29 juin 2010

Le voyage et le temps

Pourquoi j'aime être née en décembre :

" Sagittarius is an optimist with a love of knowledge. The half man, half horse that symbolizes Sagittarius describes their dual nature. Sagittarius has a constant need for mental and physical stimulation, and while the higher mind searches for the meaning of life, the lower half represents their instinctual and passionate side. The Saggitarian is learning to see the underlying consistency within all human aspiration, so that his sense of meaningfulness in life can be taught to others. Sagittarius sees life as an adventure, a journey, and a quest. And they want to make the journey as interesting and varied as possible. Their deepest motivation is to explore and understand life. Sagittarius is trying to broaden their scope and enlarge consciousness. Life is interesting to Sagittarius, and to be explored and ultimately understood. "

- via AstroDistpatch

Playing with time


" replenish and re-fill

filling up with:

the power of falling apart

without dissonance

time lost

time lost to the yuckiness, the overwhelming, the hurt

but then —

scheduling in time for all of it

for the freakouts and for the coming-down

for rollerskating and ritual and finger painting with pudding

scheduling a temper tantrum

scheduling time to make inappropriate noises

scheduling time to ask: what needs to happen now?

scheduling time to ask: what does this need?

because boundaries give spaciousness

because quality restorative time is a valid component of work

and I can block out time to go and daydream by the river

even if there is no river

because freedom, creativity, simplicity

dissolve guilt

taking time and talking to time and talking about time is investing in my work

it’s dancing between the drops

I want a beautiful timer

to remind me about the river "

- via Havi Brooks

28 juin 2010

Gardons le cap

“One does not complain about water because it is wet, or about rocks because they are hard, or about trees because they are green.As the child looks out upon the world with wide, uncritical, undemanding, innocent eyes, simply noting and observing what is the case, so does the self-actualizing person tend to look upon human nature in himself and in others.”

- Abraham Maslow

"Not surprisingly, Maslow found that, without exception, creativity was more prominent in self-actualizers than in others. However, the creativeness mainfested by his subjects was different from unusual talent or genius as reflected in poetry, art, music or science. Maslow likened it to the natural creativeness found in children. This kind of self-actualizing creativity appears in everyday life as an expression of a personality which is perceptive, spontaneous and child-like. It does not necessarily involve the writing of books, composing of music or production of art objects. It may be humble in nature and can touch virtually all of the person’s activities. Basically, it revolves around the discovery of things new and novel that depart from conventional ideas."

via Mystic Medusa

23 juin 2010

Refresh

L'autre matin, ma winggirl me demandait qui je voulais être. En y repensant, je me dis qu'une partie de la réponse tient à l'auto-actualisation telle que définie par A.Maslow (l'inventeur de la fameuse pyramide des besoins - mais pas seulement).

Dr. Maslow summed up the concept of Self-Actualization as:

“A musician must make music, an artist must paint, a poet must write, if he is to be at peace with himself. What a man can be, he must be. This is the need we may call self-actualization … referring to a person’s desire for fulfillment, namely to the tendency to become actually what we are potentially …”

Characteristics of Self Actualizing People

Realistic
Realistically oriented, a Self-Actualizing (SA) person has a more efficient perception of reality, and has comfortable relations with it. A Self-Actualizing person is unthreatened and unfrightened by the unknown. He has a superior ability to reason, to see the truth, and is logical and efficient.

Self Acceptance
Accepts himself, others, and the natural world the way they are. Sees human nature as is, has a lack of crippling guilt or shame, enjoys himself without regret or apology, and has no unnecessary inhibitions.

Spontaneity, Simplicity, Naturalness
Spontaneous in his inner life. Thoughts and impulses are unhampered by convention. His ethics are autonomous, and Self-actualizing individuals are motivated to continual growth.

Focus of Problem Centering
A Self-actualizing person focuses on problems and people outside of himself. He has a mission in life requiring much energy, as it is his sole reason for existence. He is serene, characterized by a lack of worry, and is devoted to duty.

Detachment: The Need for Privacy
The Self-actualized person can be alone and not be lonely, is unflappable, and retains dignity amid confusion and personal misfortunes, all the while remaining objective. He is a self starter, is responsible for himself, and owns his behavior.

Autonomy: Independent of Culture and Environment
The SA person has a fresh rather than stereotyped appreciation of people and the basic good in life. Moment to moment living for him is thrilling, transcending, and spiritual as he lives the present moment to the fullest.

Frequent Peak experiences
“Feelings of limitless horizons opening up to the vision, the feeling of being simultaneously more powerful and also more helpless than one ever was before, the feeling of ecstasy and wonder and awe, the loss of placement in time and space with, finally, the conviction that something extremely important and valuable had happened, so that the subject was to some extent transformed and strengthened even in his daily life by such experiences.” — Abraham Maslow

Interpersonal relations
Identification, sympathy, affection for mankind, kinship with the good, bad, and ugly are all traits of the SA person. Truth is clear to him as he can see things others cannot. He has profound, intimate relationships with few and is capable of greater love than others consider possible as he shares his bene-volence, affection, and friendliness with everyone.

Democratic values and attitudes
The SA person is able to learn from anyone, is humble and friendly with anyone regardless of class, education, political belief, race or color.

Discrimination: means and ends, Good and Evil

The SA does not confuse between means and ends and does no wrong. He enjoys the here and now, getting to goal–not just the result. He makes the most tedious task an enjoyable game and has his own inner moral standards (appearing amoral to others).

Philosophical, unhostile sense of humor
Jokes to the SA person are teaching metaphors, intrinsic to the situation and are spontaneous. He can laugh at himself, but he never makes jokes that hurt others.

Creativity

The SA person enjoys an inborn uniqueness that carries over into everything he does, is original, inventive, uninhibited, and he sees the real and true more easily.

Resistance to enculturation: Transcendence of any particular culture
SA people have an inner detachment from culture. Although folkways may be observed, SA people are not controlled by them. Working for long term culture improvement, indignation with injustice, inner autonomy, outer acceptance, and the ability to transcend the environment rather than just cope are intrinsic to SA people.

Imperfections
SA people are painfully aware of their own imperfections and joyfully aware of their own growth process. They are impatient with themselves when stuck and feel real life pain as a result.

Values
The SA person is realistically human due to a philosophical acceptance of self, human nature, social life, physical reality, and nature.

Resolution of dichotomies
Polar opposites merge into a third, higher phenomenon as though the two have united; therefore, opposite forces are no longer felt as conflict. To the SA person work becomes play and desires are in excellent accord with reason. The SA person retains his childlike qualities yet is very wise.

Everyone has lived some of these qualities at some point in their lives. Maintaining these qualities into a life-style is key. This is aided by a number of things from choosing ones friends for support, to implementing self-discipline to stay the course. In all the people create a supporting culture to enforce their desires to be a better human being.

via ePsychology

18 juin 2010

Joies du jeudi #35

* M'offrir un exemplaire jaune citron du Keel's simple diary.

* Écouter Boards of Canada, le Dave Holland Quintet et le merveilleux dernier album de Midlake.

* Manger de la terrine de poulet à la coriandre avec des fèves fraîches.

* Retrouver une ancienne camarade de lycée perdue de vue.

* Garder avec moi l'image de ce rêve où je recueillais un gros lapin blessé tel Vatanen son lièvre.

* Prendre le vent, le soleil et l'air marin entre Le Havre et Etretat. Me laisser habiter par le rêve d'une vie simple, où la part belle serait donnée au temps-pour-soi.

* Apprivoiser un VTC sur le front de mer, en saluant les porte-containers.

* Regarder un faucon prendre son petit déjeuner sur la terrasse de mon bureau rue Archereau. Sur le chemin du retour, traverser les jardins d'Eole, beau lieu de vie du 18ème arrondissement.

16 juin 2010

How fertile the wind


There are figure 8's, infinity signs, gracing our chronology.
What does it all mean. Where shall we be going.
By what see shall we sleep, and shall we, giving all of our hands,
awake in a field of black sunflowers, utterly perplexed, bareheaded and free.

The air is filled with seeds. How fertile the wind.
What shall we sow. To know the air is to know the spirit.
Is to articulate the questions ; atomize the answers.

The dreamer is rising and considers the long field.
And the clouds, like crazy eights, drifting horizontal.
And his own hands, which hold, even so peacefully, so much power.


- Patti Smith

Laisse le vent du soir décider


" À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse le vent du soir décider

À l'avenir
Laisse venir
Laisse venir
L'imprudence

Tu perds ton temps
À te percer à jour
Devant l'obstacle
Tu verras
On se révèle "



A. Bashung.

14 juin 2010

Chaque jour sa chance

" Every day is the best day ever. No second chances and no regrets, now and now and now. Memory is a reminder of… memory is a reminder that things were one way before, but TODAY is the chance to make everything how you want it to you be.

The first step is the first step towards the sun.
Start your day:

Today is going to be the best today that I can live.

Wake up.
Breathe in; the sun warms the air and your lungs smile.
The sunshine in your lungs permeates your blood.
Spreads throughout your entire body.
Energy, energy, energy. "

via YOU ARE REMARKABLE

La plainte

En ce moment je traverse une situation pénible dont je n'arrive pas à m'extirper. Je suis méchante, désagréable, je passe mon temps à me plaindre et ma faculté à noircir le tableau mine terriblement mon humeur.

Je n'ai pas le contrôle et je ne le supporte pas. L'incompréhension que soulève mon interlocuteur me surprend moi-même ; comment deux personnes que tout devrait rapprocher se retrouvent si éloigné qu'ils n'ont rien à se dire?

Comment en suis-je arrivée là? Est-ce uniquement ma faute, est-ce simplement ainsi, que faire quand la personne à côté devient parfaitement étrangère? Et encore, un étranger aurait des choses à m'apprendre. Mais une huître, fermée, hermétique, muette, qui vous fait comprendre que vous ne partagez rien avec elle, que peut-on encore en tirer?

C'est le trou noir de la sociabilité. Le sous-sol de la cohabitation. Qui me rend mal à l'aise, me déçoit, m'attriste, me met en colère, contre lui, mais plus encore contre moi. Comment avais-je pu croire que les choses seraient différentes? Comment lui faire comprendre que c'est son silence qui me rend folle, me pousse à le faire partir, reniant tous mes beaux discours fraternels.

J'aspire juste à la paix, mais comment pourrais-je l'avoir, avec un abîme pour toujours auprès de moi?

13 juin 2010

Bon sens maternel

" if you believe in your own unconventional beauty
when you are young

you will accomplish twice as much and suffer half so

turn off lightbulbs and light a candle

walk don’t drive

plant a tree

wear sunscreen

dancing is an antidepressant

kindness is the new status symbol

every day please try to eat something green
and something orange
that grow out of the ground

...

expectations are for what you yourself create

they rarely work when applied to others

turn off the television

tv is a depressant

yoga is an antidepressant

don’t feel guilty about wanting pretty things

they would not be so alluring
if you weren’t supposed to want them
just don’t value them over compassion

use your words even when you are a grown-up
and people no longer think it is entirely acceptable
when you say, that hurt my feelings

if you can digest chocolate eat it sometimes

same goes for ice cream
(i don’t really need to tell you those things do i?)

...

if you have a dream that won’t let you go, that
tickles your solar plexus, heed it

turn dark feelings into paintings or poetry
or dancing

music is a kind of food

if you are sad talk to a happy woman who loves you
it will always help

move your body when you are sad or angry

avoid the following:
genetically modified ingredients
parabens
sodium lauryl sulfate
mercury in certain fish
neurotic thoughts about food
(is that a contradiction?)

love your curls though they tangle
your pale skin though it can burn in the sun
your nose though it is broader than some
your sturdy legs and feet

forget barbie she does not possess imagination

remember you are a botticelli angel

the planet we live on is perfection

love her like a goddess

love yourself as her daughter

there is a planet full of different kinds of beauty

the idea that only one type of woman is beautiful
is blasphemy "


via forty-five thoughts for my daughter and my virtual daughters
By Francesca Lia Block.

8 juin 2010

Une certaine idée monétaire de l'écoute

" Every time we ignore someone we reduce the value of their ideas and every time we listen, we increase it. It’s human nature to gravitate our attention toward those we feel are worth the most to us. Having someones attention is equivalent to a dollar bill receiving one dollar’s worth of goods in trade for itself. Remove the receiving end of a thought and you might as well be playing with Monopoly money. "

7 juin 2010

6 règles pour maintenir le règne de la simplicité

1- Être le plus au clair possible sur son objectif
Voilà qui pour le coup n'est pas simple - mais l'essentiel des procrastinations, des tours autour du pot et des productions ébouriffées viennent de ne pas savoir au juste ce que l'on souhaite faire. Clarifier ce point permet notamment d'éviter de perdre du temps à faire de choses juste parce qu'on peut les faire.

2- Déterminer l'essentiel
Par exemple si l'objectif est d'avoir une chambre pour dormir et s'habiller, il faut un lit, une armoire et éventuellement un miroir.

3- Réduire
Une fois l'essentiel déterminé, enlever le reste. Si l'on n'est pas sûr que quelque chose soit essentiel : l'enlever.

4- Poser des limites
Le nombre de boutons sur une machine, le nombre de fonctionnalités dans un programme, de messages auxquels l'on répond par jour, de personnes que l'on voit par semaine...
Une limite permet de se forcer à choisir, éliminer l'inessentiel, plutôt que de laisser les choses reprendre le chemin de la complexité.

5- Organiser
20 choses peuvent devenir 4 groupes de choses

6- Mettre à jour régulièrement
Revoir son organisation tous les lundis, désencombrer son placard tous les deux mois... Les habitudes ont ce formidable avantage qu'elles évitent de réfléchir, elles permettent donc d'économiser une précieuse énergie mentale.