Clay Shirky on Institutions vs. Collaboration

In this TED talk from 2005, Clay Shirky shows how closed groups and companies (and churches) will give way to looser networks where small contributors have big roles and fluid cooperation replaces rigid planning.

My favorite wine: Heretic by Four Vines

In my attempts to become more Christ-like, I’m learning to enjoy really good wine. Seriously, my mentor introduced me to the world of wine about a dozen years ago, and I’ve been learning ever since.

One of the most amazing facts that I’ve learned is that it can take up to 70 years for a new vine to produce its best wine-worthy grapes. Wonder why there are so many family-run vineyards? Maybe it’s because the founder is planting vines from which he will never taste the fruit. The only way to preserve the original vision is to pass it down from generation to generation. Now there’s a spiritual lesson for us!

I’ve had the opportunity to taste many great wines from Mouton Rothschild, Dominus, Petrus, and even a 1935 Simi! I’ve enjoyed Barolos from Italy and Bordeaux from France. But my favorite wine thus far is the 2003 Petite Syrah, “Heretic” from Christian Tietje, Winemaker and owner of Four Vines.

Rated a 93 by Wine Spectator, this wine has a deep purple color and big, rich layers and layers of black fruit and spice. It’s BIG!

In addition to the fantastic logo (which I think would make another great tattoo), the best part is this description from the back of the bottle:

As the creator of Heretic, I beseech, implore, demand that you SCREAM at complacency.

CRUSH conformity.

LIVE a life less ordinary…

BE the Heretic…

Drink REAL wine.

Now that is truly inspiring. I think Jesus would have enjoyed Heretic.

Click here for the Heretic Tasting Notes

How do you become who you already are?

Jesus has a different understanding of personal freedom. Freedom is not the capacity to be what you are not, but the capacity to be fully who you already are, to develop your inherent self as much as God allows.

Spiritual and true freedom is wanting to do what you have to do to become who you are.

All things desire to be themselves. No longer is it a scary search for private authenticity, but now a patient acceptance of truth. Such is the difference between wisdom and mere reaction, and it takes most of us awhile to get there.

From Fr. Richard Rohr’s book, “Jesus’ Plan for a New World“

Current mantra:
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done.

 

Need a boost of energy? Take a nap!

Do you often find yourself feeling tired halfway through your day? You’re not alone. Sleep problems and lack of energy affect most people at some time, but the latest research shows that a power nap can help!

For years, naps have gotten a bad rap, derided as a sign of laziness, weakness, or senility. We are “caught” napping, or “found asleep at the switch.”

But lately napping has garnered new respect, thanks to solid scientific evidence that midday dozing benefits both mental acuity and overall health. A slew of new studies have shown that naps boost alertness, creativity, mood, and productivity in the later hours of the day.

Even early Greek philosophers and creative geniuses such as Beethoven, Da Vinci, Dali and Einstein were known to take a nap to boost their creative thinking processes.

Today, power napping has taken corporate America and Japan by storm. Workers are actively encouraged to take breaks in their day and have a nap; they are even sent on courses to learn how to do this! Apparently you’re never too big to take a nap. Today, napping is a health trend, a workplace perk and even an art form. Children do it, students do it, even educated Corporate Chairmen and CEO’s do it.

My favorite tool to facilitate power naps is called pzizz, a small software application for Mac and Windows that generates random soundtracks which help you regain your energy. pzizz currently sports two modules: energizer and sleep.

This revolutionary sleep treatment enables you to sleep better by stopping the nightly struggle. If you experience insomnia, pzizz is for you! It also helps you increase energy levels during the day with unique power naps or performance breaks.

How does it work?

• Voice: using the latest language techniques (NLP)
• Music: composed exclusively for pzizz
• Binaural beat: inducing theta brainwaves
• Select the length of soundtrack you need
• Every soundtrack is different
• Customize the settings to adapt pzizz to your needs

pzizz is a powerful new kind of insomnia treatment that’s perfect for you if you have the kind of sleep problems where you can’t switch off when in bed. You’ll find pzizz gently eases you into restful sleep.

pzizz is non-addictive — there are no drugs. And because it’s possibly the most effective sleep treatment available it gives you back your sleeping and waking hours like no other remedy!

Increase Energy and Performance

In as little as 15-20 minutes, pzizz can help you control your day. It clears your brain, improves focus, lowers stress and lets you get on with your work by helping you take a short performance break.

Try pzizz now to increase energy or treat insomnia. Download the FREE Trial version and then download the sample “Energizer” MP3 file to try pzizzing on a lunch break, at home or even while commuting. Or if you’re suffering sleep problems, try the sample Sleep MP3.

What is the relationship between ego and soul?

We create artificial fullness and try to hang on to that. But there’s nothing to hold on to when we begin to taste the fullness of the now. God is either in this now or God isn’t at all.

As we grow older, we tend to become control freaks. We need to control everybody and everything, moment by moment, to be happy. If the now has never been full or sufficient, we will always be grasping, even addictive or obsessive. If you’re pushing yourself and others around, you have not yet found the secret of happiness.

From Fr. Richard Rohr’s book, “Everything Belongs“

Current mantra:
Be still and know that I am God