The making of Rhetorical Notes on Life Book 1 - AIR (Awareness)

Outside

The gates are behind me
And now I can see
That I'm free to choose
Free to unlock destiny

Unwrapping

You have to look through the present and see the gift, that is the only way.

Law

Every time we encounter light, we create a shadow. It's no use feeling bad about it.

Instructions

Love/hate = binding

Abstinence/overindulgence = breaking

Apply with care.

Absence

Innocence has less to do with knowledge and more to do with no malice. You may not always tell what is valuable knowledge but there is no mistaking malice.

Innocence has more to do with awareness rather than knowledge, knowledge requires judgment whilst innocence does not.

Pupil

It is dangerous to live by others experiences because those lessons were created for them, not you.

Housekeeping

People that rile you have a key to unlock your pain.
Thank them, for now you notice the rubbish
and can maybe take it out.

Travel

Parts of our mind go back and forth in time all the time.

This freedom is necessary because we have to experience a future before we can desire it, otherwise we'd die from a lack of imagination.

But the mind has to block the future from most of our consciousness, otherwise we'd be depressed from a lack of anxiety.

Model

In the process of giving to others,
we watch and learn to receive.

Struggle

When you feel that you're not good enough, that is when you don't ask for help because you feel you don't deserve it.

Marvel

The joy of those on the path is watching God work and walk through them.

Artist

Get your ego out of the way so that God can manifest.

Destiny

We need to love ourselves, otherwise we will always be afraid of self-exploration and self-expression.

Devilish

The greatest prank of the illusionist is making us believe that a force outside ourselves is controlling our lives.

Mass

Many of us never really grow up, we just take on the personalities of our parents, terrified of discovering ourselves after years of instruction.

Godly

We never really change. We are always us, the same. The part of ourselves that we chose to focus on at any moment in time is what is seen.

Pulse

A smile that causes a swoon and the thought that death will come too soon.

Courage

The greatest things in life surround us but are only enjoyed by those who choose to step out of the ordinary and reach for a miracle.

Complete

Everything we want ends up being an emotion.

"Want" usually means "lack".

We want something when we are lacking it. The problem is not with the object, the object is whole. The problem is with us.

The object is unable to save us or stay with us because it doesn't understand us. We speak different languages and so it remains out of reach.

We have to stop lacking and find the object within ourself, only then can we relate to it and understand its unique melody.

Heart

I think it is premature to go in search of God, God is everywhere and knows everything. Where would you begin? You only need to be ready for greatness and God will be revealed in you.

True

Claim what you will, leave what you won't and try not to blame what you will or believe what you won't.

Mourning

The hardest thing to do is change, because it means a part of you has to end so that another might live. It's like watching a sibling die, it's difficult to believe good can come of it.

Function

Bad hurts, Evil confuses, Good heals.

Distraction

Self: Can you imagine life without worlds?

Self: Yes, which is why we created them.

Character

To understand Others, put Yourself in their shoes; to understand Yourself, put Others in yours.

Creation

Would perfection choose something unworthy as an expression of itself?

Mind

Why focus on disappointments? They are natural. We grow out of unfulfilled desires and time is out of our hands.

Sense

Until you are willing to listen, you won't hear
Until you are willing to look, you won't see
Until you are willing to touch, you won't feel
Until you are willing to taste, you won't try
Until you are willing to smell, you won't breath

Myth

Some see life as a struggle, with the wind blowing against them and uncontrollable forces keeping their dreams out of reach.

Others see it as a storm, a force of nature, undeniable and consuming.

Neither trivializes reality, but only one creates a rainbow, or hints at a pot of gold.

Vessel

God knew that we were filled with sin, which was why he asked us to seek forgiveness from him - he knew that we thought too little of ourselves.

Gratitude

The more I grow, the more humbled I am by the weight I used to carry.

Advance

To reach the top is long and hard, best not to start from the bottom.

Guard

Our world is perfect, but our soul is deep
Its boundaries hard, its walls steep
A gorge so dark and wide
Fear builds inside
Sand, stone and rocks
Sweat, pain and shocks
All along the way
Hurt we can't ignore or sway
So we hide from ourselves
Protect and lie to ourselves
As we patrol the ledge
A safe distance from its edge

Ahead

If you were ready, you wouldn't grow.

Trial

In my experience, I want what I want just before I'm ready for it. The problem is catching up with myself

Inspired

A writer without love, creates characters without life.

Overwhelmed

Hurt is driven by guilt and shame; that is why we fear it.

Worth

Accept yourself to be good enough.

History

Careful how you use words, they carry weight.

Culpable

Whether the Almighty is punitive is a discussion. The question is,
“Could we have found a more loving way to teach ourselves?”

Inside

Obsession is usually a diversion, a reliable distraction.

Govern

Lead a person with self-hatred to the fountain of youth and they would somehow pee in it; raising their voices as they try to convince you that the water needed salt and lacked colour.

Low self esteem makes a sorry state of every affair.

Selfish

Worse than keeping others from you, is keeping you from yourself.

Diet

Youth should be cautious of callous members of the opposite sex; they scratch the palette.

Grace

To bag a big fish, you only have to pull out all the stops and just hold on.

Carving

Everything we want or desire is an expression of our true nature, our destiny. The problem is that with our first heart-break, the desire was corrupted and is now a shadow of itself. It is vital that we take chisel to wood and find the truth again; otherwise we will fall short of our destiny.

Desire

When we jump to a conclusion, it's usually because we are eager for that outcome, otherwise we'd walk.

Righteous

It is impossible to realise the outcome of any decision or action, whether ultimately, it is good or bad; for its effects continue until life ends, and hopefully, entirety can be observed.

Each time we go against our convictions, and choose the path of others, we create doubt in ourselves and diminish our potential in life. That is a negative.

Each time we go with our convictions, and choose our own path, we are challenged and fine-tuned, like excess wood being chipped off a masterpiece. That is a positive.

And when we face entirety, and discover that we went against our convictions and things turned out wrong; that would be a double negative. We've diminished ourselves with nothing to show for it.

Or we went with our convictions and things turned out right; a double positive. We are complete.

Taking everything into consideration; who do think is in heaven?

Choice

We have to understand a thing before we can experience it; and yet to understand, we need experience. It is best to open yourself to your own life, so that its meaning is not lost on you.

Perception

Sometimes, I don't see what is right in front of me. It is not because I can't see, but because of how I see things.

Homestead

Spending time exploring who you are, is the point of life; don't dread being alone.

Identity

Who you are is where you're heading.

Present

Do great things, because when all is said and done; what gift would you have, if not life.

Foundation

How do we love? By placing ourselves in someone else's trust.

Gauge

Everything is happening at the pace you set; if it did not, you would be somewhere else. The questions you want to ask are, "Why am I in this state?" and "How do I make things better?"

Prerequisite

To forgive anyone is hard, because to truly forgive, we must change our opinion of them, and trickier than that, our opinion of ourselves.

Rule

It is premature to judge other's experiences; for we are using instruments created by your own mind, and thus, we only have our frame of reference.

Love

Seeing the good in all that is done.

Rant

I was lazy and just wanted to boast
But then it got out of hand
That to really sell it
I had to grow.

Stitch

To forgive someone, don't bother about forgetting, try to stop remembering.

Feathers

Sometimes I wonder whether it is mad people who don't understand us; and how we must look to them, as they consider letting us out of our cages, as we are considering leaving them in theirs.

Law

Everything is a pattern within a pattern; the state of God is standard.

Permanence

Life is like a sieve, if you don't hold on, everything passes.

Noise

You argue because you want to be agreed with, yet you're arguing because you are not sure.

Spectacle

God does not work in mysterious ways, it only looks mysterious when we can't see past ourselves.

Poetry

"Who do I want to be?", that is the question.

Industry

Fear is a difficult and expensive employee in a key role. As a manager, you should be on the look-out for a suitable replacement, one that will cost you and your company less.

Efficiency

For 80% of us, 80% of all we say and do is really not that necessary; we indulge to connect and communicate how we feel 80% of the time; we do this to avoid being alone in our minds.

Parenthood

A child requires the parents life; in return, it gives its joy. Most call this a fair trade; but the decision is a personal one, not to be questioned or debated, for the sake of the child.

Charity

Being kind is unselfish; but to be truly kind, you must be kind to yourself whilst been kind to others, otherwise, you're not being unselfish.

Journey

I have finally accepted that when I die, something will cease, I will end, become nothing and we will begin again. And perhaps who knows, some day I may return, become something again.

Capacity

I am not religious, but in my highest highs, and my lowest lows, I find that I am looking to God - in times of greatness.

Whole

We are spirit; all that we fear losing can not make us less, we only believe it will.

Parenthood

50% Preparation + 50% Ignorance = 100% Think you're ready

Resourceful

Never underestimate the ability of a woman to make herself indispensible.

Charge

Force people to do what they don't want to do and you will end up responsible.

Alive

Being jaded is an incredible feat; considering that we are spinning through space and running out of time.

Nemesis

All my greatest and bloodiest battles have been with myself. I have broken my heart the most.

Debate

He argues logic, she argues emotion; logic is bound by emotion, she has the upper hand. Unless he learns.

Versus

Unlike him, she can't indulge in simplicity for long, she'll be bored.

Union

She entered it to solve dilemma; he entered it, to avoid it. For it to work, one of them has to create dilemma for her to solve. A child is usually the product of this relationship.

Self

Heaven is impossible when you believe God is beyond you.

Heredity

They punish their children, mostly for the sins punished by their own parents; they have no choice, it's the guilt and lack of healing.

Religion

Generating awareness is necessary, only when there is a lack of it.

Religion

God will be on your side, when you are.

Religion

Indeed greatness comes from self-sacrifice; which means offering your life to your highest self, your greatest ideals, to God.

Guilt

Our fears are simply things that we can't admit to ourselves that we deserve.

Sailing

I'd rather be driven than have to drive.

Condition

We are always "protecting ourselves", it is what our minds and bodies are designed to do, like teeth growing. It is our definition of "protection" that creates our realities for better or worse.

Those who end their own lives do so believing that is the only way to live.

Due

Thank God for all that happens, thank yourself for all that doesn't.

Acquittal

I can't afford to hold a grudge; the thorns cause my hands to bleed and poison my blood, the cost is too high.

Disappointment

A pessimist is not a person without hopes or ideals, but one who encounters a reality that falls short of theirs.