Wake Up! September 10, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Life Balance, People, Travel & Leisure.32 comments
Did you hear about the guy driving on the Massachusetts Pike, with a passenger on board, while both appeared to be sound asleep?
Yup. It happened yesterday.
The couple were in a self driving car and . . . (wait for it!) . . . Massachusetts State Police told WBZ-TV there’s technically no law against falling asleep behind the wheel of a self-driving car.
Say what?!
Just think of the benefit of a self-driving car to people who want to drive while:
(a) applying make-up; (b) shaving; (c) texting;
(d) eating; (e) surfing the web; (f) having sex;
(g) reading a newspaper; (h) painting; or
(i) catching some ZZZ’s.
Time for a nap. Guess I’ll take a drive.
Aah . . . that’s scary!
To read more: TESLA Driver Asleep on the Mass Pike (CBS Boston) * Destined to Fall: Auto Safety Expert Calls for Oversight (CBS Boston)
F.N. In a statement included in the second article, Tesla said the system reminds drivers to keep their hands on the wheel.
“Many of these videos appear to be dangerous pranks or hoaxes,” a Tesla spokesperson said. “Our driver-monitoring system repeatedly reminds drivers to remain engaged and prohibits the use of Autopilot when warnings are ignored. At highway speeds, drivers typically receive warnings every 30 seconds or less if their hands aren’t detected on the wheel. Tesla owners have driven billions of miles using Autopilot, and data from our quarterly Vehicle Safety Report indicates that drivers using Autopilot experience fewer accidents than those operating without assistance.”
Aah . . . that’s better!
Objection! Hearsay. August 29, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Meditation, Mindfulness, Spirit & Ego.15 comments
Through direct personal experience, we can come to know/ sense a higher power . . . something outside us that’s also within us . . . a part of the whole.
But it’s somewhat impossible to PROVE the existence of that inner power to others unless (a) they’re willing to rely on hearsay, or (b) they experience it for themselves.
God dwells with me as me.
God is the breath within the breath.
Look deep. The answers lie within.
Aah . . . that’s better!
A Matter Of Life & Death August 27, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Life Balance, People.32 comments
Like sleep, death can be seen as reward . . .
In 1990 B.C., a man who was tired of life wrote a poem called The Man Who Was Tired of Life:
Death is in my sight today
As when a man desires to see home
After he has spent many years in captivity
Even though death can be a welcome relief, most of us want to steer clear of the grim reaper for as long as possible.
I expect it’s the perpetual part that gives us pause.
That and the fact that there’s no “try before you die” plan to give us a preview.
And now for a little gallows humor:
“When I’m bored, I send a text to a random number saying, “I hid the body . . . now what?” ”
“Many people are alive only because it’s illegal to shoot them.”
“When I die, I want to die like my grandfather who died peacefully in his sleep. Not screaming like all the passengers in his car.” ~ Will Rogers
Aah . . . that’s better!
We Are Not The Movie August 24, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Humor, Life Balance, Mindfulness, Spirit & Ego.14 comments
We are not the movie.
We are not the story.
We are not the screen.
We are not the projector.
We are the witness, watching the scenes unfold with conscious awareness.
From that perspective, we can get caught up in the story OR choose to let go of our desire for a certain outcome.
When we go with the flow and let the story unfold in its own way and time, we become a detached observer, overflowing with mirth.
As joy bubbles up from within, we are one with the Laughing Buddha.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Snowden August 21, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Blogging, Humor, Life Balance, Mindfulness, People.34 comments
What if they are watching every step we take?
What if they are reading, saving, and collating our e-mails, library cards, movie queues, blog posts, account data, fitbit readouts, grocery store purchases, etc.?
What if they keep track of the books we read and the movies we watch?
What if they eavesdrop on our conversations and use facial recognition software as we window shop?
What if they watch us while we’re sleeping and know when we’re awake?
What if they know when we’ve been bad or good . . . and decide to tell Santa on us?
Hmm . . . “let’s give them something to talk about.
A little mystery to figure out.”
Let’s do something wild and crazy and unexpected.
Let’s be who we are and say what we will because . . . we can.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Notes & Quotes From Hugh Prather August 19, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Books & Movies, Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness.20 comments
In college, a friend shared her copy of Notes to Myself with me. Years later, I read through Notes on Love & Courage. Both books, by Hugh Prather, contained considerable fuel for thought.
Here’s a few quotes to stoke your fire within:
“An argument is always about what has been made more important than the relationship.”
“There are only three things you need to let go of ~ judging, controlling, and being right. Release these three and you will have the whole mind and twinkly heart of a child.”
“Almost any difficulty will move in the face of honesty. When I am honest I never feel stupid. And when I am honest I am automatically humble.”
~ Hugh Prather
Aah . . . that’s better!
The Broken Wheel August 17, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Gratitude, Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness.23 comments
Once upon a time, a broken wheel set out to explore the world.
Due to a missing chunk of wood, the broken wheel rolled slowly, but noticed everything.
It observed the flowers in the fields, the sun in the sky, and heard the sounds of songbirds and laughter of small children at play as it rolled happily, albeit slowly, through life.
One day, the broken wheel ran into a talented wheelwright who offered to fix the wheel by replacing the missing chunk with a spare part.
Delighted, the wheel accepted the generous offer.
With the spare part fastened securely in place, the wheel resumed its journey through life.
As it raced down the road, the wheel noticed nothing. The trees, the flowers, the birds became an indistinct, blurry mass of shapes and colors. Sounds faded into the background, and the rush of wind drowned out the peals of laughter ringing forth from children at play.
Unhappy, the wheel stopped beside a small pond to meditate.
In the silent stillness, all the wheel had missed sprung back into being ~ the birds took to the air, filling the silence with song; the flowers bloomed in the field, painting the landscape with color; and the sun lit up the sky once again, warming the world with its golden rays.
Rested and refreshed, the wheel resumed rolling slowly ~ leaving the spare part behind.
Aah . . . that’s better! ♥ ♥ ♥
Source: Unknown
Access Your Inner Wisdom August 15, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Life Balance, Magick & Mystery, Mindfulness.18 comments
Asking questions of others allows you to better understand their unique perspective on the world.
Asking questions of your self enables you to perceive, more clearly, your unique pathway through life.
To connect with your inner wisdom, ask questions and listen for the answers which may come through via insight, intuition, impulse, or inspiration, rather than words.
Need some ideas?
Here are a few questions to get you started on your inner journey:
* What do I want out of life? * How do I access joy? * Who do I want to be?
* What qualities shall I express to the world? * How can I feel more peaceful?
* How do I stop worrying? * How do I learn to “go with the flow”?
* What makes me smile? * What fills me with gratitude?
* Which experiences are treasures to savor? * What’s for dinner?
You may be surprised at how fast answers begin to appear once you voice the questions.
Aah . . . that’s better!
Related posts: Have You Lost a Part of Yourself? (Always Well Within)
Water Over The Dam August 13, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness.20 comments
I seldom worry about “water over the dam” (since there is no way that I can chase downstream to re-claim it).
But I am careful about choosing how I want to spend my remaining time on this planet.
If we desire to make the most of the time we have left (however long that may be):
* We must be willing to exercise our autonomy and freedom.
* We must prioritize our limited time and energy.
* We must be authentic and make choices based on what we want out of life ~ not what others want from or for us.
Quote: Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live. ~ Goethe
Aah . . . that’s better!
Shibal Biyong and Tangjinjaem August 9, 2019
Posted by nrhatch in Happiness, Life Balance, Mindfulness, People.22 comments
What’s Shibal Biyong?
It’s a “fuck it expense” ~ an unnecessary indulgence that keeps you from giving up entirely. The expression originated in South Korea in 2016:
[I]n South Korea, a generation of frustrated young people is reclaiming the idea of frivolous expenses—from cab rides to expensive sushi—as a psychological survival tool dubbed shibal biyong.
* * *
A shibal biyong is an expense that might seem unnecessary but that helps you get through a bad day. It’s the $20 you splurge for a cab home instead of taking the subway after you’ve been denied a promotion or the comforting but expensive sushi you buy after you’ve been berated by your boss. The term implies that you might as well make yourself happy right now because your prospects in the long term seem bleak. Buy that nice coat, because you’ll never get on the housing ladder. Eat that steak, because you’ll never save up enough to retire.
* * *
Inequality and a sense of economic despair have taken a fierce toll on South Koreans’ mental health. Nearly half of all deaths among South Koreans in their 20s are due to suicide, compared with just under 1 in 5 Americans of the same age. The country’s overall suicide rate was the highest among OECD countries from 2003 to 2016.
The title of a recent South Korean bestselling book, I Want to Die, but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki (spicy rice cakes), captures the essence of shibal biyong.
* * *
If South Korean millennials are squandering their money, it’s not because they’ve lost touch with reality. Quite the opposite: For many of them, short-term consumption has become a rational choice maximizing the utility of money based on a realistic assessment of the future.
* * *
“Shibal biyong and tangjinjaem [squandering fun] are symbolic endeavors responding to social problems via individual consumption,” said Alex Taek-Gwang Lee, a professor at Kyung Hee University in Seoul. “As saving cannot guarantee the future, unlike in the past, the idea of investing in the present rather than the future gains strength.”
* * *
Koreans have begun blowing their money not out of ignorance but out of common sense. A small pleasure now is better than a promised future contentment that will never come.
To read more: Why Young Koreans Love to Splurge (Foreign Policy)
Aah . . . that’s better!
