Archive
28-Apr-2016 Reading.. some quotes
As always I have been reading a lot, A LOT. I scribbled these quotes down:
Expeditions allow me to commit to a goal of my own choosing; any problems I face are mine to deal with, and success or failure is a direct result of my own abilities or shortcomings. Each trip brings new confidence, new experience, and new ideas. from: http://www.sidetracked.com/big-cats-and-bus-shelters/
You can dress up a bug and call it a feature. You can also put dog crap in the freezer and call it ice cream. But people can taste the difference.
23-Apr-2015 Be a light unto yourself
I read this quote today by Vimala Thakar which I liked, it just jumped off the page at me :
Don’t follow anyone. Be a light unto yourself.
Searching on the internet, it looks like The Buddha said something similar. I am not surprised:
I try not to follow anyone, ever, and just do my own thing, for better or worse.
Dawn says it makes me painful, not wanting to listen to anyone.
13-Dec-2014 Hard work beats talent
I saw this picture here. I think it sort of sums me up – not very talented but work hard. And I have seen talented people waste their talent by being sloppy & lazy and ultimately get overtaken by people who show up every day and keep plugging away.
6-Dec-2014 Bhagavad Gita Quote
I read this quote the other day :
In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna advises Arjuna, “ Let go of the fruits of your actions. Your job is to act as perfectly as you can—My job is to take care of the results.”
But then I looked at another translation and couldn’t find the same quote exactly – this seemed to be closest:
You are only entitled to the action, never to its fruits. Do not let the fruits of action be your motive, but do not attach yourself to nonaction. — Chapter 2, verse 47
In fact it turns out that translating the Bhagavad Gita is a pretty random exercise, refer this link, although no doubt there are many other places where they discuss varying translations.
Anyway, its good to stuff to ponder on, whilst I lay in my hammock on the back deck!
The main reason for posting this is that it is soooo close to my preferred and most favourite mantra. If you know me then you will know that I try to live this each and every day :
4-Dec-2014 Your Attention Please
I saw this quote here : http://lifeswisdom.tumblr.com/post/91345763795.
I have have always lived my life in this way since I was a teenager, maybe that was a sign of a good upbringing – I knew no one was going to help. It’s just me and all my faculties – for better or worse – versus the world. So I try to be as self-sufficient and non-needy as possible.
29-Oct-2014 A Fine Balance Book
This month’s book for Book Club was “A Fine Balance” by Rohinton Mistry. I have read it before and loved it and I have read of bunch of his other ones also.
I loved the book again, I love the slow-paced build-up. I love the snippets into Indian life and different religions and customs but it’s not rammed hard at you. It’s good.
Obviously, it’s set in India which always puts it firmly in my radar, I love books about India. The 2 tailors, from a lower caste are definitely underdogs, I am always a fan of under dogs. Dinah and Maneck complete the key four characters, are an interesting mix of people and backgrounds but the story goes well together and I felt like I really cared for them, which is quite rare in a book. It follows that successes and failures.
Here were some cool quotes I’d bookmarked:
The proofreader nodded, ‘You see, you cannot draw lines and compartments, and refuse to budge beyond them. Sometimes you have to use your failures as stepping-stones to success. You have to maintain a fine balance between hope and despair.’ He paused, considering what he had just said. ‘Yes,’ he repeated. ‘In the end, it’s all a question of balance.’
But how firm to stand, how much to bend? Where was the line between compassion and foolishness, kindness and weakness? And that was from her position. From theirs, it might be a line between mercy and cruelty, consideration and callousness.
‘The rules should always allow someone to win,’ Om insisted. The logical breakdown troubled him. ‘Sometimes, no one wins,’ said Maneck. ‘You were right, it is a stupid game,’ said Om.
‘So that’s the rule to remember, the whole quilt is much more important than any single square.’
People forget how vulnerable they are despite their shirts and shoes and briefcases, how this hungry and cruel world could strip them, put them in the same position as my beggars.’
‘After all, our lives are but a sequence of accidents – a clanking chain of chance events. A string of choices, casual or deliberate, which add up to that one big calamity we call life.’
So true, I often remark to Dawn that life is like one big random accidental series of occurrences!
Some additional links:
28-Oct-2014 Looking Back
I saw this here. I like it. Very Much.
16-Oct-2014 I Know Nuffink
This post was inspired by poetry of our fore-fathers listened to whilst I was out running:
The More I see, the more I know
The more I know, the less I understand
I think the reason I wanted to stop being manager of CoolRunning, and even doing less running, is that was really all I knew other my job :- running.
When I started doing yoga, it was like a new world – so many types and so much to learn – many people can do yoga every day for years and still not be an expert. (Like running), then there is surfing, gym and fitness, cooking, languages, music, books, travel – SO MUCH TO LEARN, and SO LITTLE TIME.
That’s why I can’t just do running, I need to move onto other things. I know some people might like just doing one thing, but it’s not me, I need to keep on moving on.
(Definition of nuffink is here).
15-Sep-2014 Gym & Sydney?
I took the car into be repaired this morning in Caringbah then went to work. Afterwards I went to the gym for 2 classes H.I.I.T. and a hardcore core workout. Then the steam room and the sauna. I was well stuffed afterwards. I had bought a good juice and tried to find somewhere to sit down but I came to the conclusion that Sydney actively discourages people to hang out and sit down at night. Once the shops shut they want the streets clear of people and hangers-on. There are no seats anywhere other than a very few areas (like Circular Quay) and even most restaurants don’t have outdoor seats, just indoors. And don’t get me started on why it’s so hard to get a coffee after 4pm! there are a thousand coffee places but only 2% of them are open after 4pm. grrrrr.
I think it’s quite embarrassing for visitors.
I quite like reading inspirational quotes, despite what this webpage says !
20-Aug-2014 Only so many tomorrows
3-Jun-2014 You’ve Changed
I read this today and like it, and I want people to say the same to me:
“People say to you, ‘you’ve changed’, or something like that, well, I hope, for the sake of God that you have changed, because I don’t want to be the same person all my life. I want to be growing, I want to be expanding. I want to be changing. Because animate things change, inanimate things don’t change. Dead things don’t change. And the heart should be alive, it should be changing, it should be moving, it should be growing, its knowledge should be expanding.”
That was by Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, link here
15-Jan-2014 Gandhi Quote?
I saw this quote and liked it. Of course Gandhi probably didn’t even say it, but I have a weak spot for the guy anyway so don’t really care much.
Of course it’s easy to say something but a lot harder to actually do!
9-Jan-2014 Society & Blame
I saw this on a random blog somewhere, and it’s like exactly what I believe:
9-Nov-2013 Saturday Surf Lifesaving
Today I did my 2nd patrol for Cronulla Surf club from 9am-1.30pm. I have had a really bad cough and like cold symptoms but decided to go anyway. Mostly it’s like a tickle in the throat.
I drove round and listened to the radio, the lyrics of one song stood out, which I liked and thought that maybe Michael Jackson should have listened himself – the Man in the mirror:
If You Wanna Make The World A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself And Then Make The Change
The day was hot and sunny, well over 30C on the beach.
Luckily no rescues but I did get to swim and go out on a board for practise. Although I swim at Bundeena most days, Cronulla is just better – the water is deeper and the waves add that extra element. A perfect day.
I also met a guy called Herman, who is 85 and pretty much a raw vegan with drinks a lot of fresh juices, runs, swims, walks and does like yoga deep breathing (pranayama) each day. He looks so fit and healthy and has an incredible sharp mind, just a great example of how to grow old !
After the patrol I had a coffee at Grind – a doppio – double espressso and bought some veges. I also had to get a new pair of sunnies as Dawn took my others ones – see photo of me modelling them.
In the evening I cooked a couple of veg dishes for me and Jaz and Dawn – snow peas and mushrooms with tofu chunks with soy sauce and omboishi vinegar. Second dish was cauliflower with mustard seeds in a dry indian spice.
30-Sept-2013 What I’ve learnt
When I woke up this morning I still felt shite and wondered whether to stay home sick or work from home, but decided to bash on anyway, after taking some hayfever meds. I worked at Kogarah and arrive approx 9.30am but left a bit early although my condition did improve a bit.
I went for a nice swim just before it got dark (approx 6.15pm now) and then a brief run.
I was ready an interesting blog from Sarah Wilson about “Build gaps in your life. pauses. proper pauses” which of course borrowed from an article about Thom Yorke from Radiohead who is an incredibly interesting person in how own right ie even discounting his vast musical talents.
I definitely find myself wanting to hit the pause button to actually take the time to enjoy stuff.
Like Thom I also “do feel the pressure of time marching on”.
However when I got out of the sea after my swim this evening, and was towelling myself down, looking at the setting sun I reflected on what I have learnt : After more than 30 years of running, I know a lot about running (much more than many so-called professionals know), but since I have kicked off yoga, kayaking, surf lifesaving, crossfit, ocean swimming, I realise that each of these would require 20-30 years to master and there just isn’t the time! Let alone all the other activities I know absolutely nothing about. It’s so frustrating but resolved to ensure I don’t spend time on stuff I don’t care about.
It comes back to that old phrase I heard from Paul Weller (The Changing Man):
The more I see – the more I know
The more I know – the less I understand
13-Jun-2013 Geeks and Unions
I found a text file on my pc called “geeks and unions.txt” and I was going to add it to my “jottings and other unordered notes” page. But I see I had already added it. I have no idea where it came from but probably on Slashdot.
The last thing we need is a union. Unions homogenize the workforce. You get x dollars per hour, no matter how good/terrible you are. What we need is performance-based pay, and no sane union would ask for that. Unions are the antithesis of geek demands. Unions demand uniformity in workplace conditions. Geeks demand flexibility. Unions demand standard pay scales. We like to see 15% pay increases. Unions cater to the average worker. Geeks despise mediocrity.
I loved that quote, and still do. I think the only time I was in a union was when I was a student at Uni, and it was mandatory (!) An interesting story in that the government at the time (Thatcher) tried to make the compulsory joining of unions illegal and subsequent forcing people to pay union fees eg the situation we were in at Uni. The Sudent Union officers whose fees are paid by my fees, realised this so organised a demo which myself and my housemates went to. I can’t remember where it was – but somewhere in Southampton in Southern England. It was my first demonstration I went to, but we cleared off when the cops arrived. Can’t remember what happened to the rule/law etc.
7-May-2013 I like writing!
It feels weird to say it, but I quite like writing. I don’t think I am really that good at it, and I am writing this blog for my kids, or grandkids, or myself so it doesn’t even matter if its good writing or not, but I quite enjoy it.
The more I write the more I like it (yep – exactly how it is with running and even yoga, maybe …).
This article has a few good comments and as always is better put than my own efforts
-
Writing helps you reflect on your life and changes you’re making. This is incredibly valuable, as often we do things without realizing why, or what effects these things are having on us.
-
Writing clarifies your thinking. Thoughts and feelings are nebulous happenings in our mind holes, but writing forces us to crystalize those thoughts and put them in a logical order.
-
Writing daily forces you to come up with new ideas regularly, and so that forces you to solve the very important problem of where to get ideas. What’s the answer to that problem? Ideas are everywhere! In the people you talk to, in your life experiments, in things you read online, in new ventures and magazines and films and music and novels. But when you write regularly, your eyes are open to these ideas
When I was in Dhaka I read a magazine called “Kinfolk” and took a photo of this quote which I quite like and it’s sort of relvant to this post:
6-May-2013 A couple of quotes I like
You will have seen my lists of short inspirational quotes here and other notes here – here are some recent additions :
- This one could pretty much summarise my worldview – “the world is my country, all mankind are my brethren, and to do good is my religion” by tom paine.
- This one is good also : “there are only two mistakes one can make along the road to truth; not going all the way, and not starting” reportedly by the buddha (but hard to prove?) . It could also be used about running, in fact its even better that way! “there are only two mistakes one can make when running; not going all the way, and not starting” (quote me on that!)
18-Feb-2013 Happiness, not stuff
Happiness, as far as I’m concerned, is achieved through living a meaningful life—a life that is filled with passion and freedom, a life in which we grow as individuals and contribute to other people in meaningful ways. Growth and contribution, these are the bedrocks of happiness. Not stuff.
This is me !
From Be More with less
23-Mar-2011 Nice quote, supposedly from the Dalai Lama
I read this today, supposedly from the Dalai Lama (*), but I am not convinced it’s his, as it reads like a lot of stuff on the internet.
The Dalai Lama, when asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:
“Man. Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health. And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present; the result being that he does not live in the present or the future; he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”
* note : Although I have been to Tibet and quite like of lot of Buddhist teachings, I am not particularly a huge fan of the Dalai Lama, although I do have a lot of respect for him/his position.
Kevin Tiller 
Recent Comments