Paris

I wanted to write a post about the WACAP conference organised by the UNDP in Rotterdam on 24-26 February, which aimed to empower cities and municipalities to fight poverty and social exclusion. And I hope to come back to that theme.
But more importantly (for me), we have just spent a weekend in Paris and that experience took over the space of WACAP in my brain. Paris, mon amour, pour toujours....
I used to study in Paris and had quite a hard time. And I have not gone back there for 6 years. Until last week. The city changed - the restaurant I used to work at is now an artist atelier. Yet the monuments of the city look exactly the same way they did six years ago. Saint Michel, Jardin de Luxembourg, Place de Vosges, Ile Saint Louis....sheer beauty!
There were also a lot of those who did not make use of the numerous Cartier and Lancel stores. Poverty was around before and was there now. Pickpockets have equipped themselves with new tricks. Everyone seemed to be a smoker. There was decadence, shopping and something that vaguely reminded me of good food and art.
An amazing weekend, though.
The experience was quite different from my previous visits to the town. It is strange to think about it, but it was mainly because I was somewhat less broke than on previous encounters with the city of romance, decadence, Serge Gainsbourg, fashion and elegance.
I have an itch to go back, soon again!

Pragmatic generation

I attended a lunch talk yesterday at the Hub (www.the-hub.net - in case you are interested). The theme of the conversation was social innovation in the city - it came down to social cohesion and how to make it happen in a creative, co-creating way.
I never really thought about the role of generations - Generaton X, Y, Z (Digital Natives), Baby Boomers, Baby Busters, Lost Generation etc. But a gentleman at the lunch talk yesterday said to us: you are a pragmatic generation - you are not fighting against anything, you are fighting FOR what you believe in.
While I agree with that, I still believe I am more of an idealist than a pragmatist. After all, I am Generation Y. Until I looked up on Wikipedia the "List of Generations". It turns out, that being born in 1980 still puts me in the Generation X category. Which is a wake up call,
I am looking at my birth date now.... 1980. It really sounds so last millennium.
Pragmatist last millennium. So I sit here and try not to get too passionate about the things I find important, about things I disagree with, about anything. I am trying be be a pragmatist Generation X person.
But since I find it difficult, it gives me hope that I may just not fit the usual description of any generation, since I was born in a particular part of the world, with specific experiences that did not make the Generation X features strong in me.
After all, Generation X,Y,Z only fits some people, not so much others. And that's fine. We do not need to squeeze ourselves into tight little boxes.
Let's just be - passionate or pragmatic - whatever works for you!

Working together

So I decided to put my energy and effort into a for profit initiative to bring awareness to businesses on sustainable practices. For almost nothing, for less than unemployment benefit (it's also true that I am not entitled to this "uitkering"). Full time. Getting the project off the ground, lots of things done.

A kind person recently told me that "You must be really desperate to make a difference!". I smiled. And now I smile again. For for a different reason. One has ultimately no one else to blame for certain choices but themselves.

Being into personal development and community building, yet also on the journey of defining my borders, I took the role on and tried to be assertive, yet hard working. Working a lot, delivering results for almost nothing. For helping a company to build a project I would not be around to enjoy the benefits of. Fully understanding that I do it for the purpose, for large companies rethinking certain ways. Yet, I also hoped to generate open communication and feedback loops.

I got my feedback this morning, while getting ready to engage some organisations for potential partnership. It said, "Thank you, that's it. We work with different rules. You can leave. Now."
Oops, that is normally not what an open, adaptive organisation would say. At least for sure they would not start the conversation with this. So, here I am, feeling better about not working for something I believe in with people I find hard to believe in. When you look back, it becomes all clear, the messages you should have picked up on earlier. It did not happen, though. So I smile. Yes, maybe I was just a tiny bit to desperate to make a difference since I have no agreement on paper. If with nothing else at all, I will walk away richer. In experience.

Sometimes you are not aware of the things you are capable of doing. In this role, I could sometimes hardly believe the success I achieved in a day. Real confidence boost.
I also learnt that there are many people out there not open to personal development, and despite being great people, they still hold on too tight to the command & control type of management.

I learnt that I need to watch my back better. And that I need to find ways to get people to talk before they explode and there is no way back.
Well, all in all, it was great. But I hope I won't do it again! :-)

High Potential

Last night - one of my volunteer activities - I had the opportunity to work with 20+ high potential "allochtonen" - non-Dutch students. They were between 20 and 24, working at banks, municipalities, doing UN internships, etc. There was so much ambition in the room, that I wondered how I will manage to ask them "What do you still need to improve about yourself?". They did not need improvement - in their own perception. So we did an exercise. It was a challenge to keep them focused and invite them to re-examine their ways.
I did a similar exercise last year. With the previous group. Yesterday, some of them came to share their experience from the year long program. I remember, last year the room was full of ambitions and will, too. I was wondering how last year's group has changed. And they have changed - they have become more grounded, calm, but did not lose their determination. They were fully present. One of them said that she met a lot of people, great networking opportunities. And not only can you network for yourself, but also for the others. So I thought, how great! They have become aware of the true power of networking. Just do it and make the best connections happen. Don't worry, you will not lose your position by letting other benefit from your network.

I also saw this high potentials as hungry for success. Do the morally right thing. I am still an idealist, but I have given up looking for absolute answers. They haven't. It is also fine to be very ambitious and embark on a corporate journey. It may be the right journey for some. All I would like to help them see, that there are alternatives to that journey. That there are no absolute answers and it's a matter of balancing ways forward. Why not try doing good and doing well, for example?

Can you ever get over it?

I am not even fully aware of the definition of social intelligence, but I intuitively think, that smiling and being nice to those around you is part of it.
Now, don't get me wrong, I love the Netherlands, and admire their egalitarian approach to everything. I like how they do not make big deals out of things.
On the other hand, having to prepare for your interaction with those working in the service industry as one would prepare for a minor battle, does take a lot of energy. I just came back from the pharmacy... I felt terrible about daring to disturb the ladies standing in front of shelves reaching up to the ceiling, not wearing a white coat, putting boxes here and there and then back here, for signature and then with a piece of paper back there.
My box of medicine was within the reach of my arm, on the counter, but it has not been checked out yet by the head pharmacist (?). So I stood. Like the other fellow intruders, we were taken for thin air. We were even afraid to talk to each other not to disturb the box relocating process. But frustration was building up.
I just want that little box. I do not mind any more the state of health insurance, I am willing to pay for it. Just let me have it. But no... Ultimately one of the ladies came over and after 10 minutes of soundless waiting, almost a tear of despair in my eye, I got the box!!! Victory!
I left the pharmacy, feeling the cold Amsterdam air felt so refreshing, I was not the intruder at the pharmacy any more.
And now I needed milk. But I could pick it up at the supermarket where I did not have to wait at the mercy of shopkeeper, I just took it from the shelf and rejoice the young girl at the counter, who does not look at me and looks extremely bored, but at least she scans all my groceries in 20 seconds and I am out and free of the service industry again...for hours!!!!
Still, I will not get it. Everyone likes being smiled at. Do not people in the service industry understand that smiling is the first step to building lasting relationships with clients?
Or am I missing out on something?

The luxury problem

Given the current economic downturn, many people have found themselves out of jobs and struggling to find their next engagement. Most people are out of their usual jobs by necessity, not so much by choice.
In that respect, I belonged to the luckier ones - I have decided to move on despite an offer to stay. Once you know what matters to you and you know what capacities you have to contribute to making your dream job happen, you just have to go. In turns out that many young people realised at the same time as myself, that having a CSR related, responsible and connected job is what they want. This made a market in Amsterdam rather saturated. I have heard that to positions where previously 10 people would apply, organizations are now receiving over 200 applications. It's even so hard to make sure anyone actually has the time to read all those CVs and motivation letters through.
And it's just as hard to stay motivated as a job seeker.
I was again on the lucky end of the spectrum, I was volunteering for an NGO I highly admired and we created some interesting programs. Yet at the end of the day, some income is necessary to keep going. So I kept looking.
And then it happened.
The luxury problem - I got 3 job offers in one week. All the the range of what I was looking for, with minor trade offs. What do you do? Which way do you take? How do you explain to yourself and those who offered you the jobs you end up not taking why you decided the way you did?
So I googled the solution: "How to build a good career" - I looked up all the criteria that you should base your decision on.
I talked to a motivational speaker and asked him what he would do. I tried to sleep over it. And nothing, I was still struggling to decide. I was blaming it on my zodiac (I am a libra). But still...
And then, I went about it the other way.
I asked why would I accept each of the offer. And I came to the core of the issue. If I accepted one, eventually, I would be very exhausted from commuting. The other one I would have accepted for the team. And the third I would have accepted for myself, for my ambition, to prove to myself that I can make it.
Success is still not guaranteed. But I made my choice. At least temporarily (the offer is temporary).
So, sad story turned good story turned reality. Let's see where this road leads.
The cups in the picture have nothing to do with the text. I just liked the picture. And the are three cups, all slightly different. And I had 3 offers.

The Geopolitics of Emotion

Despite having studied international relations, I do not remember having come across Dominique Moisi! I have heard of Gilpin´s and Kissinger´s approach to geopolitics, which always seemed like a realistic "Homo homini lupus" approach. Sad, cold and rational.
I came across an article my Mr. Moisi the other day. Since then I have understood that his theory has been around for some time and that many scholars have already lined up to support him. But somehow, I have not come across it before.
Nevertheless, the point is that he looks at geopolitics from an emotional perspective - that of fear and hope. He suggests (among others) the the US culture is dominated by individual fear and collective hope. Whereas the Western European one is guided by collective fear.
Mr. Moisi has 2 scenarios for 2025, depending on humanity being guided by fear or hope.
If guided by fear: after the 2018 4th Intifadah, the Middle East is in complete chaos. Terrorist groups are gaining power, they have already employed biological weapons that killed some 30.000 people. Nation states´ borders are closed down, everyone bacame suspicious and fearful of "the other".
If guided by hope: the USA is the greenest economy of the world, the EU has become united, Turkey joined the EU as a whole and business practices have become much more sustainable. Oh, and the Middle-East problem has been solved.
OK, these brief scenarios do not mention other major powers (Russia, China, India, SAR, Brazil Mexico, rest of Asia, Africa), but it gives you the idea of the severity of the state.
Now, the choice is ours. Fear or hope? apparently, we are too comfortable in our mental models to invest into looking at the world with hope.

Another example of being in flow

The other day I was decorating a shawl with beads. I wanted to decorate its both ends symmetrically. I got some beads and divided them into two equal heaps. And I started sewing. Halfway the first side, I thought I do not have enough beads in this group to finish my pattern. Or maybe I do. No, i don´t think so. Well, let´s just see. - I was having this conversation with myself, looking for alternative solutions - maybe I need to buy more beads. Maybe I will just leave it unfinished. Or maybe I will have enough beads? No, that´s unlikely.
I observed changes in my productivity depending on the paradigm I was thinking in ' in the one of hope or that one of surrender.
So, I ran out of beads for one end of the shawl. And my pattern was unfinished. So my boyfriend asked, why don´t you chose another pattern for the other end? A smaller one, maybe. Good thinking - I thought, and started sewing on the other hand. Again, without counting the actual number of available beads.
After some time, I finished the pattern and had beads left to return to the first edge of the shawl and finish that one. It all worked out beautifully.
Yet in the process I had doubts, I was looking for alternatives, I even came close to giving up. Fortunately, as I let go of the in-the -box thoughts, everything came together and I managed to finish the job and feel good about it!

2010, the year of...

What will happen in 2010? Elections. Yes. Dynamic development of international relations and diplomacy (now that the EU has it's "faces" as well). Yes. The winter Olympic and Paralympic games in Vancouver. Greening economies, recovering from the recession, yes. Addressing global challenges. Hopefully.
In 2010 we'll have have the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion - http://www.2010againstpoverty.eu/. It is rather inward focused - no mention of global poverty and exclusion, at least not for now....
In 2010, the European Cultural Capitals are Essen in Germany, Istanbul in Turkey and Pecs in Hungary. If this choice provokes you, feel free to start a discussion about it. I find the choice great, an out of the box step. It makes me proud...
What else will be 2010 known for? It's also maybe up to you.

BUEK /PF 2010

I have somehow not managed to upload a festive post before the Christmas holidays. Neither during them (but then I had no intention to be connected to the world wide web). Yet now I would like to wish you a belated happy new year, a successful and prosperous 2010.
Making plans for 2010, personal and professional ones makes one be able to map things out better. This will be a big year, no doubt. Business is changing, consumers habits are changing, technological development continues to accelerate - it will be a decisive year for Twitter, for space research and alternative energies. But most of all, it should be a year when we take time to get grounded, to assess what went wrong in 2009 (and what went well, for that matter) and build on the experience. And to take time to do things that really matter. Make Christmas decorations, write birthday cards, read the newspapers, catch up with friends ... and be happy for each others' success.

Global Warming - or just Climate Change

Apparently, "global warming" sounds more negative than "climate change", that is why the George W. Bush administration pushed the concept of "climate change", to sound more neutral. I personally think "global cooling" sounds much worse, though. Indeed, we are experiencing extremes, incredibly hot seasons and freezing cold wind storms. As we are now approaching Xmas (sorry for the underscore, Blogger lives its own life now), thinks got quite chilly all of the sudden. So yes, this phonomenon suggest there is no global warming.
I however resonate with the fact, that temperature extremes as they are deviating from the norm now, are a serious problem. A problem not directly for us, yet. We still have heating systems and air-conditioning. But a problem to the ecosystems on which we so directly depend on - on the breeding season of birds and mammals, the dissolving of the bottom of the food chain due to the acidification of sea waters, the hunger and frustration in developing countries that will come back to us just like a boomerang.
But to come back to the core of the problem (the above are mere consequences of the changing climate): so many from Al Gore, through Prof. Stern, Jim Hansen and Bill McKibben and Pachauri have said it: It is not the tempreature deviations in themselves that are the root of the problem, but the increasing number of CO2 equivalent particles per million (ppm) in our atmosphere that is the driving force behind the tamperatue shift. And whereas in the past CO2 ppm has been fluctuating, never to the extent as it is now. And another thing, whereas in the past tempereture change was the driver of CO2 ppm increase, now it is the other way around: even if we stop emitting now, CO2 ppm will stay in the atmospthere and drive temperature up (and down). And nature will not come to check in with the weather man every morning what kind of weather we would like on a given day: what scientists provide us now with are estimates. We cannot know the exact change. And thus we cannot prepare for its consequences.
Now that is a real loud alarm, a call for action. If somedoby tells you that they still do not believe in climate change, please refer them to one of the many websites:
http://www.occ.gov.uk/activities/stern.htm
www.unfccc.org
www.350.org
http://www.ehow.com/how_2155972_convince-global-warming-skeptic.html

Road trip to Copenhagen

Our trip to Copenhagen was too amazing! In the beginning it looked like a true road trip - not knowing the way to our destination, not having the the address of the famous SHIP 15, or of the Klimaforum. Nevertheless, we made it - always knowing only 1 step ahead what will happen.
As we entered the Meshwork space the next day and started hosting conversations, our experience started taking on another dimension: we met people with activist agendas, with deep scientific knowledge, some with great passion and energy and others with restlessness, a need to act. I heard stories of people cutting Xmas holidays in order to be able to come to CPH, people who had to made serious choices about their budgets to be able to walk onthe 12 December to Bella center. No wonder some went to the space of desperation when the demonstrations turned violent. The streets were (and today still are) filled with energy - both anger, hope and restless excitement. We are all watching the news every day with hope for breakthrough...today the news also reflected frustration - talking about technicalities instead of focusing on the vision. Who can make a difference? Who can initiate a fundamental shift in people's thinking, in the system?
We all can do something, we all have choices to make, networks in which we can raise awareness. The road trip turned into an inspiring experience of opening people's minds and sharing information and knowledge and that turned into a reflective time in which we all looked into a mirror to ask - What piece of the puzzle am I really? Do I live up to it? People have so much passion and energy, and find it sometimes so difficult to channel it! We have seen scientists believing they have the answer to renewable energy questions, business people saying that we just do not have our green marketing well figured out, and lots of people who came in pointing fingers and politicians and left with being open to take their share of the work on. When you see people shifting around you, when you feel you can actually contribute to that shift, you all of the sudden realize you're shifting as well, you enter a flow of which you know the desired destination, but nothing else.
I am still in that flow, despite having returned to Amsterdam and knowing my daily duties and carrying them out as they should be. It is a strange feeling, as if I was still on the boat, as if I still had to define the ground under my feet. It's an experience that is hard to explain, but that is an eye opener.
So, tomorrow is that last day of the COP 15, I will not be there, I will be in Amsterdam writing an article about greening supply chains. And one about leadership. How did my hands get so full all of the sudden with work that I see the sense in? I guess it is true, when you find your true passion and talent, you get grounded and things will come to you. Or you will reach out to things that have always been around but you never fully appreciated them.
So, no I will not be in Copenhagen tomorrow, just as so many other people. I will be here, trying to make my piece of the puzzle happen.
What will you do tomorrow to make sure the days after it will be even better? For the long term.

Dr. Rauni Kilde

I just discovered this lady full of conspiracy theories, claiming to understand the world, the meaning of life and the extraterrestrials. Now, it would be a stretch to say I fully agree with what she is saying, or that she is unique in her opinions, but I would agree that listening to her pulls one out of the box. She offers a perspective that requires the listener to re-frame, to think about norms and social structures differently. I particularly liked the word "synthetic telepathy" which is mind control in her words.
I find telepathy sometimes works without one thinking of it. It's always natural. And it's also rare. I like it without wanting to explain it, just enjoying it and smiling when it happens. Synthetic telepathy sounds like acrylic underwear. (I am allergic to synthetic textiles and get a rash from them. Obviously, underwear having full contact with skin is the worst of the worst.) Synthetic telepathy is for my an oxymoron.
Nevertheless, Ms. Kilde's explanation of near death experiences put for a moment something that is so complex to even start thinking about into a clear, comfortable concept. You can watch her on youtube, but only if you have time and if you look at it as "an interesting perspective" rather than take it in word by word.
Sometimes I wonder about all these competing social theories, motivational speakers, enlightened leaders etc. on one hand and Kim Jong-il and Chavez and....many people I do not know by name on the other end of the spectrum. It's even hard to believe that we are the species. Or would it be all about marketing and blurred communication channels and we are ultimately all striving for goodness?

Confusing weather

There are certain habits we have in different seasons of the year. Now, in late November, we wear warm clothes, each heavier food, get used to the sun going down earlier, one just adapts to fall in anticipation of winter, secretly looking forward to the Spring next year.
But this year the weather seems to be way too moody - one day a massive wind storm, super heavy rain, the next day almost 20 degrees and a blue, sunny sky.
The other day we were sitting on the couch, eating chestnuts sent especially from Portugal (they were delicious, but try not to think about their carbon footprint). It was a warm night. It´s odd to eat chestnuts when it´s so warm, I thought.
So I decided, there is no other way, I will go to Copenhagen and will talk to Mr/Ms Weather and tell them that this is no way of getting us into the calm winter mood. Not to even mention Sinterklaas and Christmas. It´s all around the corner and climate change seems to be changing our inner climate. I do not feel Christmas-y at all. It saves me money on the Christams presents I am not buying, but for the rest, it makes me feel like I should be feeling something I am not.
Stop global warming, give us the white Christmas back!

Going to Copenhagen

The world's eyes will be on Copenhagen in 3 weeks. Countries will gather again to come to an agreement about curbing CO2 emissions while ensuring economic growth. This is a crucial event that a more sustainable future depends on.
Hundreds of thousands of people will be going to the Danish capital - some to meditate and send positive energy, others to demonstrate for an even better outcome, and many more to participate at some of the numerous side events.
I would love to be in Copenhagen, to feel the energy of this crucial moment. But let's think about this logistically: all of these enthusiasts of cutting emissions will produce a massive carbon footprint by going to Copenhagen. Also, the city will have to provide food and shelter to at least double of their usual population. What a stress this will be...ensuring public safety, the usual flow of life ....
Now, I really would like to be there, but will only go if I can play a volunteer / facilitator role at some of the side events, to have the feeling that there is more to "being there".
I would love to say, "Hope to see you there", but this is a choice everybody has to make for themselves. Me too :-)

The lobster and the leather jacket

Since I am currently not working full time, I have the time to contemplate. One of my favourite activities, only sometimes my brain seems to overheat :-)
So, last night in Dutch class my classmate said (we were doing some grammar exercises): Ik heb nog nooit zeekreeft gegeten. (I have never eaten a lobster.)
And I thought, how wonderful! There is a small drive this person has, a small dream that he could fulfill if he really wanted (there are some accessible restaurants in town with great seafood). But he chooses to dream of it rather than going for it. Well, I think if you never eat lobster in your life, your life shall not be dull and grey due to that fact.
I also have a dream. Small and silly. I would like a leather jacket. And every season in the shops of Amsterdam there are about 10 new models. But I never buy one. I always convince myself that I do not actually need it (which is by definition, true). So I keep dreaming of it, but maybe I will never get one. And I feel comfortable with it.
Because (apart from wanting to see businesses become much more connected to their environments), I have a small dream and it makes me feel human. It makes me wish for it and play with the feeling, trying to not let the "want" take me over.
And of course, again, both the lobster and the leather jacket are really not basic products we need for everyday survival.
There are people out there going to sleep hungry and wearing our long forgotten given-away clothes.
Lobster and a leather jacket - how far fetched these concepts may be for them. How superfluous to a happy life!

Taking energy for granted

With the arrival of the rains and the cold season to Amsterdam, I returned home in the afternoon, hoping to turn up the intensity of the heating system. Oh, and a hot shower would have been nice, too. Nevertheless, the heating system refused to response. I called the plumbers. They came and said we were lucky not to have exploded, the whole system needs to be fixed. I asked how long, he said a few days.
It took over a week. In this week, I went to the gym a few times to take a shower, for the rest, I was heating up water in a pot, mixing it with cold water and pouring it in small dosages over myself. After the "cleaning procedure", there were no warm clothes to put on, no warm corner to sit in. So it was hot tea and a thick blanket that kept us going. After a few days I almost got used to this solution.
And then, one sunny autumn morning, the heating system started to work again. And now I am getting used to the luxury of a warm apartment and the possibility of taking a shower any time I feel like it! It is all here, in this 39 square meters. Warmth, internet, connection to the outside world, all possible entertainment gadgets, best food one could wish...what an extremely comfortable life we lead!
And the whole experience made me appreciate the energy supply each household in this country has. Made to understand that things we here take for granted, are actually not granted by far to everybody, everywhere.
And indeed, from a global perspective, it indeed is a luxury!

The role of profit in the triple bottom line

The triple bottom line stands for people, planet and profit. Economy should function in service of these three Ps if it is to function successfully in the long term. If it is to function sustainably.
Yesterday I heard somebody say that "I'm willing to conduct business sustainably, if I can make a lot of money on it". Hm, I was intrigued. Sustainability and profit. What is their interrelation? I have thought about it a lot already, and the statement I just heard was not in line with my conclusions.
Nevertheless, profit is important, I agree, too. But can it be a driver of sustainable business? I still have my doubts. If a business is conducted in service of the people and without harming the planet, it should ultimately generate profit. Right. I agree with this approach. Profit is a consequence of sustainable conduct, and not the driver of it.
That is what makes profit in the triple bottom line different for me from business as usual.
And yes, investments into "greening the business" should bring about returns. Profit is the oil of the 3Ps. I wonder how many businesses are already thinking along these lines. And how many of them will make it to the Fortune 500. Will there still be a Fortune 500 in a responsible, sustainable world?

The lights...

Yesterday I had the chance to see the premiere of the La Bayadere ballet in Amsterdam. It was breathtaking, what an amazing performance! I was taken into a fairy tale land and felt like the whole world would be so much more elegant if we all danced around in ballet moves. Well, I guess it will not happen, but it was still a nice thought.
At times the stage was full of dancers, all in amazing costumes and fantastic focus on their pieces. Then there were moments of solo dancing. During one of these moments I realized that the light always followed perfectly the moves of the dancer, even though they changed direction quite abruptly. Yet not one mistake - the light always followed them.
And that was natural. Unnatural would be if the light lost the dancer. The person in charge of the lights remained invisible throughout the play, yet his work was so crucial to the success of the overall performance.
The invisible, yet crucial ingredient for the success reminded me of Jean Monnet of who those interested in the history of the European Integration know a lot. He did a big part of the preparation of the ECSC, yet did not push himself into the spotlight. I consider him kind of a "servant leader". And the same is valid for the person in charge of the lights last night. There are many more people who we do not see, but who make our lives so much smoother.
I really admire them for staying in the back and guiding us from there instead of carrying a flag in the front. I even hope to be like them!

Make you mind not move

We are constantly on the run from somewhere to some other place that turns out to be as we expected it. We are constantly trying to absorb information, sometimes in an unfiltered way that than causes random ideas to not fit in any mental framework we have until it gets lost again. It's colors, sounds, impressions, feelings, desires, regrets, tasks, responsibilities, deep thoughts, religious commitments, etc. - thoughts constantly flying through our head, some returning after a few hours, most of the time in a disconnected (list-like) way.
What are your plans for the weekend? Where do you want to go for holidays? What will you get for who for Xmas? How will you find your next job? Why are they playing this music on tv?
Constant flow of questions - this is a place I often find myself at. At mental movement. I do not want my brain to go idle and just hang out in my head because it's kinda warm and cozy in there. I am constantly dumping information in it, often even pushing it to make connections between individual pieces of information.
Well, I am not good at listening to podcasts and to iPods, though, so the outside - in flow is not constant. At least not through my ears.
And today I saw this Poonja video about "making your mind not move". It is unlikely that I can do it for a long time. Yet when you just stop for a moment when I am in the middle of a zillion things, all of the sudden I felt like a boat at the haven, like I have arrived and things got really calm around me. What a great feeling. Things will come to you, to me, even if we are not constantly trying to fit it into our existing frameworks.
Just let it emerge. And make sure your mind is present to spot it.