Category Archives: Back in US
FYRP: Short, Sweet & Current
My laziness phase continues. No doubt about it. (More proof: Use of the obscure acronym FYRP).
You see, I’m a bit (just a bit!) overwhelmed at work. But that’s really no excuse. I still need to write. Every day!
And to write I need to think.
I seem to have lost the capability to do so. It’s go, go, go at work. So at home, my brain wants to shut down badly. Yet, I’ve promised myself I am going to write everyday.
So what do I do?
Well, why not write about some of the most interesting stuff I’ve read this week (I am never too lazy to read, thank goodness)? Not books this time, but articles. Short and sweet. (But not all sweet, as you will see).
You never know when I’ll want to re-read these so why not capture them now while they are fresh on my mind?
These are about as eclectic as they can get , I promise you. With many thanks to my like-minded friends for providing some of this brain fodder…
Check them out. They really are worth checking out!
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Stephen King risks wrath of NRA by releasing pro-gun control essay
I’m a fan for life of this man. And I haven’t even read all his books, just (arguably) his best ones – On Writing and 11/22/63 (if you haven’t read this, you’re missing one helluva book and experience!). It’s wonderful to see a writer of his eminence and an avid gun owner to boot step up and be loud and forthright about his support for gun control. After Sandy Hook, it’s unimaginable that anyone could be against it. But, hey, this is America.
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Sorry Apple, the BlackBerry Z10 Is Hotter Than the iPhone
For someone who just switched from a BlackBerry to an iPhone5S, this simply doesn’t seem possible. What a totally different user experience it is! But nothing is greater at seeing innovation unleashed than threat of survival. And have you noticed that those underdogs usually have the motivation needed to take bigger risks? Best wishes to RIM, for sure because innovation is wonderful. In the end, everyone wins. Well, except maybe Apple.
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20 amazing facts about the human body
If you know even a couple of these facts, I will be surprised. Amazing? Hell, yes.
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The Second Coming – What can the 44th president really achieve in his second term? Here are 10 ideas.
Foreign Policy magazine’s take on what President Obama can practically accomplish during his second term, the key word being “practical“. They may not be the largest issues that need to be solved but they are critical. These ten essays contain advice to him from various quarters on how he can resolve these problems – a wide spectrum that covers everything from oil to democracy.
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India Has a Woman Problem -And there’s no denying it anymore.
After the brutal gang rape in New Delhi, the world’s attention turned to India to figure out if this was an isolated incident or an endemic problem, or somewhere in between. This essay has a clear opinion. India – despite its economic emergence has a conservative and patriarchal social ecosystem and culture that is going to take a LONG time to change. If you believe what this writer has to say (and it’s hard not to), this translates into really bad news for women and worse news for Indians in general.
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America in Recline – Obama’s foreign policy leans back from the world.
A great article and perspective on Obama’s new foreign policy strategy – leaning back yet focusing with small, specialist teams to go after terrorist groups – and how this benefits America and the world.
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Now, go read these neat, neat articles (or the one or two that interest you) while I get my brain back in shape.
Actually, that was not so bad for a lazy post, now was it?
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“If you don’t have time to read, you don’t have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that.”
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Let’s Get Personal – My 12 Rules
The Zen Habits blog constantly gives me things that I spend thinking about seriously. A recent post by a guest blogger was one that provided active fertilizer for my brain. It was called 12 Rules to Live By. These rules formed the writer’s personal philosophy of how to live. He was not thrusting them on everyone but encouraging us to develop our own 12 rules.
I simply loved the post and thought, why not? It’s not important just to think about rules for myself but to write them down. I found out that it’s not that easy to do. But, whoever said that anything worth doing was easy?
When you write something like this down, you are forced to think harder because you are, in effect, making a serious commitment (which turned out to be one of my rules, by the way). Plus writing them down for everyone to see takes them to another level altogether. You’ll call me on any that I break, right? Right. That’s what I thought.
In an ideal world with an ideal me, here are my 12 rules – the 12 rules to live by. Are you asking me today whether I follow all these rules all the time? The answer is no.
Therefore, I’d like to make this about the 12 rules that I aspire to live by:
- Live in the moment. Forget regrets, learn from the past and don’t fear the future. Be aware of what’s around me. Always. Be mindfully aware of the beauty of life.
- Smile more often. Let anger and a bad mood take a rest. They sap my energy and are not worth the time of day. Bring myself back to all that is wonderful around and within. Stop and understand that without darkness, I would not recognize light. The yin and the yang. 🙂
- Make some “me-time” every day, even if it’s just for five minutes. Make it a time to contemplate, to dream big or just a way to rest my brain.
- Don’t hurt anyone, not even unintentionally. Think before I talk, before I act, before I react. Try putting myself in their shoes first.
- Become a daily practictioner of humility and honesty so that I become an expert at both.
- Be about giving, not receiving. Make my interactions be kind, compassionate, concerned and forgiving.
- Fulfill my obligations. Fulfill others’ expectations (or change them). Never make a commitment I don’t intend to, or am unable to keep.
- Get physical. Care for my body, care for my health. Yoga anyone?
- Write. Every single day. Likewise, read something worthwhile every day. (Okay, that’s 2).
- Have a strong work ethic. Work is not stress. Work is fulfilling and worth doing, and if it’s not, only I have the power to change it!
- Cherish my dear friends and relationships. They’re what make my world go around. Don’t just think about them. Stay in touch!
- Set aside some time every day for nothing, nothing, nothing but family.
So, what are your rules?
The Yin and Yang of Life Anywhere 