep morale of the British people high in the event of a German invasion. The posters were masterminded by civil servants, but delivered as a message from the King. The maxim of each poster emphasized the responsibility of each British citizen as a member of the British collective.

Two of the slogans used in this campaign were: "Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution Will Bring Us Victory" and " Keep Calm and Carry On." The mottos of these posters tap into the zeitgeist of the current economic times and are experiencing a resurgence of popularity, which has lead to a merchandizing bonanza. You've probably seen one of these maxims on a mug, T-shirt, screensaver... or one of the parodies that say things like " Now Panic and Freak Out" in the same font and layout.

Things are so bad for so many people right now, that you have to have a sense of humor at a certain point or you really might lose it. How can we as a nation keep our individual and collective morale high in such desperate times? I think the key lies in a push for self-reliance, a philosophy made famous in an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1841. In this entry I will share 5-tips that can help you become more resilient and help you create self-reliance.

This past weekend I watched a panel discussion called " Reawakening America: From Poverty to Prosperity" hosted by Tavis Smiley that focused on what we can do individually and collectively to deal with this crisis. The statistics of poverty and economic inequality are staggering. With so many talented people out of work and the 'middle-class' evaporating rapidly, there is a palpable-and contagious-sense of hopelessness in the air. How can we turn this around? The panel didn't offer a specific agenda, but as someone who focuses on the power of physical activity to transform lives, I believe that motivating ourselves and others to be active and healthy will create a nationwide energy based in strength, hope and confidence, not fear, hate and resentment.

As a panelist on the Reawakening America broadcast, Suze Orman spoke about her belief that every individual has the power to change his or her attitudes and behavior and can create a chain reaction of change. Your daily attitude and behavior impacts everyone that you come in contact with throughout the day and you have the power to start a domino-effect from the bottom up that could have national ramifications. We've seen it happen in the Arab Spring and it can happen here too. It matters what you say, it matters what you do! So, as Spike Lee said, " Do the Right Thing."

Below are 5 tips that are rooted in the philosophy of The Athlete's Way to make you more resilient and help create more self-reliance.

1. Stay Healthy: When you feel tired, sick or depressed everyday tasks become monumental. If you dedicate yourself to staying healthy you will have more energy, strength and stamina--which are key to self-reliance. By eating a healthier diet, exercising, connecting face-to-face with other people, reducing stress and getting enough sleep you create a life-long recipe for resilience. The principles of wellness are basic and will never change. All you have to do is commit to making small changes in your daily routine. These small lifestyle changes will lead to long-term and permanent improvements in your mental, physical and emotional well-being.

Behind The Athlete's Way approach to motivating teens and pre-teens to take better care of themselves is an understanding that in order to want to take care of yourself you have to begin with a foundation of self-respect, self-love and hope for your future. As a gay teenager, I was very self-destructive which came from a place of self-hate and deep-rooted cynicism and anger at the world around me. Abusing my body was a slow form of suicide, which it is for anyone who neglects to take care of him or herself. I really didn't want to be around to deal with more pain, suffering and bullying for eternity. Running helped turn my life around by making me more optimistic, self-reliant and resilient. I think that any type of regular activity can do this and through exercise we all have the power to take our lives to a higher ground.

2. Daily Physical Activity: Our bodies are designed to work hard physically and are short-circuiting in a sedentary digital age. Regular physical activity is something humans must do in order to maintain a sound mind in a sound body and be self-reliant. Luckily, it is something that is designed to make you feel good. Remember that Sweat=Bliss. The more you move your body, the more energy you will have to seize the day. On the flip side, the more sedentary you are the more your life force gets sucked into a black hole where it goes to waste. If you do not move your body regularly, your constitution will deteriorate and you will slowly become more and more fragile and dependent on others for your survival, which is the opposite of self-reliance.

A recent article in AARP magazine said that 'sitting' is the 'new smoking' because inactivity has become an epidemic that is creating health costs which are as high-or higher-than those from tobacco use. Think like a Spartan youth. Embrace the 'pinch of hunger' and start believing that your daily physical activity keeps you brave and sturdy in the face of adversity, and it will! Sometimes you have to use your imagination to cope with truly dire situations.

3. Fortify Mental Toughness: A daily commitment to exercise makes you mentally tough. The act of deciding that you are going to begin and finish a workout everyday fortifies a mindset and habit of perseverance that you can apply to any challenge you face. A seize-the-day attitude is fortified by pushing yourself physically and mentally through an athletic challenge-no matter how big or small it is. You don't have to be running a 10K to feel these effects.

I hate to reference the most over quoted motivational quotation of all time...but what Nietzsche said is so true that I have to say it again: "That which does not destroy me makes me stronger." You can make the concept of almost being 'destroyed' into a game when you're working out. Pushing against your limits in athletics is a fantastic way to flex your ability to persevere through a sufferfest-- "survive" it-- and come out of the experience feeling stronger.

Push yourself harder at the gym. Crank up the intensity and pretend that you are on a quixotic journey--even if you are just on a spin bike or elliptical trainer. Doing this will fortify your mental toughness and create a 'tool-box' of coping mechanisms you can use with other challenges you face in the workplace or job hunt.

When I woke up yesterday it was windy, gray and snowing. The reading on the thermometer was 7° F. I really did not feel like leaving the cozy comfort of my bed to face the brutal headwinds and bone chilling temperatures to go for a long run, which I like to do every morning. But I knew that the process of lacing up my sneakers, bundling up and heading out to complete my daily run would fortify my 'pull yourself up by your bootstraps' mindset. Like everybody else, I have to be vigilant about maintaining a tenacious spirit in order to stay upbeat and positive and to keep moving forward in these very competitive and cutthroat times.

Being intimidated by bad weather or tough conditions and then bagging a workout can make you feel like a wimp; whereas if you get out there and push through it you end up feeling much stronger and resilient. Remember this the next time you want to bail on a workout because of bad weather. That said, there's always the option of working out indoors, which is equally beneficial.

4. Live Below Your Means: As my grandmother said, "You can't spend money and have it too." Suze Orman's main message for living what she calls the 'New American Dream' is to Live Below Your Means and to try to raise you FICO score without using credit cards. I think it's terrific advice. As Thoreau famously said: "We make ourselves rich by making our wants few." This is a simple trick you can use to reframe your economic reality or attitude towards consumerism. You have the power to turn feeling like you have 'less-than' into a system of belief that you are unfettered and free. There is liberty in living a simple life. And we all know that money doesn't buy happiness. Again, the reality of poverty and hunger goes well beyond simply shifting your 'explanatory style.' I do not intend to be a Pollyanna or play down the brutality of poverty.

I made the decision to purposely lead a simpler, less materialistic life a few years ago and it is the best thing I ever did. Just before the global financial crisis of 2008 I had a gut instinct that I wanted to get out of Manhattan. The east village, where I had lived for over two decades, had become really depressing to me. I felt trapped in an environment that was no longer gritty in a way that I found interesting. Everything had become either really bourgeois on the one-hand or really poverty stricken on the other, and I wanted out. There was nothing sexy about being a 'starving artist' or in my case 'starving athlete' in Manhattan anymore.

So, I called the landlord of my rent-stabilized apartment and said that I wanted to break the lease which I had had since the 1980s. I told the woman on the phone that I was going to take what I call a 'Things I lost in the Fire' approach to moving out. I just wanted to go in quickly and grab things that I really loved and leave everything else behind.

I told her that I was living in Provincetown for the summer and was going to take the bus down to NY with a duffle bag and a milk crate. I would only carry out with me what I could fit in the duffle back and the milk crate. We both laughed about the whole concept and had a fun conversation. When we met in person on 'moving day' we really clicked. I asked her to please go over to my apartment with her friends and family and take anything they wanted...I left behind thousands and thousands of dollars of 'stuff' but I have no regrets. It was the most liberating thing I've ever done.

5. Close Knit Human Bonds: The key to self-reliance isn't just about being healthy and strong-or having financial security-it is also about maintaining close-knit human bonds. Early in my athletic career I thought I was completely self-reliant and didn't need anyone else to help me achieve my dreams. I was wrong. Once I got into ultra-endurance racing-where the athlete relies on a support crew to reach the finish line-I learned a valuable life lesson about how much we need to stick together. Maintaining close-knit relationships takes effort, but it is probably the most important foundation to creating true self-reliance.

As individuals and a nation we are only as strong as our weakest link. We need to come together and support each other. All ships rise in a rising tide. You can change the tides by setting an example of self-reliance and optimism that will rub off on your friends and family, and your neighbors and so on, and so on.... Make it happen by starting today!

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Things are so bad for so many people right now. How can we as a nation keep our individual and collective morale high in such desperate times? I think the key lies in a push for self-reliance, a philosophy made famous in an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson in 1841.

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Writer Zorka Hereford wrote the article titled “How to Think for Yourself”. She writes all about how making your own thoughts and ideas is essential to a happy and full life. Transcendentalists would agree with Hereford’s writing because they understand that in order  to reach your ideal self, one has to reject the ideas of society and accept/follow their own paths. Hereford put it simply by writing "know who you are, what you want and what is best for you" in her tips on how to think for yourself.

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Do you think for yourself?

In these times of fast media and ever-growing Internet we are under so many external influences that it can be difficult to know when we are thinking for ourselves.

Unless you are a discerning, very aware person, you most likely don't even know when your thinking is not your own.

Not that all outside influence is bad or detrimental to forming your own views, but being unable to think for yourself can make you miserable at best, or a puppet of someone else's programming, at worst.

Admittedly, we are all born into societies or cultures where the norms and customs are already established. For the most part, we have little choice but to conform to what is already in place. This is not necessarily a bad thing, however, it can be confining and controlling if we accept everything blindly and never question the status quo.

Does this mean all of your ideas can be original and unlike everyone else's?

Nor does it require being contrary and argumentative just to be defiant or stand out. To think for yourself means that whatever opinions you hold will be well thought out and come from a position of thorough investigation and thoughtful analysis. It means choosing to not compromise the facts for the sake of consensus or fitting in. It is not unlike critical thinking - it just encompasses a broader scope of choices and decision-making in your life.

As an example, how many of us feel the need to keep up with 'the latest'? We wear clothes, listen to music and follow trends that the media tells us we should in order to be cool. Marketing companies create ads that hypnotize us into a herd mentality as we fall into debt, wear fashions that are unbecoming, and get caught up in a cycle of over-spending, over-consuming and then stressing out over it. Before we realize it, we are living lives designed for us by the powers that be and without our conscious participation.

Another trap we fall into when we don't think for ourselves is groupthink. Groupthink, a term coined by Irving Janis in 1972, is a psychological phenomenon that takes place within a group of people who try to avoid conflict and reach agreement without critically evaluating options or alternative ideas. The problem with groupthink is that it hinders finding the best solutions, impedes creative ideas and thwarts independent thinking. Wanting to be part of the crowd can certainly have its drawbacks!

So how can you cultivate the ability to think for yourself?

Tips on how to think for yourself:

Develop a strong sense of self. Know who you are, what you want and what is best for you. Do not let others, especially marketing companies and the media, tell you how you should look, feel and act. Do what is best for you. Cultivate your own tastes and enjoy your preferences.

Be well-informed. Gather as much information about a subject as possible before forming an opinion. Build your mental resources by reading, observing, and listening for yourself. Then take time to reflect and evaluate.

Be flexible. Look for solutions and outcomes to a situation from as many perspectives as you can. Determine the pros and cons. Are there other possibilities? Whom might it harm/benefit? What are the potential consequences?

Identify possible biases. Are you being unduly influenced by your culture, upbringing or other people's opinions? Are you being fair and open-minded? Many times we make poor decisions because we begin with the wrong premise. If we take time to evaluate and judge based upon what we observe first hand rather than what we've been lead to believe, we can arrive at a more appropriate and practical conclusion.

Do not buckle under pressure, fear, or guilt. Have the courage to stand up for what you really believe and have deduced yourself. If you go along with the crowd for the sake of keeping peace, avoiding confrontation, or fear of failure, you do everyone a disservice, especially yourself. You may have a brilliant idea, or maybe it happens to be the right thing to do. If no one hears about it, a healthy discussion cannot take place and all possibilities will not be considered. A good idea has the potential to evolve into a better one with input from a variety of sources.

The Benefits of thinking for yourself:

You develop self-confidence and trust in your abilities

You attain a greater sense of accomplishment

You expand your mind and boost your brain power

You gain respect from others by standing up for what you believe in and by being original

You are more aware and alert to what the media is trying to sell you

You are more open to self-improvement and alternative viewpoints

You are more interesting to others by expanding their thinking and options

You are NOT thinking for yourself when:

✓ You let others, the media, or convention sway you from doing what's right for you.
✓ You buy into negative, one-dimensional stereotypes based on sex, race or culture.
✓ You do something because it has always been done that way - even if it no longer works.
✓ You follow old wives' tales, superstitions or fallacies that defy common sense.
✓ You don't take time to think things through carefully and fully.

As you may have already concluded, thinking for yourself is not easy. It requires deliberate, mindful and at times courageous application, however the personal rewards are endlessly gratifying.

In the words of John Stuart Mill: "Truth gains more even by the errors of one who, with due study and preparation, thinks for himself, than by the true opinions of those who only hold them because they do not suffer themselves to think."

Related articles:
Dare to Be An Original
Quotes on Being An Original
Boost Your Brain Power with Classics
How To Think Critically

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Do you think for yourself? In these times of fast media and ever-growing Internet we are under so many external influences that it can be difficult to know when we are thinking for ourselves. Unless you are a discerning, very aware person, you most likely don't even know when your thinking is not your own.

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"Living life vs Being life ! I Motivation" Video 1

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"Living life vs Being life ! I Motivation" Video 1

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Tay Motivate strives to bring peace and happiness into everyday life. In this video he focuses on a concept that Henry David Thoreau often spoke about, living life vs being life. The two concepts are very different as Tay explains by saying living life is just going with the flow but being life is essentially creating life for yourself.

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Living life vs Being life ! | Motivation

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This quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson embodies a huge chunck of the transcendentalist idea of self reliance. Emerson is saying that you are not what society makes you or what others tell you are; you are who you want to be. Emerson wants each individual to use their mind and intelligence to shape their own character and person for themselves.

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This simple quotation by one of the great transcendentalist leaders, Henry David Thoreau, puts transcendentalism into six easy words. Living for yourself and through your personal ideas is key to a transcendental life. Thoreau explains that imagination is an essential piece to the “ideal” and “perfect” life and societal norms aren’t a way of life.

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In her poem "Mother Nature", Emily Dickinson writes about nature's beauty and as if mother nature was a real human being. Through the use of personification, Dickinson really emphasizes how nature is so under appreciated and gorgeous. Transcendentalists would appreciate this poem due to their rooted belief in nature's powers. In her sixth stanza, Dickinson writes, "her [mother nature's] golden finger on her lip,
Wills silence everywhere" to close with the image of a peaceful world calmed by a rich, beautiful mother nature. Nature brings peace and humility to all things.

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Nature, Poem 1: Mother Nature | The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Series Two | Emily Dickinson | Lit2Go ETC

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Dickinson, E. (1896). Nature, Poem 1: Mother Nature. The Poems of Emily Dickinson: Series Two (Lit2Go Edition). Retrieved February 02, 2019, from https://etc.usf.edu/lit2go/115/the-poems-of-emily-dickinson-series-two/4422/nature-poem-1-mother-nature/

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Ralph Waldo Emerson not only knew about transcendentalism but made it into a lifestyle. This quote by him talks of the key idea of living everyday to the fullest. He is saying that you should take it upon yourself to make everyday the best day and forget about the past and future.

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Emerson was a great leader of transcendentalism and made it simple enough for people to understand his point of view. This quote emphasizes the importance of nonconformity which is spoken by Emerson most often. Just being yourself is hard enough in a world that craves “normality” and is a huge accomplishment that should be celebrated.

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I took this picture of myself with a lightbulb above me to represent the transcendental concept of original ideas. We all know the classic cartoon lightbulb appearing over a person with an idea and I tried to recreate that image. Transcendentalists believe that original and personal ideas are more important to an ideal life than following the waves society travels upon.

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I took this picture of the sky on the way to an event. It made me think of the transcendentalist ideas of appreciating the moment. The sky was so calm and I felt it made for a perfect moment of appreciation. The sky was clear and the weather was perfect without s single drop of rain or cool wind to rupture the stillness

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In her sixth stanza, Dickinson writes, "her [mother nature's] golden finger on her lip,
 Wills silence everywhere" to close with the image of a peaceful world calmed by a rich, beautiful mother nature.