OK, I admit it. I’m addicted to reading and learning.Once, even if I couldn’t do anything with the knowledge, I would still do it just for the pleasure. A good book, and a good idea have a taste all their own.
There are many people who consider reading and learning a complete waste of time. They would rather go out and do almost anything rather than learn. Give me a book that makes me think, or shows me a new world, and I would gladly sit for hours.
But there’s a dark side to this lust for reading and learning.
[Continue reading: Addicted to Learning]
When I was in 8th grade, my Spanish teacher had the class describe (in Spanish) the personalities of each member of the class. When it was my turn to be “identified”, the class put it together in a second: occupado (busy).
What was I so busy with in 8th grade? I haven’t a clue.
Someone I worked with several years ago at a Wall Street firm once told me his secret to success (and promotion): “Look busy, even if you’re not.” And how do you look busy? By having a serious, slightly pained expression on your face as often as you can manage it. “If you ever look happy,” he claimed, “you must be thinking about something other than work.”
[Continue reading: Too Busy to Live]
Reading books isn’t as popular as it once was. Computer games, TV, movies, and internet surfing all compete for our attention, and reading rarely wins. (Although the Harry Potter books have brought a new excitement about reading to many children)
Most of my kids are rabid readers. They go to the public library and check out piles of books. My oldest daughter doesn’t read books; she inhales them. I read pretty fast, but not compared to her.
Many of my children read just for pleasure, not to remember what they learn. The great surge in reading that took place in the 19th century came from the availability of entertaining fiction, not non-fiction. Still, there are many people, like my wife and I, who read mostly to learn. There’s tremendous pleasure in it, but we want to learn, and we want to remember.
People who love to read and learn have to face an unpleasant truth.
[Continue reading: Living Ideas]
I have a long commute to work. Much of the time is filled with prayer, reading, and writing. I’m strongly inner-focused as I travel; yet I often travel with a smile. The time will pass anyway. Why not enjoy it?
I can’t help noticing, though, as I ride the subway part of my journey, how “serious”, how “dark” many people seem to be. They carry their life like a great and painful weight that they can never be free of.
[Continue reading: Counterfeit Dreams]
My oldest daughter once gave my wife and me a simple personality test. Miriam loves personality tests. Yes, I find them intriguing as well. I love the idea of finding patterns and predictability in the wonderfully wild and unpredictable world of people and how they behave. But these tests only model a person’s behavior, and every model has its limits.
This was the simplest personality test I’d ever heard of:
[Continue reading: Too Playful or Too Serious?]
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The Heart Fountain: Stories of the Energy Mind
The Heart Fountain is an ongoing collection of my stories. They speak about a magical world, but then again, I believe that all stories are full of magic.
The about page on The Heart Fountain site has more information on the stories, and the techniques used to free the unconscious and give it a powerful voice. Video Vision Statements and Credits |
