One of the things that makes me stop in the middle of whatever I'm doing and just pause, think and tear up is when I see unjust activity. I've been following so many things around the world and locally and it is getting to the point when I need to take a step.
We need to reconnect with each other and stop this silliness that we are separate. We can't continue to walk past the obviously hurting people, but we need to be more empathetic to those who are hiding their pain. Everyone you know has a problem that they are keeping to themselves. Everybody hurts.
Let's be more understanding and patient with each other. Let's give each other a break now and then. And let's see ourselves for who we really are.
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Showing posts with label love. Show all posts
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Flow Issue 12
| Flow is based on Sustainable Seattle's Happiness Initiative and is inspired by Vinyasa, which means one leading to another. Flow gives small, but important steps that can improve one's contentment amongst all nine domains of happiness. Flow is a weekly jolt of inspiration, pragmatism and a collection of local events that will raise our happiness. Psychological Well Being Issue 12 On our last week talking about psychological wellbeing I would be remiss to mention one of the most important techniques for being more mentally balance: making time for your hobbies. Firstly, any hobby that does not cause harm to another creature or you is a good hobby. There are not hobbies that are “wastes of time” if the hobby brings pleasure while at the same time not causing harm. Hobbies are what we would do if all other responsibilities were taken away. We should focus on these activities as we were meant to enjoy ourselves while we are here. I can already hear the “Yeah, I would love to have a hobby, but who has the time?” argument. The answer really is simple; your time is yours to use as you see fit. You choose how to live and you need to make enjoyment a priority. Enjoyment is a valuable use of time. Make the choice to enjoy a hobby. There are many ways to carve out time, but I say that you should put the relationships with your loved ones and yourself as priority one. Do not let your job be the first thought in the morning or your compelling thoughts in your head as you toss and turn unable to go to sleep. Yes, jobs are important, very much so, but your time is your most precious object you have. Choose to value it. Hobbies allow you to relax or work out some tension by channeling it through a non-life threatening activity. It is okay if the hobby or hobbies frustrate you or make you put in effort because they can be great ways to expel the built up tension from other areas of your life. Funny thing about tension and stress they don’t stay in separate places in our head. Stress from work, home or family life all goes to the same place. The sad thing is that this stress, anger, sadness or tension comes out in unrelated ways unless we can figure out a way to release it. One of the best ways to relive that stress and tension is to do activities that you enjoy. Every hobby is worthwhile as long as it has two main components: it does not cause harm to self or others, and it is active. Watching TV is not a hobby, but starting a TV discussion groups with friends or colleagues can be. Find something or some things that are active, engaging and fun. Try something different, but start small. And always remember that what is a hobby for another person is true to them. Hobbies tell us about a person and what that person values. Never judge a person’s hobby as long as it follows the two rules mentioned earlier. We choose our hobbies and one of the worst ways to insult someone is to insult their hobby. It is hurtful and is one of the easiest ways to kill a relationship. Nathan Jackson Recommendations This week’s website recommendation is: www.ted.com This week’s book recommendation is: World Changing: a user’s guide for the 21st Century | Flow Suggests: 5/29-6/4 2011 Education, Community, Environmental http://sustainableseattle.org/calendar/shared Thursday, June 2, 2011 8:30am Companies that prosper in the future will be more sustainable, with new products and processes. This seminar was designed to provide an answer to three questions. “What does being sustainable mean?” “Why does it matter?” “What must we do to become sustainable?” Education, Psychological Well Being, Community, http://lifefocusedcommunication.com Friday, June 3, 2011 12:30-2pm This teleseminar will explore how understanding the role that emotions play in how we connect to each other can help us to have loving, enduring, and meaningful relationships with others, and most especially with our children. | |
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Monday, March 21, 2011
Connected: An Internet Love Story
The first thing I do in the morning when I wake up is go to my computer, turn on Tweetdeck and see if anyone has mentioned me @nathnjackson or sent me direct messages, or has even retweeted my brilliant messages sometime during the night.
I used to stumble into the bathroom and then slap some coffee into a mug while letting my dog out of her kennel. Now all that takes second place to checking my online status. I feel so disconnected when I don't have Internet access. If my computer is not available or if there is no Wi-Fi in whatever backwoods, Podunk store or town I am in I take out my smart phone and complain.
Now, I wouldn't say I was addicted to the Internet because I can stop anytime. I really can. I can stop right now if I wanted to, but then you wouldn't get to see the ending of this post. I do this for you, dear reader, not for my own pleasure.
So what was the world like back in the early to mid nineties when the Internet was still called the "World Wide Web?" It was a time of rumors, hearsay and a feeling of isolation. The world was literally your neighborhood and your school. You cared not for what happened a few streets over let alone what was going on across the planet. Well that's not entirely true. I did care about the world even in my pre-Internet days. I read newspapers, books, magazines and tried to watch television programs that featured international news. I listened to radio at night time because the BBC came on around midnight and their accents and information filled in the gaps that the USA celebrity gossip central media had left.
Then in 1995 I got my first access to the Internet through a class in High School. I set up an email account (which I still have) and started exploring the chat rooms and the free online encyclopedias. I fell in love with the speed and randomness of chat rooms and often spent hours after school chatting with other teens across the planet. I even made a rudimentary website at the now defunct Geocities.
I was absorbed and impressed by the Internet culture. I loved the predictable rants, threats and insults from the socially inept. I craved the chance to be a knight in shining armor saving the one bullied participant in the chat rooms. And then something happened. I discovered news media sites from different countries in English.
I set my homepage to The Tokyo Times and started reading other Asian papers as well, Singapore, Hong Kong and probably the most bizarre, The Moscow Times. I was becoming a student of the world and I couldn't get enough. I abandoned American papers and news media for the BBC, Reuters and pretty much anything that did not concentrate on the political grandstanding and petty cat and mouse game of American politics. Of course, I was kidding myself if I thought that politics were serious business anywhere else, but it made me feel special, a truly global citizen that I new what was happening in the Japanese Diet while the rest of my classmates were busy discussing this end of grunge and the new sound of sugary pop.
I can't express how grateful I am for the Internet. I'm on everyday and even though it has its problems, trolls and people who would use it for nefarious goals, the Internet is the most important human invention since the printing press. Let's see what the Web has for me today.
I used to stumble into the bathroom and then slap some coffee into a mug while letting my dog out of her kennel. Now all that takes second place to checking my online status. I feel so disconnected when I don't have Internet access. If my computer is not available or if there is no Wi-Fi in whatever backwoods, Podunk store or town I am in I take out my smart phone and complain.
Now, I wouldn't say I was addicted to the Internet because I can stop anytime. I really can. I can stop right now if I wanted to, but then you wouldn't get to see the ending of this post. I do this for you, dear reader, not for my own pleasure.
So what was the world like back in the early to mid nineties when the Internet was still called the "World Wide Web?" It was a time of rumors, hearsay and a feeling of isolation. The world was literally your neighborhood and your school. You cared not for what happened a few streets over let alone what was going on across the planet. Well that's not entirely true. I did care about the world even in my pre-Internet days. I read newspapers, books, magazines and tried to watch television programs that featured international news. I listened to radio at night time because the BBC came on around midnight and their accents and information filled in the gaps that the USA celebrity gossip central media had left.
Then in 1995 I got my first access to the Internet through a class in High School. I set up an email account (which I still have) and started exploring the chat rooms and the free online encyclopedias. I fell in love with the speed and randomness of chat rooms and often spent hours after school chatting with other teens across the planet. I even made a rudimentary website at the now defunct Geocities.
I was absorbed and impressed by the Internet culture. I loved the predictable rants, threats and insults from the socially inept. I craved the chance to be a knight in shining armor saving the one bullied participant in the chat rooms. And then something happened. I discovered news media sites from different countries in English.
I set my homepage to The Tokyo Times and started reading other Asian papers as well, Singapore, Hong Kong and probably the most bizarre, The Moscow Times. I was becoming a student of the world and I couldn't get enough. I abandoned American papers and news media for the BBC, Reuters and pretty much anything that did not concentrate on the political grandstanding and petty cat and mouse game of American politics. Of course, I was kidding myself if I thought that politics were serious business anywhere else, but it made me feel special, a truly global citizen that I new what was happening in the Japanese Diet while the rest of my classmates were busy discussing this end of grunge and the new sound of sugary pop.
I can't express how grateful I am for the Internet. I'm on everyday and even though it has its problems, trolls and people who would use it for nefarious goals, the Internet is the most important human invention since the printing press. Let's see what the Web has for me today.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Yoga Dance! (Said in the voice of Dhalsim)
I've been practicing Yoga for about a month now and I'm getting better. Today a new instructor started at the gym and he was straight to business. He ran us through a couple of minutes of warm ups that left about thirty percent of the class sweating and then started the actual workout.
One of the most interesting experiences to have is to practice Yoga with different instructors. Each Yogi brings their own personality and twist to the practice and I have never had two practices that were exactly alike. I enjoy Vinyasa or Flow Yoga where the poses are held in short bursts and instead flow into other poses quickly like a dance. I do think that I prefer what I call "power" Yoga better though.
Power Yoga involves many poses held for a great length of time. There is a logical sequence to the poses, but not much in the way of variety. The routine is repeated and the poses seem to focus on either upper body, or lower body strength depending on the instructor. Today the instructor was working our arms in every pose from Warrior One, Warrior Two all the way to Warrior Three (which I have never done before tonight). I prefer Power Yoga because I can get almost to muscle failure especially in my arms and if you have never experienced true muscle failure you should as long as you do it in a safe, well structured environment.
Yoga to me allows me to finally be silent. I talk a lot and anyone who knows me knows this very well. I talk to smooth, soothe and cajole. I blab to excuse, entice and excite, but when I'm practicing Yoga, I can just be silent and listen to me. I find a peace there that combined with vigorous exercise gives me such a sense of "everything is okay." I need that feeling in my life.
Of course, I don't practice everyday, but I do find that any sort of vigorous exercise has that same effect on me. I've always been an athlete and physicality touches every part of my life some way or the other. I dance when I'm singing in the shower. I dance when I'm walking to work (it also doubles as a defense mechanism) and I often give my downstairs neighbors a little bit of the "pound-pound-pound-what-the-hell-are they-doing-up-there" style of techno dancing.
I've gotten better at being sensitive to others and I don't wake up singing at the top of my lungs like a did a few years ago to the delight of my six other roommates I'm sure, but I do still enjoy a good ol fashion physical, musical, spiritual release. I'm turning towards the simple pleasures more and more as I see the shortness and suddenness of this life. I want to live every moment and if that's the case, I should supply a soundtrack.
One of the most interesting experiences to have is to practice Yoga with different instructors. Each Yogi brings their own personality and twist to the practice and I have never had two practices that were exactly alike. I enjoy Vinyasa or Flow Yoga where the poses are held in short bursts and instead flow into other poses quickly like a dance. I do think that I prefer what I call "power" Yoga better though.
Power Yoga involves many poses held for a great length of time. There is a logical sequence to the poses, but not much in the way of variety. The routine is repeated and the poses seem to focus on either upper body, or lower body strength depending on the instructor. Today the instructor was working our arms in every pose from Warrior One, Warrior Two all the way to Warrior Three (which I have never done before tonight). I prefer Power Yoga because I can get almost to muscle failure especially in my arms and if you have never experienced true muscle failure you should as long as you do it in a safe, well structured environment.
Yoga to me allows me to finally be silent. I talk a lot and anyone who knows me knows this very well. I talk to smooth, soothe and cajole. I blab to excuse, entice and excite, but when I'm practicing Yoga, I can just be silent and listen to me. I find a peace there that combined with vigorous exercise gives me such a sense of "everything is okay." I need that feeling in my life.
Of course, I don't practice everyday, but I do find that any sort of vigorous exercise has that same effect on me. I've always been an athlete and physicality touches every part of my life some way or the other. I dance when I'm singing in the shower. I dance when I'm walking to work (it also doubles as a defense mechanism) and I often give my downstairs neighbors a little bit of the "pound-pound-pound-what-the-hell-are they-doing-up-there" style of techno dancing.
I've gotten better at being sensitive to others and I don't wake up singing at the top of my lungs like a did a few years ago to the delight of my six other roommates I'm sure, but I do still enjoy a good ol fashion physical, musical, spiritual release. I'm turning towards the simple pleasures more and more as I see the shortness and suddenness of this life. I want to live every moment and if that's the case, I should supply a soundtrack.
Friday, March 11, 2011
I love life.
I'm not going to try and have a constructive blog here. I'm just going to let the words come out as they come to my head. Usually I have a theme, a plan, I don't go as far as having an index or an outline, but usually I do have a point I want to get across. This is one of those times after all.
My heart is broken by what is happening in Japan. The biggest earthquake on record and feared hundreds and possibly thousands dead. I'm sitting here just stunned and broken. I never understand the reason behind events like this. I believe in a rational world of some sort. I have to.
I was raised as a Christian of the classical sense and the one thing I took from that past was that at the very least their should be some reason behind what happens here on Earth. There was a person in charge even if I now disagree with pretty much 80% of what that person says, there was a reason.
Natural disasters throw that idea out of the window. There is no possible reason for an earthquake that kills hundreds or thousands and no benevolent creature would sit back and allow it to happen. I just want to say that for the record the idea of a "master plan" that involves the deaths of innocents is evil. Evil.
I am so in love with being alive. I live everyday trying to squeeze in as much life as I can. I don't like to sit still or just watch things past me by. I have to live like it will end at any moment because it can and it does. I'm so grateful to the people in my life who have put up with my foibles, problems and short comings. I wouldn't know what I would do if I didn't feel the love of the people close to me everyday in my heart.
This world is all we have. This life is what is important. This place we live is all we are sure of. We have to seize everyday. We need to be open, kind, and take the actions that are necessary to enhance our lives. I'm moving forward. I won't live in fear anymore. I'm going to do the things I want to and I am going to help others on their own chosen path.
We only have each other. We have to see the hurt and the pain and the suffering and do something about it. No wishes, or charms or wards will help those who need it. We have to pick up the spades and the shovels and get to it. No more waiting, no more delay.
I remember when the Tsunami hit in 2004 and the world was shaken to its core. That disaster left 200,000 dead and South East Asia is still not fully recovered as if they ever could be. I remember the blood banks in the United States turning people away because they had too much blood to handle from the donations that came spilling in. That day was probably the proudest I've ever been of my country when we gave so much of our money, time and blood that we had to be turned away. I've never forgotten the heart ache those days brought and it opened my eyes to the fleetingness of this life.
Some would say that the very quickness of life is the reason we should be aware or alarmed for the next one. That argument makes no logical sense. We are alive now, here. We are experiencing the fullness of this world with every breath and every sigh. I'm not waiting for Heaven because this place can be paradise if we stop the silliness and misguided notion that we are separate. We have to be humanists first because it is the only thing we have control of. We can do better and we can grow and we can take the blinders off. See that we are all connected. What happens to you is also happening to me.
My heart is broken by what is happening in Japan. The biggest earthquake on record and feared hundreds and possibly thousands dead. I'm sitting here just stunned and broken. I never understand the reason behind events like this. I believe in a rational world of some sort. I have to.
I was raised as a Christian of the classical sense and the one thing I took from that past was that at the very least their should be some reason behind what happens here on Earth. There was a person in charge even if I now disagree with pretty much 80% of what that person says, there was a reason.
Natural disasters throw that idea out of the window. There is no possible reason for an earthquake that kills hundreds or thousands and no benevolent creature would sit back and allow it to happen. I just want to say that for the record the idea of a "master plan" that involves the deaths of innocents is evil. Evil.
I am so in love with being alive. I live everyday trying to squeeze in as much life as I can. I don't like to sit still or just watch things past me by. I have to live like it will end at any moment because it can and it does. I'm so grateful to the people in my life who have put up with my foibles, problems and short comings. I wouldn't know what I would do if I didn't feel the love of the people close to me everyday in my heart.
This world is all we have. This life is what is important. This place we live is all we are sure of. We have to seize everyday. We need to be open, kind, and take the actions that are necessary to enhance our lives. I'm moving forward. I won't live in fear anymore. I'm going to do the things I want to and I am going to help others on their own chosen path.
We only have each other. We have to see the hurt and the pain and the suffering and do something about it. No wishes, or charms or wards will help those who need it. We have to pick up the spades and the shovels and get to it. No more waiting, no more delay.
I remember when the Tsunami hit in 2004 and the world was shaken to its core. That disaster left 200,000 dead and South East Asia is still not fully recovered as if they ever could be. I remember the blood banks in the United States turning people away because they had too much blood to handle from the donations that came spilling in. That day was probably the proudest I've ever been of my country when we gave so much of our money, time and blood that we had to be turned away. I've never forgotten the heart ache those days brought and it opened my eyes to the fleetingness of this life.
Some would say that the very quickness of life is the reason we should be aware or alarmed for the next one. That argument makes no logical sense. We are alive now, here. We are experiencing the fullness of this world with every breath and every sigh. I'm not waiting for Heaven because this place can be paradise if we stop the silliness and misguided notion that we are separate. We have to be humanists first because it is the only thing we have control of. We can do better and we can grow and we can take the blinders off. See that we are all connected. What happens to you is also happening to me.
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