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Jun21
Thoughtful Thursdays #13
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Category Archives: DIY
Mar15
Procrastination
I hate when I procrastinate. Procrastination kills time, motivation, ideas, winning and anything else that is worthwhile doing. I have come to the conclusion to kill procrastination be like the Nike ad. “Just Do It”.
Enough said.
Mar8
New York City Weather
Here in New York City we haven’t had much of a winter. Not that I am complaining because we have had our share of bad winters. I’m sure we will have more normal winters but this year the jet steam has favored us. I noticed that the little green buds are already out on the bushes, crocus are already blooming and the trees are shedding winter and the wind is blowing the old winter air away. The weekend we turn the clocks forward.
Spring is here again. Time for new beginnings and happy endings. It’s time to start something new. To begin anew one must start small. Really small and build upon that. Like walking a little extra to move those tired bones. Swing those arms to get the blood flowing. Don’t worry about looking foolish, in fact, others will follow your lead.
Have you ever noticed, as soon as the weather gets nice, tons of people are out. Walking, running, biking, dog walking, shopping, chatting, gardening, car washing, deeply breathing in and out.
So get outside and do outside stuff. Before it rains.
Happy Spring.
Nov9
My Diary
I have been writing in my diary for more than a year. As soon as I get up I write a page or so. I looked over what I have written and it’s the same complaints and worries over and over. When I get up I am to grumpy and sleepy to write well or with clarity.
I have been wrestling with the prospect of writing sometime during the day. Not at night because I am too tired to write and will have the same complaints and worries.
This reminds me of changing habits and how hard it is to change. Even though I know what needs to be changed and the excellent results that will appear from these changes I still resist.
“This is nonsense”, I tell my self. “Stop acting this way”, I say. I beg myself to submit to change for the better. Still resisting I remember how fear never goes away and I should just do what I need to do.
Wow, I learn a lot about myself when I connect to myself. Yeah I’m making progress!!
Jun23
Thoughtful Thursdays #8
It takes an enormous amount of effort to get out of the denial of how we sabotage ourselves. Some sabotage is visible but most is invisible. In psychology it is understood that there is a need to stay unaware of uncomfortable situations. The need to stay unaware has many reasons. I think it’s the lizard mind protecting us. But when denial becomes a pathological blinding force that interferes with progressing in your life it’s time to step back and examine what is going on. Do you feel chronic sadness or feeling you are trying to punch your way out of a paper bag and nothing ever changes?
That is all fear. Fear of anything you can name that frightens you. It’s too hard and scary to see past fear.
Actually if you are not being physically threatened then fear is a paper tiger. It’s only the thought that you experience not an actual event. The mind does not know the difference of a thought or actual event. However the better part of you does know.
Speak up to fear and challenge it. You will see it has no power. How about practicing a little courage. Just a little. Think about what it would be like to have any life you choose. Even that’s scary. So what is one to do.
Pick yourself up, detach from fear and keep going even if you aren’t sure where that is. You will find your way and be happy in the process.
Happy hunting.
Jun16
Thoughtful Thursdays #7
Aging
My primary characteristic is courage. I am not afraid to find answers and give others answers. I learned that if I don’t reach out for myself no one would reach out for me. Hopefully others see that and emulate it. Courage also comes with growing older. Reflecting back on my youth I was a real doormat. I allowed many frightful events happen simply because I didn’t know any better and that I could stand up for myself. But once I realized I had a choice in certain events there was no turning back and courage came to the forefront. Life happens and unfolds the way its supposed to even when society states otherwise. Society puts no value on age and expects the elderly to be hosted by nursing homes and relatives. What a waste of human talent. As long as a person is capable why not tap in on the immense talent that older adults have. After all none of us escapes aging.
Jun9
Thoughtful Thursdays #6
I saw a lightening bug as I was walking to my class this morning at about 8:30 am. That’s unusual because lightening bugs usually come out in the evening on hot August nights, not in June. The reason why I am mentioning this is it reminded me of the cemetery. Not because I am into ghosts, the dead, vampires or Dracula but because the cemetery is a sanctuary for wild life. I live across the street from an old 1700’s cemetery with a lot of history and wild life. The wild life has rabbits, cats, countless birds and raccoons,opossums all kinds of bugs,birds, butterflies, worms and beetles. I haven’t seen them but I have heard there are even lizards. Well, maybe that’s not true because here in NYC they wouldn’t survive the weather.
Nature has a way of always righting itself. In the past city officials decided to spray for West Nile bugs. When that happens all the butterflies and lightening bugs disappear for the season. Since the area was not sprayed again the next season the butterflies and lightening bugs returned with a vengeance. One night last August the cemetery was lit up like a bright summer morning by the fireflies. The entire neighborhood came out and people stopped in their cars to watch.
There were hundreds and hundreds of them happy to have returned to live in a popular spot. Blinking and swimming in the air, floating their fat bodies in the humidity and clinging to anyone or anything that got in their flight path. My dog snapped to catch one and I stood there in awe and amazement. I had six in my hair and my dog had four on his fur. It made me so happy to see them alive again in my neighborhood. Watching the lightening bugs ebb and flow from season to season was inspiring. Even though the area was infected with poison for bug control nature re-calibrated itself to wholeness again. Like magic the ground was made meticulous for the new crop of lightening bugs. Nature was back to normal to keep the fireflies alive and the other creatures too.
This brings me to the following conclusion: Nature always rights itself with us too. If a catastrophe happens, the upheaval leaves us rearranged for a while. What happens next is the same as the lightening bugs. We pick up where we left off stronger that before.
Happy lightening bug hunting.
Jun2
Thoughtful Thursdays #5
You caught me on an interesting day. My middle daughter just graduated college and I am very proud of her. Kudos to my daughter, she worked very hard to get her biology degree. I don’t want to take anything away from her, we had a great day at the graduation ceremony. BUT …
I also go to college to finish my fine art degree. I just got my grades for four classes. I got three A’s and one C. The C was in printing class. I went to every class. I made 15 plates and printed many of those plates. I missed 2 classes and there were no other grades during the semester. I am challenging the grade and we will see what happens. I have never had to challenge a grade. I think that if the teacher had a problem with my work he should have said something during the semester. But we got along really well, I learned a lot and had fun. So where was the problem? I don’t feel I should turn the other cheek or let it go because I am perplexed why he gave me this grade.
Here’s my point: I think it’s BS to forgive those who woefully hurt you because of their own invisible agenda. People express their own crazy subconscious on those who are innocent or remind them of their own problems or perhaps they just like to hurt and misuse their power especially in a school setting. In college, professors are hired for their knowledge not for their ability to teach. That’s too bad because even professors need people skills.
I am challenging the grade and I will state my case honestly in spite of a dishonest grade. Until next time.
Update: I got an “A”
Apr11
Hello world!
Here’s my first post ever. It’s about conformity.
If you stand up and be counted, from time to time you may get yourself knocked down. But remember this: A man flattened by an opponent can get up again. A man flattened by conformity stays down for good.
– Thomas J. Watson
With the tanked economy people are scared. No one wants to lose his or her job or change or adjust like a leaf in the wind to the uncertainty of the economy. Colleges are aware of this phenomenon just like every other people to people business. Their acknowledgement of this is in a new form of exploitation and censorship of the student. In colleges there is no longer room for the freedom of expression. Just go to any administrative office or teacher and confide that you need help and guidance. The response will be the same as if you went to Home Depot. “Let me help you to aisle 7, you’ll fit right here in this nail bin”. The employees in colleges are being trained just like everyone else to conform. The economic environment shouts that you will lose your job if you do not memorize this script we have given you and tell it to everyone that comes to this office. The ulterior motive is to get the student to take the requirements and get them out ASAP. And the script requires that the employees of the colleges to smile as they misdirect the student, have no feelings, be stoic, there is no rooms for thinking, just conform or we will find someone who will.
This dilemma is truly frightening. Colleges are employing robots and dolling out robots to do the work of the invisible economy monster. This monster stays invisible so it cannot be challenged. What a coward. Working behind the scenes so it can’t be seen in the light of truth. The message to college students is to find the bin you fit in and stay there even if it’s wrong. What happened to the time when colleges where a place for the freedom to figure out where you wanted to be and live up to personal potential then go on to enhance the world at large?
These are fear tactics used by college institutions to squash individual freedom and creativity. Or are college’s victims of the economy monster too? (Bastards) Perhaps colleges are just as scared of folding as any other business. Colleges are the first line of defense in creating competent workers. Maybe colleges have no choice either. It’s likely the funding bullies of the government shaking their fingers at colleges saying if you don’t train the students in the way we want there will be no funding. How sad for us.
In light of this we as students are kept in the dark so we won’t revolt against the status quo. Students are not allowed to ask questions without getting a generic answers. To reiterate what Thomas J. Watson has stated in the last sentence of this quote “A man flattened by conformity stays down for good” is a perfect warning against colleges conforming to threats of no funding and the harassment of fear.
Will it take students paying their entire tuition directly out of pocket or increased tuition costs for the chance to express themselves in a safe college environment? Or is this the end of innovative thinking that emerges from safe colleges? Are students being knocked down and defeated? In my opinion there are still some who are see through this veil of deception (like me). Those few will quietly navigate and circumvent the status quo. It may take getting knocked down and rising again many times but from here freedom will win.
purelysimplewords 