Enthusiasm is a choice

Enthusiasm, zest for life and the pursuit of excellence are personal choices.

It is quite likely that everyone likes success and admires masterful skills. Anyone who has proven some level of mastery in a particular field will be able to relate to the delight felt in exercising excellence.

Focus on specific objects or outcomes may lead to a view that excellence is something that is to be achieved, somewhere to be arrived at.

A focus on life as an enduring process may lead to a view that excellence is something to be continuously demonstrated through action and impact on the lives of others.

Widespread awareness and appreciation of the continuous improvement efforts required to practice excellence has yet to occur in human civilisation as a whole. Indeed, there are numerous pockets of excellence, in various great organisations and the traditions of some civilisations.

Yet, there is still plenty of ignorance, and violence, and malice, and stupidity... No matter. The power to change the world rests with every one of us, as change can only happen one awareness at a time.

Music moves the spirit

Music has a very powerful, and often surreptitious influence on life. I've just noticed that various music styles may have played a part in shaping some of my longer term emotions and aspirations.

Awareness kaizen

Life seems to be mostly about sharpening our awareness. The more we become aware of our environment and the underlying currents of emotion, the better we can respond with love, kindness and compassion - since we can notice more and more the ocean of awareness that binds us all into One. As we work to understand each other more, our vision of the world through each other's awareness becomes clearer and we all get enriched in the process.

It's probably not malice - stupidity is usually more likely

jargon, node: Hanlon's Razor
Curious how it typically seems somehow much easier / more comfortable / energy-efficient to assume aggression against us rather than stopping to consider the likely limitations in others' perspectives.

Understanding other cultures is hard. Tolerance seems even harder. Why?

Judging by the amount of intolerance displayed by various nations / factions and the fact that last century we've had two world wars, it's almost miraculous that WW III hasn't broken out yet.
Pity that the clash of points of view escalates into violence much more easily rather than evolving into understanding and synergy. It generally takes much more energy / effort / patience / compassion / courage to understand a different point of view / culture and appreciate it than it does to deny / reject / oppose it.