Comments on: Perception

By: Karen Wylie

Karen Wylie — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 22:43:59 +0000

I’ve found it interesting that over the last six months my relationship with customers has changed. Customers have started asking, ‘how are you doing?’ out of concern for me and our retail shop/handmade business. They ask a lot of questions about sales and money, and whether we’re going to be ‘okay.’ Some have been customers for many years, loyally purchasing products, but never thought to ask us before. Maybe they thought it was impolite to ask someone how much money they made, or they just assumed everything was fine. However, since September when news of the financial crisis took flight, our customers simply haven’t been taking us for granted. I’d like to think we never took them for granted, but odds are, there were times when we did. All in all, one positive outcome of the overarching fear that exists is the strengthening of the relationship I have with my customers, and the personal caring that has been expressed between us. It was truly unexpected.

By: Trying to Embrace Change | Detlef Cordes

Trying to Embrace Change | Detlef Cordes — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 16:21:54 +0000

[...] wrote these lyrics after taking part in the discussion at the Catskill Cottage Seed about the recent changes in our economies, the hopes and the fears those changes are [...]

By: Sonja Cassella

Sonja Cassella — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 22:38:34 +0000

Richard, I think the reason people are upbeat on Twitter is because if you're negative or mean, people will either drop you or never even start following. People who tend to be on twitter are active and strong, by and large, and intelligent, and they aren't going to go in for a behavior, like complaining, that causes trouble for them. Besides, they're mostly, on one level or another, in business for themselves, so everything's riding on their good performance. I have to say I don't see these days as ones of dire import. Rather, things we have been doing for a long time are coming home to roost. Our awareness is "up" now on matters such as borrowing money and lack of banking accountability, unjust tax laws, polluting, and lack of community. One might say these are the worst of times and the best of times -- because I really do believe these problems will now begin being addressed, and addressing them is a great opportunity which comes out of crisis. You've probably heard before that the Chinese symbol for crisis is a conjoining of danger and opportunity. Sonja Cassella´s last blog post..Review of Roberto Devereux by Gaetano Donizetti

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 22:01:44 +0000

Hey Duff,
Thanks for your input. It seems some of us are meant to carry the load, while others go on unawares. Jung said there is no gain in consciousness without suffering, which goes against some of the ideas of transcendental meditation for instance. His point being that the ego, in order to gain in this way, must relinquish control, which is by definition how it functions.

By: Duff

Duff — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:39:24 +0000

Great post. I’ve been thinking recently about hope born of naive optimism vs. hope born of despair. I’ve been feeling a lot of despair recently, and going deeper into the despair to find hope within it, rather than outside of it. It’s painful as heck! But I’ve tried the Panglossian glasses, but the first noble truth of Buddhism still looks real to me: life is suffering. But it is a noble truth if one accepts it fully and lives joyfully anyway.

I’ve also been unfollowing overly happy people on Twitter.

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:17:24 +0000

Neat story Jeb!
Funny how the trickster can get activated and play havoc with us. I wonder why that energy would be activated in the unconscious at this point and then remember that you have just recently connected with your dream life again. See, the unconscious is more than our dreams, it’s always there. It’s as if the unconscious is saying “look mister, it’s not your wallet where the value is…”

By: Jeb Dickerson

Jeb Dickerson — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 18:12:16 +0000

Much has been said to this point, but I feel compelled to share a personal experience I had yesterday, and, more generally, this past year.

I left for work w/o my wallet b/c I could not find it. I emailed my wife and asked if she had it. She did not, and could not find it. I began to go into stress mode, as all my ID, CCs and, regrettably, my SS card were in that wallet. For 2 solid hours, as I worked, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach as I feared the worst.

Shortly before I finished work, my wife emailed me and said she found my wallet. Huge relief. After work we went into town and I hung at a coffee shop while she looked in some stores. We went about our day as usual. Last night, prior to retiring, I was getting my things together for work today and I could not find my wallet. It was nowhere to be found. I mentally went through my day and decided to call the coffee shop I was in earlier. They had my wallet.

We spend so much of our time worrying about bad things (losing my wallet) when times are good (when, in fact, I had not lost my wallet), I think that has 2 consequences. First, it seems to bring about the very bad times you’re worried about (actually losing my wallet), and second, it all but demands the opposite be true as well. Namely, that we expect good things when times are bad.

Perhaps it’s human nature, I don’t know. It certainly doesnt seem rational. But I’ve experienced both sides of that spectrum at different times in my life, and I have to confess…I prefer optimism during bad times over pessimism during good times.

Counterintuitive, I think…but we are what we think about. Cheers.

Jeb Dickerson´s last blog post..Becoming…

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:14:06 +0000

Susan,
I really hold tight to the idea that the issue is both within and without. You have summed up what i have been attempting to articulate beautifully. Thank you for your continued participation. You rock.

By: Richard Reeve

Richard Reeve — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:12:20 +0000

Mary, I like that you identify the seriousness of the current situation. Thanks for your contribution.

By: Susan Mazza

Susan Mazza — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 15:03:44 +0000

Well said Richard – “hope, realizing the gravity can change the situation, not optimism rooted in denial.” (I actually didn’t think you were promoting pessimism )

I actually don’t believe in the “power of positive thinking” – an artificially implanted positive thought in a fundamentally “negative” thought pattern won’t change very much. I think our sub-consicous tends to relate to those kinds of thoughts like they are gnats! To bring a possibility to life, including finding our way out of the current crisis we must be aware of and own the current reality within ourselves and the world.

Susan Mazza´s last blog post..A Moment of Courage – Part II