Philosopher’s Corner

There are many philosophies of life. These are mostly based on a religious tenement or a leadership guru, or some symbolic call to blind faith. In reality, when we truly ask ourselves “how is it really?” there are some fundamental truths of existence. These don’t cross or conflict with the bounds of religion, science, creed or nationality – they are as old as humankind – often just as unrecognised as the meaning of life itself. From the brightest scholar to the developing child they are seemingly revelations that we know, but we have closed our minds to, and lost sight of, in both the western and the eastern world. This is not a “philosophy of life” nor a guru seeking disciples, indeed it is the antithesis of this. It is about individually bringing back to the front of mind fundamental “truths” that we have isolated and quarantined from today’s thinking in order to struggle for the unachievable and the unwarranted. It does recognise that we are simply a mix of elements, water and energy that form just one small part of a bigger body, the universe, or greater, but that our actions can impact that greater body, just as a toothache impacts our entire body or a poisoned toe can ultimately kill us. These are eighteen lessons every parent should deliver to their children in their formative years so they have a choice to try to achieve a life of real happiness rather than one destined to greed, selfishness and unachievable desire – the root cause of anxiety, dissatisfaction and depression. While global peace is seemingly an unfathomable dream it can be pursued through individual and collective recognition of these philosophies and understandings and certainly in a world of turmoil the individual can still experience peace and harmony which, like the flap of a butterfly wing, can create an enduring movement towards that goal. This short booklet reveals eighteen commonly held preconceptions or concepts that hold us all back from living a true life and from understanding our own happiness and success. These are eighteen lessons every child should understand before they become teenagers. Every child can benefit from basic fundamentals that are too often overlooked. Adopting and understanding these lessons can unshackle us from unhappiness and discontent and put us on the journey to where we choose to go. Happiness, peace, a fulfilled life is in each person’s DNA – it just has to be found and released. It comes at a cost though, we must give up our prejudices, obstinate ideas, ego, greed and consumption. Only then can it be released to improve the life of everyone, create a sustainable future for the human race, and remove the shackle of unhappiness from ourselves.