That Unstoppable Force: Time

Time never stops.

I was struck with this reality a few days ago. It may seem painfully obvious, but hear me out.

I've always known that time is continuous. Sometimes it seems as if it has stopped, or is moving terribly slow, other times it seems as if it zips by, leaving us in the dust, wondering what happened.

It also seems to be contrary. When we wish it to hurry up, it crawls by. When we want it to slow down, it feels as if it moves twice as fast.

Despite this, it always moves forever at the same speed. Sixty seconds to a minute, sixty minutes to an hour, twenty-four hours to a day, thirty days to a month, twelve months to a year.

And all of it goes along at the same pace, no matter how we bed it otherwise.

Why?

Well, of course there is the obvious reason: It is impossible for it to move at a different pace than it is set at.

But also, if we were able to stop or speed up time to suit ourselves, where would we be?

What if we came to a boring time in our life, a lull, and decided to fast-forward? Those lulls are there for us to prepare ourselves. If we find that we seem to be stuck in the lull, there is most likely something that needs to be changed. Perhaps a brave step that needs taken, perhaps a relationship to be made or changed, perhaps a lifestyle altered. Those times that seem to be useless space are never useless. They, just as everything else in this life, have a meaning. The meaning may not be clear, but it is always there.

Similarly, what if there was an imminent unpleasant ordeal, and we simply said, “No! I don't want to go through that! Clock, time, stop moving!” Where would we be?

Stuck forever in one place because of our fear. Never able to move on and let the unpleasant things happen along with the pleasant, never able to let those things mold us. We would never be able to experience the things that come after. We would never be able to live and carry on our adventures, because adventures are notoriously uncomfortable at times.

Instead, we would be stuck in one place, like a fledgling terrified to take that first flight, for fear of falling. Like a toddler refusing to take those first steps, because he or she will fall eventually.

Thankfully, time is not our own to command. It marches on, never stopping for breath, never missing a beat.

But many of us waste time, disregarding the slow times, trying to make things go faster while missing the whole point of the lull.

Many let fear stop the clock of their own lives. Time is still going, but they've taken the batteries out of their clock and refuse to take the pain that may come with growth. We refuse to become who we should be.

Don't let your clocks top ticking. Time will continue on whether you're ready or not.

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi

~MDS

Memorial Day

Well, I will be honest with you.  I have sat here for a good ten minutes attempting to decide what to write about, and nothing is springing to mind.

That said, I still feel the need to update this blog.

And, it occurs to me that since this is Memorial Day, it would be a good idea to write something along those lines.

It is sad, really.  This day is here for us to remember those who have fallen in battle, and yet we go through it happily as a pleasant day off work.  Meanwhile, there are those who have lost family and friends due to war.
And we don't even acknowledge them on their day of remembrance.

Now, I'm not saying we should mope through Memorial Day, refusing to do anything fun and instead dwelling on the fallen through the day and likely depressing ourselves, but we do owe them some respect.  They gave their lives so we could live life how we know it, after all.  Where would we be without brave men willing to die for their country, and the people in that country?  We would no longer be America, that much is certain.

So, we should recognize and honor our fallen soldiers today, yes.  But I would submit to you that we not only remember them today, but every day.  We have soldiers fighting for freedom at this very time!  Should we ignore them, forget about them, or, even worse, dishonor them openly?

I saw a banner not long ago that read, "If you won't stand behind our troops, feel free to stand in front of them."

I agree with this statement.  We have no business speaking badly of those who do things we ourselves are not brave enough, or capable enough, to do.

No, instead we should do what we can to support them.  Not only on Memorial Day, but at any time possible.  Even if it is a simple "Thank you", you are showing your appreciation, and that can go a long way.

This said, I now extend my thanks to the American soldiers.

Thank you for what you have done.  For what you are doing.  I am grateful for your willingness to protect those who cannot fight, and you are in my prayers.  May you be blessed.

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi,
~MDS

Waiting

At the moment, I am waiting.  Specifically, I am waiting for someone to arrive so we may go somewhere.
It occurs to me that people do not like to wait.  For anything.  I know I am not enjoying this stretch of waiting, and was getting somewhat irritated in fact.  And I know others do not like to wait for things either.

Tonight, May twenty-first, at six o'clock, is supposedly the end of the world.
Do I believe this?
No.
It is clearly stated that no man knows when the end will be, therefore I have no doubt that the world will see another day.
But others are convinced this is our last day.  People like being in charge, knowing when things are going to happen and how.  Myself included.  I do not like wondering when this person I am waiting for is going to get here.  I want to know exactly when they will arrive, and I want them to arrive on time.
I don't believe I am the only one who feels this way about things like this.  In fact, I know I'm not.

Are we supposed to be this way?  Always in a state of impatience, in a state of determination to know exactly when things will happen?
It may be how we naturally are in our fallen human nature, but it is not how we are to be.  Expectant, yes, but not impatient or trying to control events that are not ours to control.
Expectant of when the Greatest Shinobi will return, or calls us home, but not impatient.  For while we live on earth, we bear fruit, we have missions to complete.

How do you believe you would feel if you created something, and it refused to, or hated, living out its full potential?  If you made a car, but instead of working, and driving people to their destinations, it broke down and wouldn't move.  True, we are not inanimate objects, but there is a similarity there.  We are each made to do specific things.  Just as the army has different units, communication, medics, marines, air force, etc, we each have different tasks.  If a medic decides he is tired of helping people, and decides to pine for home instead of do his job, how lame would that be?  Not only is he effecting himself, blocking himself from the experiences he could have that would help him learn and grow, he is effecting those around him.

People need us.  They need us to rejoice at having more time to fulfill our missions.
We need to go about our lives with this mindset.  Determined to live our life to the fullest, growing, thriving, and helping others to do the same.

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi
~MDS

Change

Well, you may have noticed the change in template design.  It was intentional, do not fear.  No one hacked into my account and changed it.  Though I liked the other design better, this is easier on the eyes, and that, of course, takes priority.

I hope you like it, if not, I'm not sure what to say.  My apologies, and do you have any suggestions?

At any rate, I thought it would be interesting to speak on the subject of change.

Many of us dislike it, go out of our way to avoid it.  I must admit, change is not something I always enjoy either.  But one must ask themselves, why do we fear change so much?

Is it because we can do nothing to stop it?  Because we're afraid it will get out of control?  Because it is inconvenient?  I know one of the reasons I dislike it is simply because I do not like to go through that period of adjustment.  Mostly because is it inconvenient, but also because sometimes it causes me to feel vulnerable.

When I look at this reason, and other peoples' reasons, the common ground I can see between them is selfishness:

"I don't want this to happen because I will be uncomfortable."

Is that how we are supposed to be?  Thinking only of how we may best serve ourselves?  True, we should not let people take advantage and walk all over us, but persevering a little discomfort for the long-term benefit of more people than yourself is not something to shy from.  Often, it will also benefit us too, if we would let it.  Or maybe it will not, but it is something that can be adjusted to easily if we didn't decide to be stubborn about it.

This has been more addressing changes that we have a say in.  What about those those which we do not?  Why groan and complain over things?  It will not help matters, and will only succeed in making ourselves, and those around us, miserable.

I say we need to rethink our stubbornness to change.  Change will come, whether we wish it or not, no matter how hard we work to keep things the same, whether we complain about it or not.  Why not embrace it?

I am talking of things which have no effect on our morals.  Homosexuality, abortion, and several other things are changes that should never be embraced.  I will not begin a rant on those things now, seeing as it would not fit with the subject of this post, and would also extend this post far beyond what I wish.

I challenge you to think:

Do you resist change?  Why?  Is it a good reason?  Or does it come from selfishness?

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi

~MDS

Good Days and Followers

I get on to check the status of my blog, look over at the sidebar, and lo and behold, I have a Follower. That is heartening, seeing as I had little idea as to if anyone was getting enjoyment or benefit from this blog aside from me. So, I bid my Follower welcome.

And now onto the main topic of this blog post.  I decided it would be interesting to delve into the topic of wishing people a good day, bidding them to be blessed when they sneeze, etc.

I have the privilege of working in a place where I come into contact with many people.  I have made it a point to wish as many as possible a good day.  But not long ago, I asked myself, "Why?" 

Typically, I am not a terribly cynical thinker.  I don't tend to question a lot of things, especially fairly unimportant things.  So it surprised me a bit that I would wonder this.

Really, why do people bid others to have a good day?  It isn't because saying, "Have a nice day", will magically cause someone to have a pleasant day.  Nor were they previously planning on having a bad day, then at someone's telling them to have a good one, change their minds and decide to have a good day.

It doesn't seem to make a difference, so why would one do so?

It is similar with saying "Bless you", after someone sneezes.  Some have said it to protect the persons' soul, at another time, people thought the heart stopped during a sneeze, and so blessing them was both to bless them to continue to live, and congratulate them on having their heart return to beating.

Now, people say "Bless you" without thinking twice about it.  It's like saying "Hello".  It is done automatically.

And does it have power to protect a persons' soul? No.  Does a persons' heart stop during a sneeze?  No.  So why do we say it?

Well, I came to this conclusion.

While these things in themselves may not have an effect you can see, it does not mean they have no effect at all.  Your words may not make a difference, but the thought that someone would take the time to bid you a good day, or bless you, and extend a caring spirit, could brighten someone's day.  It makes me feel more cheerful when someone tells me to have a good day, instead of not saying anything at all, or even just saying, "Bye".

Perhaps it is just me, but perhaps it isn't.  What do you think?  Do you appreciate it when someone tells you to have a good day?

Either way, I believe extending a caring is important for everyone.

Have a pleasant day!

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi

~MDS 

The Power of Music

Music.

We all enjoy it to some extent, do we not? There are so many different kinds, and so many different tastes.  Some like only one or two genres, others enjoy a wide variety.  Some believe certain styles to be sinful, others believe anything is fine.

One thing is certain: Music is powerful.

It can make us cry, or at least make us sad.  It can make us happy, but more than than, different sorts of happy or sad.  You have noticed there is more than one kind of happy or sad, I presume.

There is hyper, calm, content, bittersweet, determined, restless, depressed, despairing... The list goes on, and music assists in all of these.  Listen to a bouncy, uplifting songs, and chances are, your state of mind will change to match it.  I can think of no better example of this sort of song than Caramelldansen--Which doesn't have particularly intelligent lyrics, but reminds one of an insane hound dog hyped up on coffee.

At the moment I am listening to "Phos Hilaron"  by the David Crowder Band.  One of my favorite bands, and this song has a mysterious, empowering feel about it that I love.  We could all use some more empowerment I believe.

Another song I admire is "You Won't Relent"  by Misty Edwards.  I can't say I love much of her stuff, but this song gave me shivers the first time I heard it.  It also has a mysterious sound to it, and a feeling of almost melancholy.  And, determination.

These two songs I will listen to over and over, because I love the feeling I get from them, and I love the sound.  And, though I love the lyrics also, they are not what caught my attention at first for these songs.

I hope you relate to this sensitivity to music, or else you won't get the point of this post...

If music is this powerful, should we not be careful what we listen to?

If you like a song, what do you do?  Listen to it over and over.  If you listen to a song over and over, what does it do?  It effects you, whether you know or admit it, or not.  You're hearing the same words every time you listen to the song, your mind is becoming used to them.  If you listen to songs with cussing, or negative elements such as suicide or murder or drunkenness, yet claim it makes no difference, explain to me how you can be uneffected by it.  If anything, it is desensitizing you to, in many cases, serious issues.

Not only are lyrics to worry about, but the mood of a song.  If you listen to depressing songs all the time, what do you expect to be but depressed?  If you listen to angry songs all the time, what do you expect to be but angry?

Now, don't go thinking I'm telling everyone that you should never listen to songs that have a minor key to them, or are loud and full of attitude.  That is not what I'm saying.  What I am saying is this, that songs of those sort should be listened to in moderation.  As for songs with language or negative elements, they could all disappear off the face of the planet without me caring a blade of grass.

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi

~MDS

What's This About?

Now, if you've been following this blog, you may be wondering why I'm posting a new "About" post.  The simple reason is this:

Over this period I have already been active, I have done more research and study on this matter, and feel the need to update some things.  So instead of just making the changes in the former posts, which I don't think I would have been able to do anyways, I am making this new post.  Hopefully it will not be too repetitive or boring to those who read my previous "Principles" and "About" posts.

But, it is very likely you have not seen those posts already.  I don't know if I even have anyone who reads this blog on a regular basis.  So I am not worrying over this new post.

First off, I am not posting a "Code" at this point.  I believe my own personal code will take time to properly develop.

But, I can give you, the reader of this blog, an idea of where I am going with this.

You may have already guessed, by the title of this blog, that I am striving to be a ninja, or shinobi as I prefer to call myself, of the modern day.  Not one of the rogues, who pillaged, plundered, and did things for selfish causes, but one of the true shinobi, who were prepared to protect themselves and others, and did not call attention to themselves publicly.

Now, the fact that shinobi did not call attention to themselves has given me some pause in how I would go about putting shinobi principles to work in a modern culture.  I looked at those attempting to be modern day knights and modern day samurai, and just couldn't figure out how I could pull it off.  But then, I realized I was going about it the wrong way.

For knight and samurai, they have some inward things, but a lot of the things that set them apart are outward.  Knights are chivalrous, which is partly an inside thing, but people will notice if you are chivalrous.  For samurai, they follow the Bushido, which again is partly inside, but people will notice.  For shinobi, what sets them apart is not being noticed.  They are proficient in the martial arts and in weaponry, but people won't notice that unless you get into a fight.  For many of them, being spiritual is important, which people won't notice unless you strut around being "spiritual", which shinobi didn't do.  There are other points to them also- Shrewdness, preparedness, watchfulness... All of which would only be noticed by the most observant, or if the shinobi was being overdramatic and noticeable.  Being a shinobi is about a lifestyle, and inward changes.

So this is what this blog is about.  Changes, spiritually,mentally, and physically, for a lifestyle that will be beneficial both for myself and for others.

Eventually I may post a list of principles that I follow, but for now, I will simply use this as a log of my findings, struggles, and otherwise.

In the shadow of the Greatest Shinobi

~MDS