My Curious Mind: Recent Episodes
Geoffrey X Lane
I have always been curious and just like the cat it has sometimes gotten me into trouble but overwhelmingly it has helped me create an amazing life. A podcast focused on ‘why’ and practical self-development and ZEN philosophy…
Grateful Grateful; is a feeling or showing an appreciation of kind act, help, sharing of knowledge or state of being… I'm very grateful to you for all your help.
Thankful - Being “thankful”, on the other hand, is defined as the feeling of being pleased or relieved. It can also be defined as being conscious of a benefit received. Thankful; I was very thankful to be alive after the care accident… I am thankful for this day… or 'thank you' for someone bringing you a cup of coffee...
Expectations - we all expect when we turn on a light - that light floods the room. We had a wind storm in Victoria November 4th. Strong winds and heavy rain left about 330,000 B.C. Hydro customers on Vancouver Island and the mainland without power on Friday night. As of 10:30 p.m. Friday, 200,000 people were without power.
We relaxed and enjoyed an evening without power. But I realized we expect that the - banks are open - the power works - the buses run on time - the emergency room is open. That we will wake up tomorrow. None of this is true for the people of Ukraine...
The Empty Cup: The usefulness of a cup is in its emptiness. — Bruce Lee
There was a Japanese Zen master named Nan-in who lived during the Meiji era . During his days as a teacher, he was visited by a university professor curious about Zen.
Being polite, Nan-in served the professor a cup of tea.
As he poured, the professor’s cup became full, but Nan-in kept on pouring. As the professor watched the cup overflow, he could no longer contain himself and said, “It is overfull. No more will go in!”
Nan-in turned to the professor and said, “Like the cup, you are too full of your own opinions and speculations. How can I show you Zen unless you first empty your cup?”
Are you a Rugged Individualist? The belief that all individuals, or nearly all individuals, can succeed on their own and that government help for people should be minimal. The phrase is often associated with policies of the Republican party and was widely used by the Republican president Herbert Hoover.
John Wayne – Rugged Individualist - Movie Star
While the causes of the Brexit vote were complex, the causes of the catastrophic handling of the Brexit process might be familiar to anyone versed in imperial and post-imperial history.
They stem from what appears to be a belief in British exceptionalism: the idea that Britain is inherently different from, and superior to, other nations and empires.
I am curious about the “power of marketing” the good, the bad and seriously ugly. Marketing or propaganda has been with us forever, it is the worlds oldest profession!
At first it was word of mouth & results – always story telling. Plays and propaganda; always story telling. The Egyptians hieroglyphs – written word with illustrations, massive structures. Written word monks in cloister writing bibles/Koran/art depictions? Then the movable printing press, giant posters, then radio. Movies and television. Internet. Technology – egocentric technology. The internet made it feel real. Me! Me! Me!
Marketing: it really worked - politicians grew it! Politicians exploited it!
Soul Poison? How we went from ‘The Greatest Generation' to the 'Baby Boomers' - to "Me! Me! Me!” The story of how we lost our soul to marketing.
Throughout history mankind has celebrated the bountiful harvest with thanksgiving ceremonies. Before the establishment of formal religions many ancient farmers believed that their crops contained spirits which caused the crops to grow and die. Many believed that these spirits would be released when the crops were harvested, and they had to be destroyed or they would take revenge on the farmers who harvested them. Some of the harvest festivals celebrated the defeat of these spirits.
My personal atonement for the horrors of the residential schools in Canada. A national day to commemorate the history and legacy of the residential school system honours the resilience, dignity and strength of survivors and intergenerational survivors and remembers the children who never came home. It's a chance to engage and educate people about B.C.'s colonial history and how it has impacted Indigenous communities.
Modern vs. Ancient- What am I talking about? “Traditional” refers to those societies or elements of societies that are small-scale, are derived from indigenous and often ancient cultural practices. “Modern” refers to those practices that relate to the industrial mode of production or the development of large-scale often colonial societies. These co-exist in the world today. It is stupid to divide things up into dichotomies or dualities, but it is sometimes useful as a heuristic device. Even though there is no such thing as a completely traditional or completely modern society at the present time, the collision between the two forms of organization has great significance for everyone alive today. The principle of social analysis. Even the idea of separating society or daily life into ‘components’ (economy, religion, political organization, social relations, etc.) does not make sense in the traditional worldview, in which they are all inter-penetrated, a Gestalt. The domination of Western ways and thought of all others, by military and economic force, may be a historical fact, but is not necessarily a permanent state of affairs.
On my 40th birthday. Mr. Rogers Had a Way with People Nuclear war and race relations weren't the usual kiddie-show fodder, but they made their way into the safe space of 'Mister Rogers' Neighbourhood.' Mr. Rogers was by example always being a good neighbour. At “Christmas” that’s when we go out of our way to be nice, helpful to strangers and remember family and friends. Mr. Rogers did it all year long, always.
Am I being the way "I want you" to be? Relationships occupy most of our time, the good, the bad, the ugly and the amazing!Are you showing up in your relationships?
Have you ever been curious about time travel? As a human being you time travel and I time travel regularly, moment to moment. Memory changes over time.
Throughout history, humankind has been aware of the passage of time. Aristotle was the first to mention the “stream of time” in his Physics IV