CBrajkovich Ramblings

Sometimes, fighting what exists won’t get you as far as building something new so that others can understand what you’re dreaming about. There will be some people who believe that we have to live with what we are given. You can believe that if you choose, but you may find your world being buffeted by the thoughts of those with grander dreams than what’s around them. We have done some amazing things in modern times, but they mean very little when compared to the changes that have occurred over our time in existence, or even the time in context with our universe’s existence. Time doesn’t mark a constant, because it isn’t constant. It’s an ever-changing flowing river on which we ride, living our individual lives as part of the grander universal time piece.

We all fight to be the individual that we want to be, sometimes sacrificing ourselves at the alter of perfection. But perfection lies in the eyes of the beholder, and therefore cannot be held as a constant model in which we all have to fit into. So, when you find yourself not fitting into the cookie-cutter mold that is held to high standards by a majority, don’t question yourself but do question the mold. Status quo doesn’t like to rock the boat. But if you find that there is even one thing wrong with that mold, then  you are doing yourself a disservice by changing yourself to fit with expectations. Change doesn’t happen because people do as they’re told. Change happens when people change (or even break) the mold.

If you find that you can’t affect the change that you want within what already exists, then perhaps it’s up to you to build an alternative that just might fit into another’s dreams. It will feel a whole lot better than trying to overcome your frustrations because the walls confine a dream much grander than what we already know. There’s more than one solution to any problem. Frankly, there’s as many solutions as there are of us. Just think of how many alternatives could lead to a more perfect solution than the one we have now.

Think about it: Over 78,000 “regular” people showed an interest to go to Mars with the Mars One mission when the call went out. And they were told that they will not return to our little blue marble. If this many people can dream beyond the boundaries of Earth, then something as simple as changing the way we live with one another should be equally possible.

So, don’t take those naysayers to heart. Maybe their dreams aren’t as big as yours, and you just need to show them just what you imagine. That’s how we reached the stars after so many millenia of our ancestors just gazing up at them. Never-ending IMAGINATION.

Today seems to be a good day to hear from one of my heroes, Albert Einstein:

Will opportunity’s light outshine that of the unknown darkness? When it threatens to derail your enthusiasm for new possibilities, then you need to list out all of the reasons why you’re making the change. Just remember that any difficulty will only be overcome when you are completely engaged in the belief that you will come out better on the other side. Don’t look at the closed doors, but imagine what could be on the other side and then make the idea come alive. And if you have someone who walks beside you on this trip, then you are all the more richer in true treasures. Share your fears and your hopes with one another, so that you each can ehlp set the shape of your new dreams. Limitations are only in your mind. And if your mind is set free, then there can be no limitations.

Besides, you heard it from one of the greatest minds of our times. And look at what he accomplished!

What differences do they see? What similarities?

Have you ever looked at the people around you and wondered what the world looked like through their eyes? Just how different is the view from yours? I often wonder about it considering how so many of us fight from one side or the other with little need of finding commonality. And yet perhaps the only way we will see the potential of today is to look at the world through the eyes of those who have seen it torn apart in those multitude of yesterdays. Perhaps then we will learn the lesson that life truly is fragile and that it will take very little to unravel what so many take for granted.

Reading the Guardian UK comments section yesterday, a potent commentary came from one Harry Leslie Smith that spoke of the foundations that we all take for granted: Is Cameron’s Britain What We Fought For In the War.  I know that I listen to stories such as these from those who fought in or were affected by wars (including my own parents) with only a shallow understanding of what that world must have been like. And yet, every society around the world is indeed fighting just such a repetition today because of false ideologies. Not false as in not true, but false as in the sense of a veil shadowing our shared truths of the real world in all of its shades. Perhaps if we lived in a country such as any of the Middle East or Eastern Europe, then we would understand the words that our “teachers” are trying to convey to us all, because they have been living it through their lifetime. Circumstances do affect actions, but they also highlight what is deep within our soul. Souls can be both dark and light, as we see in so many of those who ask (or demand) that we allow them to lead us.

“To me, this brave new world feels all wrong, out of tune with what the men and women of World War Two accomplished with our “blood, sweat and tears”. It just seems too flippant, too easy, too profane in this present world;“

These words of Mr. Smith strike deeply as we all understand exactly how he feels. Indeed, there is so much that feels out of tune with the natural harmony of tranquility..of a life in balance. And we all have to take a part in this blame game that tries to force us to take sides. We fail to get the real message: Taking a side will not solve the problem, because nothing changes until we all see the same thing, no matter through whose eyes they appear, and share in the solutions. We’ve got so many problems that won’t be eradicated until we all combine our resources, our knowledge, and our passions. Because one person’s sight is like a small piece of a very large, global puzzle. And that sight not only involves the actual view, but it also requires the internal feel that accompanies the images, so that they become meaningful to the heart as well as to the mind.

We don’t pay enough attention to those who have a past. And that would be each and every one of us. But some of those pasts are more vital because they can inform us about the hazards of a repetitive future. One on which we are standing on the doorstep. And this new vision encompasses so many separators: race, religion, philosophy, and so many individualized perceptions that seek to become a single superior foundation. Those who follow just one of these separators forget one important thought, and that is that there is always more than one side to everything. And those sides which seem so different, all make up one powerful group share which we call our collective reality.

Share the story told by Harry Leslie Smith for it’s an important one that is glossed over too much with flowery words. We need to quit celebrating the past as being “glorious” and pay more attention to it as a lesson for a future that awaits our final collective decision on its course.

So, I was going through my daily Reddit when I found out that Allie from Hyperbole and a Half posted…finally. After the news about her book, I’ve been wondering how she’s doing and it looks like we’ve found out:

If you haven’t read her post on how she’s dealing with her depression, then you should if you want to understand what it “feels” like to be depressed. Take it from someone who’s also suffered from it  for a really long time, it’s so accurate that you could just point to it when people ask you how you’re feeling. And it proves that there really is no tailor made answer that fits everyone’s circumstances. Be prepared to cry because it’s familiar.

I totally related to the feeling of nothingness. Waking up to yet another day of feeling nothing. Of looking at people who love you and you love back, but not being able to feel what you’re supposed to feel. It was years of being scared but not really realizing it because you…felt…nothing. When you finally lose those things that make you YOU, then you really wonder if you’ll ever get you back. Just like those around you wonder if you’ll ever be the same person they love.

But when the feelings finally do return, you realize that you’re on an unstoppable roller-coaster ride full of UPs and downs that just won’t quit. My return came through martial arts. I have no clue if it was the cure because I was scared to try anything else for a while in case my depression returned. I clung to martial arts like a life jacket. And then I fell in love with how it made me stronger. Strong enough that I could return to my other loves like writing (which I was afraid I would never get back). Well, I think that I can get over THAT fear now, huh?

If you’re struggling with depression (who isn’t nowadays???), then check out Allie’s latest outpouring. You’ll totally feel at home because you understand what she’s going through. You’re not one of those rays of sunshine that are trying to brighten you to death. You’re probably feeling like the fish right now. But then, someday, out of the blue you will start to feel like the corn. Embrace the silliness that ensues. Hug the overload of emotions you’ll feel. Power through the bursts of activity that will inevitably cause many, many ripples. And then grab hold as you start life anew, probably with too many feelings swirling around you. Pick a target…focus on a new wonder…and live! Because it will be less about the emotional wonders of whether everything really is BS.

I’m sure that everyone is happy to hear from Allie, thankful that someone can finally describe depression in a relatable way, and wishing that she gets past the BS…no pressure intended. It happens on your own time table, which means that it’s unpredictable. That part sucks, too.