January 1st, 2010

January 1st, 2010
Syncretic
\sin-‘kre-tik\ adj: characterized or brought about by the combination of different forms of belief or practice.


We have often been taught that to possess our own thoughts and ways of bringing certain acts to fruition define not only us as individuals but as members of society, determined to earn our place in the world and to come across our niche. We are taught to respect each other’s lifestyles, opinions and beliefs; to question things that do not make sense to us or that make us feel a certain way whether it be disrespected, honored, confused, happy or sad. However, we are not frequently encouraged to incorporate different ideas into our daily lives to bring about change or to implement a new practice; something that could perhaps not only change our lives but those of others as well. Conceivably, if we were to embrace each new practice and combine those that we learn with those we hold dear in our own lives, maybe we could create a syncretic lifestyle; a way to live that promotes harmony, joy and laughter and the necessary tools to combat discord and chaos. We would discover and therefore employ a way to deal with the nasty and also delightful surprises life throws us; perchance, an alternate option to the current way we handle certain situations and how we view life in general. Hundreds of generations have found ways to merge various techniques to make a dilemma a little less daunting, heartache a little more bearable, tragic loss a little less painful. New medicinal treatments have been invented, new political policies have been executed, cultural barriers have been destroyed and relationships have been forged as a result of a coming together of men and women who have crossed the line into an unknown territory, wielding weapons of knowledge and knowing the end result will definitely help close the gap between dissimilar idealogies.