Just Be And You Are

The other kind is an honest witness of the decision-making that goes on every day inside. "Why did I just choose that?" "Why do I believe this? Is it because of something my dad said when I was three?" "Why did I give $100 to that charity? Why not zero? A thousand?" This self-insight is difficult and valuable. It means that you can't take things at face value, even things that you might be more comfortable leaving unexamined, as truths. Theologians wrestle with this dilemma all the time. How can you study an idea or a trend or a belief system if you also accept it as a universal, unquestionable fact?

That's from Seth Godin's insightful post on building self-awareness called Monitoring you inner monologue.

(The paper trail: Google Reader --> Seth Godin's Blog)

As you look around you, briefly note what you see with your eyes and then close them. Upon closing your eyes, let your other senses – smell, touch, or sound – take over. After doing this you might ask yourself what emotions you perceive, imagining you are using your physical senses in the same way as before to give you information that is more energetic in nature. This exercise could make it easier for you to intuit what is happening around you on a deeper level. 

From Daily OM: Perceiving Your Surroundings

I do this every so often to remember a place.  It helps me come back to it with all my senses.  Guessing where you are without your eyes the same as guessing what wine you're drinking without looking at the label. I've noticed that the best and worst of times naturally ingrain themselves in our memories like this. Some cocktail of hormones within us engage all our bodily senses and we can never forget the taste of that sandwich, or someone's bad breath, or the sound of kids laughing in a park.  Remembering to apply this kind of energy to moments we want to remember (instead of being forced to) is mindfulness at its best.  You can keep it with you forever.

The loudest argument for quiet may be a reflection on what otherwise remains in danger of going unheard.

(The paper trail: Google Reader --> Delayed Echoes --> Amazon)

The past weekend was filled with religious festivities and to top it off, I spent Saturday night with great friends trying wine from a vending machine (no joke) and tasting delicious marinated olives with a eclectic Vermont cheese platter.

Seeing the world as you want it to be is not the sign of an idiot. It's the mark of true genius. It's that dream, and dancing with it, that expands who we are and what the world can be.

A comment by Linda Stone on a post titled, Harness the power of being an idiot.  Well worth a full read.

(The paper trail: Google Reader --> O'Reilly Radar --> PeteSearch blog --> Comments section.)  

Gems like these expand my mental connections to various other quotes, posts, articles, conversations, and snippets I come across.  They make me a better writer, thinker, and conversationalist.  Such is the untraced effect of our travails through the net.  It's true that surfing can lead to procrastination and wayward behavior if not limited to small periods of time.  Controlled internet wanderlust though can also have unconscious benefits simply by exposing us to such a wide variety of ideas, writing styles and personalities.  

via Mel Packer

"The largest domestic natural gas drilling boom in history has swept across the United States. The Halliburton-developed drilling technology of "fracking" or hydraulic fracturing has unlocked a "Saudia Arabia of natural gas" just beneath us. But is fracking safe? When filmmaker Josh Fox is asked to lease his land for drilling, he embarks on a cross-country odyssey uncovering a trail of secrets, lies and contamination. A recently drilled nearby Pennsylvania town reports that residents are able to light their drinking water on fire. This is just one of the many absurd and astonishing revelations of a new country called GASLAND. Part verite travelogue, part expose, part mystery, part bluegrass banjo meltdown, part showdown."

JAMA, circa 1951.   

Whether it's coffee, fish oil, eggs or wine, it's wise to remain skeptical when the public, private companies and health care providers all agree.  

Conflict Kitchen is a take-out restaurant that only serves cuisine from countries that the United States is in conflict with.  

The Iranian barbari bread was delicious along with the mint in the wrap, which was just the perfect addition to round out the taste. 

Great idea, great food, glad I got to visit.

"The truth is, people may see things differently, but they don't really want to."

That's Don Draper from "The Color Blue" in Season 3 of Mad Men.

The quote was about whether the color blue you see is the same color blue I see.  But obviously, it's so much more than that.