Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Perseverance

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Perseverance is the difference between a fleeting notion and the pursuit of an idea. Our ability to persevere is another self-made wonder of the wondrous world.

Perseverance is not simply having an idea, it is moving forward in making the intangible idea into a tangible thing. It is a part of the means to the ends.

Dictionary.com defines perseverance thus:

noun

1.steady persistence in a course of action, a purpose, a state, etc., especially in spite of difficulties, obstacles, or discouragement.

Perseverance is the course of action, the purpose – for example, choosing your own way. Making your own decisions and choices in regards to pursuing the destiny you most want to find.

I do not want to sit back and let my life just happen…I want to make it happen. I do not want others choosing for me…I want to make the choices. I do not want my emotions to be a result of the influences of the world around me…I want to choose how I will feel. I want, ultimately, to be content with my life, and happy with the choices I am making for it.

Yes, there will be bad days. You get doubtful, and frustrated when progress is not what you might desire it to be. But this is just a part of human nature. Even the happiest, most satisfied people in the world are not in that state absolutely all the time.

That is why you persevere. That is why you make the efforts you make, you strive for the journey and the ultimate goal. Ultimately, you want to be happy and satisfied, and that is worth striving for.

I look at the world in the way I have always wanted to. It is not a nightmare place filled with terrible people, tragedies and horrors…it is a world of endless possibilities, of good people, of possibilities and beauty and wonders. Yes, it is imperfect, yes there ARE all the bad things out there as well as the good, but I can see the world for all its positives more than its negatives.

Turning a blind eye to the adversities of the world? Wearing rose-colored glasses? NO. I see that there are horrid people and awful things in the world perfectly clearly. But I am not giving them my focus, not giving them my energies, not giving them my attentions and intentions. I am persevering instead to look at the good people and wonderful things in the world. And frankly, without those negatives, we would be incapable of seeing the positives.

I am persevering still. Are you?

(Note to the reader: If you also visit my blog, you will see that this week’s Pathwalking is a variation of this same post. I believe the topic of the self is so important, I wanted to spread it to a wider audience.)

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” author and photographer (these shots are the progression of the hike up Camelback Mountain in Phoenix, Arizona). Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Living in the Now

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Life is meant to be lived in the here and now.

One of the great wonders of our wondrous world is our ability to know past, present, and future. But it is the ability to live in the now that I want to explore today.

How do you live in the here and now?

If you cannot live in the past, or live for the future, but need to live in the here and now – and most people seem to not be capable of doing this – how is it done? Well, from my own experience, these are the things I have done/am doing/am working to do more regularly that let me live in the present.

Ask yourself questions. We ask a lot of questions daily, but how often do we ask ourselves important questions? Sure, we are constantly saying “How are you” and “What are you thinking” and “Are you feeling ok”, but how often do we ask that of ourselves? How am I? What am I thinking? Am I feeling ok? It is amazing how asking these simple questions we frequently pose to others can immediately bring us to the present moment.

We have become so concerned with appearing selfish, that we take selfless to the extreme, and truly become less of the self. This point is why, frankly, I drive at the incredible need to live more in the here-and-now than either past or future. There is no reason NOT to ask questions of ourselves, in order to be in the moment, in the here and now.

This can be a silent question – but I often find that if I ask it out loud, I am utterly drawn to the moment, to the present, in order to know the answer. The simplest questions of the self, in the moment, can help us live in the here and now.

Be aware of distractions. I find that I get distracted by outside influences and shiny things and my environment, which I know that everyone does from time to time. But if I am aware of them, I can take my focus AWAY from them, and return to the here-and-now, to be where I want to be and do what I intend to do.

Yes, sometimes we NEED distractions. I am not advocating avoiding distractions, nor ignoring them entirely – I am suggesting awareness of them.

Savor food and drink. No, really, this is VERY hard to do, in especial when you are on the internet or reading a book or even interacting with people while eating. This is a reason why many of us overeat or never feel fully satisfied by our sustenance. But really paying attention to what you are eating, and enjoying the texture and flavor puts you very much in the present. Also, really, you will be amazed how much better everything tastes.

It very much ties into being aware of distractions, but is still a separate idea.

Be more observant. How many times while you travel between points ‘a’ and ‘b’, whether you are driving or riding in a vehicle or walking, does everything between the points simply blur? How frequently can you visit a room and not notice the sounds within? How many times can you see a person, and have no means to describe their facial features, the color of their eyes, and so on? That is a lack of observation, and in our high-speed, disconnected society, we become less and less observant of things around us.

Sherlock Holmes may be been a fictional character, but the lesson one may take away from him was that he was the master of observation. He saw the most minute details of every person he encountered, and always astounded the uninitiated with what he could tell you about them. This was no super power, or other inexplicable capacity – it was extreme, detailed observation.

It doesn’t take that much to do this, really. If you start small, you will find that it gets easier to change your focus. For example, when you are driving somewhere, don’t just pay attention to the road and the speedometer and other cars on the road – see the sky, look at the trees and buildings lining the road. NOT, obviously, to the point of being distracted from driving – but so that you experience more from it.

Walking between places? Note the atmosphere around you. Listen to sounds, look at your surroundings, smell the air, feel breezes and changes in temperature on your skin, and so forth. Don’t let where you came from or where you are going to be your focus, be where you are NOW.

Asking yourself questions, awareness of distractions, enjoying sustenance and being more observant are just a few examples of ways to better place yourself in the present. There are other ways and means to do this, but these are, I think, relatively simple, and can be done by anyone, anytime, unassisted. And this ability is a real wonder of our wondrous world.

Did you ask of yourself today “How am I?”

(Note to the reader: If you also visit my blog, you will see that a previous Pathwalking is a variation of this same post. I believe the topic is so important, I wanted to spread it to a wider audience.)

I am MJ Blehart, philosopher and author of “Wednesday’s Wondrous World”. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: The Self

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Truly an amazing wonder of our wondrous world is our knowledge of the self. But do you care for and love your self as you ought to?

In today’s society, we have become so focused on our jobs, our families, our friends, our coworkers, our education, our finances, our possessions, our weekends, and so on and so forth – that we have become utterly negligent of the self.

We have become indoctrinated in the idea that this is selfishness. Too much focus on the self leads automatically to selfishness, arrogance, greed, corruption…and as such we become uncaring, socially unacceptable creatures unfit to walk amongst the rest of humankind.

But this is a lie that prevents us from getting to know ourselves. We are taught from an early age to share, and to think about others, and to consider the feelings of those around us. I am not saying that this is a bad thing in any way – but what we neglect to explore is the connection between the self and the person we are sharing with, how we think about ourselves, and considering our own feelings.

I must iterate here that there is nothing wrong with selflessness – except when it involves the utter lack of attention and energy to the self. When all you do is give, and sacrifice, and disregard your own needs and desires, you create an immense imbalance in your own energies. Balance is utterly necessary in life.

We have become creatures of extremes. Society places tremendous attention and focus on the opposites: male versus female, Republican versus Democrat, heterosexual versus homosexual, rich versus poor, fat versus thin, and so forth. But life is very seldom defined by the extreme opposites; most is balanced somewhere in the middle.

When it comes to time on the self and time for others, we cannot neglect the self and have balance. But because we are so acutely aware of these opposite extremes, we forget that there is a line between self care and selfishness, and that we cannot ignore the one because of fear of the other.

Self care, self love, and self talk are NOT selfish. They are utterly necessary. If we neglect the self and sacrifice our wellbeing, our happiness, and our desires just to be selfless, we are only hurting ourselves.

Selfishness on the one hand, sacrifice on the other are the extremes in regards to the self. The question is – where is the middle? That would be Compromise.

It is surprisingly easy to mistake compromise for sacrifice. The difference with regards to the self is simple – compromise is striking a balance between giving OF, taking FOR and holding FOR the self; whereas sacrifice is unbalanced with giving FROM, holding NOTHING and taking FROM the self.

If you do not find balance in giving to and taking for the self, then you might find you really do not know who you are. And our ability to really KNOW our self is truly a wonder of our wondrous world.

How do you feel about yourself?

I am MJ Blehart, deep thinker and author of “Wednesday’s Wondrous World”. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Sedona

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One of my favorite places in the whole of the United States is Sedona, Arizona.

There are so many wonders, so many places of amazing beauty, words can barely do it justice.

The red rocks are incredible, and so very unique. The stratification of the stones, showing eons of time, are fairly unique to this part of the world. Over the decades, many movies have been shot here, because the natural beauty of the area is a wonder to behold.

And then there are the vortexes. The energy vortexes of Sedona are incredible, and if you are energy sensitive, empathic, or at all in tune with your sixth sense abilities you will find it possible to feel Gaia at her most open and reachable. It has felt to me like I was communing with the earth in the most intimate and sensitive manner imaginable. I am saddened that it has now been several years since my last chance to visit.

I know there is a big world out there, but given any opportunity to travel, I would not hesitate to pay a visit to Sedona for all its natural beauty again.

A wondrous place in our wondrous world.

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” writer and photographer. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Travel

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As small as our world is, it is also vast and full of incredible wonders.

From Asia to Australia, North America to Europe, Africa to Antarctica, and across South America, there are an amazing, vast number of wonders to seek and behold.

Atlanta, Georgia

Some people have more freedom to travel than others. Money, time, and obligations can have a pretty wide-ranging effect on travel. But when a way can be found, there are amazing things to discover and see all across this world.

Travel can take any number of forms, too. Different modes of transportation can provide different aspects to the travel adventure. The fastest way between point ‘a’ and point ‘b’ is the plane or high-speed rail. A train or bus trek can offer a longer, possibly more detailed perspective while getting from these opposing points. A cruise can be a travel all its own.

I have been fortunate to see pretty much every part of the United States. I have driven more or less from one side of the country to the other, and visited 43 of 50 states. But my only travel outside of the states has been Canada and Mexico. I have not had the pleasure of seeing the world across either ocean.

The Palisades, New Jersey

I want to travel and see Europe. I want to visit England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland and all of Great Britain. I want to see the Gothic cathedrals of France I studied in college for myself. And I want to cross the Pacific and visit Australia and Japan. I want to travel and visit many other parts of the world.

I am grateful for all the travel I have undertaken thus far, and am excited to see what the future might hold. But all the options of our modern world make travel more accessible, more available, and bring the world closer together.

Saugatuck, Michigan

Travel – another wonder of our wondrous world.

Where do YOU want to go?

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” travelling writer and photographer. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Appreciation

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We all want to be appreciated. Appreciation is an amazing wonder of this wondrous world.

I know no one who does not appreciate hearing “Thank you!” or “I appreciate that” or “That was really great of you.” The appreciation, whether for an act you have performed or a job you have done or simply for you being you goes a long ways towards how you feel on a daily basis.

Whether we are already aware of this or not, we are responsible for our own feelings. No one “makes” us feel a certain way, though it is undeniable that the actions of others and outside influences will affect how we feel. We choose how to let things phase us, and we can choose whether to let a feeling an outside influence produces linger or be let go.

One of the worst feelings you can have is feeling unappreciated. In especial when others around you are being shown appreciation, and you are not. Whether you watch someone you consider a peer receive some sort of award or recognition that you feel you also deserve, or whether someone you have been partnered with is thanked and you are not, there is nothing more disconcerting than feeling unappreciated.

Worse, the feeling of being unappreciated can very easily spiral into darker, even more negative places. It is not hard to go from feeling unappreciated to feeling disconnected to feeling unloved to feeling unimportant to feeling sad to feeling angry to feeling hopeless…you get the idea. And we have all been there, haven’t we?

The first thing we have to acknowledge about this is this: You can do nothing to change how others appreciate you, or don’t. Once the act of appreciation or neglect has happened, it is done. Attempting to change it is a waste of time and energy. All we can do is accept it and move on.

Unacceptable! I worked hard on ‘x’ or I gave an incredible amount of effort to ‘y’ and I want that acknowledged! I know that feeling, and I am here to tell you that, sorry, this instance is over. It has happened, and you cannot go back and change it. All you can do is accept it, and move on.

Now that is not to say that you do not have the right to feel hurt, to feel angry, to feel dismissed, to feel neglected, to feel unappreciated. We are human beings, and this is a part of our nature. And since we need appreciation, when we do not get it it hurts.

What I am suggesting here is not to hold onto it for too long. We have control over how long we will let that terrible feeling linger, and we can choose to let it settle into our being and fester for hours, or days, or weeks, or months, or what-have-you. Holding onto that unhappy, negative sensation does not serve you. It does not let you move forward, it is a roadblock to your continued wellbeing.

Let the feeling happen, because you cannot stop it. But you can choose to not hold onto it for too long.

What comes next, though, is important. What do you do with regards to the person or persons who did not appreciate you? Do you continue to do good work even though you are not feeling appreciated for what you do? Do you do less? Do you do more? Do you lash out, and seek retribution for the hurt you have received?

Here are my thoughts on these important questions. First, and most importantly, whether you receive appreciation or no, you should not stop being you. You should continue to act as you act, within your own nature, no matter if you receive acknowledgement or no. If it no longer makes you feel good, and it no longer serves you, then by all means move on.

What you should NOT do is lash out. You should not belittle or show a lack of appreciation in retaliation for the slight you have received. That will only make things worse. Remember, negative acts beget negative acts. You have to break the cycle or it will continue.

Here is the even more important part of this. If negative begets negative, then conversely positive begets positive. If you want to get appreciation, SHOW appreciation.

Remember to thank people. Remember to compliment people. Remember to show people that you appreciate them for what they do, and who they are. Appreciation is a two-way street, and when we give it, we get it. Yes, this is much harder after you have been slighted, but that does not mean it should be neglected.

I believe that if we are more grateful, whether for the things we have or for the people around us, and we show more appreciation, the whole world could be a better place. You know how good you feel when someone shows YOU appreciation. Shouldn’t we spread that out further?

Appreciation – a true wonder of our wondrous world.

Let me conclude with this: I sincerely appreciate you. Whether I know you personally or otherwise, whether you agree with the things I write here or not, I appreciate you. THANK YOU!

(Note to the reader: If you also visit my blog, you will see that this week’s Pathwalking is a variation of this same post. I believe the topic of appreciation is so important, I wanted to spread it to a wider audience.)

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” author. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Photography

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A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words.

Grounds for Sculpture – Hamilton, NJ

How true this is. Photography can capture our world and hold moments in time in still life forever.

Certainly in this day and age, we have the technology to build fantastical photos. But I remain a fan of letting the lens, the framing and light intermix and do all this work for themselves.

The Palisades – NJ

People, places, landscapes, starscapes, skyscapes, still and running waters, animals, even technological wonders make for incredible subjects. Every photographer has his or her own specialties and preferences.

Sparta, NJ

I am an amateur photographer, have been for most of my life. I love nature, and like nothing better than taking a hike with my camera and a journal. I can photograph the world and then use it as the basis for other creations, live and in person. I also love unique and historical buildings, and impressive monoliths of technology, from aircraft to industrial machines to wind-towers.

Sedona, AZ

So rather than write an endless collage of words about the wonder of photography, I am going to show more photos, and let them do the talking.

Columncile – Bangor, PA

Photography. Truly a diverse and far-reaching wonder of our wondrous world.

I am MJ Blehart, writer and photographer for “Wednesday’s Wondrous World”. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Games

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Games are a unique aspect of the human condition.

Science has shown that there are other animals on this planet that ‘play’, but the organization of ‘games’ is, as far as I know, a strictly human thing. And it is a wonder of our wondrous world.

Games take on an incredible and wide range of forms. Board games like Monopoly and Scrabble or such; card games like Go Fish, Poker, Blackjack and so on; roleplaying games like Pathfinder, Dungeons and Dragons and the like; yard games like badminton and horseshoes and lawn darts; video games like Super Mario Brothers and the Final Fantasy Series; online multiplayer games like World of Warcraft; no matter how you play or the game you prefer, games are a part of almost everyone’s life.

For some people making the mundane into a game is how they cope with unpleasant or difficult topics. Whether it is memory games for math and spelling in school or name games to help remember who people are, games are a part of life.

We use the term “games” in a lot of different ways, some good, some bad. We play games to relax and have fun and friendly competition among friends. But playing games in the context of relationships or business can be unfriendly, malicious and ultimately bad.

Games can be both grand and small. Golf, for example. You can play nine holes or eighteen holes, or skip the long game and go straight to miniature golf. But the game of golf has many levels, from the rankest of amateurs to highly paid professionals.

Games factor into numerous songs and stories, from Peter Gabriel’s Games without Frontiers to Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games. Games can be found with every class of person, in almost every echelon of society.

Games can be skill and chance, nuance and supposition, tactics or strategies. Games can be quick, or can take days or longer. Games can involve little to no physical activity, to running over long distances or across woodlands. Games can be a distraction, or a focus to help improve mental capacity.

No matter what games you choose to play, games are an undeniable wonder of this wondrous world.

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” author. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Dragonfly

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There are any number of insects I am not fond of. Either they bite and sting and otherwise cause suffering and misery, or they are disturbing to look at, such as mosquitoes, gnats, horseflies. And there are some that I tolerate because they do good and useful things, like spiders and bees.

Then there are the pretty insects. Butterflies, some moths, and my very favorite, the dragonfly.

Dragonflies have fascinated me since childhood. They have those elongated bodies and shimmery wings that move so very fast. And they come in such a wide range of size and color.

I have seen dragonflies about the size of a quarter. Then I have seen dragonflies the size of hummingbirds. They are particularly bountiful along streams and ponds and rivers, and I love to watch them take off and land.

I have worked hard to capture many photos of dragonflies. They do not sit still for long, and are seldom keen on letting me get too near. But I have had some success over the years, and thus have shots of some beautiful specimens of these fascinating insects.

As a child, I thought of dragonflies as ant helicopters. My vivid imagination was capable of seeing them land, pick up their passengers, whiz them off to the next destination, and repeat the cycle. Tiny transportation for smaller, less mobile creatures.

Dragonflies have of course been a source of inspiration to many others. The spacecraft Lexx in the program of the same name was an immense dragonfly-shaped vessel. The bubble craft Tom Cruise’s character in the movie Oblivion flies around in has a rather dragonfly-esque look to it.

Some see dragonflies in a more sinister light, but I think they are beautiful, colorful creatures. And let’s face it, employing the name ‘dragon’ often evokes all kinds of cool fantastical images…at least for geek-kind.

Truly a wonder of the wondrous world, Dragonflies are magical, colorful creatures that are mostly harmless to humankind, and wondrous to behold.

What do you think of dragonflies?

I am MJ Blehart, “Wednesday’s Wondrous World” photographer and wordsmith. Every week I share a magical wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!

Wednesday’s Wondrous World: Imagination

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“Imagination rules the world.” – Napoleon Bonaparte

Imagination has been the gateway to our own self-directed evolution, creativity, inventions, and the advent of the information age.

It begins when we are children. We start reading and learning and seeing the world around us, but we are exposed to a broader world at the same time. Our minds are so open to new ideas, new ways, new perspectives, it is during this time that we begin to develop the power of imagination.

This power will lead us to varied and unique places. Some of us use our imagination to create worlds, alternate realities, art and other fictions. We become writers, painters, illustrators, television and film creators.

Some people see needs in this world in a wholly new, never-before-imagined way, and they set about creating it. They use their imagination to create cures for disease, rockets to Mars, incredible skyscrapers and other wonders. They become doctors, scientists, engineers, inventors, architects, landscapers and more. They use their imagination to expand our world in ways never done before.

Just a hundred years ago cars were still few and far between. Telephones only worked via miles and miles of wiring. Airplanes could not fly across the ocean at regularly scheduled intervals. Computers were naught but ideas in fantasy stories. We could not instantly contact someone on the other side of the world.

Every single innovation over the past century came about via imagination. Someone imagined this notion, and then believed they could make it manifest. And in time…they have.

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Albert Einstein

While it is unknown if other animals on this planet imagine, certainly none have been endowed as we have with the ability to not only imagine it, but to create it. Beyond simple things like shelter and hunting and gathering, we can do anything we set our mind to doing.

Two hundred years ago, the idea of man-made satellites orbiting our planet was utterly unthinkable. The notion might have existed only in pure fantasy, but nowhere in reality. And yet, here we are, connected across our globe by an immense network above us.

If necessity is the mother in invention, then imagination is its grandmother. Because without the ability to imagine it, we could not invent it.

“Nothing is impossible. Not if you can imagine it. That’s what being is a scientist is all about.” – Hubert Farnsworth, Futurama. Maybe this is from a cartoon, but the sentiment is NOT mistaken. Science takes imagination and works to make it part of our reality.

Society has become so focused on trivial matters, we neglect the things that develop our imagination. Schools take away funds for the arts in favor of mathematics, sports, standardized tests and hard-data science without wonder. Even movies are less and less original, and more “re-imagined” notions of past story ideas.

Creativity is kept in check in favor of blending everyone together. But one of the most incredible wonders of our world is our ability to imagine, and from there, to create.

We need to encourage our children to explore their imagination. We need to develop their minds to think critically, to see the world for all its wondrous possibility. And of equal or greater importance, we cannot as adults let our imagination die.

We have to allow ourselves to imagine, to dream. We have to work to make the world how we want it to be, and not get caught up in the mundane trappings. Imagination and creativity go hand in hand.

Everyone imagines. We need to remember that, and rather than stamp it out or ignore its importance, focus on using our imagination to make our personal corners of the world a better place.

It starts small. But using imagination can go a very, very long ways.

“Happiness is not an ideal of reason, but of imagination.” – Immanuel Kant

I am MJ Blehart, your imagination, ingenious, interesting impresario of “Wednesday’s Wondrous World”. Every week I share a wonder of this amazing world, and I hope you will enjoy the journey with me!

Check out my blog, The Ramblings of a Titanium Don, for more of my work.

Also now available, Pathwalking: A 21st Century Philosophy in Book and Kindle form!