tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-24112652346501500962024-03-13T15:59:15.895+00:00Of dreams and visions"Discontent is the first necessity of progress."
(Thomas Edison)Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.comBlogger484125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411265234650150096.post-81700792182483394572010-04-18T19:29:00.001+01:002010-04-18T19:30:50.632+01:00Change of venue<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm now blogging on Wordpress - at least for a while. For a few weeks I've been running both, but that's not a sensible or viable long-term approach. So from now on, you can find my ramblings at:</span><script type="text/javascript">
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</span></div><div><a href="http://endlesslyrestless.wordpress.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">http://endlesslyrestless.wordpress.com/</span></a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I hope this doesn't cause inconvenience for those who pass this way from time to time.</span></div>Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411265234650150096.post-50887037875654924932010-04-12T21:10:00.000+01:002010-04-12T21:10:03.657+01:00Inspired<div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Two visits to Perth Concert Hall over the past few days have really inspired me. During the first visit, I had a quick look at some of the images on display as part of the Perthshire Photographic Society exhibition. (Note to self - go back for a longer look.)</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I was entranced by Jean Burhouse’s montage of Perth buildings - and I spent a chunk of this morning snapping away - I might post some of my efforts later.</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhDXKYRXsTQDS0_e6Yy6cM4XhFM8zaNck3WwwgsAeMQspmDD-ksyUXHYHxlmCDWVTk56ylfbE2Wv1EnJ_Xi_3dLHdNX5d2VdIypgHfZAVgW8PsAaIZPpP3swcUdJCksgaSENQN_Bn1tE/s1600/Perth+montage+-+Jean+Burhouse.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmhDXKYRXsTQDS0_e6Yy6cM4XhFM8zaNck3WwwgsAeMQspmDD-ksyUXHYHxlmCDWVTk56ylfbE2Wv1EnJ_Xi_3dLHdNX5d2VdIypgHfZAVgW8PsAaIZPpP3swcUdJCksgaSENQN_Bn1tE/s320/Perth+montage+-+Jean+Burhouse.png" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The second visit was last night to see the magnificent Perth Youth Orchestra annual concert. I was blown away by some of the performances, but what made my night was the huge smile from daughter-child as the orchestra stood in response to the rapturous applause at the end. A moment of magic!</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZAd5iC9UZ4XBA_iwBmON6TsrbxbCPbZQqsV12Up4YuuQPdqMz8u7EHQFaxHGVUykplDyheiAUhkgbHI3Aq2aCEIM96Qxd5qePkEaxYzEWg8rEm7ig6Zzu9aNtq-MalHAoy_CqEXuqFQ/s1600/2010+Apr+11+-+PYO+ovation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZAd5iC9UZ4XBA_iwBmON6TsrbxbCPbZQqsV12Up4YuuQPdqMz8u7EHQFaxHGVUykplDyheiAUhkgbHI3Aq2aCEIM96Qxd5qePkEaxYzEWg8rEm7ig6Zzu9aNtq-MalHAoy_CqEXuqFQ/s320/2010+Apr+11+-+PYO+ovation.jpg" /></a></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><br />
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<div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">The wee team triumph! Fantastic.</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Not only did they win the game, they were the better team. The first division minnows outplayed the Premier giants.</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">And... this wasn’t a midweek replay on a sodden pitch at a tiny football ground - it was a showpiece semi-final at the national stadium, in bright sunshine. Big stage, big occasion, huge performance by County.</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I should note that I’m not a Ross County fan, but I do like to see the underdog come out on top - and this was an epic tale of the underdog. A cup shock that will become a legend.</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">So what was the difference between the two teams? For me, the key to County’s success was having fun. They seemed to enjoy the occasion, and played with a freedom that created confidence. By contrast, Celtic seemed to be playing with the fear of failure.</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I also see this scenario being played out at work. Those who are afraid to make a mistake, whose goal is compliance with the rules and minimum expectations rarely (actually, never) flourish. Those who take a few risks, follow their instincts and enjoy what they’re doing seem to generate much more productivity. Aye, it also applies to me - I get much more achieved, and much more satisfaction when I have fun, use my creativity and flair, and challenge a few norms along the way; than when I fall into the despair of box ticking and paper pushing. So next time that I’m in that pit, I’ll remind myself of Ross County, and (hopefully) put a smile on my face and some freedom into my work.</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">(By the way, I’m looking forward to an all first division final. So tomorrow I’ll be cheering for Raith Rovers - and I don’t support them either!)</span></span></div></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span mce_style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">The Supper at Emmaus</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span mce_style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">Caravaggio</span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">The Crucified and Risen Christ</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Lyn Constable Maxwell</span></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">St Martin-in-the-fields</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Trafalgar Square, London</span></span></div><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Wine Crucifix</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Arnulf Rainer</span></span></div><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Communion sculpture by Stephen Cox</span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394;">Newcastle Cathedral</span></span></span></div><br />
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</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"></span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;"><span mce_style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">Thirty pieces of silver</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: center;" style="text-align: center;"><span mce_style="color: #3366ff;" style="color: #3366ff;">Cornelia Parker</span></div></span></span></span><br />
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<blockquote><span mce_style="color: #008040;" style="color: #008040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It’s not worth getting out of bed unless you are determined to alter some small corner of the world.</span></span></blockquote><div style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #008040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Tom Peters</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #008040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thoughts like this do help me get up in the morning - even when we’re in the middle of a blizzard at the end of March!!</span></div><script type="text/javascript">
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<blockquote><span mce_style="color: #008040;" style="color: #008040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Your capacity to change yourself, change others, and even change the world, may boil down to how well you know your brain, and your capacity to consciously intervene in otherwise automatic processes.</span></span></blockquote><div mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right;"><span mce_style="color: #008040;" style="color: #008040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Dr David Rock</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right;"><span mce_style="color: #008040;" style="color: #008040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Your Brain at Work</span></span></div><div mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #008040;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The last section about ‘consciously intervening in otherwise automatic processes’ seems to go a long way to defining what I mean by living intentionally. To live intentionally is to be aware of what you’re doing; how you’re using your time and other resources; not drifting un-thinkingly into auto-pilot. It doesn’t necessarily mean that processes can’t be automated, but we need to be clear about our purpose, productivity and effectiveness in what we do and how we do it.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Intriguingly, Rock’s research indicates that ‘improving cognitive control’ happens when we slow down and allow the brain to idle. This seems counter-intuitive within the context of intentionality, but maybe it’s exactly what we/I need to develop to allow the thought processes to develop more naturally.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Now I need to slow down and let this permeate my rock-like brain (pun intended!).</span></div></div><script type="text/javascript">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Last week we did a wee session with Bible Class on ‘How to study the Bible’. One of the main points that I tried to convey was about seeing what’s there - looking carefully at the text and engaging with it in a fresh, imaginative way. I wish I’d said something about challenging assumptions and the danger of familiarity - maybe next time?</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Anyway, my thoughts turned to this again in church yesterday. The minister was talking about ‘Palm Sunday’ and drew a comparison with the biblical nativity narratives. I started thinking along these lines (not in the way that he intended!). My thought process was about how overly-familiar we are with these passages, to the point that we fail to see clearly what’s there.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For example, palms are only mentioned in John’s gospel. I wonder ‘why?’. What point was John trying to make that didn’t merit the inclusion of horticultural detail from any of the synoptic authors?</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">But the biggest issue for me is the emphasis that the churches I’ve attended have tended to put on the Triumphal Entry as the fulfilment of Old Testament prophecy. In over 40 years of attending churches, I’ve heard this theme on a recurring basis. I don’t recall (although I’m open to correction on this) hearing the emphasis being placed on Jesus’ declaration in this episode. We can argue the toss around why some OT prophecies about the Messiah are apparently fulfilled in the record of the life of Jesus, but it seems to me to be beyond dispute that Jesus would have been acutely aware of the significance of his mode of transport and the shock waves that would be sent forth as a result. This was a radical, challenging, decision-forcing declaration - and I think that we too easily miss the power and energy of it.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I’d love to hear your views (probably!).</span></div></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px Tahoma; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">One of the ways that </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">drift</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> happens to me is my failure to plan - in advance - what I’m going to do. If I start the day without a plan, the </span></span><span style="color: blue;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">drift</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> is inevitable. In fact, if the plan is not written down and prioritised, then things are likely to be pear-shaped.</span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px Tahoma; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px Tahoma; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I know that this isn’t rocket-science, nor is it in the realms of original thought. But these things don’t make it any less real for me. I find that this happens at home as well as at work.</span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px Tahoma; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 13.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="font: 11.0px Tahoma; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">I was reassured to find that this was one of Michael Hyatt’s “10 Reasons you aren’t done yet”. The idea can also be found in Gina Trapani’s </span></span><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/article/work-smart-do-your-worst-task-first"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Work Smart article</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"> (or you can watch the video below). I was amused by the Mark Twain quotation that she mentions:</span></span></div><div style="font: 12.0px Helvetica; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 14.0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><br />
</span></span></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">Eat a live frog first thing in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day.</span></span></blockquote><div style="font: normal normal normal 11px/normal Tahoma; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: right;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #38761d;">— Mark Twain</span></span></span></div><script type="text/javascript">
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<object data="http://video.fastcompany.com/plugins/player.swf?v=3d6417e40883f&p=fc_social" height="313" id="embedded_player_3d6417e40883f" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="512"><param name="movie" value="http://video.fastcompany.com/plugins/player.swf?v=3d6417e40883f&p=fc_social"/><param name="allowfullscreen" value="TRUE"/><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"/><param name="base" value="http://video.fastcompany.com"/></object>Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411265234650150096.post-58441696084187364192010-03-22T20:30:00.001+00:002010-03-22T20:31:07.722+00:00The opposite of intentionality<div style="-webkit-background-clip: initial; -webkit-background-origin: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial; font: normal normal normal 13px/19px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0.6em; padding-left: 0.6em; padding-right: 0.6em; padding-top: 0.6em;"><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span mce_style="color: #006633;" style="color: #006633;">Drift – it’s a word that sums up a whole family of unpleasant human experiences. Going gently, slowly where we don’t particularly want to go. Suddenly realising that we’re way off course and the place that we’re heading for is rapidly becoming unobtainable.</span></div></blockquote><div mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right;"><span mce_style="color: #006633;" style="color: #006633;">Paul Mitchell</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right;"><span mce_style="color: #006633;" style="color: #006633;">Radio Scotland: Thought for the Day</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: right;" style="text-align: right;"><span mce_style="color: #006633;" style="color: #006633;">02 December 2009</span></div><span mce_style="color: #191919;" style="color: #191919;">Drift - what happens to my blogging all too frequently.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #191919;"><br />
</span><br />
Drift - where I’ve been recently.<br />
<br />
Drift - where I don’t want to be anymore.</div><script type="text/javascript">
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</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Firstly, I enjoyed the book - it really picked up after the first third (or thereabouts).</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Secondly, Miller promotes an approach to life which he describes as:</span></div><blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">a life designed and lived with intention.</span></blockquote></blockquote><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In my mind, I’ve translated that to ‘</span><span mce_style="color: #800080;" style="color: purple;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">living intentionally</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">’. The recent entries in my journal are littered with this phrase, as I realise that I’ve lost my focus on priorities (see yesterday’s entry). I’m sure that it’s a phrase I’ll use liberally in the next few days/ weeks as I seek to rebalance my life.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Thirdly, he describes very poignantly the death of a friend's wife, which he labels as ‘The Beauty of a Tragedy’. This part of the story was written beautifully and with great sensitivity... but more than that, it seemed to echo what my boss (and friend) was going through as his wife succumbed to cancer. Her funeral was today, and there was beauty in their tragedy - the obvious love shared within the family; the support of many friends; the strength of my boss and the girls. Their pain was self-evident today, but it was outshone by their love and their strength.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My thoughts and prayers and admiration are with my friend and his family tonight - may they continue to care for each other, as their pain slowly heals.</span></div></span><script type="text/javascript">
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<object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/t2yLMpGPU8A&hl=en_US&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/t2yLMpGPU8A&hl=en_US&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411265234650150096.post-21829197360698637132010-03-06T19:36:00.001+00:002010-03-06T19:36:44.280+00:00A great day to be in Ayrshire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlE4M5aoNS1hLJd-CztjkDdTVxvGSifhTckeTUAVoIiMjFUjfqONov9LsYjB3y4rROzQbJgwH4qA3w_tm0KrqMhYEGtoOuA0j_8bZXe1bw7YUnujRjQTAnigKoLzWG33LTk_COJb7574/s1600-h/P1020817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYlE4M5aoNS1hLJd-CztjkDdTVxvGSifhTckeTUAVoIiMjFUjfqONov9LsYjB3y4rROzQbJgwH4qA3w_tm0KrqMhYEGtoOuA0j_8bZXe1bw7YUnujRjQTAnigKoLzWG33LTk_COJb7574/s400/P1020817.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
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</span> </span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So the Winter Olympics are over. It took me a wee while to get into them this time around, but I was captivated by the middle of the last week. Vancouver seems to have put on a great show.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Of course the pinnacle was Sunday night’s hockey final (with insincere apologies to any American readers). It was a fantastic match, with USA equalising with only 24.4 seconds left. Canada came back in overtime, to score the sudden death winner.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">So Canada end up with more gold medals than any other nation at these Olympics. In fact they won more gold medals than any nation has ever won at a Winter Olympics.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Inevitably I think that there are a few things that we can learn from the match.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">❑ Firstly, the Canadian victory was a real team effort. The superstar of Canadian hockey - Sidney Crosby - didn’t shine brightly on the night, or indeed throughout the tournament. For me Rick Nash was the man of the match. But the point is that the superstars on your team can’t win it alone. (I should note that Crosby scored the winning goal - almost inevitably!)</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">❑ Secondly, I love the drama of pulling the goal-tender with 90 seconds to go. It’s a lesson in concentrating resources where they are most needed. Aye, it is risky, but it also carries the hope of reward - which did materialise in this case.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">❑ Thirdly, I admire the tenacity of the Americans. They pushed right to the end, never giving up hope.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">❑ Finally, I was hugely impressed by the resilience of the Canadians. To come back out after the bitter blow of the late equaliser required courage and composure. We can all learn to bounceback from setbacks. If you don’t try, you won’t succeed - hence the quotation from “The Great One” at the start of this entry.</span></div></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Our vegetable garden is laid out monastery style - the paths between the beds are just the right width for kneeling, so that you can multi-task while weeding.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The key is always our attitude, not the task.</span></div></div><script type="text/javascript">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', 'Bitstream Charter', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 19px;"><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Following my entry yesterday about chores, I realised that I had failed to comment on one of my favourite chores of the year. About this time of the year the autumn fruiting raspberries need to be pruned. This is a job that I love. I’ve blogged about this </span><a href="http://endlesslyrestless.blogspot.com/2008/02/when-will-winter-end.html" mce_href="http://endlesslyrestless.blogspot.com/2008/02/when-will-winter-end.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">before</span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">, but I think it merits a few more words, as I did the pruning yesterday (but not the weeding or mulching).</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I like this annual task because there’s an element of restoring order by removing the old, dead growth, and creating a blank canvas for the new year.</span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This year the pleasure is more about the promise or, at least, the anticipation of spring. It’s been an unusually harsh winter, and most of the plants are several weeks behind their normal schedule. Most of the spring bulbs are barely breaking the surface of the earth, when typically they would be in bloom by now. But the raspberries are tough, so hopefully they can take the treatment. Maybe it’s an act of madness; I prefer to see it as an act of optimism, or even an act of faith - time will tell!</span></div></span><script type="text/javascript">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Yet some of them bring a degree of pleasure - at leas that’s how I feel. I like polishing shoes - not doing loads at once, but polishing my work shoes every evening. There’s pleasure in the rhythm of brushing, and of taking something a bit scuffed and battered with the wear and tear of the day and restoring it to a state of shininess. Similarly with ironing - I like taking a crumpled shirt and ending up with a crisp, pressed end product.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></div><div mce_style="text-align: justify;" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">By contrast, I find no pleasure (and little purpose) in car washing, even though similar principles apply. Weird, huh?</span></span></div></div><script type="text/javascript">
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</script>Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411265234650150096.post-40509934375399239832010-02-23T08:00:00.001+00:002010-02-23T08:00:08.146+00:00Lessons from Nelson Mandela #3<p style="text-align:justify;"><font face="Tahoma">Third, last and - for me - the most important lesson from Playing the Enemy/Invictus/ the life of this amazing man.</font></p><br />
<p style="text-align:justify;"><font face="Tahoma">Throughout the long years of his struggle he had one clear, overarching purpose. That's it! He used whatever strengths, talents, tactics, abilities he had available to achieve this one purpose. His grand vision never left him, although its strength may have dimmed at times when the world around him seemed hostile, bleak and dark. Yet he kept the spark alive, and poured his life in to fanning it into a country-changing fire.</font></p><br />
<p style="text-align:justify;"><font face="Tahoma">How many of us can clearly articulate our purpose, let alone live it out, under all circumstances, every day of our life?</font></p>Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411265234650150096.post-91666552679858733482010-02-22T19:47:00.002+00:002010-02-22T19:53:17.601+00:00Lessons from Nelson Mandela #2<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">So, continuing with some thoughts from Playing the Enemy/Invictus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Tahoma;">I love the way that Mandela was able to challenge those around him - followers and 'enemies' alike.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">He <b>challenged</b> his opponents, through the rugby authorities, about using the new flag, representing the new, inclusive South Africa; and he challenged his followers when they wanted to replace the green Springbok jersey. In both situations, he used his dominant position wisely - not jeopardising his influence over things that were of no consequence and not alienating people when he challenged them. In both cases, he was able to present his case on a reasonable basis, but also with an intriguing <b>compromise</b>.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">The tradition of both sides dictated that their anthem had to be the one that was sung before rugby matches - the ANC wanted their freedom song 'Nkosi Sikeleli'; the Afrikaners insisted on the traditional, and equally provocative 'Die Stem'. The brilliant compromise was to combine them... and to convince the rugby players to learn to sing 'Nkosi Sikeli'. The version below gives the effect - although it lacks the power and passion of a rugby crowd.</span></div><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Tahoma;">Challenge and compromise - essential tools in the leaders kitbag.</span><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">One other impressive thing - in my opinion - about Mandela was the change in his attitude over the years. He developed a capacity for <b>humility</b>. Before he went to prison, his pride meant that his only way of engaging with his opponents was to go 'head to head', 'pride to pride' and the only possible outcome was that the dominant power would win. As time went by he cultivated a different approach, engaging with the other person, adopting a humble - but not subservient position. This frequently had the effect of disrupting the power equilibrium in the situation and changing the probable outcome.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">And finally - for this entry - he developed an astonishing capacity to <b>forgive</b>. His lack of (obvious) bitterness was the key factor in persuading many Afrikaners that they could trust Mandela. It was expected, and would have been seen as reasonable, if Mandela had chosen to settle old scores when he was released from prison. Instead, he chose to establish relationships, heal wounds, and build coalitions.</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Tahoma;">Powerful lessons for all of us.</span></div>Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2411265234650150096.post-2330043389901672882010-02-20T10:20:00.003+00:002010-02-20T10:53:24.193+00:00Booksneeze review: The Noticer by Andy Andrews<a href="http://booksneeze.com/reviews/blogger/8106?ref=badge"><img alt="I review for BookSneeze" border="0" height="150" src="http://booksneeze.com/images/booksneeze_badge.png" width="200" /></a><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The Noticer by Andy Andrews has been on my Amazon wishlist for quite a while now, after reading several bloggers who loved it. So when I joined Booksneeze and saw that it was available, I jumped at the chance. (I received the book as a complimetary copy from the publisher - Thomas Nelson.) This became my bedtime book for a few nights.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The story revolves around the mysterious character known as 'Jones' (or Garcia or Chen - depending on your ethnic origins), who notices things about people; offers them helpful advice about looking at things from a different perspective; and thereby fixing the things that are in their lives.</span></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I notice things about situations and people that produce perspective. That's what most folks lack - perspective - a broader view. So I give them that broader view... and it allows them to regroup, take a breath, and begin their lives again.</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Essentially, each chapter follows this pattern and, after a short time, I found this to be predictable to the point of irritation. The advice seemed to be twee, the universal engagement with a stranger dispensing often intrusive advice completely bizarre, and ultimately, this was not an enjoyable read.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I don't like positive such a negative review, especially as my first one for Booksneeze, but honesty requires it.</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I should also acknowledge that I rarely read works of fiction. So, maybe, there is one piece of Jones' advice that I will follow.</span></div><blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Other people's experience is the best teacher. By reading about the lives of great people, you can unlock the secrets to what made them great.</span></blockquote></blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I think that I'll stick with biographies at bedtime - at least for a while.</span>Les (Endlessly Restless)http://www.blogger.com/profile/00973835208897357154noreply@blogger.com0