Indifference

Self-discipline and our Disciplined Universe

Albert SchindlerLeave a comment

This version contains some minor editorial and gramatical changes.

Of all the laws in the universe, did you ever wonder why God created the law of discipline? I mean, why can’t we just lay back and enjoy life no matter what we do?

In one way, discipline is sort of a restrictive law, yet, paradoxically, that same law can also set one free.

Discipline is a universal law, and works hand-in-hand with the law of cause and effect. In fact, I’d say it’s very much intertwined with all the other universal laws as well: invoke discipline, and you affect all the other laws, and the reason I separate the law of discipline from the law of cause and effect, is that the law of cause and effect is a rather mindless law: it just is, and reacts rather indifferently to whatever you do with it. On the other hand, the law of discipline gives you a choice of being aware of what you do.

There are also two aspects to the law of discipline: self-discipline, and externally influenced discipline.

We foster abandoned cats and, besides having them spayed and neutered, they are locked in every night, which they do not like! Cats are nocturnal animals and, given a choice, prefer to be awake and hunting at night and sleep during the day. But, because, in a rural setting, there are dangers out there at night that they would not normally be prepared to face were they feral, so for their own safety, they need to be indoors at night.

I would call that act of locking up the cats at night, externally influenced discipline. The cats have no choice in the matter. As their foster parents, we impose that discipline—or restriction, on them.

On the other hand, self-discipline is where you decide: you make the choice to do something, or not to do something, independent of external conditions. For example, you may decide to quit smoking, a decision that you make, (assumed you’re being) uninfluenced by any external pressure someone may attempt to impose on you.

In similar manner, the universe imposes restrictions—or disciplines on us. For example, start eating too much junk food, and you’ll get fat. That’s cause and effect. But, if you decide that you’re too fat and go on a diet to lose weight, that’s a self-imposed discipline.

Unfortunately, too many of us lack self-discipline, and because of our unwillingness to learn, we leave ourselves wide open to whatever nature, or society in general—or even our own body imposes on us. We resent our neighbor’s success, but are too un-disciplined to abandon our habitual hours of playing games on the computer, instead of taking a course in a trade that would bring us similar good fortune that our neighbor enjoys. As William A. Ward stated, “The price of excellence is discipline. The cost of mediocrity is disappointment.”

I’m retired now, but after a short military career and years of self-employment, I learned early in life, the importance of self-discipline. Throughout my lifetime I witnessed many start-up businesses ending in business failure. The main reason for their failure was, these would-be entrepreneurs did not bother to self-discipline themselves first, by learning the universal law of what constitutes a successful business, before they opened their doors to a business venture.

In the end, it’s our own doing whether we apply self-discipline in our lives, or just fall in line with whatever is imposed on us by an indifferent universe. The choice is ours, and the universe will deliver that choice! That’s the law!

“We must all suffer one of two things:  the pain of discipline or the pain of regret and disappointment.” – Jim Rohn

A Sunday Chat with Myself—responsibility

Albert SchindlerLeave a comment

“Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.” — Winston S. Churchill

On the 22nd of March, 2018, I watched a Dr. Oz TV show where he and his guests were discussing the problem of so many doctors committing suicide due to being overstressed by trying to keep healthy an increasing sick society. Of course, Dr. Oz is an American show, was dealing with American issues. However, I doubt that it’s much different here in Canada.

Our health clinic where you go to see your doctor is located next to the post office. When I go to pick up our mail, I often can’t find a parking spot in front of the post office, because most of the stalls are taken up by overflow parking at the health clinic. I drive around to the back of the post office to our Town’s public parking area, searching  for a parking stall in the public parking lot—same thing: most of the “up close” stalls are occupied by clinic patients. Frustrated, I often feel that the worst thing our Canadian federal government ever offered its citizens was free health care. Hear me out before you start sending me hate mail.

“When health is absent, wisdom cannot reveal itself, art cannot manifest, strength cannot fight, wealth becomes useless, and intelligence cannot be applied.” —Herophilus

On occasion when I need to go to a drug store, usually to buy my health supplements, I often have to stand in line. This wouldn’t be a significant point to ponder, except that, in a town of not much over 3,000 people, we have four drug stores! Doesn’t that raise an alarm bell that we’re not taking proper care of our health?

I know there is a need for hospitals, doctors, nurses and drug stores in a modern society, and Canada should be very grateful for these fine institutions. For example, one can fall and break a limb, come down with a contagious virus, be in a traffic accident, or have some other physical health issue that is beyond one’s control, and we are so blessed to have these medical facilities nearby. But shouldn’t we be taking at least some responsibility for our general good health?

Unless we have some other serious health issue, pain is generally a sign our body is telling us something is wrong. Wouldn’t we be better off if, when visiting a doctor, we talked to her or him to find out what could possibly be causing that pain in our body, rather than demanding a pill to just mask the pain?

Smoking, excess drinking, unwarranted drug use, improper eating habits are lifestyles well within our personal control. It shouldn’t be up to the doctor to “cure” your bad health practices with a pill—nor should it be the taxpayer’s responsibility to fund such a wrong mindset!

Society has turned teaching moral values to their children over to the school system. I’m not for religion being taught in school, nor moral values. That’s a parent’s responsibility, and if there is a diverse opinion as a result, all the better. It makes for a rich, colorful community, and that’s good! In fact, it’s healthy! Schools are for teaching students the so-called “Three Rs”—reading, writing, and arithmetic, plus social skills to prepare them for adult life.

To further our abandonment of responsibility, we’ve now left it up to law enforcement  to manage our behavioral patterns that make us a safe society. What’s next? … Oh yes, now we’re totally turning over our responsibility for our health to the medical profession and drug companies.

“Doc, gimme a pill. I need a fix!—Oh, and send the bill it to the taxpayer, eh?” We’re so wrapped up in our own self-gratification and irresponsibility we can’t see our possible annihilation as a species that we’re heading for.

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.” —Hippocrates

 

Amazing Intelligence in Animals (some animal facts)

Albert Schindler1 Comment

“Only if we understand can we care. Only if we care can we help. Only if we help can they be saved!” — Jane Goodall

Looking at the diversity of Nature, I wonder. Just because we have speech and animals don’t, does that make us superior to them? Vanity would like to think so! We may have speech, but other animals have far better–unique—communication skills that we can only dream of. For example, we need our cell phones to talk to someone more than a few hundred meters from us. Using sound signals, wales can communicate—remember, we’re talking about communication skills— with each other over a distance of many miles. Using these same sound skills, they can even identify objects in the water at great distances. We need binoculars to come even close to what they can do!

A cat’s field of vision is 200 degrees; human’s field of vision is only 180 degrees, plus a cat can see 6 to 8 times better at night than humans can.

A camel’s hump is mainly stored fat. During winter months in the Sahara Desert, camels can use that stored fat to go without water for up to six months! Humans can only go three to five days without water.

Bears can smell food from 29 kilometers away, while humans can only smell a strong odor, like skunk spray, for no more than 2.5 kilometres away (phew!).Bees are those tiny winged little insects I love to talk about and advocate for. Our overuse of pesticides is rapidly destroying their habitat, and governments are so reluctant to do anything about it, but did you know, that if our thoughtless greed eradicates that humble little bee, within a very few years, mankind would be in dire straights for a food source: bees pollinate the flowers that bear the fruit, berries, grains and vegetables that we eat. Also, did you know that bees can find the most efficient route between flowers and their home-hive faster than a supercomputer can.

Have you ever gone to your doctor and s/he told you, you need more sleep? If you have, be glad that you’re not a giraffe and can sleep more. A giraffe sleeps for only about 20 minutes a day. Humans need lots of sleep.

Makes me wonder. Do animals often feel themselves superior to humans?

It makes me sad when I see so many people abuse animals, and nature in general. As Theodor W. Adorno said, “Auschwitz begins wherever someone looks at a slaughterouse and thinks: they’re only animals.”