Random Thoughts – Page 8 – One Lifetime Blog

April 4, 2022April 4, 2022

Random Thoughts 4-4-22

We are always living in History in the making, some years are more notable than others and sometimes there are worldwide incidents that will overshadow the rest. We are living in times where extremism has once again reared its not so pretty head, world superpowers trying to regain once lost territories with little regard for human life or freedom. And almost in every nation’s political system, there is a battle between the extremes of their political parties.

The civilian population is being fed political propaganda of one sort or another through opinion pieces often disguised as news which leaves them either divided or confused. Democracies are facing growing pains and some want to say that democracy is dying, though I just believe it is growing and changing. Any political system that is too rigid and/or too inflexible to adapt to change in the world is destined to fail.

So here we are at a pivotal and important time in history, will we navigate through it and come out the other side better as a whole? We are on the edge of what may be a world war, a war that could bring about the end of humanity and possibly all life. What we do individually is as important as what we do collectively in the end. Of course, the war scenario is more in the hands of the leaders of all the world nations, but it is the lives of each person that will be put on the line.

War is never a good option, though it will always be an option as long as we have militaries and conflicting national interests. Diplomacy is a better option but it requires all sides to be willing to compromise to bring peace. As we see in Ukraine war is a terrifying and ugly thing to live through. There is very little respect for life and/or compassion on the battlefield and most of the time civilians are looked at as unfortunate casualties / Fatalities of war if not cannon fodder by some.

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Extremism, Imperialism, and nationalism are all diseases infecting the world and may one day bring the end of humanity if we are not very careful. I am not saying one shouldn’t be proud of their nation or that you should abandon having your extreme ideals, I am saying you should also be open-minded to the possibility that there are other views and nations that could be just as good if not equal to your own.

Well, what do I know? I am just an average man in the mix and these are just my opinions that were formed from my half-century worth of experiences. I could be wrong just as well as I could be right or somewhere in the middle. I do know that war is not a good thing, what happened in Ukraine to the civilian population thus far is an atrocity and should never have happened.

We are at a pivotal point in history, which way will we pivot? what will be the new direction of humanity as a whole? We will continue down the road of war, greed, and extremism? or will we find a better path for humanity and forge a future all of our children can be proud of and live in. The choice is not only in the hands of the Governments that rule our nations, the choice is in everyone’s hands in the end.

One Lifetime

Ray Barbier

March 15, 2022March 15, 2022

Random Thoughts 3/15/2022

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One must be awed, amazed and just plain overwhelmed by the courage, strength, fearlessness, and determination of the Ukrainian people. They are in a war/conflict where they are outnumbered, outgunned, and for most people would be considered dire or hopeless. To them, there is hope as long as there is life, something very admirable about people who face such overwhelming odds with such vigor and tenacity.

Does not matter what side you are on in this conflict, you must at least admire the people of Ukraine. They are very amazing people to take on such a big superpower and hold their own as long as they have. I myself support Ukraine, they should be able to decide their own destinies without interference from any nation be they from the east or west. To be honest though, who knows what is propaganda and what is not in this modern world. My trust in news agencies has gone way down in the last 10 years. So my support for Ukraine is less political and more of a Moral and personal opinion than anything else. Human lives are on the line and the right for a nation and people to choose their own destinies is as well.

My message to Putin is, back off and go home. You made your point and got your message out and to the rest involved, give Putin a way out so this senseless war/conflict can come to a close. Peace is the best choice, Peace by diplomacy and sanity and not peace by destruction and death.

China, be the responsible superpower you should be, regardless of your political differences and your close ties to Russia you could be the broker of peace in this situation. We all need to bring this conflict to an end and find some common ground between us all before this escalates into a full-out world war. Because we all know if another world war breaks out someone will eventually make the mistake of using nuclear weapons and that would be the end of humankind as we know it if not total annihilation.

It kind of confuses me to be honest why the two of the largest nations in landmass would be so concerned about expanding or reclaiming former pieces of land that are small in comparison to their own. They pose little to no threat militarily and their economies though good is not much of a worry to such industrious nations as China or Russia. Work on diplomatic solutions, economic ties, and instead of controlling those areas, befriend them and make this world a safer and happier place for the future children of all nations, including your own.

Democracies, monarchies, dictatorships, communist / Socialist republics alike are forms of government though different they all serve the same basic function. Just because we all govern differently does not mean we can not co-exist. We will, of course, have issues with one another, especially over human rights, but I feel not a single nation out there hasn’t at one point or another failed when it comes to the human rights and treatment of its citizens.

The demonization of other nations and their political structure only leads to mistrust and conflict, not saying we shouldn’t call out a nation doing wrong, but do it responsibly and with facts only. Leave the opinions, propaganda, and rhetoric at home. People are far more intellectual nowadays than you may realize, the majority of us do see the propaganda, political agendas being pushed through news agencies, and so on.

We quickly point our fingers to the east and say propaganda news, the state ran tv, etc, and forget though our news may be corporate, it is still propaganda to a degree and is being used by both political parties to sway the masses here at home. Disinformation and Psy-ops as they call it is being used I believed in every country to one degree or another. That is The reason so many of us do not trust news sources anymore.

My point is, don’t always believe what you read or see, think for yourself, and when you do read or watch news and opinions, fact check and tear it all apart to make sure what you are receiving is factual not opinion or political biased propaganda.

Well, it seems once again I have raved on long enough with my random thoughts. Right or wrong they are my opinions of what is going on in this world and my life. They may differ or may be similar to your own. But please think for yourself, don’t take what I say here for anything but what they are, the opinions of an average man.

Ray Barbier

March 10, 2022March 10, 2022

Random Thoughts 3-10-2022

Have you ever noticed that in this world those that show the most compassion, have a peaceful nature, and those who see the world around them as a whole a higher priority than their own desires and needs tend to be looked upon as either weak or they are socially shunned?

Seems it is more socially acceptable to be selfish, brutish, and cold-hearted than to be compassionate and selfless in nature. Too many people are stuck on what is in it for me, or what can I get out of it, and not focused on how it will affect the world around them. To be fair, we all have a bit of selfishness in us all, between self-preservation and the desire to find some happiness in this life it is unavoidable to be a tad bit selfish at times.

Unless one is seeking to live a life of a monk or nun, there will be some desire to accumulate wealth and possession. The key is to know when it is enough to be happy and when it is becoming just plain overindulgence. We as a species need to recognize that even though we are individuals we also are a part of the human race which is in turn just a part of the world we all live in regardless of species and or beliefs. The whole as they would call it depends on all of its parts from the smallest living microorganism to the largest of the animals.

Thinking we are an individual, separate from all other living creatures great and small only causes us to think of one drop of water in the ocean of life. Seems to me that is a very lonely and unfavorable way of looking at one’s self and life, we are all a part of something much larger than just ourselves. We should think and act as we are stewards of the world we live in and have a love for all of life. So if ya see someone in need, do not judge them due to their appearance, financial status, or social position in society, instead, reach your hand out to help them.

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Society will continue to shun those with a caring and loving nature it seems until we change the mindset that to love is weak and to be bullish and selfish is a sign of success or strength. Until there are social consequences for those that are hateful, selfish, and spiteful and reward for nurturing and loving people.

We should make it a priority to teach our children respect for all life, and respect for all people. Teach them to be at the least tolerant of different belief systems and ways of life. Humanity will always have a multitude of religious, social, and political beliefs. It is one of the things that keeps the species growing and changing. Those differences between us all will help us learn as a species and grow as a whole.

Well, Enough of my random rants and thoughts for now. Be blessed and may you find peace and happiness my friends.

Till next time, Be happy

Ray Barbier

January 5, 2022January 5, 2022

Random Thoughts 1-5-2022

Seems the world is full of anger, fear and distrust now days, Hard to know where to turn for the facts and truth. We have such a vast array of sources of information but unfortunately very few are reliable and the majority is opinion based far more than fact.

The Covid-19 pandemic has done far more than caused the illness and unfortunately death across this planet, it also has caused financial problems across the globe as well. Along with the financial issues there is also the cost of food and other goods increasing along with inflation to boot in the USA. Add the cost of gasoline going up and the supply chain issues it is a recipe for certain financial chaos.

Then you have the political chaos happening across the globe as well, the politicization of almost every issue involved with the pandemic, Racial tensions and all the conspiracy theories floating around causing nothing but trouble. On top of all that you have the major super powers playing sabre rattling games on top of it, seems to be times of uncertainty to say the least.

Times like these, we should not waste time pointing fingers or fighting with each other . We should instead do the right or better thing and reach our hands out to help others in need, spend time talking to people and letting them know they are not alone. Right now there are many people suffering from mental and emotional stress along with other problems due to the covid-19 pandemic and from the state of our world. Each one of suffers some what mentally or emotionally I believe from the lockdowns, financial worries and the fear associated with pandemics.

I know of quite a few of my friends that are homeless, living in their car or in the street due to financial problems caused by the pandemic. I have seen the fear in the eyes of friends and family throughout the last few years. I even experienced fear to the point of being glued to the television looking for hope of the end of the pandemic, cures and vaccines (prior their release). I finally had to tell myself to turn off the tv and focus on my family and etc. Once I turned off the tv I returned to normal for the most part.

I now rarely ever watch the news , since most of it is about political issues or the pandemic and opinions. Very little news to be had now it seems, keeping people scared of the virus, vaccines and keeping them upset over political issues is good for ratings I guess. My suggestion is turn off the tv, read a book, do something nice for your neighbor (safely of course). Live Life, make the best of the situation and learn to channel that fear or anger into more constructive things.

Well it has been a while since I have blogged a random thoughts post, figured today was a good day as any. I hope that you all are doing well and may you all be blessed and stay healthy

Ray Barbier

September 6, 2021September 6, 2021

Random Thoughts 9-06-2021

The pandemic has had many side effects when dealing with society, it has caused much distrust in science, governments and amplified the social problems we were already facing in the world. Watching people argue over mask wearing, vaccinations, political policies and social values is very disappointing during a time we should come together to face the challenges before us as a world.

To me it is quite confusing why anyone would find temporary mask mandates as a infringement on ones personal rights when the fact is wearing a mask is more of a service to your fellow human beings since it keeps the wearer from spreading a very serious illness. We all seem to have little issue on the rules set by the health department to wear a shirt or a pair of shoes in a restaurant or grocery store but make a big fuss over wearing a mask during a pandemic. If wearing a mask was only for the wearers protection not the other people around them i may understand the argument better.

Photo by Maksim Goncharenok on Pexels.com

Far as Vaccines, all vaccines have a small risk to them, always have through out time. But the benefit of being vaccinated usually outweighs the risk, and far as vaccinations i do support a persons right not to be vaccinated even though it increases the amount of others who may become infected and the will increase the length we will be in a pandemic.

With the Delta variant causing a faster spread and the new Mu variation possibly being Vaccine resistant we are in for a long and possibly bad winter. Since it took the world too long to get enough people vaccinated it gave time for the virus to mutate to the point it could possibly circumvent the current vaccinations available. Regardless of what side you are on when it comes to Mask wearing and Vaccinations you will probably know someone this year that gets covid-19. I have recently had a friend and their family come down with the virus, 1 adult and 2 children. I hope they will fair well against the infection and get well soon.

Photo by Polina Tankilevitch on Pexels.com

Life is short, and nowadays shorter than it should be for some people, we should be kind to one another, acceptant of each others views and opinions when it comes to what we are facing. We can disagree, but we should also be able to remain civil and continue to be friends with another. I have lost a few friends due to having different views politically and about pandemic related issues. Shame to lose friends over a difference of views or opinions, but they chose to end the friendships not I.

I know i will probably get some backlash over this post, some negative comments from those with opposing views and the usual trolls on the internet. But one can not always write neutral and bland posts. I hope that I haven’t offended anyone in any way it is just my personal observations and my opinions on what I am seeing and experiencing during this pandemic.

I wish all of you a safe and blessed year, Be good to one another.

Raymond Barbier

June 24, 2021March 29, 2023

Envy: Destroyer of self worth

We all at one point or another fell prey to Envy, counting the blessings of our neighbor instead of counting our own. Be it at work, at home, or in our social circle there is always someone who has more or better than we do.

To be honest, I think Envy can not be totally removed from human nature, but it can be put in check as soon as it comes out to play. I think it’s instinctive to see what someone else has that brings them the appearance of happiness and to want it for ourselves, that is not so much the issue as when we think we should take it from them to obtain it instead of working to achieve and obtain it on our own.

In the Workplace

Being I’ve been around for over a 1/2 century, I have experienced Envy in the workplace from both ends of its pointy stick. I suffered from it a few times in my earlier years of life. Watching some people just seem to get all the breaks and promotions, get higher wages than me, or get to goof off all day while I worked.

At least that was how I perceived it when I experienced it, and I spent too much time worrying over those other people instead of doing my job better. Now that I’ve matured, I have learned to focus on what I am doing and not worry about what others are doing.

unless I am in a supervisor position, and even then I only pay attenuation to what I am required to in that role. I guess part of it is that I have learned to be happy with what I have been blessed with now, instead of worrying about what other people are blessed with.

The Social Circle

Ok, This is one place I Suffered Envy the most I think, especially in my teenage years. Being I was just an average run-of-the-mill guy, with no athletic skills and unfortunately low self-esteem, I was one of those barely noticed or remembered guys from your high school days.

Envy filled my veins when it came to the cool kids, the lady’s men, and the geniuses around me. Always wanting what was theirs instead of seeing I had plenty I was not aware of or using at that time.

Hindsight is 20/20 as they say, so much I missed out on due to my poor self-image and lack of confidence. Only if we could go back and do it again with what we know now eh? lol.

The Family Unit

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Another Weak spot for me when I was young, I had an older brother, so I was the younger brother. I always felt like I was less than him since he had 3 years on me. I envied his popularity, his luck with the ladies, and his independent spirit. He could be a bit of a smarty pants and a bully at times too (the 2 things I didn’t want to emulate).

Of course, as I hit my later teens I didn’t envy him as much as I disliked his attitude towards me, but that’s siblings for you. Mind you now I look back and think how stupid I was for wanting to be more like him instead of being more like me 🙂

Conclusion:

Through years of both experiencing and observing Envy in its many flavors it comes in, I have watched it ruin people’s lives when they let it take root for too long. Watched people lose their careers, their friends, and even.

Best to count your own blessings than to worry about the blessings of others. Focus on making your own life better than desiring the life of someone else. The grass may look greener in your neighbor’s yard, but sometimes if you look closely it is mainly crabgrass.

Envy and its sister jealousy are both destroyers of happiness and are detrimental to your emotional and mental well-being.

Be Good to one another, and be thankful for what you have been blessed with

June 9, 2020June 9, 2020

Random Thoughts 6-9-2020

The world is going through some changes, not only climate changes but social changes and its facing a pandemic. Tensions are high and protests are world wide. Social injustice and inequality has had a grip on our world for far too long. Those in power either turn a deaf ear to the pleas for justice and equality or they tow the party line and show how little they care about those they are supposed to be representing. It is completely shameful and sad that when one does stand to support those they represent they get labeled a traitor.

What we really need now is politicians that actually care about us all, not just the lobbyist and big business or just the party they are affiliated with. Both parties are in need of change, be it of their behavior or the members all together. I am so sick of Party politics and their rhetoric, come together and do the right thing and stop trying to be polar opposites all the time. Meet in the middle and do whats good for all people. Stop waiting and doing nothing, taking recesses instead of fixing the problems at hand.

Remember to vote this year and make sure you look into the candidates on your own and do not take what news and internet media tells you directly. Look deeper and make the best choice you can, who you vote for is who will chart the the future of the united states and our lives as well. Voting is one of our rights and one of our best ways to voice our positions as well.

Well that’s it For this post.

Ray Barbier

March 15, 2020March 15, 2022

We all are brothers and sisters in this world

https://open.spotify.com/show/5Q58FYwIeqf414RzEj2o24

Division, The separation of the community only serves those who seek its ruin. To have anger or fear between people only divides the community and does more harm than good. When we fall into the trap of hating others because of their color or hating them due to their choice of religion and lifestyle we only cause division and damage the community we live in.
Change begins in ourselves, we have to change how we act and react to the world around us. To fight hate with hate only creates more hate to deal with. And on the other end of it, if we do nothing Hate will continue to grow as well. Seems hate is a hard thing to stop once it starts infesting people, it becomes like a runaway train. Shame Love or compassion doesn’t spread and intensify like that. When I look at the person next to me I see another human being first and then I see the differences between us. But I don’t see the differences between us as an obstacle, I see it as what makes the other person unique. Life would be very boring if everyone believed the same, looked the same, and acted just alike. It has been humanity’s rainbow of differences that kept us alive and gave us all that we have today.
Maybe one-day humanity will grow out of this desire to hold on to prejudices that serve no one in the end. Possibly one day we can forgive and leave the past in the past for the sake of the future and those that will live in it. And one day we will see there is no greater or lesser race, there is only the human race, a multi-colored, multicultural community. I Know I am just a dreamer, but just like John Lennon stated I don’t think I am the only one.
We all are brothers and sisters in this world, we only live once so let us be the best person we can be and love one another. Find happiness for ourselves and share it with all those around us. Leave yesterday behind, live in the present, and dream and hope for the future.
May Peace, love, and happiness fill your days and Compassion be the guide of your heart and mind.
Ray Barbier

January 10, 2020

The Past, The now and regret.

Thinking about the past is one way of coming to terms with where you are now and how the choices you made and also the choices you tried to avoid to make helped you get where you are today. Besides the random unfortunate circumstances we sometimes encounter, it is pretty much our choices in life that put us in the place we are today.
Holding on to regret, sadness, anger or any negitive emotion from past choices only hinders one from making better choices in the present. So feel those emotions, own them and learn to forgive yourself and others so you can move forward. Every morning you awake is a clean slate if you let it be and a new chance to make your life better and also another chance to be appositive influence on the world you live in.
For me the hardest thing to do is forgive myself of my poor choices and mistakes I had made in the past. I learned that by hanging on to such negitive thoughts and emotions I only created a negitive self image and a somewhat defeatist mentality. So now I just try to own my mistakes, face I made them and accept what is done is in the past. I also have to remind myself that I am not perfect and that I should never expect myself to be such. I Remeber the mistake, learn from it and try to forgive myself since I am just human.
Though we can not undo what we have done wrong in the past, we can how ever try to make up for those mistakes in many ways. You can try being of service to those in need and by being compassionate and caring to all. If you are able to you should also make amends to those you have done wrong in what ever way that is possible. In the end you will have to forgive yourself and also forgive others in order to free yourself up to live your life to the fullest.

July 30, 2019

Random Thoughts 7/29/2019

The world is heading down a dark and uncertain road, seems hate and fear is growing. There is so much misinformation and false news on the internet pushing the agenda of hate and division. Between the circus we call politics and the loss of integrity we are seeing in many places in business and also governments it leaves many people feeling like there is little to no hope.

You can not rely on the government or big business to do what is needed to make a better world, they can not change the world without having the power we the people give to them. Change is all in our hands, it is our choice if we love, fear , hate, understand and where the future of humanity will head. The fate of our society is in our hand, our society can only be fixed by us.

No life is lesser or greater than another, all life is precious and each person is important. We need to stop labeling each other, we can not judge a group by the few that may have some problems. We all need to be accountable for our actions, think before we say or act. Don’t do or say anything you wouldn’t be proud of or that would be considered hurtful.

Mostly I believe people are angry that life is not always fair, most of the time life can be very unfair and cruel. Being hateful or fearful will not make life any better and surely won’t help you or anyone else in the end. Speak out against hate and fear, put out love and understanding and seek the most peaceful and kindest way of resolving the situation before you.

I think every one of us at one point in our life has been on the wrong end of some sort of hate, be it that we were being bullied, discriminated against for one reason or another. We need to remember how it felt on the receiving end of such, so we can remind ourselves to not treat others in such a manner.

I know compassion, love and kindness are not quite popular in society, so many times those that are kind and compassionate are looked upon as weak. I think it takes someone very strong and determined to love and show compassion in a world where fear and hate seem to be the norm.

Whatever path you choose in your life is up to you and I hope you choose one of peace and love.

Blessings to all

Ray Barbier