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Marla Ruzicka

Marla Ruzicka

Life is a Miracle! So Live It.

The Power of Just One Person 

Just being able to experience life as we do is a miracle in it's own right. I try to live through experiences without judgement. Things just are. They are not good or bad. This is called living without judgement. I am by no means a master of it. It is all to easy to be judgmental. This person is good while that one is bad. Based on what? My own very limited perceptions? My values? My ideas of right and wrong? My ego? I have to realize my limitations and question myself. What am I missing? I'm not a believer in black and white or good and bad. In my experience it is a mix. So called good people can have bad days and weak moments. A mistake or two along the way should not make me think a person is all bad or evil. I need to constantly remind myself of this. People are just... people.

People being people

I'm not a religious person, at least not in a traditional sense. That said, I can still learn a lot from religious teachings. The Christian notion of human beings being "fallen" from Grace on some level rings true to me. We don't live up to our potential. We are imperfect for sure. Just turn on the evening news to see just how "fallen" we are. How are things like poverty, starvation and war allowed not only to exist but to thrive? How can we explain these most unnatural things being redefined as not only natural but necessary? There are enough resources for there to be no poverty, starvation or need for war but we utterly fail. And he bigger failure is our acceptance of it. If this does not reinforce the idea of us all being "fallen" I don't know what else does. I can see why so many people are sad and depressed. The amount of hopelessness seems so overwhelming. There are alternatives.

Happiness 

I cannot fix the world without first fixing myself. I have to get better at living without judgement. I have to question myself all the time. I have to think before speaking. I have to listen more. I don't know when I'll be done or ready if you will. I think it is a life-long process of learning. If I can improve myself a little, perhaps I can help you improve a little as well. It can go on from there. In time, the world will be a better place. Don't let the so-called news discourage you. Despite all that's wrong, we still live in amazing times.        

Possibility

Positive Stuff

 

 

White House staffer Leah Katz-Hernandez is a pioneer on the reception desk

 

Hero dachshund helps save St. Bernard

 

Virginia Teen Offers To Shovel Snow For Elderly Man

 

Norwegian Muslims volunteer to protect synagogue

 

Officer's act of kindness helps shoplifter out of difficult situation

Agnostic

Time as we know and experience it, only goes in one direction. That means each day we are getting closer and closer to the end of our lives. That is not meant to be dark. Rather the opposite! We need to live each and every day to the fullest amount possible. Some take comfort in tales of an afterlife. Not me. I think it is best to operate and live as if this is it. How can somebody live a good moral life without religion or some kind of belief in a higher power? 

Easy, through kindness and compassion. I'm not saying there is no God. I don't know. There could be. I like to think this is the only shot at life I get. Being good to others and ourselves is important for making the world a better place. This is self-evident. I better make my little  time here worthwhile. What I will leave here is my legacy. I will certainly live on in the memories of others, the good I tried to do as well as the bad stuff I've done.  I'm okay with that. Hopefully, the good will far outweigh the bad. If I'm wrong about an afterlife, great! Would the all powerful, all knowing and all loving creator of the universe condemn me for nor being sure? I don't think so. I'm not sure I can begin to imagine a being so powerful to create a universe or multi-verse. If you can, wow... just wow! Deep time, endless galaxies, black holes, countless stars and planets are just some of the phenomena that makes the guy we hear about as God so implausible for me. Distant, separate, sometimes genocidal and dualistic does not sound like the creator of the universe / multi-verse. Any god that requires me to create an "other" I simply cannot accept. I'm not demonizing and dehumanizing anybody. Different is good. That's how I learn more and grow. Mystery makes life all the more worthwhile.  

As Matt the bartender once said, "We don't even know the right questions to ask." I'm not attacking anyone's faith or beliefs. I'm just asking questions. I think we can do what we feel gets us best through this difficult thing called life. If that's a relationship with Jesus, Mohammed, God or gods even, I say go for it! All of the world's religions have positive things to offer. I like to learn about all of them as well as from Atheists. All have insight to truth on one level or another. Perhaps at some point, it all comes together. When it did  for Buddha, he just threw his head back and laughed at the simple clarity of it all. I read that somewhere and think it's pretty cool. I think I can be agnostic and Buddhist at the same time. How do we know stuff? We learn stories or narratives. Religion and science are two narratives, two ways of understanding. 

I see science and religion as two very different things. Science relies on evidence and the known  while religion relies on faith and the unknown. For me, they don't mix well. Creationism? Please! Science has no way (at present) to prove or disprove the existence of God or gods. That's why I'm an agnostic. I'll refrain from attacking the beliefs of my friends, family members and so many others. There is too much focus on differences already. What makes us all similar?  If you want to learn more about the atheist / agnostic perspective look up Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett and Christopher Hitchens. Even if you a person of faith, I'd invite you to give a listen. See what they have to say. A part of living is the sheer mystery of it all. There is one notable exception I'm aware of science and religion being in harmony. 

I really like, Michael Dowd. Check him out as well. He does a good a job blending science and religion. If such a thing is even possible. His central idea, as I understand it, is believe in reality and accept it. That's kind of hard to argue with.  He can explain it much better than I can. So follow the link. It will be well worth it. I'm still trying to get my head around it. 

In any event, live for each other and for today! Heaven may or may not be real. The only thing we are 100% sure of is our mortality. While you are studying the possibility of an afterlife, don't forget to live this one.  

Give your BS Detector A Tune-Up

Somebody might be pulling your leg, feeding you a load or more simply- lying to you. So how can you know? I'm not sure there is a 100% full-proof way to tell. But there is something you can do. THINK CRITICALLY. In a nutshell, it means asking a lot of questions. Who is telling you the information? What's their source and why are they telling you in the first place? What do they have to gain or lose? It addition to asking a lot of questions, it means thinking through your own answers. How plausible are your conclusions? What does this look like?

Is my mechanic just trying to sell me a new set of tires to keep me safe or is he trying to meet a sales goal for the month?

Let's go to the evidence. I know one tire is really bad. The guy has never been an over zealous seller type before in the ten plus years I've known him. He's even helped me out of a jam or two in the past and not charged me anything. So, it is reasonable to think he's looking out for me more than just trying making an  extra fast buck. So, yeah, I still go to him.

Take a step back and think it through, especially if there are more emotions involved than a set of tires. You will thank yourself later on in the long run. Look at the situation as if you are the other person or group. What do they see? What can they see? What are you missing? Not sure? ask.

Stay flexible and open minded. Thinking Critically also means being able to change your mind as you gain more knowledge. Changing your mind is not a weakness, it is a trait of learning.   

Money and Manners

Money... The root of all evil. Right? Well, until you go without any. Yes, there are a few souls who have actually managed to do just that. If any of my readers fall in this category, please let me know. I think it would be a great thing to do. I'm still in the money system if you please. I guess you are as well. I've been flat busted broke and comfortable. Being broke sucks. At least I had a strong social network to fall back on (not face book). So being broke is relative. There are plenty of homeless people who would have gladly traded places with me. And if you have been overseas, you know there are people who would gladly trade places with a homeless person here. Money plays an interesting role in our lives. For some, it becomes an end in itself. How much they have, how much things cost and what things are worth are all they seem to talk about. But ask that same person directly, "is money the most important thing to you?" I bet they will tell you "No." It is so ubiquitous in their lives they don't even realize it.

The people I like best never talk about money. I may know they are well off or comfortable but I have no idea what their income is. The subject never comes up. I had a friend who'd dad was an airline pilot when air line pilots made a very good living. They lived in an average neighborhood and drove nice vehicles but not high end flashy cars. I think they did a good job of keeping money in perspective. Sure, it is important but so are a lot of other things, like being a good human being. Let me share this quite I heard once. "Money is like manure. Big piles of it attract a lot of flies. Spreading it around can create a lot of beautiful flowers." There is a balance to it. In this world, I cannot get by without money. I have to realize there are things more important like relationships I want to preserve and grow. So if I'm worried about every little detail of who owes who and how much, I'm going to create a lot of unnecessary stress for myself and those around me. I maintain it all equals out in the end. Somebody buys me lunch, down the road, I'll get somebody else's. It all works out. No worry!

Just a little thinking with a keyboard on a frosty February afternoon. I think we'll revisit money from to time...               

Projecting Positive!

The last post we touched on putting what we don't like about ourselves on others. The opposite can be true as well. Try seeing what you like about yourself in others. It can be something as simple as a smile. People usually smile back. It has to be real to work. Anything less is well, sorta creepy. Seeing the good in others is not all that hard to do. We are all parents, sons, daughters and brothers and sisters. I've never met anyone born in a vacuum.  The glue that holds it all together is love. It is universal. That said, remember we are all coping as best we can with whatever obstacles we are facing. Accept people even when they are not at their best. Its not what you do or don't do its how you make them feel. Projecting positive feelings is a lot easier, at least in my experience anyway.

Have a great week! 

Accepting Flaws

Flawed, fallen and broken. These words can describe us all at some time or another in our lives. It is universal. Who will be the first one to argue with "...No one is perfect."? Hey, I'm not even sure I punctuated that sentence correctly. Feel free to let me know. Jesus said, "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." Unfortunately, we have been casting away ever since. I think we cast stones at ourselves. We see things in others we don't like in ourselves. For example, I don't like stubborn people, those not open to new ideas or experiences. The truth of the matter is I'm happy right where I am. I like my close circle of friends who look and think like I do. I'm projecting my own flaws and insecurities on to others. When I find myself being judgmental, I try to catch it and look inward, Usually, it is something I'm not comfortable with within. Try that sometime and see what you come up with.   

Some good stuff!

There is good all around. Just take a look. 

An Officer's Act of Kindness

Another Good Cop Story

And one more

Students avoid Debit

When People Stand Up