This is pretty basic and commonsense... but we all struggle with it. Concrete images will always win out over abstract ideas and explanations! If you want something to stick... make it concrete... make it sensory... give them an image, a sound, a sight, a smell... and it will stick.
Make it specific, not general... Something specific that people can connect with. Remember, abstraction comes after the concrete. Abstraction comes with knowledge. If someone doesn't have the knowledge... and you are trying to communicate it... using abstract language is worse than useless... They need the concrete experience first...
There is a powerful example in the book... one that will "stick" with me... Have you ever heard of a teacher named Jane Elliott??? In 1968, after the assassination of Martin Luther King, she was trying to teach her Grade 3 class about prejudice. Now, prejudice is an abstract concept... how do you communicate that to Grade 3'ers?? She made it experiential... She divided the class into blue-eyed children and brown-eyed children. Elliott divided her class by eye color -- those with blue eyes and those with brown.
On the first day, the blue-eyed children were told they were smarter, nicer, neater, and better than those with brown eyes. Throughout the day, Elliott praised them and allowed them privileges such as a taking a longer recess and being first in the lunch line. In contrast, the brown-eyed children had to wear collars around their necks and their behavior and performance were criticized and ridiculed by Elliott. On the second day, the roles were reversed and the blue-eyed children were made to feel inferior while the brown eyes were designated the dominant group.
What happened over the course of the unique two-day exercise astonished both students and teacher. On both days, children who were designated as inferior took on the look and behavior of genuinely inferior students, performing poorly on tests and other work. In contrast, the "superior" students -- students who had been sweet and tolerant before the exercise -- became mean-spirited and seemed to like discriminating against the "inferior" group.
"I watched what had been marvelous, cooperative, wonderful, thoughtful children turn into nasty, vicious, discriminating little third-graders in a space of fifteen minutes," says Elliott. She says she realized then that she had "created a microcosm of society in a third-grade classroom."
Those children remembered that experience... Years later, they are less-prejudiced than their peers... They experienced prejudice... you don't forget something like that... You might forget an explanation... but you don't forget an experience...
30 years later, Frontline on PBC reunited the children/adults involved... http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/divided/
The edge of Ideas. The edge of Connections. The edge of the Unknown. And... in 2020... reading my way (again) through a hefty list of World-Changing books.
Monday, January 31, 2011
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Made to Stick - Unexpectedness
In a nutshell... surprise people! Turn over their apple cart. Wake them up. Shock them. Disrupt their view of the world, of themselves, of the universe. Challenge their assumptions... Nordstrom (store in the US) prides itself on customer service. New employees though, come with a variety of ideas of what "good" customer services is... Nordstrom disrupts their ideas by telling them what some Nordie employees have done...
But then, once you've surprised them, how do you hold their attention? Well, appeal to their curiosity. Create a knowledge gap... and then fill it. Create a mystery. Point out something that they don't know and then fill that gap... People hate having knowledge gaps... they want to know... their curiosity will impel them to follow it through to the end. Think of a mystery story... Create a mystery and then solve it. Create an unexpected mystery... and then solve it.
- iron the new shirt of a customer so they can wear it to a presentation that afternoon
- gift wrap a purchase for a customer... bought at Macy's
- refund a customer for tire chains... Nordstrom does not sell tire chains
- warm a customer's car while they shop
But then, once you've surprised them, how do you hold their attention? Well, appeal to their curiosity. Create a knowledge gap... and then fill it. Create a mystery. Point out something that they don't know and then fill that gap... People hate having knowledge gaps... they want to know... their curiosity will impel them to follow it through to the end. Think of a mystery story... Create a mystery and then solve it. Create an unexpected mystery... and then solve it.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Made to Stick - Simplicity
So, still reading this book, Made to Stick... The first point is simplicity, which I suppose we could also phrase as k.i.s.s.... keep it simple, stupid. They don't go quite that far but they do say, you need to find the core of your message, the one thing you want to communicate or embody. Not three things... not five things... One thing. They make the analogy to the military and the commander's intent. The commander can give all sorts of instructions and plans to some troops... but they won't work when they come in contact with the enemy, because the unexpected happens. So, there's something called "commander's intent"... something like "capture that hill to protect the flank". That's it... how the troops accomplish that is their business... but that's the core of the orders.
So, find the core of what you are trying to communicate... and then communicate it in a compact message, something along the lines of a proverb. A newspaper in a town in the States has 115% readership... and their motto is "names, names, names". They promote local news and the more news the better. Southwest Airlines is "the LOW cost airline"... whatever it takes to make them the cheapest...
I suppose it's like a mission statement but something more concrete, more impactful... It's a mission statement cut down to the bare bones. Too many words, too many big words, too many "concepts", and the message gets lost. How many of us can share the mission statement of our company or church or organization? Probably not many... It should be something short and pithy, something people remember, that they can turn to as they turn to the north star. Something that gets them re-aligned with the mission... Without having to find a one paragraph mission statement in a manual...
I suppose each of us have a mission statement as well... what are we about in this life? What is our philosophy? Eat Drink and be Merry? Peace Order and Good Government? Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? See, those are all things we remember... So what is ours? What is it that is our north star? So... find the core... and express it in a compact form...
So, find the core of what you are trying to communicate... and then communicate it in a compact message, something along the lines of a proverb. A newspaper in a town in the States has 115% readership... and their motto is "names, names, names". They promote local news and the more news the better. Southwest Airlines is "the LOW cost airline"... whatever it takes to make them the cheapest...
I suppose it's like a mission statement but something more concrete, more impactful... It's a mission statement cut down to the bare bones. Too many words, too many big words, too many "concepts", and the message gets lost. How many of us can share the mission statement of our company or church or organization? Probably not many... It should be something short and pithy, something people remember, that they can turn to as they turn to the north star. Something that gets them re-aligned with the mission... Without having to find a one paragraph mission statement in a manual...
I suppose each of us have a mission statement as well... what are we about in this life? What is our philosophy? Eat Drink and be Merry? Peace Order and Good Government? Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? See, those are all things we remember... So what is ours? What is it that is our north star? So... find the core... and express it in a compact form...
Friday, January 28, 2011
Ideas that Stick
I'm reading a book right now called Made to Stick. It's all about why some ideas survive and others die. I'm only in the first chaper, but it's already grabbed me (stuck to me!). Why do we remember some things better than others? What is it that makes an idea stick with us... and not others...
They're suggesting that there are six principles that contribute to sticky ideas... ideas that stick with us... that we remember over time:
1. Simplicity - make it simple and profound
2. Unexpectedness - violate people's expectations... surprise them, appeal to their interest & curiosity - open gaps in their knowledge and then fill those gaps
3. Concreteness - use concrete, sensory images, not the abstract
4. Credibility - don't give them stats... give them something they can test themselves
5. Emotions - connect to their emotions
6. Stories - tell it as a story
Or... A Simple Unexpected Concrete Credentialed Emotional Story... But if it's so simple, why aren't there more sticky ideas out there? Because there's something called the Curse of Knowledge... when we know something, we find it hard to imagine not knowing it... and so it becomes harder for us to share that knowledge with others. We know "it"... but we know "it" so well, that we have trouble sharing "it" with those who don't know "it"... It is so obvious to us, that we can't imagine it being not obvious, ergo we find it hard to put ourselves in the shoes of those for whom it's not obvious.
More later!
They're suggesting that there are six principles that contribute to sticky ideas... ideas that stick with us... that we remember over time:
1. Simplicity - make it simple and profound
2. Unexpectedness - violate people's expectations... surprise them, appeal to their interest & curiosity - open gaps in their knowledge and then fill those gaps
3. Concreteness - use concrete, sensory images, not the abstract
4. Credibility - don't give them stats... give them something they can test themselves
5. Emotions - connect to their emotions
6. Stories - tell it as a story
Or... A Simple Unexpected Concrete Credentialed Emotional Story... But if it's so simple, why aren't there more sticky ideas out there? Because there's something called the Curse of Knowledge... when we know something, we find it hard to imagine not knowing it... and so it becomes harder for us to share that knowledge with others. We know "it"... but we know "it" so well, that we have trouble sharing "it" with those who don't know "it"... It is so obvious to us, that we can't imagine it being not obvious, ergo we find it hard to put ourselves in the shoes of those for whom it's not obvious.
More later!
Thursday, January 27, 2011
A Different World
So, I'm working on my indexing for FamilySearch.org, and at the moment it's New York Marriage Records from 1918. They're fairly basic and straightforward. Name of groom & bride, their age, date of the wedding and their parents. Pretty basic. That's all that they want for indexing, but there is more information on the forms.
Right above the spot for "age" is a field for "color". I've been happily indexing along and today noticed that this one field had been filled in with "color"... So it was Color - Color. And I thought... color of what??? Color of hair, eyes? No... This is the United States... Elsewhere, the Color field usually had "white" next to it... But in this case, it was actually "color". Which could be black, tan, polka dot or chartreuse. That doesn't matter. In the US at that point, you were either white... or color... No other distinction necessary.
I think of how far we have come since then... And how far we still have to go in other areas.
Right above the spot for "age" is a field for "color". I've been happily indexing along and today noticed that this one field had been filled in with "color"... So it was Color - Color. And I thought... color of what??? Color of hair, eyes? No... This is the United States... Elsewhere, the Color field usually had "white" next to it... But in this case, it was actually "color". Which could be black, tan, polka dot or chartreuse. That doesn't matter. In the US at that point, you were either white... or color... No other distinction necessary.
I think of how far we have come since then... And how far we still have to go in other areas.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Upsets
My routine was thrown out the window yesterday, and I felt out of sorts for the rest of the day! I like to go off to Starbucks in the morning and get my blogging done... have my hot chocolate... and just be... But that didn't happen yesterday!! Other great things did happen... like decluttering some stuff, re-organizing a room and creating space... But I didn't get my writing in... and it showed!
My writing is a spiritual exercise for me. It's a way for me to connect with the world... connect with spirit and bring the two together. I love just being able to sit here and watch my fingers type and see what comes out of them. I have been meaning to also get a set of portable headphones, so that I can plug in and listen to music off of the laptop as well... So far, that hasn't happened! But... it will...
It's a time for me to ground myself, to get connected with my day... to write just for the joy of writing. Later in the day, I'll be writing other things, also for the joy of writing... but usually with a purpose behind it... like creating articles for a newsletter, or writing some pages for a book... This blog writing is just for the beauty of writing. I don't plan to do anything with the Musings blog... other than just enjoy it!
Which makes me wonder... what are some of the other things in my life that I do just for the joy of it? What would it be like if I did everything in my life for the sheer joy of it?? What if all things in my life brought me joy... whether it is washing the dishings, cleaning the house, doing office work, cleaning the litter box... doing laundry... going grocery shopping... Any and all of those things I could do just for the sheer joy of it... The difference is the way in which I hold those things... as a burden or as a joy... as an opportunity for connection or as a chore... My choice...
My writing is a spiritual exercise for me. It's a way for me to connect with the world... connect with spirit and bring the two together. I love just being able to sit here and watch my fingers type and see what comes out of them. I have been meaning to also get a set of portable headphones, so that I can plug in and listen to music off of the laptop as well... So far, that hasn't happened! But... it will...
It's a time for me to ground myself, to get connected with my day... to write just for the joy of writing. Later in the day, I'll be writing other things, also for the joy of writing... but usually with a purpose behind it... like creating articles for a newsletter, or writing some pages for a book... This blog writing is just for the beauty of writing. I don't plan to do anything with the Musings blog... other than just enjoy it!
Which makes me wonder... what are some of the other things in my life that I do just for the joy of it? What would it be like if I did everything in my life for the sheer joy of it?? What if all things in my life brought me joy... whether it is washing the dishings, cleaning the house, doing office work, cleaning the litter box... doing laundry... going grocery shopping... Any and all of those things I could do just for the sheer joy of it... The difference is the way in which I hold those things... as a burden or as a joy... as an opportunity for connection or as a chore... My choice...
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Cold Weather
I am a bit of a... well, what's the right word... stingy? frugal? money-conscious? Something like that... I like to shop at Value Village because I can get gently used jeans for under $10. I wear my clothes until they basically fall apart... I don't like to lay down a lot of $$$ for clothes. It seems like a waste of time and money to me!! But then, there are times where I do feel like I need to buy something new...
So, I bought a zip-up cardigan sweater... It can replace the old, worn out pullover that I've been wearing on top of my t-shirts. I bought a new pair of winter boots. My old Sorel boots are worn to the point of ridiculousness. My hi-tec style boots aren't warm enough. So, I bit the bullet and bought a real pair of winter boots. Here's hoping that they last a while! And then I noticed that my hi-tec boots are actually quite worn out as well... So, in the spring, it'll be time for a new pair of those!! Sigh... It seems like I need to buy new everythings all at the same time... New underwear was last week... New toques were a couple of weeks before that!
The thing for me to remember is... now that I have new things, I can let some of the old things go!! It's time for that... time to let go of the old in order to make room for the new... It might not be spring... but spring-cleaning is appropriate anytime!
So, I bought a zip-up cardigan sweater... It can replace the old, worn out pullover that I've been wearing on top of my t-shirts. I bought a new pair of winter boots. My old Sorel boots are worn to the point of ridiculousness. My hi-tec style boots aren't warm enough. So, I bit the bullet and bought a real pair of winter boots. Here's hoping that they last a while! And then I noticed that my hi-tec boots are actually quite worn out as well... So, in the spring, it'll be time for a new pair of those!! Sigh... It seems like I need to buy new everythings all at the same time... New underwear was last week... New toques were a couple of weeks before that!
The thing for me to remember is... now that I have new things, I can let some of the old things go!! It's time for that... time to let go of the old in order to make room for the new... It might not be spring... but spring-cleaning is appropriate anytime!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Head Coverings
When I was little... and into my teenage years... my mom constantly fought with me about wearing a toque or something else that was warm on my head. I didn't want to look goofy (in my mind)... or geeky (again, in my mind)... so I'd rather freeze my ear lobes off than wear a toque... Eventually, I did settle on wearing toques... but only ones that looked cool (in my mind)... or moderately civilized (again, in my mind).
Today, I am much more mindful of my head... my ears... especially when I have wet hair!! And... I bought a couple of toques the other day... One is your quintissential toque, just pull it on your head and you're good to go. But then, I surprised myself and bought one of those hats that kids used to wear... you know, with integrated ear flaps and a couple of cords on either side, to tie under your chin. It looked warm... it is warm... and it actually... to my mind... looks kind of cool!! It helps of course that other people are wearing them too... but it just got me thinking how our perceptions change over the years...
What was taboo when we were younger, is now OK. What was hip and cool back when we were younger, we wouldn't be caught dead wearing! Things don't remain the same. We don't remain the same. Even when we think we aren't changing... we are always changing... growing older, growing wiser, growing more tolerant, growing more relaxed...
We're never too old... we can always change... alter ourselves... alter our relationship with the world...
Today, I am much more mindful of my head... my ears... especially when I have wet hair!! And... I bought a couple of toques the other day... One is your quintissential toque, just pull it on your head and you're good to go. But then, I surprised myself and bought one of those hats that kids used to wear... you know, with integrated ear flaps and a couple of cords on either side, to tie under your chin. It looked warm... it is warm... and it actually... to my mind... looks kind of cool!! It helps of course that other people are wearing them too... but it just got me thinking how our perceptions change over the years...
What was taboo when we were younger, is now OK. What was hip and cool back when we were younger, we wouldn't be caught dead wearing! Things don't remain the same. We don't remain the same. Even when we think we aren't changing... we are always changing... growing older, growing wiser, growing more tolerant, growing more relaxed...
We're never too old... we can always change... alter ourselves... alter our relationship with the world...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Windshields
I had my windshield replaced in the fall. There was a crack that ran along the bottom of the windshield, from one end to the other. If that wasn't bad enough... I also had a major rock hit on the driver's side. It didn't look too bad from the inside, but when I touched it on the outside, it was actually jagged and missing pieces of glass. Hmmm... if something hits near there again... that might not be good! I also noticed that driving into the sun was a bit daunting... My windshield seemed to be full of tiny specks! No matter, how much I cleaned it with window cleaner, those darn specks wouldn't go away.
So... new windshield and new outlook on life! Wow!! So clear... so clean... so easy to see through! It's like it's not even there... and of course, as soon as you reach out to touch it... fingerprint on the window! Ah well... As the winter wears on though... I notice that the roadway sand is not insignificant. In fact, I can hear the pings and flicks as these little tiny pieces of sand and rock hit my windshield... And I cringe... waiting for the big one!
What struck me though was that all of those tiny pings and flicks contribute to those tiny little specks on my windshield. Yes, there are the big ones, that actually make a star big enough to see... or start a crack... but every little piece of sand or stone that hits, probably makes a tiny little speck of a star... And contributes to the overall look of the windshield. I could go several years without a major crack or star... and eventually, it would be the accumulation of little specks that would send me running for a new windshield!
That's sort of like life too... We have lots of little hurts and big hurts... lots of little resentments and big resentments... But in the grand scheme of life, the accumulation of all those little things has a bigger impact on us than the "big" ones... The big ones we can see and handle... It's the little ones that we can't see and don't handle that get to us eventually... Unlike a car however, we can't just run out and buy a new view on life... We have to handle those little specks and dings... let go of all those little hurts and little resentments... Otherwise, we go through life not really seeing life or experiencing life... We see life through the lens of all of our little hurts and resentments... Not a very fulfilling way to live!
So... new windshield and new outlook on life! Wow!! So clear... so clean... so easy to see through! It's like it's not even there... and of course, as soon as you reach out to touch it... fingerprint on the window! Ah well... As the winter wears on though... I notice that the roadway sand is not insignificant. In fact, I can hear the pings and flicks as these little tiny pieces of sand and rock hit my windshield... And I cringe... waiting for the big one!
What struck me though was that all of those tiny pings and flicks contribute to those tiny little specks on my windshield. Yes, there are the big ones, that actually make a star big enough to see... or start a crack... but every little piece of sand or stone that hits, probably makes a tiny little speck of a star... And contributes to the overall look of the windshield. I could go several years without a major crack or star... and eventually, it would be the accumulation of little specks that would send me running for a new windshield!
That's sort of like life too... We have lots of little hurts and big hurts... lots of little resentments and big resentments... But in the grand scheme of life, the accumulation of all those little things has a bigger impact on us than the "big" ones... The big ones we can see and handle... It's the little ones that we can't see and don't handle that get to us eventually... Unlike a car however, we can't just run out and buy a new view on life... We have to handle those little specks and dings... let go of all those little hurts and little resentments... Otherwise, we go through life not really seeing life or experiencing life... We see life through the lens of all of our little hurts and resentments... Not a very fulfilling way to live!
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Albertans & Their Trailer Hitches
Since moving to Alberta, I've noticed some interesting "ornaments" on truck trailer hitches... Maybe it's because Alberta is a beef province... Maybe it's because Albertans are insecure... Maybe it's because Albertans are... well... different...
These ornaments are called Bull Balls... or Truck Nutz... or Your Nutz... or Truck Balls... or Big Boy Nuts... Yup, they are large testicle replicas that hang off of a trailer hitch... I'm not sure what the guys in the trucks are trying to communicate... Maybe that they are "big" boys? I'd be kind of curious to know what guys think of these things... They do swing very nicely from the trailer hitch... but they are a bit distracting for drivers who are following as they look and go "What the heck is that? Are those... testicles??"...
Yes... next will be replica breasts mounted on the grillwork of cars... I can see it now... Oncoming male drivers (heterosexuals of course!) will veer into oncoming traffic, overcome by the life-like reality of these bobbing breasts... Uh-huh...
These ornaments are called Bull Balls... or Truck Nutz... or Your Nutz... or Truck Balls... or Big Boy Nuts... Yup, they are large testicle replicas that hang off of a trailer hitch... I'm not sure what the guys in the trucks are trying to communicate... Maybe that they are "big" boys? I'd be kind of curious to know what guys think of these things... They do swing very nicely from the trailer hitch... but they are a bit distracting for drivers who are following as they look and go "What the heck is that? Are those... testicles??"...
Yes... next will be replica breasts mounted on the grillwork of cars... I can see it now... Oncoming male drivers (heterosexuals of course!) will veer into oncoming traffic, overcome by the life-like reality of these bobbing breasts... Uh-huh...
Friday, January 21, 2011
Helping a Cancer Patient
I helped a cancer patient today... maybe saved their life. I donated platelets... I've been donating whole blood for a few decades now... but the last time, I read promotional material for donating platelets and plasma and thought... why not. I'm an A+ blood type, which means I'm one of the universal donors for platelets. Normally, when someone donates whole blood, they separate out the plasma and the platelets, and then combine batches from different donors. So, a cancer patient might get a batch of platelets that includes the contributions of 4 to 8 donors... That can be hard on the system. Better to get a batch from one donor.
Platelet donation is a longer process... taking about 2.5 hours for me on this first time. That includes cookies and juice at the end... and signing a consent form at the beginning. The actual donation itself took 86 minutes. Quite fascinating. They take out a batch of blood, run it through the centrifuge machine, separate out the plasma & platelets, then the flow reverses and they pump the plasma and blood back into me... This back and forth process happened 7 times and was interesting to say the least!
Would I do it again? It definitely takes a lot longer... But it'll probably go quicker next time cause I won't have to go through the whole consent form thing. I could just donate plasma... that takes 20 minutes... Or I could alternate... The thing with both of these donations, is I can donate more frequently. With plasma, I can donate every week. With platelets, every two weeks... With whole blood... every 56 days. Makes sense to donate more frequently and potentially help more people...
Next time I'll take a lot more calcium the day before and the day after!! Long story... if you ever donate platelets, you'll find out why...
Platelet donation is a longer process... taking about 2.5 hours for me on this first time. That includes cookies and juice at the end... and signing a consent form at the beginning. The actual donation itself took 86 minutes. Quite fascinating. They take out a batch of blood, run it through the centrifuge machine, separate out the plasma & platelets, then the flow reverses and they pump the plasma and blood back into me... This back and forth process happened 7 times and was interesting to say the least!
Would I do it again? It definitely takes a lot longer... But it'll probably go quicker next time cause I won't have to go through the whole consent form thing. I could just donate plasma... that takes 20 minutes... Or I could alternate... The thing with both of these donations, is I can donate more frequently. With plasma, I can donate every week. With platelets, every two weeks... With whole blood... every 56 days. Makes sense to donate more frequently and potentially help more people...
Next time I'll take a lot more calcium the day before and the day after!! Long story... if you ever donate platelets, you'll find out why...
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Snowing & Blowing
It's -15C out there... snowing... and blowing... I'm tucked all snug and warm in my favourite Starbucks chair, sipping a delicious hot chocolate and happily blogging away. Traffic is a nightmare out there... but I'm hoping that in 1/2 hour or so, the morning rush will be done and I can some errands taken care of...
Sometimes I wonder about coming out to Starbucks everyday... or almost everyday. It seems like a bit of an indulgence... a pampering of myself... And yet... I know that it contributes greatly to my sense of balance and my creativity. I like to just sit here and write whatever comes to me... Sometimes inspiration strikes... Sometimes it is seemingly banal things that grab my attention, and take me deeper.
I have a stack of library books that I am reading as well... And so I bring one of them along and when the blogging spirit wanes, I can pull out a book and read for a while.
It takes quite a bit of "something" for me to get out to Starbucks sometimes... The weather is yucky. The traffic is horrible. My pile of stuff at the office is growing higher! I have other projects on the go. All of this is calling my name, calling me to procrastinate on my writing time... and I need to have a high degree of self-discipline and committment to keep coming here... There are all the "I should"s running through my head. "I should be doing this... I should be doing that... This is selfish time... This is a waste of time..." Yeah... crazy... But I know that this Starbucks time is good for me... it is my time... and sometimes it's not even a long time... It might be an hour... or an hour and a half... I am fueled up and ready to go...
Sometimes I wonder about coming out to Starbucks everyday... or almost everyday. It seems like a bit of an indulgence... a pampering of myself... And yet... I know that it contributes greatly to my sense of balance and my creativity. I like to just sit here and write whatever comes to me... Sometimes inspiration strikes... Sometimes it is seemingly banal things that grab my attention, and take me deeper.
I have a stack of library books that I am reading as well... And so I bring one of them along and when the blogging spirit wanes, I can pull out a book and read for a while.
It takes quite a bit of "something" for me to get out to Starbucks sometimes... The weather is yucky. The traffic is horrible. My pile of stuff at the office is growing higher! I have other projects on the go. All of this is calling my name, calling me to procrastinate on my writing time... and I need to have a high degree of self-discipline and committment to keep coming here... There are all the "I should"s running through my head. "I should be doing this... I should be doing that... This is selfish time... This is a waste of time..." Yeah... crazy... But I know that this Starbucks time is good for me... it is my time... and sometimes it's not even a long time... It might be an hour... or an hour and a half... I am fueled up and ready to go...
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Behind the Wheel
Back in November, Alberta finally passed Bill 16... the Distracted Driving Law. It's the toughest in the country!! For months before that, you could talk on a cell phone and drive a car, unless you went east into Saskatchewan or west into British Columbia. Alberta was a little island of distracted driving... But no more!!!
Bill 16 not only bars people from phoning, texting or emailing while driving, it also prohibits actions such as reading, grooming or writing while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. That includs the use of a laptop! It also targets eating and drinking - if police feel it's distracting. Drinking your coffee with a hand on the wheel likely won't get you a ticket; but eating a sandwich with both hands while using your knee to steer could get you in trouble with the law. No kidding...
It also includes manually typing or inputting information into a portable audio player... So don't play with your iPod nano!! And... no manually inputting information into a GPS system while driving!! That could be a big one for some people.
Apparently, Albertans are the worst offenders in the country when it comes to driving while distracted. Which makes our roads very dangerous! Taking your eyes off of the road for five seconds while driving at 90 kilometres an hour is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field blind. Police also say you are twice as likely to have a collision while distracted, and that 80 per cent of all collisions involve some sort of distracted driving.
The Government of Alberta is going to phase in the Distracted Driving Law, to give Albertans a chance to get used to the new way of driving! The law doesn't take effect until June 2011... but given how attached we are to multi-tasking while driving... we might want to start practicing now! And got out and get a bluetooth earpiece... because hands-free cell phone use is still allowed...
Bill 16 not only bars people from phoning, texting or emailing while driving, it also prohibits actions such as reading, grooming or writing while behind the wheel of a motor vehicle. That includs the use of a laptop! It also targets eating and drinking - if police feel it's distracting. Drinking your coffee with a hand on the wheel likely won't get you a ticket; but eating a sandwich with both hands while using your knee to steer could get you in trouble with the law. No kidding...
It also includes manually typing or inputting information into a portable audio player... So don't play with your iPod nano!! And... no manually inputting information into a GPS system while driving!! That could be a big one for some people.
Apparently, Albertans are the worst offenders in the country when it comes to driving while distracted. Which makes our roads very dangerous! Taking your eyes off of the road for five seconds while driving at 90 kilometres an hour is the equivalent of driving the length of a football field blind. Police also say you are twice as likely to have a collision while distracted, and that 80 per cent of all collisions involve some sort of distracted driving.
The Government of Alberta is going to phase in the Distracted Driving Law, to give Albertans a chance to get used to the new way of driving! The law doesn't take effect until June 2011... but given how attached we are to multi-tasking while driving... we might want to start practicing now! And got out and get a bluetooth earpiece... because hands-free cell phone use is still allowed...
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Seeing is Believing??
I have always been puzzled by some of the stories about Jesus in the Bible. He does such wonderful things, amazing things... and yet some people do not believe in him... How can that be??? How can the Pharisees be so blind to who he is and who they are and what he is doing... and what they are doing?? Isn't seeing = believing??
Apparently not... in fact, they had such strong beliefs in what was real, what was true, who was God, who was Jesus... that no matter what they saw, or what they experienced... they wouldn't be able to see it. There was no room within their world for seeing this new thing. There was no space for listening to Jesus. There was no space for seeing Jesus. They saw Jesus, heard Jesus, through the filter of their beliefs and their expectations. They couldn't see clearly... couldn't hear clearly... And we know the end result...
Ultimately, they were not open to seeing/hearing/experiencing something different. Their little world was bracketed by their beliefs and they could see nothing beyond those limits. They were not open to experiencing something different, something new...
We can be like that sometimes too. We see people through the lens of our belief about them... and we really don't see them as they are. We come to a workshop and we expect it to be a certain way... and it isn't... and we aren't open to seeing something different. I experienced that with someone in a workshop a while ago. This person was so stuck in their stuff that they were not open to something new, something different. And nothing we said or did as facilitators shifted that. This person was not open... And I wonder how can that be?? How can people be so closed? And I wonder... how am I like that??? Where am I stuck in my ways, stuck in my thinking, stuck in my beliefs... stuck in general? Are there people/things that I do not see clearly because of my beliefs?? A good time to take an introspective look at my own stuff....
Apparently not... in fact, they had such strong beliefs in what was real, what was true, who was God, who was Jesus... that no matter what they saw, or what they experienced... they wouldn't be able to see it. There was no room within their world for seeing this new thing. There was no space for listening to Jesus. There was no space for seeing Jesus. They saw Jesus, heard Jesus, through the filter of their beliefs and their expectations. They couldn't see clearly... couldn't hear clearly... And we know the end result...
Ultimately, they were not open to seeing/hearing/experiencing something different. Their little world was bracketed by their beliefs and they could see nothing beyond those limits. They were not open to experiencing something different, something new...
We can be like that sometimes too. We see people through the lens of our belief about them... and we really don't see them as they are. We come to a workshop and we expect it to be a certain way... and it isn't... and we aren't open to seeing something different. I experienced that with someone in a workshop a while ago. This person was so stuck in their stuff that they were not open to something new, something different. And nothing we said or did as facilitators shifted that. This person was not open... And I wonder how can that be?? How can people be so closed? And I wonder... how am I like that??? Where am I stuck in my ways, stuck in my thinking, stuck in my beliefs... stuck in general? Are there people/things that I do not see clearly because of my beliefs?? A good time to take an introspective look at my own stuff....
Monday, January 17, 2011
Second Cup...
So, my first experience of Second Cup actually turns out to be at the Winnipeg Airport. I had a couple of hours to wait before being picked up, so thought I would get a hot chocolate and use the free wireless advertised on the Second Cup website for this location. And I would finally get to use that Second Cup gift card!
Yes... well... I ordered a medium hot chocolate which ended up costing $4.15... significantly more than a Starbucks hot chocolate. Mind you this is the airport so things are bound to be more expensive. I tried to pay with my gift card but this location doesn’t accept gift cards... Uh-huh... They don’t have the machine to swipe them apparently. So, I paid with cash.
The lady got a medium cup which looked suspiciously like a small cup from Starbucks. Hmm... It did come with whipped cream and chocolate shavings though.
I sat down to browse the wi-fi... in a seating area in the airport concourse near the Second Cup. Well, the only wi-fi access is the Winnipeg Airport Authority... which is most definitely not free!! In fact... $10 for 60 minutes or $15 for 24 hours... I’m sorry... every other airport I’ve been to has free wireless access for patrons... But not Winnipeg...
As for the hot chocolate... once I got past the whipped cream... well... it tastes more like Tim Horton’s hot chocolate, artificially sweet and not really chocolatey. A definite disappointment. I’m half way through this cup and I’m not sure I’ll be able to finish it... I doubt I will go and get a Second Cup... either here or in Calgary... Anyone want a Second Cup Gift Card????
(P.S. Half of the hot chocolate went into the garbage... couldn't finish it!)
Yes... well... I ordered a medium hot chocolate which ended up costing $4.15... significantly more than a Starbucks hot chocolate. Mind you this is the airport so things are bound to be more expensive. I tried to pay with my gift card but this location doesn’t accept gift cards... Uh-huh... They don’t have the machine to swipe them apparently. So, I paid with cash.
The lady got a medium cup which looked suspiciously like a small cup from Starbucks. Hmm... It did come with whipped cream and chocolate shavings though.
I sat down to browse the wi-fi... in a seating area in the airport concourse near the Second Cup. Well, the only wi-fi access is the Winnipeg Airport Authority... which is most definitely not free!! In fact... $10 for 60 minutes or $15 for 24 hours... I’m sorry... every other airport I’ve been to has free wireless access for patrons... But not Winnipeg...
As for the hot chocolate... once I got past the whipped cream... well... it tastes more like Tim Horton’s hot chocolate, artificially sweet and not really chocolatey. A definite disappointment. I’m half way through this cup and I’m not sure I’ll be able to finish it... I doubt I will go and get a Second Cup... either here or in Calgary... Anyone want a Second Cup Gift Card????
(P.S. Half of the hot chocolate went into the garbage... couldn't finish it!)
Sunday, January 16, 2011
A Change of Venue
So someone gave my dad a Second Cup gift card... And not being a big coffee person, he passed it along to me... And so now... I need to go and give the competition a try!! I like my Starbucks time... I love the atmosphere here... but I also have $20 of Second Cup $$ burning a hole in my wallet. So, it's time to step out and try something new... try something different. Here, at my #2 Starbucks location (the one in a Chapters), there is a Second Cup just across the parking lot. I looked at it as I came here and debated whether or not I should check it out but... I settled for this tried and true Starbucks experience...
Funny how trying something new can get me in a dither... I procrastinate and say "tomorrow"... But I need to make sure that tomorrow will come... That tomorrow doesn't get pushed off indefinitely! Today, I have the excuse that I've been away for a while and so I want to have the comfort of a Starbucks experience... But that won't be an excuse tomorrow... So, we'll see how it goes!! Something new, something different...
I know that Tim Horton's would not work for my blogging... no comfy chairs... too bright... too many people... too much turn-over. But a Second Cup might be something different... Who knows, maybe the second cup is free?? We'll see!!
Funny how trying something new can get me in a dither... I procrastinate and say "tomorrow"... But I need to make sure that tomorrow will come... That tomorrow doesn't get pushed off indefinitely! Today, I have the excuse that I've been away for a while and so I want to have the comfort of a Starbucks experience... But that won't be an excuse tomorrow... So, we'll see how it goes!! Something new, something different...
I know that Tim Horton's would not work for my blogging... no comfy chairs... too bright... too many people... too much turn-over. But a Second Cup might be something different... Who knows, maybe the second cup is free?? We'll see!!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Picking Up the Threads
I was away for 12 days a while back and it felt like a month!! It was full of workshop, travel, road trip, craft fair, meeting people... and I can barely remember the first few days of it! Funny how time works that way... I know that when I'm away for a workshop (6 days), it takes me a while to gather up the threads of my life... But these 12 days feel like such a longer time. And trying to pick up the threads of my life is taking a bit more effort and time.
My email in-box is clogged with work emails... I didn't look at them while I was away and now... well, now, I need to deal with them! Thank God for wireless access though... as my other email accounts have been tidied up regularly while I was away!
My desk is full of stacks of mail, both personal and work related. As my home office is also my work office, there are piles of work related things calling for my attention as well...
There are things to do about the house... Grocery shopping to take care of... Laundry to do... Cats to cuddle...
Part of me could begin to feel a bit overwhelmed and yet I know that the way to handle all of this is just to do one thing at a time... I don't have to do everything all at once... just one thing at a time... And things will get done... And I will create some space... Just handle one thread at a time...
My email in-box is clogged with work emails... I didn't look at them while I was away and now... well, now, I need to deal with them! Thank God for wireless access though... as my other email accounts have been tidied up regularly while I was away!
My desk is full of stacks of mail, both personal and work related. As my home office is also my work office, there are piles of work related things calling for my attention as well...
There are things to do about the house... Grocery shopping to take care of... Laundry to do... Cats to cuddle...
Part of me could begin to feel a bit overwhelmed and yet I know that the way to handle all of this is just to do one thing at a time... I don't have to do everything all at once... just one thing at a time... And things will get done... And I will create some space... Just handle one thread at a time...
Friday, January 14, 2011
Volunteering... hmmmm...
So, I'm not so sure this volunteering thing is such a good thing! At least not when it takes time away from other stuff I should be doing! Like blogging!!! I've been happily indexing stuff for the familysearch.org website... too happily I think. There's a piece of me that wants to get these WWII Draft Cards done--I am in the W's--but another part of me knows that is highly unlikely!!
So, I need to find a balance, as usual, between the things I need to do and the things I like to do... and the things I like & need to do... Fun and games!! But isn't that how it is for all of us?? There are the things we like to do... and we do them with wild abandon. Then there are the things we need to do... For whatever reason... And then there are the things that combine both... Wouldn't it be great if all of our jobs were things that we need to do and like to do... There'd probably be a lot less sick days!! Mind you... I do like blogging... but I like doing the indexing too... My trick is to hold both in a balance... That's always the thing for me... I throw myself into something wholeheartedly, often to the exclusion of everything else. So, slow and steady wins the race... I just need to do a bit of this and a bit of that... and find a happy medium...
So, I need to find a balance, as usual, between the things I need to do and the things I like to do... and the things I like & need to do... Fun and games!! But isn't that how it is for all of us?? There are the things we like to do... and we do them with wild abandon. Then there are the things we need to do... For whatever reason... And then there are the things that combine both... Wouldn't it be great if all of our jobs were things that we need to do and like to do... There'd probably be a lot less sick days!! Mind you... I do like blogging... but I like doing the indexing too... My trick is to hold both in a balance... That's always the thing for me... I throw myself into something wholeheartedly, often to the exclusion of everything else. So, slow and steady wins the race... I just need to do a bit of this and a bit of that... and find a happy medium...
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Volunteering 3
So, I'm a genealogist... a family researcher... I love it!! Love exploring. Love sleuthing. Love digging stuff out of the past and making sense of it. Plus, I love organizing the information that I find and creating something comprehensible... I have a love affair with a website or two... http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk/... for those of you with a Scottish background, you have been granted a gift from heaven. Everything digitized and online and indexed... Heavenly!!
Then there is http://www.rootsweb.com/ where you can search family trees submitted by other researchers... Very helpful and always being updated. You never know when you might find a long lost 6th cousin twice removed who's got the very same ancestors as you...
And then there is http://www.familysearch.org/, the offical website of the Mormons. They are genealogists extrordinaire... They go around the world microfilming various baptism/birth, marriage and death registries (pre 1900) and then making those microfilms available for loan through their local Family History Centre libraries... I have found tonnes of my ancestors on these microfilm. The only kicker is that they aren't really indexed... yet...
Well, the other day I was on their website and found they have a beta website being tested and it has an Indexing project on the go. I read a bit of information and it grabbed me... They are looking for volunteer indexers to help them index all their records (we're talking millions/billions). You get a bit of practice, download a program, get a batch of 30 records (tiny!), index the key information, submit it, and get credits for the number of names you have indexed. Reach a certain number of credits and you get premier access to more of their records. Yowsa!! I gave it a whirl and it's super easy... Once again, something grabbed me... I love family history... love data entry... love contributing back to an organization that has contributed so much to my own family history search... It's a match made in heaven... Count me in!!
So, once again, something found me... and it's something that dovetails nicely with my skills, talents, interests... perfect. Who knows what might show up next time...
Then there is http://www.rootsweb.com/ where you can search family trees submitted by other researchers... Very helpful and always being updated. You never know when you might find a long lost 6th cousin twice removed who's got the very same ancestors as you...
And then there is http://www.familysearch.org/, the offical website of the Mormons. They are genealogists extrordinaire... They go around the world microfilming various baptism/birth, marriage and death registries (pre 1900) and then making those microfilms available for loan through their local Family History Centre libraries... I have found tonnes of my ancestors on these microfilm. The only kicker is that they aren't really indexed... yet...
Well, the other day I was on their website and found they have a beta website being tested and it has an Indexing project on the go. I read a bit of information and it grabbed me... They are looking for volunteer indexers to help them index all their records (we're talking millions/billions). You get a bit of practice, download a program, get a batch of 30 records (tiny!), index the key information, submit it, and get credits for the number of names you have indexed. Reach a certain number of credits and you get premier access to more of their records. Yowsa!! I gave it a whirl and it's super easy... Once again, something grabbed me... I love family history... love data entry... love contributing back to an organization that has contributed so much to my own family history search... It's a match made in heaven... Count me in!!
So, once again, something found me... and it's something that dovetails nicely with my skills, talents, interests... perfect. Who knows what might show up next time...
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Volunteering 2
So, I moved to Calgary almost 2 years ago... and I was looking for ways to get involved and meet people. I joined the Calgary Outdoor Club but was away so much, that I always missed the "easy" hikes and didn't feel fit enough to try the more "advanced" ones! I didn't want to get involved with a Church... What to do, what to do...
Well, as with most things... I didn't have to go looking for it.. It found me. One day, our local community newsletter had an article saying that their editor was retiring and they were looking for a replacement! I love writing. Love editing. Love creating newsletters... What a perfect fit. So I submitted my name and voila... I am one of a team of three editors who have taken on the newsletter. It doesn't require a huge time committment. I get to go out and have coffee/hot chocolate with my co-editors every few weeks. I get to edit various articles that are submitted. I am making connections in the community and... well... it just feels good! Plus, as editor, I am now on the local community board of directors... Lots of fun!
So... something found me that was right up my alley... tied into my love of writing, my love of creating and a good fit for my skills of editing and organizing... Funny how that happens... Guess we just have to have our eyes and ears open and we never know what might find us...
Well, as with most things... I didn't have to go looking for it.. It found me. One day, our local community newsletter had an article saying that their editor was retiring and they were looking for a replacement! I love writing. Love editing. Love creating newsletters... What a perfect fit. So I submitted my name and voila... I am one of a team of three editors who have taken on the newsletter. It doesn't require a huge time committment. I get to go out and have coffee/hot chocolate with my co-editors every few weeks. I get to edit various articles that are submitted. I am making connections in the community and... well... it just feels good! Plus, as editor, I am now on the local community board of directors... Lots of fun!
So... something found me that was right up my alley... tied into my love of writing, my love of creating and a good fit for my skills of editing and organizing... Funny how that happens... Guess we just have to have our eyes and ears open and we never know what might find us...
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Volunteering
Nowadays, we hear how volunteering is a dying thing. People are so busy nowadays, that organizations are having trouble finding enough volunteers to keep all their programs going. There was just an article a few months ago in our community newsletter from the local Scouts troop. The author was sharing how the Scout troop almost died a few years ago because they had hardly any volunteers and therefore hardly any kids involved. Now though... it's seen a resurgence... so it makes me wonder, maybe volunteering isn't a dead thing?
Volunteering is really about you giving back to the world... back to the community... back to your environment. Volunteering is one of those altruistic things that makes us feel good... because we do it without any expectation of reward or compensation. We volunteer because we want to give something back, we want to make a difference, we enjoy it... and we want to make the world a better place...
Yes, we are all busy... but busy with what?? When I think of the amount of time I can waste at the computer, just surfing around, reading the news, playing computer games, etc... It's kind of frightening, because that is a real waste of time!!
The question nowadays is... where to volunteer. There are so many organizations out there that are looking for volunteers... how to know which one is the perfect match for us and for our talents... Guess we just have to look and see...
A good place to start is http://www.volunteer.ca/ ... But after that, look around you... Are you involved in Church. Do you have a local community organization? What about your hobbies? Are there hobby groups you could get involved in? What about schools? Teachers love to have various "experts" come in and speak to the children about different topics/careers... What about your career? Take a look and see... odds are you'll find lots of volunteer opportunities around you!!
Volunteering is really about you giving back to the world... back to the community... back to your environment. Volunteering is one of those altruistic things that makes us feel good... because we do it without any expectation of reward or compensation. We volunteer because we want to give something back, we want to make a difference, we enjoy it... and we want to make the world a better place...
Yes, we are all busy... but busy with what?? When I think of the amount of time I can waste at the computer, just surfing around, reading the news, playing computer games, etc... It's kind of frightening, because that is a real waste of time!!
The question nowadays is... where to volunteer. There are so many organizations out there that are looking for volunteers... how to know which one is the perfect match for us and for our talents... Guess we just have to look and see...
A good place to start is http://www.volunteer.ca/ ... But after that, look around you... Are you involved in Church. Do you have a local community organization? What about your hobbies? Are there hobby groups you could get involved in? What about schools? Teachers love to have various "experts" come in and speak to the children about different topics/careers... What about your career? Take a look and see... odds are you'll find lots of volunteer opportunities around you!!
Monday, January 10, 2011
Moving
Nope, not that sort of moving... I'm not packing bags and boxes and going somewhere else... This sort of moving is the body sort of moving. I need to get my body moving!! Walking, hiking, biking, swimming, climbing stairs, whatever it is... It's the middle of winter and it's imperative to get out and get some blood flowing through these veins!!
It's funny how many of our modern conveniences take away the need for us to actually move... Cell phones, remote controls, vacuum cleaners, cars, computers... All sorts of things. We don't walk as much as we used to. We don't move around the house as much as we used to. Yet we still eat as much as we used to... or actually more... Or we eat more unhealthy things...
Moving keeps us healthy. There was a thing on the news the other day, that people who exercise 5 times a week are 40% less likely to get a cold... Those are significant numbers!! But it means we need to get out and move... Taking more vitamins isn't going to do it... Getting more sleep isn't going to do it. Getting out and moving is what's going to do it...
Maybe, instead of giving each other fancy things for Christmas and birthdays, we should be giving memberships to the gym or to the local swimming pool or skating rink... Or we should be bequeathing tennis and squash rackets... raquets??
It's funny how many of our modern conveniences take away the need for us to actually move... Cell phones, remote controls, vacuum cleaners, cars, computers... All sorts of things. We don't walk as much as we used to. We don't move around the house as much as we used to. Yet we still eat as much as we used to... or actually more... Or we eat more unhealthy things...
Moving keeps us healthy. There was a thing on the news the other day, that people who exercise 5 times a week are 40% less likely to get a cold... Those are significant numbers!! But it means we need to get out and move... Taking more vitamins isn't going to do it... Getting more sleep isn't going to do it. Getting out and moving is what's going to do it...
Maybe, instead of giving each other fancy things for Christmas and birthdays, we should be giving memberships to the gym or to the local swimming pool or skating rink... Or we should be bequeathing tennis and squash rackets... raquets??
Sunday, January 9, 2011
Running
People have told me for years that I am a leader, and a good one at that. And yet, I run from leadership like the hounds of hell are after me! I don't want to be a leader, don't want to step into those shoes. Don't want the responsibility. Don't want the crap that comes with it. Leadership is for silly people who want to have mud slung at them!! At least, that's my idea of leadership...
I have convinced myself that I am actually an exceptional assistant... and that's what I'm best at. Now, I am a great assistant, as many people have told me... the same people, by the way, who are telling me that I am a leader... When I look back over my life, I see many instances in which I jumped ship and bailed on opportunities that I felt were leading me in a direction in which I would need to take leadership... Don't get me wrong, I can lead in many areas... but an overal leadership position, something overarching, makes me squeamish. I'll take the lead on small projects, like the newsletter, or a website, or a bible study... but don't ask me to take overall leadership of something... Nope... too scary...
Now, the other thing I get is that I can't run from this forever... Because the more I run from it, the more it will chase me. Stop and face it would be the wise thing to do... To embrace it... Because it is a part of me. It's like me trying to deny a part of myself... trying to deny a piece of who I am... Doesn't work very well... Actually, doesn't work at all...
And yet we all do it. We run from things in our life... and in ourselves. We try to deny that they are there... and we actually create elaborate structures in our lives to prove that we are correct... e.g. "I am a great assistant"... Ah well... Awareness is the first step... and then choice...
I have convinced myself that I am actually an exceptional assistant... and that's what I'm best at. Now, I am a great assistant, as many people have told me... the same people, by the way, who are telling me that I am a leader... When I look back over my life, I see many instances in which I jumped ship and bailed on opportunities that I felt were leading me in a direction in which I would need to take leadership... Don't get me wrong, I can lead in many areas... but an overal leadership position, something overarching, makes me squeamish. I'll take the lead on small projects, like the newsletter, or a website, or a bible study... but don't ask me to take overall leadership of something... Nope... too scary...
Now, the other thing I get is that I can't run from this forever... Because the more I run from it, the more it will chase me. Stop and face it would be the wise thing to do... To embrace it... Because it is a part of me. It's like me trying to deny a part of myself... trying to deny a piece of who I am... Doesn't work very well... Actually, doesn't work at all...
And yet we all do it. We run from things in our life... and in ourselves. We try to deny that they are there... and we actually create elaborate structures in our lives to prove that we are correct... e.g. "I am a great assistant"... Ah well... Awareness is the first step... and then choice...
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Auto-Pilot
Have you ever noticed how much of our life we spend on autopilot?? For me, driving is a major autopilot time... I end up where I am going, and really have no idea how I got there... I am thinking about other things, not really paying attention... Well, I am paying attention, but only with my auto-pilot mode. My real thoughts are elsewhere, thinking about other things.
The other thing is this... I read somewhere that in any given day, 95% of our thoughts are repeat thoughts from the previous day or days. We have very few original thoughts. We think the same thing day after day... over and over again. We are wearing a significant trail in our synapses. Things happen and we automatically start thinking the same old thoughts... We have thought autopilot as well. It's easier for us sometimes... Just to think the same old, familiar thoughts... But we just stay in the same old place that we've always been...
When we drive a new route through town, we have to pay attention and be present. When we drive the route that we've known and driven for a long time... we use autopilot. The same with our thoughts. When we try a different thought route, we have to pay attention and be present... When we use the same old thought route, we can go on autopilot....
So what would a new thought route look like or sound like?? How do we get there?? Well, the first thing we need to do/be is aware... We need to be come aware of our thoughts. How do we know they are the same old thoughts from the previous days/weeks/months if we're not even aware of them? Once we are aware of them, then comes the momentous time of choice... Choosing to follow the worn out thought patterns... or choosing to think something new... something different... something that we haven't thought before... What a difference that might make...
The other thing is this... I read somewhere that in any given day, 95% of our thoughts are repeat thoughts from the previous day or days. We have very few original thoughts. We think the same thing day after day... over and over again. We are wearing a significant trail in our synapses. Things happen and we automatically start thinking the same old thoughts... We have thought autopilot as well. It's easier for us sometimes... Just to think the same old, familiar thoughts... But we just stay in the same old place that we've always been...
When we drive a new route through town, we have to pay attention and be present. When we drive the route that we've known and driven for a long time... we use autopilot. The same with our thoughts. When we try a different thought route, we have to pay attention and be present... When we use the same old thought route, we can go on autopilot....
So what would a new thought route look like or sound like?? How do we get there?? Well, the first thing we need to do/be is aware... We need to be come aware of our thoughts. How do we know they are the same old thoughts from the previous days/weeks/months if we're not even aware of them? Once we are aware of them, then comes the momentous time of choice... Choosing to follow the worn out thought patterns... or choosing to think something new... something different... something that we haven't thought before... What a difference that might make...
Friday, January 7, 2011
Creating Space
I seem to keep coming back to this theme... decluttering... creating space... opening up possibilities... Interesting... For me, there is a huge relief that comes with letting go of things, particularly things that I've been holding onto for a long time. Things that I have been holding onto out of guilt or fear or remorse. Things that I've been holding onto because... well... for a whole bunch of reasons...
Letting go of those things, I can feel the space open up around me... both physical and spiritual. I feel the all sorts of possibilities are possible in that space. That all sorts of things could be created in that space. It's like a weight has been taken off... And it is a physical weight... but also a psychic weight... These things that I am letting go of no longer occupy any time or space in my thoughts. They are like little lines to the past, lines that tie me to the past. And while many of them tie me to good memories... I also want to create good memories in the present... I want to create something new in the here and now...
Socrates apparently said that the happiest people are those who are tied to the least amount of stuff...
Yes, we need things on which to live. There are a certain amount of things that make our lives comfortable... but beyond that line, more things don't necessarily equal more happiness... Which is kind of counter-intuitive...
Letting go of those things, I can feel the space open up around me... both physical and spiritual. I feel the all sorts of possibilities are possible in that space. That all sorts of things could be created in that space. It's like a weight has been taken off... And it is a physical weight... but also a psychic weight... These things that I am letting go of no longer occupy any time or space in my thoughts. They are like little lines to the past, lines that tie me to the past. And while many of them tie me to good memories... I also want to create good memories in the present... I want to create something new in the here and now...
Socrates apparently said that the happiest people are those who are tied to the least amount of stuff...
Yes, we need things on which to live. There are a certain amount of things that make our lives comfortable... but beyond that line, more things don't necessarily equal more happiness... Which is kind of counter-intuitive...
Thursday, January 6, 2011
Organizing
I've subscribed to a couple of decluttering/organizing e-newsletters. They looked good to me, and I thought it might make interesting reading at the beginning of my day. One of them though... isn't great shakes. It's a decluttering & organizing newsletter, but so far, all the newsletter is promoting is various products that can help organize our lives... like colour-coded staple-removers... In my book, organizing a mess means you still have a mess... it's just organized. I am more drawn to the decluttering aspect of organizing... getting rid of things, clearing space... The other newsletter is much more along those lines and inspires me to get going and let go of things that I've been holding onto for far too long!!
http://www.unclutter-organize-transform.com/
The author, Sue, says that clutter doesn't start outside of us... it starts inside of us... which makes perfect sense to me and agrees with the other things I've been reading... I can feel the pull of unfinished projects and hobbies that I no longer practice or enjoy... I still have all the stuff and I feel a certain guilt around it... So, why do I keep the stuff?? In the hopes that one day I might come back to it?? Kind of crazy don't you think???
But that's the craziness of clutter... it holds onto us... and we hold onto it... And the more clutter I hold onto, the more clutter is attracted to this clutter pile! It's like gravity... the more mass my clutter has... the more clutter it attracts... ick!
http://www.unclutter-organize-transform.com/
The author, Sue, says that clutter doesn't start outside of us... it starts inside of us... which makes perfect sense to me and agrees with the other things I've been reading... I can feel the pull of unfinished projects and hobbies that I no longer practice or enjoy... I still have all the stuff and I feel a certain guilt around it... So, why do I keep the stuff?? In the hopes that one day I might come back to it?? Kind of crazy don't you think???
But that's the craziness of clutter... it holds onto us... and we hold onto it... And the more clutter I hold onto, the more clutter is attracted to this clutter pile! It's like gravity... the more mass my clutter has... the more clutter it attracts... ick!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Giving & Receiving
We all know that it is better to give than to receive... At least we've been told that... And there's a poster on the window here at Starbucks that says "When I give gifts, I always get more in return". And we may even have heard that... The more that we give, the more comes back to us. The more love we give, the more love we will receive. The more of our time we give, the more time we will receive. Hmmm...
Now that one I'm not too sure about!!! The more that I give of my time... the more time I will receive?? There's only so much time in a day though. With love, I can see it... because love is infinitely deep and expandable. The more love I give, the more love I can receive. But with time... time is finite. There's only so many minutes in a day. And if I give of my time... then how can more time come back to me?? With people helping me with some of my projects?? Perhaps... Or maybe my perception of time will alter??
That makes a bit more sense. If I believe that I have all the time in the world... that I am blessed with an abundance of time... then if I give of that time... I will experience time in even more abundance. Not to say that more time will magically show up in my day... but I will experience time in a different way. I will experience it in a way that seemingly creates more time for me... Perhaps...
Now that one I'm not too sure about!!! The more that I give of my time... the more time I will receive?? There's only so much time in a day though. With love, I can see it... because love is infinitely deep and expandable. The more love I give, the more love I can receive. But with time... time is finite. There's only so many minutes in a day. And if I give of my time... then how can more time come back to me?? With people helping me with some of my projects?? Perhaps... Or maybe my perception of time will alter??
That makes a bit more sense. If I believe that I have all the time in the world... that I am blessed with an abundance of time... then if I give of that time... I will experience time in even more abundance. Not to say that more time will magically show up in my day... but I will experience time in a different way. I will experience it in a way that seemingly creates more time for me... Perhaps...
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
A Time Oasis
We all know about an oasis in the desert. It is a place of moisture in the midst of aridness. It is a place of lush plant life in the midst of desert sand and rock. It is a place of life in the midst of the barren wilderness. It is a surprise. A bubble of something different in the midst of the same old, same old...
But what about a time oasis? A time oasis is the same thing... but in a different way. It is a space of fertility in the midst of barrenness. It is a space of creativity. It is a space of life. It is a bubble of something different in the midst of the same old, same old. A time oasis is a space in our lives where we can step out of the same old stuff of our daily life and experience something different. Where we can stop the fight for survival and enjoy and relax amidst the fertility and life of something else.
It's like yesterday's post... but more so... Sometimes I think that our entire lives could be one never-ending string of oases... It could be so much more than we allow it to be. We do so much rushing around, so much struggling and surviving... and we crave those oases... and yet when we encounter them, we stop but briefly and then we're rushing around again.
A retreat could be a week-long oasis. A weekend at home could be one. A quiet hour in the morning. Our yoga time. Our meditation time. The time that we would normally spend surfing the internet... could be something else... if we allowed it to be. What would our lives look like if we never had a time oasis? We'd be like that classical image of the parched desert traveller, seeing mirages and drinking sand because we are delusional... We are so starved for a time oasis, we don't even notice that it is absent from our lives... Our systems need an oasis break... maybe more than one... maybe a whole stream of them... Time for us...
But what about a time oasis? A time oasis is the same thing... but in a different way. It is a space of fertility in the midst of barrenness. It is a space of creativity. It is a space of life. It is a bubble of something different in the midst of the same old, same old. A time oasis is a space in our lives where we can step out of the same old stuff of our daily life and experience something different. Where we can stop the fight for survival and enjoy and relax amidst the fertility and life of something else.
It's like yesterday's post... but more so... Sometimes I think that our entire lives could be one never-ending string of oases... It could be so much more than we allow it to be. We do so much rushing around, so much struggling and surviving... and we crave those oases... and yet when we encounter them, we stop but briefly and then we're rushing around again.
A retreat could be a week-long oasis. A weekend at home could be one. A quiet hour in the morning. Our yoga time. Our meditation time. The time that we would normally spend surfing the internet... could be something else... if we allowed it to be. What would our lives look like if we never had a time oasis? We'd be like that classical image of the parched desert traveller, seeing mirages and drinking sand because we are delusional... We are so starved for a time oasis, we don't even notice that it is absent from our lives... Our systems need an oasis break... maybe more than one... maybe a whole stream of them... Time for us...
Monday, January 3, 2011
An Oasis
We all need time when we can get away from the hustle and bustle of things. Time when we can just sit and be still. For some, that time is just after sending the kids off to school. Taking the time to just sit with a cup of tea and sit and gaze out the kitchen window. For others, it might be the time on transit, sitting on the metro or a city bus, listening to some classical music. Surrounded by people, and yet lost in a little bubble of peace and serenity. For others, it is a lunch break, when they can get outside to a little park, and can sit and contemplate the beauty of a tiny piece of nature.
It's funny, how we can be surrounded by the sights and sounds of people or crowds, traffic and congestion... and yet we can have our own little oasis of calm and peace. It's like we have taken a time out. It's time for us... time in which we can just stop and be still... For me, it happens at Starbucks. I can stop and sit here, surrounded by people, surrounded by the sights and sounds of a busy cafe, with conversations bubbling all around me... And yet, I am in my own little world. I sit here and I blog or read the news... it is me time... time just for me. I can read a book. I can write a letter. I can just sit and sip my hot chocolate. For me, it's a precious time... a time that I am jealous of... a time that allows me to round myself... allows me to reconnect with my deeper self. It is a time oasis...
It's funny, how we can be surrounded by the sights and sounds of people or crowds, traffic and congestion... and yet we can have our own little oasis of calm and peace. It's like we have taken a time out. It's time for us... time in which we can just stop and be still... For me, it happens at Starbucks. I can stop and sit here, surrounded by people, surrounded by the sights and sounds of a busy cafe, with conversations bubbling all around me... And yet, I am in my own little world. I sit here and I blog or read the news... it is me time... time just for me. I can read a book. I can write a letter. I can just sit and sip my hot chocolate. For me, it's a precious time... a time that I am jealous of... a time that allows me to round myself... allows me to reconnect with my deeper self. It is a time oasis...
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Kitty Litter
Have I written about kitty litter yet??? I can't remember anymore if I have... Anyhow, with 2 cats, we go through quite a bit of kitty litter. Since they've been kittens, we've been using the no-name brand from Superstore, that is unscented and clumping. Clumping means it contains clay which absorbs the cat pee and makes everything easier to clean up. Clay means that there's lots of clay dust being kicked around the basement. Clay also means that the cats get clay into their system when they lick their paws or their bellies, as it adheres to their fur. Which is apparently not a good thing for kitty digestive systems. Plus, clay means you shouldn't dispose of it down your sewer system... it'll plug things up really good!
So, in the interests of the environment and healthy cats, I researched clay litter alternatives and eventually settled on sWheat Scoop... a cat litter made out of wheat bits... probably the chaff. It's nice and light and clumps not too badly. Plus it absorbs odours really well! A plus on all sides... except.... Well... it smells like wheat... which means it smells like bread... which means it smells like food to the cats!!! The first time they saw it, they both gave it a few tenative nibbles... Great... edible cat litter. The one cat, the garburator, who will eat anything, had very loose stool for the next few days, which I attribute to snackable cat litter sampling. But after about a week, I think they got the idea and stopped eating it... The adventures of cat ownership...
So, in the interests of the environment and healthy cats, I researched clay litter alternatives and eventually settled on sWheat Scoop... a cat litter made out of wheat bits... probably the chaff. It's nice and light and clumps not too badly. Plus it absorbs odours really well! A plus on all sides... except.... Well... it smells like wheat... which means it smells like bread... which means it smells like food to the cats!!! The first time they saw it, they both gave it a few tenative nibbles... Great... edible cat litter. The one cat, the garburator, who will eat anything, had very loose stool for the next few days, which I attribute to snackable cat litter sampling. But after about a week, I think they got the idea and stopped eating it... The adventures of cat ownership...
Saturday, January 1, 2011
A Fresh Start
A fresh start... a new day... a new year... a new era. It's our choice. The year is brand new, still wet behind the ears, and we have the choice as to what we want to do or create in this space. Actually, every moment is pristine and brand new as well. Every moment is an opportunity for us to choose... to choose this over that... to choose love over hate... to choose health over sickness... to choose well-being over despair... Our choice.
But we don't really get that. We blame the world for the way things are in our lives. We blame others for the things in our space. We blame ourselves. We blame our parents. We blame our employer. We blame our country or our church. And yet, in each and every moment, we always have a choice... We know the choice that will bring us life. We know the choice that will move us forward. We just don't always choose it. We give up the power of choice and succumb to what somebody else tells us to do. We succumb to the will of the state or the church or something else. We give up our freedom... We give up our power... And we resent it bitterly!
Your choice... your life...
But we don't really get that. We blame the world for the way things are in our lives. We blame others for the things in our space. We blame ourselves. We blame our parents. We blame our employer. We blame our country or our church. And yet, in each and every moment, we always have a choice... We know the choice that will bring us life. We know the choice that will move us forward. We just don't always choose it. We give up the power of choice and succumb to what somebody else tells us to do. We succumb to the will of the state or the church or something else. We give up our freedom... We give up our power... And we resent it bitterly!
Your choice... your life...
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