It’s fun starting projects and working on them, but nothing beats getting one across the finish line- even if it takes longer than we expected ( or in this case, a lot longer!) Continue reading My New Album Releases Today!
I think the claim that Marcus Aurelius would not have thought himself a philosopher is incorrect. At the same time, the way it is incorrect is very interesting. Exploring this will show us some important things about what philosophy and philosophers were in the ancient world, what they are perceived to be now, and how we might choose to regard and engage in philosophy going forward. Continue reading Marcus Aurelius: What Is a Philosopher?
There was a carousel in the town I grew up in that held a special attraction for me as a kid. It was originally built in 1909 and had beautifully carved wooden horses big enough that they could create the illusion of really riding. But in addition to that, the ride purveyors had added a chute of rings that riders on outside horses could reach. … Continue reading The Universal You
Context The catalyst for this post was my most recent Introductions Over Coffee #10 post. There I discuss why new bloggers should use a name. That got me thinking about the nature of identity. In particular, why we feel its necessary for others to have names, why it might be difficult to pick a name and the likelihood of exclusion as a result. These are … Continue reading Identity: What’s in a name?
I’ve been thinking a lot about defiance lately. Actually, because I’m very much a contrarian at heart, I’m always thinking about ways to defy. That’s what contrarians do; they defy conventional wisdom (among other things). (By the way, it seems pretty clear that we need a lot more contrarians in the world.) I guess you could also say that I’m part of the resistance against … Continue reading Repost: Napping as an Act of Defiance
Avicii (…I know. Hella way to start a post after being MIA for longer than a Tyler Perry series!) Anyway, as I was saying, Avicii’s song has been playing on repeat on my head. …One day you’ll leave this world behind… The Nights by Avicii My grandad passed on recently. We buried him last week. Orada (which in my native language means lion) was 91 … Continue reading Songs of Life
After posting My Favorite Writer Quotes last week, I loved the ones submitted in the comments so much that here’s a post of your favorite writer quotes. “People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of their character.” – Ralph Waldo EmersonSubmitted by the insightful and delightful Vicki Atkinson of the Victoria Ponders blog “One thing that … Continue reading Your Favorite Writer Quotes
I think it’s safe to say that writing is the subject that I’ve studied longest. Sure, it started with just grasping the pencil with some dexterity and has developed through school essays, technical writing, and now to developing a personal angle with memoir writing, and blogging. But whatever the genre, it feels like an incredibly rich and vast subject of study. So here are five … Continue reading My Favorite Writer Quotes
How we blog; where our inspiration comes from can be quite a topical discussion. In this post I consider the arguments for and against using prompts to guide our writing. Continue reading An alternative approach: Using prompts in blogging
Not that long ago, I found myself stopped at a traffic light, across from a rather pricey development combining shopping and dining. Next to the road was a large sign, advertising for the entire place. What caught my eye was the slogan for this place: “Feed Your Appetite.” I was partly amazed, partly amused, and partly disturbed. Of course, if what “feed your appetite” meant … Continue reading Feed Your Appetite: An Unintentionally Honest Slogan?
Several centuries ago, during the peak of the Japanese autumn, in one of Kyoto’s splendid gardens, a tea master instructed his apprentice to prepare for a tea ceremony. The young man meticulously trimmed hedges, carefully raked the gravel, plucked dry leaves from the stones, and cleared the mossy path of any twigs. The garden appeared flawless: every blade of grass was perfectly in place. Silently, … Continue reading Embracing Wabi-Sabi: The Beauty of Imperfection in Japanese Culture
I’ve been forgetful lately. I’m talking like, I’ll be in one part of my house, decide that I need something from another room, head to that locale, and as soon as I arrive there, I can no longer recall what I wanted to get. I know this is a near universal human experience because I’ve had numerous friends, once I’ve told them about this tendency … Continue reading Repost: Does Anyone Know Where I Left My Car Keys?
He picked up the scissors again, took a deep breath and tried to relax. With the material stretched firmly between his fingers and his eyes carefully focused on the mark, the tailor squeezed on scissor handles. And just as the blades sunk into the fabric…
At school I was always told that, “I couldn’t make a living from staring out of the window.” But then I became a pilot! Staring out of a window became my profession. Often, while staring out of the window from 40,000’, my mind would wander. Just like the clouds outside, my thoughts would take on all sorts of shapes and sizes. Eventually I decided to … Continue reading 3 Snippets of Wisdom
I was sitting at my kitchen table working yesterday afternoon, trying to tie up the last few items before closing my laptop and going to get my kids when the doorbell rang. It was the <ding-dong><ding-dong><ding-dong> of repeated bell pushes used most frequently by the 7-years-old and under set. So I wasn’t surprised to find the 6-year-old twins from four doors down the street hanging … Continue reading The Inspiration to Write: A Short Vignette
I got that idea out of desperation – it was December 2019, and I felt very badly about my body. I needed a project, something to hold on to, and I saw a video about a woman who did 365 days of yoga, says Corinne Dutil in this interview. That is how she started her 365 days challenge with yoga. Continue reading One day at a time
I’ve recently discovered that there are a lot of parallels between having a new job and a new puppy. Weren’t expecting that combo? Let me explain. Both making doing yoga in the morning hard. And both benefit from a lot of training. In some instances when they get a hold of you just right, both have sharp teeth that bite. Not to mention that both … Continue reading Unlikely Learning Mates
During an interview once, I was asked a question that made me a little nervous. The question was:
“What is a good conversation for you, and with whom do you have good conversations?” At that moment, that question puzzled me, but now I would like to pass that question on to you with my twist.
If you haven’t already done so, you might want to have a look at part one. That one was mostly about work. This second piece will be more focused on money; although, work and money really go hand in hand because without the former, the latter is hard to come by. In part one, I mentioned (and linked to) “The Shame that Keeps Us in Our … Continue reading Repost: On Work and Money: Part Two
You might be under the impression that there’s some tension, or even conflict and contradiction, between compassion and personal boundaries. Although surely this is a widely shared, culturally pervasive impression, it could hardly be further from the truth. In this post I’ll elaborate on how and why true compassion and appropriate personal boundaries are intrinsically linked, drawing heavily on the words of two teachers and … Continue reading Compassion and Personal Boundaries: No Conflict At All
