“How we relate to adverse conditions is our choice. No one else has that power over us… Other people’s actions are one thing, but how we respond and are affected by those actions is within our power to change.”
- Tara Bennett-Goleman
Entries categorized as ‘Books’
Maintenance time
January 10, 2010 · Leave a Comment
I moved to the UK 6-months ago with an intention to travel, and experience more opportunities in the land of 60-million people. One of my goals was to travel to one place per month, and so far that has been achieved, even if it is somewhere in the UK. I’m conscious that a lot of people do “OE’s” and spend a lot of time in Europe, while living in the UK, and see very little of the UK. The accessibility to Europe is definitely one of the draw cards to living here.
I had 10-days off over Christmas but didn’t go anywhere. It was maintenance time. Time to reflect, look back on the last year, and plan forward. Each day was a nice balance of this, yoga, meditation, and plenty of sleep. It was ideal hibernation weather with the snow falling outside. Being a goal driven person I can get caught up in my things to do list and forget that it is only when you have reflection time, that you really look at these things to do with mindfulness, and perspective. It’s easy to do, and not really think, why am I doing this?
Johnathan Mead had an interesting set of questions on his website for reflection and goal setting so I sat down and did these before a unique New Year at the Manchester Buddhist Centre. We burnt things we wanted to let go off in 2010, which was very cleansing. This also helped put things in perspective for a year of. This year has been a massive year of change, and growth.
Some of my intentions for this year:
Health and fitness
- Be able to run 240-minutes a week, and run a half marathon (left over from last year)
- Do the Level 2 Yoga course at Bodywise
- Feel fit, healthy, and continue to focus on organic, healthy meat-free eating (I’ve finally let go of bacon, and butter chicken)
- Continue with a minimum of one yoga class per week, and 2-3 days of home practice
- Take dance lessons
Community, spiritual and friendships
- Work on friendships. It is easy to take these for granted, and then 2-3 years later realize you don’t have any! And be open, and put myself out there for more
- Get more involved with the Sangha at the Buddhist centre
- Level 2 Buddhism and meditation course
- Continue to meditate everyday
- Go on 2-3 Buddhist retreats
- Continue to read, and listen to Dharma podcasts
Gadgets
- Macbook Pro
- Photo scanner (for film)
Financial
- Debt free and continue to live within my means
- Increase my income
Creative
- Writing course
- Use my beautiful classic film cameras more, and learn how to use them properly by doing a photography course
- Finish 2 of the 3 books I have quarter/half done, and find a publisher for them
Travel
- Every month somewhere I have not been before
Other
- Continue catching my unskillful habits, and do things abnormally
- See things as they really are
- Be generous
- Be open to receiving
- Start another degree be it in business (MBA), or a Masters in mindfulness/CBT
- Continue to live authentically being true to who I am and what I want out of this life
It’s going to be a busy year.
Categories: Books · Buddhism · Happiness · Manchester · Mindfulness · Photography · Success · Travel · UK
Liverpool
September 4, 2009 · Leave a Comment
The other day I ventured off to Liverpool for the day to check it out. It was a grey English day, with predictable rain but I still saw a wee snap shot of the Beatle mania clad city. Hard days night hotel anyone? I start work on Monday, so it was essential to explore further afield.
These feet are made for walking… or standing on a horizontal escalator
Albert dock is a popular tourist destination so given I was a tourist that was one of my destinations. It has a few museums, including a Tate, a Beatles museum, a slavery museum, and a maritime museum.
Tate Liverpool
I concur
Banky’s
“The human race is the most stupid and unfair kind of race. A lot of the runners don’t even get decent sneakers or clean drinking water. Some runners are born with a massive head start, every possible help along the way and still the referees seem to be on their side. It’s not surprising a lot of people have given up competing altogether and gone to sit in the grandstand, eat junk and shout abuse. What the human race needs is a lot more streakers.” – Banksy
Categories: Books · Panasonic Lumix · Photography · Quote · Street Art · Travel · UK
London’s holiday audit
July 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment
The torture of my last trip to Europe was still tormenting my memory when boarding the plane on Monday. That last trip was a 36hr haul from Auckland to Singapore, to Frankfurt to Split (Croatia). But this one wasn’t too bad. I just dosed and listened to podcasts most of the way, trying to avoid the fact that I was thousands of feet up in a tin can.
Having arrived safe and sound it’s settle in time. I think my grey hairs are having an effect on my tolerance for things like 6-bed dorms and rabbit warren hostels. Anyway, that’s another story.
It’s really odd going from so much to do, to nothing, or anything and everything to do. When contemplating this I realised the reason is likely to be that I have not had a decent holiday since 2005 (5-months of traveling). In 2006 I had 2-wks, 07, nothing, and 08, the big 5-days. It’ so strange. All this time, which is something that is not second nature to me as I usually have a list of a million and one things to do everyday. With that in mind, I wrote my list yesterday which of course primarily consists of items to shop for. Must take advantage of the London sales after all. I didn’t quite find anything yesterday but enjoyed the Tate Museum, and with finding work on my agenda (ok, another list for next week), Alain de Botton’s “The pleasures and sorrows of work” was purchased. Very apt given my current predicament, and heavy in subject as well as physical presence – not so good for the backpack that is creating extra muscles I did not think possible on my back.
It’s raining here today so it’s a museum day. First on my list (oh there we go again!), is the Photography Museum, and then the British Museum.
Behind this door
July 5, 2009 · Leave a Comment
…is coffee goodness! I love finding new cafes. Cafe Supreme roast there beans in Douglas street, Ponsonby and started a very kitch kiwiana cafe backing onto the roasting warehouse. It is very cute, and definitely worth a visit.
I can’t wait to explore cafes in London. Or perhaps it will be pubs instead?
Categories: Auckland · Books · Coffee · Panasonic Lumix · Photography
Habits
June 8, 2009 · Leave a Comment
“Your habitual way of explaining bad events, your explanatory style, is more than just the words you mouth when you fail. It is a habit of thought learned in childhood and adolescence. Your explanatory style stems directly from your view of your place in the world – whether you think you are valuable and deserving, or worthless and hopeless. It is the hallmark of whether you are an optimist or a pessimist.”
-Martin Seligmen, Learned Optimism
Learned Optimism
June 7, 2009 · Leave a Comment
I just picked up a book from the library last week called Learned Optimism
He talks about learned helplessness. How we can learn to be helpless to our life situations, and behaviours so fundamentally then we can unlearn helplessness to.
“When you are living in darkness, why don’t you look for the light?”
- The Dhammapada
Learned helplessness, and learned optimism remind me of a buddhist teaching that has made the biggest difference to my life – that while we may not be able to choose what happens to us, or choose our obstacles, we can choose how we react to them.
“If you are determined to think of yourself as limited, fearful, vulnerable, or scarred by past experience, know only that you have chosen to do so. The opportunity to experience yourself differently is always available.”
- Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Teaching an Anthill to Fetch
May 10, 2009 · Leave a Comment
Recently I read this remarkable book, Teaching an Anthill to Fetch
Categories: Books
Book launch
May 1, 2009 · Leave a Comment
In April I did two book launches for the 2009 edition of my book. One was in Wellington, and one was in Auckland. I used to have a massive fear of public speaking. It was so bad that it was in fact debilitating, as I couldn’t think and speak at the same time. Instead, I’d go beet-root red, and say basically nothing.
Despite thinking my lecturers were pure evil at University, my experiences there of having to speak and do seminars almost weekly when in 3rd year undergrad, and during my masters were a blessing in disguise.
The Dip, By Seth Godin
April 19, 2009 · Leave a Comment
This snappy little 80-page book, The Dip
A few quotes:
“Quit, or be exceptional. Average is for losers.” - Straight to the point.
“Extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny minority of people who are able to push just a tiny longer than most. Extraordinary benefits accrue to the tiny majority with the guts to quit early and refocus their efforts on something new.”
“The time to look for a new job is when you don’t need one.”
“All our successes are the same. All our failures are too. We succeed when we do something remarkable. We fail when we give up too soon. We succeed when we are the best in the world at what we do. We fail when we get distracted by tasks we don’t have the guts to quit.”
- Seth Godin
