Journey – Breakaway Consciousness

#Quote Of The Day | #Life | #TheRoad | #Journey

“Not all who wander are lost.”

#Book Review: Le Morte d’Arthur by Sir Thomas Malory | #SmartReads

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 12, 2019

A widely-known and timeless classic, Le Morte d’Arthur – King Arthur and the Knights Of The Round Table by Sir Thomas Malory is the masterpiece from which the Arthurian Legend was born.

As the definitive English-language version of the story of Arthur and his Knights, Sir Thomas Malory collated information from the historical tradition and lore that was available to him at the time.

For a book that draws from various sources, it actually reads seamlessly, which speaks of Malory’s skill in the creation of this book and the ironclad integration he undertook. It’s also worth noting that the book is written in Old English.

All components of the Arthurian Legend, from Arthur, Merlin, Lancelot, the Knights of The Round Table, to Excalibur and the Quest for the Holy Grail are all contained therein. Considering the book was published over 500 years ago, it’s actually a remarkable achievement considering that there aren’t many books which appeal so much to human creativity and imagination from that specific time period. Granted, Malory drew from English and French sources for this, but it was his imagination that allowed him to make this book a finished product.

Some intriguing components of the book are the many themes the book features, which are repeatedly alluded too. Woven within the story are themes that encompass revenge, jealousy, trickery, honor and chivalry. The many quests that the Knights undertake are also a common theme in the book.

The measure of a great fiction book is how great it stokes the embers of imagination. Without a doubt, Sir Thomas Malory’s work has done all that, and much more, which is why after centuries later these stories still have a remarkable appeal to a wide-ranging audience.

As a classic adventure featuring intrigue, romance, deception, and adventure with sprinklings of magic, the legend of King Arthur has and always will be a mainstay in literature. That is because it appeals to the element of human mind in a way that many other books do not, and that is what makes it a landmark book in Mythology and Folklore. Any connoisseur of Mythology would enjoy this thoroughly.

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#Book Review: The Journey by Peter Kreeft | #SmartReads

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 8, 2019

Life as a journey has always been a concept that has intrigued me to no end. With that regard, the following book showcases some of the reasons why I hold such a concept with such curiosity.

The Journey by Peter Kreeft is an interesting fictional account through allegorical form of an individual, in this case the author, who seeks spiritual truth.

With his dear philosophical companion, Socrates, who is a confidant and guide by his side, the Kreeft creates a journey in which quite a few philosophies are encountered, and each philosophy is addressed as needed in order to journey towards the next step in the author’s personal journey.

Within the allegory written, the author meets thirteen different historical characters who expound their version of truth on particular philosophical ideas. These individuals are: Socrates, Epicurus, Protagoras, Diogenes, Gorgias, Democritus, Thrasymachus, Xenophanes, Parmenides, Aristotle, Moses, Joshua and C.S. Lewis. Each philosophy is explored as needed, providing valuable insights about what those philosophies really delineate.

The first half to two thirds of the book covered general philosophical concepts, while the latter offered deeper ruminations into Kreefts unabashed religious point of view through the allegory.

In essence, the book is about choosing a philosophical life in every way shape and form. That’s what appeals to me most about the book. Additionally, the concept of a life as a journey, such as what took place in Dante’s Inferno, was also rather thought-provoking.

As Kreeft notes, in life, you either have a good personal philosophy, or a bad one. This book helps the reader consider at length what type of philosophy one will choose, regardless of what point of view you come from.

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You The Individual Are Author Of Your Own Journey, Your Own Destiny

BreakawayIndividual.com
Zy Marquiez
April 5, 2019

Life is an adventure in every which way and it offers no straight roads.

There are myriad circumstances we will all face individually, but life’s roads are littered with lessons of all types, people of countless backgrounds, and fascinating circumstances that honestly make most movies and books pale in comparison. Then again, modern movies are big on content, but lack meaning and depth, much like the mainstream media. Given that, perhaps comparing life to a movie isn’t a salient analogy. That said, the sentiment is there since a movie tells a story, and we all live our own stories.

With that in mind: what’s your story? This question is for every individual reading this. More importantly, this question is literal, metaphorical, rhetorical and analogical. Why would I ask this question on multiple tiers? Because life, by its very nature, operates on multiple tiers, and each of these various tiers are significant in one way, shape or form. Only seeing (or considering) one of these tiers, is akin to only remembering 6 out of the 24 hours in your day; it is merely remembering the morning, and forgetting the afternoon, the evening, and night time. That’s a lot of to miss out on, a lot to go unconsidered.

The multiple avenues from which to consider your own life – your own story – are merely for inner rumination since (1) we as individuals – myself included – don’t tend to think of our lives as a story, (2) we tend to see life through highs and lows, static circumstances and the like, and nigh never through the full latitude of circumstances that made you the individual who you are.

The main reason I ask, “What’s your story?” is because I learned from one of the books that I purchased last fall, though it’s name escapes me at this moment, that each of us has a story to tell and those stories are woven within so much depth that it would inspire others to take deeper consideration into what every individual has gone through if people were to know what all individuals have experienced.

Along with that sentiment, another benefit of asking someone what their story is, is the fact that this question pulls the ball in the other individual’s court – it allows individuals choose what part of their story they want to focus on. Every story features endless depth once circumstances are pondered upon intricately; however, most of the time, when we engage in conversations, the questions are so narrow the only lead for a limited scope of consideration, rather than a vast ocean of possibilities to draw upon. And what better well to draw from, than the ocean of life, an individual’s life, and the endless circumstances that they have been through?

People can be caught quite by surprise when that question is asked because it’s not the standard run of the mill question most people consider. Not only is such a question nigh never asked, but the consideration of life a story is never given a second thought.

At times, it takes people a second for the question to click. Once it does, then they open up, and it’s incredibly fascinating to see what individuals first center up because (1) it will usually be something that is important to them in the grand scheme of things, or (2) something that’s important to them at the moment, such as something they are currently worrying about and so on. Either way, the answers are a gateway, an inner window to someone’s mind, someone’s soul. It’s incredible to witness, especially if their eyes light up as they tell their story. If that circumstance takes place, that’s when you know the story means a lot to them. That’s paramount. If that transformation is not magic, I don’t know what is.

Some of the most interesting parts of someone’s life, of someone’s story, are all the obstacles that individual has conquered. It’s ironic because, everyone including myself, tends to forget how many issues we have overcome. Why is that relevant? Because perhaps if we saw the obstacles we have conquered individual as significant parts of a resume of life, highlighted by everything we have ever overcome, maybe we – myself included – wouldn’t get so down on ourselves as individuals.

Maybe instead of getting dispirited at a circumstance, we wake up feeling like a million bucks every morning; perhaps we don’t allow circumstances to get the better of us because we know we’ve handled similar circumstances dozens, if not hundreds of times, and as far as you’re concerned, this current dilemma is merely the latest one, and merely just a bump in the road. NO BIG DEAL!

So go on, when life throws issues at you, treat them like dust; dust of your shoulders off, and worry not about whatever life throws at you, because ultimately, you are here. Let me say that again: you are here reading this right now.

Why is that relevant? Because not only do you have to be centered and focused to read that statement (which is one of the reasons I love reading so much, it forces the proactive engagement of the mind) but because for you to be here implies that you had to have gone through your own personal struggles, irrespective of what they have been, and come out on top. On TOP! And yet, you’re still here, aren’t you? You still have ass kicking to do and names to take? I sure hope so! If not, I’m not sure what you’re doing reading this. Maybe dancing with the stars is on? Something worthy of your time?

Or maybe we simply need to become our own stars, and instead of dancing with stars, we become the stars that dance to the tune of our own drum, in our story because nobody else can do that better than each of us individually.

Nobody can be a better you than you. Isn’t that neat?

Your life – the entire breadth and scope of it – is so damn unique that nobody has lived a similar life ever, and nobody will after your story is written in stone.

Now that you are pondering your story, are you in control of your story, or is your story in control of you? Why do I pose the question in such a manner? Because if you let the hamster wheel dictate the circumstances, that wheel is in control; but if you do not, then you are in control.

Often times we get swept up in life’s tidal wave of idiosyncrasies and just become the hamster on the wheel, rather than the one that escapes it to venture the roads of life, the winding roads that make life the adventure that it is.

Those winding roads are never straight for too long, never easy, almost ever. That ease of travel in the trail of life makes us complacent, it makes us soft. It makes us like the fighter that doesn’t spare, the knife that gets dull, it makes us incapable of operating at the ‘top of our game’.

Life’s roads are like a rollercoaster, ups and downs, twists and turns, moments of joy and moments that just make you want to puke. But when each ride in the roller coaster is done, when each road we take finishes and is conquered, isn’t that exhilarating? Isn’t each of the roads you take that much more fascinating knowing how much you overcame and how much you learned from it? It sure seems like the very definition of an adventure.

Adventures that make life that much sweeter based on what significant obstacles have been conquered. The tougher the obstacle, the more you gain from it, the more salient the lessons. Lessons woven in some of the toughest circumstances you will face, but lessons that will also become part of who you are, who you choose to become; lessons that can become foundational components of your future.

What’s your story? Or better yet, what’s your story going to be? Only you – every single one of you – know the answer to that.

But it’s sure interesting to think of life as a story, isn’t it?

What’s in the past, is in the past. The past is set in stone, but the future isn’t. It never is. And the future begins today, right now this very moment.

Be wary of the road. But remember, no matter where the road leads, life will always be an adventure; an adventure with you as the protagonist.

And you get to decided whether you slay the dragon, or not; whether you swim in the depths of the abyss, the depths of the unknown, or whether you remain on the shore, wondering where those waters lead.

Why? Because it’s your story, and you are the author of your own story, your own destiny, and you always will be.

And if you ever happen to see Bilbo or Gandalf in your travels, tell them I said hello (they really are more fascinating than most give them credit for). Why would I say that? Because as I am writing this, this is my story, and in my story I’ve met them both.

What are you going to write in yours?

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Suggested Reading:

What Do You Find Inspiring?
What’s Your Story?
Harry Potter Fans Trash Talk? Say WHAT?!
Consciously Creating The Road Of Change, The World Of Tomorrow
Wings Are Made To Fly, Seeds Are Made To Grow
What Are Your Personal Defaults?
Have You Ever Walked On The Moon?
The Opening Salvo, The First Minute
The Seeds Of Today, The World Of Tomorrow
Piercing Perspectives #1: Taking Things For Granted | Health & Mindset
Piercing Perspectives #2: You The Individual Are Extraordinary
Piercing Perspectives #3: The Divide & Conquer Left Right Paradigm
Piercing Perspectives #4: Poker As A Mirror For Life
How Are Your (Emotional) Bank Accounts Doing?
The Individual, The Foundation Of Society

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