Creative Generalist: How to be an Expert on Everything

This post onCreative Generalist makes me laugh. Now I know what I am doing wrong. I want to be a generalist anyway.

Driven by Daughter

Yes, she has her L's and look at what a great driver she is. Ok, so she's been practising for over a year. We drove to Melbourne yesterday. It was a long drive and she did an amazing job. I would say I tried to stay calm, but that would imply there was something to stress about and there really wasn't. It was a pleasure.

Patience

I received an amazing complement today. My masseur told me she thought I was a very patient person. She was surprised because I was having difficulty with a meridian that related to lack of patience. I knew it was true, but she was surprised. She used to work with me and found me to be a really patient person.
I am delighted that I have learnt to hide my impatience so well. I am amused that my body has given away the truth.
My massage was terrific though and I am feeling quite at ease in my body.
Perhaps I have become patient....
Anyway, that word keeps cropping up tonight. I'm seeing it everywhere, yet have no clue why.
In the spirit of it here are some quotes about patience, that are helping me to think it through.

A particularly good : 07-28-06 the show with zefrank

Yes I am a fan of zefrank. He makes me laugh and I enjoyed this latest installment enough to want to share it.

Forgetfulness. Amazing Animated Poetry. Billy Collins Animated Poem.

Haunting, almost frighteningly accurate poem.

Eyelash Moon

Last night the moon was like a little glowing eyelash. It is like a blink of a moon. I had made my new moon goals so I could wink back. I hate it when I see that little slither of moon and I have not made the time to set the goal for the moon. I feel like I am too late by such a small slip of time. Last night I could simply enjoy it.

37days: Change yardsticks

37days: Change yardsticks
I feel like I want to be a Buddhist when I read this recent post from the fabulous Patti Digh's blog, 37 Days. Here is a little extract:
"
E.M. Schumacher has written about "Buddhist Economics": "While the materialist is mainly interested in goods, the Buddhist is mainly interested in liberation...It is not wealth that stands in the way of liberation, but the attachment to wealth; not the enjoyment of pleasurable things, but the craving for them."

The modern economist, Schumacher continues, "is used to measuring the 'standard of living' by the amount of annual consumption, assuming...that a man who consumes more is 'better off' than a man who consumes less. A Buddhist economist would consider this approach excessively irrational: since consumption is merely a means to human well-being, the aim should be to obtain the maximum of well-being with the minimum of consumption."
"

She is an amazing writer. Read this post and don't forget to read the challenge at the end, that's always my favourite bit. I'm off to see how interesting I look!

Gathering of shells

God's in the Laundry

About 10 years ago there was a book around called 'God's in the Laundry'. It was published by a group called 'Spirit Today'. I did a weekend course with these people. It was an interesting experience. I never read the book, but the title has haunted me. Every time I need to spend prolonged time in the laundry, the title pops into my head.
I don't often spend a prolonged time in my laundry. I generally have a smooth system of processing laundry that flows along quite nicely. One of us puts a load on before work, hang it out after school, someone brings it in, we fold it and each take our piles to our respective spaces. It's all very fleeting really.
Occasionally though, the system stumbles and the laundry becomes choked. That's how it was this morning. I noticed several piles and baskets in various stages of the process and the clothes on the line were wet from overnight rain. I realised I needed to spend some time with God in the laundry.
Order is in process, not quite complete yet, but I feel better.
So I share with you the mundane workings of my home making and mind.

Fleeting Weekend

The sun has been out and it has all been too leisurely. The weekend has passed me by and I have not managed to do all my usual routines, but I can't think for a minute why not. It has just passed. I haven't overslept, or cooked, or blogged a lot. I am really baffled as to where it has gone.

Anyone out there?

This video is cool I reckon, one of those perspective things.

Five Years In One Job

I just realised this morning I have been a teacher for five years this July. I am not beginning anymore. This is the longest time I have been in a job. I have had a couple of different roles in the five years to make the challenges vary, but essentially it has been one job.
I love teaching though because there is always change and variety as well as different kinds of challenges. There is freedom for creativity and problem solving, which are essentials to me in the work I like to do. I would have to say that the thing that I feel has always been important in every job I have had and is crucial in teaching is being able to build positive relationships and interact with others.
There has been changes in staff, but I have had relationships with other teachers for that time also. It feels like a family really and a large one! You learn how to work with one another and can rely on the strengths of them as well as learn tolerance for the weaknesses.
I am glad I took this path. It hasn't always been easy, but has usually been enjoyable and rewarding.

Stuck In Snow

In keeping with our winter theme. This is quite funny. Today could have been a day like this little clip illustrates. I have been meditating upon waking this week and I have observed myself being a lot calmer than usual. I like it!

Whippet reflections

She still has a cold. I wonder if it was from skipping through these puddles during the holidays. Watch out for the amazing reflection at the end. Andy is responsible for this clip.

Kate Bush on YouTube

I have finally checked out YouTube. I have been avoiding it because of my obsession with Revver and I just didn't want to get hooked into something else. I have really enjoyed watching these Kate Bush clips tonight. Rocket Man is great with a bit of history. They are all from clips from TV as far as I can tell. I have been listening to "Like a Version 2" and the soundtrack from "I am Sam", lately. There is something I like about hearing another version and interpretation of a song and lyrics.
Enjoyed this one too, one of my favourites Moments of Pleasure. The lyrics are amazing and she just delivers it magically, I reckon. I am such a fan! I am going to be back to check out more another time. This one with Peter Gabriel, 'Don't Give Up' is another good one.

Podcasts and Theatre of the Mind

I listened to podcasts from Theatre of the Mind this week whilst I was walking. There are plenty on that site and they are quite interesting but contain a bit of promotion of their products, which are meditation CD's. There are also articles on these things on that website/blog. The woman behind the business also mentioned Joseph Chiltern Pearce who wrote one of my favourite books "Magical Child"
I have used these types of audio meditation and found them to be very good at improving my clarity and well being. It reminded me how effective they are and I am intending to find a timeslot in my day to include 30 minutes of it again. I am also going to find a space in my home to use exclusively for meditation.
bk_keywords:Chiltern Pearce.

Media changes 'alarmingly protectionist'. 14/07/2006. ABC News Online

Media changes 'alarmingly protectionist'. 14/07/2006. ABC News Online

In answer to the first question about the media changes. This story in The Age: Meet the always-on generation, could explain why the media changes mentioned above are probably irrelevant.

GENI - Global Energy Network Institute - International Electricity Transmission - Renewable Energy Resource Interconnections - Sta

Introductory Page - GENI - Global Energy Network Institute - International Electricity Transmission - Renewable Energy Resource Interconnections - Stable Sustainable Development Solutions

This is the GENI I was wondering about last night. So in answer to my question that I was most curious about, yes they do still exist and it seems they are still plugging away at the Global Enerery Network. Phew!

Popularity

I have noticed that to be popular can have a real negative conotation. Students often say to me "They are popular", like it means they have some flaw in their character. It seems to me that tall poppy syndrome is alive and well when I hear that. I have observed popular people and found that these people in most cases have a genuine love of other people that allows them to make and keep good relationships with others.
There seems to be an underlying opinion that if something is popular it is rubbish. If something pleases most or many of the people, it must be unworthy. Perhaps politicians and those who seek popularity have created this image. Many people who are popular though do not seek popularity as such but find it as a precessional effect of their ability to be of service to others.
A popular decision can sometimes be difficult to find - but when dealing with others, isn't it best to try to find a solution that pleases the greatest number of people.

Traffic at night Time Lapse, Bristol

I'm loving this timelapse photography. It reminds me of that beautiful film 'Baraka'.

Questions

What will the new media laws mean for us? I just heard them mention them on the news. I got my update from the Buckminster Fuller Institute and they referred to an article about the UN saying something inspiring this question:Is it possible to power the world with solar power from the sahara desert?
Which makes me wonder:Whatever happened to GENI? I really want to know what progress has been made and whether this is possible. I should check it out. but....
These questions and others remain unanswered tonight, because I feel really very tired and am going to blob in front of the TV, then head to bed early with my book. I am enjoying my week though and not sure why I feel so tired. Never mind, go with the flow, even to bed...

Full Moon Wonderings

Ella has a cold. She is our beautiful whippet and last night she was coughing. I am not very experienced with dog illnesses so I was really concerned. I thought she had something really wrong. I wondered if family leave included pets. In the middle of the night I decided probably not and thought how unfair that is.

Personal Growth, Personal Independence: The Limit Is Me - Robin Good's Latest News

Personal Growth, Personal Independence: The Limit Is Me - Robin Good's Latest News

This little story is awesome. Take it on.

I actually LOVE Podcasts

Checking myself out as I admit I do from time to time I found this site: Opinmind linking to my blog about podcasts. They have a thumbs down above my column. This could mean my post doesn't rate with them, but I think (in order to keep my ego in tact), they are putting my post in with the people who don't like podcasts. It is obviously a robot that dug my little obscure post up, because if a human had read my post, I would be in the thumbs up column. Which is where I would rather be by the way!!

Mad Dogs and Englishmen

AKA How to Kill Your Neighbours Dog in some places
If you are looking for it in Australia or New Zealand though, it is Mad Dogs and Englishmen. This film, starring Kenneth Branagh, who is one of my favourite actors. This film was fabulous. I laughed and cried frequently throughout it. I highly recommend it as entertainment.

Discovering Podcasts

I have been aware of them for a while, but until I went away and actually listened to the dozen or so I had collected, I really had no appreciation for podcasting. It is a very cool thing though and tonight I have tried to find them but found it a bit difficult. It seems I have to stumble upon them as I did with the two I mentioned in my last post.

But I did find this Yahoo! Podcasts and whilst I haven't fully explored it yet, it looks like a very good starting point, so I thought I would put the link here. If I find anything really good specifically I will mention it here.

The ABC website have lots too and I listened to a couple of Triple J ones as well as listening to New Dimensions (can't download though) and The Book Show. I love the ABC website.

Podcasts and Walking

I think one thing that has made walking easier for me is that I have been downloading some podcasts to listen to whilst I walk. It is dark still at 6.00 in the morning so there isn't much to see and listening to a podcast makes the time spent doubly valuable to me. This week I have been listening to Steve Pavlina's podcasts:http://www.stevepavlina.com/audio/
I also found a site that I am going to try on the weekend, which has heaps of audios :http://www.audiodharma.org/talks-gil.html, I haven't listened to them yet, but they look interesting. It's a fabulous resource though.

Rebelling Against Myself

I think I have some kind of 'Don't tell me what to do!' attitude towards myself! For weeks now I have been attempting to get up early and go for a walk. Every morning I have just continued to lay in bed and get another half to an hours sleep, leaving it too late to go for a walk. Even whilst I was on holidays, my mind was filled with excuses about why I couldn't, shouldn't, or plain didn't want to.
Yesterday when I was journalling I wrote that all promises to myself were off as far as walking in the morning went. I had been feeling like a failure about it. I had been reading this interview with Stephen M. Covey (Stephen R. Covey's son) about 'Trust' and how important it was in business etc. He's writing a book called 'The SPEED of Trust : Why Trust Is the Ultimate Determinant of Success or Failure in Your Relationships, Career, and Life' He talked about breaking agreements with yourself so I figured I shouldn't keep doing this.
Anyway, this morning, with no pressure, I popped out of bed, put my runners on and went walking. Go figure!

bk_keywords: Stephen Covey.

360 degrees

I wish I was there again today. I didn't sleep well last night. I didn't think I was feeling anxious or anything, but maybe subconsciously I was. Anyway today was a typical first day back.

Flavia

Whilst I was away I took a book called 'Everyday Heroes' with me by Flavia. I have loved her work for a long time. I remember the first discovery was a pink mug with a shooting star inside it, and the inscription 'You're a Star'. It made my heart sing.
My nana bought my daughter a little picture book by Flavia and it reminded me how lovely and inspiration the world could be.
I love her spirals and stars most of all I think, and her smily sunshines.

Walk to beach

There was a short walk through the tea tree to get to the beach, that was totally vacant. I never saw another person on that beach for as far as I could see.



There were amazing shells on that beach.

Loch Sport

I have just returned from a week away at Loch Sport. Well actually, we stayed about 8 kms out of Loch Sport at a place called the 90 Mile Beach Holiday Retreat. I have barely seen another human, apart from Andy of course for a week and I loved every minute of it to be honest. I feel like a new person. I have read volumes and listened to podcasts I downloaded months ago. I have napped and walked on the beach and taken heaps of photos of shells, which were abundant there. I have had time to think and to imagine. It has been magnificent.
I have shaken off my cold and forgotten all the drama's I was caught up in before I left. I have made decisions and had ideas about changes I want to make. I have had time to appreciate was a blessed life I live. I am ready to go back to work on Monday with a positive outlook.