It was six men of Indostan,
To learning much inclined,
Who went to see the Elephant
(Though all of them were blind),
That each by observation
Might satisfy his mind.
Pause and Reflect
Experience for What it is, not what you think it is
“Try to be surprised by something every day. It could be something you see, hear, or read about. Stop to look at the unusual car parked at the curb, taste the new item on the cafeteria menu, actually listen to your colleague at the office. How is this different from other similar cars, dishes or conversations? What is its essence? Don’t assume that you already know what these things are all about, or that even if you knew them, they wouldn’t matter anyway. Experience this once thing for what it is, not what you think it is. Be open to what the world is telling you. Life is nothing more than a stream of experiences – the more widely and deeply you swim in it, the richer your life will be.”
— Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (Creativity: Flow and the Psychology of Discovery and Invention)
Being in Flow
Flow is when you are completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” ~Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Overcoming Reactivity – Eckhart Tolle
( contributed by Dominic )
Welcome to the Neutral Zone
………I never really stopped to consider how I did what I did, I just got on with it. But, once I began to consciously reflect on it I fell in a heap and couldn’t really figure out how I’d done it. Or perhaps more importantly – I didn’t know why. And, I certainly didn’t know what I was going to do next.
I came to recognise this place of limbo as the ‘Neutral Zone’ – or the second phase described by Bridges………….
In between the letting go and the taking hold again, there is a chaotic but potentially creative “neutral zone” when things aren’t the old way, but aren’t really a new way yet either. This three-phase process-ending, neutral zone, beginning again-is transition. Transition is the way that we all come to terms with change.”
– William Bridges
Read the full blog post / article by chelvendra@
http://www.giftofconfusion.org/articles/welcome-to-the-neutral-zone
Thought for the Week – 4th May 2020
Small Steps
My grandmother once gave me a tip:
In difficult times, you move forward in small steps.
Do what you have to do, but little by little.
Don’t think about the future, or what may happen tomorrow.
Wash the dishes.
Remove the dust.
Write a letter.
Make a soup.
You see?
You are advancing step by step.
Take a step and stop.
Rest a little.
Praise yourself.
Take another step.
Then another.
You won’t notice, but your steps will grow more and more.
And the time will come when you can think about the future without crying.
– Elena Mikhalkova
(contributed by sathyam)
Thought for the Week – 27th April 2020
Contemplation
“Scientists who study human motivation have lately learned that after basic survival needs have been met, the combination of autonomy (the desire to direct your own life), mastery (the desire to learn, explore, and be creative), and purpose (the desire to matter, to contribute to the world) are our most powerful intrinsic drivers—the three things that motivate us most. All three are deeply woven through the fabric of flow.”
– Steven Kotler
Pause reflect and go inwards
We live in a world that is obsessed with answers and action. We have a problem and immediately search for an answer, implement a solution, or ‘do’ something to address the issue. Our natural tendency is to find solutions to the challenges we face or the crisis we find ourselves in or we get busy with something else so we can ignore it for a while. Whilst understandable, this single-minded focus on ‘doing’ is interfering with our ‘being’ and is often getting us further away from our truth as we continue to drown out the inner voice within.
Read more…..
https://www.giftofconfusion.org/articles/pause-reflect-and-go-inwards
ONE TUSK 