RENAISSANCE
Through my life, I have been described as many things but the one that seems to be more common is that, "I beat to the beat of a different drum." When I was a child, I thought maybe that it meant that I did not listen to authority. As I got older, I thought that description of me insinuated something weird. Even recently, when I went to get my driver's license renewed, the government agent at the Department of Motor Vehicles said to me, after I made her smile, "You ain't right." As I live through this adventure called life, I have finally figured out that I do beat to the beat of a different drum. You see, I have never been a follower. I have always done my own thing. Following the herd is easy. Breaking away and creating your own path at times can be challenging but, rewarding. I have always had a desire to go beyond what most individuals call "normal behavior." Hence the title of my article, renaissance.
Renaissance is anything that comes from the period of 1400 to 1600 in Italy and western Europe. A very important aspect of the renaissance which always interested me deeply was the rise in humanistic philosophy. A belief in self human worth and individual dignity. Accompanied with radical changes in ideas about religion and politics and science. For those who know me, know that I am not a religious person. I am not trying to offend religious individuals. In fact, I was born and raised Catholic but, religion never quenched my thirst for answers especially after death. I consider myself a spiritual man and a believer in God however, the God that I believe in is a universal energy, universal force that has no ties to any religion. I am not sure how I made it through 12 years of Catholic school. Looking back, those 12 years reinforced my strong beliefs about my spirituality. To me, spirituality does not need religion but, religion absolutely needs spirituality. The second component of the renaissance era, a belief in the self human worth and individual dignity is very intriguing.
I believe we are all here for a purpose. We were given this opportunity to exist at this particular time to make the world a better place then when we inherited it. We do this by living life to the fullest. You see our soul, this thing inside us that is formless, odorless and weightless, that keeps us alive when we sleep by making sure that everything is working properly, is something we all have. It is the creative part of our being. It is the part that internally tells us that there is more to life than working at a job that we are miserable about but are too afraid to make changes. It is the part of our internal compass that pops up every so often to give us an itch about doing something or a thought that can change our lives for the better. Some call it the God within, some call is Jesus some call it the Holy Spirit. It really doesn't matter what you call it. What is undisputed is that we all have it. Some confuse this aspect of humanity with the brain. I am referring to something beyond the brain. Something that we all have but most of us pay "no mind to it." Not pun intended. This may be better described as when individuals have a near death experience and they describe their surreal experience. To me this part of humanity that I am conscious about in my everyday life is what I believe individuals pick up about me when they say , "You beat to the beat of a different drum." I deeply believe in the human spirit and the desire to create in conjunction to the connection to all living beings. If you really think about it, we all came from the same source and we are all going back to the same source. We are all one. I go a step beyond the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated because in essence the "others," in the aforementioned is really yourself. If you treat others inhumanly, you are really treating yourself that way. It seems that in today's unenlightened environment, Some from politicians to media to social platforms have lost the importance of human dignity and the power of the individual spirit to triumph. Maybe it is all about power or money but each and everyone of us has the power within to make a difference. My advise is to stay strong and believe in yourself. I tell my children that someone's opinion of them is none of their business. Other's opinion of you is garbage unless you allow it to define you. Do not let someone's opinion of you become your reality. Have faith in yourself and your life will be an amazing experience. The faith I'm referring to is not what you see with your eyes but rather what you envision in your thoughts when your eyes are shut. I leave you with a quote by Henry Davis Thoreau. "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
Just a thought.
Renaissance is anything that comes from the period of 1400 to 1600 in Italy and western Europe. A very important aspect of the renaissance which always interested me deeply was the rise in humanistic philosophy. A belief in self human worth and individual dignity. Accompanied with radical changes in ideas about religion and politics and science. For those who know me, know that I am not a religious person. I am not trying to offend religious individuals. In fact, I was born and raised Catholic but, religion never quenched my thirst for answers especially after death. I consider myself a spiritual man and a believer in God however, the God that I believe in is a universal energy, universal force that has no ties to any religion. I am not sure how I made it through 12 years of Catholic school. Looking back, those 12 years reinforced my strong beliefs about my spirituality. To me, spirituality does not need religion but, religion absolutely needs spirituality. The second component of the renaissance era, a belief in the self human worth and individual dignity is very intriguing.
I believe we are all here for a purpose. We were given this opportunity to exist at this particular time to make the world a better place then when we inherited it. We do this by living life to the fullest. You see our soul, this thing inside us that is formless, odorless and weightless, that keeps us alive when we sleep by making sure that everything is working properly, is something we all have. It is the creative part of our being. It is the part that internally tells us that there is more to life than working at a job that we are miserable about but are too afraid to make changes. It is the part of our internal compass that pops up every so often to give us an itch about doing something or a thought that can change our lives for the better. Some call it the God within, some call is Jesus some call it the Holy Spirit. It really doesn't matter what you call it. What is undisputed is that we all have it. Some confuse this aspect of humanity with the brain. I am referring to something beyond the brain. Something that we all have but most of us pay "no mind to it." Not pun intended. This may be better described as when individuals have a near death experience and they describe their surreal experience. To me this part of humanity that I am conscious about in my everyday life is what I believe individuals pick up about me when they say , "You beat to the beat of a different drum." I deeply believe in the human spirit and the desire to create in conjunction to the connection to all living beings. If you really think about it, we all came from the same source and we are all going back to the same source. We are all one. I go a step beyond the golden rule of treating others the way you want to be treated because in essence the "others," in the aforementioned is really yourself. If you treat others inhumanly, you are really treating yourself that way. It seems that in today's unenlightened environment, Some from politicians to media to social platforms have lost the importance of human dignity and the power of the individual spirit to triumph. Maybe it is all about power or money but each and everyone of us has the power within to make a difference. My advise is to stay strong and believe in yourself. I tell my children that someone's opinion of them is none of their business. Other's opinion of you is garbage unless you allow it to define you. Do not let someone's opinion of you become your reality. Have faith in yourself and your life will be an amazing experience. The faith I'm referring to is not what you see with your eyes but rather what you envision in your thoughts when your eyes are shut. I leave you with a quote by Henry Davis Thoreau. "If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away."
Just a thought.