“Irresponsibility is part of the pleasure of all art; it is the part the schools cannot recognize.” ~James Joyce What’s the point of it all? Why is there something rather than nothing? Why do we not exist for an eternity, then exist for a flash in the pan of that eternity, only to not exist again for an eternity? Tough questions. But the following questions put the former into proper perspective. Why are we so hung-up on there being a point to begin with? Why fret over a fret

“We are caught inside a mystery, veiled in an enigma, locked inside a riddle.” ~Terence McKenna The third eye is a metaphor for perception beyond ordinary sight. This article argues that to achieve perception beyond ordinary sight, we must take extraordinary leaps of courage out of the ordinary. In short: we must remythologize mystery, dare to lift the veil, and courageously turn our own riddle against the universal riddle. Let’s break it down. Caught inside a mystery: “Man w

“Solitude is fine, but you need someone to tell that solitude is fine.” ~Honoré de Balzac Solitude and meditation are a combination of the most powerful tools known to mankind, provided one can eventually swap them out for the equally powerful tool of magic elixir. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. Let’s not make the mistake of putting the cart in front of the horse. In order to discover magic elixir, one must first dare solitude and meditation. This requires a Hero’s Jou

“Amor fati is a sentiment of willingness to accept at last the way things have gone and will go; to love a life that tries in almost every moment to make you hate it and to still stare back at it and say, ‘yes, I love it.’ What’s scarier than an opponent who smiles while being beaten?” ~Pursuit of Wonder (See video at the end of the article.) To be unconquerable by anything, we must be willing to lose everything. But the opposite of this may also be true: To conquer everythin

“We are not provided with wisdom, we must discover it for ourselves, after a journey through the wilderness which no one else can take for us.” ~Marcel Proust 1.) They have a vision: “But by my love and hope I entreat you; do not reject the hero in your soul. Keep holy your highest hope.” ~Nietzsche The high achiever inside you is the hero trying to climb out. Your soul holds the compass for your heart. Let it guide you. Its vision is True North. It will direct you toward the

“The business of philosophy is to teach man to live in uncertainty. Not to reassure him, but to upset him.” ~Lev Shestov A settled mindset is a trap. A trapped mind is a mind that believes rather than thinks. Inside the trap, the believing mind reinforces its beliefs through extreme bias, circular reasoning, lack of imagination, and cognitive dissonance. And then it creates ideologies divorced from reality to reinforce it all. The only way out of the trap is to upset the sett

“And you? When will you begin that long journey into yourself?” ~Rumi The Alchemical process of transformation has four distinct stages: Nigredo, Albedo, Citrinitas and Rubedo. These stages are the framework of Jung’s characterization of the four stages of character transformation: Confession, Illumination, Education, and Transformation, culminating in the completion of the magnum opus and the creation of the Philosopher’s Stone. A robust character hinges on eight core virtue

“He who jumps into the void owes no explanation to those who stand and watch.” ~Jean-Luc Godard Self-affirmations are overrated. Self-infliction is where the gold is at. The more you self-inflict the more you self-overcome. And the more you self-overcome the more likely you are to get out of your own way. Getting out of your own way will help you stay ahead of the curve. The dam of your comfort zone will break, and courage, creativity, and wisdom will be allowed to flow. Self