Change

Today, I want to discuss the constant of change. It's ok, you can come out from under that table, there's really nothing to fear. It seems to be that it is part of the human condition to avoid change. It seems not to matter what the change is, everyone still tends to be leery of it. Why is this?

A man named Harold Wilson once said that, "He who rejects change is the architect of decay. The only human institution which rejects progress is the cemetery." Do we really progress with change? When we move to a new town, are we not progressing into a new culture? What about something as simple as changing our cloths? Is a new pair of pants progress or just a new pair of pants? Change is all around us, but you choose how deeply you wish to look for it. If you are having a bad day as you go home to change your pants (say you spilt something on your old ones), and after putting on the new pair you feel a lot better, isn't that a change? Every change in life is a chance to try something new. For some people that is the freedom to start over, and avoid mistakes. For others, an opportunity to make them. Change gives us a creative license to make the most out of life, and not be tied down by the past.

So let's assume for a moment that change is a good thing. Let us also assume there is a human that does not innately reject change, what would that lend it self to? I believe that one whom accepts change (dare I say looks forward to it) leads a more fulfilling life. This person does not fear the unknown because they know that they can handle whatever may come there way. They have found the 'flow' of life. These type of people usually look like they "just have it together," because they usually do.

Then you see the people that always look like a chicken with their head cut off. They never know which way is up, down, left, or right. People like this seem to do ok as long as everything stays the same, but as soon as change happens, their world comes crashing down and their life grinds to a halt. These people do not have it together, they do not try to flow with their surroundings.

With that in mind, I challenge you. I challenge you to observe all of the stress in your life and find ways that you can flow with it. It might be in the work place. If your boss is asking a lot of you recently and you do not feel that you are getting enough in return, try to remember that the journey is not yet over. This could be your chance to really show your metal and make a lasting impression. Today I ask you, please do not support decay. Instead I urge you to flow with this change, and emerge a beautiful butterfly.

Be Happy

Today I would like to reveal the secret to life; be happy. That is all there is to it. If you want to live a worry free life, all you have to do is be happy. Now, I know that this sounds easier to do than it really is, but I know that it can be achieved.

Buddhism has had a very large impact on my life, and this is one of the lessons that I have learned from it. I am not going to run through every Buddhist sutra, word-for-word, but I would like to give you an idea of what he had to say. A Buddhist believes that everything is created by the mind. When I mean everything, I do not just mean sensations (like being cold, or hot, or hungry). I mean EVERYTHING from the things you feel, right down to the computer that you are looking at. Anything can be created or destroyed with the mind. If you assume this is true, then it really should not be too hard to make yourself happy. I know that happiness does not just come about for most people just like that, but it is a choice; a choice that requires effort at times. We do not need to view happiness as something that needs to be acquired, instead, we should listen to the great words of Burton Hills, "Happiness is not a destination. It is a method of life."

Here you sit, thinking, "Yes, Dave, that does sound easy. From now on I will be happy!" Before you run around for the rest of the day with a fake smile painted on your face you have to realize that this choice will be one of the hardest choices of your life. It is easy to smile when things are going really well. If you have great job that you enjoy, are in a great relationship with someone that you love, and all of the bills are paid, there is no reason not to smile. But, what if you are in a go nowhere job, you are single (or in a relationship with constant fighting), and you are drowning in a sea of endless debt? Which way will your lips be curved then? It is when we are being pushed to our limit, when the weight of the world feels on your shoulders that your true resolve will be tested. This is when you truly need to be happy with the little things in life. As Thich Nhat Hanh put it, "Sometimes your joy is the source of your smile, but sometimes your smile can be the source of your joy." If you can look around in a bad situation and just laugh, then you will see more and more happiness in your everyday life. This is a very handy tool to carry in your pack while wandering . . .

Wander With Me

Welcome to Blind Wanderings. My name is Dave Macias and I am blind. Don't worry, I do not mean that in the literal sense, my eyesight is perfectly fine. Instead, I mean blind in the metaphorical sense. I am sightlessly walking about this life just trying to make it all click. During my journeys I have run into my fair share of walls; whether in the form of people, problems, or actual walls! But, I have found that no matter the obstacle that is placed in front of me, I seem to deal with it and move on to hit the next.

This constant struggle has left me asking questions that, at times, I feel have no answers. Questions like "Why? (my personal favorite), and "When?", or "What?", and"How?" The kind of question that men have gone mad trying to answer. Now, I do not know about you, but going mad does not seem like wall that I am willing to climb. Thus, we find ourselves here.

The purpose of Blind Wanderings is to join people together and try to answer the seemingly overbearing questions in this wonderful thing called life. Do not get me wrong, I am no expert on the subject. In fact, if I tried to lead someone through life it would, quite literally, be "the blind leading the blind." But I do feel that by putting my ideas out there, someone might be able to make there life just a hair better, which I guess is all I could ever hope. So I invite you, please, come wander with me . . . .