MERAKI (adj): Pouring yourself wholeheartedly into something, such as cooking, and doing so with soul, creativity and love. [Greek]*
Ella Frances Sanders

In Blake’s sense, a firm persuasion was a form of self-knowledge; it was understood as a result, an outcome, a bounty that comes from paying close attention to an astonishing world and the way each of us is made differently and uniquely for that world.**
John Higgs

Life is best
when poured into
an expressive life.

Whether streams
or oceans of possibility–
A soul must decide.

What matters is
that we find our way to
soulful, wholehearted works.

If you want to build a ship, don’t drum up the men to gather wood, divide the work, and give orders. Instead, teach them to yearn for the vast and endless sea.^

*Ella Frances Sanders’ Lost In Translation;
**John Higgs’ William Blake vs The World;
^Antoine de Saint Exupéry, quoted in gapingvoid’s blog: When In Doubt, Swim Upstream.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

The most interesting strategies happen at the edges, and the edges exist because that’s where the constraints are.*
Seth Godin

*Seth Godin’s This Is Strategy.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

Many seem to flinch at direct contact with strangers or pretend the apparent intrusion didn’t happen, so I’ve come to avoid the tiny interactions that seem much more welcome in New Orleans, even in New York City.*
Rebecca Solnit

*Rebecca Solnit’s No Straight Road Takes You There.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

The myth and its accompanying rituals were a reminder that often things had to get worse before they could get better, and that survival and creativity required a dedicated struggle.*
Karen Armstrong

*Karen Armstrong’s A Short History of Myth.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

It’s good that you’re feeling bored.  Bored is an actual feeling.  Bored can prompt toward motion…Bored is what empty space feels like, and you can use that empty space to do something important…I’m glad you’re feeling bored, and now we’re excited to see what you’re going to do about it. *
Seth Godin

Once you’ve truly settled into the anaesthetising effects of boredom, you find yourself enroute to discovery. … You let your mind wander and follow it where it goes.**
Pamela Paul

When did you learn the word boring?

My six year old grandson has begun to use it.

I’m gently letting him know being bored is his responsibility.

And boredom can appear before an adventure.

*Seth Godin blog: Thoughts on “I’m bored”;
**nytimes.com: Let Children Get Bored Again.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

It was a musical thing, and you were supposed to sing or dance while the music was being played.*
Alan Watts

The blue community** does not stand as guardians at the tombs of yesterday; it walks as midwife to the birth of tomorrow.^
AleXander McManus

Universe
plays the music–
We find the words to sing,
The steps to jig.

We
bring the meaning–
A contribution to make,
Our deepest wisdom.

We
harbingers of dawn–
Not recycling the past,
Believing in possibility.

*Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s Tiny Experiments;
**Those who are open to the the transcendence to be discovered in all things;
^AleXander McManus’ Blue Moments.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM LAST YEAR

Nothing happens until someone feels something.*
gapingvoid

Whatever pain you can’t get rid of, make it your creative offering – or find someone who makes it for you.**
Susan Cain

There are meanings born
in the simplicity of joy.

Others, though,
derive from the difficulty of complexity.

Yet others are forged
from the pain and endless despair of perplexity.

Our brains
need our feelings to know what to do.

A conversation ensues,
No misleadings, please.

Then the brain
moves us into action … with all our heart.

*gapingvoid’s blog: The Secret Key To Success;
**Susan Cain’s Bittersweet.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

When it comes to our life stories, nothing is ever final.*
Dan McAdams

Even though pop music uses many similar chords and structures, sometimes it still gives pop shivers…when moving to a certain chord hits just right, with just the right voicing, with just the right chord preceding it, with just the right melody over it.**
Gabe Anderson

Postmythic
is an option–
As I grow older I could be content to review my myth.

It’s one option–
Another
is to grow and develop my myth as long as possible.

As long as possible–
A euphemism
for the rest of my days, and the best day to begin is today.

Mythic–
A mystery
worth continuing– different people, situations, challenges … new shivers.

*Dan McAdams’ The Stories We Live By;
**Gabe Anderson’s blog: Pop Shivers.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

They found that people who identified their core characteristics or Superpowers and deliberately and intentional focused on Activating those Superpowers were more resilient and fulfilled.*
Todd Herman

When we go deeply into the personal, we go beyond the personal. We achieve something that is collective.**
Anaïs Nin

It turns out
that finding out
more about ourselves
ends up
not being about us
but connecting to
and serving others–
Who knew!

*Todd Herman’s The Alter Ego Effect;
**Suleika Jaoud’s The Book of Alchemy.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO

Happy, smart and useful.*
Derek Sivers

What you trade your attention for is what your life becomes.**
James Clear

What is your intentional story in three words?–
Your words, not someone else’s;
If these do not warm your heart,
Change them–
They’re your words.

Three words are practical–
Not too simple, not too complex –
In appraising and deciding,
And when you stray,
They call you home.

*Derek Sivers’ Hell Yeah Or No;
**James Clear’s 3-2-1 newsletter: On making the most of what you have, how to make a convincing argument, and embracing danger.

SOME RANDOM THIN|SILENCE
THIN|SILENCE FROM A YEAR AGO