: Today’s Reflection is about another perspective of looking at our deeply
: and profoundly interconnected world, where nothing exists in isolation,
: and everything impacts, affects, and depends on everything else.
The following is a story Keli
told me, about a live performance Prince gave in Vancouver a long time
ago; I hope that in retelling it, I will do the story as much justice
as it deserves.
Prince. Live performance. Crowds. Music. And
everything else that accompanies such an event. At some point, Prince
stops playing, turns to the audience, and asks: “What’s better, to give
or to receive?”
“To give,” scream some. “To receive,” shout others.
He
repeats his question. In return, even more screaming and shouting and
noise, all variations of the same answers. He points to a woman,
screaming from her seat in the front row: “What is better, to give or
to receive?”
“To give!” is her reply.
“OK,” says Prince.
“You are saying that to give is better than to receive?” Her loud “Yes”
carries through the whole space, as he raises his hand and quiets the
audience.
“I want you then,” he says, pointing to the woman, “to
give your seat to someone at the very last row and go sit there
instead. Trade places.”
Silence descends on the whole place.
“What is better, to give or to receive?” he asks again.
By
now, the silence is palpable and the audience can feel, sense, taste,
and touch it. It is as if time stands still. He repeats the question
again. Now the silence is heavy, drawing people deeper and deeper into
themselves. Nothing moves.
He then invites the woman from the
front row to the stage. Assistants bring pillows and make a comfortable
and cozy area for her to sit, right there, in the center of the stage.
He turns his back to the whole audience and performs a song – facing
the woman, singing just for her.
:: “You cannot teach an ego to be anything but egotistic, even though egos have
:: the subtlest ways of pretending to be reformed. The basic thing is therefore
:: to dispel, by experiment and experience, the illusion of oneself as a
:: separate ego.” - Alan Watts
When the song is over, he turns to the audience and asks again, “What is getter – to give or to receive?”
There
is still silence in the space, yet it is different now. Somehow, it is
more gentle, contemplative, intimate. “You cannot have one without the
other,” says Prince.
I keep coming back to this story, time and
time again, in a variety of situations and circumstances. How true his
message is. Some weeks ago, I witnessed a profoundly beautiful,
touching, and inspiring ceremony, where a group of students and faculty
acknowledged and appreciated a program dean, who has contributed
immensely to an MBA school, from the very beginning. She is now taking
a short sabbatical, and in an opening circle, people stood up and
acknowledged her contribution to the school and their own lives. Beyond
the appreciations themselves, one of the things that touched me the
most was observing her receive the appreciations – gracefully, humbly,
without trying to avoid or deflect the kind words that were shared with
her in front of a group of about a hundred people.
One cannot
fully give, if the message is not being fully received. The giver and
the receiver depend on each other for a full experience of grace,
kindness, appreciation, and love. Without such relationship of
interdependence, there is no giver and no receiver.
:: “The hostile attitude of conquering nature ignores the basic interdependence
:: of all things and events – that the world beyond the skin is actually an
:: extension of our own bodies – and will end in destroying the very environment
:: from which we emerge and upon which our whole life depends.”
:: - Alan Watts
This is It
and I am It
and You are It
and so is That
and He is It
and She is It
and It is It
and That is That.
- James Broughton
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
About: http://www.SimonGoland.com
Blog: http://www.SimonGoland.com/news
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
08 December 2008
04 December 2008
Voice Dialogue
Dr Hal & Sidra Stone's Voice Dialogue Tips
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:10:40 +1100 (EST)
From: Voice Dialogue Tips
Voice Dialogue Tips
December 2008
Email us: jcoroneos@bigpond.com
Web Site: http://www.bodymindinformation.com
Dear Participant
Welcome again to Hal & Sidra's Voice Dialogue Tips.
1. The month's article is titled "Meditation and Voice Dialogue"
2. Become a WRITER: Learn the Art and Craft of Story and Screenwriting
The most highly paid profession and rewarding career!
1. Meditation and Voice Dialogue
by
J'aime ona Pangaia
The goal of Voice Dialogue practice is the emergence of the Aware Ego Process. What is that? It's operating with free will, the ability to make choices in the moment with compassion and an energetic connection to our body. Essentially that means separating from our identification with a, or any part of ourself and having an ego experience ("I") that has the capacity to make choices with Awareness. By Awareness, I mean non-judgmental, unconditional, un-attached witnessing awareness. Choice-less awareness. Unvarnished beholding. Dispassionate Compassion. How many of us experience that?
This type of awareness may occur for moments, randomly in a person's life, or we may never experience it consciously. But, we have a greater potential to experience this awareness when we've engaged in an activity to practice it, to cultivate it. One of the oldest, simplest form of awareness practice is breath meditation. This involves setting our intention that the natural rise and fall of our breath be the sole object of our attention for a set period of time. This is a humbling discipline, because as soon as one begins meditation, other experiences rush in to compete for our attention. Thoughts, sensations and emotions layer in and our attention on our breath is lost. We quickly become possessed by these competing perceptions; we become attached, identified with whatever wins our attention in the moment.
We become consumed by that feeling of anger, or sadness, we become obsessed with that sudden, relentless itch behind our ear, we are mesmerized by our plans for tomorrow's meeting, we start rehearsing what we're going to say to someone. Our intention to focus on our breath is forgotten and our attention has been hijacked by whatever perception has won the moment.
Practicing meditation helps us to develop the strength to separate from selves. When I sit down for a half hour of meditation, I have to separate from selves a thousand times. Or more. Over and over, I bring my attention to just watching my breath, without comment, without emotion, without distraction or avoidance, without desire or resentment, just watching. With every returning to my breath, I groom my capacity to just watch. I discover Awareness, which is omnipresent although not often consciously experienced due to the almost ceaseless possessions of the ego. Again and again, I intend to watch my breath and over time and practice, I become more attuned to the experience of empty awareness, and what clouds it over.
Awareness doesn't do anything, and so we cannot 'aware our way through life'. We must engage with life, make choices and live with the consequences. Voice Dialogue, a psycho-spiritual discipline shares the stance taken by Buddhism that we can train ourselves to recognize ego states (sub-personalities, inner selves, 'parts', individualized archetypal patterns) as states, not what-I-am, once we are aware. We call this the 'aware ego process'. From there, we can begin to live life with choice, compassion, engagement and non-attachment. Through awareness, we recognize the existence of these selves while remembering and experiencing them as means of being; they are not our essential being. Our essential being is paradoxically full of every creative possibility, indelibly unique, and empty of anything in permanence.
Our closest common experience of awareness is with an inner part I'll call the Inner Critic. While witnessing Awareness is non-judgmental and has no agenda, the Inner Critic also perceives everything, but with negative judgment. When bringing our Awareness to the Inner Critic, we can perceive that it has an agenda - to change our behavior in order to protect vulnerability. Awareness of the basic nature of the Inner Critic can transform our relationship with the Inner Critic. We can pay attention to what it's trying to orient us to ~ our vulnerability, and when we start becoming relating to our vulnerability with Awareness, the Inner Critic calms down. Now we are no longer victim to the Inner Critic, nor trying to change or repress it. We accept it.
Meditation is a practice, it is an exercise, a discipline to potentiate a direct experience of Awareness. Any given time we settle down to meditate, we may or may not have much direct experience of Awareness. Or we may. We practice meditation, not so much so that we have awareness experience while meditating, but that our practice of meditation provides us with more Awareness experience in everyday life, on and off the proverbial meditation cushion. In fact the more we try to have an Awareness experience, the less we'll have one, since we're fixedly in a self that has an agenda.
The same goes for Voice Dialogue facilitation (a kind of engaged, two person practice of meditating). We may, or may not, have a big 'aha!' during the facilitation experience, in fact, it often comes afterwards, and more quietly. Because of Voice Dialogue facilitation, we simply see more clearly and immediately when we are in the throes of an inner self, and we can recognize it as such: ah, a self! There's a choice now, and we're more aware of it. We perceive that choice with less, or no judgments. We may still have to wrestle ourselves from the habit of our old patterns, but this is very similar to wrestling our attention away from passing thoughts, feelings, and sensations while meditating.
In everyday life, the practice of meditation conditions us to a return to the fleeting, yet expansive moment. Here I am now, and I have options. In meditation, our option is to return to our breath. That's our intention, our practice. In everyday life, our intention is to return to the present, to complexity, to paradox, to include more of how we can be, given the actual conditions of the moment.
Without the Aware Ego Process, we live by habitual patterns, we live through projections on the world, we live identified with some ways of being and by disowning others, we live by 'right' and 'wrong': judgment, we live through memories and fantasies, without relating much to what actually is, right now. Meditation and Voice Dialogue are like twin practices, complementing each other. Either one by itself is helpful; together, our direct experience of Awareness, and the Aware Ego Process is more probable.
For more Voice Dialogue tips and information, visit http://www.bodymindinformation.com
2. Become a WRITER: Learn the Art and Craft of Story and Screenwriting
The most highly paid profession and most rewarding career!
2. from Michael Domeyko Rowland,
presenter, director and writer of the Voice Dialogue Series.
Writing is an incredibly fulfilling activity and probably the most creative outlet for anyone interested in the personality and exploring the deeper parts of the mind. You will reveal your own inner being and discover all sorts of things about yourself that you would never find in any other way. Writing for the screen or the page is a fascinating and amazing experience, when approached in the right way. It is also the fastest way to generate a very large income, with royalties that can pay off for the rest of your life.
Most people make the mistake of writing from the conscious mind. The conscious mind can only ever come up with clichés, because it is not the source of originality and creativity. It is vital for editing, but not for creation. Many also make the mistake of not understanding the true function of story for an audience.
Deep within your mind you have an unlimited resource, a realm of undiscovered selves, which only the greatest writers know about. This resource I have called the Mythopoetica. It is the realm of the superconscious. It holds the ability to create any story whatsoever. This is the part of your mind that creates all your dreams. It is also the part of your mind that will bring into your consciousness the most inspiring, interesting and amazing stories you can imagine.
If you are interested in discovering the complete structural system, used by the world's finest story and screenwriters to guarantee that they have a professional and saleable story, as well as how to write directly from your superconscious, then please email me and I will send you a free ebrochure about a web based writing course I am offering. It is available for a limited time only.
The integration of classic structure and the superconscious is what makes this course unique. Email to: info@lifeact.com and put ‘Writing' in the subject line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send these Voice Dialogue Tips to Friends:
If you would like to send these tips on to any of your friends, please forward them by email. You can also advise your friends at http://www.bodymindinformation.com/tell-a-friend.php If you are able to help us do this, we would like to thank you by sending you a FREE REPORT titled: Voice Dialogue: A Guide To Great Relationships.
They can also register to receive future copies on our web site, which has a subscriber's panel, or they can email jcoroneos@bigpond.com directly. We will not be giving any of the addresses we receive to anyone else or any other organization. At any point you can stop receiving them - just click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.
How To Change Your Email details:
If you need to change your email address, the quickest and surest way is this: click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. Then go to the web site http://www.bodymindinformation.com and resubscribe with your new address. If you find your name spelt incorrectly, or have no name mentioned at the beginning of this letter, then email us on jcoroneos@bigpond.com and we will change it.
Warmly,
Dr John Coroneos
Medical Doctor
Producer of The Voice Dialogue Series
Copyright Wiseone Edutainment P/L
No part of Hal and Sidra's Voice Dialogue tips may be reproduced, in any form, without the written permission of Drs Hal and Sidra Stone except for forwarding an issue, in its entirety and complete with copyright information, to a friend.
Date: Wed, 03 Dec 2008 11:10:40 +1100 (EST)
From: Voice Dialogue Tips
Voice Dialogue Tips
December 2008
Email us: jcoroneos@bigpond.com
Web Site: http://www.bodymindinformation.com
Dear Participant
Welcome again to Hal & Sidra's Voice Dialogue Tips.
1. The month's article is titled "Meditation and Voice Dialogue"
2. Become a WRITER: Learn the Art and Craft of Story and Screenwriting
The most highly paid profession and rewarding career!
1. Meditation and Voice Dialogue
by
J'aime ona Pangaia
The goal of Voice Dialogue practice is the emergence of the Aware Ego Process. What is that? It's operating with free will, the ability to make choices in the moment with compassion and an energetic connection to our body. Essentially that means separating from our identification with a, or any part of ourself and having an ego experience ("I") that has the capacity to make choices with Awareness. By Awareness, I mean non-judgmental, unconditional, un-attached witnessing awareness. Choice-less awareness. Unvarnished beholding. Dispassionate Compassion. How many of us experience that?
This type of awareness may occur for moments, randomly in a person's life, or we may never experience it consciously. But, we have a greater potential to experience this awareness when we've engaged in an activity to practice it, to cultivate it. One of the oldest, simplest form of awareness practice is breath meditation. This involves setting our intention that the natural rise and fall of our breath be the sole object of our attention for a set period of time. This is a humbling discipline, because as soon as one begins meditation, other experiences rush in to compete for our attention. Thoughts, sensations and emotions layer in and our attention on our breath is lost. We quickly become possessed by these competing perceptions; we become attached, identified with whatever wins our attention in the moment.
We become consumed by that feeling of anger, or sadness, we become obsessed with that sudden, relentless itch behind our ear, we are mesmerized by our plans for tomorrow's meeting, we start rehearsing what we're going to say to someone. Our intention to focus on our breath is forgotten and our attention has been hijacked by whatever perception has won the moment.
Practicing meditation helps us to develop the strength to separate from selves. When I sit down for a half hour of meditation, I have to separate from selves a thousand times. Or more. Over and over, I bring my attention to just watching my breath, without comment, without emotion, without distraction or avoidance, without desire or resentment, just watching. With every returning to my breath, I groom my capacity to just watch. I discover Awareness, which is omnipresent although not often consciously experienced due to the almost ceaseless possessions of the ego. Again and again, I intend to watch my breath and over time and practice, I become more attuned to the experience of empty awareness, and what clouds it over.
Awareness doesn't do anything, and so we cannot 'aware our way through life'. We must engage with life, make choices and live with the consequences. Voice Dialogue, a psycho-spiritual discipline shares the stance taken by Buddhism that we can train ourselves to recognize ego states (sub-personalities, inner selves, 'parts', individualized archetypal patterns) as states, not what-I-am, once we are aware. We call this the 'aware ego process'. From there, we can begin to live life with choice, compassion, engagement and non-attachment. Through awareness, we recognize the existence of these selves while remembering and experiencing them as means of being; they are not our essential being. Our essential being is paradoxically full of every creative possibility, indelibly unique, and empty of anything in permanence.
Our closest common experience of awareness is with an inner part I'll call the Inner Critic. While witnessing Awareness is non-judgmental and has no agenda, the Inner Critic also perceives everything, but with negative judgment. When bringing our Awareness to the Inner Critic, we can perceive that it has an agenda - to change our behavior in order to protect vulnerability. Awareness of the basic nature of the Inner Critic can transform our relationship with the Inner Critic. We can pay attention to what it's trying to orient us to ~ our vulnerability, and when we start becoming relating to our vulnerability with Awareness, the Inner Critic calms down. Now we are no longer victim to the Inner Critic, nor trying to change or repress it. We accept it.
Meditation is a practice, it is an exercise, a discipline to potentiate a direct experience of Awareness. Any given time we settle down to meditate, we may or may not have much direct experience of Awareness. Or we may. We practice meditation, not so much so that we have awareness experience while meditating, but that our practice of meditation provides us with more Awareness experience in everyday life, on and off the proverbial meditation cushion. In fact the more we try to have an Awareness experience, the less we'll have one, since we're fixedly in a self that has an agenda.
The same goes for Voice Dialogue facilitation (a kind of engaged, two person practice of meditating). We may, or may not, have a big 'aha!' during the facilitation experience, in fact, it often comes afterwards, and more quietly. Because of Voice Dialogue facilitation, we simply see more clearly and immediately when we are in the throes of an inner self, and we can recognize it as such: ah, a self! There's a choice now, and we're more aware of it. We perceive that choice with less, or no judgments. We may still have to wrestle ourselves from the habit of our old patterns, but this is very similar to wrestling our attention away from passing thoughts, feelings, and sensations while meditating.
In everyday life, the practice of meditation conditions us to a return to the fleeting, yet expansive moment. Here I am now, and I have options. In meditation, our option is to return to our breath. That's our intention, our practice. In everyday life, our intention is to return to the present, to complexity, to paradox, to include more of how we can be, given the actual conditions of the moment.
Without the Aware Ego Process, we live by habitual patterns, we live through projections on the world, we live identified with some ways of being and by disowning others, we live by 'right' and 'wrong': judgment, we live through memories and fantasies, without relating much to what actually is, right now. Meditation and Voice Dialogue are like twin practices, complementing each other. Either one by itself is helpful; together, our direct experience of Awareness, and the Aware Ego Process is more probable.
For more Voice Dialogue tips and information, visit http://www.bodymindinformation.com
2. Become a WRITER: Learn the Art and Craft of Story and Screenwriting
The most highly paid profession and most rewarding career!
2. from Michael Domeyko Rowland,
presenter, director and writer of the Voice Dialogue Series.
Writing is an incredibly fulfilling activity and probably the most creative outlet for anyone interested in the personality and exploring the deeper parts of the mind. You will reveal your own inner being and discover all sorts of things about yourself that you would never find in any other way. Writing for the screen or the page is a fascinating and amazing experience, when approached in the right way. It is also the fastest way to generate a very large income, with royalties that can pay off for the rest of your life.
Most people make the mistake of writing from the conscious mind. The conscious mind can only ever come up with clichés, because it is not the source of originality and creativity. It is vital for editing, but not for creation. Many also make the mistake of not understanding the true function of story for an audience.
Deep within your mind you have an unlimited resource, a realm of undiscovered selves, which only the greatest writers know about. This resource I have called the Mythopoetica. It is the realm of the superconscious. It holds the ability to create any story whatsoever. This is the part of your mind that creates all your dreams. It is also the part of your mind that will bring into your consciousness the most inspiring, interesting and amazing stories you can imagine.
If you are interested in discovering the complete structural system, used by the world's finest story and screenwriters to guarantee that they have a professional and saleable story, as well as how to write directly from your superconscious, then please email me and I will send you a free ebrochure about a web based writing course I am offering. It is available for a limited time only.
The integration of classic structure and the superconscious is what makes this course unique. Email to: info@lifeact.com and put ‘Writing' in the subject line.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Send these Voice Dialogue Tips to Friends:
If you would like to send these tips on to any of your friends, please forward them by email. You can also advise your friends at http://www.bodymindinformation.com/tell-a-friend.php If you are able to help us do this, we would like to thank you by sending you a FREE REPORT titled: Voice Dialogue: A Guide To Great Relationships.
They can also register to receive future copies on our web site, which has a subscriber's panel, or they can email jcoroneos@bigpond.com directly. We will not be giving any of the addresses we receive to anyone else or any other organization. At any point you can stop receiving them - just click on the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this email.
How To Change Your Email details:
If you need to change your email address, the quickest and surest way is this: click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of this page. Then go to the web site http://www.bodymindinformation.com and resubscribe with your new address. If you find your name spelt incorrectly, or have no name mentioned at the beginning of this letter, then email us on jcoroneos@bigpond.com and we will change it.
Warmly,
Dr John Coroneos
Medical Doctor
Producer of The Voice Dialogue Series
Copyright Wiseone Edutainment P/L
No part of Hal and Sidra's Voice Dialogue tips may be reproduced, in any form, without the written permission of Drs Hal and Sidra Stone except for forwarding an issue, in its entirety and complete with copyright information, to a friend.
12 November 2008
More Simon's Reflections
: Today’s Reflection is about being in, and with, Nature. Something that
: many of us, city dwellers, have forgotten.
It was late, dark, and raining here in Vancouver. And the world was beckoning me to come and visit and wander the streets. I felt the need to answer the call...
A dark, quiet, windless, and rain-ful night, as Tobi and I were wandering through the neighbourhood. The rain called me out, out of the comfort of my cozy and warm home, to come and join Nature and inhale the fresh air and feel the rain drops on my clothes. Shining tiny diamond-like drops of water on the edges of pine needles, shimmering in the street lights. Feeling the gratitude for the eternal and mysterious self-sustaining ways of Nature was a beautiful thing to notice and feel. Inhaling the fresh air was a gift. The human-made world was mostly asleep, yet Nature did not stop her endless magic of sustaining and creating life. Seeing many naked trees getting ready for a long hibernation made me think about the importance of taking time-out, to sustain and rejuvenate my own well-being.
Even though I was outside the “comfort” of my home, I felt comfortable, at peace, belonging, and connected with the world around me.
:: “Human behavior is rooted most deeply in nature’s intentions
:: and desire. The rhythms of nature underlie all of human
:: interaction: religious traditions, economic systems, cultural
:: and political organization. When these human forms betray the
:: natural psychic pulse, people and societies get sick, nature
:: is exploited and entire species are threatened.”
:: - Stephen Aizenstat
And then, when I came back home, I stumbled upon the following piece, by John Milton, and it suddenly made a lot more sense.
“The profound healing power of Nature. This healing power comes directly and naturally, without any artifice or complicated treatments, prayers, rituals or ceremonies.
All that is required is a commitment to come alone to Nature’s heart, to relax into the silence, and to trust. In living closely and alone with Nature for the first time, most people’s initial experiences are of radical slowing down... and of silence. Both are powerful healers. Modern technocratic culture is characterized by ever-increasing pressures for speed, and by almost continuous noise - inner and outer. In our contemporary cultural frenzy to boost our economies, we produce increasingly processed products; we consume increasingly greater quantities of these goods and energy, hoping to fill the gnawing void within we fear to meet. As we feed this growing industrial/technocratic mesh, our natural world is systematically replaced by an artificial one. And in this artificial world, the values of silence and slow, organic rhythms are rarely encountered.
Consider how many millions of years it has taken for our current interconnected web of body, mind and emotions to evolve. And consider what kind of environment supported this evolution, and coevolved with us. The environments were natural ones, where organic rhythms of day/night, moon cycle, solar cycle, constellation cycles were part of us; and we were part of them. Trees, flowers, streams, lakes, ocean shorelines, mountains, rocks, sky, clouds - all of these elements of Nature have been companions in our journey into our contemporary embodiment, and influenced our growth. Now, in a few generations, we have leapt into incredibly new processed environments. Plastics, millions of new chemical compounds, air-conditioned air, fluorescent lighting, artificial food, powerful drugs, glass/steel/plastic housing and transportation units, alien electromagnetic fields, intense performance stress, speed, environmental pollution of every imaginable kind, breakdown of community/extended fami
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
About: http://www.SimonGoland.com
Blog: http://www.SimonGoland.com/news
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
__._,_.___
: many of us, city dwellers, have forgotten.
It was late, dark, and raining here in Vancouver. And the world was beckoning me to come and visit and wander the streets. I felt the need to answer the call...
A dark, quiet, windless, and rain-ful night, as Tobi and I were wandering through the neighbourhood. The rain called me out, out of the comfort of my cozy and warm home, to come and join Nature and inhale the fresh air and feel the rain drops on my clothes. Shining tiny diamond-like drops of water on the edges of pine needles, shimmering in the street lights. Feeling the gratitude for the eternal and mysterious self-sustaining ways of Nature was a beautiful thing to notice and feel. Inhaling the fresh air was a gift. The human-made world was mostly asleep, yet Nature did not stop her endless magic of sustaining and creating life. Seeing many naked trees getting ready for a long hibernation made me think about the importance of taking time-out, to sustain and rejuvenate my own well-being.
Even though I was outside the “comfort” of my home, I felt comfortable, at peace, belonging, and connected with the world around me.
:: “Human behavior is rooted most deeply in nature’s intentions
:: and desire. The rhythms of nature underlie all of human
:: interaction: religious traditions, economic systems, cultural
:: and political organization. When these human forms betray the
:: natural psychic pulse, people and societies get sick, nature
:: is exploited and entire species are threatened.”
:: - Stephen Aizenstat
And then, when I came back home, I stumbled upon the following piece, by John Milton, and it suddenly made a lot more sense.
“The profound healing power of Nature. This healing power comes directly and naturally, without any artifice or complicated treatments, prayers, rituals or ceremonies.
All that is required is a commitment to come alone to Nature’s heart, to relax into the silence, and to trust. In living closely and alone with Nature for the first time, most people’s initial experiences are of radical slowing down... and of silence. Both are powerful healers. Modern technocratic culture is characterized by ever-increasing pressures for speed, and by almost continuous noise - inner and outer. In our contemporary cultural frenzy to boost our economies, we produce increasingly processed products; we consume increasingly greater quantities of these goods and energy, hoping to fill the gnawing void within we fear to meet. As we feed this growing industrial/technocratic mesh, our natural world is systematically replaced by an artificial one. And in this artificial world, the values of silence and slow, organic rhythms are rarely encountered.
Consider how many millions of years it has taken for our current interconnected web of body, mind and emotions to evolve. And consider what kind of environment supported this evolution, and coevolved with us. The environments were natural ones, where organic rhythms of day/night, moon cycle, solar cycle, constellation cycles were part of us; and we were part of them. Trees, flowers, streams, lakes, ocean shorelines, mountains, rocks, sky, clouds - all of these elements of Nature have been companions in our journey into our contemporary embodiment, and influenced our growth. Now, in a few generations, we have leapt into incredibly new processed environments. Plastics, millions of new chemical compounds, air-conditioned air, fluorescent lighting, artificial food, powerful drugs, glass/steel/plastic housing and transportation units, alien electromagnetic fields, intense performance stress, speed, environmental pollution of every imaginable kind, breakdown of community/extended fami
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
About: http://www.SimonGoland.com
Blog: http://www.SimonGoland.com/news
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
__._,_.___
22 October 2008
Simon's Reflections
Today’s Reflection is not about any one specific topic.
The past few weeks have been full of many events, activities, challenges, and even victories. It feels as though there are too many thoughts and ideas in my head and heart right now, which makes it challenging to pick any one theme to zoom in on. Hence, I am going to let it all go, and instead, share with you various quotes, passages, and stories that have been collecting the metaphorical techno-dust in my computer.
"Divine chaos is a course corrector, a way of bringing down the systems that distraction built in order that they can be replaced with systems or structures designed with conscious thought." - Caroline Myss
“Legacies aren't the result of wishful thinking. They're the result of determined doing. The legacy you leave is the life you lead. We lead our lives daily. We leave our legacy daily. The people you see, the decisions you make, the actions you take- they are what tell your story. It's the sum of everything you do that matters, not one large bequest at the end of your tenure. Despite all out talk about leaders' needing to be concerned about the future, the most important leadership actions are the ones you take today. You just never know whose life you might touch. You just never know what change you might initiate and what impact you might have. You just never know when that critical moment might come. What you do know is that you can make a difference. You can leave this world better than you found it.” - anonymous
“I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.” - Kahlil Gibran
"Human behavior is rooted most deeply in nature's intentions and desire. The rhythms of nature underlie all of human interaction: religious traditions, economic systems, cultural and political organization. When these human forms betray the natural psychic pulse, people and societies get sick, nature is exploited and entire species are threatened."- Stephen Aizenstat
"Nature exults in abounding radicality, extremism, anarchy. If we were to judge nature by its common sense or likelihood, we wouldn't believe the world existed. In nature, improbabilities are the one stock in trade. The whole creation is one lunatic fringe... No claims of any and all revelations could be so far-fetched as a single giraffe." --Annie Dillard
“When you lose your sense of humour, things just aren’t funny anymore.” - Philip Clement
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
About: http://www.SimonGoland.com
Blog: http://www.SimonGoland.com/news
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
__._,_.___
The past few weeks have been full of many events, activities, challenges, and even victories. It feels as though there are too many thoughts and ideas in my head and heart right now, which makes it challenging to pick any one theme to zoom in on. Hence, I am going to let it all go, and instead, share with you various quotes, passages, and stories that have been collecting the metaphorical techno-dust in my computer.
"Divine chaos is a course corrector, a way of bringing down the systems that distraction built in order that they can be replaced with systems or structures designed with conscious thought." - Caroline Myss
“Legacies aren't the result of wishful thinking. They're the result of determined doing. The legacy you leave is the life you lead. We lead our lives daily. We leave our legacy daily. The people you see, the decisions you make, the actions you take- they are what tell your story. It's the sum of everything you do that matters, not one large bequest at the end of your tenure. Despite all out talk about leaders' needing to be concerned about the future, the most important leadership actions are the ones you take today. You just never know whose life you might touch. You just never know what change you might initiate and what impact you might have. You just never know when that critical moment might come. What you do know is that you can make a difference. You can leave this world better than you found it.” - anonymous
“I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers.” - Kahlil Gibran
"Human behavior is rooted most deeply in nature's intentions and desire. The rhythms of nature underlie all of human interaction: religious traditions, economic systems, cultural and political organization. When these human forms betray the natural psychic pulse, people and societies get sick, nature is exploited and entire species are threatened."- Stephen Aizenstat
"Nature exults in abounding radicality, extremism, anarchy. If we were to judge nature by its common sense or likelihood, we wouldn't believe the world existed. In nature, improbabilities are the one stock in trade. The whole creation is one lunatic fringe... No claims of any and all revelations could be so far-fetched as a single giraffe." --Annie Dillard
“When you lose your sense of humour, things just aren’t funny anymore.” - Philip Clement
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
About: http://www.SimonGoland.com
Blog: http://www.SimonGoland.com/news
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
__._,_.___
02 October 2008
More of Simon's reflections
Today’s Reflection is about an interesting time in North America -
: the time of elections, and what the future might look like.
I am not much into politics. Never have been, really. Yet, I am beginning to see and realize, more and more, that everything is ultimately political (or, at least, is impacted by it). From business, religion, education, health care, media, economy, and most of the aspects of our lives – all areas are impacted by our political systems. And one of the ways to shape my own future is to cast my vote towards what is important for me. Learning to vote with my money is one way I can make a difference; voting in the upcoming elections is another.
:: “All great truths begin as blasphemies.” - George Bernard Shaw
For the Canadians among us, the following is an excerpt from The Harper Record ( http://www.policyalternatives.ca/Reports/2008/09/HarperRecord/index.cfm) which, I think, is a must-read before the coming elections for every Canadian:
“In the 32 months that the Conservative minority government was in power between 2006 and 2008, the people of Canada faced significant challenges because of the substance of what the Harper government achieved and because of the anti-democratic way in which he went about it. What becomes clear from the Harper Record is that the Conservatives are as committed to a market-driven world economy as the Liberals were, but that Harper is not committed to national democratic or multilateral institutions in the same way. For Harper, the only international relationship that matters is the one between Canada and the United States. He does not criticize the Bush administration for its ineptitude in living up to its own conservative commitments. Nor does Harper shine a bright light on a tattered U.S. hegemony. Rather, he reflects to the world an enhanced image of conservative unity in North America and a resolute commitment to market forces that is undeterred by the noisy democratic rabble.
Civil society organizations must become quite the opposite of what Harper has offered up as the model of leadership in a “turbulent” time. In these times we need a strategic sense of how to affirm a broad and diverse range of possibilities. It is through openness and not closure that our own deeply felt convictions that another world is possible can be articulated. It is this collective capacity we must seek to strengthen as we face the political power of CEOs as embodied in ruling parties, whether in the majority or minority. Indeed, before the next government takes shape, we will need to remember what happened during the last and reassert what it is we are prepared to commit to from now on.”
Another source of information is the Vote for Environment website ( http://www.voteforenvironment.ca/ ). This initiative was designed by Canadians who believe what the vast majority of the world’s scientists have told us. That we are out of time and we must start to reduce our fossil fuel pollution now to save the planet from dangerous climate change.
And if you are curious about the US elections, then Michael Moore’s “Slacker Uprising” movie ( http://slackeruprising.com/ ) is a must-see for you.
:: “If we do not know what port we're steering for, no wind is favorable.” - Seneca
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
I am starting a little experiment, by setting up a blog on my website: http://www.SimonGoland.com/news . Looking for ways to hear your thoughts, engage in conversations, and share our perspectives and opinions. Drop by and let me/us know.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
: the time of elections, and what the future might look like.
I am not much into politics. Never have been, really. Yet, I am beginning to see and realize, more and more, that everything is ultimately political (or, at least, is impacted by it). From business, religion, education, health care, media, economy, and most of the aspects of our lives – all areas are impacted by our political systems. And one of the ways to shape my own future is to cast my vote towards what is important for me. Learning to vote with my money is one way I can make a difference; voting in the upcoming elections is another.
:: “All great truths begin as blasphemies.” - George Bernard Shaw
For the Canadians among us, the following is an excerpt from The Harper Record ( http://www.policyalternatives.ca/Reports/2008/09/HarperRecord/index.cfm) which, I think, is a must-read before the coming elections for every Canadian:
“In the 32 months that the Conservative minority government was in power between 2006 and 2008, the people of Canada faced significant challenges because of the substance of what the Harper government achieved and because of the anti-democratic way in which he went about it. What becomes clear from the Harper Record is that the Conservatives are as committed to a market-driven world economy as the Liberals were, but that Harper is not committed to national democratic or multilateral institutions in the same way. For Harper, the only international relationship that matters is the one between Canada and the United States. He does not criticize the Bush administration for its ineptitude in living up to its own conservative commitments. Nor does Harper shine a bright light on a tattered U.S. hegemony. Rather, he reflects to the world an enhanced image of conservative unity in North America and a resolute commitment to market forces that is undeterred by the noisy democratic rabble.
Civil society organizations must become quite the opposite of what Harper has offered up as the model of leadership in a “turbulent” time. In these times we need a strategic sense of how to affirm a broad and diverse range of possibilities. It is through openness and not closure that our own deeply felt convictions that another world is possible can be articulated. It is this collective capacity we must seek to strengthen as we face the political power of CEOs as embodied in ruling parties, whether in the majority or minority. Indeed, before the next government takes shape, we will need to remember what happened during the last and reassert what it is we are prepared to commit to from now on.”
Another source of information is the Vote for Environment website ( http://www.voteforenvironment.ca/ ). This initiative was designed by Canadians who believe what the vast majority of the world’s scientists have told us. That we are out of time and we must start to reduce our fossil fuel pollution now to save the planet from dangerous climate change.
And if you are curious about the US elections, then Michael Moore’s “Slacker Uprising” movie ( http://slackeruprising.com/ ) is a must-see for you.
:: “If we do not know what port we're steering for, no wind is favorable.” - Seneca
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
I am starting a little experiment, by setting up a blog on my website: http://www.SimonGoland.com/news . Looking for ways to hear your thoughts, engage in conversations, and share our perspectives and opinions. Drop by and let me/us know.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
12 September 2008
Simon's reflections
: Today’s Reflection is about a myth I recently read.
Just imagine a child asking you all kinds of deep and profound questions, like “Where did the world come from?” or “Why did God make the world?” or perhaps “Where was I before I was born?” Personally, I am very happy Tobi does not ask me such questions; if he did, I would probably reply with the following myth, which is how Alan Watts answers them.
:: "The range of what we think and do is limited by what
:: we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that
:: we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change,
:: until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts
:: and deeds" - anonymous
There was never a time when the world began, because it goes round and round like a circle, and there is no place on a circle where it begins. Just like on a wrist-watch, which tells the time; it goes round, and so the world repeats itself again and again. But just as the hour hand of the watch goes up and to 12 and down to 6, so, too, there is day and night, walking and sleeping, living and dying, summer and winter. You can’t have any one of these without the other, because you wouldn’t be able to know what black is unless you had seen it side-by-side with white, or white unless side-by-side with black.
In the same way, there are times when the world is, and times when it isn’t, for if the world went on and on without rest forever and ever, it would get horribly tired of itself. It comes and goes. Now you see it; now you don’t. So because it doesn’t get tired of itself, it always comes back again after it disappears. It’s like your breath: it goes in and out, in and out, and if you try to hold it in all the time you feel terrible. It’s also like the game of hide-and-seek, because it’s always fun to find new ways of hiding, and to seek for someone who doesn’t always hide in the same place.
God also likes to play hide-and-seek, but because there is nothing outside God, he has no one but himself to play with. But he gets over this difficulty by pretending that he is not himself. This is his way of hiding from himself. He pretends that he is you and I and all the people in the world, all the animals, all the planets, all the rocks, and all the stars. In this way he has strange and wonderful adventures, some of which are terrible and frightening. But these are just like bad dreams, for when he wakes up they will disappear.
Now, when God plays hide and pretends that he is you and I, he does it so well that it takes him a long time to remember where and how he hid himself. But that’s the whole fun of it – just what he wanted to do. He doesn’t want to find himself too quickly, for that would spoil the game. That is why it is so difficult for you and me to find out that we are God in disguise, pretending not to be himself. But when the game has gone on long enough, all of us will wake up, stop pretending, and remember that we are all one single Self – the God who is all that there is and who lives for ever and ever.
Of course, you must remember that God isn’t shaped like a person. People have skins and there is always something outside our skins. If there weren’t, we wouldn’t know the difference between what is inside and outside our bodies. But God has no skin and no shape because there isn’t any outside to him (much like in a Mobius Strip). The inside and outside of God are the same. And though the myth relates to God as a ‘he’ and not a ‘she,’ God is not a man or a woman. Still, saying ‘it’ doesn’t work either, because we use it for things that aren’t alive.
God is the Self of the world, but you can’t see God for the same reason that, without a mirror, you can’t see your own eyes, and you certainly can’t bite your own teeth or look inside your head. Your self is that cleverly hidden because it is God hiding.
You may ask why God sometimes hides in the form of horrible people, or pretends to be people who suffer great disease and pain. Remember, first, that he isn’t really doing this to anyone but himself. Remember, too, that in almost all the stories you enjoy, there have to be bad people as well as good people, for the thrill of the tale is to find out how the good people will get the better of the bad. It’s the same as when we play cards. At the beginning of the game we shuffle them all into a mess, which is like the bad things in the world, but the point of the game is to put the mess into good order, and the one who does it best is the winner. Then we shuffle the cards once more and play again, and so it goes with the world.
:: “There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
:: hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.” - anonymous
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
[This empty space is left as an exercise for the reader – to find something about someone, somewhere, doing something that makes a difference. Big or small.]
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
About Simon: http://www.SimonGoland.com
--
“Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”
http://www.kiva.org/app.php
Just imagine a child asking you all kinds of deep and profound questions, like “Where did the world come from?” or “Why did God make the world?” or perhaps “Where was I before I was born?” Personally, I am very happy Tobi does not ask me such questions; if he did, I would probably reply with the following myth, which is how Alan Watts answers them.
:: "The range of what we think and do is limited by what
:: we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that
:: we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change,
:: until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts
:: and deeds" - anonymous
There was never a time when the world began, because it goes round and round like a circle, and there is no place on a circle where it begins. Just like on a wrist-watch, which tells the time; it goes round, and so the world repeats itself again and again. But just as the hour hand of the watch goes up and to 12 and down to 6, so, too, there is day and night, walking and sleeping, living and dying, summer and winter. You can’t have any one of these without the other, because you wouldn’t be able to know what black is unless you had seen it side-by-side with white, or white unless side-by-side with black.
In the same way, there are times when the world is, and times when it isn’t, for if the world went on and on without rest forever and ever, it would get horribly tired of itself. It comes and goes. Now you see it; now you don’t. So because it doesn’t get tired of itself, it always comes back again after it disappears. It’s like your breath: it goes in and out, in and out, and if you try to hold it in all the time you feel terrible. It’s also like the game of hide-and-seek, because it’s always fun to find new ways of hiding, and to seek for someone who doesn’t always hide in the same place.
God also likes to play hide-and-seek, but because there is nothing outside God, he has no one but himself to play with. But he gets over this difficulty by pretending that he is not himself. This is his way of hiding from himself. He pretends that he is you and I and all the people in the world, all the animals, all the planets, all the rocks, and all the stars. In this way he has strange and wonderful adventures, some of which are terrible and frightening. But these are just like bad dreams, for when he wakes up they will disappear.
Now, when God plays hide and pretends that he is you and I, he does it so well that it takes him a long time to remember where and how he hid himself. But that’s the whole fun of it – just what he wanted to do. He doesn’t want to find himself too quickly, for that would spoil the game. That is why it is so difficult for you and me to find out that we are God in disguise, pretending not to be himself. But when the game has gone on long enough, all of us will wake up, stop pretending, and remember that we are all one single Self – the God who is all that there is and who lives for ever and ever.
Of course, you must remember that God isn’t shaped like a person. People have skins and there is always something outside our skins. If there weren’t, we wouldn’t know the difference between what is inside and outside our bodies. But God has no skin and no shape because there isn’t any outside to him (much like in a Mobius Strip). The inside and outside of God are the same. And though the myth relates to God as a ‘he’ and not a ‘she,’ God is not a man or a woman. Still, saying ‘it’ doesn’t work either, because we use it for things that aren’t alive.
God is the Self of the world, but you can’t see God for the same reason that, without a mirror, you can’t see your own eyes, and you certainly can’t bite your own teeth or look inside your head. Your self is that cleverly hidden because it is God hiding.
You may ask why God sometimes hides in the form of horrible people, or pretends to be people who suffer great disease and pain. Remember, first, that he isn’t really doing this to anyone but himself. Remember, too, that in almost all the stories you enjoy, there have to be bad people as well as good people, for the thrill of the tale is to find out how the good people will get the better of the bad. It’s the same as when we play cards. At the beginning of the game we shuffle them all into a mess, which is like the bad things in the world, but the point of the game is to put the mess into good order, and the one who does it best is the winner. Then we shuffle the cards once more and play again, and so it goes with the world.
:: “There is no such thing as a problem without a gift for you in its
:: hands. You seek problems because you need their gifts.” - anonymous
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
[This empty space is left as an exercise for the reader – to find something about someone, somewhere, doing something that makes a difference. Big or small.]
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
About Simon: http://www.SimonGoland.com
--
“Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”
http://www.kiva.org/app.php
25 July 2008
Another one of Simon's Reflections
: Today’s Reflection is about a poem. No, not mine.Recently, a poem crossed my ears, eyes, heart and soul, and so I thought I’d share it with you.A Real Revolutionaryby Michael Lee Seliga (aka RandoMike, of www.eatyouryard.com)Just because you wear a Che shirt, or Travel around Latin America, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you have political bumper stickers on your Toyota Prius, or your Bio-Diesel truck, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you read or write zines, or install the Linux operating system on your computer, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because You’re a vegetarian, shop at the Co-op and reuse cloth bags, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you ride a bike, dumpster dive, or do political theater, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you rock climb, do Kung Fu, smoke herb, or get a vasectomy, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you live in a Collective House, compost food scraps, and make your own tofu, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you write poetry, play capoeira, or work on an organic farm, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you listen to folk music and wear flip-flops, or hip hop and sport shell tops, or punk rock and have a Mohawk, or Reggae and got dreadlocks, does not make you a revolutionary.Just because you “damn the man”, fuck the system, capitalism, Bush, or War, does not make you a revolutionary.Don’t-get-me-wrong. I consider the above good and support you doing them. However, what is revolutionary to me…is if your toes are like roots of a mobile tree, which provide you balance, strength and patience; you walk with a WIRY resilience , wily resistance, and kick up dust with non complacence.Revolutionary to me is if your spine is built with of peace cranes, and your hips and legs are constructed out of titanium slinkys.Revolutionary to me is if you use one set of fingers as sculpting tools to facilitate people’s negative comments into positive thoughts; and with the other you drop literal and metaphorical seeds so you propagate life wherever you flow.Revolutionary to me is if your rib cage is not locked so your heart is free to inspire humble speech, which your lungs bellow, in addition to harmony and thunder, the one depending on the situation.Revolutionary to me is if you use your arms to bridge chasms previously thought impassable… if you’re comfortable in your skin, as well as with other people’s melanin, and your chin is stuck up but your nose is not.Revolutionary to me is if you are fluent in three-year-old, if truth emanates from your mouth constantly curled up; if your lips are puckered to deliver quick kisses or so you can whistle your theme song when having fun in the struggle.The shape and size of your ears don’t matter. What matters is whether you resist judgments and assumptions; whether you listen from your soul as intensely as a hummingbird flaps it’s wings because you know in the scraps of syllables and sounds is where aural nectar can be found.Revolutionary to me is if you can see color and be color-blind simultaneously, and although you have X-ray vision and can see sickness around you, you can also enjoy the beauty that surrounds you. What helps you do this is that, tattooed on the inside of your eyelids, is “there is hope” so even on the days when it’s hard to see, you still have visionary dreams.Revolutionary to me is if the glass on the windows [Eyes] to your soul is clear so when people look in they see fire. If the lobes of your brain are divided into self-respect and focus, and if you move as though you’re a piece of art with divine purpose.I am not trying to claim anything here. The above are only criteria of what I hold to be revolutionary, and allow me to move towards an ideal.Because, yeah: I too want to be a real revolutionary.:: “What we call the beginning if often the end. And to make an end is:: to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.” - T. S. EliotA sunny week to you all, inside and out.:: From The Four Corners:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing:: that is making a difference in the world.Everything Green in one place. If you are ever hungry for Green News, and have them all be in one place, where you can quickly browse the top 5 green news bits from pretty much every online news source, go no further than http://green.alltop.com/ .:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.SimonArchives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsListAbout Simon: http://www.simongoland.com/-- “Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”http://www.kiva.org/app.php
28 June 2008
Simons Reflextions
: Today’s Reflection is about all kinds of things, perhaps a random
: collection of quotes and thoughts, or perhaps something that does
: allow a theme or a pattern to emerge...
“All of the past is the beginning of the beginning; all that the human mind has accomplished is but the dream before the awakening.” - H.G. Wells
Notice that the natural tendency of creative tension is to resolve itself. It’s as if you stretched a rubber band between one hand, representing vision, and the other, representing current reality. Were you to do this, you would feel the tension between them. You would also be aware of the energy stored in the stretched rubber band––energy that tries to pull your hands together. In other words, the tension wants to resolve itself. In the same way, creative tension is a force that tries to bring your current reality into alignment with your vision. If we develop the discipline of focusing our attention on the results we most want while simultaneously telling the truth about current reality (without trying to quick fix it), then the natural tendency of this structure is to resolve by current reality changing over time to meet the vision. Cultivating and maintaining creative tension is the central discipline of the outcome-creating life stance. It is the engine that fuels sustained growth. Leaders become masterful at cultivating it because they have learned that this discrepancy is not the enemy, but a friendly and powerful force for change.
-------
Leadership development is long-term because systems do not change quickly–especially our systems of thinking. No matter how much we are addicted to the quick fix, all of the available evidence tells us that change is hard and long–whether we are changing our organization or our consciousness.
-----
“The profound healing power of Nature. This healing power comes directly and naturally, without any artifice or complicated treatments, prayers, rituals or ceremonies.
All that is required is a commitment to come alone to Nature’s heart, to relax into the silence, and to trust. In living closely and alone with Nature for the first time, most people’s initial experiences are of radical slowing down... and of silence. Both are powerful healers. Modern technocratic culture is characterized by ever-increasing pressures for speed, and by almost continuous noise - inner and outer. In our contemporary cultural frenzy to boost our economies, we produce increasingly processed products; we consume increasingly greater quantities of these goods and energy, hoping to fill the gnawing void within we fear to meet. As we feed this growing industrial/technocratic mesh, our natural world is systematically replaced by an artificial one. And in this artificial world, the values of silence and slow, organic rhythms are rarely encountered.
Consider how many millions of years it has taken for our current interconnected web of body, mind
and emotions to evolve. And consider what kind of environment supported this evolution, and coevolved with us. The environments were natural ones, where organic rhythms of day/night, moon cycle, solar cycle, constellation cycles were part of us; and we were part of them. Trees, flowers, streams, lakes, ocean shorelines, mountains, rocks, sky, clouds - all of these elements of Nature have been companions in our journey into our contemporary embodiment, and influenced our growth. Now, in a few generations, we have leapt into incredibly new processed environments. Plastics, millions of new chemical compounds, air-conditioned air, fluorescent lighting, artificial food, powerful drugs, glass/steel/plastic housing and transportation units, alien electromagnetic fields, intense performance stress, speed, environmental pollution of every imaginable kind, breakdown of community/extended family/core family/marriage/children and parent relationships - the list can go on and on. But it is characterized by one thing: the sudden shift from natural, organic, whole, mostly rural environments within which human beingness evolved - to highly artificial, speedy, noisy, crowded and polluted urban centers. No wonder the species is in trouble. When we drop all our artificial lifestyles, and move back into Nature with simple, open hearts, Nature heals us. Healing happens even if we can only return for a short while. And the healing comes naturally through simple reconnection with the countless ancient relationships our species has always had with all the other living things, with Mother Earth, and with the cyclical energies of the Heavens. Our minds, bodies and hearts move into their ancient harmonies. Time slows into the way the moon fills the night, the way the eagle circles in the sky.” - John Milton
-----
The Boatman (A Sufi Story from the Middle East )
A scholar asked a boatman to row him across the river. The journey was long and slow. The scholar was bored. “Boatman,” he called out, “Let’s have a conversation.” Suggesting a topic of special interest to himself, he asked, “Have you ever studied phonetics or grammar?”
“No,” said the boatman, “I’ve no use for those tools.”
“Too bad,” said the scholar, “You’ve wasted half your life. It’s useful to know the rules.”
Later, as the rickety boat crashed into a rock in the middle of the river, the boatman turned to the scholar and said, “Pardon my humble mind that to you must seem dim, but, wise man, tell me, have you ever learned to swim?”
“No,” said the scholar, “I’ve never learned. I’ve immersed myself in thinking.”
“In that case,” said the boatman, “you’ve wasted all your life. Alas, the boat is sinking.”
-----
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
This spring, the B.C. government announced North America’s first “revenue neutral” carbon tax. In its first year it includes a $100 “Climate Action Dividend” cheque for every British Columbian, with extra for low-income families. That’s $440 million and the cheques are in the mail. The question remains, what will you do with your $100? This site is intended to showcase many B.C.-based climate action projects to which one can contribute.
http://contest.thetyee.ca/greenyourcampbellcash/
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
: collection of quotes and thoughts, or perhaps something that does
: allow a theme or a pattern to emerge...
“All of the past is the beginning of the beginning; all that the human mind has accomplished is but the dream before the awakening.” - H.G. Wells
Notice that the natural tendency of creative tension is to resolve itself. It’s as if you stretched a rubber band between one hand, representing vision, and the other, representing current reality. Were you to do this, you would feel the tension between them. You would also be aware of the energy stored in the stretched rubber band––energy that tries to pull your hands together. In other words, the tension wants to resolve itself. In the same way, creative tension is a force that tries to bring your current reality into alignment with your vision. If we develop the discipline of focusing our attention on the results we most want while simultaneously telling the truth about current reality (without trying to quick fix it), then the natural tendency of this structure is to resolve by current reality changing over time to meet the vision. Cultivating and maintaining creative tension is the central discipline of the outcome-creating life stance. It is the engine that fuels sustained growth. Leaders become masterful at cultivating it because they have learned that this discrepancy is not the enemy, but a friendly and powerful force for change.
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Leadership development is long-term because systems do not change quickly–especially our systems of thinking. No matter how much we are addicted to the quick fix, all of the available evidence tells us that change is hard and long–whether we are changing our organization or our consciousness.
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“The profound healing power of Nature. This healing power comes directly and naturally, without any artifice or complicated treatments, prayers, rituals or ceremonies.
All that is required is a commitment to come alone to Nature’s heart, to relax into the silence, and to trust. In living closely and alone with Nature for the first time, most people’s initial experiences are of radical slowing down... and of silence. Both are powerful healers. Modern technocratic culture is characterized by ever-increasing pressures for speed, and by almost continuous noise - inner and outer. In our contemporary cultural frenzy to boost our economies, we produce increasingly processed products; we consume increasingly greater quantities of these goods and energy, hoping to fill the gnawing void within we fear to meet. As we feed this growing industrial/technocr
Consider how many millions of years it has taken for our current interconnected web of body, mind
and emotions to evolve. And consider what kind of environment supported this evolution, and coevolved with us. The environments were natural ones, where organic rhythms of day/night, moon cycle, solar cycle, constellation cycles were part of us; and we were part of them. Trees, flowers, streams, lakes, ocean shorelines, mountains, rocks, sky, clouds - all of these elements of Nature have been companions in our journey into our contemporary embodiment, and influenced our growth. Now, in a few generations, we have leapt into incredibly new processed environments. Plastics, millions of new chemical compounds, air-conditioned air, fluorescent lighting, artificial food, powerful drugs, glass/steel/
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The Boatman (A Sufi Story from the Middle East )
A scholar asked a boatman to row him across the river. The journey was long and slow. The scholar was bored. “Boatman,” he called out, “Let’s have a conversation.” Suggesting a topic of special interest to himself, he asked, “Have you ever studied phonetics or grammar?”
“No,” said the boatman, “I’ve no use for those tools.”
“Too bad,” said the scholar, “You’ve wasted half your life. It’s useful to know the rules.”
Later, as the rickety boat crashed into a rock in the middle of the river, the boatman turned to the scholar and said, “Pardon my humble mind that to you must seem dim, but, wise man, tell me, have you ever learned to swim?”
“No,” said the scholar, “I’ve never learned. I’ve immersed myself in thinking.”
“In that case,” said the boatman, “you’ve wasted all your life. Alas, the boat is sinking.”
-----
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
This spring, the B.C. government announced North America’s first “revenue neutral” carbon tax. In its first year it includes a $100 “Climate Action Dividend” cheque for every British Columbian, with extra for low-income families. That’s $440 million and the cheques are in the mail. The question remains, what will you do with your $100? This site is intended to showcase many B.C.-based climate action projects to which one can contribute.
http://contest.
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
12 May 2008
Dragons
I like dragons here is one named Temple.
He is over 900 years old, he likes to eat meat, he plays with smaller living things and then eats them.
06 May 2008
03 May 2008
01 May 2008
29 April 2008
26 April 2008
25 April 2008
24 April 2008
New
Hi Everyone it's lilly. Well the weather in Vancouver has been really cold and it is still April. I have been busy over the last little while but all is good. I hope you like our blog. We had a good time at our Mad Hater Tea Party there was dancing and good food and tea. Thank you to all who came it was a great night.!! We will have many more things to come over the next little while stay tuned to see what coming up. Please let us know what you think of your blog we would love the feedback thanks lilly
It's me
Hello, I am here because I wish to share some new stuff.
I was remembering the days when I knew only what I learned from home. I thought I knew everything. When all I knew was home stuff and even then my parents did'nt finish school so alot of stuff was old school ....like sewing a patch or a zipper or a hem none of what I was taught was professional but it worked...when I learned how to do these things by a professional?...I found that it was a better way...I was confused that what I first learned was even wrong.
I also found that respect like what Simon says in reflection, (it is too bad I just realized this now) I might have had a better relationship with my mother or even my father before they died. I am trying to forgive myself for blaming my parents for all the mistakes I made in my life...I truely made them myself and they were no way my parents fault they were not even there when things went bad for me.
Parents are to me my world they were my whole world..I couldn't see much else at all....even school reflected on home life....what I learned at school showed what and how I learned at home.
So I had to relearn alot of stuff but I got started in 1989 when I sobered up and started to lead a clean and sober life style.
I was remembering the days when I knew only what I learned from home. I thought I knew everything. When all I knew was home stuff and even then my parents did'nt finish school so alot of stuff was old school ....like sewing a patch or a zipper or a hem none of what I was taught was professional but it worked...when I learned how to do these things by a professional?...I found that it was a better way...I was confused that what I first learned was even wrong.
I also found that respect like what Simon says in reflection, (it is too bad I just realized this now) I might have had a better relationship with my mother or even my father before they died. I am trying to forgive myself for blaming my parents for all the mistakes I made in my life...I truely made them myself and they were no way my parents fault they were not even there when things went bad for me.
Parents are to me my world they were my whole world..I couldn't see much else at all....even school reflected on home life....what I learned at school showed what and how I learned at home.
So I had to relearn alot of stuff but I got started in 1989 when I sobered up and started to lead a clean and sober life style.
Ancient Culture (Simon's reflection)
: Today’s Reflection is about ancient cultures, their disappearing
: wisdom, and the impact of it on the rest of us.
Just imagine the following situation. A mother just gave birth, and is refusing to feed her baby. Just like that, for no apparent reason. They are both your responsibility. What would you do?
Talk to the mother perhaps. Understand what is going on with her, explain, try to convince. Bring a therapist. Anything along these lines.
But what if we are not talking about humans? What if both the mother and the baby are animals? For example, camels. Yes, camels.
:: “The world is not to be put in order, the world is order. It is
:: for us to put ourselves in unison with this order.” - Henry Miller
Personally, I would have no clue what to do. Perhaps try to hold (or tie) her legs and push the colt towards her, in the right direction, hoping he will start sucking her milk. A modern western veterinarian might have a better idea. Perhaps, after several tries, the vet will give up and start feeding the colt in some other way, using some sophisticated modern device or approach.
But what if the colt wouldn’t eat? Refuse. Nothing, unless it comes from his (or her) mother, who refuses to feed the baby. What would we do then? And, on top of it all, we are not located in some large city, where everything and anything is immediately available. What if we are deep in the Mongolian desert, with nothing but several yurts, in the middle of nowhere? What then?
Welcome to a fabulous movie I recently watched, The Story of a Weeping Camel. I am tempted to share the details with you, yet I think I will not. It is a movie you have to see. In the meantime, the solution in the movie is quite simple (to a local Mongolian tribe), and profoundly shocking to a westerner like me. Play some music. Yes, bring a local musician and play some violin-like instrument and see what happens. Yes, I am simplifying the description, yet what happens is absolutely incredible. This brings me to the topic of this Reflection – ancient tribal wisdom. Rapidly disappearing, and we are probably not aware of it until it is too late.
:: “When a man has created a blade of grass, only then he can start
:: thinking of himself as a master of the Universe.” - Einstein
I have been both curious and fascinated by the wisdom of people who have been around for a long time, in ancient and tribal times. They ways they knew how to live in-tune and in an alignment to the world around them. From medicinal plants and foods (I think I still remember my grandmother’s nestle soup), to healing, to conservation of the environment (aboriginals in Australia lived in the outback without leaving much trace) to a way of life that honoured all life forms. These indigenous people are some of our planet’s most endangered species; their young are being seduced by the Western culture and are losing interest in the old ways. With them, their vast knowledge and ways of life are disappearing – and we all lose.
:: “Today, with little notice, vast archives of knowledge and expertise
:: are spilling into oblivion, leaving humanity in danger of losing its
:: past and perhaps jeopardizing its future as well. Stored in the memories
:: of elders, healers, midwives, farmers, fishermen and hunters in the
:: estimated 15,000 cultures remaining on earth is an enormous trove of wisdom.
::
:: This largely undocumented knowledge base is humanity's lifeline to a time
:: when people accepted nature's authority and learned through trial, error
:: and observation. But the world's tribes are dying out or being absorbed
:: into modern civilization. As they vanish, so does their irreplaceable
:: knowledge." -- Eugene Linden, Time Magazine Cover Story September 23, 1991
Every individual in the world, regardless of cultural background or race, has an indigenous soul struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile environment created by that individual’s mind. A modern person’s body has become a battleground between the rationalist mind — which subscribes to the values of the machine age — and the native soul. This battle is the cause of a great deal of spiritual and physical illness. Over the last several centuries, a heartless, culture-crushing mentality has enforced its so-called progress on the earth, devouring all peoples, nature, imagination, and spiritual knowledge. Like a bulldozer, it has left a flat, homogenized streak of civilization in its wake. Every human on this earth, whether from Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Americas, has ancestors whose stories, rituals, ingenuity, language, and life ways were taken away, enslaved, banned, exploited, twisted, or destroyed by this mentality.
What is indigenous — in other words, natural, subtle, hard to explain, generous, gradual, and village oriented — in each of us has been banished to the ghettos of our heart, or hidden away from view on reservations inside the spiritual landscape. We’re taught to believe that our thoughts are actually the center of our life. Like the conquering, modern culture we belong to, we understand the world only with the mind, not with the indigenous soul. And this indigenous soul is not something that can be brought back in "wild man" or "wild woman" retreats on the weekend and then dropped when you put on your business suit. It’s not something you take up because it’s fun or trendy. It has to be authentic, and it has to be spiritually expensive.
-- Martin Prechtel (“Secrets of the Talking Tiger”)
:: “The Universe is my Country, The Human Family is my Tribe”
:: - Kahlil Gibran
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
Community-Based Tourism might be the next step beyond eco-tourism, adding the elements of traveling to natural destinations inhabited by indigenous cultures. Community-based travel is all about learning from and directly helping the disappearing indigenous communities around the world through cultural exchange, financial assistance, and education. Minimize impact. Build awareness. Provide financial benefits and empowerment to indigenous people. Respect local culture. Check out the following:
Community Aid Abroad: www.caa.org.au/travel
Crooked Trails: www.crookedtrails.com
Cultural Restoration Project: www.crtp.net
Global Exchange: www.globalexchange.org
i-to-i: www.i-to-i.com
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
Archives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsList
About Simon: http://www.SimonGoland.com
--
“Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”
http://www.kiva.org/app.php
: wisdom, and the impact of it on the rest of us.
Just imagine the following situation. A mother just gave birth, and is refusing to feed her baby. Just like that, for no apparent reason. They are both your responsibility. What would you do?
Talk to the mother perhaps. Understand what is going on with her, explain, try to convince. Bring a therapist. Anything along these lines.
But what if we are not talking about humans? What if both the mother and the baby are animals? For example, camels. Yes, camels.
:: “The world is not to be put in order, the world is order. It is
:: for us to put ourselves in unison with this order.” - Henry Miller
Personally, I would have no clue what to do. Perhaps try to hold (or tie) her legs and push the colt towards her, in the right direction, hoping he will start sucking her milk. A modern western veterinarian might have a better idea. Perhaps, after several tries, the vet will give up and start feeding the colt in some other way, using some sophisticated modern device or approach.
But what if the colt wouldn’t eat? Refuse. Nothing, unless it comes from his (or her) mother, who refuses to feed the baby. What would we do then? And, on top of it all, we are not located in some large city, where everything and anything is immediately available. What if we are deep in the Mongolian desert, with nothing but several yurts, in the middle of nowhere? What then?
Welcome to a fabulous movie I recently watched, The Story of a Weeping Camel. I am tempted to share the details with you, yet I think I will not. It is a movie you have to see. In the meantime, the solution in the movie is quite simple (to a local Mongolian tribe), and profoundly shocking to a westerner like me. Play some music. Yes, bring a local musician and play some violin-like instrument and see what happens. Yes, I am simplifying the description, yet what happens is absolutely incredible. This brings me to the topic of this Reflection – ancient tribal wisdom. Rapidly disappearing, and we are probably not aware of it until it is too late.
:: “When a man has created a blade of grass, only then he can start
:: thinking of himself as a master of the Universe.” - Einstein
I have been both curious and fascinated by the wisdom of people who have been around for a long time, in ancient and tribal times. They ways they knew how to live in-tune and in an alignment to the world around them. From medicinal plants and foods (I think I still remember my grandmother’s nestle soup), to healing, to conservation of the environment (aboriginals in Australia lived in the outback without leaving much trace) to a way of life that honoured all life forms. These indigenous people are some of our planet’s most endangered species; their young are being seduced by the Western culture and are losing interest in the old ways. With them, their vast knowledge and ways of life are disappearing – and we all lose.
:: “Today, with little notice, vast archives of knowledge and expertise
:: are spilling into oblivion, leaving humanity in danger of losing its
:: past and perhaps jeopardizing its future as well. Stored in the memories
:: of elders, healers, midwives, farmers, fishermen and hunters in the
:: estimated 15,000 cultures remaining on earth is an enormous trove of wisdom.
::
:: This largely undocumented knowledge base is humanity's lifeline to a time
:: when people accepted nature's authority and learned through trial, error
:: and observation. But the world's tribes are dying out or being absorbed
:: into modern civilization. As they vanish, so does their irreplaceable
:: knowledge." -- Eugene Linden, Time Magazine Cover Story September 23, 1991
Every individual in the world, regardless of cultural background or race, has an indigenous soul struggling to survive in an increasingly hostile environment created by that individual’s mind. A modern person’s body has become a battleground between the rationalist mind — which subscribes to the values of the machine age — and the native soul. This battle is the cause of a great deal of spiritual and physical illness. Over the last several centuries, a heartless, culture-crushing mentality has enforced its so-called progress on the earth, devouring all peoples, nature, imagination, and spiritual knowledge. Like a bulldozer, it has left a flat, homogenized streak of civilization in its wake. Every human on this earth, whether from Africa, Asia, Europe, or the Americas, has ancestors whose stories, rituals, ingenuity, language, and life ways were taken away, enslaved, banned, exploited, twisted, or destroyed by this mentality.
What is indigenous — in other words, natural, subtle, hard to explain, generous, gradual, and village oriented — in each of us has been banished to the ghettos of our heart, or hidden away from view on reservations inside the spiritual landscape. We’re taught to believe that our thoughts are actually the center of our life. Like the conquering, modern culture we belong to, we understand the world only with the mind, not with the indigenous soul. And this indigenous soul is not something that can be brought back in "wild man" or "wild woman" retreats on the weekend and then dropped when you put on your business suit. It’s not something you take up because it’s fun or trendy. It has to be authentic, and it has to be spiritually expensive.
-- Martin Prechtel (“Secrets of the Talking Tiger”)
:: “The Universe is my Country, The Human Family is my Tribe”
:: - Kahlil Gibran
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
Community-Based Tourism might be the next step beyond eco-tourism, adding the elements of traveling to natural destinations inhabited by indigenous cultures. Community-based travel is all about learning from and directly helping the disappearing indigenous communities around the world through cultural exchange, financial assistance, and education. Minimize impact. Build awareness. Provide financial benefits and empowerment to indigenous people. Respect local culture. Check out the following:
Community Aid Abroad: www.caa.org.
Crooked Trails: www.crookedtrails.
Cultural Restoration Project: www.crtp.net
Global Exchange: www.globalexchange.
i-to-i: www.i-to-i.com
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
Simon
Archives: http://groups.
About Simon: http://www.SimonGol
--
“Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”
http://www.kiva.
17 April 2008
06 April 2008
Another Simon's Reflections : Today’s Reflection is about transitions - that inner process
: that accompanies the external changes we go through in our lives.
(The story below comes from "Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes" by William Bridges)
His face and body are whitened with clay, and he is no longer recognizable as the youth who left his village two months before. The wounds of his ordeal are healed now, yet they will always bear witness to what he has suffered. They mark him as one who has crossed the boundary of childhood and has put that life behind him.
He is alone. More than simply out of contact with his peers and his elders, he is absolutely and radically alone. During this time (or time-out) in his life, he is out of relation with all others. There is no map to which one could point and say, "There he is." There is no there, because he inhabits for this time a nonplace.
He is beyond the mediating powers of roles and relationships and social mores. Armed only with the rituals and chants taught him by an initiation master, he wanders free and unattached through the universe. Beyond the meaning-making powers of his everyday realities, he stands face-to-face with existence.
Eventually, after he receives his vision, he will know the time has come to return to the village and take up the rights and responsibilities of his new status and his new identity. Marked by his scars and empowered by his new knowledge, he will rejoin the social order on a new basis. He is in a profound sense a new person.
Rite of Passage is a way of withdrawal and return. It is the way of forgetting and rediscovery. It is the way of ending and of beginning. In following it, the person crosses over from an old way of being to a new way of being and is renewed.
:: "What we call the beginning if often the end. And to make an end
:: is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."
:: - T. S. Eliot
I had a friend once. We have known each other for a long time, and have gone through many experiences together - challenges, victories, mutual support, celebrations, tears, joys, deep and revealing conversations, arguments, moments of vulnerability and closeness, and probably everything in-between. This was all a long time ago. Perhaps it only feels like it, because when life is rich and full and a lot is happening, it is easy to lose the sense of days and months and years. The connection faded away, we see each other very little now, and all the beautiful moments of the past are but a memory right now.
It was hard to let go of those memories and realize that the connection changed and shifted form. It was hard, and took a long time, to realize that I have been in a phase of transition with this friend. Resistance is indeed futile, and whatever we had in the past, has now ended. While unfortunate and sad, it is also unavoidable, and - as the common wisdom goes - life goes on. The past is just that. Moving along the transition curve, leaving the ending behind, one slides into a dip called the "neutral zone." This is a place of uncertainty, where the end has ended, and the new beginning has not yet started. A seemingly unproductive time-out when we feel disconnected from people and things in the past and emotionally unconnected to the present. An uncomfortable place, for sure. Yet, also very necessary, for in that place of neither-here-nor-there-ness, new understandings take place, and new seeds of ideas and insights are being planted. We begin to re-orient ourselves towards the "what's next?" direction.
Eventually, there will be a phase of a new beginning, when the time is right, and the planted seeds are ready to bloom. This is when the connection between us will be redefined and will take a different form. And, yes, I am fully aware that "no connection" is also a form of a connection, and it might be the outcome.
Just like in the story above, the ancients knew of the importance of rituals, to signify the ending of a phase, and a beginning of a new one. Until I come up with a better idea, I am going to look at this email as a ritual, signifying the end of the "ending" phase. Off I go into the "neutral zone"... though I suspect I have been there for quite some time now...
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
What news are you reading? Of the usual kind, filled with the endless search for more shocking and more toxic, mentally and emotionally? If you are after a different kind of news, knowing about what works in the world, and where people are making a positive difference, you might want to try the following two:
http://www.enn.com/ - Environmental News Network
http://www.greatnewsnetwork.org - Great News Network
And you might want to subscribe to Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter; there is a lot more than just astrology there:
http://www.freewillastrology.com/newsletter/
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
(The story below comes from "Transitions: Making Sense of Life's Changes" by William Bridges)
His face and body are whitened with clay, and he is no longer recognizable as the youth who left his village two months before. The wounds of his ordeal are healed now, yet they will always bear witness to what he has suffered. They mark him as one who has crossed the boundary of childhood and has put that life behind him.
He is alone. More than simply out of contact with his peers and his elders, he is absolutely and radically alone. During this time (or time-out) in his life, he is out of relation with all others. There is no map to which one could point and say, "There he is." There is no there, because he inhabits for this time a nonplace.
He is beyond the mediating powers of roles and relationships and social mores. Armed only with the rituals and chants taught him by an initiation master, he wanders free and unattached through the universe. Beyond the meaning-making powers of his everyday realities, he stands face-to-face with existence.
Eventually, after he receives his vision, he will know the time has come to return to the village and take up the rights and responsibilities of his new status and his new identity. Marked by his scars and empowered by his new knowledge, he will rejoin the social order on a new basis. He is in a profound sense a new person.
Rite of Passage is a way of withdrawal and return. It is the way of forgetting and rediscovery. It is the way of ending and of beginning. In following it, the person crosses over from an old way of being to a new way of being and is renewed.
:: "What we call the beginning if often the end. And to make an end
:: is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from."
:: - T. S. Eliot
I had a friend once. We have known each other for a long time, and have gone through many experiences together - challenges, victories, mutual support, celebrations, tears, joys, deep and revealing conversations, arguments, moments of vulnerability and closeness, and probably everything in-between. This was all a long time ago. Perhaps it only feels like it, because when life is rich and full and a lot is happening, it is easy to lose the sense of days and months and years. The connection faded away, we see each other very little now, and all the beautiful moments of the past are but a memory right now.
It was hard to let go of those memories and realize that the connection changed and shifted form. It was hard, and took a long time, to realize that I have been in a phase of transition with this friend. Resistance is indeed futile, and whatever we had in the past, has now ended. While unfortunate and sad, it is also unavoidable, and - as the common wisdom goes - life goes on. The past is just that. Moving along the transition curve, leaving the ending behind, one slides into a dip called the "neutral zone." This is a place of uncertainty, where the end has ended, and the new beginning has not yet started. A seemingly unproductive time-out when we feel disconnected from people and things in the past and emotionally unconnected to the present. An uncomfortable place, for sure. Yet, also very necessary, for in that place of neither-here-
Eventually, there will be a phase of a new beginning, when the time is right, and the planted seeds are ready to bloom. This is when the connection between us will be redefined and will take a different form. And, yes, I am fully aware that "no connection" is also a form of a connection, and it might be the outcome.
Just like in the story above, the ancients knew of the importance of rituals, to signify the ending of a phase, and a beginning of a new one. Until I come up with a better idea, I am going to look at this email as a ritual, signifying the end of the "ending" phase. Off I go into the "neutral zone"... though I suspect I have been there for quite some time now...
A sunny week to you all, inside and out.
:: From The Four Corners
:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,
:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing
:: that is making a difference in the world.
What news are you reading? Of the usual kind, filled with the endless search for more shocking and more toxic, mentally and emotionally? If you are after a different kind of news, knowing about what works in the world, and where people are making a positive difference, you might want to try the following two:
http://www.enn.
http://www.greatnew
And you might want to subscribe to Rob Brezsny's Astrology Newsletter; there is a lot more than just astrology there:
http://www.freewill
:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a
:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch
:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.
:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.
22 March 2008
Simon's reflections
Subject:
[Simon's Reflections] Contemplations on the Essence of Leadership
Date:
Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:22:44 -0700
From:
Simon Goland
Reply-To:
SimonsReflectionsList-owner@yahoogroups.com
To:
list-SimonsReflections
: Today’s Reflection contains some thoughts about leadership. In a : couple of months, I am teaching a course at the Justice Institute: of BC, titled "The Art of Creative Leadership" and was asked to write: an article for their newsletter. I might as well share it here too.The Art of Creative Leadership“Platoon, be ready to leave at 21:00 sharp. This is our first mission, and I will be making sure everybody is fully ready and prepared,” were my words. This was the first platoon of soldiers I had direct responsibility over, and I was eager to make sure we complete the operation, and come back alive. It was the Israeli army, and I was just over eighteen years of age, sergeant and a platoon commander, leading them to our first mission. I was excited and nervous at the same time, looking forward to prove myself with the responsibility that was given to me. In retrospect, this was probably also the first moment I learned that “leadership is a serious and responsible business.” After all, we were dealing with people’s lives.Many years have gone by, and many other leadership roles with them. Just like many others around me, I took my leadership responsibilities and roles very seriously. We must meet the budget. Deliver the product on time. Manage the project properly and according to the latest standards. Prepare the new course outline according to the requirements of the review committee. All important and serious leadership (and management) tasks, that have to be approached with the utmost level of responsibility.While it is certainly true, and I don’t want to minimize the importance of responsibility in the role of any leader, this is only a partial picture. There is a lot more to leadership than that.If we ask people of all levels of many organizations to define leadership, there will rarely be much agreement in the room. The understanding of leadership is highly fragmented, with hundreds of definitions, ideas, theories, models, competencies, and skills. Some will say leaders are born. Others will say leaders are made. Perhaps leadership is a calling that simply lands in your lap one day. Quite a few will equate leadership with the leader, focusing on a person, while others think leadership is potentially everywhere. Many will see leadership as a lonely role and task, whereby one carries all the accountability and responsibility on their shoulders.Despite the countless theories and definitions of leadership, there are also some core similarities that are emerging in the leadership trends in this 21st century. The keys to the leadership (and management) kingdom are changing hands, and we are beginning to look more and more for leaders who focus not only on the task, but also on the people behind the task. We are beginning to look for leaders who can engage the human body, mind, and soul – theirs and those of their followers – despite the seriousness of the tasks at hand. We are looking for leaders who can tap into our creativity, imagination, intuition, and humour, and create the environment where we can unleash our best skills and talents. We want to bring our whole self to work, without checking parts of ourselves at the door. We want to be inspired and engaged. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. It is a human-based, human-centered, and human-focused activity, which comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. While there is a need to remember the responsibilities and the tasks, there is at least as much need to remember the human behind them. It is not about neglecting the responsibilities and the “serious business” at hand; it is about remembering to lighten up while taking care of business.With such leaders, we become energized, excited, productive, and full of joyful and creative energy. Whether in the workplace, our community, or the army, people will follow the leader who engages and inspires their spirit and soul.:: "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to:: collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather:: teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”:: - Antoine de Saint-ExuperyA sunny week to you all, inside and out.:: From The Four Corners:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing:: that is making a difference in the world.About a week ago, in a First Nation store and gallery, a little book jumped into my hand and told me I needed to get it. I did. "The Best of Chief Dan George" is a collection of writings by Chief Dan George, who writes about Canada, about his people, and about the environment. It is touching, beautiful, inspiring, and sad at the same time. Chief Dan George was a performer (remember "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman?), a poet, a philosopher, and a teacher.If you talk to the animals they will talk with youand you will know each other.If you do not talk to them you will not know them,and what you do not know you will fear.What one fears one destroys.:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.SimonArchives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsListAbout Simon: http://www.SimonGoland.com-- “Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”http://www.kiva.org/app.php__._,_.___
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[Simon's Reflections] Contemplations on the Essence of Leadership
Date:
Tue, 18 Mar 2008 09:22:44 -0700
From:
Simon Goland
Reply-To:
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To:
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: Today’s Reflection contains some thoughts about leadership. In a : couple of months, I am teaching a course at the Justice Institute: of BC, titled "The Art of Creative Leadership" and was asked to write: an article for their newsletter. I might as well share it here too.The Art of Creative Leadership“Platoon, be ready to leave at 21:00 sharp. This is our first mission, and I will be making sure everybody is fully ready and prepared,” were my words. This was the first platoon of soldiers I had direct responsibility over, and I was eager to make sure we complete the operation, and come back alive. It was the Israeli army, and I was just over eighteen years of age, sergeant and a platoon commander, leading them to our first mission. I was excited and nervous at the same time, looking forward to prove myself with the responsibility that was given to me. In retrospect, this was probably also the first moment I learned that “leadership is a serious and responsible business.” After all, we were dealing with people’s lives.Many years have gone by, and many other leadership roles with them. Just like many others around me, I took my leadership responsibilities and roles very seriously. We must meet the budget. Deliver the product on time. Manage the project properly and according to the latest standards. Prepare the new course outline according to the requirements of the review committee. All important and serious leadership (and management) tasks, that have to be approached with the utmost level of responsibility.While it is certainly true, and I don’t want to minimize the importance of responsibility in the role of any leader, this is only a partial picture. There is a lot more to leadership than that.If we ask people of all levels of many organizations to define leadership, there will rarely be much agreement in the room. The understanding of leadership is highly fragmented, with hundreds of definitions, ideas, theories, models, competencies, and skills. Some will say leaders are born. Others will say leaders are made. Perhaps leadership is a calling that simply lands in your lap one day. Quite a few will equate leadership with the leader, focusing on a person, while others think leadership is potentially everywhere. Many will see leadership as a lonely role and task, whereby one carries all the accountability and responsibility on their shoulders.Despite the countless theories and definitions of leadership, there are also some core similarities that are emerging in the leadership trends in this 21st century. The keys to the leadership (and management) kingdom are changing hands, and we are beginning to look more and more for leaders who focus not only on the task, but also on the people behind the task. We are beginning to look for leaders who can engage the human body, mind, and soul – theirs and those of their followers – despite the seriousness of the tasks at hand. We are looking for leaders who can tap into our creativity, imagination, intuition, and humour, and create the environment where we can unleash our best skills and talents. We want to bring our whole self to work, without checking parts of ourselves at the door. We want to be inspired and engaged. Great leadership is about human experiences, not processes. It is a human-based, human-centered, and human-focused activity, which comes from the heart and considers the hearts of others. While there is a need to remember the responsibilities and the tasks, there is at least as much need to remember the human behind them. It is not about neglecting the responsibilities and the “serious business” at hand; it is about remembering to lighten up while taking care of business.With such leaders, we become energized, excited, productive, and full of joyful and creative energy. Whether in the workplace, our community, or the army, people will follow the leader who engages and inspires their spirit and soul.:: "If you want to build a ship, don't drum up people together to:: collect wood and don't assign them tasks and work, but rather:: teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea.”:: - Antoine de Saint-ExuperyA sunny week to you all, inside and out.:: From The Four Corners:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing:: that is making a difference in the world.About a week ago, in a First Nation store and gallery, a little book jumped into my hand and told me I needed to get it. I did. "The Best of Chief Dan George" is a collection of writings by Chief Dan George, who writes about Canada, about his people, and about the environment. It is touching, beautiful, inspiring, and sad at the same time. Chief Dan George was a performer (remember "Little Big Man" with Dustin Hoffman?), a poet, a philosopher, and a teacher.If you talk to the animals they will talk with youand you will know each other.If you do not talk to them you will not know them,and what you do not know you will fear.What one fears one destroys.:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.SimonArchives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsListAbout Simon: http://www.SimonGoland.com-- “Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”http://www.kiva.org/app.php__._,_.___
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14 March 2008
Simon's Reflection on Integrity
I actually went to the Wikipedia dictionary to look up the meaning of the word, "integrity." What I saw is that "integrity" is
(1) Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code,
(2) The state of being wholesome; unimpaired, and
(3) The quality or condition of being complete; pure.
I was faced with a challenging situation last week, with one of the universities I teach in. There was an assignment due Sunday a week ago. By about the following Friday, 5 days later, a good 40% of the students have not yet submitted the assignment. This is when we (the other faculty person and myself) have posted - in our online learning environment for the course - a notice saying that by now it is too late, the situation is quite unacceptable, and we are planning to fail the students who have not submitted the required assignment. Mind you, these are students who have been in the program for about a year and a half, both in our course, as well as other courses as well; as such, they are not novices to the environment and to the learning guidelines and standards we have. We have also expressed our disappointment in the lack of students' commitment and responsibility about communicating with us about being late; there were a few students who did let us know they are going to be late (which is fine, when the reasons are valid). Interestingly, I also had a bit of an emotional reaction when posting the note on the late submissions - feeling a bit like being ignored, dismissed, and discounted.This opened up a very rich, authentic, and engaging dialogue with (at least some of the) students in our course. A couple of students also contacted me directly, completing the assignment (and several other pending tasks of several weeks) in less than a weekend, asking for a passing grade. By this point, I was faced with a challenge, as I really don't like giving a failing grade, while seeing the effort and knowing how much pressure there is in other courses as well. Not to mention the rest of life.Now what do I do?:: "If you walk towards the sun you leave the shadows behind." - from India
I spent a big part of the weekend agonizing over the upcoming decision. To fail or not to fail. I know the students, I could see their efforts, I know how stressful the program is overall. I could hear the whispers of my Jewish Mother heart, "Be nice, be gentle, let them pass." It would have been so easy to do.Yet, I couldn't. There was something that I couldn't even articulate clearly, until later. Something that didn't feel right in doing so. That something was the state of being complete, wholesome, feeling good about my own integrity. Once I understood, I explained it clearly to the students who were asking me to reconsider - my dilemma, my contemplations (more like "agonies"), and my decision. The reply of one of them made it all worthwhile:
"I appreciate your stance in making and keeping your personal and professional commitments to your integrity and expectations of standards. I 100% support that. I would be surprised if you caved in to any professional standards as you seem to me a man of your word, a man of honor."What a relief! And a whole new understanding of what integrity is for me.
What a relief! And a whole new understanding of what integrity is for me.A sunny week to you all, inside and out.:
: From The Four Corners:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing:: that is making a difference in the world.Nothing specific crossed my eyes as of recent... though I am open to suggestions...:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.SimonArchives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsListAbout Simon: http://www.simongoland.com/-- “Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”http://www.kiva.org/app.php__._,_.___
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"I had to share this from Simon's reflections (which he e-mails me monthly).......it means sooooo much to me to finally see, hear and feel integrity.
(1) Steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code,
(2) The state of being wholesome; unimpaired, and
(3) The quality or condition of being complete; pure.
I was faced with a challenging situation last week, with one of the universities I teach in. There was an assignment due Sunday a week ago. By about the following Friday, 5 days later, a good 40% of the students have not yet submitted the assignment. This is when we (the other faculty person and myself) have posted - in our online learning environment for the course - a notice saying that by now it is too late, the situation is quite unacceptable, and we are planning to fail the students who have not submitted the required assignment. Mind you, these are students who have been in the program for about a year and a half, both in our course, as well as other courses as well; as such, they are not novices to the environment and to the learning guidelines and standards we have. We have also expressed our disappointment in the lack of students' commitment and responsibility about communicating with us about being late; there were a few students who did let us know they are going to be late (which is fine, when the reasons are valid). Interestingly, I also had a bit of an emotional reaction when posting the note on the late submissions - feeling a bit like being ignored, dismissed, and discounted.This opened up a very rich, authentic, and engaging dialogue with (at least some of the) students in our course. A couple of students also contacted me directly, completing the assignment (and several other pending tasks of several weeks) in less than a weekend, asking for a passing grade. By this point, I was faced with a challenge, as I really don't like giving a failing grade, while seeing the effort and knowing how much pressure there is in other courses as well. Not to mention the rest of life.Now what do I do?:: "If you walk towards the sun you leave the shadows behind." - from India
I spent a big part of the weekend agonizing over the upcoming decision. To fail or not to fail. I know the students, I could see their efforts, I know how stressful the program is overall. I could hear the whispers of my Jewish Mother heart, "Be nice, be gentle, let them pass." It would have been so easy to do.Yet, I couldn't. There was something that I couldn't even articulate clearly, until later. Something that didn't feel right in doing so. That something was the state of being complete, wholesome, feeling good about my own integrity. Once I understood, I explained it clearly to the students who were asking me to reconsider - my dilemma, my contemplations (more like "agonies"), and my decision. The reply of one of them made it all worthwhile:
"I appreciate your stance in making and keeping your personal and professional commitments to your integrity and expectations of standards. I 100% support that. I would be surprised if you caved in to any professional standards as you seem to me a man of your word, a man of honor."What a relief! And a whole new understanding of what integrity is for me.
What a relief! And a whole new understanding of what integrity is for me.A sunny week to you all, inside and out.:
: From The Four Corners:: This is a new section of the newsletter, featuring news, ideas,:: moments of inspiration of something someone somewhere is doing:: that is making a difference in the world.Nothing specific crossed my eyes as of recent... though I am open to suggestions...:: Simon’s Reflections newsletter is published on a:: bi-weekly basis and contains writings that touch:: the heart, provoke the mind, and inspire action.:: And I do welcome your thoughts and comments.SimonArchives: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/SimonsReflectionsListAbout Simon: http://www.simongoland.com/-- “Kiva lets you lend to a specific entrepreneur in the developing world - empowering them to lift themselves out of poverty.”http://www.kiva.org/app.php__._,_.___
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"I had to share this from Simon's reflections (which he e-mails me monthly).......it means sooooo much to me to finally see, hear and feel integrity.
13 March 2008
diabetes
By Shelly
Hi I’M Shelly and I have type 2 diabetes I just finished 1 year as I diabetic so I thought I write something for the coast post on what it like to have diabetes. To have diabetes is to have to test your blood sugars everyday and take pills or insulin but that not all as a diabetic you have to watch what you eat and make sure to do some exercise everyday. Having diabetes put you at risk for many other conditions like eye disease and heart disease but if you look after your self you may not have any of problems. The next thing you have to do as a diabetic is have a ac1 test this is a blood test done every three months to see how sugar in your blood you want the sugar to be around 7 but you need to ask your doctor what number they want you at. To know it your diabetic you will a blood test and if your blood sugars come back over 7 or higher you maybe diabetic. November is diabetes month and on November 14 it is world diabetes day. There is the Canadian Diabetes Assoc ion and there website is http://www.diabetes.ca/ this is a good site as it for Canadians and you can get some some great information. I just had my ac1 test done and it was 7.5 so it good but I want it at 7 so I will keep working at it. This has been a great first year as a diabetic but I still got a ways to go. I just hope one day a cure is found. Thank you Shelly
Hi I’M Shelly and I have type 2 diabetes I just finished 1 year as I diabetic so I thought I write something for the coast post on what it like to have diabetes. To have diabetes is to have to test your blood sugars everyday and take pills or insulin but that not all as a diabetic you have to watch what you eat and make sure to do some exercise everyday. Having diabetes put you at risk for many other conditions like eye disease and heart disease but if you look after your self you may not have any of problems. The next thing you have to do as a diabetic is have a ac1 test this is a blood test done every three months to see how sugar in your blood you want the sugar to be around 7 but you need to ask your doctor what number they want you at. To know it your diabetic you will a blood test and if your blood sugars come back over 7 or higher you maybe diabetic. November is diabetes month and on November 14 it is world diabetes day. There is the Canadian Diabetes Assoc ion and there website is http://www.diabetes.ca/ this is a good site as it for Canadians and you can get some some great information. I just had my ac1 test done and it was 7.5 so it good but I want it at 7 so I will keep working at it. This has been a great first year as a diabetic but I still got a ways to go. I just hope one day a cure is found. Thank you Shelly
11 March 2008
write
Hi Everyone it's lilly better to some as shelly. I hope some of have been reading our blog and We hope you enjoy it and keep on reading. We would love to hear from you?
03 March 2008
Connecting dots
This one is really weird. It all started with bits and pieces of pictures (thought pictures)thrown in a basket (that is my head) and tossed about until I didn't know what day it nor month or anything that was going on from one moment to another.
My reality was seeing my husband....he seemed to be the one constant (on going item thing or place) that saved me!So ....from the time he left for work to the time he got home I was in termoil....of course I couldn't tell him that!
I started to believe that I this is what "insane!" feels like? I was believing in my own thoughts....and staying in my thoughts not really knowing what was reality.....(even my husband was not making any sense to me anymore). or was I dreaming it all? Obviously I wasn't dreaming !
The mind is very complex. I coudn't find my way around and I couldn't make heads or tails of my life and I was sooooo scared finally I just wanted to die....to be at rest with self is all I wanted...I yes......... I did the worst thing ever..... I ....
Yes I am alive and getting much better. My therapist is guiding me through the termoil that is my mind.
How did it happen?...I was so sane?...I had it all together? I thought I knew what I was doing? Where did I go wrong?
I lost my constant. I call it my constant because I found out that my mind needs something to touch base with. I need this to make sense of what I am doing or what I am going to do next?.
I changed my constant to a place rather then a person. Ihad to learn to take responcibility for my own actions....there also has be a lot of trust and I have very little trust in myself.
01 March 2008
(a peculiar eye)
St. Patrick's Day
We all know that when three-leaf clovers come out, it's St. Patrick's Day. This Irish holiday is always celebrated on March 17th, which is the day that Saint Patrick died. He was a missionary way back in the 4th century who converted the Irish to Christianity.
St. Patrick's Day - The History
Saint Patrick was born around 385 AD in the United Kingdom. His real name is believed to be Maewyn Succat (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest). When he was 16, he was kidnapped by a group of Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland. During his six-year captivity as a shepherd, he began to have religious visions and found strength in his faith. He finally escaped to France and became a priest - and later a bishop. When he was about 60 years old, Saint Patrick returned to Ireland to spread the Christian word. He used the shamrock, which resembles a three-leafed clover, as a metaphor to explain the Christian concept of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
St. Patrick's Day - An Irish Holiday?
The first St. Patrick's Day parade didn't take place in Ireland, but actually in New York City on
March 17, 1762. Now, over 100 US cities have St. Patrick's Day parades. New York should be called the Big Shamrock instead of the Big Apple because their parade usually puts the rest of them to shame.
St. Patrick's Day - Did U Know?
· Green is associated with St. Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland and the shamrock.
· Leprechauns are also associated with St. Patrick's Day, although the only reason they are is because they're Irish. Leprechauns are usually mean little creatures - with the exception of the Lucky Charms guy.
· People give Saint Patrick credit for chasing all the snakes out of Ireland. The truth is that snakes are not indigenous to Ireland.
We all know that when three-leaf clovers come out, it's St. Patrick's Day. This Irish holiday is always celebrated on March 17th, which is the day that Saint Patrick died. He was a missionary way back in the 4th century who converted the Irish to Christianity.
St. Patrick's Day - The History
Saint Patrick was born around 385 AD in the United Kingdom. His real name is believed to be Maewyn Succat (he took on Patrick, or Patricus, after he became a priest). When he was 16, he was kidnapped by a group of Irish raiders and sold into slavery in Ireland. During his six-year captivity as a shepherd, he began to have religious visions and found strength in his faith. He finally escaped to France and became a priest - and later a bishop. When he was about 60 years old, Saint Patrick returned to Ireland to spread the Christian word. He used the shamrock, which resembles a three-leafed clover, as a metaphor to explain the Christian concept of God (Father, Son and Holy Spirit).
St. Patrick's Day - An Irish Holiday?
The first St. Patrick's Day parade didn't take place in Ireland, but actually in New York City on
March 17, 1762. Now, over 100 US cities have St. Patrick's Day parades. New York should be called the Big Shamrock instead of the Big Apple because their parade usually puts the rest of them to shame.St. Patrick's Day - Did U Know?
· Green is associated with St. Patrick's Day because it is the color of spring, Ireland and the shamrock.
· Leprechauns are also associated with St. Patrick's Day, although the only reason they are is because they're Irish. Leprechauns are usually mean little creatures - with the exception of the Lucky Charms guy.
· People give Saint Patrick credit for chasing all the snakes out of Ireland. The truth is that snakes are not indigenous to Ireland.
27 February 2008
eagles
the reason i chose the eagle as the picture to go along with my paragraph about my apartment is that it is so distinct. it's coloring is so perfect. it's one bird you can really spot really easily.it's wing span and the way it glides through the air is something to see. there is quite a large population of eagles in b.c. i think more or less they are a north american bird. i don't know if they are an endangered species but i think they are protected. i think the eagle feeds on small rodents. i haven't seen too many eagles in the wild. a lot of companies use the eagle as part of their logo. i don't know for sure but i think native people view the eagle as part of their spiritual beliefs. another reason i chose the eagle as part of my paragraph is that it looks so strong. i think the eagle is a sign of independence.
26 February 2008
sick
Sick in bed no where to go but down. More time on my hands to read and do nothing but sleep. I can't sleep because I'm too sick nothing works I'm done with being sick. The best thing is for me to get over it .
25 February 2008
THIS IS ME....HELLO
I am older then you think. 
I never lie about my age I am courageous and fearless not out of stupidity but from fear itself.I have aged well...I have collected all I need to move onto the next challenge in life. My body has had the experience of life ...it has given life and in turn I have gave it many battles to concure Now I am alone and I have no one to show me the way. It is only me left to follow the shadow of trueth. I can only move forward as time ticks on...and see what comes next....
because, garanteed, there is something coming next, you can count on that!
I never lie about my age I am courageous and fearless not out of stupidity but from fear itself.I have aged well...I have collected all I need to move onto the next challenge in life. My body has had the experience of life ...it has given life and in turn I have gave it many battles to concure Now I am alone and I have no one to show me the way. It is only me left to follow the shadow of trueth. I can only move forward as time ticks on...and see what comes next....
because, garanteed, there is something coming next, you can count on that!
23 February 2008
HI, I am Teresa.
I want to learn math again. I forgot most of the math that I did learn in High school.
16 February 2008
The Blurrrrrs
The Blurrrrrs - Dazzle, blind, blear, dim sightedness, darkness.
State between worlds
Setting Time as in time line in life
State of beinging.
Searching for that feeling of beinging.
Shadow Bear comes forth in disguise ...feeling a huge lose (innocence ) could be anything a lost finger, a lost pencil,,,etc.
Shadow Bear is there....you see blurrss...it begins with.....blurrs here....the violent part all hell breaks out you hear screems, you see people hitting others (blurrs) you see and hear screems (Blurrs) and tears,,, you see teeth being punched out of of someones face. You see blood all over and you know it is not your blood...but you really don't know?....(Blurrss) maybe you hit someone?.... all you know, is it is not over.,...(Blurrrrs) even when the silence comes you know it is not over. You go numb like a switch just turned you off....(blurrs) and another person immerges from you and performs the next phase you need to get through what comes next...(blurrrrrs). You want to turn off (The Blurrs) and go to sleep and wake up and it will all be a bad dream...but that is not the way it goes.The Blurrrs are reality.
It all seems sooo real....or like a dream....I wish I could sleep.
out.
State between worlds
Setting Time as in time line in life
State of beinging.
Searching for that feeling of beinging.
Shadow Bear comes forth in disguise ...feeling a huge lose (innocence ) could be anything a lost finger, a lost pencil,,,etc.
Shadow Bear is there....you see blurrss...it begins with.....blurrs here....the violent part all hell breaks out you hear screems, you see people hitting others (blurrs) you see and hear screems (Blurrs) and tears,,, you see teeth being punched out of of someones face. You see blood all over and you know it is not your blood...but you really don't know?....(Blurrss) maybe you hit someone?.... all you know, is it is not over.,...(Blurrrrs) even when the silence comes you know it is not over. You go numb like a switch just turned you off....(blurrs) and another person immerges from you and performs the next phase you need to get through what comes next...(blurrrrrs). You want to turn off (The Blurrs) and go to sleep and wake up and it will all be a bad dream...but that is not the way it goes.The Blurrrs are reality.
It all seems sooo real....or like a dream....I wish I could sleep.
out.
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