So at work the other day, I had a really long, in-depth, and interesting conversation with two guys I work with. We weren't busy at all, so we were able to talk about things for a long time. It all started with the one kid talking about an art exhibit he saw. It was a really wild exhibit, and really opened his eyes, but to him it just wasn't something he would call art. To him it wasn't art, but the woman artist of the exhibit had devoted her life to doing what she called art. And He started to talk about how art is pretty much what you, as an idividual make of it. Like Andy Warhol states, "Art is what you can get away with." It got me to thinking how not only is art what you make of it, but more so life as a whole. Life, in its entirety, is how you perceive it. And, since every mind is different, every individual perceives life in a different way. It made me think of my favorite quote by Buddha, "Believe Nothing, No Matter Where You Read It, or Who Said It, No Matter If I Have Said It, Unless It Agrees with Your Own Reason and Your Own Common Sense." Since life to me is how I perceive it, all that matters in life is what i decide to let matter. If I believe something in my mind, then to me that is all that matters. For example: If I see a shirt that I like, then I like it. If someone comes up and says, "That's an ugly shirt." or "I don't really like that shirt." I don't let it bother me. Because, in my mind I like it. I enjoy the shirt. And if I enjoy something in life, regardless of what others think or tell me, I will enjoy it; and I wont let their thoughts or words prevent me from doing so. Think about this quote by Ghandi, "No one can hurt me without my permission." It grasps the point of what I just explained. Most people in today's world are so influenced by everyone around them that they aren't living their own lives, but instead living their lives to fit other peoples desires and needs. Don't let others define you, Define yourself. Everyone is entitled to their own opinions due to the fact that everyone's mind is different. Everyone sees and thinks differently. Since I've understood that, Ive realized not to let what others say or do truly affect me. That last line got me to thinking how in the end, everyone dies. Your mom will eventually die. Your best friend will eventually die. Your girlfriend/wife that you love so much will eventually die. Even your mailman you may see a couple times a week will die. Eventually, everyone dies. Whether someone plays a big role in your life, or no role at all, in the end they will die. It made me realize how life is what I decide to make of it and that I should live my life exactly how I decide to. Dont let others opinions make decisions for you. Make decisions based on your own thoughts that are non-influenced by the people and the world around you. Because, in the end, everything disappears. As you are born, the world is born. And as you die, the whole world dies. We talked about a lot of things that night and it really made me think a lot deeper than I normally do. To tie this all together with the thread title, At the end of the night a man and woman came into our store, both of them probably in their late 20s. As they left, my friend said, "You see, thats what I dont get. How does a guy like him get to be with a girl like that? He was one ugly motherfucker." Now to us, he wasn't the greatest looking of guys. (I'm not really one to judge other men anyways, but I'm sure you get the point) Also, this woman was very attractive. The kind of woman that if she came up to you and said, "Lets runaway and get married." your only answer would be yes. Although we perceived her as a beautiful woman, there is no doubt in my mind that there are other guys out there who would not feel the same way towards her. They may look at her and think, "ehh shes not bad." or, they could look at her and be thinking she is in no way, shape or form, an attractive lady. This applies to this man she was with as well. To us he was ugly, but to this woman, he could seem to be a handsome man. It is in my mind undoubtedly true to say that beauty is indeed in the eye of the beholder, likewise how life as a whole is how you perceive it. And I just want more people to understand that. If you are smart enough to grasp the concept that I'm trying to get across here...