Biopsychology

Just got back from the second module of the biopsychology course with Susan Andrews in her ecovila Visão Futuro. Super interesting how she brings together Eastern and Western science, not just medicine, but also many other sciences... all that mixed with music, arts, theatre ... I'm excited to learn.

Ask "What's possible?" ...

Ask "What's possible?" not "What's wrong?" - Keep asking...

Notice what you care about.
Assume that many others share your dreams.

Be brave enough to start a conversation that matters.
Talk to people you know.
Talk to people you don't know.
Talk to people you never talk to.

Be intrigued by the differences you hear.
Expect to be surprised!
Treasure curiosity more than certainty.

Invite in everybody who cares to work on what's possible.
Acknowledge that everyone is an expert in something.
Know that creative solutions come from new connections.

Remember, you don't fear people whose story you know.
Real listening always brings people closer together.

Trust that meaningful conversations change your world.

Rely on human goodness.

Stay together.


^^^^

Was trying to find the author for that poem (thanks Pablo for sharing it!) and a posting I had made in my blog more than two years ago came up in the search rs ...
I became curious about what happened that day. And I can't recall ...

The True Joy of Life

This is the true joy of life, the being used up for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one; being a force of nature instead of a feverish, selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.

I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can. I want to be thoroughly used up when I die, for the harder I work, the more I live.

Life is no "brief candle" to me. It is a sort of splendid torch which I have got hold of for a moment, and I want to make it burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.

- George Bernard Shaw

Reflections on ethics and the process of making things happen

Effective implementation of solutions for critical sustainability equations.

Insights of Oscar Motomura during Tallberg concert that followed a session of the Moral Boundaries Workshop, Summer 2008



IF ETHICS is the CHOICE for the COMMON GOOD (global reach and including all living beings): ...


deciding not to act because it is difficult and there are uncertainties involved ... is not ethical;

deciding to act small because it is more comfortable ... is not ethical;

deciding to hold back (your proposals, ideas and actions) because you don't want to go against "the group" ... is not ethical;

deciding doing the possible instead of trying to make the impossible possible ... is not ethical;

deciding to use just a part of your potential (to "save" it for self interest purposes) ... is not ethical;

deciding not to persist up to the limits of your forces ... it is not ethical;

deciding to conform to existing limitations (even the ones in the form of inadequate laws) ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act, to stay silent, letting fear stay in the way ... is not ethical;

deciding to conform to the "letter of law" instead of persisting on the path defined by the "spirit of law" ... is not ethical;

deciding to "delegate" your natural power, as a world citizen, to others ... is not ethical;

deciding not to try because nobody tried before ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act on the challenges of scale and complexity because they look overwhelming ... is not ethical;

deciding not to pursue the perfection and conform to what seems "negotiable" ... is not ethical;

deciding to postpone bold actions again and again "waiting for the right moment" ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act pressed by the conventions established by your own "professional community" ... is not ethical;

deciding to hold back because you may not be recognised as the author of the solution ... is not ethical;

deciding to "play the game" and pretend that you are not seeing the manipulations underway ... is not ethical;

deciding to live in the realm of ideas, diagnosis and theories instead of taking the risks and going for action ... is not ethical;

deciding to act only when all is scientifically proven, even when the truth is self evident ... is not ethical;

deciding to reject all radically creative ideas (yours including) when the "traditional-not-so-radical" ideas have not been working ... is not ethical;

deciding not to act because the process of reaching the perfect solution is too complex and difficult to implement ... is not ethical;

deciding to reject every proposal that looks "idealistic" and "utopic" ... is not ethical.

Out beyond the ideas ...

'Out beyond the ideas of right-doing or wrong-doing there is a field- I'll meet you there', Rumi, 13th century Sufi poet.

Amazing words, get you thinking don't they!
My room mate Zoe mentioned Rumi the other day (dont remember what we were talking about), the words struck me the moment I heard them, just didn't know he (Rumi) has been an inspiration for a quite a few ... peace builders and conflict resolvers Out Beyone Ideas for example...

PS: I know an update of the blog has been long overdue...It's on it's way :))

Different morning

I woke up on Monday morning, and the morning was different! Like really different!! It felt like a early summer morning in Estonia, fresh, cool, exciting! But it was not about the weather, it was the feeling I had!! I still have it, and I am excited!

And I actually don't know where it came from!? Maybe cos I had been sick the whole last week (dengue like my colleagues were joking!), and now I finally got better. Or maybe cos I had supernice weekend, quiet, watching a few good movies with good people. Or maybe it was these 2 kilos that I had been trying (actually more like hoping, not trying too hard) to lose, but didn't manage otherwise than getting sick and not being able to eat much other than garlic and honey :))). Or maybe it was these bare 4 hours that I slept the night before, cos of my little movie marathon...
hmm...don't know!

On the top of this, Elina sent me a new design of our homepage (it's gonna be niiccee, great job Elina and Triini!), work is going well, and I'm looking forward to what's coming up in the next months!!

Surfed around in my mailbox and found a few good thoughts that seem to go with my mood right now:

QUOTE of the WEEK:"It seems to me that people have vast potential. Most people can do extraordinary things if they have the confidence or take the risks. Yet most people don't. They sit in front of the telly and treat life as if it goes on forever." Philip Adams


POEM for YOUR WEEK
Believing in You
By Catherine Pulsifer, © 1997


Never stop believing in yourself.
When others doubt, don't you.
Do what you love to do,
No one knows better than you.

Life is too short to live others' dreams
Follow your own dream
Push yourself to reach your goals
And live the life you once dreamed.

Trust your instincts.
Be true to yourself.
You know what is right for you.
Never give up or give in.

Forget the words "I don't know how".
You can learn,
You can research,
You can do.

Your mind is powerful.
When you believe you can.
You will find a way
You won't waste a day.

Persist and persevere
Do not fear
Because if you believe in you
You will find dreams can come true.

May all your dreams turn into goals, (ok that one I dont quite agree with, but...)
Believe in yourself.
And remember, all of life is a choice.
The decision is up to you.