The Power of The Pen

"The pen is mightier than the sword"

This phrase has a lot of meaning to it. In many ways the pen might be able to cut more steel than the sword. Why? Because the sword is an outside force. An outside force cuts from the outside. It comes from around and hits you on the outside. Thats the key. The sword cuts you from the outside. 

Then pen, in contrast, is not a tool used for cutting. It is to write. And it can be used to write many things. When people write they think about it. People write their thoughts, their insights, their memoirs, their reminders and most importantly their vows. That is the key. The pen is a tool to bring out the best from the inside of a person. When somebody writes a book that comes from the inside. A contract is based on the pen. And also, nobody can lie against his own signature. Any form of treaty, vows, agreements and contracts are based on the pen. 

That is the contrast between the sword and the pen. The sword commands your agreement. Even, it may take it by force. The pen, is used in times of negotiation, at least without the outside force of people. You can convince and persuade people with the use of the pen. You can make or break a person by the use of a pen. That's the point of it. You don't even have to resort to violence. 

You can make them agree without forcing them. All it takes is a mighty swig of the pen. You use negotiation. You use agreement. Instead of fighting with brawn, you are fighting with the brains. You don't strike fear due to your strength of the muscles. You strike them on the basis of their minds. 

As an ending note we consider a lesson from nature. A rock, can break of erode with the gentle blow of the wind, though it takes a thousand years to do so. However, a rock can break more easily if there was water or ice within it, providing it with the necessary force to break it. 

This means that the force within influences you easier than the force outside. 

No one can tell you to change, except yourself. 

Use the pen. And use it wisely. It just might be what you need. 

Melody And Harmony

Melody is the bare bones of music. It consists of individual notes grouped together in a certain rhythm to create a different musical composition. A good melody is easily remembered, and easily understood. Therefore it must be simple enough to understand, but not too simple such that it lacks the sophistication. 

Harmony is the accompaniment to music. Harmony are groups of notes played together to create a barrage of sound. While melody is strictly confined to individual notes to form a musical phrase, harmony are individual notes grouped together to be played together. 

Simply put, melody is a tune we can sing to. A beautiful melody moves you, and it is easy to understand. 

Harmony reinforces the tune, and is the basis of a choir. 

All this is very technical, and for the average reader who does not understand music, all of these will seem like gibberish. 

But it is not the point of this article to talk about musical treatment of melodies and harmonies. 

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In life different people represent different melodies. They have certain characteristics, certain ups and downs, certain dynamics, and certain appreciation and appeal. A good melody is easy to understand. Therefore a simple person could be a good melody. They comprise of good notes, (i.e. good thoughts, good attitude, good composition of personality). However even bad people can be fairly simple. They are melodies with bad composition of notes, but still simple to understand. Imagine a bad piece of music, or tune. Still easy to follow, but hard to appreciate. 

Same goes with harmonies. People who get along with each other are syncronized in the way they think and act. They might be two totally different people, but they are in sync. Their melodies complement each other. In music harmonies are supposed to do just that. Either neutralize the extremities or accentuate the blandness. People in perfect harmony do just that. Best friends are best friends for nothing. And people who are easy to get along with, those are the best melodies, for they complement many other melodies in their presence. 

So the point?

This articles serves just as another angle to look at life. I am interested in music and I see people in that way sometimes. Some people are just not melodically sound (i.e. they are hard to understand) which is why it is hard to harmonize with them. 

But that does not mean its impossible. 

So if you are that person, you can change your self to make a better song. To hum a better tune. 

And if you are a melodious one, look for these people. Sometimes you are just what they need. 

Misdirection

Misdirection is a principle in life which is based on a very simple observation. 

The observation is this: If you focus your gaze at one point, you can't look at another point.

Sounds simple right? You'd think "Hey, I know what".

Ahaaa. But the genius is in the simplicity. 

For example, imagine you are talking to a man. He's holding a pen in his right hand and holding it up in the air. He asks you to focus on his right hand, coz something cool is gonna happen. 

He waves his right hand to the right, with the pen. You are looking at his pen. 

Funny thing is, while you are doing this, you don't see his left hand. Many people do not realize this, but we really don't realize what's happenning to the left hand when we focus on the right. And to set it straight, both hands are not even far apart. 

So what does this mean? It means that his left hand can do things out of your conscious mind. He can bring out a gun without you realizing. Thats the beauty of misdirection. 

Misdirection is the principle with which decoys and cover stories are based on. 

For example, if you hear some news from america about who and who whose poor in America. When looking at that, you don't see what's happening in Somalia or Bosnia. In other words, America is the right hand you are looking at. 

Strategy at war is also concerned with misdirection. People might think that the combat at place 1 is hot, and everyone will go there. Little do they know, that is just a cover story so that place 2 will be clear and people can cross there. 

So in short, misdirection is the principle of 'hiding things in plain view'. Though simple, it is very-very strong. 

Things I come up with

Always stick to the basics. When in doubt, and theres nothing to lean on to, lean to the basics

Never show anger, never show threat, always show reason

If you are looking for flamboyance, always look to Italy

The higher the risk, the bigger the take. If otherwise, don't take the risk. 

A quiet disposition: The easiest character to get around

The art of conversation: Always start with a needle point. It's amazing how a small wind can erode a rock. 

Experience is invaluable. It is all about "application". 

Application without theory is chaos. Theory without application will remain a question. 

The biggest war to be won is defeating yourself, for you have to do it over and over again. 

The best way to hide something is to put it in plain view. 

Harmony is the reinforcement to melody. But sometimes reinforcement might not be needed. 

A bigger movement always covers a smaller one. 

Fight with psychology, resort to brawn only when needed. 

Being nice goes a long way. Sometimes a small fire is sufficient to melt the ice. 

Impostor

Lay on my bed oh dear impostor

Let me give you my butter and bread

Every night you come into my head

But neither do i wish you'd go instead

Oh what shall I do to help you oh impostor

You come unwelcome but I welcome your vervour

Your spirit speaks to me in a different flavour

You silence speaks to me like a cageless tiger

Dear impostor you come visit me

And you sit down and say nothing

But you smile with glee

I wonder if there's something unfinished

Or is there something that you want from me

Whatever it is we will never know

Coz dear impostor, you never come no more

The time factor

We have 24 hours in a day. If we sleep for 8 hours tops, how many hours do we have left in a day?

That's right! 16. 16 friggin' hours. 

If you're reading this right now and you understand what I'm telling you, you'll be asking yourself this very question..

"What the hell did I waste my 16 hours of time on??"

Yeah I ask this to myself every day. But hey. Still, time is effectively wasted. Wasted I tell you.

Don't you think its amazing that you can age 16 hours every day but you have never done a damn thing?

If we calculate 20 years of lifetime, multiply the 16 hours we got in a day, take about 40% of it for work, we have the time it takes that we wasted.

I don't dare to get out the calculator. It would be a bit painful

But hey, humans are humans. 

The point is, time is invaluable. People say time is money. I dare say that time is greater than money. 

You can beg for a cent easily by the roadside.

You can never grab back the time you've lost.

My advice?

Face the facts. We procrastinate and we will continue doing so.

But we can still save the 16 hours we have left when we wake up tommorow. 

How bout it? Wannt give it a try?