How I Built my Book Collection

My experience is pretty niche when it comes to building a book collection. After graduation, I moved to a new city where I was approached by a man that had a business proposition for me. I listened attentively to what he had to say and decided to join his business venture. The business venture in question offered a leadership system that included books, cds, seminars and a mentorship program. In the span of a few days, I was literally drowning in good books - everything that anyone suggested in the organization are still part of the best books I ever read.

What do you need to start building your own book collection?

• Which genre you want? - The most important thing you need is to know which genre you want. Since I wanted to learn new skills, the business opportunity I mentioned above was the perfect opportunity for me to build my "self-help" library (an opportunity I fully took advantage of).
• Association - Once you know the genre, associate yourself with people that love the same genre as you. Through discussion with them you'll learn what they liked and disliked and through this process you'll find books to start with.
• Look for References - Some books include references of other books or work that help in the creation of the book you're currently reading. Going through this list may help you find your next purchase.
• Ask the Seller - Some people working at bookstores may be able to find your next favorite.

Once you built yourself a small library, of about 100 books, it'll be easier to add to your collection. If you're looking to build a digital library, there are free (legal) books available online on the Gutenberg.org website.

Happy Collecting and Reading!

Are Family Gatherings Disappearing?

I've been feeling a bit nostalgic as of late in regards to my family. What I'm noticing is that my aunt and uncles are meeting at least once a year. They've built this tight knit bond throughout their lives and it's been great for them. What I'm also noticing is that their sons/daughters, including myself, have not been so keen to keep in contact with each other. I fear that once the "baby boomers" generation of my family will move on to the next life that there won't be anyone to take over the family gatherings.

On my mother's side, the family had built camps near a river where we would meet, for a week at a time, every summer. The week would be filled with fun and games but what I remember more vividly is the family "prison". The prison, which was at the center of all the camps, was a place where you could put family members for "misbehaving" (swearing, lost at a game, and other silliness..) or you could pay to have someone arrest them. To get out, someone also had to pay and the money raised was use to help pay for the food and activities. It was a pretty fun, and original, way to raise funds for the events.

These events stopped about 25 years ago as key people have either move other places or passed away.

On my father's side, there's a big family BBQ every year during the long weekend in August. This has been going on for as long as I remember and I wouldn't miss it for the world. While not as elaborate as what we had on my mother's side it is still great fun and a perfect opportunity to get in touch with those that you don't get to see as much.
The BBQ has been going strong for at least 40 years but I fear we're nearing the end of that event as well as most key people are reaching an age where their bodies are failing them.

The BBQ on my father's side, and the odd gatherings during Christmas time, is all that's left. Realistically, the children of the family are not setup to take over those events.

Individual Truth?

I was reading the book Beyond Good and Evil book by Friedrich Nietzsche over the weekend. It's a very difficult read for me but I did come across a little paragraph that made me think about the current events happening in the States.

"There are truths which are best recognized by mediocre minds, because they are best adapted for them, there are truths which only possess charms and seductive power for the mediocre spirits..."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Doesn't it pretty much sums up what is happening in the U.S. with the division over the President? How is it possible for something to feel true to someone but not for others? Isn't truth universal?

"If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it."
-Joseph Goebbels

Before saying that the quote above isn't true consider this: Hitler was able to convinced an entire nation that the Jews were evil and should be eradicated. Any rational mind knows the Jews aren't evil but Hitler kept repeating it to the populace until the majority came to believe it.
More recently, Trump kept repeating that he would build a wall and have another Country pay for it...

Truth isn't universal and people can believe pretty much anything if it's said just the right way and often enough. This doesn't only applies to Dictators but also to what we tell ourselves on a daily basis. I once heard Tim Marks, a speaker and author, say "Know why you believe what you believe" - ain't that the truth.

My Journal's History

Over the Christmas break, I manage to find some old journals of mine and it was kind of nice to see the progression of my writing throughout the years similar to the type of progression that can be seen on this blog.
When I first started writing in a journal, I didn't really know how to go about it and had complicated systems such as different type of icons depending on what was the subject of the day was or had specific sections reserved for things such as "quotes of the day".
My older journals were basically just about quotes I found interesting during my reading. There wasn't much in terms of personal experiences or thought process which is kind of a bummer because it would of been nice to see what I was thinking then compared to what I'm thinking now.

Nowadays, my journals are pretty straight forward. I start off every day by writing the date and write about pretty much everything that comes to mind whether it be an interesting interaction I had or a thought following something I read. When I write, I always use a BIC pens and recently been using those 4 color ones so I can change color when ever I change the subject.

What I found throughout my years of writing journals is that I used to write less when I had a complicated system. I used to put all this pressure on me to make the best journal possible and it was getting in the way of my writing. The simpler the system the better it is.

Religion Is Love

I was at a funeral not too long ago and the priest said something that stuck with me. He said that the most important thing you can learn in this life is how to love.

Religion is meant to be a guide on how to achieve love. One of the most famous quote of the bible is Matthew 22:39 that says "And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

Most of the 10 Commandments, for example, are a reflection of love:

• 4 - “Honor thy father and mother.”
• 5 - “Thou shalt not kill.”
• 6 - “Thou shalt not commit adultery.”
• 7 - “Thou shalt not steal.”
• 8 - “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.”
• 9 - “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.”
• 10 - “Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s goods.”

Some people consider themselves Christians but are quick to place judgement on those that have a different sexual orientation than the norm. They will say things like "My God is saying that what you do is a Sin".

Your God is also saying that you should love your neighbor.

Your God is also saying that only God can judge.

We need to stop pretending that the Bible, and other religious texts, are about hatred as this isn't the case. We have to stop using religion as an outlet for our hatred. We hate because we don't know how to love - not because religion thought us how to hate because it doesn't.

Where do I stand on religion:
When I read religious texts, I approach it from a philosophical perspective because I consider them philosophical work rather than words of a God. When ever I talk about religion, I have both positive and negative things to say about it. I don't believe everything that I read from any religion.

I want to be the best person that I can be a parts of religious texts are helping me with this.