I believe it was Governor Adlai Stevenson who remarked, "It is easier to fight for one's principles than to live up to them." He was, of course, correct, as I have learned tonight from my interpersonal experiences. A principle I believe in is friendship. However, tonight, I have failed to live up to that principle, even after promising a friend that I would be there for them, whenever they needed me- yet I was not. This contradiction... this hypocrisy, saddens me, and I'm regretful. Though my words conveyed genuine concern, my contradictory actions only sent the message to my friends that they are second to my priorities. Second to my wishes... and this, causes me great cognitive dissonance, as I do believe that friendship should have come first... yet I failed to act. Words only go so far... the rest of the message has to be carried by the actions that accompany them. Tonight, I gave only words of assurance, but no action to manifest them. I'm sorry.
I believe it was Saint Paul who said, "Faith without works is dead." How true does words seem now. Not only in my interpersonal relationships, but in my role in the community, which, though it does have action, is lacking enough action... it needs more. Even in my interpersonal relationships... more action, to live up those principles that I claim to hold in a personal ethos. Tonight, I've only proven myself a hypocrite. In the Gospels, Jesus condemned the Pharisees for their hypocrisy. Am I to be like they?
I'm sorry for my lack of action... my hypocrisy that ran deeper than my words. I feel that I have cheated not only my friends, but myself... I have betrayed the principle of friendship... a principle set in my own ethos. Thus, I have betrayed my friends and myself.
Perhaps if I begin to consider the context of the day, I can begin to understand how this came about. Recently, especially in the last few days, I have become so super-focused on my work... that, now that I think about it, I have placed my friendships second... which I shouldn't have. Work comes and goes, remember... but friends... they're people, with real emotional needs. I say this now, but I wonder if I will live up to those words.
I felt the need to blog this; to reflect on my hypocrisy and ponder what to do about it tomorrow. Perhaps I need to find a way to make it up. To reverse the message of "You're second to my interests" and make it, "I do care about you- I'm here for you." I can say it in words... but the challenge is devoting the energy to make those words, and their meaning, manifest.
To whoever reads this, value your friendships and remember that "Faith without works is dead," so make manifest your ethos in your actions. As Ghandi would say, "Be the change you wish to see in the world" - do more than speak your vision... live it!

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness

If we truly believe that all persons are entitled to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," then that principle must apply to all persons, at all stages of their development, from conception to death.
Below, US Congressman Ron Paul, outlines a libertarian perspective on the issue, offering a valuable insight, linking life and liberty and calling for the prevention of tyranny:

"Libertarians believe, along with the Founding Fathers, that every individual has inalienable rights, among which are the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Neither the State, nor any other person, can violate those rights without committing an injustice. But, just as important as the power claimed by the State to decide what rights we have, is the power to decide which of us has rights.

Today, we are seeing a piecemeal destruction of individual freedom. And in abortion, the statists have found a most effective method of obliterating freedom: obliterating the individual. Abortion on demand is the ultimate State tyranny; the State simply declares that certain classes of human beings are not persons, and therefore not entitled to the protection of the law. The State protects the "right" of some people to kill others, just as the courts protected the "property rights" of slave masters in their slaves. Moreover, by this method the State achieves a goal common to all totalitarian regimes: it sets us against each other, so that our energies are spent in the struggle between State-created classes, rather than in freeing all individuals from the State. Unlike Nazi Germany, which forcibly sent millions to the gas chambers (as well as forcing abortion and sterilization upon many more), the new regime has enlisted the assistance of millions of people to act as its agents in carrying out a program of mass murder.
. . .

We must promote a consistent vision of liberty because freedom is whole and cannot be alienated, although it can be abridged by the unjust action of the State or those who are powerful enough to obtain their own demands. Our lives, also, are a whole from the beginning at fertilization until death. To deny any part of liberty, or to deny liberty to any particular class of individuals, diminishes the freedom of all. For libertarians to support such an abridgement of the right to live free is unconscionable." - Ron Paul

9/11 Truth

I feel the need to reiterate my feelings on 9/11 Truth and to reaffirm my stance towards the issue. I believe, firmly, and advocate for, a new truly independent and fully transparent investigation, that without bias, looks at all the evidence and explores a wide range of relevant hypotheses, to determine which theory is most substantial. Does that make me a conspiracy theorist? Does that make a 'tin-foil hatter?' I get so sick of hearing all these stereotypes... it's so easy to label, but really, what credence is there in such labeling? None what-so-ever. Anyway... don't want to turn this into a rant post, just wanted to reaffirm my stance.

On the train...

Being shy, I usually don't speak to individuals on the train. It's become a sort of norm for everyone. You don't speak to anyone to don't know the name of. You just mind your own business- read, listen. Etc and avoid disturbing someone. However, I did speak to someone on the train, and even by the time I left, I still didn't know his name. Actually, he started speaking to me. He asked me whether I was a school captain (I don't know how he knew... I wasn't wearing anything that indicated as such), and the conversation continued from there. He was very nice, articulate and clear, and most importantly, friendly. One particular thing that he told me, regarding my captaincy, was that I could do it. I don't know why, but this man that I didn't really know that well, telling me that I could do it was really comforting. Anyway, just thought I'd post this, for some reason...

SLG Retreat

From the 7th to the 8th of this month I was fortunate enough to have attended an overnight retreat for the Student Leadership Group. I enjoyed it a lot. It was a chance to get away from study and duties, to think for a moment, and also to connect with other people. As Moz would say, "It's fun in the sun." And he'd be right, it was. I must give a huge shout of thanks to Brendan who kindly paid for our Staff-Student Dinner. That night was awesome too, but I won't go into the details- too many inside jokes about combustion and "Jump on it, no-one's there." and the like. Suffice to say that little sleep was done and I'm sure the girls heard our laughter from their dorm.
The retreat was centered around the concept of leadership and what it means to be a leader. From my own cluster, I found the character of Sir Donal Bradman to be a fascinating example. A humble country boy who, through the concentration of his physical and mental sharpness and the focus of his energies, captained a cricket team that rose to high esteem, lifting the spirits of the Australian people in a troubling time and contributing to the formation of an Australian identity. The Don stuck me as a person of genuine principled integrity, who stood by his ideals and understood the value of hard-work and perseverance, even against the odds, and he maintained his character. From this I could see, coming to clarity, the understanding the genuine leadership and authority are different- not mutually exclusive. One could retain official authority and offer little or no leadership, while one with no official authority could reflect the values of leadership. Genuine leadership is about leading by example, through participation, passion and integrity. The Don resembles this genuine leadership, as do many persons' throughout human history, such as Martin Luther King Jrn. who refused to remain silent to oppression and injustice and projected his voice in the name of a good cause. Mother Teresa who went to the Poorest of the Poor, leading by example, in her efforts to not only assist people, but to connect with them, form bonds- community. Though I'm not accustomed to calling many politicians leaders, I am inclined to think of Ron Paul, who is currently running as a US Presidential candidate, as one. He comes across as the kind of guy who has principled integrity, a vision and retains the same message, often speaking of liberty, no-matter who the audience. This is likely why he appeals to many people, even internationally.
Often I need to remind myself that I'm not perfect- that I'm human, and we humans tend to be complex characters filled with contradictions sometimes. I still hope though, that I can be humble in my endeveours and achievements. And though I may not embody all the qualities of leadership, I still hope that I can maintain an integrity of character. I'm thankful to have many examples of leadership so that through such experience I can understand what it is. Examples not only from history, but from my own life. My grandmother is a leader, in her immense capacity to forgive and her strength and hard-work ethic. She demonstrates such qualities to me, making me impressed to imitate her in a way that I could. What worries me is perhaps being an 'image' leader. I want to be a leader in the sense of one who listens and who voices- seeking to understand. I guess that means being down-to-earth. The challenging part however may come in doing things that are not necessarily popular, such as reaching out to someone who may be alone. I must admit that this is the hardest challenge for me to overcome. I find it so difficult to simply reach out to people and connect. This is the personal challenge that I'm faced with, actually reaching out to someone, connecting with them. After hearing a story today about someone who regretted not connecting with a school colleague who was ostracized, I think it's really important to recognize that situation and approach it. I pray for the courage to do so appropriately, even if the risk may be embarrassment- I'd be overcoming my fear, my shyness, my own reservation, and in doing so I'd be able to connect with people- something that I now consider to an essential and maybe the most challenging aspect of leadership.
Cath left us with this quote to ponder, "To attain excellence, you must care more than others think is wise, risk more than others think is safe, dream more than others think it practical."

Perceiving truth

In the search for truth, one must be careful not to get stuck on a single perception, but rather, must keep an open-mind. I think it's very easy to fall into a certain belief and then reject all things that contradict that belief. Does this inhibit the search for truth? I guess so. If you are focused on one belief you invest more energy in protecting that belief rather than searching for truth. I know I'm rambling again but I realize that I've fallen into such a trap many times. O well, just a thought.

I have something to admit that I'm not exceptionally proud of. I feel and think that I've been a bad friend. A little insight on the situation.... my friend Sami is in hospital. To not reveal too much, since it involves a personal issue, I will not reveal why she is there, but the point of the matter is that she is. I have not visited her or even called her. My excuse? Oh wait, yes.... there isn't one. I feel bad about this... as I said, I had to admit something that I was not proud of. Ash and Brooke have gone to visit her (for whatever reason, I was not invited) but why should they even have considered inviting me? After-all, I didn't even call Sami to see if she was okay. Is that friendship? Does that demonstrate concern for anyone other than myself?
In the past few days I've just been procrastinating, lazing around the house. At no point in my inactivity did I even think to call a friend of mine who has always been there for me. Is that friendship? What have I demonstrated here, other than a wholesome lack of compassion... a lack of feeling, as my grandmother would call it.
In truth, I've been involved in a long-running forum discussion that has had me enthralled. And while lost in the heat of the debates I find myself in, I forgot about those most important. I feel awful about this. I feel as though I have betrayed someones friendship. Why should I expect to receive Sami's support, as I have in so many times of need, when I fail miserably to give her any in her times of need?
Here I am, claiming to be a personalist, and yet I mistreat my own friends. Here I am claiming that people are what matter, and yet failing to show why.
I'm sorry Sami. I'm sorry for failing you as a friend.
My New Year's Resolution (I know it's late) is to live-out my personalist perspective in my life, and to hopefully... truly demonstrate an appreciation for the people in my life- my friends, my family... because it's these people, these people, who are always there for me. In turn, I should be there for them.