Carl Setzer

I adore the Olympics. Pageantry and drama, magical moments brought out by ages dedication, training and sacrifice. I love stories of humanity resisting adversity. None better exist. Counterbalancing this, images of waste, neglect, rotting decay . These images tell another story of the Olympics. A sadder story. Often hosting the Games gets presented as this transformative event. Great economic rewards heralded. I wonder how often such manifests. How much positive actually happens, and how much of the investment crumbles into dust.

Came across this and thought I'd share this with you. Hope it gives you energy and focus.

A puzzling realization: this desire to retreat from fear. Well, at one level it makes sense: fears represent danger, which one should avoid. But there are things we fear whose only remedy is knowledge. So, knowledge is power, but to gain it we often must face our fears. Ah, yes, winning the battle against reflex! This shows the importance of mindfulness. One must be awake and in control of the mind. Awareness of those reflexes, and knowing the sad path they lead down is critical. And that's much harder in today's world where nimble reaction is highly valued. Taking time for thoughtful reflection is not. We must remember that there are some things that Google doesn't know. And those are the things that make us the most human. Which makes me think of Replicants and Blade Runner's symbolism, but that's a post for another day.

Oh, Maslow's pyramid and all that psychological think! Is there anything greater than interdependence and self-actualization? Yes, this is a rhetorical question. Right now, no. Or, better put, nothing we know of. But our culture evolves. I wonder what the future will think, looking back upon this moment, about what our perceived upper-bounds were in terms of compassion, interconnectedness, justice. I'm confident that they'll find us amusing, perhaps with a judgmental view.

It's sad how much we lose because of our fear of failure. So many opportunities vanish simply because we were too afraid to act. How will we ever know the extent of our possibilities if we fear reaching our limits? I know, for myself, that most of my perceived limits are illusory. Yet it's uncomfortable to imagine stretching past them. We must master our fears. If nothing else, transfer that to a fear of not trying, of the lost opportunity. That way our fears push us forward. Yet, I feel the ideal is centering ourselves upon love, passion. It's better to run towards success than away from terror. Fear exhausts; love's attraction energizes.

Days like today are true gems here. It was truly a delight to completely avoid shoes. Though the weather was a bit too cold yet for shorts, I refused to let that deter me. My need for vitamin D was simply too great. An ideal, for me at least, a day with sunshine and freedom. Very close to Zen mastery, my delight somewhat meditative. Bob Marley runs through my head, and I know "Every Little Thing's Gonna Be Alright". I feel very calm and centered. Life, truly, blessedly peaceful. Via BlackBerry

I struggle with competing visions. There is a sense of me as counter-cultural, standing against the wretched excesses of the prevalent culture. Against that, though, is an appreciation of life's finer things. This dichotomy is painful at times. Finding myself staring wistfully at the latest Mercedes sometimes frustrates me. Perhaps I misunderstand myself. Could I earn such things without exploitation? I believe it not only true, but that many have already done so. Finding the "win-win", this place that rewards both sides of the equation. That, truly, is innovative. Via BlackBerry

Perhaps you would think that being unemployed leaves me with heaps of free-time. You would be mistaken. My days are extremely full. And I was filled with all kinds of ideas, like being able to catch up on my reading, maybe even digesting the daily paper. Ha! I have been mildly frustrated by this, but no more. Fortunately, I do a good job of keeping track of my time, so I don't end up wondering where the day went. I love mornings like this, though, where everyone else is still tucked safely away in bed and I'm able to enjoy quiet. Now, if you excuse me, I'm diving back into Scoble & Israel's "Naked Conversations", which has been long on my "to read" list. Getting some good insights into blogging's potential, even though the book was published back in 2006. Much of their basic premise, though, I've long agreed with. These notions of transparency and anti-marketing/anti-hype, in particular. I've long believed that our ability to filt...

Darkness, blue-black, embraces all I see. Everything outside wall-and-window’s bounds blurred, buried within inky thickness; familiar now mystery. Robin’s call pierces, a gentle fanfare for spring. Sunlight slowly blues the black, each moment fades mystery; familiar rediscovered. Black fades, now semi-violet blue, change imperceptible. My eyes close briefly, patiently. Light’s change now clear. Slowly, gently births this day.