About Me

Sunday, April 30, 2006

Persistence (Hanging Tough)

Concentration requires persistence or "hanging tough". If you have a tendency to give up when the going gets difficult or rough, it becomes hard to concentrate. The most successful people are the ones who hold on when things gets crazy. They tend to have the wherewithal to focus on the things that they do well and stay the course.

It seems as though the ones who give up too soon are the ones who change paths often. Though, on the flip side, in the stock market it is referred to as cutting your losses early. The rule of selling 7% below the buy-point is about cutting your losses early. Hang on to the ones going up and take profit on some stock that gain more than 25%.

Are these counter themes? Is cutting your loss not the same as giving up? Are the ones who persist not mentally prepared for the need to cut their losses on the stock market?

Friday, April 28, 2006

BE HERE NOW

Debbie was an attendee at my presentation today at lunch time. She asked about sensory overload and inability to focus when there are too many things happenning at once. For example, at a basketball game that she went to she was frazzled by all the various things going on - the music, the cheering, the televisions, the vendors, the applause, the partiers, etc. etc. I agreed that managing the clutter is important and then she said that whenever something important is about to happen, she tells herself "BE HERE NOW!"

I like this kind of self affirmation to bring the focus into the present. Being in the moment requires a conscious reminder to be in the present and a habit of self reminder with a simple "mantra" like Debbie's "BE HERE NOW!" is a lot more understandable than "Om Shanthi"

Congratulations Debbie! And thank you for sharing with the group.

Wednesday, April 26, 2006

Event Listing

Yesterday's "Brain Jogging" was listed at the above link. 15 people attended. I was not entirely pleased with it. Somehow the energy level wasn't as high as I like to feel while I am presenting. I hope that I get a summary of evaluations soon so that I can identify what expectations I did not deliver on.

Monday, April 24, 2006

Do something stupid today!

Dear Journal,
Okay, so I have to 'fess up that I do play poker with my school buddies three or four times a year! We have continued our get-togethers for more than five years and we have known each other for longer.

Last Friday, we had a rollicking great time! All of my friends have an excellent sense of humor! I have a great loud laugh to appreciate their humor.

Anyway, I don't usually do well at poker. By the time the evening gets going, I am not usually don't even know the difference between a flush and a straight. Don't ask me why, because I'm not going to admit to not being a teetotaler. Oops, I guess I just did, can't hide the truth from you ;)

Anyway, last Friday, I was losing as I usually do and Steve had heard of a new game that was making me really nervous. So, here I was, in way over my head and suddenly I decided to let go and bet without thinking too much about the odds! All of a sudden, lady luck turned my way! Literally, the first hand I was dealt a Queen high and the next two cards were Queens and I won quite a lot with the three Queens - hence lady luck turning my way seems appropriate :)

Do something stupid today! Your mental map may tell you it is stupid but maybe it's exactly what you need to do to be out-of-the-box! Maybe the stupidity will get you the breakthrough that you need.

I guess stupidity is neurobic!

Lesson learned from poker with the guys....

Sunday, April 16, 2006

A Love Course

Leo Buscaglia was able to teach a love course with great success after much skepticism from his colleagues when he started it. I would like to reinvent this course in the context of the early twenty-first century. It is now the year 2006 and the context now is certainly different from the context in the latter half of the twentieth century.

In the present day context, the concept of love is ensconced within the concept of positive energy. It appears that positive energy is a larger need than love by itself.

Monday, April 10, 2006

What are you going to pay attention to?

Just for today, pay attention to the high priorities in your life! We have the ability to give selective attention to the various "tugs" at us each day. We have to own to the responsibility to pay attention to the Important and Urgent things! Own it! Own the choice, choose to pay attention to the high priorities!

Friday, April 07, 2006

Did you bungee jump today?

Did you do something radically different from your routine today? Well, why not? What are you afraid of? Afraid to step out of your 'cage"?

Go ahead, buy a cup of coffee for the stranger who is behind you in the line!

I heard about an employee at my wife's company who pays for whatever the person behind her at the drive-through wants to buy. That is her bungee jump.

Wednesday, April 05, 2006

221B Baker Street



I visited 221B Baker Street in London during my trip there in June 2005. The "bobby" was standing silently and calmly in front of the house until I wanted to get my pic taken. Then he quietly handed me a hat and pipe so that I could pose for the pic.

"Elementary my dear Watson!"

Monday, April 03, 2006

Memory Fitness for Life

Stay memory fit!

Memory and Aging

Click on the title of this blog, some useful answers

Random posts on a random evening

I love my life, I love my family, I love my friends, I love mankind, I love the earth, I love the universe, I love creation.

Appalachian Spring

Great American composition!!! Must read the website linked above. It is from npr.org

The concentration on the moment

itunes and Verna Felton singing Bibbity Bobbity Boo. Believe in magic, believe in good fairies, believe in miracles, believe in magic. I believe in magic, life is full of magic. I believe in magic, those footprints are not mine. I believe in love, I believe in caring and love. I believe in succeeding against all odds because of friends and magic, magic and friends and love and friendship and caring.

Concentration on the moment, concentration on magic, concentration on tenderness.

In the moment

Be in the moment, enjoy the moment, cherish the moment, be grateful for the moment, think not of anything more than the moment. Don't be afraid to lose the moment. Stay in the moment, cherish the moment, love the moment, care about the moment, be present in the moment.

Be in the moment, hear the sounds in the moment, smell the smells in the moment, feel the temperature of your surroundings, experience the sights and notice your surroundings.

Music is a Universal Language

Society changes, music changes, people change and thoughts change. Thoughts change and times change, people change, music changes and society changes. Nothing is constant. Even when we think it has remained the same, it has not remained the same. The way we look at it changes, the way in which we pay attention to it changes. That which was so pure and exquisite does not look so pure anymore. What was it that made it pure and exquisite anyway?