+++ title = “03” date = 2020 +++ When people argue, there’s a tendency to be polite, and to say “yeah exactly!” It happens even when we disagree. “Yeah, exactly! But…” Maybe it’s important to vehemently disagree or agree in a conversation with opinions. If this becomes common practice, we will eventually work ourselves out of the idea of wanting to be agreeable and likeable and safe all the time.

A mountain stands strong through weather, pollution, human intervention, and other challenges. Its face may change, and it may face various challenges. Yet it remains.

At a workshop once, the participants were asked to write out their values, the things that were important to them in life. Among the responses, people said their family, friends, art, and their passions were among the most valued things their life. Then they were asked to write what they do with most of their days. Among these responses were “email, scrolling social media, having meetings…” etc. How close do your values match what you do every single day?

+++ title = “03” date = 2020 +++ When an airline attendant does a rap instead of the usual announcements, someone films it and it goes viral. The pickup artists call it “peacocking.” You wear an absurd or interesting piece of clothing to gain attention. One of the best restaurants in New Orleans lays down everyone’s plates at the exact same time in a coordinated, choreographed way. A simple breaking of the script is enough to create interest and intrigue, even in the most mundane situations.

I was in a lecture recently where someone referenced this quote: “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience; we are spiritual beings having a human experience.” I like this interpretation. For me, a spiritual being is the person you are now, but also the person you were before you were born, and the person you’ll be after you die. Maybe person isn’t even the right word. There’s a lineage through it all, a thread.