What Gives Me Authority?

It is an understandable question to ask, who or what gives me the authority to discuss these topics?

The short answer is: I give the authority to myself. Through learned experiences, self-taught lessons, reading other philosophers work, researching topics I find interesting and reporting on them. I do not hold a degree in philosophy or theology or any other major that would be in the realm of our discussions, however, that doesn’t mean my voice doesn’t lend additional insight into the topic.

There are many other philosophers and writers out there that do have such credentials, and I encourage everyone to listen to other voices too. I would not and do not encourage people to only read my written works or listen to only my voice. There are so many other amazing voices out there that can open up doors for you.

You may not resonate with a particular author’s written voice or another philosopher’s phraseology, but that doesn’t mean they are inherently wrong, it could just mean they are not speaking to you in a way that is conducive to you understanding their material.

Zen, meditation, and philosophical discussions are meant to be only a part of your ‘diet’, as consuming too much information can overload you and potentially overlap teachings that have previously helped you into enlightenment. Eventually, it is beneficial to step away from it, and simply live in a state of enlightenment; however, I find it interesting to learn other perspectives and try to share this information when I enjoy it.

Ever since I was in high school I wanted to become a professional writer. Initially, when I was in undergraduate school, I was a writing major, but after about a year or so into the program, I felt that I wasn’t going to earn a decent wage after I graduated, so I switched to a business degree and graduated with that. However, I always wanted to continue my writing journey. While I was beginning my career, I did publish my first novel in 2018. The creative desire is always there for me, and I want to continue exploring this aspect of my life, as I thoroughly enjoy it.

In terms of my professional credentialling, it is unrelated to writing and meditative practices. My career is in insurance, of all things, a diametric opposite to philosophy and meditation, however, I feel this gives me a unique perspective, as I am highly analytical on the one hand, but on the other hand, I have a creative muscle that I like use. I am licensed, professionally designated, and I am currently enrolled in a graduate-level program for a master’s degree on negotiation and influence. So, I do have authority in my field of work, but not in my personal endeavors. Which is fine, again, I give myself the authority by learning as much as I can, writing and sharing topics, hosting discussion sessions, and by simply being enthralled by the topic-at-hand.