Welcome to the Classy Problems weekly mash-up for Monday, October 21st – Sunday, October 27th, 2024.
Classy Problems is a daily post of thinking in motion by Dan T. Rogers. Each post stands alone as a thought-provoking piece, yet together, they create a puzzle of ideas. They invite you to see things from a different angle, rethink what you thought you knew, and explore what’s beyond your current understanding.
October 21 – “Bless Your Heart”
Some of us misunderstood that the phrase, “Bless your heart” really means, “Go F yourself.”
To avoid another misunderstanding, when we say PRECIOUS, we mean SELFISH — being terminally unique, having special snowflake syndrome. Precious is taking ourselves too seriously, focusing on what makes us different instead of acknowledging the sameness.
Sameness is the cake. Uniqueness is the icing on the cake.
Uniqueness is more accurately celebrated on the foundation of sameness.
Are you blessing your heart or celebrating your uniqueness?
October 22 – Our Most Vital Asset
Our most vital asset is energy — without it, we’re dead.
Are you treating your energy as your most vital asset or are you treating your assets as your most vital energy?
October 23 – Appropriate Or Inappropriate
It’s easier to judge actions as appropriate or inappropriate in hindsight. However, deciding beforehand is more difficult. Deciding what to do and how much effort to put in are unsolvable puzzles, yet action is required despite the uncertainty.
The real challenge is focusing our efforts beforehand, ensuring that we spend the appropriate amount of effort without knowing the outcome.
How do we decide what’s the appropriate amount of effort in the face of uncertainty?
What I have found is that when I have efforted to the extent that I am no longer emotionally attached to the outcome is an indicator that I have met the requirement for appropriate effort.
It turns out, when I know I have done my best, it’s easy to let go of the emotion and the outcome. Doing my best frees me from the delusion that I can impact the outcome.
Are you giving your best, or are you hoping for the best?
October 24 – Own The Truth As I Perceive It To Be
Owning the truth as I perceive it involves recognizing that our beliefs are shaped by our perceptions.
What we accept as true is often a reflection of how we interpret our surroundings and experiences. Being a spectator of our own perceptions helps us understand the stories we construct about the world around us and how these narratives influence our thoughts.
These stories about our environment shape our thinking, which in turn, forms our conscious awareness. This awareness both enlightens us with insights into what we believe is true and burdens us with the responsibility of those beliefs.
What stories am I telling myself about what I see in my environment?
October 25 – If I am Being Honest
If I am being honest, I am not always sure if I am being honest.
What I can be sure of is when I’m consciously being dishonest. It’s easy to recognize those instances, unlike when I later realize I was mistaken or misinformed — that’s all part of learning and making mistakes at full speed.
Dishonesty usually stems from not owning the truth as I perceive it. That’s what gets me in trouble. I push my perception as truth when, in fact, it’s just my interpretation of reality.
If I am being honest, my experience is that there is very little truth, but a whole lot of perception. That’s why I tell myself, “Don’t be dishonest — own the truth as I perceive it to be.”
If you are being honest, are you sure you’re being honest?
October 26 – An Insight And An Epiphany
The difference between an insight and an epiphany is the rate of understanding.
An insight occurs slowly — like waves shaping the shore.
An epiphany happens quickly — like lightning in a storm.
Slow or quick, they feel like gifts from the universe, and they never come fast enough. Keeping score on theboss is silly and an example of precious planning.
The difference between an insight and an epiphany is the rate at which we stop planning preciously.
What’s really happening is that I am pulling my head out of my ass and I am finally accepting reality instead of continuing to hold on to what I want it to be.
When that’s a slow process, I call it an insight. When I do that quickly, I call it an epiphany.
Are you keeping score or accepting what is?
October 27 – Paradox of Purpose
Purpose establishes direction AND narrows vision.
Classy Problems is a daily post of thinking in motion by Dan T. Rogers. Each post stands alone as a thought-provoking piece, yet together, they create a puzzle of ideas. They invite you to see things from a different angle, rethink what you thought you knew, and explore what’s beyond your current understanding.
What is a classy problem? A classy problem is when we’ve been afforded the opportunity to figure out what to do. Time to figure it out. Time to practice. Time to discern. When faced with the time to figure out a classy problem, it is more effective to focus on what NOT to do than trying to figure out what to do. In a word: restraint. JOIN US in exploring the distinction between what to do and what not to do in the pursuit of clarity.
SPIRITUAL GANGSTER: Welcome to the ‘Spiritual Gangster’ wing of The Sober Curator, a haven for those on a sober journey with a twist of spiritual sass. Here, we invite you to plunge headfirst into a world of meditation, astrology, intentionality, philosophy, and spiritual reflection – all while keeping your feet (and sobriety) firmly on the ground.
A Disco Ball is Hundreds of Pieces of Broken Glass, Put Together to Make a Magical Ball of Light. You are NOT Broken, Friend. You are a DISCO BALL!
Resources Are Available
If you or someone you know is experiencing difficulties surrounding alcoholism, addiction, or mental illness, please reach out and ask for help. People everywhere can and want to help; you just have to know where to look. And continue to look until you find what works for you. Click here for a list of regional and national resources.
