Recalibrations & Ruminations
In today’s topsy-turvy world – saturated with news of political unrest, global warming, economic challenges, and an accumulations of everyday personal stresses – it’s time to take a moment, a deep breath, and a fresh look at a timeless subject: Peace. Nirvana. Joy. Regardless of outer circumstances, what never changes is the inner journey, an individual’s growth toward inner freedom. But how do you get there throughout your busy, often crazy day?
Until Enlightenment: What To Do In The Meantime is a book that offers a wealth of lighthearted, playful approaches to navigating through life’s ups and downs with pointers on how to experience more daily joy. Enjoy whimsical illustrations and techniques that can bring you back to Center. If even for a moment or two each day.
What helps you to recalibrate when things get hectic? Walking the dog? Jogging? Closing your door for a twenty-minute meditation? Watching reruns of your favorite comedy show?
Chocolate? (Oh, yes!)
“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.”
– W.B. Yeats
“Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life.”
– Steve Jobs
MOOC Madness
Until nirvana arrives, why not take a MOOC? No, it’s not a super-charged energy drink; it’s the acronym for Massive Open Online Course. Universities and organizations offer hundreds of subjects to choose from—and they are free.
Courses range through an amazing variety of topics: “Chinese for Beginners,” “Basics of Capital Assets Pricing Models,” “The Age of Thomas Jefferson,” “Cooking Nutritious Foods for Children,” “World Art History,” “Careers in Sports and Recreation Management,” to name a few. Satisfy your curiosity about life while you saunter toward satori.
“If you want to be a maker, a starter-upper, an inventor, or an innovator, this is your time. By leveraging the supernova you can do so much more now with so little.”
– Thomas L. Friedman
“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.”
– C. S. Lewis
“It is better to travel well than to arrive.”
– The Buddha
Focus Fully: Mono-Task
Forget multi-tasking. It may leave you frazzled and feeling less efficient than you’d planned. Is focusing fully on multiple tasks simultaneously really possible? Not according to a number of scientists, who say that what you’re actually doing is “task-switching;” and that isn’t always so effective either. According to several research studies, it’s estimated that you can lose up to 40% of your productivity if you multi-task.
Juggling ten things at once may just not be your personal best mode of operations. Try rethinking your strategy.
Segment mini-chunks of time designated to specific tasks. Make dents in large projects by attacking them one element at a time. Short bursts, similar to athletes’ interval training at the gym, allow for “all out” concentration on each individual topic.
A sense of accomplishment builds in each area and the momentum takes you forward. And back into functioning fully in the present moment. That enriching Present Moment!
“If I stop to kick every barking dog I am not going to get where I’m going.”
– Jackie Joyner-Kersee
“Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could. Some blunders and absurdities no doubt crept in; forget them as soon as you can. Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it serenely and with too high a spirit to be encumbered with your old nonsense.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
“Reality continues to ruin my life.”
― Bill Watterson, The Complete Calvin and Hobbes