I can do nothing without nature. I do not know how to make things up.
~ Manet
slip:4a1398.
On this day
April 13thPale facsimilies
We only really know what is new, what suddenly introduces to our sensibility a change of tone which strikes us, that for which habit has not yet substituted its pale facsimiles.
~ Marcel Proust
slip:4a1106.
Breathing with Lara Land
How does breathing, embodiment, and connection influence podcasting and personal growth?
Exploring the intersection of embodiment and podcasting unveils unexpected insights.
It’s okay to ask a question that we’ve asked before… sometimes it’s the fifth, sixth, seventh time we hear it that it sinks in.
~ Lara Land (10:48)
The conversation examines the interplay between breathing, embodiment, and podcasting. Breathing, while central to yoga and embodiment practices, poses challenges when combined with the pacing and sentence structure needed for podcasting. The discussion highlights how these techniques differ across disciplines and the adjustments required to integrate them effectively.
The dialogue also explores personal growth through learning and practice. It touches on the struggles of early podcasting, such as question formulation and flow, and the importance of persistence. The role of nature as a restorative and learning space emerges, emphasizing its connection to personal well-being and creative processes.
Takeaways
Breathing practices — Integrating yoga breathing skills into speaking requires adapting to new contexts.
Flow in podcasting — Creating a natural conversational rhythm is a skill that develops over time.
The role of questions — Formulating unique and meaningful questions can enhance the depth of conversations.
Nature as a refuge — Spending time outdoors provides balance and inspiration for creative pursuits.
Learning frustration — The challenges of starting something new are natural but lead to growth and transformation.
Performance adjustments — Adjusting sentence structure and pacing improves podcasting presence.
Energy dynamics — Presence and energy influence the quality of conversations, especially in virtual formats.
Repetition’s value — Repeated ideas often resonate differently over time, enriching understanding.
Resources
Three and a Half Acres Yoga — A nonprofit organization using yoga for community building and trauma healing.
Mindful Nature Guide Leadership Training — A training program focused on guiding outdoor experiences.
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
ɕ
Shifts with Eric Ayers
How can personal transformation and shifts in perspective influence creativity, community building, and personal growth?
Discover how shifting one’s perspective can lead to profound personal and professional growth.
It was a conscious shift. It was a change in my consciousness to where I can’t go back so I’m going to go forward and I’m going to bring everyone with me.
~ Eric Ayers (6:11)
The conversation explores how transformative personal experiences can lead to profound shifts in perspective and purpose. Eric reflects on his transition from viewing the world through a negative lens to embracing positivity after a pivotal conversation with his wife. This shift not only changed his approach to life but also influenced his podcasting journey, where he combines personal storytelling with interviews to inspire others.
Key themes include the power of perspective, the importance of community, and the role of persistence in achieving meaningful change. Eric also discusses his journey through self-discovery, dietary changes, and the impact of supportive relationships, highlighting the importance of celebrating small successes and nurturing growth. The conversation emphasizes how intentionality and kindness can inspire shifts in others’ mindsets.
Takeaways
Personal transformation — Small changes in perspective can lead to profound life shifts.
The power of mindset — Choosing to see the world positively transforms experiences.
Breaking patterns — Recognizing and changing destructive loops opens new opportunities.
Community impact — Stories and connections foster growth and collaboration.
Persistence — Success often comes through repeated effort and resilience.
Support systems — Relationships and external encouragement catalyze personal growth.
Creativity in podcasting — Combining formats like interviews and personal narratives can create unique content.
Meditation — Reducing mental noise allows for reflection and self-awareness.
Language matters — Positive self-talk reinforces constructive growth.
Resources
Purpose Empowered Podcast — A podcast focusing on impactful personal stories.
Dr. Joe Dispenza’s works) — Discussing transitioning from thinking to doing to being.
Louise Hay’s teachings — Influencing the guest’s understanding of conscious shifts. URL: https://www.louisehay.com
(Written with help from Chat-GPT.)
ɕ
Playfulness
To be playful is not to be trivial or frivolous, or to act as if nothing of consequence will happen. On the contrary, when we are playful with one another, we relate as free persons, and the relationship is open to surprise; everything that happens is of consequence, for seriousness is a dread of the unpredictable outcomes of open possibility. To be serious is to press for a specified conclusion. To be playful is to allow for unlimited possibility.
~ James Carse
slip:4a840.
A random proof
Here’s how I do things.
GIVEN…
- I have a book that has 2,000 pages. (Curiously, it is exactly 2,000 pages.)
- Life is finite, (and probably also “short.”)
- It’s unlikely I can get through it front-to-back; I’d like to read as many pages as I can.
- I’m a systems guy; I want to figure something out once and then never think about that same problem again.
- I have a personal task management system; It can easily remind me to do things however I’d prefer.
I WISH, that I had an easy way to get a random page number. This strikes me as very easy to build. Therefore, because it is easy, because Internet, and because humans are awesome…
THEN, such a thing must already exist.
THEREFORE, I guessed, “!random”, would exist in my favorite search engine—here, you’re welcome—and quickly found my way to this: https://www.random.org/clients/http/
QED (Quite easily done, yes; But, no.)
All that remains is to skim their simple API docs, and then type this simple URL: https://www.random.org/integers/?num=1&min=1&max=2000&base=10&format=html&col=1
This enables me to create a repeating task which has that URL. I click the link, and flip to that page. You’re thinking, “holy shit no.” And I’m thinking, “tiny building blocks, well placed, get shit done.”
ɕ
Scenes
Because they can only show scenes, …
~ Ryan Holiday from, Sorry, An Epiphany Isn’t What’s Going To Change Your Life
slip:4uryso2.
Check the following against your experience: Except for sleep, or fits of unconsciousness, my life is a perfectly seamless and continuous experience. It has no montages, elisions of time, “jump cuts,” nor cross fades. I’ve never experienced a rerun of any moment; every moment is the next moment found directly after that moment that was now, but is now just past.
From my point of view, every other person… every book… every movie… every image painting film story… I experience those in one, compressed form or another. I catch up with a friend over lunch; I get two weeks of their experience compressed into a thirty-second story. Rocky goes from zero to hero in a two-minute (I’m guessing) montage. That person experiences an entire year; I experience their birthday dinner.
Everything out there is a small scene from some real experience. Is it any wonder it’s difficult to understand?
ɕ
Wherein I continue my perennial rant against social networks
His friends, however, were aghast at his decision to leave the social network and argued strongly against the action. Their airtight case? Certain activities, such as finding out about parties, would become less convenient. The convenience principle is so ingrained in our culture that Daniel’s friends believed that their argument that something would become less convenient was unimpeachable. Daniel, for his part, ignored them. He missed a few invitations, but not many.
~ Cal Newport from, Distraction is a Symptom of a Deeper Problem: The Convenience Principle and the Destruction of American Productivity
slip:4ucabo16.
I spent time writing about social networks for this post—but deleted it all because I’ve nothing nice to say. Instead I’ll smirk, and point at what someone else has written.
Great article though from Newport. As usual for his 2012 epoch, it’s specific to college students but contains deep wisdom for all.
ɕ
Waking up
Sometimes when my wife and I have conversations in public, it looks like the scene from the movie Dogma where Loki and Bartleby walk through the airport talking about their previous exploits as angels. We often look around at all the sleeping people in the world, noting that they barely register as conscious beings. They go through their lives working meaningless jobs, enduring unfulfilling relationships, and drugging themselves to avoid facing their unfaceable fears. Their conversations are nothing but trivialities in the grand scheme of things.
~ Steve Pavlina from, Are You a Bear or an Eagle?
slip:4usebo13.
There is a fine line between condescendent and enlightened. The first requisite for enlightenment is awareness of the line, and another is having the courage to get precariously close to it.
ɕ
Wire your body for complex movement
If you’re not strong enough or flexible enough to do the things you love, you absolutely need to spend time working on that. But for well-rounded physical performance–not to mention the ability to apply the strength, mobility, and conditioning you’re building–it’s important to work on your motor control and coordination as well.
~ Jarlo from, The Key to Better Performance: Coordination Exercises You Need to Try
slip:4ugico1.
Flexibility/range-of-motion, strength, and coordination are the big three components of healthy movement [in my opinion]. This is a great article about coordination, complex motor skills, and (inadvertently) helps explain a lot of why I love Parkour.
ɕ
Constant craving
The pain I endure became the pleasure I constantly crave.
~ unknown
slip:4a505.
Why peak oil predictions haven’t come true
It seems to me, though, that a third outcome is not only possible, but is what is actually happening.
3. Diminishing returns from oil limits are already beginning to hit, but the impacts and the expected shape of the down slope are quite different from those forecast by most Peak Oilers.
~ Gail Tverberg from, WSJ Gets it Wrong on “Why Peak Oil Predictions Haven’t Come True”
slip:4uouwe1.
ɕ
Giddyup!
I’ve not the least recollection of this horsey ride; But clearly, it was a thing.
Also: Not all babies are actually cute. This one is clearly “questionable.” (Yes, this is me.)
ɕ
Atmos
My father and his father were both members of the International Union of Elevator Constructors. From 1940 thru 2001 they worked on literally every elevator and escalator in and around the Lehigh Valley.
ɕ