How Big is Big?

Nice video, thanks; but I think there can't be a comparison between celestial bodies and bilogical entities.

I know we belong to a well spread species over the world, but we don't have a collective conciousness, we self reference everything.

Someone might say "this coffee is too hot"; you can reply "you wouldn't say so if you knew the temperature of the core of the sun", but then he might answer you: "well, for me, it is too hot".

'.... we don't have a collective conciousness....'

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Are you sure? Perhaps the collective consciousness exists, but the part of your awareness that does things like interacting in this blog is not privy to the collective part of consciousness.

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People spend a lot of time redefining their reasons and understanding of past events to maintain the perspective that what the talking portion of their mind perceives as conscious is and has been in control of their decisions/actions.

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Experiment with split brain people provide some of the most stark evidence of this. Isn't it possible that, just as split brain people lack internal dialogue between the two consciousnesses (one from each hemisphere), that 'normal' people might have some influencing consciousness with which they do not have internal dialogue and might generally deny exists out of a desire to feel in control?

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Beyond that, there is an argument to be made that we do operate with collective consciousness. Not one for the world, but several known as cultures. Culture certainly fits many of the criteria that might be required for collective consciousness.

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Feeling better already

Lovely!

I just had to go and watch this straight after...

I love it!

The point of motivational speakers talking about "making our own destiny ... being the center of our own universe" doesn't have to do with the Universe or eternity, it has to do with the here and now that we can control.

We determine what we take in to our mental faculties through our eyes, ears and who we associate with. At that point we make a decision about whether we will focus on that information/input, what actions we take based upon that input and then reap the results of the input, the decisions made and actions taken.

"We've all had to put up with those motivational speakers that waffle on about ... clap trap..." That is an interesting comment you made because I read it as the motivational speakers giving you negative input. Rather than being challenging to help one move forward from where they are, it seems like you see it as some sort of infringement on your status quo. I love to have people challenge me to move forward.

Probably the biggest drawback I have to the Tony Robbins type of motivational speakers, etc. is that get people fired up to move forward but don't help to provide an avenue/work to apply that motivation towards.

"We determine what we take in to our mental faculties through our eyes, ears and who we associate with. At that point we make a decision about whether we will focus on that information/input, what actions we take based upon that input and then reap the results of the input, the decisions made and actions taken."

Then along comes an asteroid and we all end up like the dinosaurs.

I do agree with you though that much of what you achieve in life is up to you being motivated, but there's also a fairly large component of chance that can screw things up for you big time regardless of how motivated you are.

Facing obstacles and difficulties in life is a given. They will happen.

It is our response to those things as they happen that determines whether we move forward or get "stuck".

Most people don't have a clue about what they want out of life other than get paid every two weeks and spend it all, and more. They go in a vicious downward spiral letting the obstacles and difficulties stop them from moving forward.

When someone knows where they are going in life, the obstacles they face and overcome is just part of the game and they learn what they can from those "failures" and use what they learn the next time they face tough times.

Either way you get results.

Between stimulus and response there is choice. The choices we make determine whether we have a chance to succeed or not.

Without going into details I am writing this from the hospital bed that has been my home for a few days less than 7 months and I'm here because of mistakes others have made over the last 2½ years that were totally out of my control and believe me I tried to intervene and prevent many of the mistakes, but when doctors refuse to do what you ask you have no options.

So when your confined to a hospital bed that you can't even tell day from night from and need assistance to do just about everything it's pretty hard to control your destiny, other than not succumbing to severe depression which believe me very few can and is a lot harder than most can comprehend let alone achieve.

Wish I could do something Mate. Get better sooner whatever it is that's challenging you.

Thanks ky your sentiments are greatly appreciated. After 6 months 3 weeks and 1 day _{(but who's counting)} I'm finally getting to go home tomorrow, but I will never recover even to the point I was when admitted last November. The next project is heaps of physiotherapy at home and learning to get around without the aid of another person.

Good day masu: sorry to hear about the struggles you're going through. I'll be praying for you that you will have the spiritual, physical and emotional strength to get through and not just survive but to thrive.

I appreciate your resolve to carry on and not get stuck in the doldrums of the difficulty. You will make it through if you don't despair and give up. What you learn during this trying time will give you more tools to face the next trying times that will come.

Also, remember that just because there is a "pause" in your life's journey doesn't mean you aren't in control. You control your responses and those responses determine whether you "live or die" figuratively. Google a story about a young lady named Joni Erickson Tada who was in a diving accident when she was a young lady of 18 or so. She became a quadrapalegic and has since "thrived" in spite of things that happened outside of her control. It was her response that brought value. There is also a young lady who had her left arm bit off by a shark when she was about 16 years old. She has since then moved on to surf professionally. Her name just came to me, it is Stephanie Hamilton.

Thankyou facilitiesmgr for your sentiments they are greatly appreciated. Finally I am at home but there's still a lot of work to do before my health gets to the point that it's as good as it gets. There are some things that I will never be able to do like descending or ascending the spiral staircase that leads to the section of the family home that my wife and I occupy so I can't get to my workshop, tools et cetera which sort of prevents me from working on any of my hobbies since I can't get to any of the materials, tools or space I need but we're working on a solution for that and if all goes well it will only take several months to implement.

Anyway, I think the trick to succeeding in anything is setting yourself reasonably achievable goals. There's no point saying you're going to walk on the moon when you know there's no chance you'll ever be able to do it. I have short, medium and long term goals that I want to achieve over the next 5 to 7 years with the ultimate playing again with my favourite toy pictured below.

She can be a bit of a handful near the ground with a tendency to drop a wing during take-off and balloon when you flare her during landings, but if you remember to use rudder to pick up the wayward wing on take‑off rather than aileron and slowly increase the airbrakes as you flair till they are fully open you shouldn't have too much trouble with her ballooning.

That is a dream of mine to get a ride in a glider sometime. I'll bet it's a blast.

I appreciate your perspective as you work through the hardship and having a plan to move forward. Keep looking Up.

Maybe this article from a former Vietnam POW can encourage proper perspective.

"Don't dread suffering. It only makes it worse. Anticipate it. Predict it. Even exaggerate in your anticipation of it. Don't fight a neurosis or a symptom of one. It may be a friend in disguise, a mere symptom of a deeper disturbance rendered less severe by it. A neurosis may well be a vital protective shield. Detach yourself from it. Predict it. Exaggerate. Laugh at it. It can safely and effectively be ridiculed away but not torn away. Try to find try to find meaning in this every circumstance. Meaning varies with the individual and with every circumstance. With him or with me it may vary by the hour. The meaning for a particular moment may simply be to endure that moment in a manner in which you can be proud of. But beware of false pride. Don't expect too much. Perhaps in retrospect it will show that it was meaningful enough just to have endured, to have survived, to try. Perhaps at the end of it, it is just as meaningful to look back and say 'I tried' as it would be to say 'I succeeded.'"

USN Commander Hugh Stafford, POW 1967

"That is a dream of mine to get a ride in a glider sometime."

Have a look in your phone book for gliding or soaring clubs and give the nearest one a call. Most gliding clubs will take people up for a fly in a 2 seat training glider which all of them must have to do your annual flight review and train new pilots. However, be warned it's very easy to become hooked and the urge to learn how to fly one can easily become overwhelming.

"I'll bet it's a blast."

It absolutely, positively is, especially so when you become experienced enough to fly single seat aircraft where it's just you, the sky and you skills keeping you airborne. I've had the honour of playing with a wedge tailed eagle. We just stooged around the sky sharing a thermal over 5,000 feet above the ground for about 20 minutes or so. At one point we were so close that one of its wings stretched out across the canopy and I could clearly see the mottling of its feathers. We would have played longer, but eagles have absolutely no respect for airspace restrictions and entered military airspace so I had to break off the playing or risk getting into serious trouble.