Spoken by Socrates<\/strong> at his trial\u00a0<\/span>after he chose death rather than exile<\/p>\n I offered excuses about the hustle and bustle of the season, my new work schedule, another birthday, travel demands (Dallas, Salt Lake and Vegas in the last 60 days). \u00a0But after searching for the many layers of that last blog, I discovered that it was a piece with no layers at all and in fact had no redeeming social, or for that matter, antisocial, qualities. So, as an apology I proffer a Top 10<\/strong> list (along with my cogent comments) espoused by an All-Star cast of deep, philosophical thinkers to help you put your New Year’s resolutions in perspective.<\/p>\n Nietzsche<\/strong>, means rediscovering the seriousness one had as a child at play. \u00a0(Pretty heavy when you think about it)<\/em><\/p>\n Badiou<\/strong> commented that when people find love, they realize life offers them more together than it does alone.\u00a0(Can we really trust a guy whose name is BAD \u00a0I.O.U.?)<\/em><\/p>\n Authentic engagement\u00a0is world-disclosing work. Implicitly, by trying to enable the other, I acknowledge the value of sharing a world with them. \u00a0(I think he means, wherever you are, be there!)<\/em><\/p>\n Ask yourself, \u2018What unique contributions can you make that could empower others?\u2019\u00a0(Great arm farts probably don’t count)<\/em><\/p>\n Genuine self-control is equal parts focus, drive and humility.\u00a0(and perhaps some prozac)<\/em><\/p>\n We must be prepared to disrupt ourselves every now and then in order to see the unexpected opportunities in daily events and take our lives in new directions. \u00a0(We have to look no further than the latest election to affirm that we have indeed disrupted ourselves)<\/em><\/p>\n Anger can be a gift. Channel it into a creative activity\u00a0(Some are more ‘gifted’ than others)<\/em><\/p>\n By learning to think skeptically, we are not only better able to identify things that have real meaning, relevance, and value in life, we are also enabled to identify the things that\u00a0lack<\/em>\u00a0meaning, relevance, and value\u00a0(I know what you’re thinking – this blog lacks meaning, relevance and value)<\/em><\/p>\n Everything is fed by the flow of radiation from the sun. Hold out your hands to the sun. Feel it vitalize the molecular flows of your body. \u00a0(Sun worshiping – it’s all come full circle)<\/em><\/p>\n Sartre<\/strong> argued that authenticity involves making a\u00a0fundamental choice\u00a0about how to live \u2013 as a philosopher, writer, communist, whatever. The caveat is that we acknowledge that this is only a choice, and there are other choices we can make in life. Camus<\/strong> argued for what is ultimately, I think, a more uncompromising position: that existential authenticity demands that we admit to ourselves that our plans and projects are\u00a0for the most part hopeless and in vain<\/em>\u00a0\u2013 and struggle on regardless. This, for Camus, is existential revolt \u2013 to affirm the absurdity of life and continue. (I couldn’t have said it any better myself, actually I couldn’t have said it at all!)<\/em><\/p>\n Final words to think about when making your resolutions, from former publisher of\u00a0Success\u00a0<\/em>magazine,\u00a0Darren Hardy<\/strong> . . .<\/p>\n “Resolutions tend to focus on what you are not (skinnier, wealthier, punctual). \u00a0As you try to focus on the life you want, you’ll be fixated on the things you haven’t accomplished”.<\/em> \u00a0He suggests that resolutions should start with your abundances and expand them.<\/p>\n Or you could forget about resolutions this year and just curl up with your new Santa Farting Butt Pillow.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Bob Sparrow \u201cThe unexamined life is not worth living\u201d Spoken by Socrates at his trial\u00a0after he chose death rather than exile It was suggested by more than one reader that my last blog, the one about ‘creative’ Christmas gifts, … read more![\"philosopher\"](\"https:\/\/fromabirdseyeview.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/philosopher-222x300.jpg\")
<\/a>It was suggested by more than one reader that my last blog, the one about ‘creative’ Christmas gifts, was simply filler, fluff, no real depth, mailed in, not intellectually challenging, stimulating or provocative.<\/p>\n\n
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