"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." Marcus Aurelius

This has become one of my favorite quotes lately. When I acknowledge that I choose how I respond to my experience, it makes me feel a range of awesome feelings:

So I have found this attitude of peace, love, prosperity, abundance, and gratitude that makes me enjoy everything to an extent I never thought possible.

Several somewhat significant global events have recently been observed and focused upon by the public, including many of my friends. They talk a lot about "nature" and mankind's "destruction" of it, but I would remind them that the idea of "nature" is an illusion -- an invention of man much like "time" or "right and wrong".

Years ago, this quote made a lot of sense to me when not a whole lot else seemed to. I'll never forget it.

The other night, a friend and I watched a few of the BBC Life documentaries. They're absolutely stunning, especially in 1080p, and particularly on LSD. We watched one on reptiles, one on fish, and one on other deep sea creatures.