on the simple life...

"One great complaint, I think, must stand against the modern upholders of the simple life in all its varied forms, from vegetarianism to the honourable consistency of the Doukhobors. This complaint against them stands, that they would make us simple in the unimportant things, but complex in the important things. They would make us simple in the things that do not matter-- that is, in diet, in costume, in etiquette, in economic system. But they would make us complex in the things that do matter--in philosophy, in loyalty, in spiritual acceptance, and spiritual rejection. It does not so very much matter whether a man eats a grilled tomato or a plain tomato; it does very much matter whether he eats a plain tomato with a grilled mind. The only kind of simplicity worth preserving is the simplicity of the heart, the simplicity which accepts and enjoys. There may be a reasonable doubt as to what system preserves this; there can surely be no doubt that a system of simplicity destroys it. There is more simplicity in the man who eats caviar on impulse than in the man who eats grape-nuts on principle."
G K Chesterton, Heretics

on trends...

"When modern sociologists talk of the necessity of accommodating one's self to the trend of the time, they forget that the trend of the time at its best consists entirely of people who will not accommodate themselves to anything. At its worst it consists of many millions of frightened creatures all accommodating themselves to a trend that is not there. And that is becoming more and more the situation of modern England. Every man speaks of public opinion, and means by public opinion, public opinion minus his opinion. Every man makes his contribution negative under the erroneous impression that the next man's contribution is positive. Every man surrenders his fancy to a general tone which is itself a surrender. And over all the heartless and fatuous unity spreads this new and wearisome and platitudinous press, incapable of invention, incapable of audacity, capable only of a servility all the more contemptible because it is not even a servility to the strong. But all who begin with force and conquest will end in this."
G K Chesterton, Heretics

on progress...

"Progress, properly understood, has, indeed, a most dignified and legitimate meaning. But as used in opposition to precise moral ideals, it is ludicrous... Nobody has any business to use the word "progress" unless he has a definite creed and a cast-iron code of morals. Nobody can be progressive without being doctrinal... For progress by its very name indicates a direction."
GK Chesterton, "Heretics"

In Light of This, As I've Lived on Board This Boat

By Johanna Skibsrud (From "I Do Not Think That I Could Love a Human Being" without permission)

It was, then, the way I like it best:
made, as I was, by weather, so aware.
By the contrast of the sun and cold,
each so separate on my skin.

It's nearly always like that.
In the excess or the absence of a thing that I
appreciate it best. The way I wish I always
could. By plunging myself deeply into it, I mean,
and taking up, within it, all the space I can.

Looking back, it's just, there always seems to be more
room within each moment than, originally, I'd thought.
So that it's only, then, in retrospect, that I
explore each moment, truly; only then take that great pleasure,
and that's so sad.

That I do that - and, I do.
Imagine my moments, as I first possess them,
to be so small that I just splash right through,
and don't notice at first, or particularly,
the space available to me there,
which only later I realize I can fill.

In light of this, I want always to
live as I have lived on board this boat.
To be, always, like this: tired when I sleep,
humgry when I sit eat, and when I love I want to love
as recklessly as this: when I've been,
in my loneliness, desiring.

catalyst

lyrics to consider.  imagine U2 with Bono singing it?

you wake up and see the same pain of yesterday
you drink your coffee and mourn the need
you long for Sunday, for rest, for time to heal 
you feel tired like a part of you has died but you do not bleed

you have a list of all you would fix and how
you won't let the wrong sit, but where to start
you are no one important, no one in the right place. 
you ache for change, the change is in your heart

the change you become, the change you will be 
the world needs your mind, and your vision to see

you're a catalyst, you leave a legacy
your voice echos on and on and on into eternity

I don't know where to turn and look for help
my money leaves a trail of blood and pain
the way its made, the toil required
my heart aches thinking of the stain

my distance, my desire, my needs they take
my quest is to replace, replenish and give
how can we stop our rape of the world
how can we find our balance and live

the change you become, the change you will be 
the world needs your mind, and your vision to see

you're a catalyst, you leave a legacy
your voice echos on and on and on into eternity

you know there are things to make right
I am scared to speak out and talk
you know we need to continue the fight
I have to lead the way and start the walk

I can change the world by talking to one
You can shape the future by telling the story
I will share my thoughts and then its begun
You will plant a thought and watch it grow

the change you become, the change you will be 
the world needs your mind, and your vision to see

you're a catalyst, you leave a legacy
your voice echos on and on and on into eternity

we need hope that we will learn from our mistakes
we feel the love of connecting with one another
we know the earth responds when we stop the bad
we know deep down we are sister and brother

we can start the train that changes tomorrow
we have the power to change now 
we want people to be around forever
we will shout our dreams out loud 

the change you become, the change you will be 
the world needs your mind, and your vision to see

you're a catalyst, you leave a legacy
your voice echos on and on and on into eternity

the change I will become, the change I will be 
the world needs my mind, and my vision to see

I am a catalyst, I leave a legacy
My voice will echo on into eternity


the catalyst, written by Dale Clark


Now I just need the music to go with it and can hit the road. Simple chords please with a YouTube tutorial perhaps? 

4 kinds of officer

I listened to Stewart Brand on CBC Ideas the other day and he mentioned that when he was an officer in the US military his trainers held the belief that there were 4 kinds of officers. I found it very interesting.

From best to worst:

Brilliant and Lazy

Brilliant and Industrious

Lazy and Stupid

Industrious and Stupid

I loved how "Brilliant and Lazy" was better than "Brilliant and Industrious". He said you needed someone to come up with the best ideas that required the least amount of resources and therefore he's "... striven to be lazy ever since."

Ditto.

recipes for success - professional development

After two days at a professional development forum I am reminded of yet another recipe for success, take the time to for professional development.  

While we regularly have opportunities to improve our skills for our job, we also need to take the time to improve our overall person and see out opportunities to stretch ourselves. We need to be reminded that working with people, data, information, concepts, etc is something that is always changing and improving. We need to hear and read how other people think so we can reflect on how we think about the same things. 

After we take the time to develop ourselves we then need to share that information with others to further develop ourselves and contribute to the same of others. 

I will try to write more and at to this but I wanted to share this before I forgot.