Kategoriarkiv: Kultur

Collaborative Co-Creation

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You know those wonderful sketches of the ladies that have enriched my statements on this and that? On awareness (or rather, medvetenhet since the post is in Swedish), judgement and compassion. Well. They are the result of a spontaneous co-creative collaboration with my dear friend Sus.

collaboration

I know she’s a lady of many talents, but I had no idea she was such a great artist until she started to play around on Paper by fiftythree, after she saw me do some doodles there. I highly suggest you check her work out in MIX.

And yes. There are several collaborative pieces hiding in the drawer, just waiting for me to get them into a blog post. Because I sure hope she’ll continue to play with me, for several reasons:

  1. It’s great fun to engage in a creative collaborative co-creating with a friend.
  2. When she creates an image to words I’ve written, she visualizes them in a way that sometimes opens my eyes to the word from a different angle.
  3. Her ladies makes me smile!

When did you last engage in a creative collaborative bit of co-creation?

Podcast 34/52 – The gift of failure

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I am very interested in school development and life long learning, with the firm belief that schools and how they are shaped actually shape the society we live in, to a large extent. Hence I was thrilled to listen to Jessica Lahey on Good Life Project, since she’s a teacher with a passion for learning.

And was I ever rewarded! Jessica and Jonathan had such an interesting conversation that when I was finished, and still had several kilometers left on the bike ride I was on, that I just pressed PLAY and started to listen one more time.

BoldomaticPost_The-gift-of-failures-an-opporJessica Lahey wrote an article in The Atlantic in January 2013 entitled Why parents need to let their children fail and since then, she’s written a book on the subject of failure as well. And she’s telling some fascinating stories in this podcast, around failure (amongst other things), and on the opportunity for growth that most (all?) failures bring with them. I especially like the way she balances her own experience both as a teacher and a parent, demonizing neither party, but totally seeing the pro’s and con’s each role can provide in the development of a child.

So, are you a parent? Listen to this episode.

Or perhaps, you are a teacher or work in schools? Listen to this episode.

Maybe you are lucky enough to be a parent yourself, or have any kind of relationship with children, such as being an aunt, uncle, grandfather, cousin, neighbor, scout leader or anything else where you come in contact with children and young adults? Listen to this episode.

There. I think I covered the lot right then and there, didn’t I? Have I convinced you yet that this is simply a no-miss-podcast that you definitely will listen to?

#theconf – day 2

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Today marked day 2 of #theconf, and it started in the best possible way. Nina Persson and Motoboy kicked it off by performed an amazing version of Lovefool, listen to a snippet here:

Then Suleiman Bakhit entered the stage and blew me, and the rest of the audience, away, with a story on (hate and) heroism. I can only say this: watch it!

Here’s a positive force in the world, skilled in telling a story, his story, a story of heroism and the positive effect it can have, which you simply have to see. Because what Suleiman gave us this morning and what he gives (especially Arabic) children and youth around the world, is just what we need: positive stories of making a change, on an individual but simultaneously collective level. So do me, and yourself, a favor and watch it!

suleiman

Do you believe in heroes?

#theconf – day 1

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Today I attended the first of two days of the conference called just that, The conference, hashtagged #theconf.

I’ve never been to #theconf before, and there’s tons of things I could share with you…. except, it’s been such a busy jam-packed day that I am absolutely beat, head filled up, all I want to do is lie down and read a book for a few minutes before nodding off to sleep and dream sweet dreams.

how to like peopleHowever, I will share one of the highlights of the day, namely Derek Sivers, who gave short snippets of just a few minutes at the start of the keynote sessions, in the morning and again after lunch.

In the morning, Derek spoke on the topic: How to like people, and as that’s something I’ve been thinking a bit about these past days, especially concerning Twitter, I was ripe for the picking so to speak, really digging Dereks little food for thought. And you’re in luck. That snippet has been uploaded on #theconf website, so check it out!

how to prepare for unknowable futureAfter lunch, the topic Derek mused on was: How to thrive in an unknowable future, and again, a topic that I’ve been contemplating a lot for the past years, as I’ve to a large extent let go of any notion of being in control. (Modified with link 19AUG2015.)

If you don’t want to wait for me to blog more about #theconf, check out the twitter-feed, to which I have contributed throughout the day. And remember to do the same tomorrow, for day 2.

Until then, I leave you with Derek’s questions:
How to like people?
How to prepare for the unknowable future?

Podcast 33/52 – On Beauty

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Inspired by my coach Carla, I recently bought the book Beauty – the invisible embrace by John O’Donahue. Haven’t started to read it yet, but I will. In the meantime, I’ve listened to the podcast from On Being, where Krista Tippett is in conversation with John just a few month before he died, way to early, at 52 years of age.

This is another one of those podcasts where I, after listening to it, simply press PLAY again, to listen once more. And then once more. And so on. Every time I hear something new, pick up on a different vibe, moved by a phrase, a word, an emotion arising within me.

BoldomaticPost_beauty-is-not-a-luxury-but-IThere is just too much beauty, wonder, insight and laughter in this podcast to even begin to try to characterize or label it. It’s simply too rich, too overwhelming, too beautiful.

I absolutely adore Johns Irish accent so I could re-listen to this podcast many times, solely for the joy of hearing John speak. It’s beautiful, there’s a rhythm and song to it, that gathers me up, holds me, in warm arms. And beauty is, after all, one of the theme this entire conversation centers around. John gives some wonderful suggestions on how to ensure you have beauty in your life, no matter what physical surroundings you live in, suggestions that are profound in their simplicity.

Now, at the end of this interview (which I truly hope you will listen to!), John talks a bit about conversation. He asks a question, which I will leave you with:

And the question is: when is the last time that you had a great conversation, a conversation which wasn’t just two intersecting monologues, which is what passes for conversation a lot in this culture. But when had you last a great conversation, in which you overheard yourself saying things that you never knew you knew?

Podcast 32/52 – A special treat for you!

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In Sweden we have an old radio tradition dating back to 1959 called Sommar i P1. That means ”Summer in program 1” and I’ve never heard it presented in anything other than Swedish. However, for some reason, of which I am very grateful, one of the best episodes of this summer, with environmental scientist Johan Rockström, suddenly showed up, in an English version. He gave his original Sommar-show in Swedish, and if you know the language, I’d recommend that. But if you aren’t one of the fewer than 10 million people worldwide who know Swedish, please make sure you listen to the English version!

As a person with a strong environmental interest there were a lot of facts in this podcast that I already knew about. Some that I think I’ve forgotten but now have a revived understanding about, and, interestingly enough, quite a few new facts and figures to me.

BoldomaticPost_I-support-the-Earth-StatementJohan Rockström provides some devastating pieces of information, regarding our world and what humans are doing to it, but he has an optimism to him, that makes this episode strangely uplifting, despite the grim realities of climate changes and the likes, that we face.

One of the things that Johan Rockström have initiated is The Earth Statement, which is something I had not heard of before I listened to this podcast (which I’ve done three times, by now), but since then I’ve become a supporter, adding my name to the list of many others.
Check it out yourself: http://earthstatement.org or perhaps you already have?

 

 

 

 

Podcast 31/52 – Asking is not receiving

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Podcast recommendation 31/52 from the Good Life Project marks the return of ordinary counting in this series. I went off the deep end and named two blog posts after each other number 27… Oops. Anyway. Here I am, back on track full out, it’s week 31 and here’s the 31st podcast recommendation in this year-long series.

BoldomaticPost_When-asking-for-help-make-surSo here it is, an episode from Good Life Project with Jonathan Fields, that I listened to a couple of times yesterday, as I was picking black currants. A short riff on something that I haven’t really given a lot of thought to; the difference between asking for help, advice or assistance, and being open to receiving it.

Asking is not receiving.

As I am writing this post I am listening to it once more, and there’s something to this short story that touches me. This sequence in particular makes me pause, and reflect, looking deep within:

There comes a time when you need to stand naked and silent in the room.
To not just lower the shields, but keep them down. 

Are you open to receiving?
To standing naked and silent?
If so, the real work begins…

John Cleese and Groundhog Day

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Just finished reading John Cleese autobiography So, Anyway… which is a book I recommend even for those who, like me, haven’t really got the British comedy scene from the 60s onwards down pat. One of the foremost insights I had when reading was how apparent it is that life unfolds, in mysterious ways, and how going with the flow of life can lead to fantastic careers, such as John Cleese’s.

But besides that, he talks a lot about writing (he sees himself first and foremost, as a writer rather than an actor), and stipulates a few rules for writing funny stuff, the second of which I really enjoyed reading:

BoldomaticPost_Your-thoughts-follow-your-moo

This I’ve found to be true: My emotions are a guide to my current state of mind, or mood, to use John’s words. I react to the world, from my current internal mindset, rather than have the outside world create my mood. I find this important!

It’s a bit like Groundhog day, you know, the movie with Bill Murray, where he keeps on reliving February 2nd, over and over again. The same things occur, and depending on his current internal mood, he’s happy, sad, angry, annoyed, depressed, frustrated about it. The same things. But his mood determines whether or not he perceives it to be good or bad, happy or sad, cheery or boring. This is true also in my life, as well as your’s, and is not a movie-feature.

If I’m in a miserable state of mind, I will see all things through that lens. It’s not the miserable things of the world that causes me to feel miserable. My mood tints the world into appearing miserable.

If I’m in a happy-go-lucky state of mind, I will see all things through that lens. It’s not the happy things of the world that causes me to feel happy-go-lucky. My mood tints the world into appearing happy-go-lucky.

One day I knock over a glass of water on the kitchen table and you would not want to be around me, for all the shouting, swearing and cursing going on, ruining my entire day and giving me ample evidence the whole world is out to get me. Another day, I laugh at my own clumsiness and after wiping it up just goes about my business, without a single cuss-word crossing my lips.

Have you experienced that as well, where the same things happened twice in a row, but your reaction is totally different?

Podcast 29/52 – Bearing witness

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Here’s a new recommendation for you, at long last! I have tons of episodes from On Being, Good Life Project and One You Feed that I’d love to recommend for you, but I also want to give you a taste of something new. So here’s Rich Roll in conversation with Andy Puddicombe, the voice and co-founder of Headspace, the meditation app that I’ve been using for almost a year now.

I’ve just listened to a few episodes of the Rich Roll Podcast, and I will be recommending some more as time goes, but the episode with Andy was really interesting, in part because I honestly had no clue to Andy’s extremely unusual background! I might be the only one in the Western world who’s missed out on that story, but… go figure. There I was, anyway. Rich and Andy cleared that up for me though, which I am happy about. Because Andy has lived a life with a story worth telling, that’s for sure.

BoldomaticPost_Most-people-assume-that-meditI’ve never taken to meditation before. Haven’t really tried, properly, and never got interested enough to actually give it a go. And I’m quite happy about that actually, because I sure had it wrong.

Andy got it right, in this quote. That’s the mis-conception that I had. That meditation was a way to stop the inner chatter, the endless jabber, that’s accompanied me all my life.

Perhaps lucky for me, I’d already gotten an understanding of how thoughts work, how they shape the world as I experience it, and what with daily blogging (being a form of self-coaching for me) for a couple of years, I’d gotten pretty ok at stepping back from myself, bearing witness.

So when I started on the Headspace-journey, I had absolutely no wish, desire or ambition for it to help me ”stop my thoughts”. Not at all. I just really enjoyed giving myself 10-15-20 minutes a day devoted to stepping back and bearing witness, just being with myself. Sometimes in absolute calm. Sometimes agitated as hell. And not getting caught up in either of those states, but rather just seeing it, seeing me, in the moment.

Anyway. Whether or not you meditate or if you really loath meditation and such mumbo-jumbo, this interview is worth listening to, in my view. And if, by chance, you get interested in the Headspace app and want to give it a go, start with the free 10-day routine, and then let me know if you want to try more. Because I have a 30-day voucher to give away to someone who want’s it! Might it be you?

 

 

Janne, vilken story!

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Varje söndag under 2015 har jag tipsat om en podcast, antingen ett specifikt avsnitt som jag gillar extra mycket eller en hel podcast-serie, och det tänker jag fortsätta med. Men alla de tipsen är på engelska och jag lyssnar ju på svenska poddar också, som jag gärna skulle vilja rekommendera, så jag har beslutat mig för att tipsa dig om ett antal svenska poddar jag lyssnar till.

Jag har tipsat om #100procentpodden, #vågapratapodden, Ledarkanalen som alla är nya podcasts och Värvet, som är en trotjänare. Men även Värvet har en bit kvar innan det blir en lika trogen följeslagare att lyssna till som klassiska Sommar i P1. Lyssnade till Kjell Enhager häromdagen och småfnittrade lite för mig själv när jag föreställde mig vissa bekanta i sociala media som jag riktigt kan se framför mig hur de missnöjt och upprört fryner på näsan åt Kjells livsinställning att älta positivt.

BoldomaticPost_Varfor-finns-du-ni-till-Hur-maSjälv njöt jag. Inte minst åt hans lovsång till Varför drygt 18 minuter in i programmet om du lyssnar till versionen utan musik. Som jag önskar att fler företag och kommuner följde Kjells råd och frågade sig varför de finns till för att därefter jobba för att leva upp till det. Ja, individer med för den delen. Jag har gjort just det i mitt liv, och det gör det onekligen enklare att göra val i vardagen.

Det fanns ett tillfälle då jag riktigt rös av kraften i hans berättelse, och det var när han berättade om Janne, som cyklade Vätternrundan när det värsta möjliga inträffade. Vilken berättelser. Herre min ge. Jag vill inte förstöra din upplevelse dock, så ta och lyssna själv vettja så du får höra hur något fullkomligt omöjligt blir möjligt. För om inte Jannes story får dig att inse att det faktiskt är så, ja, då vet inte jag vad som skulle krävas.

Vilket är ditt favorit-sommarprat?