Who knew they had diapers in ancient Israel?
21Dec, 2011
So, according to researchers, if you want to be healthy you have to be in an environment where you are accepted and are free to have flaws. You also have to love yourself, have compassion for yourself and accept yourself. Why, because if we are going to be healthy, we must connect, and if we are going to connect, we must be vulnerable with each other. This TED Talk from Brene Brown is the best I’ve heard in a while. Are you somebody people can be vulnerable with? And do you struggle with vulnerability? You’ll enjoy this. I’ve made some notes under the clip. Peruse them as you watch and listen. Don STUFF I GOT FROM BRENE BROWN: • We are here to connect. It’s hardwired into our biology. It’s the driving force in the human personality. • Shame unravels connection. People who do not experience shame cannot experience connection. Shame is the enemy of connection. • In order for connection to happen, we must allow ourselves to be seen. We must overcome our shame. • A sense of worthiness is connected to a sense of love and belonging. • People who have a strong sense of love and belonging [...]
17Dec, 2011
Ludwig van Beethoven, widely considered one of the greatest composers in history, died on this day in 1827. Beethoven moved to Vienna from Germany in his early twenties where he became a virtuoso pianist, before beginning to lose his hearing. Some attributed his loss of hearing to his habit of lowering his head into ice-cold water in order to stay awake and continue practicing, though today this theory is dismissed. Despite the composers failed hearing, Beethoven remained committed to the creation of his art. He stayed sane, and even warded off thoughts of suicide, through devotion to virtue and to becoming accepted as an artist amongst the other musical craftsman of his day. It is widely believed that in the age of television and consumer distractions, another Ludwig van Beethoven will not develop. Here is a letter Beethoven wrote to his two brothers, reflecting on his life and ambition, and his loss of hearing. The name Johann is added parenthetically as in its handwritten form was left blank, perhaps because it was a peculiar legal document, and perhaps over strained relations. For my brothers Carl and (Johann) Beethoven O ye men who think or say that I am malevolent, stubborn [...]
