Looking into a flame is peaceful. I don’t need to have a thought. In fact, it’s better if I don’t. To have no thought is simply to be. To be is simply to feel. It’s good to feel.
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You can’t learn anything if you don’t listen.
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Aging gives us the patience to look for wisdom and meaning in ways we were unable to fathom in our youth.
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“Lean not on friendship or time.”
—John Quincy Adams
I believe this means you ought to instead rely on your long-held values, assuming they have proven themselves to be a reliable guide.
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Don’t take information from people you don’t trust. But be careful, the fewer people you trust, the harder it becomes to have conversations that allow you to see the whole picture.
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There’s nothing wrong with being a one-hit-wonder, as long as you don’t let that define you.
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Brutalism never condones the use of brutalism.
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Let go of thoughts that are not positive, that do not move you forward.
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Don’t use big words. Keep your sentences short. Don’t be lazy and use vernacular. Avoid overuse of superlatives. Speak truth. Be clear. The sweet spot most likely falls somewhere between Thoreau and Trump.
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If you can’t beat your opponent with facts or with policy based on facts, all you have left are lies… While lying is an option, it is never a solution.
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It’s not just the words you use by themselves. The timing of those words is just as important. Choose the right moment. Your words are more likely to be received the way you intend them.
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It is better to have good ideas given to you than it is to have no good ideas at all.
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Life is a painting. Consider artfully the brushstrokes we will apply today. Our life is the final work when all layers of color and brushstrokes have been applied.
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It is important to be fully present in every task, whether it is as simple as eating a cracker or as complex as painting a house. Being present allows us to perform at our best and enhance our chi.
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“Consecrate the ordinary.”
—Martin Buber
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Pause before making choices. This allows you to make more authentic and loving decisions. Making small adjustments after pausing will put more meaning into the choice. Of course, when I say you, I actually mean me.
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I begin my day with meditation. Sometimes that includes journaling — simply because I love writing so much. Beginning the day with a ritual, whatever that may be, is beneficial.
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We are all brothers and sisters in this human family. The most important thing we can do, not only for others but also for ourselves, is to understand that and to treat everyone accordingly. Treat everyone with the respect that brothers and sisters deserve.
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I dreamed last night that I was learning a new computer language. Somehow I got my hands on the solution to the final exam. I remember looking over the answer and noticing with surprise that I was supposed to use a function. (A function allows you to define a set of steps to be performed, and once stored, reuse them whenever needed.)
I’m not sure where I’m going with this, or why the dream seemed like such a revelation. I’ve spent more than 30 years of my waking hours working with this, and similar concepts. I think my subconscious was trying to tell me something…
My best guess is that I need to do a better job of saving memories for later recall, the equivalent of saving a function for reuse. Recently my daughter and I were reminiscing about her graduation and she reminded me about a day trip that we made together with her sisters. I did not recall the event. I have a feeling that’s because I did not do a good enough job “storing” the memory so it could be “retrieved.” later. It is painful to admit this, but the reason could be that I am a bit too self-absorbed to do a proper job of saving memories of events where I haven’t been the primary instigator or beneficiary. I’m going to work on this.
In the Python language, “def” is the keyword used to “define” a function, Typically a function will “return” a value of some sort, but the use of a return value is optional. When I encode memories I need to be sure and include a return value…
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Skiing down a slope in two feet of fresh powder snow… Unless you live on the mountain, it rarely happens, but when it does, you must relax and start by giving thanks for being there, in that moment. When you are ready, you let your mind go and you give your body permission to feel the mountain. On a good day, when you reach the bottom of the slope you look up and you see the evidence of what the mountain has given you. Those are not your tracks, they are the tell-tale of what the mountain has graciously allowed you to experience this day.
If you give the Grammarly AI assistant the chance to rewrite the paragraph above, this is the result:
Skiing down a slope covered in two feet of fresh powder snow is a rare and exhilarating experience. In that moment, take a deep breath and give thanks for being there. Then, let your mind go and allow your body to feel the mountain. When you reach the bottom of the slope on a good day, look up and appreciate the evidence of what the mountain has given you. The tracks in the snow are not yours; they are the tell-tale sign of what the mountain has graciously allowed you to experience.
I like mine better, including the run-on sentence.
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“Our lives are a work of art that only we can create.”
—Anonymous
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My cat is the picture of contentment, gratefulness, and play… as I should be.
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Listen. Pay attention. But do not rush to enter into the thoughts of another.
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“You will find an outlet for your creative genius and accomplish a great deal.”
—Fortune Cookie
This is more aspirational than it is predictive…
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If I had the power to change people’s minds — better yet, change everyone’s mind — I would convince people to love each other.
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