Laughter

Laughter (n.) - an expression or appearance of merriment or amusement.

We’ve all been told time and time again that laughter is the best medicine. While I understand and respect this saying, I took the time to really think about it. If you have lung cancer, laughing isn’t going to help. It’s probably just going to make it hurt more. But, this saying does have a nice message.

Laughing is a funny occurrence. Why do we laugh? When something is funny, why do we smile widely and rapidly expel short bursts of air sometimes accompanied by vocal sounds? It seems such a strange way to express your amusement. Laughter is measured in duration, frequency, volume and sometimes lack thereof. There have been cases where I found something so funny I laughed so hard I couldn’t make a sound while I was laughing. That laughter is truly the best.

Some people live to make people laugh. They feel it defines them as a person. The class clown or a standup comedian prides themselves on their ability to make people laugh at any moment. There are others who strive not to be the class clown or a standup comedian but still try hard to make people laugh, and that’s alright. There are many who believe a humor is the most important aspect of an individual’s personality.

There are many different ways to elicit laughter. There’s shock humor, which is just for effect and the user doesn’t truly believe their sayings. This leads to racial humor, which when used incorrectly can be very dangerous. There’s topical humor, which is pretty much self explanatory. I am a fan of all of these, but my favorite brand is the one-liner. Quick, concise, and leaves them begging for more. It’s also my favorite because it stretches across all of the aforementioned genres. You can exhibit all of these brands through the one-liner. It’s that universal.

Our parents have always told us that if we’re being picked on, laugh with them and they can’t laugh at us. This is very true. When you’re constantly being joked about, the perfect way to fight this is not to retaliate, it’s to join. Because after all, if you can’t laugh at yourself, who can you laugh at?

As I wrote this, I thought more about laughter being the best medicine. It really does have an impact when you think about it. When you laugh, you think of nothing but what you’re laughing about and possibly other times when you laughed that hard. Nothing matters at that point. You’re in a place where nothing can hurt you and you’re just happy. Laughter is truly the most positive, warm thing in the entire world. But, you can’t spell “slaughter” with out laughter, so I guess there are two sides to every coin.

~ That is all.

Persevere

Persevere (v.) - to persist in anything undertaken; maintain a purpose in spite of difficulty, obstacles, or discouragement; continue steadfastly.

In today’s world, it’s very easy to quit. The rarity of today is to finish what you started. Something’s too hard? Too exhausting? Just forget about it. If it was important, it would be done already. This type of mindset is truly a disease that is plaguing humanity as we know it.

Perseverance is a priceless virtue. Many people equate perseverance with determination, and rightfully so. Determination is contained within perseverance. To be perseverant, you must possess the drive, the determination to see through whatever you’re doing to the end. This is something that is not seen enough. I personally believe that to persevere is to stop at nothing to make sure you complete anything in your way. This is to say even after you’ve been shut down in every manner possible. The truly perseverant will find a way to win. They’ll find a way to succeed. Nothing is impossible. If it seems impossible, you’re obviously overlooking something. This is why quitting is ridiculous, because there’s nothing that cannot be finished.

Quitting is a funny thing when thinking about perseverance. This is because there are two particular sayings dealing with quitting. One states that quitters never win. This rings very true, for if you quit, you can’t finish whatever contest in order to win it. But, there’s another that tells people to quit while they’re ahead. That doesn’t seem to make any sense. Yes, it has a poignant meaning in most situations, but the literal meaning goes against all principles of perseverance. If everyone were just to quit while they were ahead, when they were winning, contests of prowess would lose their significance. There’d be no upset endings. There’d be no competition, and no need for competition.

In short, what does it mean to persevere? Perseverance is getting back on the horse after you’ve been kicked in the teeth. Keep trying and trying, because the feeling of winning is much more satisfying than the stigma of quitting. People always tell those they love to keep striving toward their dreams. If you quit, what does that say about your personality? It’s obviously easier to quit than to struggle and succeed. If your dreams seem out of reach, then you just need an extra push. Just think about how great it will feel when you finally make it and those who will be proud of you, and how empty you’d feel if you quit, and those who will be disappointed.

Of course, there will be people doubting you. It happens to everyone. But don’t allow this to tamper with your perseverance. Instead, allow it to feed off of this negativity. I’ve always maintained that half the fun of success is making people proud. The other half is proving people wrong. You cannot do either without being perseverant.

~That is all.

Past

Past (n.) - of, having existed in, or having occurred during a time previous to the present; bygone.

There’s a saying I once heard that states, “If you live in the past, you will have no future.” However, the past is the most important part of a person’s life. Regarding a person’s past, there really are only two things that a person can do. They can either run from their past, or learn from it.

It’s truly remarkable how such a simple occurrence can whisk you away on a rollercoaster journey through your past. Looking through a photo album, a yearbook, or maybe a childhood diary can bring about vivid memories from a time long gone that you may have forgotten about. These memories can make you laugh, cry, smile or frown. Most of all, these memories will make you think.

Many people don’t know what to do with their past. Some people spend the rest of their life running from their past. Others spend their life trying to relive their past. A celebrity whose prime has passed and is constantly trying to go back to their heyday or a person who has made grave mistakes in their life and try their very hardest to forget them. It works both ways. The most important task of your past is to remind you of the people you’ve met along the way, the people who’ve touched your life and maybe even changed it.

Almost everybody fears losing touch with people they love. You fall out of touch with someone for a week and then you wake up one morning and it’s 3 years since you’ve spoken to them. There’s a reason this has happened. These people are now in your past. Their purpose is to show you the mistake you made by losing touch with them and are in your memory as someone who you once knew in the past. Efforts can be made to reconnect with those from your past, but it is a very tough thing to do. Some people don’t want to be found, others don’t want to find you. One way or another, they’re in your past for a reason.

Your past is the key to your future. Don’t dwell in it, because then your future will be lost. Don’t forget it, or you’ll have nothing from which to learn or gain experience. Find that perfect balance and you’ll possess the knowledge to have a rewarding and fulfilling future. You’ll be free to do anything, whatever it may be.

~That is all

Time

Time (n.) - the system of those sequential relations that any event has to any other, as past, present, or future; indefinite and continuous duration regarded as that in which events succeed one another.

In today’s world, there are many things that are running out. Natural resources, food rations, etc. But the most important thing in this world that can run out is time. Time is a funny concept. People are always saying that time is running out. If you think about it, time is always renewed, no matter what. It’s endless. How can it be running out if it’s endless?

Individuals are often told to take their time. What does this really mean? Yes, it means slow down, pay attention and whatnot. But it really means, use your time well. We all have a certain amount of time on Earth (as anyone with a brain stem can figure out). And during this time we are all given certain tasks for our completion. Some more arduous than others, some more important than others, some more difficult than others. We must all use this concept of time to our advantage.

It’s very easy to fret when we believe time is running out. But, in reality, is it? What’s the worst that could happen? Everything in this world is measured in time. If the sun burns out right now at the time of this writing (2:16 PM EST), then we’d all be dead in 8 minutes time. Cars are measured by the amount of time it takes to get from zero to sixty. Athletes are often judged on how fast they throw, how much time it takes them to run a distance. Time rules every aspect of our life, and it seems as though we never take advantage of this.

People use the expression “time is of the essence”. Meaning of course, their allotted time is limited. Of course, we know it’s not, barring a major solar disaster or anything of that nature. Think about that, though. It takes something as drastic and odd-defying as the sun burning out (which is a mathematical certainty that it will, and scientists are coming close to finding out exactly when) or an asteroid crashing into earth, to stop time. People are often exaggerating (or at least they think they are) when they say that we have all the time in the world. Whether they know it or not, they are right.

We really do have all the time we need at our disposal, just waiting to be filled with worthwhile, constructive, and hell, even pointless and worthless experiences. It’s really up to you. How will you spend your time?

~That is all.

Greatness

Greatness (n.) - the property possessed by something or someone of outstanding importance or eminence.

Some men are born great. Some men achieve greatness. But what truly makes a person great? Many would say diligence, perseverance, and dedication. And you know what? They’d be right. However, there are a few folks who attend the school of thought that greatness is reserved for the intelligent. This isn’t necessarily true.

A feat of greatness doesn’t have to be a monumental accomplishment. When we think of greatness in today’s society, what do we think of? An athlete breaking a record and being elected to the Hall of Fame, an actor or director winning an Academy Award, a scientist winning the Nobel Prize. That’s all well and good, but the distinguishing factor here is the prize that comes with greatness. I find it terribly amusing that we as a society only recognize a feat worthy of a prize as great. There are so many accomplishments that are (or at least should be) considered great that go unnoticed. For example, a single mother working two jobs to support her two kids because her husband died still finds a way to put food on the table and get her son to baseball practice. This may seem like an ordinary occurrence to some, but when you really think about it, how often does this happen this day and age?

As I said before, there are people in the world who believe greatness is only achieved by the intelligent. This doesn’t have to be true. An automobile mechanic doesn’t have to be terribly smart (nothing against them or their profession, for it is an honorable and very lucrative profession). He or she may not be very intelligent, but he/she could know everything there is to know about cars. Then one day, he or she finds a way to finagle a car to run on water, thereby revolutionizing the way we, as consumers, drive from point A to point B, and saving us all copious amounts of money. Now, this doesn’t make him/her smart because for all we know, cars may be the ONLY thing he/she knows about, but this revolutionary accomplishment would be considered great. And what’s worse is they might not even see this as prize-worthy. I do recall a person (whose name I cannot remember, and you’ll see why in a second) who engineered a car that runs on vegetable oil. No prize for him. If they tossed him a medal, I’d probably know that poor soul’s name.

In short, it was Mother Theresa who said, “We can do no great things, only small things with great love.” In some ways, she is right. All the accomplishments we see (or don’t see) each day that are considered great can be boiled down into very small tasks, completed with great determination, perseverance and dedication. I truly believe greatness is inside each and every one of us, just in a different capacity from person to person. Hell, even Frosted Flakes are great according to Tony the Tiger. If a cereal can achieve greatness, there’s hope for every last one of us.

~ That is all

Intelligence

Intelligence (n.) – the capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and similar forms of mental activity; aptitude in grasping truths, relationships, facts, meanings, etc.

My twelfth grade English teacher used to tell me that intelligence is not the accumulation of knowledge, but the application of knowledge. In today’s society, intelligence is slowly shrinking into a minuscule, evasive occurrence.

I’ve always considered myself to be an intelligent man. Many people are either unaware of their intelligence, and therefore don’t know how to use it, or are aware of their intelligence and use it incorrectly. There’s a saying I’ve heard that states that there’s a very thin line between genius and insanity. Most of the countries most famous serial killers and people we consider to be “psycho” are actually really intelligent. This just shows a misapplication of their knowledge.

A common occurrence nowadays is the “stupid question”. Another saying states that the only stupid question is the question that goes unasked. I disagree. A year back, a very close friend of mine and I had a conversation about what constitutes stupidity. Yes, we all ask stupid questions. But, what this friend and I have concluded that while a stupid question cannot be changed once asked, but the person who asks it is not stupid if they consistently catch their miscalculation. Like if you ask what color the blue sky is, and then catch yourself and say, “Wow, that was a stupid question. Scratch that.” then you’re safe. While the question remains stupid, you’ve saved yourself, for now.

Many people have problems with their own intelligence as how it relates to other people. Most people simply want to date a person on their exact level of intelligence because it would just be easier and less of a headache. They wouldn’t want to date someone less intelligent because they wouldn’t be able to hold an engaging conversation with them and would have to change their vocabulary and such, and they wouldn’t want to date someone who is more intelligent than them because they’d feel inferior and stupid and they’d always think that the person in question would be talking down to them. But, while being with someone less intelligent could be frustrating, being with someone more intelligent should (emphasis on should) be rewarding. I always felt it was a priceless practice to surround yourself with people who are on a higher rung on the intellectual ladder because it allows me to learn in a more valuable way than in a classroom. I’ve always enjoyed learning, but it hasn’t been enjoyable in a school setting because they tell you what to learn and how to learn it and when to learn it. That’s not how true learning is achieved and how intelligence is acquired/applied. To truly learn, it has to be spontaneous and not environment controlled. The best lessons in life are the ones you can’t read in a book, can’t teach in a classroom, and cannot schedule on a syllabus or a lesson plan. It’s how you apply these lessons that defines intelligence.

~ That is all.