Kategoriarkiv: #English

Powerful story!

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Oh my, just listened to Kemp Powers story on The Moth, entitled ”The past wasn’t done with me”, and even though I have blogged already today, I just need to get this out of my system, ASAP.

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This is a story worth hearing, or reading for that matter, and I urge you to do just that! If you haven’t discovered The Moth before, now’s a good time. Stories told live on stage without notes, is the tag line, and I’ve listened to some great stories, let me tell you.

When was the last time a story rocked your world?

Let it shine!

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Alan Seale sends out a weekly newsletter called The Transformer. On August 28th, this poem was the starting point:

Do those things that incline you toward the big questions, and avoid the things that would reduce you and make you trivial. That luminous part of you that exists beyond personality – your soul, if you will – is as bright and shining as any that has ever been. Bright as Shakespeare’s, bright as Gandhi’s, bright as Mother Teresa’s. Clear away everything that keeps you separate from this secret luminous place. Believe it exists, come to know it better, nurture it, share its fruits tirelessly.

— George Saunders, American writer

Wonderful words, stirring deep into my soul.

20130828-131302.jpgEspecially the latter part, about clearing away that which keeps me separate from my own luminous place. That resonates, because I believe we have so many patterns that form layers on top of the pure un-adulterated me.

Patterns can serve me. They might also do the opposite. It’s highly likely they did serve me when they were created. But do they still, perhaps years after I created them?

I try to identify my patterns and habits. Once I have, I let my Curious George run wild, checking them out, seeing if they still serve or not.

Any that I I find don’t serve me any more, I clear, one by one, making use of the energy within them, to become true to myself, showing my secret luminous place.

So let it shine – that which is truly you! We all need for you to let it shine!

What lies hidden in your secret luminous place?

the edge

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I like living on the edge, being allowed to discover my boundaries, and breaking new ground. For me, the edge to a large extent revolves around thinking and feeling. I am not a physical daredevil, at all. But I know my mental edge and I push at it, stretching it, moving it outwards.

Pushing against the edge (or border, if you prefer that word) to see what lies on the other side.

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It seems many people have forgotten about this way of life, which to a large extent is what small children do, just by being what they are. It’s in their nature.

What’s in yours? Would you dare to push against your own edges today? Do you dare not to?

Out beyond…

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These lines by Rumi, the poet, have popped in and out of my life in the past couple of years. But never more than recently, when it’s gone into overdrive. So I figure it’s time to pay attention!

Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing
and rightdoing there is a field.
I’ll meet you there.

– Rumi

Imagine what would happen if you let go of ideas of what’s right and wrong. Can you even imagine? For me, it’s hard. But I have kept these lines close to my heart for almost three years. I first heard them from Britt Weide, a fenomenal master coach, who was also my mentor coach during my training at CoachWalk Academy to become a professional coach.

20130909-171725.jpgWhat if you just try, for a day, or two, to let go of right and wrong?

Obedient?

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Thanks to Michael Sillion I am now listening to Seth Godin reading his book The Icarus Deception. It’s a thought provoking book, and I have come to realize it’s not a good book to listen to while out walking. Why, you ask?

Well, because there’s such poignant stuff being said every minute, and so I stop, pause the audio, open Boldomatic and type the words of wisdom, sharing them with the world. Get moving again, starting the audio, only to put it on pause, to write another bit of wisdom in Boldomatic. And so on.

As you can understand that makes for a fairly slow moving walk.

Here’s one of the words of wisdom I jotted down the other day:

20130908-212919.jpgHave you ever asked yourself that question? Why are we obedient? Who is best served by obedience? Are you obedient?

The road less traveled

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The other day Robert Frost came to me. Well, since he’s no longer alive, he didn’t come to me in person, of course, but in spirit. Frost wrote about a diverging road, and when he came to the crossroads and had to chose, he took the road less traveled by, and stated that was what made all the difference.

Hear the full poem here, and read the final phrases here:

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I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I–
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
– Robert Frost

The message I take from these words revolve around the School spring, the movement that I devote a lot of my time to. It’s based in Sweden, and is called #skolvåren in Swedish. #skolvåren ask the question ”Why school?” to get people to think about it as the powerful tool it is. School is a tool for creating the society we live in.

For me, taking the road less traveled is a must for #skolvåren, as we are in reality questioning an entire system. And how can we do that if #skolvåren itself turns into a predictable system or set up? Why not question a traditional way of doing things (i.e. the school system), in a way that has never been done before.

If we take the road most often traveled, going for a traditional organization, we loose the edge that makes it possible for us to question the traditional school system. If we run it the way everybody else would have run it had they gotten involved with the movement when it came to life on Twitter in February 2013, there would be no magic, no sparkle, and for me, no thrill.

Would you chose to take the road less traveled?

Stroke of insight

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Have you watched Jill Bolte Taylor‘s TED Talk about her stroke of insight (and she really means stroke)?

It’s a favorite of mine, and I strongly recommend it:

However, what I recommend even more is that you get a hold of a copy of her book My stroke of insight. In the book Jill describes what she discovered before/during/after she got her stroke. Since she’s a neuroanatomist she studies the brain. Her personal experience of having a massive stroke, coupled with her expertize of the brain makes for a very interesting book.

The thing I took with me from the book is her sensations of being one, and being everything. But you’ll simply have to read it to understand what I mean!

Have you experienced getting an insight that rocks your entire world?

WorkFlowy

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Have you discovered WorkFlowy? I’ve used it for almost a year now and it suits me perfectly. Mostly because I am prone to lists. I like lists. 20130819-145040.jpgWhenever there is something to do, out comes pen and paper and I write down a list. That’s why I was so happy when WorkFlowy popped up in my field of vision. I’ve tried other digital list tools before, but this one is the one I like the most. You see – it’s a list tool. That’s it. It’s nothing more and nothing less, it just very easily let’s you write lists.

I had great use of it in May, for the birthday lunch I was organizing for my mother. Easy to use, typing guest lists and replies, what to serve, who was doing what etc.

I also it to write down what the kids wanted for last Christmas. I could then share this list with relatives. Very nifty!

As an added bonus – but basically default by now – it’s accessible in a web browser or as an application.

Are you a list person?

Violence is never the answer

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Stumbled upon a video from Upworthy of Patrick Stewart answering a question from the audience, and now here I am, with tears streaming down my face.

Heather Skye, the lady who asked the question, blogs about what Patricks powerful response made possible for her. After reading that, even more tears are shed.

20130829-110844.jpgViolence can come in many forms.
Violence can be perpetrated by any human being.
But violence is never the answer.

Together we can create a better world, a world that works. To get there, we must each take a look at ourselves and ensure we do what we can to do our part.

Ask yourself:
What do I bring to the world?

The Rainbow Troops

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My brother suggested I read The Rainbow Troops by Andrea Hirata. So I suggested the book for the library to purchase, and lo and behold, it worked this time around as well. I got a note saying the book was ready for me to pick up, and I did.

20130826-091806.jpgThe story is about a group of children going to a dirt poor free school on the island of Belitong in Indonesia. It’s a fascinating story, told with beautiful language.

As I am very interested and involved in the Swedish school debate, trying my best to add some depth to it, by asking the question ”Why school?”, the most interesting part comes at the very end. There [on page 285 in the hardback copy in the picture] the two paths schools seems to be taking in the world are clarified:

  1. Schools as a means to provide individuals with knowledge which leads to self-value, celebrating humanity with dignity, joy of learning and the light of civilization.
  2. Schools as a means to materialism, to making money, getting rich, gaining power and fame.

Those are two ways to answer the question of ”Why school?” – my question to you is: What’s your answer?