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Do I have to Read it?
Often when I run across a good novel, or even after I've written an interesting piece, myself; I'll offer the stories or summaries to my teenagers Usually, their first response is, "Do I have to read it?" And many times, I will reply, "No, you...

Holistic Junction's Featured School of the Week: Louisville School of Massage
This week, Holistic Junction is proud to present Louisville School of Massage . Situated in historically-rich Louisville, Kentucky , Louisville School of Massage is approved by the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and...

Letting Go Can Be Hard But Doable
Being a coach, I learned through attending Coach University about letting go of the "stuff" in my life that no longer fueled it. This enhanced itself through my studies in becoming a master practitioner in the laws of attraction -- the process of...

Philosophy as a science
This article is for those who got started in studying philosophy and got confused. Here is some information on how to clarify some points that you don’t seem to understand and be well prepared for a discussion that involves philosophical terms and...

Teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari's mark on the History of Education
Teacher and Idealist in Teaching and Education.. the late Orhan Seyfi Ari 12 Dec 1918 - 17 Dec 1992 Teacher Orhan Seyfi Ari's teaching, education reforms, this educator's mark on educational and cultural history, his teaching,...

 
Ode to A Spoon

"Happiness is not having what you want, but wanting what you
have." --Rabbi Hyman Judah Schachtel (1907-1990)

I have to admit it, I love spoons. I love their round shape. I
love their cheerful shine. I love how perfectly they fit into
your mouth when you eat something smooth like ice cream or
pudding or even when you eat something tummy warming like hot
soup.

I love spoons because they are functional as well as beautiful.
Eating breakfast cereal just wouldn't be the same experience
without them. I enjoy using them very much and always opt for a
small, round, silvery spoon anytime it makes sense.

One day, my husband came upon me silently admiring a beautiful
sugar spoon from our new 'fancy' silverware collection. I was
thrilled with how the bottom of it was artfully shaped like a
sea shell. He thought I was nuts.

I realized I feel this way about lots of object in my world. I
admire platters, vases, paintings, rugs, blankets, curtains, you
name it. Am I materialistic? I suppose on a certain level I am.
Here's my philosophy on stuff: I take great pleasure in
appreciating the personal possessions that grace my life.

I have profound gratitude for the convenient services my
belongings regularly provide me. I even thank them occasionally
(when no one is around). I really do appreciate all they do for
me and recognize that I could just as easily not have the
privilege of their presence in my life.

Along those lines, I make efforts to use them. I no longer horde
my favorite things in a closet only taking them out once or
twice a year, living in fear of their potential demise. These
are beautiful objects! Who am I to hide their splendor from
view? They deserve every opportunity to be appreciated.

Should something


meet an untimely end, I am sad. But I also
thank them for their loyal service for as long as they existed,
and use their passing as an opportunity to bring another
beautiful, dutiful item into service.

Now, having said this, I do not purchase $1000 spoons or $500
ceramic vases. If one is prepared to replace broken items one
must be operating with one's own financial comfort zone.
However, ask yourself: would you rather own an expensive item
that you rarely enjoy or own something within your financial
means that you enhances your life days on end?

I am offering, I suppose, a slightly different view of
materialism. It's a different way of looking at the objects in
your world, one where you have a mutually beneficial
relationship with them.

I know, you're thinking, "she's really gone off the deep end
this time." But honestly, this perspective encourages you to
notice the beauty surrounding you and the conveniences you enjoy
and be grateful for them. This in turn brings positive feelings
into your life, what I call Material Contentment.

The next time you eat with a nice spoon or sit on a soft sofa,
take a moment to realize how lucky you are to be the guardian of
such an object. Has it been loyal in service to you? Have you
shown it respect and admiration in return?

Today is a great day to start talking to inanimate objects. Why
not begin by saying "Thanks" to your favorite piece of
silverware?

About the Author

Deirdre Maigread McEachern is an experienced writer, speaker and personal coach who works one-on-one to help her clients find their ideal career and create more balance in their lives. You can contact Deirdre at 207-439-4280, deirdre@vip-coaching.com or sign up for her free e-newsletter at www.vip-coaching.com/news.

 

philosophy: the best cosmetic is great-looking skin
the best skin of your life is at your fingertips. owner and ceo of philosophy, cristina carlino, is the creator, founder and former ceo of BioMedic, ...
www.philosophy.com
 
The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Non-profit organization that collects and makes available original articles about philosophy topics. University of Tennessee at Martin.
www.iep.utm.edu
 
Philosophy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The entrance page to all articles in the philosophy section of the free encyclopedia.
en.wikipedia.org
 
Philosophy Pages
Aids to the study of philosophy, including study guide, dictionary, timeline, discussion of major philosophers, and links to e-texts.
www.philosophypages.com
 
Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy
Online encyclopedia of philosophy created and maintained by Stanford University.
plato.stanford.edu
 
Table of Contents
Arabic and Islamic Philosophy, historical and methodological topics in ... Beattie, James — see Scottish Philosophy: in the 18th Century; Beauvoir, ...
plato.stanford.edu
 
Philosophy Collection
Links to canonical philosophic texts available for viewing.
philosophy.eserver.org
 
Guide to Philosophy on the Internet (Suber)
A regularly updated collection of online philosophy resources by Peter Suber of Earlham College.
www.earlham.edu
 
Humanities > Philosophy in the Yahoo! Directory
Browse resources about philosophers and philosophy, including schools of thought, study guides, university departments, and conferences.
dir.yahoo.com
 
Bristol University - Department of Philosophy - Home
With 13 permanent members of staff, we are larger than many philosophy departments in the UK. Our interests cover a wide range of topics within the Analytic ...
www.bris.ac.uk
 
Google Corporate Information: Our Philosophy
Our Philosophy. Never settle for the best "The perfect search engine," says Google co-founder Larry Page, "would understand exactly what you mean and give ...
www.google.com
 
Philosophy of the GNU Project - GNU Project - Free Software ...
This directory describes the philosophy of the Free Software Movement, which is the motivation for our development of the free software operating system GNU ...
www.gnu.org
 
Intute: Arts and Humanities - Philosophy
Search or browse the database of Philosophy resources which have been selected, evaluated and described by subject specialists. ...
www.intute.ac.uk
 
EpistemeLinks: For Philosophy Resources on the Internet
EpistemeLinks is a comprehensive resource for philosophy on the Internet, providing thousands of links categorized by philosopher, topic, and resource type.
www.epistemelinks.com
 
Cambridge Journals Online - Display Journal
Philosophy is the journal of the Royal Institute of Philosophy, which was founded in 1925 to build bridges between specialist philosophers and a wider ...
journals.cambridge.org
 
MIT philosophy home page
Department of Linguistics and Philosophy - Cambridge, Massachusetts - BA, PhD.
web.mit.edu
 
The Philosophers' Magazine Online
Philosophy articles, bookstore, events, and discussion board.
www.philosophersnet.com
 
VoS - Voice of the Shuttle
The Philosophy of Complexity Per Se with Application to Some Examples in Evolution" ... Philosophy is Everybody's Business: Great Ideas from the Great Books ...
vos.ucsb.edu
 
Philosophy Now
Bi-monthly, non-academic publication with news, articles, and columns aimed at those with an interest in philosophy. Site features select full-text articles ...
www.philosophynow.org
 
Philosophy around the Web
Guide and a gateway to philosophy resources on the Internet, by Dr Peter J. King, University of Oxford.
users.ox.ac.uk