believing

as many of you know (and now you do) i'm not religious. the following below is my belief, if you don't like it - don't read it. this is my blog. this is a sensitive topic to some, but again - it's my blog, right?

i was raised without any religion imposed upon me, so i was able to live with a free mind and a free heart. i do believe some of my family is christian...seeing as we celebrate christmas. (and technically since my cousin married a jewish australian dude - i'm like .0001% jewish? i wish.....) and i know my parents are influenced by buddhism (growing up in taiwan). i don't know much about buddhism, much to do with respecting ancestors and such. no idea though.

i thank my parents for never putting a religion upon me, it's one of the things i'm forever grateful for. i feel like when your parents impose their religion upon at a young age - you become that in a way. it's the way it's always been, is there any other way? (again, doesn't always apply but i'm just saying in general at times) i believe children should be able to choose what religion/or no religion to believe.

what i think is: if you want to believe in (insert religion here) religion, believe in it. what's important ( and what i think ) is that you CHOOSE to and want to - not because someone told you. that's what i respect, believe in what you want - not what someone tells you to.

and i choose to believe in nothing but following your heart. don't let rules or restrictions interfere. i have no heaven, i have no god, i have no hell. i have life, right here on earth. and if given another chance at life maybe i'd come back. my beliefs are a mixture of reality, dreams, and numerous of sci-fi books. ;)

my favorite interpretation of death is in the book ELSEWHERE, google it. basically, when you die - you get sailed on this boat across the river (kind of like egyptian mythology) to elsewhere. you age backwards until you are 0, and are sent across/down the river back to earth. i don't want to spoil anything else, so read it for yourself! i read it when i was 13...so maybe it's a different read now, but the concept is great nonetheless.

my other favorite god-being thing interpretation of death and life are like two girls. (i forgot which book, sorry!) sisters, each a vital part of the cycle of existence. except life is revered and death is misunderstood. this is her duty, without her there is no life. i don't really like the "devil" interpretation of things. dying is just another stage of life, not an evil thing. when my time comes, my time comes. (the later the better though ;P)

but never take this as hating on religion - i find it fascinating. my favorite ones are in which there are numerous of deities - like native american, indian, greek, egyptian....etc. i like personifying nature. i like how there are conflicting forces. never one overall god. (greek is my favorite though, i'm obsessed with greek mythology)

(the following is my little bible of my beliefs)

a lot of religions focusing on doing pious work on this planet - so that in the next life/next step it's better. but the thing is.....is there another step, another chapter? you're given ONE chance, never waste moment of it. there is to "restart" or "rewind" button.

don't spend your life impressing or appeasing something intangible or might not even be there, spend it selfishly and selflessly. helping/inspiring others and living your life the way you want to live.

be the person who you want to be, and never regret. cherish and love nature. that's my religion. (maybe i should just start my own, haha)

i want to look back on my life at the ripe age of 103, and say - i don't regret one moment of it.

maybe there is a greater being up there, maybe there isn't. besides - we're all just petty little humans, what do we know? (and what are we to judge?)