Writing for learning | R2 Thoughts for You

Are Your Beliefs Changeable?

Posted on March 7, 2011 2 Comments

I was at a social gathering where I participated in a discussion about what beliefs are and whether a person should change what s/he believes. We weren’t long into the discussion before the topic of religion came to the forefront. Immediately, the discussion became more of an argument or debate.

Really, Can Less Be More?

Posted on March 3, 2011 Leave a Comment

Recently, I re-read a post from Pico Iyer’s contribution to the Happy Days blog on the New York Times. The post, as I see it, is about how frequently in life, “less is more.” Mr. Iyer did a nice job of relating this concept to his personal life. He described how he viewed his life when he was in the corporate world and compared it to a much simpler time while in Japan. I think his essay is worth reading and I encourage all to do so. Having stated that, my intent here is not to review or summarize his post, but to borrow an idea of his – the use of Zeno’s Arrow Paradox – and discuss how it could be used as a metaphor for better understanding our own lives.

Does Your Happiness Depend Upon Being Right?

Posted on February 28, 2011 Leave a Comment

I once had a conversation with a person who made the following statement, “For my own happiness, it’s important that people think I’m right.” The statement made me pause and literally step back. I think the person has his personal happiness tied directly to whether or not he is right. Later, I asked him if he would rather be right or happy?

Is Information From The Internet Bad When Not Accurate?

Posted on February 24, 2011 3 Comments

Last year, I received an e-mail from my sister in which she was forwarding something that was, supposedly, written by Andy Rooney. Here is an excerpt of what she sent.

“If you will take the time to read these. I promise you’ll come away with an enlightened perspective. The subjects covered affect us all on a daily basis:   They’re written by Andy Rooney , a man who has the gift of saying so much with so few words. Enjoy…….

What Should I Give Up To Forgive?

Posted on February 21, 2011 Leave a Comment

What should I give up to forgive? What does that mean? After all, the word “forgive” contains the two words, “for” and “give” which should mean I am “for giving” and not “giving up.”

Who Should You Be?

Posted on February 17, 2011 Leave a Comment

Who should you be? Probably, you know the answer immediately. Who should you be? The only person who isn’t taken. YOU!

Should You Always Tell The Truth?

Posted on February 14, 2011 1 Comment

Recently, I had a discussion with a friend about the duality of truth and lies. We discussed whether the opposite of truth is a lie and vice-versa. Much of our discussion involved whether telling the truth is always the best policy. For example, if someone asks you whether or not you like her recent hair style and you don’t, should you be truthful?

Are You Taking The Good Things In Life For Granted?

Posted on February 10, 2011 Leave a Comment

Are you aware of any good things in your life? I know that I need to constantly remind myself of the good things in mine. Are you like me, in that you often take things for granted? Why does it often seem like we are programmed to take the good things in our lives for granted?

Does What Others Do, Bother You?

Posted on February 7, 2011 Leave a Comment

Does what other people do bother you? Are you often bothered by the things that other people do? When you reflect on it, does it happen more times than you’d like?