Life On A B-I7

by Cody Cook-Parrott

I picked this up my last time through Kanab. I love the little coffee shop / book store / sporting goods store there. For me it’s a must stop. The subtitle of the book, “Cultivating Presence in a Distracted World” caught my eye. I admit I’m not as well put together as I would like to be. The book was good, and I was happy to learn that I am already doing the practices that she recommends to increase one’s attention and presence in the world. (No brag, it’s actually not terribly complicated.) Here are the practices she recommends:

1. Get a hobby. (For me, paint — this one is new.)
2. Move. (For me, do something physical that you enjoy, easy.)
3. Do something Creative. (For me, writing.)
4. Do something spiritual. (For me, mindfulness exercise, and study.)
5. Service. (For me, working in the kitchen at the homeless shelter.

The point is do things that help you detach from media and the culture that demands so much of our attention. So much that we don’t have enough left for ourselves. She makes the point thoroughly (almost too thoroughly) and I’m happy to report I agree with her 100 percent.

I found this quote in Chole Dalton’s book “Raising Hare.”

Seton was not writing philosophy, but what he is saying is philosophical. Seton is expressing the notion, as was put forth by the Stoics, that logos i.e., reason, underpins all of nature. That animals are just as beholden to logos as are humans. In fact, there is no distinction between humans and animals other than by degree of separation when it comes to recognition of logos.

Robert Caro said: “Power doesn’t corrupt, it reveals.” We all recognize this and see it constantly in our daily lives. People with power often tend to wield it for their own benefit.

There is another attribute that can corrupt or reveal: Prosperity. Prosperity has the same potential effect as power. Prosperity can be financial or personal, in fact there are many types of prosperity. If we have the good fortune to prosper, we must remember not to let it change us. Strive to have the character that is strong and true even in good fortune.

A Worthy Goal

It’s good to have goals. This morning when I was sitting quietly and breathing and letting my mind wander freely, I realized something out of the blue. It occurred to me that being able to sit cross-legged would be a wonderful goal to work toward.

The way I am built, I find the notion almost laughable. But now that I have taken the time to write this down, I feel more strongly about this desire than when it first came into my head.

It’s going to take awhile.

The Creator’s Time

The Brahma Muhurta is the hour of the morning that is refered to as “The Creator’s Time.” This is the most creative time of the day and a good time for meditation. Brahma Muhurta is the 48 minute period (one Muhurta) that starts one hour and 36 minutes before sunrise. Since sunrise is dependent on one’s latitude and. longitude, Brahma Muhurta is slightly different each day. Brahma Muhurta starts a bit earlier each day until you read the summer equinox, then the Brahma Muhurta time starts to get a bit later each morning until you reach the winter equinox.

I have a page in my journal for each day. I have recorded sunrise for my location for each day and calculated the corresponding Brahma Muhurta time. I have written those times down in my journal. I look at the time the night before and plan my morning. I try and use that time for meditation and writing.

Below is my prayer to celebrate the new day during Brahma Muhurta.

Read Mindfully

Read a book as slowly as possible. Intentionally slow down. Focus on each word of each sentence. Think about how the sentence is structured, what the author wants you to take away from the sentence. What do you see that you would not have seen if you had read the words quickly.

Four Considerations

I use these thoughts as focus for meditation. I repeat each of these slowly and ask how aligned I am with each of these. It’s useful to run through the list more than once, answers may differ as I delve deeper each time.

Drive with Intent

I have a nice sound system in my Tacoma. That has nothing to do with this exercise, but it makes the exercise more enjoyable.

I put my favorite mantra on and set it to play in a loop. I listened while driving to the next town, about 15 miles away. It made the trip enjoyable, actually luxurious. Here’s what I observed.

1. It makes the drive less stressful.
2. I tend to stay at or below the speed limit.
3. I get to my destination at almost the same time as I would otherwise.
4. I get there safely without incurring the ire of other drivers.
5. I don’t mind being courteous along the way.
6. The best: I am able to empty my mind, travel time becomes a non-issue.

A Mindfulness Practice

Do these seven things slowly with intent.

1. Smile for 3 seconds
2. Take one slow breath
3. Name one good thing
4. Straighten your posture
5. Label what you are feeling
6. Look far away
7. Ask one powerful question: What would the happiest version of me do right now? Go do it if you possibly can.

These ideas were stolen directly from Instagram. Proving I guess, the platform is not a complete waste of time.

Daily Mindfulness Exercise

I try and do a mindfulness exercise every day, These end up being whatever feels good in the moment. I’m sharing one here as an example, and also a reminder to myself. This is one I stumbled into recently that I enjoyed very much.

I sat down in my journal and with no pre-conceived notion of what I wanted to say, I simply wrote whatever came to mind as slowly as I could. Slowing down was hard. The goal was to fill the page with whatever thoughts came to me. Doing that slowly was difficult. It made me realize how often we rush thoughts out without really considering them thoroughly before we release them on the world. During this reflection I also realized how often I interrupt others when we are conversion. The exercise gave me some valuable insight, worth working on.

Om Nama Shivaya

Om Nama Shivaya is the mantra to Shiva used to show gratitude to the deity and also to request the granting of gratitude. We cannot have too much gratitude, We should show gratitude every day, to everyone we meet. By showing gratitude we elevate ourselves and all those around us. We are also showing the deity how much we adore peace.

I try to smile on the pickleball court as much as possible.

by Chloe Dalton

This is Dalton’s first book. It is exceptional. Brilliantly researched on a subject that gets little attention. The story was captivating, heart warming, and emotionally up lifting. Dalton works for the state department in the U.K. She writes a lot in her professional life but this is a remarkable work considering it is outside her normal sphere of expertise.

Two of my favorite passages. I will let the author speak for herself:

I was moved by the leveret’s dignity, the sense of well-being and calm it spread, and the simplicity of its life. The life of a hare at ease is one of basking, rolling, resting, drowsing and dreaming, and living in the moment. A hare leaves behind it nothing more than a patch of flattened grass, little larger than a human footprint, soon lifted by the wind and erased altogether.

And, in stunningly beautiful prose, and with beautiful sentiment behind it:

The atmosphere of calm suffused by her throughout the house lingers even when she is gone. I hope always to be able to summon it at will, along with the memory of the light and trusting touch of her paws in the palm of my hand, and her steady, unfathomable gaze. And when one day I can no longer see her, I will watch the hares in the field knowing that her being is woven into theirs, and that I have only to look up at night to see her symbol etched in the stars.

I tell myself not to count the years ahead in which she might never again come, but rather cherish the days she has given me of her own free will, when she lowered her species instinctive guard against humans, and shared the beauty and mystery of her presence in silent and graceful companionship. I will remember her leaving, but will know that before she did, she always, first, looked back.

Dalton shows us the complexity and beauty that is all around us in nature, we only need to open our eyes and view with care and openness.

Fascinating isn’t it? My only question is how did Trump resist the temptation to replace the word “Let’s” with the word “I’ll.” He probably thought of it and realized he would get more followers by not revealing his true self.

Leisure is fine, but it should not take the place of study. When you take time for leisure, and you should, keep in mind that you can still be learning. Bring along a good book and take the opportunity during down moments to read. We should always have in the back of our mind a purpose for everything we do. We should always be striving to grow. That is the definition of an exciting life.

What does it mean for our country to be engage in an irrational and likely illegal war, while at the same time we are witnessing an historic human event, the circumnavigation of Earth’s moon by humans for the first time in our species history.

I’m baffled to explain the coincidence that these events evoke.

My hope, as naive as it may be, is that somehow, someway, the peoples of our planet will take from the latter. the desire to come together and cooperate with one another, rather than continue to insist that conflict is the only way to resolve differences.

If, as a species, we were to truly work together, the natural result of our capabilities as is truly limitless.

That is my hope.

Do not be a slave. You may not wear chains placed on you by another man, but it is possible you are still enslaved. This is a question that you must ask yourself. Are you a slave to money, power, lust, other peoples’ approval? There are many ways to enslave ourselves. All have the same end result — they take away our freedom. The answer, do not desire anything that is in someone else’s power to control if you want to be truly free.

What is a “blog?”

Starting a blog involves selecting a niche, choosing a platform (like WordPress or Squarespace), purchasing a hosting service and a domain name, and creating consistent, high-quality content.

That is one commonly accepted definition.

I find all of that humorous. “What is a blog” is different for everyone that has a blog. A couple of things (ten to be exact) should be noted there.

1. I’m not curating an audience, because frankly, there is no one interested in reading my writing. Even the people that are closest to me, the people that I love the most, don’t read this. So what? The jury is out on all of this, and that’s okay. (I’ve been informed I’m wrong about this by some of those I am referring to — for those that informed me thus, I made it very clear they are under no obligation to read this…)

2. I do this because I love doing this. Good for me. Maybe you like woodworking or fiddling with cars, good for you. We do what we have to do.

3. Maybe someday this will be of value? I doubt it, but you never know.

4. The notion that “high quality” content is intrinsic to blogging is a bit over the top. Look at any number of websites that damand your attention and subscription and if they are examined closely, reveal that “high quality” is not really a prerequisite.

5. My explanation in reason number four above _coincidentally_lsts me off the hook…

6. “Blogging” is helping me improve my language skills. Good for me.

7. “Blogging” is helping me see myself better as a person and as a member of the human race, Also, good for me.

8. After a career of working in the technology sector, blogging allows me to feel like I am still engaged in that arena. (That is also a bit of a stretch.)

9. It gives me a reason to write, which is the _real_benefit of all this. It helps me. if it helps you then we both win. But keep in mind, I don’t care about you…

10} I said in the title “Ten reasons why I blog,” I don’t have ten, so you’ll have to be satisfied with nine.

Note: My hosting service is Micro.bog, they are awesome. My domain name is Live On A B-17 (dot) me, because cycling is my deal, and skiing, and the occasional pickleball round robin.

Donald Trump is a modern day Nero. So many people that have done Trump’s bidding have been cast aside. These people should have been prepared for their fate. The signs were everywhere. Instead it seems they were surprised.

Seneca was tossed aside by Nero. Seneca was well respected, Nero was a tyrant. When Seneca’s friends heard the news that Seneca had been sentenced to death by suicide, they lamented the fact. Seneca’s reply, “where is your philosophy?” You should be prepared for any turn of fate. We may not be happy to be led by men like Trump and Nero, that makes the necessity to be prepared all the more important. Fate does not spare anyone.

I would live in a School Bus.

To be a bit more specific, I would live in a School Bus converted into an overland vehicle with a ton of solar on the roof.

Imagine the freedom that would provide. Of course gas prices are now a consideration. Even if gas is not affordable, you still have a pretty damn nice living set-up.

I’d paint it grey-green, or maybe tan, like my Tacoma…

Preparation for life means proper training. Training the mind to perform properly is of the utmost importance. Training the mind to not get angry, training the mind to avoid gossip, training the mind on all good habits is essential to being prepared.

What is the best thing a book can do for you? It can inspire you to take action. After reading “The Correspondent,” I decided to write a weekly letter to my children. It feels good. I am not only giving them the gift of myself, I am gaining a clearer understanding of myself… It’s also fun.

Nothing is free. We will face situations where we are outmatched by the adversity we are facing. Preparation is our best practice in defense of adveristy. When facing adversity, how we respond will define us. Is our approach to the confrontation allowing us to learn and get stronger or have we submitted to failure without a struggle?

General Douglas MacArthur once said, and these words are engraved on a wall at the West Point Gymnasium:

Most verbs are action words. Verbs can also indicate mental actions.

Every sentence needs a verb, to be a sentence.

There are also linking verbs. The most common linking verbs are is, am, are, will be, was, has been, have been, and so on. Tip: Usually if you can substitute a form of the words to be, and the sentence still makes sense, you have a linking verb. (A linking verb can also be an action verb, depending on context.)

The tense of a verb tells you when the action took place. Verbs are the only parts of speech with tense. These are the tenses: present, past, further, present perfect, past perfect, future perfect. The helping verbs specify the tenses. Helping verbs are words like will, have, and have beeen.

This is all very opaque as far as I’m concerned, just remember this. You can tell if a word is a verb by putting the word to in front of it. Here are some examples, to jump, to think, to be, to study, to allow.

Good luck, Grammar is like computer programming… there are a LOT of rules to follow!

Part of life is constantly being caught off guard. It will happen more often than we want it to. Plans are only as good as their assumptions. When you are caught off guard, the best you can do, and your highest priority, is to calmly find your way back to your goal as quickly as you can.

The President of The United States is insane. I hope all the other leaders in the world are more stable than he is. That’s all we can hope for at this point.