| |
| |
|
Motivation Information |
|
|
|
Five Great Ideas From Aristotle
It was Socrates who said that the purpose of philosophy is to help each of us become "an excellent human". That seems like a respectable and reasonable big-picture goal for every person on the planet. But what about the specifics? How do we become excellent humans? How can we use philosophy in our everyday lives to help us succeed in this most important goal as homo sapiens? The surprising thing about philosophy is that it is incredibly user-friendly if you take it in small doses. For thousands of years, thoughtful individuals have contemplated the meaning of life. Many of the greatest philosophers spoke eloquently about the challenges we all face today in words that are easily understood and truly inspiring. Don't believe it? Let's start with a few thoughts from Aristotle. The student of Plato, who was the student of Socrates, Aristotle lived in the third century B.C. But don't hold that against him! Aristotle was full of interesting ideas, and he had quite a sense of humor as well. He's a guy you could imagine sitting in your kitchen, engaging in a memorable conversation over a shared bottle of wine. Think of him as a really wise friend, and use his ideas to help you TODAY to become a more excellent human. Aristotle believed that everything had a purpose. He stated that our purpose as humans is to think in order to live a good life. That's it. As long as we continue to contemplate the universe and our role in it, we are fulfilling our purpose. So, to help you contemplate the universe today, here are five inspiring thoughts from our friend, Aristotle: Thought #1: "We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." What is it that you repeatedly do? Greet people on the street, let another car into a busy street in front of you, leave nice tips for frazzled waitpersons, read to your children, phone your elderly aunt? What do your habits say about you? Is that the message you want to send? How can you change your habits or adopt new ones to reflect your desire to become more excellent? What excellent acts can you do repeatedly so that they become a habit? What can you do TODAY to intentionally start a habit that will lead to excellence? Pick something simple and just get started. Thought #2: "Education is the best provision for old age."What are you learning these days? How are you spending your free time? Take a look at how you are including learning in your daily life. Do you read? If so, are you learning from it? Do you watch television? Yes, it can be educational, but seriously analyze your viewing habits and see if you can't incorporate more learning and less vegetating. Don't pick something boring. Choose ways to learn that excite and inspire you. A cooking class through your local community college? A new sport? A stack of library books on a country you're hoping to visit someday? Pursue your interests with a passion, and you will always continue learning. Promise yourself you'll always have interesting things to talk about when you are old-and this doesn't mean ailments and treatments! Learn now how to ignite your own curiosity and pursue learning as a lifelong adventure. Thought #3: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it." We all do it--we hear an idea, and we immediately attach ourselves to an opinion about it without really giving it the time it takes to form a reasoned conclusion. The problem with smart people is that we tend to use our intelligence to argue in defense of our chosen opinions. We'd be a whole lot wiser if we did less arguing and more thinking! The next time someone makes a suggestion you don't like or states an opinion you disagree with, try this: Wait three minutes before denouncing it. Now, this doesn't that you should just sit there, fuming or smug or disinterested. Instead, "entertain" the thought. Ask questions. Show interest. Be open, engaged and nonconfrontational. When your three minutes are up, you can feel free to express your original opinion. More often than not, your original opinion will have changed a bit because you have spent some time holding a thought without attacking it. The trick here is to separate the thought from the thinker. Are you sure you don't dislike the thought because you dislike the thinker? We all have people in our lives who push our buttons. Take the high road. Entertain the thought. Your eventual rebuttal will be more easily accepted after you've shown that you have carefully considered the concept. Try this at work, try it with your friends, try it with your family. This is a surefire path to excellence. Thought #4: "What lies in our power to do, also lies in our power not to do." Ah, yes. Those bad habits? You can change them. If you had the initiative at some point to do something, you can choose to stop doing it. This goes for overeating, smoking, drinking too much, and all the usual bad habits. It also hold true for things we don't even think of as habits anymore-watching too much television, driving instead of walking, reading nothing but celebrity magazines, gossiping, spending too much time shopping, etc. If you haven't always done it, you don't have to continue doing it. You do have the power to make changes. Thought #5: "Well begun is half done." We all understand that setting a goal, doing the research, and making a plan will increase the likelihood that our chosen task will be successfully completed. Whether it's a home improvement project, a vacation schedule, or a tricky new recipe, proper preparation will save us a lot of time and effort. Start using Aristotle's ideas today to help you become an excellent human. Make your best acts your best habits. Learn something new each day. Entertain contrary thoughts. Begin to undo bad habits. Prepare yourself for excellence. Aristotle would be so proud. About The Author Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse. Her course, Massage Your Mind!: Defining Your Life Philosophy, has inspired thinkers in over 70 countries around the world. She is the publisher of the Friday Mind Massage, a free weekly ezine serving up a satisfying blend of clarity, comfort and comic relief. To learn more, visit http://www.massageyourmind.com or http://www.mindmasseuse.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Motivation - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Is Work Still Necessary? I have a confession to make - several confessions in fact.I have at times been stupid enough to believe that work is not necessary to make money or achieve success. Are You a Right-Fighter? Are You a "Right-Fighter"?Do you find yourself struggling to "win" arguments? Do people ask you why you always have to be right? Does conflict you engage in typically end with you having the last word, but no one feels good about the argument? Do arguments you engage in usually escalate to shouting and anger? If you have said yes to any of these questions, you are likely a right-fighter!What is a "Right-Fighter"A right-fighter is someone who struggles to win arguments, even if they doubt their own view. A right-fighter is someone who gets overly emotional or angry when people do not agree with them and their opinions or beliefs. The Answer Is The Question ... Asking The Right Questions! We all have questions about our lives, directions, and destinies. It is the curiosity of the unknown that intrigues us to ask of the future. Hey Me, Get Out Of My Way Hey Me! Get Out Of My Way By David Stoddard How often it is we give up wanting to do something even before we give ourselves an honest chance of succeeding. Perhaps, we begin writing our autobiography. Trust the "System" - It Works! The "System" - the overall structure and organization of this great creation that we're a part of? including our ability to personally interact with (and benefit from) the spiritual aspects of this creation (universal consciousness, God, whatever you'd like to call it).Here's the story behind our recent move. Stick With the Winners Here is an interesting quotation from Stephen Walsh."We're building up and tearing down, in everything we do. How To Get Motivated When You Have An Off Day What can you do on days like these? Is there a way to get motivated and stay motivated?There are three simple yet powerful ways to pull yourself out of a slump. And best of all you can start using these strategies today. 4 Secret Ways to Stop Procrastinating Ever wonder how to stop procrastinating?I was recently talking with a friend who said, "You know, I need to have guests over to my house more often." "Why is that?" I asked. Understanding What Motivates People to Take Action So I wanted to buy a car. It was a tough choice but I decided that my next new car would be a Volvo. Mid-Year Success Check: Are You Halfway There? In a couple weeks, we'll be heading into the second half of 2005. How are you doing on those New Year's resolutions?What were they?Think back for a minute at how committed you were to achieving them. Finding A Cure for I Disease The 21-year-old rookie cop had his big chance to brag on himself at his big news conference. "How do you feel about being the one to capture Eric Rudolph, FBI's Most Wanted?" the reporter asked. After the Storm...... Have you ever wondered why is it that after we go through a bad phase in life we seem to come out better for it? It use to puzzle me too until recently after I stared down a gunman's nozzle I realized why.If you have ever been in a situation like I did and survived to tell the tale you would be more than grateful for everything. Dont Get Hysterical About The Historical The tension was palpable in the room as I began the first marital counseling session ever for the couple who had passed their 50th anniversary several years before. After a few pleasantries designed to put them more at ease, I invited, "Tell me about what brought you here. A Simple Motivation Technique For Massive Success Want to hear about a simple & effective motivation technique? It´ll help you get motivated and stay motivated.Do you want to know the key to beating procrastination and achieving much more?Let me tell you how I discovered the secret to achieving massive success. Motivation By A Challenge Many humans are motivated by the thought of doing something they or others think they cannot do. They don't want to do what they already know they can do. Beyond Procrastination - 8 Questions To Ask Yourself Why am I constantly putting things off? Why don't I do the things I'm "supposed" to do, but don't really want to? Why do I always seem to be forcing myself to do things? Whether it's chores at home, work for school, or projects at work, how do I get beyond procrastination? Most often, something is operating "underneath" the procrastination. Asking yourself these nine questions and spending some conscious time reflecting on your responses can help you uncover why you are resisting doing what needs to be done and support you to move beyond procrastination. How to Make Bite Size Resolutions for 2005 It never fails. Another new year approaches. Self Confidence : The Importance of Will-Power The importance of will-power is recognized by most men, yet few deliberately give any time or thought to its development. Why we resist one thing and yield to another may be due to "the strongest motive," but what more particularly concerns us in the study of self-confidence is in what way this mighty power can be built and directed. Two Months, Two Actions: First Steps to Success Susan stood on the scale the other day. She had gained two pounds. By Planning and Exerting Effort, You Can Change Things For The Better Most of us plan to find the love of our life, our soul mate. It is a natural human instinct to find a partner.
|
| home | site map |
| © 2006 |
