fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Finding Reality
By: Paul H. Harder Ii
Tags: Salvation, Christian, Poetry, Faith, Perspective

New town, new doctor, unfamiliar location,

I’m early, for once. Nice day to wait outdoors.

The park across the street has a ring of benches,

all deserted. I cross and sit. Spring. Birds singing.

Presently, the groundskeeper stops trimming hedges,

sits quiet beside me, shears in hand.

Who sits next to a stranger, with other seats available?

A woman with a stroller takes a seat.

Three students with textbooks grab a bench.

Secretaries, bosses, store clerks arrive

from up and down the street.

Few bring lunches.

They fill all the benches but one, talking quietly.

Others come and stand, leaving one bench open.

I ask my neighbor, “What’s happening?”

He says, “Perdón, no inglés.”

Okay, I can handle this:

“¿Qué pasa? ¿Qué esperan todos?”

He says, “Mira, el viejo tocará la guitarra.”

Sure enough, an old man in old jeans and old sneakers

emerges from the doctor’s office, cane in one hand,

guitar in the other. As he taps across, the circle hushes.

He sits, silently tunes,

then begins finger picking a quiet melody.

His tempo increases, fingers flying,

crescendoes, picking, strumming, slapping.

As he draws pure magic from the strings,

several onlookers stamp feet in time.

Others snap fingers, slap knees.

A student’s pencils beat a tattoo on a textbook.

A harmonica adds flavor.

The baby stops squalling.

Two little girls dance, whirling round each other.

I don’t know how long this lasts. Not long enough.

Just as my watch beeps, the old man stops playing,

rises, and begins to pick his way back to the office.

I raise my hands to applaud, but my neighbor stops me:

“Por favor, no. Al viejo no le gusta el aplauso.”

Okay, some people don’t like acclaim.

Time for my appointment.

I enter the doctor’s office, only to find the old man,

changed into scrubs. “Welcome, I’m Doctor Jones.”

I have learned some things.

A circle of park benches might be a concert hall.

A scruffy old man might be a virtuoso musician

or your doctor.

Praiseworthy acts might not be done for praise.

Random strangers may become a circle of joy.

All of us are more than who we seem.

Jesus said,

“Think anew. The kingdom of heaven is upon us.”

____________

Copyright ©2020, Paul H. Harder II

This poem is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-ND 4.0 License.

No, this poem is not autobiographical. I only wish!
a philosophy, pared way down
By: Holly Haney
Tags: Worldview, Crisis, Covid 19, Perspective, Philosophy

everything this year has been wittled away ‘til not much is left, and what ever is left may not even be the essence of the thing.

I wrote a journal entry which made me cry, vignettes of a worldview. pieces of a perspective. this^ is all of it that I’ll share, pared down to little to none. Pared down to one.
This was indeed a very interesting concept on perspectives.
By: Dr. Preeti Singh
Tags: Perspectives

How to Easily Increase Perspective and Broaden Your Mind

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New Timeline
By: Martynas Malinauskas
Tags: Work, Perspective, Present, Christmas

Hi,

Lovely morning, lots of presents and delicious food. It’s one of my favourite times of the year.

Nowadays, Christmas got a new meaning — it’s not about presents anymore, it is all about the vibe, family time, and food. Maybe I’ve grown up :))

Sure, I love presents, who doesn’t like receiving them? — but they are not my main focus of the holidays, although this year I’ve got all of the things I’ve wished for ❤ Thank you Santa!
Storytelling as a tool for peacebuilding and reconciliation !!!
By: Aravinth Panch
Tags: Changemaker, Peacebuilding, Storytelling, Sri Lanka, Perspective

DreamSpace Academy Sri Lanka

🌱 At DreamSpace Academy, we actively engage with 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 activities using 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 methodologies to create harmony between the communities and to give access to different perspectives with our interdisciplinary workshops.

🔻 We recently won the Peace Direct Award 2020 at #PeaceCon2020 by Alliance for Peacebuilding for our work in Sri Lanka’s war-affected regions.

🔻 Great inspirations from our co-creator Johanna Havemann from Access 2 Perspectives.

🙏 Thanks to 𝗔𝗵𝗮𝗹𝘆𝗮 𝗗𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗱 for the fantastic co-creation at the 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 workshop.

👉 More info at https://dreamspace.academy

☝️ Follow me for updates on empowerment initiatives around the world !!!

#ChangeMakers #StoryTelling #Peacebuilding #SriLanka #PerspectiveMatters
Perihal Ketidaksempurnaan
Tags: Bahasa Indonesia, Perspective, Cerita, Life Lessons

an eye and an ear
Dear All, Webinar on “IFRS17 — Perspectives on Implementation” Live 2020 starts tomorrow and we have a lot to share with you. Join Webinar: https://lnkd.in/dg_agQ9 Webinar ID: 938 7921 7781 Passcode…
By: Convista Consulting Asia
Tags: Perspectives, Live 2020, Implementation, Ifrs17, Tomorrow

Dear All, Webinar on “IFRS17 — Perspectives on Implementation” Live 2020 starts tomorrow and we have a lot to share with you. Join Webinar: https://lnkd.in/dg_agQ9 Webinar ID: 938 7921 7781 Passcode: 394016 International numbers available: https://lnkd.in/dFEbNXK
Does Your Name Determine Who You Are?
By: Kim Rashidi
Tags: Positivity, Mindset, Self, Perspective, Spirituality

So, what does your name have to do with WHO you are?

I’d argue it’s the blueprint to your life. A self-fulfilling prophecy, if you will. If a parent names their child one that which ensures moments of being ridiculed, surely enough the child will face said ridicule. If a parent names their child one that which is mystical, surely enough the child will come to learn of their name’s secrets.

Similarly, a Bob, a Sally, or a Mike will have the same effect. Though these are more “ordinary” names, they still contain a hint of magic, be it their namesakes, literal meanings, or associations. The case may be that some further assembly is required.

Romeo said it best when wondering aloud why his love must be star-crossed:

What’s in a name? That which we call a rose

By any other name would smell as sweet.

It seems Shakespeare was onto something. A name bares significance in a world where meaning is made, not discovered. Roses could be called Petunias, and they’d still have the same romantic gesture… or would they?

My name is a Persian name: Kimia. It means the philosopher’s stone, the elixir of life, that thing that alchemists are in search of, the energy that turns base metals into gold.

Like I said, it’s not white enough. But it sure has illuminated a path for me, however intentional on my parents’ part. I’m the one to turn darkness into light, hate into love; I seem to be some sort of alchemist, and I’ve found my Midas touch. I’m not sure I’d feel this way had I been named the alternative: Dora.

What I’m trying to say here is that your name matters.

It matters because it gives you an in. This isn’t to say it makes up your identity, but that it’s a blank slate for you to write meaning onto. Now, why does that matter?

As humans we cling onto the things that refine our identity. It could be a name, but it could also be anything else: being a doctor, a cook, an accountant. You can see how easily we could get lost in who we think we are, by extension of what we do.
“Keep your priorities, your priority.”
Tags: Parenting, Personal Development, Perspective, Family, Personal Growth

Have you ever taught a child to tie their shoelaces? It is seemingly simple and yet, completely overwhelming and incredibly time-consuming. If you let them have their moment of success, likely 10 minutes later, you will need to begin the process again as they have not quite mastered what a relatively complex skill is. What is your priority at this moment? It may be getting out the door because you have somewhere to be, or it might be for your child to have the opportunity to hone the skill — in either case; you are doing what is right for you and the child at that moment.

If you are a parent and you completed the task for them, an element of guilt may enter that you overstepped, or the reality might be as simple as “actually, I don’t care.” That’s just it, though. You do care. You cared to prioritize at a particular moment in time because you, unconsciously or consciously, were juggling a multitude of other decisions.

You cared to prioritize at a particular moment in time because you, unconsciously or consciously, were juggling a multitude of other decisions.

When you are faced with complex decisions, like you are the center-point on the tug-of-war rope, ask yourself: what is your priority? The distribution of influence between a “low priority” and a “later priority” is sitting on a pendulum: shifting, flowing, changing. If you continually ask yourself this question, you will find greater meaning and make behavioral adjustments to ensure your decisions and priorities align. I have found that the result is self-compassion and grace: two elements that are often shortcomings, especially given… it’s “2020”.

What are your priorities?

Is there anything unwavering when it comes to your priorities?

What are you doing to keep that unwavering priority at the forefront?

With grace, gratitude, and light, wishing you well.
Don’t Become A Social Media Misfit
By: Henery X
Tags: Life Lessons, Writing, Energy, Perspective, Self Improvement

We Usually Get What We Give

Don’t Become A Social Media Misfit

Image created by the author and via a collage maker

On social media, so many are anti-social. They expect you to like and comment on their efforts but aren’t willing to donate that same time and energy when it comes to others. No matter how impressive our efforts are, if we’re not ready to genuinely show love and attention to others’ efforts, they’ll eventually become irrelevant. Energy needs to feed and be fed; one-sided affairs leave us feeling used. Engagement is vital to the life of popularity; we can’t get so caught up in the attention we receive, that we lose sight of the fact that others desire the same thing. Show your appreciation by showing others they, as well as their efforts, are much appreciated.

The appeal of our effort, as well as recognition of the fruit of others' labor, will determine the level of popularity we’ll reach. So, we should just remain focused on perfecting our craft, as well as genuinely acknowledging the efforts of others because everything else is going to do what it does, regardless of how we may desire it to be.

We all need to feel as though we matter to more than just those we think we matter to, some more than others, if not, why come to social media at all. Attention is like a drug; some get high off of it, while others need it to heal. For some, social media is where they can come to feed their attention-starved egos, while for others, it’s where they come in search of another reason to live. Let us all begin and continue to move about social media accordingly. This space can be the most beautiful place on the planet if we keep it free from the ugliness that preys on the planet.

Thank you for taking the time and donating it to reading my words. May all you deserve and desire flow abundantly into your life like a river does into a sea.
America Under Attack
By: Bill Newgent
Tags: Foreign Policy, Politics, Trump, Perspective, Media

America Under Attack

America has been under attack by a very sophisticated Russian cyber invasion.

The elite S.V.R. Russian intelligence agency has been inside dozens of government and private systems, including nuclear laboratories, the Pentagon, and the Treasury and Commerce Departments for months.

It is still unclear if the Russian cyber invasion has been sanitized from U.S. systems.

This attack on American sovereignty was discovered a few weeks ago.

The President remains silent.

The Russians are not silent.

In a public statement, Russia says the attack is another example of claims made up by American media.

Sound familiar?

Russia’s claim is harder to push back against given that The President of The United States spent years convincing Americans and the rest of the world that American reporters are the enemies of the American people.

The efforts of Russia and POTUS’ against America’s free press continue without any sign of stopping.

Below is a part of the Russian statement —

“We paid attention to another unfounded attempts, [sic] of the U.S. media to blame Russia for hacker attacks on U.S. governmental bodies. We declare responsibly: malicious activities in the information space contradict the principles of the Russian foreign policy, national interests and, [sic] our understanding of interstate relations. Russia does not conduct offensive operations in the cyber domain.”

Of course, we know this not to be true.

The truth is under attack.

Ask yourself which attack is doing more damage to America, the Russian’s, or Trump’s.
Dashauna Barber — Miss USA wrote and said this speech. A smart, remarkable and inspiring woman indeed. Thanks for posting and sharing her speech. https://fb.watch/2v1c-Sy2Nv/
Tags: Inspirational, Personal Development, Inspiration, Perspective, Personal Growth

Dashauna Barber — Miss USA wrote and said this speech. A smart, remarkable and inspiring woman indeed. Thanks for posting and sharing her speech.

https://fb.watch/2v1c-Sy2Nv/
Head in Sand
By: Marcus Aurelius
Tags: Life, Animals, Growth, Careers, Perspective

How many times have you stumbled upon some event in your life where you’ve felt helpless.

Does the situation change over time with the so-called potion “TIME”.

Could the smartest species with PFC have some corner to learn from species without PFC?

Photo by: alamy.com

Photo by: Nastco | Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto

Yes OSTRICH, they are doing something that we could use in our life. Everything has a context and this situation also. Not always it will help but could be used. You will come across situations which upon acted make things much worse and these are the wounds that need the potion called TIME.

Not always you will find yourself in situations where talking, doing something will help but putting your head in the sand which refers to ignoring will help. Understand the importance of IGNORANCE and try to ignore things when needed. As said in the famous book “THE SUBTLE ARE OF NOT GIVING A F**K”.You have limited F**K so use them wisely.
Ignorance and Arrogance…
By: Bubbbles Media
Tags: Mindset, Damn Good Advice, Mindfulness, Attitude, Perspective

In Real Life — Ignorance and Arrogance — by Steve Rigell — https://bubbblesmedia.com/ignorance-and-arrogance

This strip was inspired by Genius Turner’s article in The Ascent in which you can encounter Socrates in a subway and get a choice bit of perspective from Albert Einstein.
Outcomes of/&, Your Time
By: Terry Trueman
Tags: Time, Religion, Humor, Poetry, Perspective

Outcomes of/&, Your Time

Thinking about what we’re doing and not doing during a time of plague can be a daunting prospect, IMO Terry Trueman Follow Dec 19, 2020 · 2 min read

Image courtesy of Deborah Cole, Photographer

We want

Good things to happen

To and for good people

And bad things to happen

To and for bad people

In the books we read, the movies we watch etc.

I think this is mostly because in RL

(Real Life)

There is very little certainty that

Things will work out this way.

Sometimes good people get shit on

And bad people get great outcomes

And this “sometimes” happens

All the fuckin’ time.

Now,

If you wanna think

god and baby jesus

are sorting all of this out on some big

white board in the sky,

keeping score

with a master plan

that’s gonna be sure

to set it all right in the end,

knock yourself out, there’re worse things

to do with your time.

Or,

come to think of it,

I’m not sure about that.

But hey

It IS

Your time.

***************************************

Wikipedia & Encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Trueman

Most all my books can be found on Amazon, of course, and in some other places as well like Latahbooks.com

This particular poem, titled Outcomes is from:
It’s Okay If Your Holiday is Different This Year
By: Kristi Jacobsen
Tags: Mindset, Christmas, Life Lessons, Perspective, Family

It’s Okay for Your Holidays to Look Different

I’m not the only one whose holiday will look different in 2020. So many people suffered losses this year — jobs, family members, and homes. I count myself lucky that I have a roof over my head, family to go home to, and abundant opportunities to earn an income.

No matter who you are or where you live, this holiday won’t be the same. And while it might be painful or a struggle to get through, here are a few things that are keeping my spirits up :

Creating new holiday traditions

Zoom is a verb now and is likely installed on every computer in America at this point. Remember how I mentioned extended family gatherings grew smaller? Why not create a new family tradition to bring the extended family together through Zoom?

Giving gratitude

I use a gratitude journal every day but plan to spend extra time being grateful this holiday season. I’ll give gratitude for the holidays of the past, for the family I will be with this year, for a warm place to live, and the support of loved ones.

Keeping traditions alive

Christmas will be tough without much of my immediate family, but it doesn’t mean I want to avoid the holiday altogether. Some of my favorite traditions include various family recipes, holiday movies, and mimosas on Christmas morning. Just because this year is different, it doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate in similar ways.
Queen of Cáceres
By: Louis Dennis
Tags: Poem, Kingdom, Queen, Poetry, Perspective

Queen of Cáceres

Photo by Author

Perched on the top of the third step,

She was the queen of her own world,

As the passersby shuffled past her,

She allowed them to enter her palace.

The cathedral mirrored in her green eyes,

Like it too had asked for permission,

To take keep inside her vital organs,

Being honoured by even a single glance.

The retreating sun graciously shared,

All of the warmth it still could,

Ensuring to warm up the stones,

To hopefully be enjoyed after it left.

Offerings were made, should she desire,

To take a snack during her parade,

Through the kingdom paved by generations,

Unknowingly for her very four legs.
Your thoughts create your destiny
By: Muskan Kalra
Tags: Positivity, Hope, Thoughts And Feelings, Perspective, Destiny

Just observe everything around you, half of it is what you see, and the other half is what you observe. Your beliefs, faith, principles, and your mindset make you react.

Someone who steals always lives in fear of getting exposed. Your thoughts make half of your world.

Thoughts affect your health. If you start to believe you are healing, of course, you ought to heal. The body believes that thought of healing and works for it. If you start to believe your health is deteriorating, your health will behave the same. If you believe things are going wrong, you will be in a bit of negative feeling. Even if things aren’t right and you believe that things are going right, your hope will take you out of your current conditions.

If you believe in you being a loser, then subconsciously, you are a loser, even if the opportunity comes in front of you. With you being capable of making enough of it, you will still end up acting like the label of a loser you gave yourself. Give yourself labels, and you will end up behaving like those labels.

Observe how you react to every situation that pops up. Observe your words and thought, the heavier they are, and the more stressed the situation. The lighter they are, the more situation may seem controlled.

Thoughts create your personality. The more pure thoughts, psychologically, you will attract more people. On the other hand, if you are full of negative emotions and thoughts towards the other person, you will be more likely to be unhappy.

Every time, things aren’t right, but you can, of course, lie to yourself, “All is well.” If you sleep every night with a determined thought, you are allowing your subconscious to believe your thoughts. And you are more likely to work towards it also. Listen to affirmations that will make you confident, instead of you defined by what you and your conditions are. Define yourself by what you want to become.

Try to shift to make your thoughts from a negative perspective to at least neutral and then positive. If thoughts have this much power to affect your everyday life, and bit by bit, everything contributes to a greater whole. Destiny and fate are not magical things, and it is what you work for daily.
Rules in my life
Tags: Health, Happiness, Guidelines, Perspective, Rules

Stay in touch with the people you want to keep in life

This is an important and a valuable rule to me, it is actually a principle as well because I am a believer of working on a social network that gives me healthy perspective in life. If I am surrounded by negative people, guess how that is going to affect me? It is in the nature of life to bring people down from time to time, even if they are positive and healthy people. Shit happens, people fail, they get fired, they lose someone they love etc. It is important to have several people that can offer positivity and faith through a healthy perspective. That will help you stay on track for the most part, it will raise your lowest level of standard and positivity will reflect through yourself, towards people that chooses to keep you in their circle. It becomes a chain reaction.

With that being said, write a message even if it is “out of nowhere”. Check on people you care about, stay in touch with where they are in life. Ask how they are feeling. Listen to them and be respectful. Most importantly, choose wisely.
The Year for Early Learning and Childcare: Covid-19 Insights
By: Keya Lamba
Tags: Early Childhood Education, Inspiration, Covid 19, Perspective, Reflections

This article is the introduction of our four article series in early learning and childcare post Covid-19.

In August 2020 as Tarun and I contemplated Early Insights, the community of early childhood practitioners across seven countries we had been convening with our peers, we were struck by two things. One, the two of us shared a mission to serve the community with multiple perspectives that lay at the heart of the field. This covered the need for high quality adult child interactions, why early learning is important and what a world with excellent early learning and childcare for all could look like. Two, we were cognizant how the conversation at the edges of the field such as the power of technology, the need for care to power a 9.7 billion person planet and political and capital cycles were shaping it. We decided that this duality needed more explanation and debate.

By growing our community to 90 people across 14 nations, publishing seven articles, hosting two webinars and presenting at Teach for All’s global conference we examined our shared experiences. They highlighted that

While schools can go online, early education struggles to do so. The work of children, play, is cut off, parental routines are rewired and reaching parents is hard.

From the scars of stress, to the challenge of socio-emotional learning, the system of early learning and care we have are being buffeted by waves the system is not designed to handle

For perhaps the first time parents, teachers and policymakers are feeling the pain simultaneously

The way the world of early learning and childcare unfolds is a heart and mind issue. We wanted to shed some light on it and engage in a debate with you.

From September to November we spoke to 14 people engaged across the spectrum of early learning and childcare, from policymakers and investors to entrepreneurs and thought leaders on social care. This conversation at the edges highlighted three trends which we dive into in the following article series.

Trend One: The science and economics behind early learning is clear but the space needs revised communication to become a priority! Trend Two: Parents have unequal and poor access to information on early learning. This is critical because the easy scale behind early learning can address ballot box issues such as job creation, gender equality, access to health, and welfare services. All of which are important to parents as citizens and the state as a guardian of them. Trend Three: We need a 21st century understanding of what technology can (and cannot!) do for us — this means co-designing with parents and revamping learning for ages 4+

Our inside out and outside in viewpoints made us see the landscape in a fresh light which we summarise in a series ending summary here. For long form readers this journey is available as a report here.

Tell us what you think by tweeting us @earlyinsights or leaving a comment. We would love to hear from you! If you’d like to join our community, fill out our 1 minute sign up form here.
Perspective
By: Brenda Karimi
Tags: Life, Change, New Year Resolution, Perspective, 2021

Perspective

Life can seem awful and unfixable until the universe shifts a little and the observation point is altered, and then suddenly, everything seems more bearable. Brenda Karimi Dec 16, 2020·3 min read

Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash

It’s almost the beginning of another year, and we all know what happens then. New Year’s Resolutions. It’s a classic human move. And to be honest, no-one can blame anyone for making 2021 resolutions, considering the rollercoaster of a year we’ve just had. The fact that we have survived this far is reason enough to be grateful and to celebrate in our own way. But have you ever wondered why most of the resolutions that we make at the beginning of the year become just a far-gone memory come December? Well, I have. And I’m here to share with you what I found out. Let’s start at the roots, shall we?

It’s December 31st, New Year’s Eve. You’ve spent the day taking count of your year and imagining all the wonderful possibilities that the coming year has to offer. The daydream excites you. But then you get the sinking feeling you always get when the year is ending. What do you have to show for this year? There are obviously a few achievements here and there but to you, they seem trivial in the grand scheme of things. You promise yourself that this coming year, you are only chasing the Instagram-worthy moments. You want to be great or nothing. So you buy a notebook (you can’t start a new year with an old notebook lest the universe jinxes your year) and you set out to write your resolutions.

Therein lies the problem. Whenever we are writing our New Year’s resolutions, it’s always about what we want to change… on the outside. We want to change our relationships, we want to change our income, we want to change our body, heck we even want to renovate our apartment. Not that there is any problem with any of this, but we never actually ask ourselves why we want to change these things. Most of the time we tend to identify whatever looks wrong to us on the outside and blame it for the feelings on the inside.

The reason our resolutions don’t stick is that we change the outside and expect a different inside. We carry our energies, our mindsets, our hang-ups, our hopes, and our insecurities into the new year. It’s easy enough to think of all the ways you want to change the world and everything outside of you, but changing yourself is really the most important thing you should be thinking about.

It’s all about perspective. Thinking that you can change how things are instead of changing how you see things is a cripplingly false idea and it does nothing to change your life. I know you’ve heard this so many times but the truth is, to change your life, you need to change your perspective. To make your resolutions stick, you need to change how you look at your life. Brianna Wiest put it simply,
Is The Pizza Burnt?
By: Jonathan Shelton
Tags: Curiosity, Perspective, Humility, Perception

I used to work in a restaurant where we baked pizzas in a wood-fired oven. At the beginning of the shift, we’d built a fire at the front of the oven and, once it was burning well, we’d push the whole thing back in the corner and let it heat the whole dome-shaped oven to somewhere around 900 degrees — which is a lot of heat to cook with.

Baking a pizza this way requires a lot of movement and attention to detail. The pizza has to be rotated regularly, or one side will burn and the other side will be undercooked. It takes practice to know how often to rotate it and how much to turn it, but if it’s done right, it’s delicious. If it’s done poorly, however, one single pizza can make for a vastly inconsistent experience.

Is it undercooked, or is it burnt, or is it just right? Two people sharing a pizza could disagree on what they’re experiencing and both be right. If this is the case, it’s fairly simple to both people why. The evidence is right in front of them. It’s clear that one side was too close to the fire and the other wasn’t close enough.

But when we experience different realities and there isn’t the same kind of clarity, the answers, and more accurately, our perceptions, aren’t as obvious.

It’s easiest to explain what we’re experiencing and to assume that because it’s true for us, it must be true for anyone else as well. What is more accurate is to understand our own experience as distinctly our own and to approach others with humility and curiosity. Questions beat assumptions every time.
Why I have to do this
Tags: Dreams, Strategy, Study, Education, Perspective

I really have to study tonight but there is a significant lack of motivation. I decided to remind myself why I have to do this, why I need to overcome this mental obstacle.

Firstly, I need to practice my will power. I can not become who I want to be if I give in this easly everytime. I have to fight more, but more importantly I have to work preventevly in order to not put myseld in situations where I have to rely on will power.

Second of all, I really need this diploma. I seriously do. If I achieve my diploma and keep passing my courses I will eventually reach the level of structure in my life that I want to have. That I want to put as an example for my sisters. That I need to have. I will also be able to study abroad for one semester in America, this means opportunities and experience in life. Now that’s my long term reasons to why I have to invest these 60 minutes in my life doing something I really don’t feel like doing. Vieweing this matter in short terms it is still very important to me. If I do not plan and structure my studies well this semester, this winter in particular, I will just let myself sink lower and lower until the spring comes. My ambitions can not afford those habits. I can handle anymore failiures. I have already let myself gain 3kg and am struggling to stop myself from gaining more weight. Failing in school would really bring me down and that is not something I would wish upon myself. Evaluating the same argument but in a differens perspective I am able to say that doing this would give me a motivation boost that is needed, especially during rough times as we are experiencing now. Motivation boost would make be bare with my part time job, something I need to save money for future vacations. It would give me motivation to hang out and have fun with friends, making trips, visiting my friend who recently went to London to study. It gives me a possibility to buy gifts to the people I love on their birthdays, exploring restaurants and café’s. I need to do this. To leave Sweden for good. To live the rest of my life with a woman I love, raising children i would die for in a country with social and happy people, with nice weather.
Handsome
By: Terry Trueman
Tags: Beauty, Ego, Perspective, Again

Handsome

On my 73rd b-day (TODAY!) I revisit a piece published (in a prose format) earlier — after all, one can never spend too much time staring into a mirror! Terry Trueman Follow Dec 15, 2020 · 3 min read

Image courtesy of author’s priv pics

I never realized

And never gave much

Thought to the notion

That I was considered

Mostly handsome by the ladies

Throughout most of my life.

Image courtesy of author’s priv. pics

Some girls liked my eyelashes

(and, “You have such lovely eyes”)

Some women loved my hands (“Oh my,

Do you play piano? You should!”).

For many of those years, I had a full beard

And even a full head of hair for awhile.

Image courtesy of author’s VERY OLD priv. pics

I could always make the ladies smile

And nearly as often, laugh.

But my looks

I never thought about . . .

Image courtesy of author’s (EVEN VERY OLDER) priv. pics

. . . until recently.

At the age of 71 and ½

I looked into a mirror

Close-up, to see how my new glasses

Looked . . .

Image reluctantly and regrettably shared from author’s selfies

. . . and holy shit!!

I’d become an old man!!

Portrait image Deborah Cole, photographer

I’m not sure how to end this thing:

I guess I’m glad I had such good luck

For as long as I did;

And I guess I’m a bit disappointed

That the luck finally ran out.

On the plus side, the new glasses

Look okay,

Image courtesy of Em M., Unsplash

But I’m afraid to say,

They aren’t helping much.

**************************************

Wikipedia & Encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terry_Trueman

The poem Handsome can be found in:
Time Goes by in a Blink, Even in Pandemic Times
By: Diana Bernardo
Tags: Life, Coronavirus, 2020, Perspective, 2021

Do you remember March? It was just yesterday.

Do you remember trying to look ahead during those early pandemic times? The uncertainty, the fear, the feeling that there would be no end to this mess.

Yet here we are, nine months later. Time passed. We lived. We are closer to the end.

In nine months' time, most of the pandemic should be gone. It feels like an incredibly long time of our lives to spend in this half-dead state the world keeps spinning on.

But as the first nine months passed, the coming nine shall pass too. One day at a time and, before we know it, they will be gone. Just like March went by so quickly, so will the first half of 2021.

It’s a matter of perspective. What are nine months in a lifetime? Nothing. We can do this.
The Sugarcane Juice Seller
By: Tooth Truth Roopa Vikesh
Tags: Diversity, Parenting, Poverty, Perspective, India

The Sugarcane Juice Seller

Sugarcane stall vendor at work in Bistupur market area yesterday afternoon.

Long sticks of sugarcane,

Fed into a machine

That crushes them completely

And squeezes out the juice

There’s a first and a second press, both of which go into the same drink. People pay by glass, not by stalk. He’s feeding the stalks of juice into the machine and pulling them out to repeat the process.

Sweet, too sweet! So he adds a little lemon

A sprinkling of salt and there you have your drink.

It is impossible to transport this,

It must be drunk right away,

I tried to fill it up in a bottle once,

To take it home to family,

but it turned green — maybe it fermented?

It tasted awful indoors.

Besides, the point of sugarcane juice,

Is that you have it in the hot sun.

That’s why it is

The rickshaw puller’s joy,
Three ways writing can help you.
By: Ananthakrishna S
Tags: Writing Life, Life Lessons, Thinking, Benefits, Perspective

“One day I will find the right words, and they will be simple.”

— Jack Kerouac

Writing at it’s most basic is a way of communicating, whether you’re communicating with a friend or a colleague or actually with yourself — deciding tomorrow’s breakfast, for instance.

There are many good reasons why you should start writing, even if it’s just a few hundred words. You don’t have to be a Creative Genius, You learn how to write by writing, and this can become one of the most instrumental changes in your life.

“You don’t start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it’s good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That’s why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence.” ― Octavia E. Butler

You start communicating with clarity

Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Unlike talking, writing demands more sophisticated thinking, it requires more words and expressions to describe what you have in mind. This perceptibly makes you a more efficient thinker which in turn makes you good at communicating complex ideas and thoughts in a more effective manner.

You become more productive

Photo by Remy_Loz on Unsplash

“You can always edit a bad page. You can’t edit a blank page.” ― Jodi Picoult

Writing stimulates your brain, it activates the neurons to brute force every possible combination to make the right sentences.

For example, writing down your tasks appropriately makes you more productive and to carry them out properly.

To be concise, you are making an effort to think more, which when applied to your daily routine makes you more efficient.

Writing leads to better learning

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

“Read a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river.” ― Lisa See

Writing demands a certain discipline to bring out the evocativeness in your work. It demands an individual to be more receptive and focused on finding more recourses and inspiration. There will be times when you read 40 articles to bring out the best 4 lines, this process in-turn makes you better at learning and processing your thoughts.

You will begin to want to build on new ideas which will further lead to exploring new topics and gaining more knowledge.

In the end, it makes you happier.
Monochrome
Tags: Poem, Life, Haiku, Poetry, Perspective

Photo by Lerone Pieters on Unsplash

Dull grey walls around.

Absent vibrant colours that

appears black and white.
Photos to look at when life is tough
By: Bri, Brie
Tags: Bri Maloney, Writing Tips, Photo Collection, Nature Photography, Perspective

Look up.

Tonight, there's a solar eclipse. Yesterday, there was a meteor shower. Who knows what fascinating things the night sky will show us tomorrow.

Without light pollution ruining the picture, more people might think about the world a bit differently. How can you not when you stare out into the endless night?
You are LIGHT — shift your monologue
By: Inderjyot Singh
Tags: Shift, Inner Voice, Self Talk, Experience, Perspective

We all express ourselves in different ways!!

But almost all of us express similar emotions, we have the same range of emotions. We are responding to situations and circumstances in extremely similar manners. And today, I was wondering WHY IS THAT?

Could it be because we are trained to act and think a certain way? Could it be because we are conditioned to respond in a certain manner?

For example- When we feel cold, we immediately start thinking — “Oh God! It is cold today”. When I noticed myself saying it, this morning. I paused for a moment and asked myself how could I turn this cold breeze into something that works for me? Into something that makes me feel good, strong and well.

I shifted my mental monologue from focusing on the cold my body felt, to focusing on — How great it would be if the cold breeze is helping my body, my cells wake up. I started imagining how the cold was energizing me and making me feel fresh and pumping energy into my body.

The moment I was able to be in complete sink with the above monologue- I started enjoying the cold breeze. I started feeling a sense of joy which induced warmth in my body (similar to the expression when one starts feeling the warm and fuzzy feeling in their bodies). Even as I am typing this; my hands and upper body are feeling a sense of appreciation for this experience and I feel awe for that moment. It certainly makes me feel we are perceptual creatures and we can gain insights and develop love and empathy from any circumstance or thought. We are deeply connected to the wellbeing even in uncomfortable circumstances, only if we allow ourselves to nourish us with the wellbeing flowing to each one of us.

I am deeply appreciative of the love that is flowing through you and me right now…. My thoughts will realize now, as I am joyful in my expression… Until next time

Regards,

Inder
The Purpose Of Cheat Meals!
By: Gorphy Sanon
Tags: Psychology, Food, Eating, Cheat Meals, Perspective

Photo by Cristiano Pinto on Unsplash

You may have heard of cheat meals if you’ve heard of fit guys eating pizza and other junk food while staying lean. It can definitely throw people off balance. Some Body Coaches have ads or videos that promote the idea of you still being able to eat the foods that you like while maintaining a healthy lifestyle and eating routine. It’s important to know why some people implement them and some don’t.

Cheat Meals vary from person to person, because one person may not have junk foods they enjoy while the other one can fare well without them. It’s meant to be a psychological aid for people who may miss eating some of the foods that may have held them back from eating better or may have needed to heavily moderate.

Body Coaches put emphasis on exercise, but more importantly what you eat and how much enjoyment you’re getting out of what you’re eating. Many people start to do something to try to better their life, but it usually goes downhill quickly because they find it mundane, boring, or flat-out unfun.

It’s true that everything good derives off of hard work and perseverance, but enjoying something can go a long way to motivate someone to keep doing something even if they don’t see any immediate progress. With that said, cheat meals should be used in moderation depending on how much of your favorite foods are junk foods vs healthy foods. Having one cheat meal won’t kill all of your progress, but having them constantly will eventually wreak havoc on your health if they are riddled with junk food.

Everyone’s different so I can’t tell anyone what to have for their cheat meal. Cheat Meals should be balanced out with what your health goal is and should take macro and micronutrients into consideration to determine how often you should have them.
The Cross Pollination of Ideas
By: Giulia Grotenhuis
Tags: Conflict, Perspective, Ideas

I see a lot of fighting on social media these days and it makes me think about the dangers of the drama that ensues.

I have been asking myself where it comes from, for quite some time.

I have always loved to learn. To be honest I spent a large part of my adult life learning more by interacting with people and less with reading.

These days I have the luxury (for lack of better word) to read and listen more.

A few months ago I was listening to the audio book, Alexandar Hamilton Captivating History. I didn’t really know anything about him other than he was one of the most well known founding fathers. I learned that I think he was someone that I wouldn’t have a beer with. I was also surprised that there were some very heated political arguments back then, which descended to name calling and personal attacks. Sounds like social media today. The one thing I would say is that back then it seemed less tied to personal enrichment to attack the opposite view, than it was just human nature and ego.

I am not sure why it surprised me so. For just as matter can neither be created or destroyed, in the essence of life, there is nothing new under the sun. Not. One. Damn. Thing.

For as much as people try to do something good, and new, and revolutionary, there will be people that tear it down with hatred and jealousy — fueled by the desire to advance their own agenda. I don’t want to suggest that people can’t have differences and passionate debate. That is not the way the world works either. There is no two people that agree on everything. It’s just not so. And to pretend that you do, by agreeing with people is counterproductive.

If you are spewing the talking points of someone that shares your agenda, without investigating if their claims are true or not, then you are part of the problem. Why not gather information on what you believe, build your argument based on that, and be prepared to present why you support a particular argument. When you just regurgitate talking points, you’re presenting someone else’s truth.

I love a good debate. Through good debate I myself have evolved on several topics that I would have never previously supported. Debate gives opportunity for exposure to someone else’s ideas. While you may not agree with them, it just may stimulate the thought process on things you have been stuck on. No one has all the answers to the worlds problems. But one thing is for certain, no one will solve anything without discussing them in an honest fashion.

I have been thinking about this for quite some time. The first time was after watching two of my favorite TedTalks. It was odd that I just randomly watched them consecutively for the first time. Even odder that the topics couldn’t be more extreme from each other, and yet there it was, the underlying theme of advancement with the cross pollination of ideas.

Give them a listen and let me know what you think.

Have you evolved on a topic recently? If so I would love to hear the details of your journey.
IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR PERSPECTIVE ✨ DAILY SPARK
By: Liesbeth Bakker
Tags: Entrepreneur, Founders, Inspiration, Perspective, Startup

It’s only natural that we make ourselves the center of our universe… after all, we only have one pair of eyes we can see the world through. It is good though to sometimes realise our perspective is just what it is: one perspective. That’s why there’s such a fuss about having diversity in teams — to have as many perspectives represented as possible…

SPARK OF THE DAY

How often does it happen something or someone still surprises you? If not so much, you now know you may have a problem!

I wish you a great start of your week ✨
Choose to see the good still. Even when people make up stories where…
By: Ar Bondoc
Tags: People, Perspective, Goodness

Even when people make up stories where you are the bad..

When you are the type of person to not tell people what you have been doing, sometimes people will make up stories about you. It’s not always a story that we agree with. In these fabrications, we are sometimes labeled with a character who is up to no good.

When people do this, it is wise to simply give back a smile. :)

Leave them confused. Break the loop of hatred. Smile with your eyes.

Be the lens that sees the good. Because unlike how the world works, intentions do matter. Double check on the intention. This remains a solid guide. No matter the outcome.

And as long as you mean well, then people can’t take away that joy you are having. In fact, that is how you share joy.

“One of the risks of being quiet is that other people can fill your silence with their own interpretation.. When others can’t read us, they write their own story — not always one we choose or that’s true to who we are.” — Sophia Dembling, The Introvert’s Way

There have been people who have labeled me wrongly. I don’t bother correcting them. I’ve been misunderstood so many times and I don’t really care. I mean well. You chose to see it the other way.

Seeing the good in others is to find goodness within ourselves.

And vice versa.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

We’ll never know. But good people will always respond like how good people do.

Both the good and bad occur at the same time — and you’ll always find that which you try to seek.

So when taking a trip down memory lane, choose to see the good in all the experiences you have had with people in your life.

Remember that time when..? I had a real good time then. Thank you for that! :)