The Ironies of Life

Life is, without question, the strangest thing ever.
I believe that most the things we want most can't be forced, but are rather gifts. For example, there is no sure fire way to find happiness. However, it seems that those that forgo happiness are the ones that have the richest joy. The willingness to sacrifice what is seemingly personal happiness for a greater cause seems to bring blessings that the selfish never know.
Also, it can be noted that the road to freedom is laced with discipline. The undisciplined will surely be trapped, while self mastery can enable its owner to obtain the greatest treasures.
Those that work the hardest will soon find that they don't have to, while those that slack off will quickly have no comfort.
The greatest loves are based in purity.
Turning to a subject of great importance we learn more of life's little ironies. George Knudson said of golf, " You have to give up control to gain control."
In life there are many forks in the road. We often must choose between that which we want and that which is right. The irony is that those that choose that which is right are certain to be led to that which they want.

Perception Isn't Reality, But It's a Part of It

So in golf there is this great saying that goes, "feel isn't real." Basically it means exactly what you would think it would mean. What you think you are doing is often very different than what you are actually doing. Which makes sense, because most people would play quite well if they could do precisely what they were trying to.
The problem is that people now rely too much on what is actually happening rather than trusting their instincts. They spend too much time looking at film, and too little actually playing the game in which they want to become proficient. It all becomes very mechanical very quickly. I think we need some old fashioned practice time and less time analyzing what is actually happening. So I have come up with my own phrase. "Feel isn't real, but it's much more important."
Those things which we think are true, but aren't, are still strangely a part of reality. They just happen to exist in our heads. So everything we think and believe is if fact a part of reality; it just happens to be a very small part of reality that is exclusive only to ourselves. We all live in the same physical world, a shared reality, but we also all have our own separate worlds inside that are just as real. If you don't think they are real then just look inside someone's scull. I think you will find a brain there. If you look inside the brain there will be thoughts. Those thoughts actually exist, they are there! The only way a thought cannot exist is if it was never thunk.
Thus, the title, "Perception Isn't Reality, But It's a Part of It." Kind of like a rectangle and square thing.

What Comes After But....

But is a small word endowed with great power. Many have given it a poor name, mostly because buts are often sandwiched between admissions of truth and excuses. For example, "I know the jell-o was for everyone, but the devil made me eat it all." I will agree that the famous truth-but-excuse sentence structure is out of style, but I want to talk about the truth-but-truth sentence structure. That one is worth a second look. You can learn a great deal about a person and their outlook by what they choose to say after but.

For example, a larger person who often jumps rope could say, "I jump rope often, but I'm fat."
However he or she could also say, "I'm fat, but I jump rope often."
There is something to be admired in the second option. It's an admission of being fat, but seems to focus on jumping rope. There is a sense of optimism and confidence in it. Because the jumping rope is mentioned second it seems to hint at the possibility of changing the first admission. By jumping rope one can loose weight and no longer be fat. However, the first sentence concedes the truth that he jumps rope, but seems to disparagingly admit that he is fat despite the exercise.
Let's do the same exercise with the first example. Instead of saying "I know the jell-o was for everyone, but the devil made me eat it all," one could say, "the devil made me eat it all, but I know the jell-o was for everyone." The second option again seems much more appropriate. There seems to be an understanding of the poor behavior, rather than an attempt to justify the behavior.
I'm single, but I love.
I can't write, but I do.
I don't win, but I will.
I am poor, but I work.
I am weak, but I run.
Life is hard, but it's fun.