Having a friend whom you see on most days, compared to not having such a friend, had the same impact on well-being as making an extra $100,000 a year. My friends made a millionaire out of me this year. (Via Social: Why Our Brains Are Wired to Connect). This year I’ve met many interesting people I now call my friends. I’m feel like a multi-millionaire :)
GETTING FEZZICAL
A discussion with Hafez this year made me think about the 3 selves, the real meaning of mindfulness and optimism and how we’re wrong to overlook what we overlook.
Fez explained how intuition lies between intelligence and instinct. And in many ways it reminded me of the 3 selves :
- the animal / reptile self which acts out of instinct to ensure survival,
- the driven self which is a manifestation of intuition as it borrows both from the observant self (see later) and the reptile
- the observant self (= intelligence) that embodies a higher form of consciousness and takes distance to understand the balance between the two other selves.
Another point that came up with Hafez was about how western culture put oriental culture on the side. At the time I was reading “Blink” and it reminded me how people had put the hunch (snap judgements) on the side as well since it wast grounded in a lengthy reflection like logical decision were.
I think Leibniz and the optimists hit the nail when they said we live in the best of worlds or ‘the best possible world’ (le meilleur des mondes). Of course, their approach entails an optimal intelligence that wouldn’t have made the world any different. But the thought is akin to a thoughtful and, might I add, joyful acceptance of what is here and now.
Volaitre’s Parody (Candide) of the concept is reminiscent of how we ended up dismissing snap judgements and quick decisions all the while as they might bring us a lot of accurate insight. Western Philosophy simply dismissed acceptance and simple satisfaction of the moment. It feels as if, there and the, it started moving away from a potential convergence with Eastern Mindfulness.
OUT OF THE CAVE
Discussions with Caveman Klaus brought about a reflection about how the stories we tell ourselves mould us and how one could revolutionise food !
Instability
There’s this great metaphor K shared about a duck in a pond. The duck looks calm. His movement is fluid on the surface but underneath, he is struggling with his feet. Many of us manage to look normal on the outside but might be struggling, just like that duck on the inside. As if this hectic movement aimed at compensating our inner instability so that we look stable on the outside.
One reason for that divide are the stories we tell ourselves. If in our minds, we are ‘fighters’ or ‘survivors’, battling the world and the universe to reach a goal, I wonder how it’s possible not to end up struggling like that duck. Our stories change our approach to life. If we’re the mindful entrepreneur observing opportunities as they come and seeing challenges not as a fight but as an opportunity, that story change can reflect inwardly.
Another great insight that popped out during discussions with Klaus was how broken our most practical and consumable food is. I’m after the sandwich here. Roughly 50% bread and just as much of a missed opportunity to make our everyday meals so much more nutritious. The sandwich is broken ! And it’s time for a high-nutrient satiating and practical alternative.