This has many implications.  Good and/or bad, depending on how we decide to take advantage of this discovery and how life responds.  Mostly, however, this is good news.  We can engineer better viruses to kill human bacterial pathogens.

I can’t help but wonder, though, if it could come back to bite us.

While thinking (too much) today, I came across a surprisingly accurate analogy for something that I believe in.

I’ve always been optimistic, repeating the mantra “positive waves, positive waves, positive waves” over and over again to myself - and to others when they need it.  Things can and will always get better; that is what I tell people.  Life does involve some luck, but it also involves seizing the opportunity.

But today, I realized “but, what if they don’t know how to recognize those things?”

Then I realized that, as an analogy, I am like a surfer riding in a tube of luck on a wave of opportunity.  Waves are always appearing, but not all of them are great for surfing and some take skill to ride.  And it takes skill to stay on one.  If I am a good surfer, I can manage to ride one all the way out until it dissipates, and I can do this multiple times if I try hard enough and practice.  

I guess what I’m trying to say is that living life is sometimes like surfing; you might suck at it at first, or you might have some talent, but anyone can learn how to do it given enough practice. You will fall off, but if you get back up and try again, you can learn and get better at it.

And this is coming from a dude whose never surfed before - but I want to.  But for some reason, this analogy makes perfect sense to me.  Maybe it will to others, as well.

Advice: don’t count the number of hours in a day.  Just use them the way you want in the best way possible that you can think of - but don’t think too hard about it.

Spend no more than 5 seconds on an impulsive decision; you’ll love the results.

Sometimes in life, you just have to do it - and do your best to enjoy it :)

There are no tricks to life - only tips.

One of the the greatest tips is to find a simple joy in whatever you have to do; it’s important to enjoy your work.

This is why artwork is made by artists; an artist finds satisfaction in the completion of their art.  Why else would would they continue to make their work if they did not enjoy it?

Musicians make music; craftsmen are no different.

The greatest tip is to find your calling in life.  We may feel drawn to something that drives us to want it, sometimes; however, I am not one to believe in fate.

Fate and destiny are not equal to me.  Fate implies no control and no escape; destiny can be abandoned or fulfilled.

Our calling in life leads us to our destiny, and with our destiny, we can achieve many great things.  

Our destinies are our own; we cannot have the lives of others.  We may dream of walking in their shoes, but we all must find our own path in life.

Everyone lives life at their own pace, but their destinies may require them to speed up - or perhaps slow down.  Some paths cross deserts while others blaze trails through jungles and caves.  If you happen across another traveler, it does the soul good to give them company until you must part ways.

Some paths are crowded like city streets; these paths are often the most noisy and confusing to follow - a labyrinth at times, even.  One may find themselves lost in the chaos, unable to spot a suitable herd to follow.  It is at this moment and others like them that we are at our most vulnerable - maybe even our weakest. But, it is also in these moments that we can be at our strongest; sometimes, it takes courage to pick a direction and simply start walking.

If you ever find yourself in a barren desert or a dark, cold cave, know this:  you will not be alone.  You need not worry about dead ends or going in circles if you read the messages that the previous travelers have left behind - like this one, for instance.

This message is etched on to a rock, left at the base of a signpost - marking a crossroads in the middle of a desert.  A sandstorm had just passed through, and I am still walking.