Today I feel like talking about things learned along the way, as I feel blessed to have had a parent who cherished freedom of thought and urged the same while maintaining an impeccable amount of self-discipline and imposing the same.

There was a resounding drumbeat to not follow the herd and to gather information and make “your own” decision. In that,  reading and reviewing became a way of life. When people became phased over which party was in power, she reminded me that my job as a citizen was to vote. If the result was not to my liking, vote again next chance. To lose friends or argue over what is “right” is too personal. In friendships, find the common ground, and when you differ, hear them out, and allow yourself to differ, but in both cases, they are opinions NOT facts.

When one is young much bothers one. For reasons of sport and being “foreign” I was often the brunt of conversation. My mother informed me to let that be too. The thing to know is: If people are talking about you: a) you are alive, b) it is just talk. If they have nothing better to talk about, pity them if anything.

You will notice on the lip balms & ReviveR I have quotations. I have found simple quotes a fine way of containing one’s overactive mind. “Why have a dog and bark yourself” (Yorkshire expression) “What’s meant to be will not pass you by” (Scottish proverb), “Faith is essential, supervision is better” Lenin, “If you can’t have fun, what can you have?” myself.

Too often we react without stilling the mind, and this discipline came from my mother, who always reminded me that losing one’s cool was counterproductive and invariably damaging. The difference between us and most Mammals is the capacity to reflect. She would point out, that if someone steps on your foot, you don’t need to hit them or even react most of the time.

Some quotes and sayings can retain a positive attitude. In Plato’s Republic, he warns us that reading false tales without thinking for ourselves brings our conclusions to false images.  I suppose that is why the Socratic method and Scientific verification basically can survive the easily digested lies and gossip we are easily seduced by.

What am I trying to say? Pretty much the same as always. We are tribal in our origins, we’re easily seduced by prejudice and groupthink, however, what we have to overcome, is the ability to think, reason, and suck up the courage to be what is our ethical best as human beings.