Random Thoughts on Belief

What is a guy to do after a half day of intense training on capacity planning, problem solving via the long-distance office tether (aka Blackberry) and 5 hours in the car?  Why write a random posting about things I believe.  Why?  Why not.

Redemption
I believe, whole-heartedly, that everyone deserves a shot at redemption.  Everyone.  Maybe this comes from growing up Catholic, where I was taught that every sin could be forgiven via Confession.  Maybe it comes from what some believe is a mistaken belief that people are inherently good (see below).  Maybe I really am an optimist.  But I do believe in redemption.


People are Good
I believe, with every ounce of my existence, that the natural state for human beings is to be good.  Now good people can do bad things, but that doesn't invalidate the goodness that resides in them, as we all should have a shot at redemption (see above).  Is there such a thing as a bad person?  Sure, but I really do think that is by far and away the exception, not the rule.


There is "Stuff" We Can't Understand
I believe in the notion of a higher power in the universe.  I love science and I enjoy math.  I also understand that the universe is not similar to a giant quadratic equation...it simply can not be solved, no matter how smart we are now or will be in the future.  Forget the notion of a sky wizard...this is where I see God fitting into the grand scheme of thing.


Want vs Need
I believe that, in my life, I seldom have gotten what I wanted, but I have always gotten what I needed.  This is, as much as anything else, my personal proof of a higher power in the universe.


Answers are Nice, but Questions are Better
I believe that sometimes what is important in life isn't getting a bunch of answers, but rather is in figuring out the right questions to ask in the first place.  The act of asking a question is both liberating and powerful.


Diversity of Thought
I believe that the most important kind of diversity we should strive to obtain in our lives has nothing to do with race, age, gender or anything else of the sort that can be quota-tized.  No, the really important thing here is in diversity of thought.  If we can accept others for how they feel and think, then things like skin color become inconsequential.


John Lennon was Right
I believe that really all you do need is love...it's just all the other stuff that makes life confusing.


Technology is Nice, but...
I believe that technology is at its best when it is inconspicuous, when it is a part of the background, when it is simply a means to a greater end.  Some obsess far too much over having the latest toy or gadget and forget that today's "thing" is tomorrow's flea market bargain bin special.  When Facebook can connect you to that sibling that you haven't spoken to in 6 years it is serving a wonderful purpose; when Facebook gives you the mistaken impression that you really do have 586 "friends" then I suspect it is probably doing you more harm than good.


Looking Outside
I believe that introspection is great, wonderful and necessary, but it has its limits. I know that sometimes I can get so caught up in the swirl inside my head that I forget to see what is around me...I forget to look outside.


Long Term
I believe in taking the long view for most things.  Not that I am always successful mind you, but there is something magical in achieving something that was years in the making.  Americans are too obsessed over the short term.  We want things in 120 characters or less.  Life doesn't work like that, sorry.