Nope, not talking about that sort of constipation! Although I may refer to it in passing... What I'm talking about is the things that we keep inside of us for various reasons. The thoughts... the emotions... the unspoken things... Withheld communications of various sorts. All of these things that we don't say... that we might think, but don't express, that we stuff down inside of us are a form of constipation... There's a poem that says "it's not the things you do dear... it's the things you leave undone... the words you might have spoken, the flowers you might have sent... that give you heartache at setting of the sun". Sometimes it's the joyful things... the words of appreciation we need to speak. Other times it is the words that gnaw away within us...
Physical constipation will kill you. If you don't get it out... it will kill you... The same with verbal/emotional/spiritual constipation. If you don't express it, it will kill you. To say what you really want. To express what is really going on for you. To ask for what you really need. Those are the things we tend to hold onto... the things we tend to stuff down. We don't want to be a burden on people. We don't want to upset them. We want them to like us. We don't want to disappoint them. So... we stop ourselves from expressing what is there... and we begin to slowly die from it...
So, what is there for you that you need to say... that you need to request... that you need to let go of? Take a look and start clearing out the constipation!
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 27, 2011
GPS Rots Your Brain
I read that somewhere on the news a few weeks back. People are getting so used to using GPS in their cars (Global Positioning System), that they use it even when they are going to place that are familiar, like work, or the store, or the babysitter. They are giving up their own inherent navigational abilities and using a machine... And that is apparently not good for some aspect of the brain and our thinking processes.
Researchers at McGill University found that people who use GPS have decreased activity in the hippocampus. That’s the area of the brain responsible for memory and the ability to use what you know about your environment to create shortcuts or find new routes. And, if you don’t USE your hippocampus, you lose your hippocampus. Using the GPS too much causes that area of the brain to atrophy, which increases you risk for memory problems, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. On the flip side, London taxi-drivers, who've been driving taxis for a long time, have a large hippocampus...
Figuring out where we're going and how we're going to get there... even if it is a familiar place, keeps the spatial aspeccts of our brain engaged... For a new place, it really gets it working!! They recommend that if you are going to use GPS, that you use it on your way to a new place, but then navigate home under your own steam... without using it...
Researchers at McGill University found that people who use GPS have decreased activity in the hippocampus. That’s the area of the brain responsible for memory and the ability to use what you know about your environment to create shortcuts or find new routes. And, if you don’t USE your hippocampus, you lose your hippocampus. Using the GPS too much causes that area of the brain to atrophy, which increases you risk for memory problems, dementia, and Alzheimer’s. On the flip side, London taxi-drivers, who've been driving taxis for a long time, have a large hippocampus...
Figuring out where we're going and how we're going to get there... even if it is a familiar place, keeps the spatial aspeccts of our brain engaged... For a new place, it really gets it working!! They recommend that if you are going to use GPS, that you use it on your way to a new place, but then navigate home under your own steam... without using it...
Saturday, February 26, 2011
How's It Going?
So, it's 2 months since Christmas and we are almost 2 months into the New Year. How are those New Year's resolutions holding up? Did you make any this year? How many did you keep this year? Or are you seeing each day as a "new year" and an opportunity to turn over a new leaf... to start fresh... to flip the page?
Every day is the beginning of a "new year"... even February 26 or 27 or 28... There are lots of things we want to alter in our lives, and each day is a new opportunity to recommit to those things... or to start anew with different things.
Of course, if we are going to take something new on... we need to let something old go. It's like with decluttering... if you bring in something new, you need to let go of something old. Bring in a new shirt... and you should let an old one go. If we didn't do this, pretty soon we'd need bigger closets and bigger houses and well... we'd be drowning in stuff....
So what about resolutions?? If I make a resolution to exercise every day... then I might need to let go of laziness or watching TV in the afternoon or surfing the internet and playing computer games. If I make a resolution to be more patient... then I need to let go of impatience. If I make a resolution to declutter... well, for sure I need to let go of some things!
So... if your resolutions have kind of fizzled... take a look and see if you let go of the things you needed to let go of... in order to make space for the new...
Every day is the beginning of a "new year"... even February 26 or 27 or 28... There are lots of things we want to alter in our lives, and each day is a new opportunity to recommit to those things... or to start anew with different things.
Of course, if we are going to take something new on... we need to let something old go. It's like with decluttering... if you bring in something new, you need to let go of something old. Bring in a new shirt... and you should let an old one go. If we didn't do this, pretty soon we'd need bigger closets and bigger houses and well... we'd be drowning in stuff....
So what about resolutions?? If I make a resolution to exercise every day... then I might need to let go of laziness or watching TV in the afternoon or surfing the internet and playing computer games. If I make a resolution to be more patient... then I need to let go of impatience. If I make a resolution to declutter... well, for sure I need to let go of some things!
So... if your resolutions have kind of fizzled... take a look and see if you let go of the things you needed to let go of... in order to make space for the new...
Friday, February 25, 2011
Between a Rock and a Hard Place
There was a movie that came out before Christmas called 127 Hours. It told the story of rock climber/mountain climber, Aron Ralston who was going on a day-hike in Utah, and whose right hand got stuck against a rock wall by a falling boulder. He survived on sips of water for 5 days, trying to figure a way out of his predicament. No cell phone. Nobody knew where he was. No hope of rescue. So he cut his hand off.
He has a book as well called "Between a Rock and a Hard Place"... and I've ordered it through the library. It strikes me that although he was physically in that place, caught between two immovable things... we too get stuck like that, just not physically. We feel caught in other ways. Aron sacrificed his hand in order to save his life. Do we think of sacrificing something in order to save our life? Or do we try to hold onto everything and keep everything and have everything??
He has a book as well called "Between a Rock and a Hard Place"... and I've ordered it through the library. It strikes me that although he was physically in that place, caught between two immovable things... we too get stuck like that, just not physically. We feel caught in other ways. Aron sacrificed his hand in order to save his life. Do we think of sacrificing something in order to save our life? Or do we try to hold onto everything and keep everything and have everything??
Thursday, February 24, 2011
A Library Cat
I'm not sure if I blogged about this before... Dewey the Library Cat... from Spencer, Iowa?? Have you read the book?? If you're a pet lover, and more specifically, a cat-lover... then you'll love this book. A tiny kitten dropped into a library return slot in the freezing winter who emerges alive, with frost-bitten pads... and a love for humans that is inspiring...
Anyhow... there is a sequel of sorts... called Dewey's Nine Lives. The author of the previous book wrote a follow-up based on the letters that she received in response to the first book. Other cat stories... and their connection with Dewey.
It really makes me wonder how often we really stop and get that our pets are not just pets... they are expressions of the divine One as well. They are infused with the Creator... we just don't look for it... or see it... or hear it... And not just dogs!! (I know... god=dog spelled backwards)... But cats too have that love that is unwavering... that gets beat down by humans and still manages to bounce back up... unconditional love... We could learn a thing or two from our pets...
Anyhow... there is a sequel of sorts... called Dewey's Nine Lives. The author of the previous book wrote a follow-up based on the letters that she received in response to the first book. Other cat stories... and their connection with Dewey.
It really makes me wonder how often we really stop and get that our pets are not just pets... they are expressions of the divine One as well. They are infused with the Creator... we just don't look for it... or see it... or hear it... And not just dogs!! (I know... god=dog spelled backwards)... But cats too have that love that is unwavering... that gets beat down by humans and still manages to bounce back up... unconditional love... We could learn a thing or two from our pets...
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Another Trip
Off on another trip and once again I decided to come to the airport early... except it's a Saturday morning (not Feb 23!) which means... lots more people at the airport!! It took patience to stand in line for 20 minutes at Tim's and get a bagel... and then another 15 minutes at Starbucks to get a hot chocolate. Trying to log onto the wireless here at the airport took several attempts... But now, here I am... happily ensconced in a comfy chair with a hot chocolate and a connection to the internet.
I also have 3 books tucked in my office bag, so I'm ready for almost anything. When I arrive in Winnipeg, I'll have a 3 hour wait at the airport before being picked up... Luckily there is a Second Cup there with wireless access... Good thing I have a Second Cup gift card!
It's all about comfort and making this traveling as enjoyable as possible. If I have to travel this much, almost 2 trips a month... then I might as well be comfortable, occupied... and have time to enjoy it! Rather than bemoaning the fact that I'm on the road so much... or in the air... and having to deal with line-ups and delays... why not alter my perception of it... and take the opportunity it presents?
I also have 3 books tucked in my office bag, so I'm ready for almost anything. When I arrive in Winnipeg, I'll have a 3 hour wait at the airport before being picked up... Luckily there is a Second Cup there with wireless access... Good thing I have a Second Cup gift card!
It's all about comfort and making this traveling as enjoyable as possible. If I have to travel this much, almost 2 trips a month... then I might as well be comfortable, occupied... and have time to enjoy it! Rather than bemoaning the fact that I'm on the road so much... or in the air... and having to deal with line-ups and delays... why not alter my perception of it... and take the opportunity it presents?
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
You Never Know
So... you never know... never know how your actions might influence someone else... never know how your letters might cheer someones day...
I'm researching my family tree... all the time! And was trying to track down a cousin of my mother's who disappeared off the radar after moving to Switzerland. She has a fairly distinctive last name and I found her address in Geneva... which is the same as the address we had on file for her after she moved to Switzerland. We just never heard from her.
A couple of years ago, I wrote a letter and never got a response... This year I was in Switzerland, but the eastern part, not anywhere near Geneva. But after I got home, I figured "what the heck" and wrote her another letter, this time with a picture of myself and my mother...
These letters feel like real shots in the dark sometimes... there's a hope for a response... but no real expectation of one. So, when I saw an email in my hotmail account from her... I was very surprised!! And immediately phoned my mom to tell her the good news... who also got very excited!! She wants to sit down right now and write a letter to her cousin! Then I forwarded it to my uncle... and we'll see who else will receive a copy of this email.... Maybe one of my cousins can forward it to my other aunt! And so it goes... One letter and one response... and it can influence so many others...
Persistence pays off...
I'm researching my family tree... all the time! And was trying to track down a cousin of my mother's who disappeared off the radar after moving to Switzerland. She has a fairly distinctive last name and I found her address in Geneva... which is the same as the address we had on file for her after she moved to Switzerland. We just never heard from her.
A couple of years ago, I wrote a letter and never got a response... This year I was in Switzerland, but the eastern part, not anywhere near Geneva. But after I got home, I figured "what the heck" and wrote her another letter, this time with a picture of myself and my mother...
These letters feel like real shots in the dark sometimes... there's a hope for a response... but no real expectation of one. So, when I saw an email in my hotmail account from her... I was very surprised!! And immediately phoned my mom to tell her the good news... who also got very excited!! She wants to sit down right now and write a letter to her cousin! Then I forwarded it to my uncle... and we'll see who else will receive a copy of this email.... Maybe one of my cousins can forward it to my other aunt! And so it goes... One letter and one response... and it can influence so many others...
Persistence pays off...
Monday, February 21, 2011
Conversation
The other morning I was driving somewhere and listening to the radio. The two morning hosts were having a conversation about the airport improvement fee which is now the highest in Canada ($25). The female host understood that the upcoming airport and runway expansion needed to be paid for somehow. the male host was wondering about all of the fees that get attached to our airfares. A base airfare of $100 can then have another $100 or $150 of taxes, fees and surcharges.
After a few minutes, I began to wonder who pee-ed in his cereal that morning. He may have thought he was just having conversation but what he was doing was engaging in one long-winded griping, complaining rant. It was extremely negative... judgemental... and didn't actually address the topic at hand, namely the AIF.
What I really got was that a lot of us spend a great deal of time complaining, either in our heads... or out of our mouths, about things. We complain about anything and everything. We think we're having a conversation... but a conversation resolves something... moves something forward, creates insights... Complaining does none of that. It just reinforces the existing point of view and keeps everything stuck. We don't even realize how much we complain. And we definitely don't realize how complaining affects our energy and the energy of those who have to listen to us...
After a few minutes, I began to wonder who pee-ed in his cereal that morning. He may have thought he was just having conversation but what he was doing was engaging in one long-winded griping, complaining rant. It was extremely negative... judgemental... and didn't actually address the topic at hand, namely the AIF.
What I really got was that a lot of us spend a great deal of time complaining, either in our heads... or out of our mouths, about things. We complain about anything and everything. We think we're having a conversation... but a conversation resolves something... moves something forward, creates insights... Complaining does none of that. It just reinforces the existing point of view and keeps everything stuck. We don't even realize how much we complain. And we definitely don't realize how complaining affects our energy and the energy of those who have to listen to us...
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Right Place at the Right Time
So I came to my favourite Starbucks earlier today... around 7:45 am... And I ordered my hot chocolate and then the lady said that it was free since her till wasn't working!! I guess it was being reset or something... Bonus!!! Everybody else after me had to pay... I guess I was just at the right place at the right moment...
I wonder how many other times that happens but I'm not aware of it... I was driving here this morning and the main semi-highway I was on was merging with other semi-highway... so 2 lanes coming together with another 2 lanes. And one lane from each wants to get to the other side... Those on the left want to merge right... and those on the right want to merge left! Which makes it a bit tricky... A lot of shoulder checking and double checking... So I was merging right.... let's say from Lane 2 to Lane 3... and then someone else was merging Lane 4 to Lane 3, enroute to Lane 2. We were both merging into Lane 3 from opposite sides... at the same time! Luckily I caught them out of the corner of my eye and was able to slow down a bit and tuck in behind them... But again... a second or so difference and we might have crunched... right place at the right time...
I guess I just wonder how many times that happens in my day, and I'm not aware of it... not aware of serendipity or whatever you want to call it... at work in my life... Awareness is the key they say... But I find myself often going blindly through my day with very little awareness of what is going on around me... Driving around town in a cloud of other thoughts... not really present to what is before me... I wonder how much I miss out on...
I wonder how many other times that happens but I'm not aware of it... I was driving here this morning and the main semi-highway I was on was merging with other semi-highway... so 2 lanes coming together with another 2 lanes. And one lane from each wants to get to the other side... Those on the left want to merge right... and those on the right want to merge left! Which makes it a bit tricky... A lot of shoulder checking and double checking... So I was merging right.... let's say from Lane 2 to Lane 3... and then someone else was merging Lane 4 to Lane 3, enroute to Lane 2. We were both merging into Lane 3 from opposite sides... at the same time! Luckily I caught them out of the corner of my eye and was able to slow down a bit and tuck in behind them... But again... a second or so difference and we might have crunched... right place at the right time...
I guess I just wonder how many times that happens in my day, and I'm not aware of it... not aware of serendipity or whatever you want to call it... at work in my life... Awareness is the key they say... But I find myself often going blindly through my day with very little awareness of what is going on around me... Driving around town in a cloud of other thoughts... not really present to what is before me... I wonder how much I miss out on...
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A Changing Era
My parents were raised during the Depression and World War II. They learned to save everything, because you never knew when you might need it. You might those jars or cans or bits of string or pieces of wrapping paper.
Today, we live in an age of plenty... We don't need to save all those yogurt containers. We could recycle them... And yet, we hold onto things, because they might be useful someday... And we wouldn't want to have to buy something new, when we have something old that could do the same job. But... in today's world, space is at a premium. We pay mortgages... We pay rent... We pay storage fees... Which are all calculated based on square footage. Yes, we can buy the space... but if I get a larger space, because I have a lot of stuff... then I am paying to store my stuff... I am paying money to store empty yogurt containers... or clothes that I don't wear... or books that I'll never read again.
Even worse when I move... All those boxes of books cost money to move... Everything costs money to move... I have binders full of 35 mm slides in plastic sleeves. From my geology days... from my forestry days. They are heavy! Do I refer to them? No. Do I think I might refer to them at some point? Maybe... For what purpose? I don't know! But you never know when you might need them! .... Uh-huh... really... They cost money though! I can't replace them! They're like negatives... They don't take up a lot of space... well... a whole shelf in my cabinet... There are Europe trips in there too...
For me it's 35 mm slides and photographs and books... What is it for you? What do you really resist letting go of? How is it moving your life forward? Is it moving your life forward? Or is it maybe holding you back, acting as an anchor... Just wondering...
Today, we live in an age of plenty... We don't need to save all those yogurt containers. We could recycle them... And yet, we hold onto things, because they might be useful someday... And we wouldn't want to have to buy something new, when we have something old that could do the same job. But... in today's world, space is at a premium. We pay mortgages... We pay rent... We pay storage fees... Which are all calculated based on square footage. Yes, we can buy the space... but if I get a larger space, because I have a lot of stuff... then I am paying to store my stuff... I am paying money to store empty yogurt containers... or clothes that I don't wear... or books that I'll never read again.
Even worse when I move... All those boxes of books cost money to move... Everything costs money to move... I have binders full of 35 mm slides in plastic sleeves. From my geology days... from my forestry days. They are heavy! Do I refer to them? No. Do I think I might refer to them at some point? Maybe... For what purpose? I don't know! But you never know when you might need them! .... Uh-huh... really... They cost money though! I can't replace them! They're like negatives... They don't take up a lot of space... well... a whole shelf in my cabinet... There are Europe trips in there too...
For me it's 35 mm slides and photographs and books... What is it for you? What do you really resist letting go of? How is it moving your life forward? Is it moving your life forward? Or is it maybe holding you back, acting as an anchor... Just wondering...
Friday, February 18, 2011
Shrinking vs. Expanding
Have you noticed this... Some things in our lives are getting a lot smaller... and others are getting a lot bigger. Think of our electronics. TV's used to be huge clunky things that took up a tonne of space. Now they are slim and trim... Microwaves used to be huge... now they are the size of a breadbox... Stereos and record players and tapedecks and speakers... all used to be huge... now they are the size of iPods and a tiny set of speakers. Computers used to be the size of a house... now I have as more computing power in my laptop than did the first computer... So, some things are getting smaller... but then, many things are getting larger... Our personal libraries are getting smaller... fitting into an E-book reader...
Our houses are getting larger and larger... with huge vaulted ceilings and cavernous living rooms. Our vehicles are getting... larger... Big SUVs... The Smart Car really hasn't caught on. Our waistlines are getting larger... Our debt is getting larger...
There's something in here that strikes me as being a bit off... If things (like electronics) are getting smaller... why do we need bigger houses? Why is it that we feel the need for more space in our homes? Perhaps it is because we find ourselves surrounded by so many things?? But we aren't really surrounded by more things... theoretically... We can reduce our library collection by going to an E-book. We can reduce our collection of CDs and records and cassettes... and get an iPod player... And yet, what do we do with all that extra space? We fill it with something else.
We say that we want space, and yet when we have space, we fill it with more things... in order to buy a bigger house... What would it look like if we got a smaller house? If we had to use our space wisely? If we actually had to let go of things rather than saying... "I've got space to store this..."... Just wondering...
Our houses are getting larger and larger... with huge vaulted ceilings and cavernous living rooms. Our vehicles are getting... larger... Big SUVs... The Smart Car really hasn't caught on. Our waistlines are getting larger... Our debt is getting larger...
There's something in here that strikes me as being a bit off... If things (like electronics) are getting smaller... why do we need bigger houses? Why is it that we feel the need for more space in our homes? Perhaps it is because we find ourselves surrounded by so many things?? But we aren't really surrounded by more things... theoretically... We can reduce our library collection by going to an E-book. We can reduce our collection of CDs and records and cassettes... and get an iPod player... And yet, what do we do with all that extra space? We fill it with something else.
We say that we want space, and yet when we have space, we fill it with more things... in order to buy a bigger house... What would it look like if we got a smaller house? If we had to use our space wisely? If we actually had to let go of things rather than saying... "I've got space to store this..."... Just wondering...
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Procrastination Begone 3
Yes, I know... more procrastination stuff... Maybe I'm the only one that does these things??? Leaves something on a to-do list for months... sometimes years?? So, over a year ago, I had set-up a personal website for my photography and writing. I was in a rush to get it done, as I was going to a craft fair to sell books and photocards, and needed a website for my business card. So, it got set up really quickly!! Which is a good thing... except... I haven't updated it since then...
I know, I know... websites need to be "fresh" and "new"... But, honestly, when I'm working during the day, more important (I think) things take priority. And in the evenings... more important things take priority. The one time when I think I could play with it a bit is when I'm at Starbucks in the morning... But my laptop doesn't have the editing program on it...
Yes, I know... a piddly little excuse... So, yesterday, that's exactly what I did... loaded the editing program on my laptop... Now, I have no excuse for it... or at least, not that excuse! I find it amazing how something that takes 5 or 10 minutes can keep me stuck for months or years... Obviously I have a big story in my head about what's stopping me... about why I can't get it done... about why it's too hard... about why I don't have what it takes... Obviously too, at a very deep level, it's not getting done, because I am making different choices... I am choosing not to do it... choosing to do other things...
I suppose the power of choice eludes us many times. We think outside forces or circumstances or people dictate what we are doing or can do... When really, it's all about us... We can choose how we will react to things... choose how we will interact with things...
I know, I know... websites need to be "fresh" and "new"... But, honestly, when I'm working during the day, more important (I think) things take priority. And in the evenings... more important things take priority. The one time when I think I could play with it a bit is when I'm at Starbucks in the morning... But my laptop doesn't have the editing program on it...
Yes, I know... a piddly little excuse... So, yesterday, that's exactly what I did... loaded the editing program on my laptop... Now, I have no excuse for it... or at least, not that excuse! I find it amazing how something that takes 5 or 10 minutes can keep me stuck for months or years... Obviously I have a big story in my head about what's stopping me... about why I can't get it done... about why it's too hard... about why I don't have what it takes... Obviously too, at a very deep level, it's not getting done, because I am making different choices... I am choosing not to do it... choosing to do other things...
I suppose the power of choice eludes us many times. We think outside forces or circumstances or people dictate what we are doing or can do... When really, it's all about us... We can choose how we will react to things... choose how we will interact with things...
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Procrastination Begone 2
Yes... well... this one isn't quite as bad as yesterday... Almost 1 year ago, I bought a 500 GB external hard drive to serve as a backup for my desktop computer. I already had a 200 GB Maxtor backup drive, but it wasn't working properly and I needed more space than it afforded so... I bought this 500 GB baby...
You know what comes next, don't you?? Yes... it sat on my computer desk for almost 1 year... And it's been on my to-do list for that long as well... What can I say... I figured that I'd do it next weekend... or next weekend... I figured it was too hard to set up... I figured all sorts of things... let's just call them "excuses"....
So the other day, I finally decided "today is the day"... I unplugged the Maxtor... plugged in the Seagate... connected it to the USB port on the computer and waited... A registration screen came up, so I filled that out... And then... nothing?? "Oh great, it doesn't work!!"...
No, that wasn't it... it's simply an external hard drive. It shows up in my list of drives and all I have to do is copy folders to it from my desktop. So that's what I did... All those music and photo folders... All those document folders... I'd copy a few (since I couldn't seem to copy the whole "My Documents" folder... and then come back after a while and copy some more... All told... maybe 20 minutes of sitting at the computer...
And I even have room to backup my laptop too... I really get that I do this to myself!! I am the one who procrastinates... and drags things around with me from day to day... But I'm also the one who can choose to just do it...
You know what comes next, don't you?? Yes... it sat on my computer desk for almost 1 year... And it's been on my to-do list for that long as well... What can I say... I figured that I'd do it next weekend... or next weekend... I figured it was too hard to set up... I figured all sorts of things... let's just call them "excuses"....
So the other day, I finally decided "today is the day"... I unplugged the Maxtor... plugged in the Seagate... connected it to the USB port on the computer and waited... A registration screen came up, so I filled that out... And then... nothing?? "Oh great, it doesn't work!!"...
No, that wasn't it... it's simply an external hard drive. It shows up in my list of drives and all I have to do is copy folders to it from my desktop. So that's what I did... All those music and photo folders... All those document folders... I'd copy a few (since I couldn't seem to copy the whole "My Documents" folder... and then come back after a while and copy some more... All told... maybe 20 minutes of sitting at the computer...
And I even have room to backup my laptop too... I really get that I do this to myself!! I am the one who procrastinates... and drags things around with me from day to day... But I'm also the one who can choose to just do it...
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Procrastination Begone
So, we moved into this condo almost 2 years ago. Shortly after we moved in, we bought a circular dining room table with chairs. The table has a central pedastal with 4 legs bolted into it. One of the legs was wobbly, so a friend told us all we needed to do was put a blanket on the floor, turn the table upside down and tighten the bolts for that one leg...
And that has been on my to-do list for the last "almost 2 years"... A small thing, yes, but... somehow it seemed like a major job... Yesterday, I bit the bullet and did it... on my own too... Not all that hard... Blanket on the floor, tip table and lay it flat on its belly... Find a socket wrench that fit and then tighten the offending leg... and the other ones too for good measure. Get the table back on its feet, put blanket away... Grand total... 10 minutes, maybe... I did have to go downstairs twice because a crescent wrench wasn't working in the confined space...
10 minutes vs. "almost 2 years"... That is 10 minutes vs. almost 1,000,000 minutes... It has been nagging me for almost 2 years... and I got it done in 10 minutes... crazy!! I've got a few other things on my list that are nagging me too... I see that procrastination can slowly ooze back into my life! I know it so well!
And that has been on my to-do list for the last "almost 2 years"... A small thing, yes, but... somehow it seemed like a major job... Yesterday, I bit the bullet and did it... on my own too... Not all that hard... Blanket on the floor, tip table and lay it flat on its belly... Find a socket wrench that fit and then tighten the offending leg... and the other ones too for good measure. Get the table back on its feet, put blanket away... Grand total... 10 minutes, maybe... I did have to go downstairs twice because a crescent wrench wasn't working in the confined space...
10 minutes vs. "almost 2 years"... That is 10 minutes vs. almost 1,000,000 minutes... It has been nagging me for almost 2 years... and I got it done in 10 minutes... crazy!! I've got a few other things on my list that are nagging me too... I see that procrastination can slowly ooze back into my life! I know it so well!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Crayons
What are crayons made of? I always thought they were made of wax. Well yes and no. They are made from paraffin wax, not beeswax (which I think of as "wax"). Paraffin wax is a petroleum product. So, basically crayons are made from oil... with some colour added.
Couldn't we do something with old crayons? Other than shaving them onto wax paper and making cute little pictures... which will ultimately end up in the garbage too at some point? Well... how about recycling crayons?? Think of all the schools that use crayons... all of the kids that use crayons... What if we could gather all those little bits of used crayons and make... new crayons! Sounds like a pretty brilliant idea. Crayola might not be too keen on it, as they sell new crayons...
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Unclutterer
Found a great website for those of us who need to declutter... or unclutter. It has all sorts of great little articles and ideas... She even has a book called "Unclutter Your Life in One Week"... I looked it up at the library and all of the copies are checked out! Hmmm... decluttering books are popular out there!
I know I like to read them... they give me some ideas... and they inspire me to let things go and create some space. She has a couple of questions that are always good to ask:
Is it useful? Does the object make your life easier? Does it save you time? Does it save you money? Does it fulfill an essential need? Do you use it every time you can?
Is it beautiful? Does it inspire you? Do you associate a positive memory with it? Can you see it and appreciate its beauty? Does it help you to develop the remarkable life you want to live?
Always good questions to ask...
I know I like to read them... they give me some ideas... and they inspire me to let things go and create some space. She has a couple of questions that are always good to ask:
Is it useful? Does the object make your life easier? Does it save you time? Does it save you money? Does it fulfill an essential need? Do you use it every time you can?
Is it beautiful? Does it inspire you? Do you associate a positive memory with it? Can you see it and appreciate its beauty? Does it help you to develop the remarkable life you want to live?
Always good questions to ask...
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Dry Air
I thought PG had a dry climate... but it ain't got nothin' on Calgary!! I know when I go back to Vancouver and Terrace, I can feel the moisture in the air, it's heavy, it's damp... it's just there... But here in Calgary, particularly in the winter, well... dry air is nasty on the sinuses.
I sneezed the other day and that started a nose bleed which took a bit to staunch... Kleenexes and cold packs and lying with my head back. Not much fun... Somebody suggested I should put some vaseline in my nose... which sounds kind of weird. But... if my skin gets dry and needs moisturizing, then the inside of my nose probably does as well!!
Plus, I am now looking at our furnace humidifer in a whole new light! Might be a good thing to get that little thing looked at... and maybe even up the humidity in the house. Plus, I wonder about the bathroom fan... Maybe there's no point to using it, because the humidity in the house would be a good thing! Makes sense to have them in a humid climate (like Vancouver)... but in Calgary's climate, where any moisture basically goes straight into the air... Maybe it would be a good thing to ditch the bathroom fan for a while... and just let the moisture humidify our air!
I sneezed the other day and that started a nose bleed which took a bit to staunch... Kleenexes and cold packs and lying with my head back. Not much fun... Somebody suggested I should put some vaseline in my nose... which sounds kind of weird. But... if my skin gets dry and needs moisturizing, then the inside of my nose probably does as well!!
Plus, I am now looking at our furnace humidifer in a whole new light! Might be a good thing to get that little thing looked at... and maybe even up the humidity in the house. Plus, I wonder about the bathroom fan... Maybe there's no point to using it, because the humidity in the house would be a good thing! Makes sense to have them in a humid climate (like Vancouver)... but in Calgary's climate, where any moisture basically goes straight into the air... Maybe it would be a good thing to ditch the bathroom fan for a while... and just let the moisture humidify our air!
Friday, February 11, 2011
What is Life?
I subscribe to daily quotes/meditation from Don Miguel Ruiz (Four Agreements book), and this one came in the other day...
"What I am is something incredibly magnificent. I am life, and life is the only truth. Every animal, every flower, every rock is life, because everything is full of life. All of us are only one living being, and we come from the same place."
That makes sense to me... Everything is alive... at some level. Rocks might not meet our traditional definition of life, but when you think about it... It makes sense. Everything is vibrating, the air, the earth, the water, the rocks... Everything comes from God and returns to God... In which case, everything is of God, then everything must be life... We just have a very narrow definition of life...
But what would our world look like, if we altered our definition of life? If we treated rocks with respect... and the earth... and water... and air... Does everything have a spirit? Does a chair or a table have a spirit? Does a wooden chair (made from a tree) have more spirit than a chair made from plastic (transformed petroleum)?? Do more natural things (like wool or cotton) have more spirit than manufactured things (like rayon or nylon)? Do we connect more closely with natural things than manufactured things, because spirit is closer to the surface?
Don't know... just wondering...
"What I am is something incredibly magnificent. I am life, and life is the only truth. Every animal, every flower, every rock is life, because everything is full of life. All of us are only one living being, and we come from the same place."
That makes sense to me... Everything is alive... at some level. Rocks might not meet our traditional definition of life, but when you think about it... It makes sense. Everything is vibrating, the air, the earth, the water, the rocks... Everything comes from God and returns to God... In which case, everything is of God, then everything must be life... We just have a very narrow definition of life...
But what would our world look like, if we altered our definition of life? If we treated rocks with respect... and the earth... and water... and air... Does everything have a spirit? Does a chair or a table have a spirit? Does a wooden chair (made from a tree) have more spirit than a chair made from plastic (transformed petroleum)?? Do more natural things (like wool or cotton) have more spirit than manufactured things (like rayon or nylon)? Do we connect more closely with natural things than manufactured things, because spirit is closer to the surface?
Don't know... just wondering...
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Switzerland
I was flipping channels the other day, and stoppd on the BBC News channel. They were having a piece about Switzerland and how the country is voting on whether or not to deport "foreigners" who committ criminal activities, like rape, burglary, murder, armed robbery, etc. Foreigners make up about 25% of Switzerland's population, but make up 81% of the prison population.
Apparently Switzerland has a history of deporting foreigners who commit crimes... so I'm not sure how this vote/law is different. It's been introduced by the right wing political party, and some people are upset about it. Apparently, even if you were born in Switzerland, if your parents were foreigners or your grandparents, you could still be deported. Even if you might face death or persecution at home. There's also a concern that people could be deported for relatively minor infractions.
It's interesting to see what is happening in Europe... France is deporting the Roma... Germany has given up on multiculturalism... and Switzerland is deporting foreigners who commit crimes... This right wing backlash is interesting... and scary... Wonder how far it will go...
Apparently Switzerland has a history of deporting foreigners who commit crimes... so I'm not sure how this vote/law is different. It's been introduced by the right wing political party, and some people are upset about it. Apparently, even if you were born in Switzerland, if your parents were foreigners or your grandparents, you could still be deported. Even if you might face death or persecution at home. There's also a concern that people could be deported for relatively minor infractions.
It's interesting to see what is happening in Europe... France is deporting the Roma... Germany has given up on multiculturalism... and Switzerland is deporting foreigners who commit crimes... This right wing backlash is interesting... and scary... Wonder how far it will go...
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Expired
Have you ever looked in your cupboard and wondered... is that food still good? Have those cookies expired? Are those cans of soup still alive?? Sometimes you can tell by the smell... Rancid rice and/or noodles are no fun! But, some things you can't smell... like botulism... Sometimes you can tell by looking at things. If your bottle of V8 juice in the fridge has fuzzy green/blue rafts floating in it... probably not a good thing! But, some things you can't smell... So, how long does food actually last in our cupboards? Or our fridge? Or our freezer?
Sometimes the food will have a best before date... which helps immensely... But some food doesn't. How long can you keep spices?? How long can you keep frozen vegetables?? How about mustard or ketchup or HP sauce in the fridge??
Well... have I got the website for you!!! http://stilltasty.com/
It's great!! Simple, easy to use. Tells you how long you can keep things in the fridge and/or freezer. Tells you whether you can freeze things... How soon you need to refrigerate or freeze things... Mind you, it doesn't have canned goods on it... But still, it covers a lot of the main food groups...
It also has a bunch of stuff on how to store foods properly... Did you know onions and potatoes should not be stored together??? They both give off gases that will accelerate the spoilage of the other... Not a good mix!
Take a look...
Sometimes the food will have a best before date... which helps immensely... But some food doesn't. How long can you keep spices?? How long can you keep frozen vegetables?? How about mustard or ketchup or HP sauce in the fridge??
Well... have I got the website for you!!! http://stilltasty.com/
It's great!! Simple, easy to use. Tells you how long you can keep things in the fridge and/or freezer. Tells you whether you can freeze things... How soon you need to refrigerate or freeze things... Mind you, it doesn't have canned goods on it... But still, it covers a lot of the main food groups...
It also has a bunch of stuff on how to store foods properly... Did you know onions and potatoes should not be stored together??? They both give off gases that will accelerate the spoilage of the other... Not a good mix!
Take a look...
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
Ouch!!
Have you ever stubbed your toe... banged your elbow... hurt your finger... And probably muttered and cursed under your breath and went "ouch"!! For myself, there's usually a surge of anger and crankiness that comes with the ouch... I'm reading a book right now by Wayne Dyer called Inspiration. He would say... pay attention to those moments. More importantly, pay attention to your thoughts in that moment. He would say that the ouch is an alert from the universe, from Spirit, from God... to pay attention and be aware. Our thoughts are often somewhere else... and we are not present in the moment. The ouch is like a disruption in our thought pattern, something that is meant to disrupt our thought pattern, something that is meant to get us to come back to the present... It works!!
It always comes back to awareness doesn't it? Awareness of the moment. Awareness of our thoughts. Awareness of our spirit. We are beings of spirit... but we get so caught up in our little world of thoughts... of what we think about the world and about our selves. None of which is real or true... we just make it up.
Wayne Dyer would say that everything that is in the past... everything that is in the future... none of it is real. It does not exist. Not right here... right now. It is a memory... We keep it alive of course... by dwelling on it... by brooding on it... and we drag it into our present. But be clear that we do that... it doesn't happen on its own. We are called to live here in the now... to let go of the brooding and the stewing... to let go of the hurts and resentments... to let go of all that has been... of all that might be (worry??)... and just be... Called to enjoy this moment right here, right now... to be present to this moment, right here, right now!
It always comes back to awareness doesn't it? Awareness of the moment. Awareness of our thoughts. Awareness of our spirit. We are beings of spirit... but we get so caught up in our little world of thoughts... of what we think about the world and about our selves. None of which is real or true... we just make it up.
Wayne Dyer would say that everything that is in the past... everything that is in the future... none of it is real. It does not exist. Not right here... right now. It is a memory... We keep it alive of course... by dwelling on it... by brooding on it... and we drag it into our present. But be clear that we do that... it doesn't happen on its own. We are called to live here in the now... to let go of the brooding and the stewing... to let go of the hurts and resentments... to let go of all that has been... of all that might be (worry??)... and just be... Called to enjoy this moment right here, right now... to be present to this moment, right here, right now!
Monday, February 7, 2011
Something Different
This morning, I took someone to the airport and it was 8:45 am after I dropped them off and left. So now what... Go all the way back to my neck of the woods (1/2 hr drive) and go to one of my regular Starbucks... or try something different? I looked for Starbucks up here in the NE and yes, there is one in a Chapters, only 10 minutes from the airport... But will they have comfy chairs? Will it be good hot chocolate??
Ah, what the heck!! Let's give it a whirl!! As I was driving here, I kept noticing that my new wool zip-up sweater was scratching my neck... I only had a t-shirt on underneath, and the collar isn't high enough to protect my neck. So, I thought... maybe I should look for a Mark's Work Wearhouse out there?? Guess what... Mark's is just across the street... How perfect is that!!
Some would say that it's a coincidence... Others would say it's something else. It's me being in flow with the universe... me being guided by the universe... I suppose it's just about being connected and staying connected... about being open to new possibilities... new options... new openings... They are all around us, but we don't often tap into them... become aware of them...
Ah, what the heck!! Let's give it a whirl!! As I was driving here, I kept noticing that my new wool zip-up sweater was scratching my neck... I only had a t-shirt on underneath, and the collar isn't high enough to protect my neck. So, I thought... maybe I should look for a Mark's Work Wearhouse out there?? Guess what... Mark's is just across the street... How perfect is that!!
Some would say that it's a coincidence... Others would say it's something else. It's me being in flow with the universe... me being guided by the universe... I suppose it's just about being connected and staying connected... about being open to new possibilities... new options... new openings... They are all around us, but we don't often tap into them... become aware of them...
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Vatican & Condoms
Will wonders never cease... Back in late November, the Pope made a statement that has shifted how the Church thinks about condoms.
"Using a condom is a lesser evil than transmitting HIV to a sexual partner -- even if that means a woman averting a possible pregnancy, the Vatican said Tuesday, signalling a seismic shift in papal teaching as it further explained Pope Benedict XVI's comments."
It's better to use a condom (even though it is "bad" from the procreation point of view), than to pass along HIV to another (which is really "bad"). Very important for slowing the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa... The Vatican has pulled its collective head out of the sand and realized something needs to be done...
Interesting... this idea of lesser evil and greater evil is apparently quite common in moral theology... And this shift in the Vatican's thinking about condom use makes me wonder if other shifts might happen...
For example, morally, would it not be better for homosexual couples to marry and live in a committed relationship (bad in the Vatican's eyes) than for them to live a promiscuous lifestyle (really bad in the Vatican's eyes)?
Just wondering... Which is the greater evil?
"Using a condom is a lesser evil than transmitting HIV to a sexual partner -- even if that means a woman averting a possible pregnancy, the Vatican said Tuesday, signalling a seismic shift in papal teaching as it further explained Pope Benedict XVI's comments."
It's better to use a condom (even though it is "bad" from the procreation point of view), than to pass along HIV to another (which is really "bad"). Very important for slowing the spread of HIV and AIDS in Africa... The Vatican has pulled its collective head out of the sand and realized something needs to be done...
Interesting... this idea of lesser evil and greater evil is apparently quite common in moral theology... And this shift in the Vatican's thinking about condom use makes me wonder if other shifts might happen...
For example, morally, would it not be better for homosexual couples to marry and live in a committed relationship (bad in the Vatican's eyes) than for them to live a promiscuous lifestyle (really bad in the Vatican's eyes)?
Just wondering... Which is the greater evil?
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Gotta Love it!
Today is Saturday (in my world... not in blog world!) and I got to my favourite Starbucks at 8:20 am... and found my primo-chair unoccupied and hardly anyone here... Now it is 8:45 and the place is filling up and I am glad I came when I did. You never know what the traffic will be like through these doors... but I know that the early bird usually gets the worm. I know there are some people who like the clump of 5 comfy chairs around the gas fireplace but... there are two comfy chairs facing each other next to a picture window that are more my style... I can look outside... and one of them has a seat depth that is just perfect for my legs! The other ones are a bit too long in the seat for me to sit comfortably without screwing up my back... So... I am glad I came when I did... and looking forward to some happy blogging!
Friday, February 4, 2011
Made to Stick - Conclusion
If you want something to stick then get your audience to:
1. Pay Attention - Make it Unexpected
2. Understand & Remember - Make it Concrete
3. Agree/Believe - Make it Credible
4. Care - Make it Emotional
5. Be able to act on it - Make it a Story
Above all... keep it Simple!!
That's it... that's all... and the most challenging one is apparently keeping it simple. You need to find the core truth of what you are trying to communicate and keep it there...
1. Pay Attention - Make it Unexpected
2. Understand & Remember - Make it Concrete
3. Agree/Believe - Make it Credible
4. Care - Make it Emotional
5. Be able to act on it - Make it a Story
Above all... keep it Simple!!
That's it... that's all... and the most challenging one is apparently keeping it simple. You need to find the core truth of what you are trying to communicate and keep it there...
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Made to Stick - Stories
If you want something to stick then tell it in the form of a story. There are three types of stories... Challenge Plot, Connection Plot, Creativity Plot. If you're not a story-teller, then cultivate the ability to spot stories that fit for whatever it is you are trying to communicate. Chicken Soup for the Soul is full of inspirational stories... and stories stick.
Stories stick more than an argument. So if you want something to stick, don't get stuck in an argument... shift out into a story... It will make your point better than you can.
Stories stick more than an argument. So if you want something to stick, don't get stuck in an argument... shift out into a story... It will make your point better than you can.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Made to Stick - Emotional
Make people care. That's it... just make people care. About whatever it is you are trying to communicate. You don't have to make it a tear-jerker... but get people out of the analytical and into the emotional. That will make it stick. It's not always about triggering people's self-interest (what's in it for me)... but about allowing people to imagine themselves in it. It could even be self-interest for "my group"... Make an appeal to the identity of people...
And make people care... that will help the message to stick...
And make people care... that will help the message to stick...
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Made to Stick - Credible
We can give out a message but oftentimes our message doesn't stick because... we lack credibility... "Who they heck are you? How do you know? Where did you get that information? Why should I listen to you?" might be some of the responses we get.
So one of the keys to getting our message to sick is credibility. That can come in a vareity of forms. It can come because we have a certain authority about an area. You are more likely to listen to a doctor speak about the dangers of cholesterol than somebody off the street. You are also more likely to listen to a celebrity extol the virtues of something, because you want to be like them. Finally, there are the anti-authorities... the smoker with lung cancer... the person dying of AIDS... the drunk driver who killed a family... They have the credibility of experience.
If you want to make a message credible, then use details, specific concrete details... vivid details. These all tend to boost credibility. If you're going to use statistics, then remember that people will rarely remember the numbers... what they will remember is the relationship. So make sure that you bring it down to a human scale and have a context that makes sense.
Another credibility booster is the "if you can do it there, you can do it anywhere"... If you have catered the White House, you can cater anywhere. If you've done "this" (which is very impressive).... then you can do "it" anywhere...
But the most powerful form of credibility is getting the audience to verify it on their own. Give them a message that is testable... something that they can verify on their own. Wendy's did an ad, which you probably remember... "where's the beef"... Anyone could verify on their own that, yes, Wendy's burgers did have more beef than McDonald's. It was a message that was verifiable and that stuck.
So one of the keys to getting our message to sick is credibility. That can come in a vareity of forms. It can come because we have a certain authority about an area. You are more likely to listen to a doctor speak about the dangers of cholesterol than somebody off the street. You are also more likely to listen to a celebrity extol the virtues of something, because you want to be like them. Finally, there are the anti-authorities... the smoker with lung cancer... the person dying of AIDS... the drunk driver who killed a family... They have the credibility of experience.
If you want to make a message credible, then use details, specific concrete details... vivid details. These all tend to boost credibility. If you're going to use statistics, then remember that people will rarely remember the numbers... what they will remember is the relationship. So make sure that you bring it down to a human scale and have a context that makes sense.
Another credibility booster is the "if you can do it there, you can do it anywhere"... If you have catered the White House, you can cater anywhere. If you've done "this" (which is very impressive).... then you can do "it" anywhere...
But the most powerful form of credibility is getting the audience to verify it on their own. Give them a message that is testable... something that they can verify on their own. Wendy's did an ad, which you probably remember... "where's the beef"... Anyone could verify on their own that, yes, Wendy's burgers did have more beef than McDonald's. It was a message that was verifiable and that stuck.
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