Dissecting “Haters Everywhere”

I recently posted this on my facebook status:

*Haters Everywhere*

Perhaps the reason why people hate us so much is they can’t stand staring into the intense light we emit.

Therefore, whenever someone hates on us, take it as a compliment.

Their hate is an acknowledgment of how awesome you are.

No lie.

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It can be extremely discouraging to find out that people hate on us.

Usually, we don’t even know why they’re hating on us. We have no clue what we did.

Sometimes we find out the reason, and we think it’s silly or ridiculous.

People just have so much free time that they spend it luxuriously on hating us.

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This bothers a lot of people. They feel powerless because they can’t change the perception of others.

Sometimes when we try to get others to like us, they hate us even more.

It can be extremely discouraging knowing that there is hate in the world and you can’t do anything about it.

Well there is something that you can do about all the hate in the world.

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You can turn hate into a good thing.

Instead of viewing it as a bad thing and wanting it to go away, turn it into a good thing so that when it happens you are not bothered by it.

You actually welcome hate, because now instead of bringing you down, it brings you up.

That’s what my status updates tries to convey to the reader.

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People hate on you because you are awesome.

More hate means that you are more awesome.

Therefore, regardless of love or hate you always end up feeling awesome.

You can’t control how others treat you, but you can control how you respond to love and hate.

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The trick to living a happy life is turning all bad situations into good ones.

If we can find the silver lining in all bad situations, suddenly our life doesn’t seem so bleak.

We look deep under the surface, instead of judging immediately by the appearance of something that it is bad.

Life can potentially diverge into a million possibilities, just because we are open to it being more than what it seems.

Dissecting Gospel “Mk 10: 17-22”

Mk 10: 17-22

As Jesus was setting out on a journey, a man ran up,
knelt down before him, and asked him,
“Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”
Jesus answered him, “Why do you call me good?
No one is good but God alone.
You know the commandments: You shall not kill;
you shall not commit adultery;
you shall not steal;
you shall not bear false witness;
you shall not defraud;
honor your father and your mother.”
He replied and said to him,
“Teacher, all of these I have observed from my youth.”
Jesus, looking at him, loved him and said to him,
“You are lacking in one thing.
Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”
At that statement his face fell,
and he went away sad, for he had many possessions.”

From this Gospel, I can gather that Jesus puts value not into observing God’s commandments but also how attached we are to our possessions.

Jesus doesn’t care if you are rich are poor, because both rich and poor people can be attached to their possessions.

Having said that, I’m sure it is easier for a poor person to give up something than a rich person. Poor people live in an environment where they lack many things already. Giving up one more item isn’t going to hurt them.

Rich people on the other hand may go through life working hard for certain things such as house, car, and clothes. If they were asked to give it all up, I would think they’d have to take a longer time considering all that they have to give up.

Jesus, doesn’t concern himself with rich or poor people, because he understands we all get attached to things.

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Is money bad?

He doesn’t ask the man, “How much money is in your bank account?”

Money isn’t bad. It’s our attachment to money that makes us forgot about what’s truly important in ones life. Sometimes our attachment is so overwhelming that we try to attain it at all cost. Even if it means stealing or depriving others of what’s rightfully theirs.

Jesus could’ve told a poor man the exact same thing, “Go, sell what you have, and give to the poor
and you will have treasure in heaven; then come, follow me.”

The man could be poor and if he had one prized possession he couldn’t give up, perhaps a family heirloom, the poor man’s response would’ve been exactly the same as the rich man’s response.

What you have right now isn’t important.

What’s important to Jesus is how attached you are to those things.

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Why does Jesus put attachment as one of the things you need to overcome in order to reach Heaven?

He knows that as long as we are attached to earthly possessions, they will always come in the way when we try to be happy.

People have fought and killed over Air Jordans.

Wars have been started over who has the rights to a piece of land.

Family have been divided arguing over inheritance they believe to be rightfully theirs.

Jesus knows that all earthly things are perishable.

They come, they go.

They are built and eventually they erode, diminish, or break.

Nothing we possess lasts for eternity.

Therefore, why place so much of your attention, love, and time onto something that’s a lost cause?

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“How do we know if we are attached to something?”

I recently read a book called the “New Earth” by Eckhart Tolle.

He say’s the best way to see if you are attached to something is to pay attention to your thoughts and emotions, the moment one of your possessions is damaged or lost.

For example, whenever you hear that a car got broke into at Walmart. Perhaps you are thinking, “Oh wow, Wal-mart is such a dangerous place. I should be careful. ” Emotionally, there is no investment at all. You just move on right after.

But if that car happens to be yours, perhaps your thinking and emotions will be quite different. “I can’t believe someone would do that. What has this world come to? Why aren’t police officers there when you need them? I need to file a complaint to Walmart, they need security cameras out here. Who else can I blame here for my bad situation? I feel like a victim. I’m not sure I can ever park my car in the public ever again. And I just got this car last month! Why do bad things always happen to me?” And they could go on and on with this. Putting it on facebook. Sharing their frustration with everyone they meet. They go on a personal campaign with the message “the world is really messed up.”

Surprisingly there are people out there who after having their car broke in, you don’t even know it until by some accident it is revealed to you. Perhaps it came up during a conversation of why there are dents on the side of your car. These people deal with what happen. Learn from what happen. And then move on. Emotionally they are somewhat scared and frustrated, but they quickly deal with the situation and then move on with life. They don’t let the incident take over their life.

Attachment to an item can be measured by how much and how long you brood over one of your possessions being damaged or lost.

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“Why do we get attached to things and why is it so hard to get unattached?”

When we get attached to something, all it really means is we’ve become identified with it.

It’s mine.

That’s my ipod. That’s my car. That’s my shoes.

And whenever an ipod gets damaged, it feels like a part of us has been damaged.

In a way, the possession has become a part of who you are and what you represent.

We have invested a part of ourself, a part of our identity, into that product.

So when that product gets stolen, we feel empty inside because a part of us has just been lost.

When someone puts down our car, we feel like we have to defend our car. Them criticizing our car is similar to them criticizing us. Even though our car has no feelings and would run just fine after being put down. We feel the need to speak up because our feelings have been hurt and we would not run fine after having to put up with their rude remarks.

Our society is obsessed with having and wanting. All we want to do is possess, possess, and possess even more. Attachment has been ingrained into our culture.

Of course, there are some who are more attached to things than others. And even more rare, you’ll find people who aren’t attached to anything at all.

Regardless of where you stand on your degree of attachment, less attachment is always going to bring you more peace, joy, and love.

It’s what Jesus was trying to say in today’s Gospel.

Movie Reflections: Looper

(***Contains spoilers to the movie.)

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From watching the movie Looper, I gather one common theme.

Everyone is willing to kill someone else, in order for someone they love.

Bruce Willis is willing to kill 3 different kids in order to protect his love.

The Rainmaker is willing to kill all loopers in order to avenge his mother’s death.

Joseph Gordon-Lovett is willing to kill Bruce Willis in order to protect himself.

Everyone is out to get someone.

This common trend changes in the end.

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Joseph Gordon-Lovett plays present day Joe.

Bruce Willis plays 30 years in the future Joe.

If Bruce Willis dies, it means Joseph Gordon-Lovett will also die in 30 years.

But if Joseph Gordon-Lovett dies, it means Bruce Willis will immediately cease to exist.

With no present day Joe alive, there is no one to age 30 years into the future.

Willis cannot kill Gordon-Lovett, but Gordon-Lovett can kill Willis.

And he does kill Willis, but without really doing anything to Willis.

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In the future, there exists a horrible being called the Rainmaker.

The Rainmaker is responsible for destroying the world and ruling over it with violence.

Bruce Willis goes back in time to kill the Rainmaker while he is still small and vulnerable.

Bruce Willis wishes to prevent the Rainmaker from killing his wife who dies in the future.

Joseph Gordon-Lovett quickly befriends the child Rainmaker.

Soon, we find out why the child is called Rainmaker.

He can make other human beings explode leaving a rain a blood that showers the earth.

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Towards the end of the movie, Bruce Willis catches up to the child Rainmaker.

Bruce Willis is ready to kill the kid, but the Rainmaker’s mother is standing in the way.

She yells for the kid to run away while she blocks the path of the gun shot.

Joseph Gordon-Lovett runs to scene only to helplessly witness this from afar.

Suddenly, he see’s the cycle of deaths.

He see’s Bruce Willis killing the Rainmaker’s mother.

He see’s the Rainmaker escaping, hurt and bitter.

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He see’s the Rainmaker growing up and taking out his anger on the whole world.

He see’s the Rainmaker once again killing Bruce Willis’s wife.

He see’s Bruce Willis once again going back in time to kill the child Rainmaker again.

Joseph Gordon-Lovett see’s how futile Bruce Willis’ actions are.

Bruce Willis’ action to kill the Rainmaker causes the Rainmaker grows without a mother.

He will grow into a vengeful, hateful being with a uncontrollable power.

Bruce Willis’ need to kill someone, ensures that someone will eventually kill his wife.

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If you spread hate, hate will one day come back for you.

If you kill someone to protect your own, someday someone will kill someone you cherish to protect their own.

How can you blame them for doing the exact same thing you did?

Joseph Gordon-Lovett realized this just before Bruce Willis was going to shoot the mother.

He realized the only way to prevent a chaotic future, was to stop the cycle of hate and violence.

He took the gun in his hand, spun it around so that it pointed at his own heart.

And he squeezed the trigger, ending his own life.

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He knew he couldn’t stop Bruce Willis in time, but he knew if he died his future self would also die.

By killing himself, he made sure that Bruce Willis could not exist anymore.

Everyone is always busy trying to kill someone else to protect the one they love.

Rarely does anyone see that the problem perhaps could exist within oneself.

And even rarer is to find someone willing to sacrifice himself for the good of others.

Joseph Gordon-Lovett made this decision at the end of the movie.

He ensured the Rainmaker’s mother would live to raise the child with plenty of love.

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Most of us seek to solve problems by putting the blame on others.

You despise them, you spread rumors, and perhaps even get into verbal and physical conflict with them.

You end up creating bad karma, that one day will come back for you with a vengeance.

I believe that all the solutions to our problems can be found by looking inside instead of outside.

By looking inside, we then focus on the one thing we do have control over.

Perhaps then we would be able to sacrifice a part of ourselves for the benefit of others.

In every moment, you can choose to be like Bruce Willis or Joseph Gordon-Lovett.

Fun Time Vs Boring Time

What makes the difference between having fun and being bored?

I recently went to an event with a friend.

We were both photographers.

Yet, we had two different experiences.

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If you ask him, whether he had a good time or not?

He would say he was bored out of his mind.

If you ask me, the same question.

I would say I enjoyed the event very much.

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The difference between me and him lies in how we spent our time.

I was very involved with all the activities.

I volunteered my time, I took charge of certain projects, I took pics as much as I could.

He took a laid back stance, doing as little as possible even when it came to taking pictures.

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It almost felt like he was waiting for life to happen to him.

He was sitting at the dinner table waiting for someone to set the table and feed him.

He expected to be entertained and didn’t want to put in any effort.

His expectations were too high, so he was disappointed.

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For me time went by really quick due to all the activities I was a part of.

I was in the kitchen getting down and dirty trying to come up with dishes for my guest.

I wanted to contribute to the entertainment and put out as much as I could.

My expectations were low, so even if I didn’t get much out of it, I was still content.

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When you wait for life to happen, you are at the mercy of life.

If there’s nothing happening in life, there’s nothing happening with you.

Life is boring when you have to wait for things to happen.

But waiting for things to happen is a conscious choice that you make.

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If you wanted to, you could make things happen in life.

You could be proactive and seek to make life more eventful.

As a result, you are making things happen in life for yourself and others.

Instead of waiting in uncertainty for things to happen, you act knowing for certain that things will happen.

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A fun time or a boring time depends on whether you want to be the driver or the passenger.

Are you going to allow someone else to drive you around hoping it’s what you want.

Or are you going to take the steering wheel and take everyone for the ride of their life.

A boring time is something that you let happen to you, while a fun time is something that you must make happen for you and/or others.

Most Valuable Substance on Earth

The most valuable substance can’t be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or heard.

Its what everyone has, but no one ever has enough of it.

It’s everywhere you go, yet no where to be found.

It grows in value, only if you learn how to appreciate it.

What could it possibly be?

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The most valuable substance on earth is space.

When you buy a house, you are really buying space.

Would you want a house that is already occupied? No, why would I want a house where strangers are in my space.

Would you want a house that doesn’t have a kitchen? No, I need space to cook for my children.

A house is appealing only as long as it serves its function, which is to provide empty space for you to live comfortably.

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When you buy a glass cup, you are solely interested in the space inside.

The space inside the cup is what makes it functional.

Would anyone ever buy a cup that is solid glass? I’m buying the cup to drink from, but if it’s solid how can the piece of glass hold the water now?

Glass cups are useful only if it is hollow. The material the cup is made out of is inconsequential.

As long as the cup has space to contain fluids, it can be made out of steel, plastic, or paper.

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Every year, millions of dollars are invested into Superbowl ads. But what really is being bought is space.

All of America is tuned into this channel, therefore I will sell you this slot of 30 secs for 56 million dollars.

You can fill that space with anything you think will gain the attention of your viewers. You need to come up with even more money to create something catchy.

Would anyone every buy a slot in the program, if it’s already filled? No, why would I buy a space that already has someone else’s commercial in it.

I put millions on the table, solely so I have that space in the programming to myself. I want that space to be empty, so I can fill it with what I want.

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When it comes down to personal space, this is where many of us get stuck.

We don’t know how to manage our own personal space.

We don’t know how to create our own space.

The problem with most of is we don’t have any space at all.

Yet space is the most important thing in our possession.

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When our space is filled with events and tasks, we quickly run out of time.

The only way to create space in our schedule is to say no.

We can’t be everywhere doing everything, so we have to say no.

Saying no, frees up our schedule and slowly restores space.

Say no enough times and suddenly you have your life back.

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Most of us aspire to do great things, but where we fall short is we don’t make space for those things to happen.

If you want to pursue your passion of singing, you won’t get very far if you don’t make space for it.

Many people try to squeeze their new goal or new dreams into their already existing busy life.

They expect to keep all that they have now in addition to what may come through the realization of their dream.

The materialization of a goal requires space in your schedule for it to happen.

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Stress is caused by our brains constantly being bombarded by thoughts.

“I hate work. Why did she lie to me? How am I going to pay my bills? Why is this lady buying so much stuff?’

Relaxation methods involves creating space in the mind.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Meditate. Yoga. Tai Chi. Praying. Chanting.

All these exercises are meant to empty the mind of distracting thoughts which results in more space within your mind.

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At the end of most people’s lives, they regret not having more time to spend with family and friends.

What they are running out is space.

The space in their timeline is quickly coming to end.

If only they could have some more space to spend it with their loved ones.

If they could, they would go back and try to dedicate more space for friends and family.

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The most valuable substance can’t be seen, touched, tasted, smelled, or heard.

Its what everyone has, but no one ever has enough of it.

It’s everywhere you go, yet no where to be found.

It grows in value, only if you learn how to appreciate it.

The most valuable substance on earth is space.

The Bystander, The Consumer, & The Creator

In a book by Deepak Chopra, I remember reading the author explaining the 3 ways of experiencing life. You either experience life as a bystander, consumer, or creator.

For example, the sun rises every morning.

For most of us, we don’t even care about it. We have a billion other things on our plate. We’ve witnessed the sun rising millions of times. Today is no different.

For others who do care, they set about 30 mins once in a while to take in the view of a new day unfolding. There is something magical about seeing something so grand, warm, and beautiful rise out of the sky everyday.

For a select few, out there the sight of the sun provides an inspiration for something we are doing. We take in the beautiful sight of the sun and that pushes us to use the sun for our new company logo.

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Life is amazing but most of us spend it as a bystander. We simply are too busy to appreciate all the simple things in life. There is not much in life for us. Life becomes boring and stressful as a bystander.

From time to time, we may stop to smell of fresh flowers or call up an old friend to catch up. Now we are simply consuming what life has to give. We learn that it feels good to take. Life becomes good and cheery.

Finally, there are moments in our life where we are inspired or motivated by the world. We seek expression through our work or hobbies. We learn that it feels even better to give back. Life becomes purposeful and fulfilling.

There is a cycle in life. Things exist and happen. We can ignore it and leave it alone. Or we can open ourselves up and embrace it. You can then take what you have received and find a way to express it to the world. It can be a meal, a blog, a song, a dance, or a letter.

Once you have created something, you now give others the opportunity to consume something new in the world. From something that has already been created, you have found a way to create something completely new for the world to admire. The have completed the cycle of life.