Musings from Flood Warnings

Hello all! Good morning from a very rainy California! You might have heard, California has been dealing with severe rain in recent weeks, specifically the past week, and we have been under evacuation warning due to risk of flood a few times in the past week. Some nearby areas have actually been evacuated. The state has been under tornado threat, which is very rare from … Continue reading Musings from Flood Warnings

Why Write in the Age of AI?

In a comment on a recent post about learning, a person asked my opinion about new technologies called Open AI (artificial intelligence) and ChatGPT. This software is causing quite a stir in academic realms and has even made CNN and Wall Street Journal. Douglas Rushkoff, a supporter of humanity and critic of modern technologies, discussed some of the real dangers of the software, as opposed to many surface-level … Continue reading Why Write in the Age of AI?

Is Selfishness a Virtue? On Ayn Rand and the impacts of her philosophy

Having enjoyed The Fountainhead, Atlas Shrugged, and Anthem, Ayn Rand was one of my favorite authors, that is, until I read The Age of Selfishness by Darryl Cunningham. In The Fountainhead, I found Howard Roark’s character to be endearing and refreshing as he continued to stick to his puritanical ideals of architecture and refusal to succumb to society’s stale standards of life. Selfishness, narrow mindedness, … Continue reading Is Selfishness a Virtue? On Ayn Rand and the impacts of her philosophy

assorted books on book shelves

I read over 100 books this year and here are my recommendations

The 2022.jpeg is coming to a close, and it’s been a wild ride. I put my 2 week’s notice in for my job in May, traveled to 15 countries, moved to Germany, started a master’s program, and am back celebrating the end of the year with my family. How did I find time to read 102 books this year? First off, I bought an ereader … Continue reading I read over 100 books this year and here are my recommendations

Habit Formation, Vision and Patience

Hi there, I have not been a good reader until two years ago, when I started reading more consistently and increasingly more. I have a certain ideal person to be and that ideal person is one that reads well. But I struggled with consistency when it came to reading. I would read one book fast and not read anything for months after. Two years ago, … Continue reading Habit Formation, Vision and Patience

“Enlightenment Stuff”

According to the Veritas Publishing website, David R. Hawkins (1913 – 2012) was an internationally renowned spiritual teacher, psychiatrist, physician, researcher, lecturer and developer of the widely-known Map of Consciousness. I’ve read two of his well-known books (I, Reality and Subjectivity and The Eye of the I) and found both of them helpful and informative. I remember chuckling when he expressed the following (paraphrased) statement … Continue reading “Enlightenment Stuff”

The Unnecessary Question

From the human perspective, we often directly or indirectly ask the following question of our family, friends, and peers: “Are you with me?” Depending on the answer that we receive, we may feel bolstered, ridiculed, or even abandoned. The time waiting to know if they will support us can feel unbearable. Within the psychological structure of the “person,” there is a part of us that seeks assurance … Continue reading The Unnecessary Question

Family Traditions: A Recipe For Realization

Nearing Christmas, we are usually getting ready for family traditions. Perhaps you have a religious ritual you perform or a meal you prepare. These traditions add to the ambiance of the experience. Sometimes, though, they create a sense of sacredness, which can be harmful if it limits our ability to adapt, change, and grow. At a family gathering, a young woman was asked why she … Continue reading Family Traditions: A Recipe For Realization

To The One

In the barren lands of earth, our gestures of gratitude can often seem hollow and trite–an obligatory Thank You note written here; a box of chocolates given there; handshakes, hugs, and gift cards, though well intended, can also prove lacking. The worst, of course, is when someone’s precious gifts of time, effort, and heart are overlooked and entirely taken for granted. There comes a time–and that … Continue reading To The One

Speed of Personal Development

Hello there! I hope everyone had a good start to their week! I just finished reading ‘The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari’ by Robin Sharma. I had a couple of issues with the narration but what I want to talk about here is the issue with some of the content. Overall, I think the author had good intentions and wanted to convey as many ideas … Continue reading Speed of Personal Development

Only “This”

Language, even with our most precise usage, proves totally inadequate at expressing the Truth of the Absolute; for it soon becomes apparent that expressions about It are forced by their inherent limitations to remain verbal or written representations–not the original, Itself. Thus, in describing via our “A, B, C’s” (or equally valuable letters of other languages), we create a distorted view of That which is … Continue reading Only “This”

Worth Beyond Definition

I recently viewed a YouTube video in which a guest related the account of a friend who had just bought a very expensive house. This wasn’t expressed, but his friend was probably quite proud of his achievement. The guest went on to share that his friend had attended a party at someone’s home; and during the tour of the house, he learned that a rare … Continue reading Worth Beyond Definition

Define the problem

Hi there! How are you? Sometimes, unexpected news that can change our entire life comes and shocks us. What I noticed in those moments is that they do not always devastates us. In fact, sometimes, I deal with these kinds of sudden changes better than smaller adaptive changes. Why? I think the answer lies in labeling. When the change is noticeable enough (big and sudden), … Continue reading Define the problem