June 15, 2006
This will be the most difficult thing I have ever had to write. I recently received word that the man who helped make this book possible and my friend Don Lemmon died in an automobile accident while returning home from Las Vegas. He leaves behind a beautiful family consisting of his wife Asia and daughter Catalina. They were also expecting another child in August, a son. This has been a difficult and emotional time for me but I can not even imagine what Asia must be going through. I would urge anyone reading this to make a donation, however big or small, to Asia so that she can support herself and the babies while going through this difficult period. Donations of up to $100 can be made on Asia's sales page at http://www.lildictator.com/salescredit.html If you are able to send more, you can send it directly to her via paypal http://www.paypal.com using her email address asiac@asiacarrera.com
Don was truly an amazing man and had a bright future ahead full of even more amazing accomplishments. But despite all his success as a business man he was first and foremost a husband and father who loved his family more than anything else. He was an inspiration and someone to look up to as a great example of how to live. He will be sorely missed by any who were fortunate enough to know him. For myself, the world is a lesser place with his passing and will never be quite the same.
April 18, 2006
Things have been very busy lately. I have a lot of little projects I'm working on and have been spending more time with my family, hence the length of time since my last entry here. (Not to mention I had to get my taxes done which is always an adventure.) It is so easy to get distracted by work and it is important that everyone takes time to be with their family. This means stepping away completely some times so there are no distractions. I am as guilty as anyone else in that I sometimes get so wrapped up in my work I lose sight of what really matters. There is nothing wrong with being passionate about what you do but there is a difference between passion and obsession. My advice is to step back every now and then and take some personal time. I am of the philosophy that we should work to live and not live to work. We only have one ticket on this ride we call life so live life to its fullest and don't get so involved in the petty things that life passes you by!
February 12, 2006
One of my pet peeves would have to be the media, and by media I am referring to the TV news, newspapers, magazines, and tabloids. They are all filled with horrific crimes and vacuous entertainment. Is that all there is to report on? Do I really need to know what about some guy half a world away who walked into work and killed his co-workers? Do I care about what some celebrity is doing with their time? Where are all the stories on positive contributions people make to society? Sure there are a few every now and then but rarely are they on the front page. More often than not they are relegated to the last few minutes of a news program or back pages of a publication.
The media has become more than just a tool for distributing information and news. It is much more powerful than that. We, as a society, have become so dependent on the media that if we hear something or read something enough we will believe it, whether it is true or not. There have been many instances over the last few years where it has surfaced that major stories were either misconstrued or just outright fabrications. The media is less interested in the truth than it is about high ratings. It has become a tool by which the population is being influenced by people in power with their own agendas.
I am not talking about some grand conspiracy here either. All I am saying is that every news agency has its own criteria for reporting the news. You can look at any agency and label it conservative, liberal, or something similar. Why do we accept this? The media should be impartial and report all the facts, not pick and choose the facts which fit their political or social agendas. It is time we wake up and start holding these media agencies accountable. We need to start thinking more for ourselves and not just blindly accept what is being fed to us.
January 20, 2006
Why do so many young people look up to celebrities as if they are role models? And when I say celebrity I am referring to the movie stars, rock stars, sports figures, political figures, etc. This is something that has always concerned me. I don't think it is going too far out on a limb to say that they want to imitate them because of their wealth and popularity. Don’t get me wrong. There are a rare few celebrities that have remained grounded and are decent and good people while being masters of their respective art. However, for the most part, the celebrities we hear so much about have very few redeeming qualities and are often morally bankrupt.
Now, this is not intended to be a rant on bashing celebrities. There are plenty of magazines and web sites devoted to that subject. What I want to know is when it was decided that these are people we should use as role models? Simply because someone is popular or wealthy is no reason to think of them as a role model so why do people, primarily young people, look at them in this way? To answer this question, we need to look at ourselves.
It is because our children are being raised by the media and not being properly nurtured at home. The responsibility is on the parents or guardians to raise their children properly and show them what qualities should be emulated. True role models are not concerned with personal gain or attention. They are individuals who have more meaningful qualities such as honesty, honor, personal responsibility, caring, and constant self improvement. How many of the current popular celebrities exhibit these qualities? There are far too few, if you ask me.
It is often said that there are too few positive role models for children to look up to. However, the truth of the matter is that we as a society are looking at the wrong set of people for our role models. Often the best role models are closer to home. In fact, if you have children, you should be the role model! Children may not always appreciate their parent(s) while they are young but if they are brought up properly from an early age they will maintain the good qualities that are ingrained in them.
So don’t go blaming the celebrities or media for a lack of good role models. You should take it upon yourself to act as a role model and not let the media determine who you or your children should try to be like.
January 8, 2006
Have you ever noticed how lacking a majority of people in our society are in the good manners department? For example, I was out at dinner this evening and while standing around waiting for my table a very pregnant woman walked in with her husband. They put their name on the list and stood there waiting. I say stood because all the seats in the waiting area were full of other people waiting for their tables. I foolishly expected at least one of the dozen or more people sitting down would offer up their seat to this poor woman. But you know what? Not one single person did the right thing and asked the woman if she would like their seat. It wasn’t until the husband asked someone that a seat was made available. And to top it off, the man he asked acted all irritated and instead of moving himself, and being a gentleman, he made his kid get up.
Now I can understand that there are people that are just going to be selfish and rude. There are people like that everywhere. But to see an entire room full of people act this way is just sad and a classic example of what is wrong with our society. Utilizing good manners is something that requires the smallest amount of energy and effort. Simply getting up so a pregnant or elderly person can sit down is just so simple and effortless. Just like holding the door for someone who is carrying groceries or trying to manage multiple children or even something so simple as saying things like “please” and “thank you”. They all require so little effort but still are rare occurrences. Why is that?
Are we so wrapped up in our own little lives that we care so little about others? Or is it that some of us were never brought up correctly? I don’t know the answer to that but I suspect it is a mixture of both. It is a sad commentary on people in general that good manners are so lacking. They should be natural and instinctive reactions not things that make us feel put out. Graciously giving up your seat to someone more in need or just saying a kind word shows a persons character and can make a very positive impact on those around you. If others see you acting this way it can make them think about their own actions and perhaps give them something to think about. But even if it doesn’t, you have still done the right thing and that is something to feel good about. So be attentive to your surroundings. If you see someone who needs a seat, or a door held open, or any other form of assistance do the right thing for both the person in need and yourself.
January 1, 2006
So it begins...a new year. How many times have you already been asked what your New Years resolution is going to be? If nothing else, New Years resolutions are an interesting tradition. People some how think that a change of the calendar is the impetus they need to correct a behavior or attempt something new. Why is this? I mean after all, the calendar and changing of the years is a human construct. In the grand scheme of nature and the universe there is nothing special about this particular point in time. It is simply another tick of the clock. So why should we treat it any differently than any other second of time that has either passed or is coming up?
The simple truth of the matter is we shouldn't treat it differently. If there is something that we need to change in our lives to improve the quality of life it should be done this very second! Why wait to quit smoking, exercise, eat better, learn to play a musical instrument, skydive, etc? We have a very finite period of time on this Earth and should be aiming to improve our lives every second of every day. To wait for a certain point of the year is to waste precious time, of which we have little when you consider the grand scheme of things. In all the time that this universe has seen or will see, we exist in what is little more than a blink of an eye on a universal temporal scale. We should use all the time available to us to improve both ourselves and the world around us.
Treat every day as a time to make a change and be a better person. Make a resolution each day to change a bad habit or try something new. These should not be empty promises to yourself either. They should be very real and attainable goals that you strive to meet. When you meet a personal goal take pride in it, but don't rest on your laurels. Always push yourself to keep moving ahead. Nothing feels better than accomplishing a goal you have set for yourself. It proves your are capable of more than you thought. And if you can do this daily, this will indeed be a very Happy New Year!
December 19, 2005
A few of the questions I have been asked repeatedly revolve around our choice of the Triquetra as the symbol on the Basis of Being. Why did you choose that symbol? Did you know that is a religious symbol? Are you affiliated with a religion? Did you know they use that symbol on the TV show Charmed? These are all questions that have been asked of me recently in one form or another.
The main reason it was chosen is because it is an excellent visual portrayal of what the Basis of Being is trying to convey. It visually represents the balance necessary in our physical, mental and spiritual states. Each is equally important and each should be constantly maintained. We should strive to stay fit and train in each area.
The reasons for physical and mental well being are obvious as are the health benefits related to each. The spiritual aspect is one that is also important. Whether or not a person chooses to exercise this spirituality through following a particular belief system or simply keeping to their own moral and ethical standards is an individual choice. What is important is to keep each in balance and properly maintained. To concentrate on only one or two areas at the expense of others, creates an imbalance and is not conducive to healthy and balanced living. Just as one example, if one were to spend all their time on spiritual matters, without the mental capacity to fully understand what they are doing and why, can lead to zealous or extremist behavior. This more often than not leads to a very unhealthy life style.
As for the religious aspects of the symbol, those are purely coincidental. We are in no way promoting or otherwise affiliated with any organized belief system (i.e. religion). The fact that is has been used in a popular TV show is also simply coincidental. Ultimately any symbol that we chose would be looked at with scrutiny and criticized. It is simply a symbol and nothing more.
To anyone who thinks it is part of something more is misinformed and has not taken the time to read the contents of the book. To those people I suggest reading what is there and understand where we are coming from. In the end you will find that all we are doing is try to help people live health and productive lives while trying to maintain harmony with the people and the world around them.
December 8, 2005
Any time you are involved in something that is open for public viewing you will always have your critics. I learned this a while ago and my involvment in the Basis of Being is no different, nor should it be. I always enjoy receiving constructive criticisms and gather other people's point of view. The only reason I bring this up is because I was recently PM'd (private messaged) by a member of one of the forums I am involved in. This individual felt I was too "joking and not serious enough on the forum for someone trying to teach good ethics and proper living".
Now, at first I was taken back by this and wasn't sure what to think of it. I didn't realize there was a set of rules an author needed to follow. After a little further thought I decided that I would take that observation as a compliment. If I have to decide between being dull and boring or being humorous and lively, I'll take the latter. Sure the subject matter of the book is serious and meaningful but that does not preclude enjoying life.
Everyone involved in this project is just trying to do their little part to make this world and the society we live in a little better. But this does not mean I am any better than the next guy or girl. I am not some untouchable Sage standing on the mountain top dolling out pieces of wisdom. I am simply a human being like anyone else. I am not trying to be better than anyone or be their "savior". I am just a regular guy working with other regular people trying to show a way we can all interact on a basic human level regardless of race, belief, sex, etc.
This is a belief system that is compatible with pretty much everybody. I think the problem is that often times people equate belief system with religion and the world religion conjurs up images of "holier than thou" types. So if I do not fall into that category I must say THANK YOU! The Basis of Being is not a religion or cult or anything along those lines. It is just a way for us to live that lets us treat ourselves and others as fellow human beings, regarless of our spiritual beliefs or lack thereof.
December 7, 2005
Well today brought some much anticipated news. The Basis of Being has finally arrived! Don Lemmon has been kind enough to take the orders until we finalize our process on the site. This works out very well for those of you who want a first copy. He is selling them at a very low introductory price of only $6. Once the site is ready to receive orders the books will be going up to their standard price of $19.95 USD. So hurry now and get them while the prices are still low! It won't last long! Order Now
December 2, 2005
I finally decided to add a blog to my site. I've decided to call it Ramble's From Gamble. Yea, I know, it sounds a little lame LOL but I like it. Sounds better than Gamble's Blog or something along those lines. So until I think of a better name, Ramble's From Gamble it is!