A Beloved Book

I.

Tommy sits curled up in his old brown bed. On his lap is a green and white quilted blanket. He turns his head to the right and stares outside the window. His green eyes sparkle as he watches the snowflakes dance in the morning air. Smiling, he turns back to the book on his lap.


II.

Tommy opens up the book and flips through the pages. It's a red hardcover edition of Bullfinch's Mythology. The spine is cracked, and the pages are yellowed like rotten custard. Tommy's slim white fingers turn each page, as his eyes devour the contents. Suddenly, he stops. A great gasp flees from his throat.


III.

Before his eyes, he sees a black and white picture of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table. King Arthur stands in the center, with his armored knights around him. Before the king, kneels a golden-haired youth. His head is bowed, and his hands are clasped in prayer as King Arthur taps him on the shoulder with Excalibur. "Lancelot." the boy says softly, his eyes shining like stars.

The Greatest Gift

audiobook

a classroom

in your mind

What is something that everyone should have? Something absolutely essential to their needs? What is the greatest gift they could get?

The greatest gift is investing in yourself. Take the time to learn new skills and grow as a person. This is one thing that you should never deprive yourself of. Material things come and go, but the things you learn will last a lifetime.

But how do you invest in yourself? The answer is to seek out resources that will help you develop an area that you would like to improve on.

 We live in a great technological age - there is information for the taking. Look for it with free videos and books. Why pay when so many people are willing to give free advice? All you have to do is find it. Take advantage of their teaching and learn from them. Make the most of these opportunities. Two sites that I recommend to help get you started:

• Librivox (free audiobooks - you can learn faster than by reading a traditional book)
• Youtube (free videos on various subjects).

Give yourself the greatest gift. You owe it to yourself.

On Books

a row

of hardcover books

on the shelf

golden keys to unlock

worlds hidden behind doors

I've always been fond of books. They are like old friends at a dinner party - always chatting away with something new to say. Indeed, it's hard not to admire a book, for within its dusty covers, are worlds waiting to be discovered. The possibilities are endless. Will I enter a world of fantasy and enroll in a wizard school? Or perhaps I will travel in time to Ancient Greece and attend a lecture at Plato's Academy. Maybe I will explore the stars and learn about the universe with Astronomy. All these choices are mine to make. They are "golden keys" that will unlock the ignorance of my mind as I strive for understanding.

Socrates once said: "I know nothing except for the fact of my ignorance." I too, have tried to live by this maxim. It is only through humility, have I learned that there is so much to learn. An open mind, an open heart, and an open book, are the surest ways I know to grow as a person. I truly believe this. Without these things, it would be much harder to grow in wisdom.

A good book is a friend for life. I will always relish the ones I've read, for many have changed my life. They are there for anyone willing to listen - to listen to their stories. I'm glad I listened.

Loving To Learn

Ann was on her way to the university library when she ran into Bobby.

"Hey, baby." Bobby grinned.

Ann's stomach gurgled. She felt like she was going to barf up her breakfast of pancakes and coffee. She rolled her eyes and sighed.

"You again?" she said.

"Yeah, it's me. Was hoping to catch you."

"What for?" Ann looked at him, a slight frown on her face.

"Well, there's this big frat party at the Alpha Kappa's. I want you to come with me. It's the whole talk of the campus - loads of music, and partying, and fun - you'll love it!" He grinned again, flashing his yellow stained teeth.

Ann shook her head. "A big party on a weekday? You know it's Thursday, right?"

Bobby shrugged. "The Alpha Kappa's don't care. They party whenever they want. Say - are you comin' or what?"

" No Bobby, I need to study. Good grades are important to me. I hope you understand that."

"Aww, c'mon Ann! All you ever do is study. Don't you want a life?"

Ann's eyes flashed and she gnashed her teeth. Her shoulders shook and she stamped her foot.

"I have a life, thank you very much! And I don't need some drunken frat boy telling me what to do. Get lost!" she glared at him.

"Huh? You get all pissed just because I invite you to a party? Wow, just wow..." he walked off, muttering to himself.

Ann watched him go. She never could understand Bobby. Sure, he was good looking in a rough kind of way, but all he ever did was guzzle down beers and eat pepperoni pizza. She couldn't even remember a time he ever studied. How he got into University was a mystery to her. She sighed and entered the library.

Here was her world - books and all the knowledge she could learn from - so many things to read about and discover. It excited her. She ran up the stairs to the second floor.

And there she saw her friends: Dani, Robin, and Rick. She flashed a smile and waved at them as she ran to their table. Setting her backpack on the floor, she pulled up a chair alongside them. Here were her friends, her family. 

flies

around a light bulb

students

Master Your Mind!

planting seeds

reading an old book

at midnight

There is a famous saying: I think, therefore I am. This is certainly the truth. Our minds are the hard drives of our bodies. Here is the accumulated knowledge and experience that we have learned from ourselves and others. It is a library of thought, our thoughts. Truly, the mind is a wonderful thing.

But how do we master our minds? We do this by following these steps:

1. Read instructive books and talk to people to solve problems or learn new things.
2. Do mind exercises to strengthen your mind.

If we want to expand our knowledge, it is essential to read good books, preferably nonfiction and self-help books. Any book that teaches something is worth checking out. But you do not have to rely entirely on books. Talking to people about various subjects can be incredibly rewarding. With a question and answer format, you can get immediate feedback on your problem. You can ask questions that a book could not answer.  Do not be afraid to use this to your advantage. Knowledge is always worth pursuing.

The next step is to do daily mind strengthening exercises. The goal here is to stretch your mind to new avenues of creativity. Find an enjoyable activity that stimulates your mind. Chess, crossword puzzles, math problems, and writing are a few of the many options open to you. Explore them all and find one that you enjoy doing. Do this activity for at least thirty minutes every day.

Being a mastermind is not as hard as it sounds. By following these steps, you can grow your mind to new levels of knowledge and creativity. The power is within you and waiting to be unleashed. So, what are you waiting for? Master your mind!

The Power Of Writing

Sitting out in the sun, I dreamed of people and places far in the past. I thought of the rise and fall of civilizations and the great advances in science and technology. How the arts and music have enriched the lives of people all over the world. The immense achievements of humanity since the rise of Sumer are astounding and a credit to the originality of human thought. It is this thought and a system of recorded writing that has enabled us to learn from our predecessors. Instead of our wisest people losing the information they have gleaned over a lifetime, their recorded thoughts live on and enrich the lives of future generations. We owe a great debt to the invention of writing. It is one of the finest achievements of the human race.

Summerian

pictographs on clay tablets

emoticons

The One Hour Plan

reading

a book

my mind walks

In perfecting ourselves, we should strive to maintain a sense of harmony. While the mind is an important asset, we must not forget our bodies. The body and mind are one big chain that defines who we are. We must not neglect one for the other, for they are parts that make up a greater whole. When both mind and body are developed, we experience a sense of harmony within ourselves; we realize our greatest potential.

 The following are two suggestions that can improve your mind and body. Each segment takes approximately thirty minutes. They are designed to improve your abilities in both areas. For just one hour a day, you can bring about positive changes in your life.

The first step is to improve your health. Your body is built for motion; it thrives on constant activity. So you need to exercise it. One of the simplest ways to do this is to take a daily walk for thirty minutes. Walk to work, walk on the treadmill, walk in your room back and forth. It matters not as long as you walk for thirty minutes each day. This may not seem a lot, but it is the doing that is most important. The simple tasks are the ones that we are more likely to stick with.

The second step in your one hour plan is to improve your mind. How do we do this? One of the best ways is by reading. Find a subject that interests you and read about it. I particularly encourage you to study philosophy and poetry. Why you may ask? Because they produce a higher mental strain within you. To understand them, you must put forth the proper mental effort. And it is this effort that will make you a wiser, more reflective person.

If someone were to ask me where to begin in philosophy and poetry, I would recommend the works of Plato and Alexander Pope. They are fine writers, and their writings have influenced people throughout the centuries. This philosopher and poet would make a great introduction to your mental studies.

And there you have it. For only one hour a day, you can make positive changes in your life. Follow this program every day for the rest of your life. You will be amazed by how much you will grow with the years. Like a fine wine, you will transform into a healthier and wiser person.

The Well Of Your Mind

old books

collecting dust

gold coins

Wisdom is the well of your mind. Fill its waters with good books, and you will be rewarded a thousand times over. It is like Aladdin's lamp: reading the contents of a good book is like rubbing a magical lamp and making a wish. This new found knowledge that you discover will flow through you, enriching your mind and life in the process.

Perhaps you may be wondering what the great books of the world are. Often referred to as literature, these books will stimulate your mind and help you to grow as a person.  There are many lists available online and in print that identify the great books of the world. Take advantage of this and find a list. A good selection of classics should have titles from both Eastern and Western civilization. Here are two of my favorite online sites:

1. Project Gutenberg: https://www.gutenberg.org/
2. LibriVox: https://librivox.org/

These two sites will be a great introduction to the books available for you to read. Despite our nationalities, we are all human and share a common heritage. Knowledge should be free--to be grasped by anyone willing to pick up a book and read. Do not let these gold coins escape your grasp; for they are the friend of your mind, a life long tool for you to grow and develop as a person. Read, and become wise.