Cultivating Hope
Karen Casey’s book, Cultivating Hope, is a wonderful and hopeful book about how an individual can live a life that is fearless and meaningful at a time when such virtues are so difficult to find. We live in a very troubled time, socially, personally and financially. This is why Casey’s book is so important for us today. Casey also comes from a troubled background. All she really wanted out of life was for others to change. This, she thought, would ensure her security. However, she later discovered that she was the one who had to change. Although this was difficult for her to accept at first, she did keep trying to open up to the idea that if she didn’t change, nothing else would either.
Religion and the Human Future – Theological Humanism
At a time when discourse about religion seems polarized between fideistic theism and reductive secularism, Klemm and Schweiker provide an imaginative ‘third way,’ in the form of a robust theological humanism that draws on and transforms the rich resources of theological and humanistic traditions. Ours is a time when cultures and religions creatively interact but also often collide, and human power increasingly endangers forms of life while great technological advances enable us to better relieve suffering.
The Cult of the Amateur – Media and The Consumer
Does the media create a cult of the amateur? It would seem that the media insists that the consumer know as little as possible about the products that they are selling. The media is supposed to inform and educate the general public yet they seem to control how much and what people know at all times.
The Fragmented Self and the Media
The media is versed at making us feel so inadequate that we start doubting our beliefs and values after a while. This is really detrimental since we already have such a difficult time to think for ourselves and to assert ourselves. So what the media does is to keep eroding our already vulnerable and, in some cases, fragmented self.
Why Do Writers Write?
Once an individual starts writing, its almost impossible for him/her to stop. Writing becomes a person’s passion, joy and compulsion. A serious writer writes at the bus stop, in the dentist’s office, in cafe‚’s, as well as on beaches, in lonely woods, at his computer, and sometimes even in bed. Some writers begin as hobbyists or recreational writers, jotting down ideas after work or on the weekends when they have a free hour. They may find themselves spending more and more time at the writing venture until they think about it most of the day.
Autonomous Decision Making
Applying philosophy to your everyday life can play a central role in learning more about your ability to consistently make decisions in your life that are the result of the application of an autonomous decision-making process. Autonomous decison-making flows from authentic living.
Writing about what we care about
It is always best for writers to write about what they are passionate about. If something really matters to you, you should write about that because you will have the most likelihood to have the manuscript written. Otherwise, writers who don’t have a passion about what they are writing have a tendency to let such ariticles, blogs, or manuscripts fall by the wayside before completing them.
Developing Your Own Beliefs and Values
The hallmark of any philosophical venture and the living philosophically is to think critically about your own beliefs and values and to determine what you care about the most. Once you figure out what your beliefs and values are, you will be able to act and make authentic decisions.
But one may ask, why is this is [...]
Voice is not Style of Writing
Over the years, I have discovered that voice is not the same as writing style. I have also blogged here about the importance of discovering your writing style. This should provide you quite a few hints about how you can write at your most optimal.
Setting Goals for 2010
Every year around this time, I start thinking about my goals and priorities for 2010 in all parts of my life. Since this blog is devoted mostly to writing, I will share my writing goals for 2010 below. Before I do that though I want to focus on why it is important to set goals and to express and share what these are to someone else and not just keep them to yourself.
For a long time, psychologists have said that the practise of writing down your goals on paper and having them visible so that you could refer to them often can really help you to accomplish them. Apparently, this visual representation of your goals helps remind you that these are things that you said that you would accomplish.
Writing Patterns
There are two kinds of writing patterns that all writers engage in. Patterns that work and patterns that don’t work. Writers seem to develop patterns without thinking and some of these patterns are less than productive for us, especially over time. Developing writing patterns is usually helpful. Writing patterns can help save time and to become more efficient. But not in all cases.
Body Signs: From Warning Signs to False Alarms – How to Be Your Own Diagnostic Detective
Body Signs is a very important, potentially life saving book about how our bodies send messages through external signals for inform us to become aware of some of the early signs of physical disease. Unlike physical symptoms which tend to involve pain and discomfort and are likely to send an individual running to his/her doctor’s office, bodily signals are more likely to result in scurrying off to her hairdresser, nail salon, cosmetic counter or drugstore. Symptoms, on the other hand, come in loud and clear, and they usually involve pain, fever, and bleeding. Bodily signs tend to be more subtle and difficult to interpret. However, many bodily signs can signal more serious things.
