mermaidcamp
Keeping current in wellness, in and out of the water
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Meditation and Kindness
January 7, 2013
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There are many forms of mediation followed in the world. I was lucky to study in Tucson with the Dalai Lama of Tibet who visited us in September, 1993 to teach patience. We had instruction for a year leading up to the visit to give us an introduction to the Tibetan view of meditation and cosmology. When the teaching finally took place at the Sheraton Conquistador when it was new and lovely we were in for both a treat and some deep concepts new to us. The Tibetan monks all sit down in front, as do many Tibetan civilians who prefer the floor for meditation. The room was full of all levels of understanding and experience, as is always the case with His Holiness. The teaching was wonderful, memorable, and inspiring.
He asked students to submit questions in writing for his consideration. He answered some that he thought best for his teaching. One woman asked how she cold begin a meditation practice, given all her stressful and distracting activities. He responded jokingly at first, saying that he also was too busy with stressful activities like leading a nation in exile. He continued quickly after the laugh to make sure he was not ridiculing the questioner, but seriously folks style, to praise her very valid question. His answer was simplicity itself. He told her that if she had time for nothing else, “Be nice.” He explained that if one did not karmically doom oneself by creating nasty thoughts, less meditation would be required to feel good. Meditation in any form is a practice to observe the mind and focus in spite of distraction. It destroys the delusions of the ego. It purifies consciousness. It turns irrational anger into patience. Meditation is the source of equanimity and deep wisdom.
You do not need to sit still or chant mantras to begin a meditation practice. If you have access to a teacher you can be taught many techniques to deepen your practice. If you want to start at the beginning and reap all the benefits, start by being nice.
Depth of Conversation Diet
January 6, 2013
— 1 Comment
the bird
Charlie Rose talked last week on his show with the creators of twitter about how long and how deep our conversations are today. The adaptation to 140 characters is natural in our world now and creates possibilities. The flying about of links creates interest in larger deeper meaning. I agree with them that all the various forms of engagement offer a different way to approach exchange. My personal favorite link right now is Alan Simpson dancing Gangam style with the can that is being kicked down the road. To tweet that gives me a high degree of pleasure because it has great social and political import.
Since I have limited myself to reading only three books this year on the Three Book Diet I have noticed that I read constantly, book or no book. The way we read and write has not surpassed the book, but if you give up books now, you notice that reading inundates everything, and Google is the best little librarian anyone ever imagined. The data is with us. In this process I have turned my attention to homework long overdue to my own self. Writing, drawing, and active creativity needs to balance all the reading. I used to say you don’t get a healthy body to get a healthy body to get a healthy body…You get a healthy body to enjoy life or the whole thing is stupid. Literacy is the same ,I now learn. You don’t read to read to read to read ( except in elementary school). You read to acquire knowledge and skill to be productive in some way, or reading the entire library is for naught. What began as an experiment has been very instructive to me in terms of balancing my creating/sucking practice in the written word. I do love books and research. Had I not stopped to take note of the imbalance I would be sucking down a book right this minute, rather than writing this to you, gentle reader.
Charlie and the guys eventually discussed the depth of meaning diet. The conversation diet is similar to the book diet. It asks you to balance snacks (woot!) with more substantial meals (blogging), and an awareness of same. A healthy diet today consists of media production as well as consumption. The interactive phase has just begun. Tweet seats at live events tell us something about where the twitter bird is heading. The nature of all the new connecting technology is that it is more crowded every second. The individual conversation, taking place everywhere all the time is well represented by the little blue bird in flight. We need to have deep conversations about the state of affairs today. Let the bird fly for peace. May the twitter bird be free. May the twitter bird be happy. May we use it for the highest good and deepest connection.
The Spleen and I
January 5, 2013
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To vent one’s spleen is an expression that means to express anger. The spleen is located in Thoracic Park, on the upper left side of your ribcage. It has very important work to do as part of the lymphatic system. In history it has been thought of in different ways, as has all anatomy and physiology. I have been studying the spleen and learning what it likes in order to make mine happier.
Your spleen likes to be warm and dry…What? It wants to be dry in terms of not waterlogged by stagnation, and warm in terms of internal energy combustion. Diet and exercise are the remedies to use to create the warm and dry conditions your spleen desires. Heaviness or lethargy is referred to as moisture in the system in Chinese Medicine, a clinical example being arthritis. This moisture is regulated throughout the body by the spleen, which works in concert with the pancreas. The happy spleen is given a diet of orange vegetables, ginger, garlic, cardamom, corn,mushrooms, barley and rye. The problem with my spleen seems to be that a happy spleen also avoids SALSA!!!!, citrus, alcohol, coffee,tofu, avocados, and some other staples in my diet. One can only hope these can be brought back in moderation after my spleen and I are on better terms.
The earth element represents support. Since my spleen supports me by filtering my lymphatic system and producing white blood cells, I feel very loyal to it. I am going to give it the kind of attention it needs and wants, including lots of core strength exercises. Plenty of movement is essential for healthy spleen Qi, including abdominal moves that help pump the lymph. Stagnation is a result of too much unhealthy food and lethargy. Together they form the vicious cycle of spleen gone out of whack. My lucky spleen has had strong advocates showing me the error of my ways. I hear you and promise that spleeny and I will be charting a better course, thanks to your professionalism. I am now ever so aware of the neglect and negligence on my part which lead to this condition. I applaud and appreciate my spleen for sticking with me while I learned how to mend my ways. I have many nice orange vegetables on hand to feed it.
Intelligence vs Negligence
January 4, 2013
— 3 Comments
We have so much negligence that it is necessary to break it down into its various categories:
Negligence per Se is obvious disregard for regulation that harms society. Criminal negligence is a gross deviation from the risk assessment skills of an average person. Gross negligence is failure to act with the slightest degree of care. Concurrant negligence is a group acting without the slightest degree of care. Obstruction of justice is acting to impede the law enforcement system. Seems a bit blurry, but we all know negligence when we see it.
The Latin root word in question here is about discernment and understanding. Intelligence is the ability to discern clearly, and negligence is sloth, injury and injustice. We do not have so many legal categories for intelligence because it is rare. There are laws, and there is the spirit of the law. Intelligent citizens will make the bureaucracy responsible for negligence of every kind. We pay for this negligence, and I think it is a raw deal. Good management practices eliminate negligence and waste of resources. The status quo looks to me a lot like concurrant negligence.
Zapping to the Beat of a Different Shoe
January 3, 2013
Day at the Office
Ahoy Help Desk
Shoe on Duty
Visitors Score Books
Culture Clown and Stats
Zap-Benefits
I am deeply enamored of the Zappos core values because they distinctly resonate with my own. On my visit to the Henderson office I fell even deeper under the spell of Zap-happiness. The very professional Culture Clown guided our lucky group of only three visitors around the facility. The happiness is palpable, and the systems only function to amplify existing joy.
- Deliver WOW Through Service
- Embrace and Drive Change
- Create Fun and A Little Weirdness
- Be Adventurous, Creative, and Open-Minded
- Pursue Growth and Learning
- Build Open and Honest Relationships With Communication
- Build a Positive Team and Family Spirit
- Do More With Less
- Be Passionate and Determined
- Be Humble
While I could use work and practice in all these areas, I have consciously embraced these same core values for my entire business life. I learned that most products that are marketed by Zappos are studied carefully for potential compatibility, as one might expect. I also learned from Culture Clown, my guide to Zap=systems, that most companies hand in spreadsheets to be considered. I have no spreadsheets for multiple reasons, the most obvious of which is that I have not yet made a profit. I will be pleading my case by using core values 1-10 and explaining how believe I can deliver happiness to/at/with/and for Zappos. It is a worthy exercise no matter the outcome, so I plan to zap on.
Goldilocks in Business
January 3, 2013
— 3 Comments
Three Bears and Goldilocks
My story in business since I returned to commerce now seems like Goldilocks and the Three Bears to me. While learning inbound marketing and social media I attempted to find the right marketing partner. I understand how this works because for years I was the marketing partner for all travel providers (travel agent) , and fancy spas sold my services as a teacher ( employee). Commission is something I have always paid happily, even back when I was young production potter paying a gallery to sell my pots. It is fair, and it keeps overhead where it belongs.
My first guess about the perfect partner was focused on Watsu. I decided that the Watsu people maintain pools which are not fully booked, therefore Floatli would give them something else to sell in their pools. I wandered around from hot spring to hot spring looking for the right one, but this combo was not going to happen, for whatever reason.
Next, I decided that mermaids naturally combined with Floatli and were trending. I learned about the people who are into mermaids, and organized a weekend at a hot spring for mermaids to meet water fitness enthusiasts. This was not the match I had imagined either. I did not suffer terribly through these experiences, mind you. I simply found no appropriate fit for a marketing vehicle.
My digital wanderings had exposed me to Chris Brogan and Anthony Innarino who taught a workshop on sales last year. The well presented course provided the piece that had been missing in my technique. They carefully explained the process of qualifying customers. I had clearly demonstrated that deciding myself that the customer needs my product was the wrong initial step to take. Then they gave me the secret to reverse all errors made in the mama bear’s bed and the papa bear’s bed. To qualify a potential customer you first ask if they want to have a conversation with you about whatever you are pitching. Proceeding without taking this step is the number one way salespeople turn others off forever. The interest as well as the ability to execute has to be there, or you are wasting time. Thanks, Chris and Anthony, that information arrived none too soon.
My target now is Zappos, which fits perfectly because Floatli is the exact opposite of shoes, and Zappos is very sporty. This time, however, I will proceed armed with my new information, and ask the Zapsters if they want to have a conversation about marketing Floatli. That is why I will send this post to them in hopes of a positive response. I believe I can show how we belong together in business, for the benefit of all sentient beings. Gravity meets weightlessness, outside the box (but inside a Zappos box). Please say yes, Zapsters.
Culture Clown at Zappos
Water, the Emotional Element
January 2, 2013
Water is the element that is designed to soothe emotional ailments. Hot springs have been regarded as healing and medicine power centers by many different cultures. The belief that sacred rivers and springs can act as oracles, healers, and powerful symbolic medicine is widespread. Ponce de Leon and his crew were seeking that ultimate liquid cure in Florida when they discovered Miami Beach. Water, and the flow of water, is the essence of life.
When water on earth is redirected by man sometimes disaster follows. Levees break and floods devastate. The body can only tolerate so much redirection or misuse of the water element before debilitating consequences occur. We were not created to drink only beer and diet soda, just as the Colorado River was not created to irrigate all of the southwestern US. The result is about the same in the body as in the CAP aqueduct that evaporates the Colorado River water in an open trough while it travels all the way across Arizona to Tucson. Once the kidneys have been compromised in the human body, and the adrenals shot to hell by stress, years of chronic dehydration cannot be reversed. Confusion rules.
Water also has the effect of reversing gravity, which may be the strongest reason it is emotional medicine. Floating is highly underrated. When the world has you down, notice it is just gravity, and the remedy is at hand…….cool clear water. Drink some, immerse yourself in some, even if only in a bath. Hydrate your emotional life and your dreams with pure clean water. Santé!
Mini Time Machine in Tucson
January 2, 2013
— 1 Comment
Mini Time Machine
enjoying exhibit
Santa on the roof
bedroom doll house
Antique music box
Santa rides
Santa naps at home
courtyard
relief minis
enchanted land
My neighborhood in Tucson contains one of my favorite museums of all time. I have been to a specialty miniature museum in Basel Switzerland several times that is elaborate. To have a high quality specialty museum with changing exhibits near my home is priceless to me. A visit to the Mini Time Machine is a blast for all ages. The detail and concentration involved in creating these tiny items will blow anyone’s mind. The more you look the more you see. All the exhibits are completely childproof, and the museum provide stools that kids can carry that will lift them up to eye level at the displays. I have been there for a museum fund raising party which was incredibly fun. They do make arrangements for private parties as well.
Unite and Lead
January 2, 2013
— 1 Comment
“Divide and rule, a sound motto. Unite and lead, a better one.”
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe-German dramatist, novelist, poet, & scientist (1749 – 1832)
Capitalism does not require, nor naturally create great a disparity in wealth between the highest and lowest standards of living in a society. To create free markets we do not need to throw regulation out the window to favor a few insiders. We need to harmonize. We need to focus on lifting the entire society out of the sociological and economic gutter. The black plague in Europe sparked the Enlightenment after the Dark Ages. When people saw the oppressive and powerful upper class die at the same rate as all other classes, a great Wizard of Oz moment occurred. The belief in the old order was shattered, and a search for new knowledge was launched. Tyrants are all the same, dividing to conquer. Harmony requires, above all, keen listening skills. Can we use this moment, in which our government is in shambles, to abandon the old order for the good of all mankind? Can we retire the importance of ostensibly winning and loosing for long enough to seek a better way? Could this be the end of the American Empire as we know it?
Black Sheep Ancestors
January 1, 2013
— 5 Comments
black sheep in dreadlocks
When a family member does something disgraceful or distasteful the general way it is handled is by denial. The person who commits suicide or bigamy or general black sheepery is dropped from the story. Three of my grandfathers, fall into this category. My paternal great-grandfather, Edward Ewing Scott, married another woman while he was married to my great-grandmother who had 4 young daughters at home. My other paternal great-grandfather , Jason A Morse, was referred to as a bum, had a wild Cherokee wife purported to be a witch (after his boy’s mother died), and was never mentioned favorably to me. I very recently have seen his picture which was sent to me by a cousin. My mother’s father, George H Taylor, killed himself at home leaving his 10 kids orphaned during the depression. I have never seen a picture of George H, and did not know about his suicide until I was a teenager. One of my first cousins had a very elaborate suicide downtown Houston in the 1960’s which brought the subject back to light. I remember thinking how weird it was that nobody had ever told me. His wife, my grandmother, had died at home as well, in childbirth. I knew about that, but not his suicide. This denial makes it very hard to find information about the black sheep and how they blackened themselves.
This is your shadow family. This is the information that has specifically not been given to you in an effort to protect you in some way. This is the nature that is hidden in an effort to improve the self-image of the family through spin. Everyone wants to believe that his or her family represents the best and most worthy genetic material. If you can remember your parents being imperfect, then you can extrapolate how imperfect your entire tree really may be. If you look closely you may be frightened that we all descend from loonies. If you look more closely you will see how this evens out over time. The concept of the family curse is as real as the family glory and royalty. We have all arrived at this point in history together because of a long line of imperfect beings who survived and tweaked the story along the way.
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