Notes from a late break

From earlier today…

Listing to “Out of This World” by John Coltrane. An incredible song; I think this is deeper that “A Love Supreme”
It’s ok to let go and release. It’s never good to hold things in.
There’s a danger in blogging of repeating myself. One way to fight this is to find new adventures to discuss [...]

Temptation

Bad news can trigger a bad response: the longing to wallow and say, “woe is me.” Gotta fight through it. The wallowing can take a lot of energy needed to fight through the problem and turn it negative. All the questions about why me, why now can get you lost in a fog of self-loathing. [...]

The news

Some news I’ve been wondering about may be coming in. I kind of figured something would happen. It’s a test, a bump. The preparations, writing, the journey itself, continue on. Be in action.
Things like this can get you knotted up physically. But I am pretty calm about it. Nothing lasts forever, and you can sometimes [...]

The greatest journey?

People have climbed mountains, dived deep into the seas and burrowed far into the earth. A handful of people have even left this planet to explore the moon. But is the greatest journey the one to discover who you are? Who you truly are? Are we afraid to take this trip, because we might find [...]

Movement to contact

It feels good to move forward. Something comes in your mind to do, you act. No hesitation, no hemming or hawing. See it, be it. Why have I been making this harder than it needs to be? I don’t know. But I must keep moving forward.

Notes from the atrium

Semi-random thoughts from the middle of a sunny afternoon…

An idea from Steve Pavlina: living life in paradox. What does that mean? While you’re figuring/designing the life you want, you’re still working on your current life. For me, that means blogging about me and the journey that I’m on.
No one knows what my thoughts are, but [...]

Bodies in motion

I have a tendency to want to stand still. Maybe it’s because I’m quiet, and naturally prefer to watch instead of jumping in. Now, I see that I have to be moving, in action. I can’t stand still and allow life to pass on without me. It’s hard to keep on the move, but I [...]

Don’t cry

I’ve noticed lately that I’m tearing up more. Not necessarily in sadness, but sometimes when I read or listen to something that touches me, I can feel the tears starting to flow. I think I’m starting to let things that affect me positively reach me. It’s a good way of allowing those thoughts and ideas [...]

The joy of cooking

For the past couple of months, I’ve been taking this nutritional program to help me eat smarter. So far, it seems to be working well. Since the middle last year, I’ve stopped eating bagels. I’m drinking tea instead of coffee at work. My lunch is basically salmon and edamame. I eat fruits instead of bagels [...]

Release the pressure

A exercise I heard and read about from a guy named Hale Dwoskin, who teaches something called the Sedona method. It’s about (I think) releasing your anxiety. I’m going to repeat it as a mantra–Could you release the anxiety (whatever it is) you have? Would you? And when? It seems to work, but I need [...]

Comfort in the wrong places

Safe harbor is a comforting place to be. We can steel away from the cares and concerns of the world, and let the storms pass. Or, we can be like the navy, and ride out of the harbor and into the storm. An aircraft carrier has a better chance of survival on the move instead [...]

Giant steps

The headline is the title of a John Coltrane album, one of his most famous. But to change things in your life, small steps are better. Little things to do every day, and continue to do it. That seems to be an integral part of personal development. Small, sustainable steps, taken consciously, every day.

A question for later

How do I maintain and sustain this feeling of lightness that I have now? Should I just relax and allow whatever to come and remain calm?

Nothingness

I go back to work in a couple of hours, and I feel empty. Empty, but good. I sorely needed the time away from the office to recharge and gain perspective. I like what I do, but I don’t love it the way I used to. But I didn’t focus on that for the past [...]

Here comes the rain again

The picture on the homepage of this blog was taken was my apartment window while I lived in Brussels. Yes, there’s snow in the photo. But Brussels is better known for the rain that seemed to fall there every day. I loved there for three years, and I miss it very much. For the first [...]

Nature’s show

I’m sitting in my living room watching a thunderstorm roll in. It’s like hearing and seeing a battle. The bright, vivid flashes of light, the rumbling thunder, the strengthening wind, the smell of rain. When I was a kid, I was terribly scared of storms. Once I was in the bathroom during a storm, and [...]

Denouement

A hot, lazy Sunday afternoon. Not much to report. My lightness of being remains, even though my vacation ends tomorrow. The intrusions of life will reappear, and the question become–or, rather, what it’s always been–how can I cope with the strains?

The numbers game

If I have one bone to pick with the personal development industry, it’s numbers. 7 steps, 14 ways, 21 ideas. Why is this number or that number the perfect set for that particular thought? Is it marketing? Do the writers have a sixth sense, knowing that it’s not six or eight, but seven? I see [...]

Been a long time, been a long time

This has been the best few days I’ve had in awhile. The disconnect from the office and the stresses has done so much to lift me up. I was driving earlier this evening, and even at speed, I felt so light, so good. Even sitting alone on a Saturday night, listening to jazz, with the [...]

What does it all mean

We are all looking to get better at something. Usually, it’s life in general. We’re looking to be better people, to make peace in a world that is hardly peaceful. To carve out a shelter in a storm-tossed sea. That’s where I am. I read about zen, trying to find a way to be comfortable [...]

New York at Night

Live music has a great effect on me. No matter what’s going on in my life, I can sit in a jazz club and be transformed and transfixed by the band. I went to a club on Park Avenue last night, and that’s what happened. It was a young-ish quartet, playing for no cover. They [...]

I want to get away, I want to fly away

Vacations are grand things. If you do them right, they are enjoyable and carefree. The secret: don’t do anything. Seriously. Working vacation is an oxymoron. This is a time to reconnect with yourself, find out who you really are as opposed to the facade of a drone you carry off day in and day out. [...]

No guarantees

I make no claims to being an expert in anything. I’m professionally skeptical, and naturally curious. One of the things I’m curious about is personal development. Here’s an experiment: I’ve created a tumblelog to track some of the interesting and pertinent articles I’ve seen on the web. This may be updated more than this blog. [...]

The shape of things to come…?

This is the start of a journey that I’m not sure where it will lead. I’m at a critical juncture in my life, and I’m not sure what road to take: the safe one or the dangerous one. Over the next few months, I’ll be sorting it out. Or at least try to. This blog [...]