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Fireside Meditations

Self-knowledge is the
beginning of self-improvement.
Spanish Proverb

Do you really know what you believe and why you believe it? Are your
beliefs and opinions formed by you during time spent in quiet reflection, or
do your beliefs originate from the minds of others? Where do your beliefs
come from? Do you ever take the time to just sit quietly and think about
certain subjects and ideas, or is the only time that these thoughts cross your
mind when you are listening to others debate the issues? These are all questions
which must be addressed on your journey to self-awareness.

What are your beliefs? This is a simple question, but it is not that easy to
answer. The term beliefs is defined as the acceptance by the mind that something
is true or real, often underpinned by an emotional or spiritual sense of
certainty. A belief is a statement, principle, or doctrine that a person accepts
as true. This being said, everyone should know what his or her own beliefs
are, after all, your beliefs are your beliefs, right? Well, yes and no. In today’s
society, we are bombarded from every side with media and other people trying
to influence your thoughts with their beliefs.

You have to spend time in deep thought and meditation in order to ensure
that what you believe is in fact, what you believe, and not someone else’s
beliefs which you have simply accepted as your own. Too many people just
accept the opinions of the media and of those around them for their own
beliefs instead of taking the time to ponder specific issues, philosophies, and
ideas for themselves. You should never allow others to think for you; think
for yourself. Socrates stated it concisely when he said, “The unexamined life
is not worth living.”

If you do not take the time to contemplate your own personal thoughts
concerning specific subjects, how can you have any real conviction of the
truth of your beliefs? Without considering the evidence, or lack of evidence,
for yourself, how can you know that your beliefs are based on truth and rational
thought, instead of myth or misinformation? In order to have a firm conviction
in your beliefs, you have to spend time in quiet reflection, discerning
the evidence and rationality behind your beliefs. You must know why you
believe what you believe.

Our society has become one that craves constant media stimulation. The
majority of people today are unsatisfied sitting quietly with their thoughts.
Instead, they are constantly seeking to entertain their minds with some sort of
outside stimuli, and there is always an abundance of outside stimuli eagerly
waiting to occupy their minds. Television, movies, radios, computers, books,
newspapers, friends, colleagues, and family, the list could go on and on, and
all of these things compete for people’s attention during their waking hours.
Some people are even providing their minds with stimulation as they sleep,
with stimuli such as subliminal cd’s.

Although there is nothing inherently wrong with any of these things, they
do seem to keep most people too busy to take time out for personal reflection.
We all need time to be quiet, reflect, and meditate on who we truly are and
what we really believe. Quiet time is essential to this process, and it is getting
more and more difficult to slow down and find time for yourself in our fastpaced
society. It takes discipline and determination to resist the barrage of
external influences which vie for your time.

The lack of time spent in quiet meditation and reflection has led to many
people not really understanding who they are or what they really believe and
why. If you were to ask someone what his or her philosophy of life is, there is
a very good chance that you would not get a clear, concise, thought out answer.
In fact, you would probably receive and answer similar to, “I don’t
know, I’ve  never really thought about it.” Most people simply haven’t taken
the time to think about it. This doesn’t just apply to their philosophy of life,
but it applies to most of their beliefs. Oh, they will often have strong opinions
on different subjects, but when asked why they believe as they do, they will
not have a rational reason, they “just do.”

Developing a personal belief should involve forming an educated opinion
which is based on evidence and rational thought, not on the politically correct
rhetoric of the day. This is what makes you a unique individual. Your personal
beliefs determine your individuality. Individuality distinguishes one
person from another. If you do not take the time required to form your own
opinions, you are not really acting as an individual, but rather just one of the
mass of people who has allowed others to mold their thoughts to the agendas
of others. By doing this, you have surrendered your individuality.

Developing your personal beliefs, your personal philosophy if you will, is
vital in becoming a strong individual. Without developing your own personal
beliefs, are you really living and thinking as an individual, or are you going
through life mindlessly, your beliefs being influenced, if not controlled, by
others? An awareness of your own individuality is called self-awareness.
Developing your self-awareness is the goal of this book and will require you
to develop your own beliefs, beliefs that come from time spent with your own
thoughts.

Quiet contemplation is required to form specific beliefs that you know to
be true, based on the evidence that you have personally examined and that
you have thought about profoundly. Therefore, taking time for yourself is
essential to understanding your beliefs, thus forming an awareness of your
own individuality, leading to a true understanding of who you truly are and
what you truly believe. This is true self-awareness, and helping you get to
this point is the goal of this book.

Fireside Meditations presents a series of questions that offer you the opportunity
to develop a greater sense of self-awareness. It is not meant to be
read quickly, but rather to be used as a guide. There are 100 thought-provoking
questions which provide you with the foundation to start developing your
core beliefs. Each of these questions are followed by a series of follow up
queries to help you determine your true beliefs. Spend time pondering each
question and form your own personal beliefs concerning the subjects which
are presented.

Some of the questions will require more time and consideration than others,
but every question will lead you closer to complete self-awareness and
an overall understanding of who you are and what you really believe. More
importantly, you will begin to understand why you believe what you believe.
You may find some of the questions intriguing, and others you may find
embarrassing, but it is essential that you answer each question honestly. This
is for your own self-awareness, and it will do you no good if you aren’t honest
with yourself during this process. If you aren’t proud of some of the answers,
you now have the opportunity to make some changes in your life, but
remember to be honest.

The questions are grouped into specific categories, but it is not essential
that you follow any certain order when contemplating your thoughts. You
can meditate on the questions in any order that you see fit. You may also find
that you enjoy discussing some of the questions with your family and friends,
but I highly recommend that you develop your own personal beliefs before
discussing a subject with others. This ensures that your beliefs are your beliefs,
and not someone else’s beliefs. Your goal is to develop a thorough understanding
of your individuality, not someone else’s. There is always a possibility
of changing your beliefs after hearing someone else’s point of view or
discovering different facts, but it is important that you think for yourself.

I have also included quotes with each of the questions. These quotes are
not meant to influence your beliefs, but rather to give you more to think
about. Also, the quotes are not meant to reflect my beliefs, but are simply
words of wisdom which I found interesting and applicable to the subject. I
have not included my opinions or beliefs along with the questions; I merely
expanded on each question to give you, the reader, additional things to think
about while forming your beliefs. This is about your self-awareness, no one
else’s. In the end, it is up to you. What do you believe? I hope you thoroughly
enjoy your journey to self-awareness.