Causality

Science fiction presents some baffling themes around causality; for example, the future is the past because events are synchronous in all places at the same time. The current everyday understanding of causality is equally bizarre, however, since a causal chain of events cannot lead back forever, without having a prime initiating point that is outside these rules.

Journal 2020-12-29

The art of any performance is truthfully interacting with the situation that is arising.

If all the world is a stage, then not knowing the future - or the fact that you are acting - helps create a great performance.

Completeness

A fear of loneliness leads to desperate actions initiating pain. Enjoying the peace of solitude is breaking free from this chronic condition; and provides the realisation that if you are already complete in yourself then there is more love in you to share.

Journal 2020-12-13

2021 could be a lot worse or a lot better than 2020. I will bet on better.

The Machine

Slot-in, copy and repeat, replace yourself, wear-out, then die.

Look down on someone to be a success.

Or change the program.

Journal 2020-12-07

Driving in London last night, I witnessed three separate angry outbursts in the space of five minutes by people on the roads. I always notice that the “crazy level” goes up a few notches when driving inside the M25, but that condensed series of events was the worst I’ve seen.

Dawn

Dead shadows dance in the night

yearning for the dawn;

Cold and forgotten walking scars,

drained by decay,

wasted by time,

stretch out,

hungered and blurred,

to a spark ignited,

climbing,

rising from the ground;

From the last depths,

rays of hope entwine in the sky,

kissing the hills,

breathing new life

and wonders layered in light.

Naked with joy, a new day, a new world is born.

Journal 2020-12-05

Live a day like it is a life in entirety.

First thought on waking is gratitude for the new day you will see.

Last thought is gratitude for the day you have lived.

Perspective

The first stage of learning is being unconsciously incompetent: you don’t know what you’re not good at because you don’t know what you don’t know. Well-being skills can be learnt. One typical motif is that how you look at anything changes your experience; for example: anxiety can feel like pleasurable excitement, as the body in both mental modes vibrates in a similar state of high energy; or a difficult situation is your challenge to evolve and an opportunity for personal discovery; or peace of mind is your inner state of being, not the possession of external conditions. And so on, all empirically true but under-practiced.

Journal 2020-12-01

It’s wrong to assume that a conversation is about what is said.

Journal 2020-11-29

A background script to run

Triggered on recognition event()

Action.Pause

Script exit

Notice…..

Kindness.

Journal 2020-11-28

The verbal attacker desires to assert their ego over the other.

Social Status

If you behave outside of current norms, people will often interpret this as either the high status of trendsetting and being above what is usually expected, or low status not fitting in.

Status sensitivity is social madness because every single person is in fact unusual.

Journal 2020-11-27

Any person is much more than even a diverse array of influences.

So I’m really not into social twittery on twit-twat and faceblobber; my summary identity is a tortoise in hare’s clothing etc etc Twitter Twiddle Twaddle blah blah rhubarb. I am not a number, I am a blancmange, or something…

Capital

A satisfying aspect of being a monarch would have been to have resources instantly directed to your ideas whenever you wanted. Unfortunately it seems in all societies all around the world, these ideas were focused on who they were going to invade next.

Journal 2020-11-26

Mistakes are lessons, only when the reasons are noticed; otherwise they are habits practiced each day.

Journal 2020-11-22

The things you disparage others for are often the same things you do yourself.

Anger

Anger. What a silly thing.

Is it of any use? Nope, it unbalances you.

The orcs in the Lord of the Rings are driven by fury and are utterly useless at combat.

Energy from anger is polluted, destructive, counter-productive.

It can be used to instil fear, to incite others and to self-aggrandise - which is why it has been the emotion of choice by demagogues and sociopaths.

It is often learned as the default response to any frustration.

There is often anger at other people for not behaving as it is believed they should.

The reality however is that you have no real idea what has and is happening in the other person’s life you are judging.

The fact is you only ever see a tiny aspect of all the parts in motion.

Difficulty Level

Challenges are opportunities for insight - the harder the situation the higher the view.

Talkerism

In the world of work, a meeting without creating an output of value is a drain on energy and time. Incessant thinking is the perpetual meeting in the head; and if it is just going over and over the same issues without providing constructive insight, then it is pointless at best, destructive at worst. Outside this room of perpetual thinking is the freedom to notice and enjoy what is happening, instead of what you are imagining.