Thursday 5 December 2013

Giver or Taker ? Todays simple challenge.



Some people are givers and some are takers, you can give some people everything and expect nothing in return but it's still not enough and they want (take) even more.  Can a minimalist also be a taker ?  I know what I believe to be true, what do you think ?

I spent some time last night having a look over minimalists blogs and other than a small few I was very disappointed.  Most were clones of each other, similar subjects, similar catch phrases, no real confrontational life changing suggestions, no real original thought and most glossing over minimalism as it really should be in favour of self promotion through Beguiling little articles promising you the world.... nothing more than bones without the meat IMO.  Sorry to all that I offend but a minimalist does not post a thousand times a week on trivial but "trendy" subjects all the while trying to promote themselves in some way.  Catchy little 20 days till Christmas challenges, 5 ways to change this, 15 things you should not do, 3 important this, 10 important that.... I doubt these people even live the words they write (I definitely know some that don't), how can they if spending so much time promoting themselves on every type of social media known to man (someone close to them must be missing out on something).  Have a look at these blogs, critically!!!  Most of them will have free giveaways of some description (that's the carrot), most will link themselves to Twitter, Pintrest, Facebook, and all manner of electronic social platforms and many will be trying to sell you something (usually their books) or will be promoting a pay per click type advertising arrangement for an external site.  Minimalism whose real agenda is personal fame or wealth all from the comforts of their home laptop have missed the point all together.  They are basically lazy people who just want a free ride and the adoration of their blinded fans.  I believe for a days pay you should do a days work, supporting your family and the greater community in the process.

Minimalism, AS I SEE IT, is the removal of life's rubbish in order to promote the only things worth having.... Love and Relationships !!  If what you personally gain from minimalism means someone close to you has lost or been hurt in the process then you are not doing it right, in fact you're not doing it at all you're just being lazy and selfish thinking of no one but yourself.  Have you ever noticed these days how everything gets watered down so much, people expect things for themselves they are not prepared to give in return, foundational truths become spongy platforms twisted and bent to suit individual selfish desires.  Just look at what is "acceptable" on TV these days compared to the 1960's and 70's when I was a child.  I watched a snippet of a TV program the other night, it was called "Ja'mie: Private School Girl".  This would have to be the lowest form of humour I have ever seen, the writer could not string more than two words together that were not profanities and the intelligence level of the script was about that of a high school student.  Oh sure it was meant to be a satire, a take off from real life, a joke, just a bit of fun.... People if you think this is acceptable viewing then you need to get a hobby.  Even worse if you actually think this junk is funny.  When I was a child, firstly this sort of rubbish was not around but if it were my parents would never have let me watch it.  See what I mean, everything is getting watered down, everything is becoming acceptable and minimalism like just about everything else has been diluted, titrated, diluted, and titrated until only homoeopathic levels of the original remain.  Don't fool yourself, one of the greatest things you can do (personally) to see change in life is to recognise your own facades and remove them, every layer... or you can just continue to live the lie, you will find plenty of people that will believe you, hell many will actually pay you but those close to you will always see who you are and where your heart is.

This is my simple challenge to you for the day, don't buy takeaway, don't spend your evening glued to the TV, to the Ipad, Ipod, Iphone, tablet, laptop, this top that top.  No one will really miss you out there in cyber land so why seek validations there... Today I would love to see you join together as a family, prepare a meal together, enjoy it together then spend the rest of the evening just talking with each other.... Just connect and let the rest of the world drift to nowhere.  A pictures says a thousand words, so here are some pictures.







Be true to who you are, to what you believe and allow your actions to validate the things of true worth in your life.  I don't want you to share this post on Facebook, Pintrest, Twitter, flitter, flapper or flopper.  I have nothing to sell you nor do I want you to become my adoring fan.  All I want is that you take this message home with you and make your home a better place for everyone.

Life, a thing of fleeting past,
So quickly loosed from mortal grasp.
Of what should be the things we care?
This thought, these words now hope to share.
A poet’s words, life’s truth do seek.
An artists brush, the moments keep.
The harp, its notes, do feelings hold,
But still the story goes untold.
A quest to find what’s just not there,
This hollow void within, despair!!
But some the answer say they hold,
To share with us for price of gold.
So what’s this thing, our souls do seek.
That man, to depths will journey deep.
To mountains high will climb so bold,
In effort to this secret hold.
The answer now can not be given
Unknown within this mortal prison
But time, this thing of fleeting past,
Will one day soon release its grasp.
But on this day, when questions told,
What if in mortal life so bold,
We lived that life without a care
Such that this question now will share.
Will share the fruits which now we reap
Of torment in eternal sleep
So love must be the question told
The gift to give worth more than gold.
~~ Brett Tulk ~~

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