In the video below a young man who is just 7 weeks post double lung transplant demonstrates how far medicine and the human spirit have come!
Untitled from Joseph McCanne on Vimeo.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Limited Lives and Loves
I am never quite sure why people do not take the risk of telling others what is in their hearts. (I am not referring to telling people off in this blog but the emotions that we harbour). Life is so short and unpredictable that it is surprising in some ways that we persist in making bargains with the moment to keep our feelings secret. I guess that it is because we do not wish to risk the status quo for an unpredictable response. We do not want to lose what we have for what we might gain. The problem, of course is that we stay in the less than satisfactory place that we are in rather than roll the dice for something better or at least clearer and more honest. We prefer a sort of limited peace and tranquility to an honest conflagration which could destroy more than we are willing to risk.
This leads us to very limited lives and loves.
This leads us to very limited lives and loves.
Monday, June 28, 2010
Recalibrating our Lives
There is something soul restorative in beauty and in music. Art talks to the word weary inner person in gentle whispers and beckons us back to a place of hope and love or startles us into new understandings.
Most profound of all is time spent in nature where we can feel- in an immediate way -that we are part of the grandeur, part of the whole. It is a necessary part of life. Last fall, I visited an aunt in British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. Her home is perched on the side of a mountain and the entire back of the house is made of glass on two levels. The view takes in tree tops where eagles soar to a landing. Beyond the trees and eagles there is a long wide valley and then a series of mountains on the other side. In the valley, human activity is reduced to the size of toys. The agricultural fields are a patchwork quilt, the trains which pass right to left and left to right on their appointed rounds are the size of miniatures and the cars on the trans Canada highway are even smaller. Nature is big there and mankind is small. It puts things in perspective.
Putting things in perspective is very helpful now and then. Our challenges, obstacles and wounds can take on the proportion of mountains and they need to be recalibrated. I hope you can get out into nature this week.
Images
Most profound of all is time spent in nature where we can feel- in an immediate way -that we are part of the grandeur, part of the whole. It is a necessary part of life. Last fall, I visited an aunt in British Columbia on the west coast of Canada. Her home is perched on the side of a mountain and the entire back of the house is made of glass on two levels. The view takes in tree tops where eagles soar to a landing. Beyond the trees and eagles there is a long wide valley and then a series of mountains on the other side. In the valley, human activity is reduced to the size of toys. The agricultural fields are a patchwork quilt, the trains which pass right to left and left to right on their appointed rounds are the size of miniatures and the cars on the trans Canada highway are even smaller. Nature is big there and mankind is small. It puts things in perspective.
Putting things in perspective is very helpful now and then. Our challenges, obstacles and wounds can take on the proportion of mountains and they need to be recalibrated. I hope you can get out into nature this week.
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Martin Seligman- Use your Stengths
Using your strengths in life can produce happiness. Being your authentic self and using your own inate talents can increase your level of 'flow'. Martin Seligman is the world leadin expert in positive psychology and former head of the APA.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Sapolsky on Depression
A lecture on depression from one of the foremost neurobiologist from Stanford. Worth the time to listen.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Ocean – the Five Basic Personality Traits all People Share
The acronym OCEAN stands for the 5 basic personality traits. After all the years of psychological research and in distilling down all the attributes the most robust of the concepts for understanding people’s personalities are: Openness to experience, Conscientiousness, Extraversion/ Introversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism.
The Big Five factors and their constituent traits can be summarized as follows:
• Openness - (inventive / curious vs. cautious / conservative) indicates appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, novel ideas and variety of experiences.
• Conscientiousness - (efficient / organized vs. easy-going / careless). A tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for high achievement with a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behaviour.
• Extraversion - (outgoing / energetic vs. shy / withdrawn). Energy, positive emotions, urgency and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others.
• Agreeableness - (friendly / compassionate vs. competitive / outspoken). A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative than suspicious and antagonistic toward others.
• Neuroticism - (sensitive / nervous vs. secure /confident). A tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression or vulnerability.
When scored for individual feedback, these traits are usually presented as percentile scores. For example, an Extroversion rating in the 5th percentile indicates an exceptional need for solitude and quiet. Although these trait clusters are statistical aggregates, exceptions may exist on individual personality profiles. On average, people who register high in Openness intellectually curious, open to emotion, interested in art, and willing to try new things. A particular individual, however, may have a high overall Openness score and be interested in learning and exploring new cultures but have no great interest in art or poetry. Situational influences also exist, as even extroverts may occasionally need time away from people.
If you are curious about where you stand on these dimensions you can take a test online at: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/
There you will get test results of your own like the ones below that will show you were you stand on the dimensions and what that might mean.
I'm a O90-C46-E59-A87-N22 Big Five!!
The Big Five factors and their constituent traits can be summarized as follows:
• Openness - (inventive / curious vs. cautious / conservative) indicates appreciation for art, emotion, adventure, novel ideas and variety of experiences.
• Conscientiousness - (efficient / organized vs. easy-going / careless). A tendency to show self-discipline, act dutifully, and aim for high achievement with a preference for planned rather than spontaneous behaviour.
• Extraversion - (outgoing / energetic vs. shy / withdrawn). Energy, positive emotions, urgency and the tendency to seek stimulation in the company of others.
• Agreeableness - (friendly / compassionate vs. competitive / outspoken). A tendency to be compassionate and cooperative than suspicious and antagonistic toward others.
• Neuroticism - (sensitive / nervous vs. secure /confident). A tendency to experience unpleasant emotions easily, such as anger, anxiety, depression or vulnerability.
When scored for individual feedback, these traits are usually presented as percentile scores. For example, an Extroversion rating in the 5th percentile indicates an exceptional need for solitude and quiet. Although these trait clusters are statistical aggregates, exceptions may exist on individual personality profiles. On average, people who register high in Openness intellectually curious, open to emotion, interested in art, and willing to try new things. A particular individual, however, may have a high overall Openness score and be interested in learning and exploring new cultures but have no great interest in art or poetry. Situational influences also exist, as even extroverts may occasionally need time away from people.
If you are curious about where you stand on these dimensions you can take a test online at: http://www.outofservice.com/bigfive/
There you will get test results of your own like the ones below that will show you were you stand on the dimensions and what that might mean.
I'm a O90-C46-E59-A87-N22 Big Five!!
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Self Belief and the Facts of Life
I have a bit of a problem with the concept that our beliefs totally shape the world (my mind tells me that there are certain facts and realities that have to be dealt with.) I am fully in agreement with positive self talk, optimism and hope but I simply think we have to factor in realilty. See what I mean below.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Monday, June 7, 2010
It just takes one!
Observe the impact that one woman in the crowd could have when she just decided to do her own thing without regard for what anyone else would do. This is a facinating social phenomenon.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Turning 'no' into 'yes'
"Early on, I discovered that the road to success is paved with rejection. 'No' is not forever. No is only 'no' that day from that person. You can always go back to the same person tomorrow with new information. If you're committed and you're dedicated, you'll eventually find a way to turn that 'no' into a 'yes'."
~ Lyn St. James
~ Lyn St. James
Author Unknown
The Seven Wonders of the World
Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."
The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:
1. to touch...
2. to taste...
3. to see...
4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)
5. to feel...
6. to laugh...
7. and to love.
The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.
May this story serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful - and we don't have to travel anywhere special to experience them.
Enjoy your gifts!
Junior high school students in Chicago were studying the Seven Wonders of the World. At the end of the lesson, the students were asked to list what they considered to be the Seven Wonders of the World. Though there was some disagreement, the following received the most votes:
1. Egypt's Great Pyramids
2. The Taj Mahal in India
3. The Grand Canyon in Arizona
4. The Panama Canal
5. The Empire State Building
6. St. Peter's Basilica
7. China's Great Wall
While gathering the votes, the teacher noted that one student, a quiet girl, hadn't turned in her paper yet. So she asked the girl if she was having trouble with her list. The quiet girl replied, "Yes, a little. I couldn't quite make up my mind because there were so many." The teacher said, "Well, tell us what you have, and maybe we can help."
The girl hesitated, then read, "I think the Seven Wonders of the World are:
1. to touch...
2. to taste...
3. to see...
4. to hear... (She hesitated a little, and then added...)
5. to feel...
6. to laugh...
7. and to love.
The room was so quiet, you could have heard a pin drop.
May this story serve as a gentle reminder to all of us that the things we overlook as simple and ordinary are often the most wonderful - and we don't have to travel anywhere special to experience them.
Enjoy your gifts!
Karen Armstrong and the Charter of Compassion
The Charter of Compassion
The principle of compassion lies at the heart of all religious, ethical and spiritual traditions, calling us always to treat all others as we wish to be treated ourselves. Compassion impels us to work tirelessly to alleviate the suffering of our fellow creatures, to dethrone ourselves from the centre of our world and put another there, and to honour the inviolable sanctity of every single human being, treating everybody, without exception, with absolute justice, equity and respect.
It is also necessary in both public and private life to refrain consistently and empathically from inflicting pain. To act or speak violently out of spite, chauvinism, or self-interest, to impoverish, exploit or deny basic rights to anybody, and to incite hatred by denigrating others—even our enemies—is a denial of our common humanity. We acknowledge that we have failed to live compassionately and that some have even increased the sum of human misery in the name of religion.
We therefore call upon all men and women ~ to restore compassion to the centre of morality and religion ~ to return to the ancient principle that any interpretation of scripture that breeds violence, hatred or disdain is illegitimate ~ to ensure that youth are given accurate and respectful information about other traditions, religions and cultures ~ to encourage a positive appreciation of cultural and religious diversity ~ to cultivate an informed empathy with the suffering of all human beings—even those regarded as enemies.
We urgently need to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our polarized world. Rooted in a principled determination to transcend selfishness, compassion can break down political, dogmatic, ideological and religious boundaries. Born of our deep interdependence, compassion is essential to human relationships and to a fulfilled humanity. It is the path to enlightenment, and indispensible to the creation of a just economy and a peaceful global community
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Friday, June 4, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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