The Friday Dose is a collection of cool, interesting and surprising things that are chosen for their potential to distract you away from any painful thought loops that may currently be disrupting your sense of perspective. Focus on these and change your mind. Enjoy.
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Why We Shout
A Hindu saint visited the river Ganges to bathe and found a group of family members on the banks shouting angrily at each other. He turned to his disciples, smiled and asked. “Why do angry people shout at each other?’”
The disciples thought for a while before one of them said, “Because we lose our calm, we shout.”
“But, why should you shout when the other person is just next to you? You can tell him what you have to say in a soft manner.” asked the saint.
The disciples had no explanation, so the saint gave them one.
“When two people are angry at each other, their hearts are a great distance apart so they must shout to be able to hear each other. The angrier they are, the stronger they will have to shout to hear each other over that great distance.
“But what happens when two people fall in love? They don’t shout at each other but instead they speak softly, because their hearts are very close.”
The saint continued, “And what happens as their love deepens? First they begin to whisper, but as their love grows even closer, eventually they do not even need a whisper, for a look will say it all. And when people finally become One, words and looks are unnecessary because the simple presence of the other person in the universe is enough. That is how close two people are when they truly love each other.
“So do not try to bring someone closer by raising your voice. Instead of increasing the distance to the point where you cannot find you way back, instead use your awareness to close that distance with soft and loving responses. Because that is how you will find you way back to peace. Because that is the only voice that love can truly hear.”
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Think Outside the Box
You are driving down the road in your car on a wild, stormy night, when you pass a bus stop and you see three people waiting for the bus:
1. An old lady who looks as if she is about to die.
2. An old friend who once saved your life.
3. The perfect partner you have been dreaming about.
Which one would you choose to offer a ride to, knowing that there could only be one passenger in your car? Think, before you continue reading.
This is a moral/ethical dilemma that was once actually used as part of a job application. You could pick up the old lady, because she is going to die, and thus you should save her first. Or you could take the old friend because he once saved your life, and this would be the perfect chance to pay him back. However, you may never be able to find your perfect mate again.
The candidate who was hired (out of 200 applicants) had no trouble coming up with his answer. She simply answered: “I would give the car keys to my old friend and let him take the lady to the hospital. I would stay behind and wait for the bus with the partner of my dreams.”
Sometimes, we gain more if we are able to give up our stubborn thought limitations. Never forget to “Think Outside of the Box.”
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Natarade
I couldn’t find a way to reblog this from Natarade’s own site, but I’ll include a link here because this is an artist that’s worth checking out in more detail. Here’s an example of why. This set of panels clearly depicts two routes through life. You’re safest picking the one with least judgment and the most life:
peace. s
A serious childhood brain injury lead Scott to spend his entire life meditating on the concepts of thought, consciousness, reality and identity. It made others as strange to him as he was to them. When he realized people were confused by their own over-thinking, Scott began teaching others to understand reality. He is currently CBC Radio Active’s Wellness Columnist, as well as a writer, speaker and mindfulness instructor based in Edmonton, AB where he still finds it strange to write about himself in the third person.