Contribution #4 - William James

This life is worth living, we can say, since it is what we make it.

- William James

Making what you make out of life has been a recurrent theme for me. When I was a student at Mount Holyoke College, I was told that the experience would be what I made of it. I didn't make much of, but I got the point. When I lived in Los Angeles, I really did put this idea into action and transformed myself (somewhat) into a relatively self-made person. Now that I'm back at college (MCLA), I've come full circle back around to this idea that life is what you make of it.

I guess, on a deeper level, I have my Buddhist practice to thank for understanding this concept and putting it into action. In the philosophy of Nichiren Buddhism, we believe that we must never forfeit our responsibility under any situation. This is not to say that we blame ourselves for the messes in our lives, or arrogantly sit upon the laurels of our accomplishments. In a nutshell, it means that we live our lives as best we can, where we are right now, and with the skills and knowledge of who we are and what we're capable of doing.

I acknowledge, but no longer focus on, what's lacking in my life. Instead, I try to have no regrets and concentrate on living to my fullest potential. That is the sense of responsibility I feel and try to embody every day. In a very personal sense that means that I can't expect to lose the weight I want to by asking a friend to exercise and I can't earn money by watching a co-worker count his/her money. I am responsible for my own happiness... and unhappiness.

Yet, there is also a seamless interconnectedness in the universe which makes it possible for us to see our influence on others and in our environment, i.e., when I take responsibility to go out every day and sweep the pavement in front of my apartment building, before long others are either taking care not to add garbage or sweeping with me AND neighbors nearby are doing the same thing for their streets so that pretty soon we build a sense of community & pride to create cleaner & safer places to live. It's true what they say... it just takes one person to change the whole world, just as it only takes one person to mess it up. I truly believe that a positive change can be enacted an individual who possesses determination, consistent effort and stamina -- and that individual exists in the mirror!

Anyway, life is what you make of it -- and I'm choosing to create a positive life. If I can encourage just one other person to take a positive step in his/her life by being an example, well that's just icing on the cake... and most of us eat cake just so we can get a corner piece (or one of those flowers) so we savor the icing!!!

Contribution #3 - Margaret Cho

"Sometimes when we are generous in small, barely detectable ways it can
change someone else's life forever."– Margaret Cho

I have been feeling nostalgic and reflecting a lot about my life lately. I guess in a way I've been flooded with memories since my stepmother's death and since I've been making positive & lasting changes in my life. I've been feeling very fortunate that I've received so much support through the years.

Yesterday one of my good friends was rushed to the hospital. She had had a mini-stroke. It was amazing how I snapped to attention and was there for her. I have also made myself available to her family if they need my support. Today I'm feeling very fortunate that I have the opportunity to give back to those loved ones in my life who have supported me.

Specific to this quote, I remember once, when I was working as a promotion assistant for a major record label, I had set up a special event for one of the Country music acts on the label. They were playing at a county fair so my boss invited various radio & reporting personnel to the concert. I rented a bus for all of us to make the trip up (yes, it was a wild party bus!) and purchased the admission & ride tickets for everyone in advance. Well, of course, not everyone who was invited came so I had a bunch of tickets leftover once we arrived.

I noticed that there were some kids by the fair entrance -- looking at the fair from outside the gate, and looking too poor to afford to get in. I went up the one of the oldest looking girls (she looked about 9 or 10) and asked her if she wanted the tickets for her and her friends. She was shocked, but I told her that I had extras and I wanted to put them to good use. I practically had to push the tickets (for admissions & rides) into her hands. Before I turned to walk away, I asked her to have fun with her friends.

I think of that girl from time to time... she was mixed, like me, and was wearing handed-down clothes with no shoes. She could have most likely to ended up as some kind of statistic for juvenile delinquency, but my hope has been that she felt she deserved more in life after I gave her the tickets. I've prayed for that little girl to grow up and create a good life for herself.